Okay, Interwebs, we’re about to have an uncomfortable conversation about how you all think when it comes to console releases. Consoles will never be better than PCs. Never. Ever. People will not look at a console and say, “Wow, I wish a PC did that.” That will never happen, so you have to accept it, stop comparing it, and move on. Standards are not as high and pure as PC releases. The quicker we all agree and come to terms on this sentiment, the better and less toxic we will be on new or re-releases.
Cool? Cool.
Now, weeks ago, Square Enix released Final Fantasy XVI on the Xbox systems. It came with the same story, the same action and drama, and the same large amount of dialogue that seemed endless (but appreciated – Kojima games prepared us for this). What it didn’t deliver was a high resolution because of the system’s underpowered graphical prowess. Digital Foundry released their typical test video on newly released and highly regarded games to break down console performance and delivery. Their work and explanation of how the Series X performed were detailed, as it was exquisitely put together. Watching their work is always a treat.
What the good folks at DF found was that the Xbox Series X delivered a 720p resolution to the experience, as the system couldn’t be pressed beyond that. This matched a similar, yet weaker path drawn from the PlayStation 5 release, which means the two aren’t that far off from each other. Can you accept that, as a gamer? Can you still get the same enjoyment and attachment because of this lack of resolution? For me, the resounding answer is ‘YES’.
Maybe being born in a different generation of gaming loosened the importance of high resolutions and frame rates in lieu of everything else being perfect. When I go into a game, I go into it wanting a good story, a firm emotional connection, a fun time, and leaving the experience thinking about it for years to come. I still think about the enjoyment of Space Invaders back in the day, if that tells you anything about what I consider important with gaming.
While you might believe the above text is here to antagonize you or shame you for your complaints, it truly isn’t. As many games have proved over the last few years, looking at you, Balatro, having good visuals isn’t necessary or equal to having a good experience. Two different worlds at best, and ones that belong firmly separated when reviewing/playing games. While this logical equation doesn’t excuse pricing or glitches, it’s meant to give perspective on what should matter when playing games.
Let me come down from my soapbox now, and let’s get going on this re-tread review of Final Fantasy XVI for the Xbox Series X.
Same story, same feelings
If you aren’t familiar with Final Fantasy XVI’s story, then let me throw a synopsis at you. You play as a Bearer named Clive Rosfield, who is a sworn protector of his ‘little brother’ Joshua, a Dominant, who can change into a large Phoenix that is as powerful as it is destructive. While on patrol one night, Clive’s kingdom is raided by an army called the Sanbreque, who bring down the kingdom’s bloodline with a swift and destructive cut, and eventually end up killing Joshua while he is in his Dominant form.
Driven by revenge and sentenced to life on the frontlines of an everlasting Sanbreque war, Clive does what he can to survive, as he carries the burden of regret for his failure with Joshua and is driven by his need for revenge against the monster that ruined his life and took his Dominant’s. Along the way on Clive’s revenge tour, he meets his long-lost childhood love and friend, Jill, who had been captured and lived a life as a slave since Clive’s kingdom fell. And Clive eventually crosses paths with a stranger named Cid, who is also a Bearer, and offers to help Clive get his revenge.
As the story gets deeper, Clive’s need for revenge soon turns into a need to save Bearers, as he eventually discovers that a Bearer will turn to stone from using their power too much. Clive also takes up Cid’s struggle with saving the world they live in by destroying the power of every mighty monster that is fed by giant crystals called the Mothercrystals. By destroying those, he gives his kind a chance and eventually wants to bring out the very monster that has haunted him since the night he lost Joshua.
There is far more to the story than this, but, damn, that is a good story. The big piece driving part of this game is how well-developed the characters are and how connected you will feel to their story and their pain. The characters are so well done that they almost feel human, and what drives them is believable. While the story is grounded in magic and monsters, the emotional scars and suffering the characters must overcome are more real than they are fictional. There is nothing in this world better than a good story with compelling characters. And this story drives this game.
Story with a side of gameplay
The story in Final Fantasy XVI is astounding and will carry the experience for years to come. It’s just that good. The gameplay that accompanies it? It’s very good, but it can’t overshadow the story. That’s not a bad thing, at least in my opinion.
The gameplay in Final Fantasy XVI is driven by the story and characters, and makes controlling them a seamless action experience that is relentless in its pursuit to deliver beautiful chaos to the player. The seamlessness of the game from story to action is bridged by simplified controls.
Most of what you get with the game are easy-to-understand controls, where you’re swinging your sword, causing melee damage, and unleashing giant, magical attacks that are destructive as they are chaotically stunning to see in motion. When I previewed this game a year or so ago, that was the first thing I noticed – its simplicity. I’m not a complicated gamer; I don’t need a thousand magical abilities and onscreen stats to tell me how great I’m doing. I just need swinging, hitting, and destroying.
Final Fantasy XVI delivers that simplicity and also adds in destructive magical abilities by simply holding down a trigger and then selecting how you want to go about destroying an enemy through one of the controller’s buttons. Combos are easy to pull off, multiple devastating blows are fun to watch, and the action just seems so seamless and high-sensory in its delivery. You feel like you’re doing right by Clive, and just watching him get his revenge bit by bit through simplified and seamless controls is something to behold. It’s fun, it’s magical, it’s revenge-filled action!
My point, it’s incredibly easy to get into this game and get right to the action. You could not ask for an easier learning curve in an action role-playing game. It’s a pickup-the-controller-and-go type of deal. It’s the best way to make an action game. And this is how the gameplay works for the most part. You’re in the scrum when you’re not in dialogue with characters. You’re exploring and taking down creatures and enemies as you pursue Clive’s goals, and there’s nothing complicated about this process. It’s just easy and fun.
Now, some branching narrative moments in the game change things up. People talk to you, you answer, and if you answer correctly, then you get some dialogue and minor story shifts. It’s a good way to take a break from sword swinging and visual delightfulness. The story drives this portion of the gameplay, and it helps make sense of the action and its necessity. I mean revenge is a nice reason to start kicking enemy ass all day long, but having a more grounded view of surrounding characters with real-world oppression helps to expand Final Fantasy XVI’s world and make the destruction so much more meaningful. In a way, the action and story remind me of George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road, where the action is gorgeous, but the characters and their situations are so well-defined through a strong story that it becomes more than just another dumb action flick. Both action and story should exist within a single experience.
Beyond action and drama, the gameplay also features a clever skills tree that is massive. I mean, it’s massive. It starts tiny, but as you progress through the story and defeat enemies to acquire ability points, you begin to open magical abilities that allow you to tap into power that is driven by magical creatures. The creatures range from a fiery phoenix to a brutally tall wizard that is electrifying from afar. There are multiple circles of abilities in the skills tree, and each represents a specialized creature that carries its unique abilities. As you unlock each magical circle of abilities, this adds to the easily switchable abilities you can use in battle. Overall, there are a lot of options you can move and strategize with to find the best fit during fights. This tree will motivate you to keep finding creatures, gathering ability points, and fighting like a revenge-driven madman. Or a guy named Clive.
All this makes up the gameplay of Final Fantasy XVI.
Now, while the world is beautifully big in the game and the action easily accessible, the game itself is driven by the main quest and many side quests. The latter of the bunch keeps the gameplay going and offers meaningful story branches that help to build upon Clive’s world. There are many of these side quests, and they range from simple tasks to tracking lost residents who have gone missing. There are good and meaningful tasks that keep the adventure going and make the world much bigger than it sometimes feels.
Anyway, overall, the gameplay is just wildly easy to get into and understand. While it is led by a thoroughly thought-through story and make no mistake, the story is the star of this game, it still does action right and fits right in with everything that Final Fantasy XVI wants to become.
In short, the gameplay is quite good and works well with the backend construct, as well as with its strong story.
About that Xbox Port
I know that you’re not getting the max from this experience. I realize that 720p should be stored somewhere in the halls of the 2010s and kept there. I get it, and I appreciate the thought. I just don’t think it matters as much as some people are making it out to be.
Granted, the PlayStation 5 in its best graphical mode can upscale to 1440 or 1080p without a hitch. They have the software in the PS5 to do so, and that’s also easily accomplished with the PlayStation 5 Pro. That hardware and its architecture were proprietary, built for speed and processing, and Sony made it to be a horse from hard drive to motherboard to buses. With all that power under the hood, it still delivers a 1080p resolution in performance mode, which means having a system deliver 720p isn’t at all shocking. It’s a horse of a game that requires a horse-powered bit of hardware to get the most out of it, which is where the PC comes in. It’s gorgeous on PC.
But as I stated in the beginning, PC is top-tier when it comes to any game (except Arkham Knight when it launched – ouch – it has gotten better). All games are born on a PC and then brought down to a console level. It’s the nature of the beast and how everything works. Comparing this game on PC to Xbox Series X is a silly argument. Comparing it with the PlayStation 5 is a good argument, but knowing that both pieces of hardware aren’t equal means that it’s an easy trail to follow to a rational conclusion.
All this said, while it may not have the hardware power pushing everything like the PlayStation 5, the Xbox Series X still delivers the same game and DLC that you want and the experience that everyone else in the world has had on the PC and PS5. You won’t be short on gaming, but you might be short on graphics. In my opinion, this is no biggie.
On that sweet note, let’s get this review wrapped so that you can yell at me for my opinion.
Conclusion
Final Fantasy XVI from Square Enix still brings a wonderful story, well-defined characters, and a fantastic adventure on the Xbox Series X. It might not deliver the same graphical ‘wow’ that the other releases do, but it’s still a worthy game to take on for 50+ hours.
