Final Fantasy XVI (PS5) review with pros and cons

Final Fantasy games have been the best representation of the turn-based RPG (Role Playing Game) genre. With grand scales, epic stories, and visuals that defined each console generation, the Final Fantasy series has been a force to be reckoned with. My first exposure to the series was on the PS2 with Final Fantast X and X-2 and while I can appreciate the beauty of the visuals and the depth of the story, I wasn’t enamoured by the turn-based combat. Fast forward to 2020, and I really enjoyed Final Fantasy 7 Remake. It was more action focused than turn-based, was a visual showcase for the PS4, and had a story that left me wanting more. Final Fantasy is also a series where each numbered entry is a new story (barring a few exceptions) so it doesn’t mean you need to play the previous games to get a grip on what’s happening. Although, I’ve heard playing the previous games will give you a better understanding of the way the franchise represents its worlds.

Another thing to keep in mind is that Final Fantasy XVI is moving away from its turn-based RPG roots in favour of a more action-adventure approach. Has the Final Fantasy franchise managed to reinvent itself for a new audience?

Story

As I said, you don’t need to play 20+ games in the franchise to know the story. The story of Final Fantasy XVI is a self-contained one. The story is nothing short of a saga in line with Game of Thrones. You don the role of Clive Rosfield and while the story takes place in his 20’s there are flashbacks of his younger days (playable), that highlight some very important plot points. You play through three time periods in Clive’s life. Explaining the plot of Final Fantasy XVI is like telling someone the story of Game of Thrones or Mistborn without giving spoilers. While I can outline the story for you, know that there is vast more depth to it and plot twists that are interesting especially if you enjoy a good fantastical tale.

The story is set in the beautiful world of Valisthea where magical crystals, known as the Mothercrystals provide aether energy to the population. A nastiness called the Blight is spreading across Valisthea leading to unrest among the various kingdoms. While the Mothercrystals provide magical abilities to progress civilization, there are those that can wield magic without the use of crystals called the Dominants. Each Dominant can turn into an Eikon which is essentially a supersized beast with elemental powers. If you’ve played the demo of the game, you know what I am talking about. The catch is that each Eikon represents one element. However, as the story needs a twist, there is a second Eikon who represents one of the elemental powers (Clive of course) and this is one of the jumping points of the twists in the plot.

There are of course other twists related to the political tensions between the different kingdoms, magic, the Mothercrystals, Dominants, etc. and while I can go deeper, I don’t want to spoil the sense of discovering. It is truly in the shadows of Game of Thrones with some fantastical David versus Goliath fights thrown into the mix. A key plot point to know is that Dominants are treated differently depending on where they are born. Born to high society or the royal family, they are in a position of power and tolerated by those around them. Born into poverty and they are abused and shunned.

Now, the story of course takes an unexpected turn and needless to say, the final boss is not someone you expect at least while you are one-third through the story.

There are some side quests as well in the game with their own branching tale and while some intrigue, the rest fall under the standard set of quests we’ve experienced in open-world games which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Overall, I’m surprised at how engaging the story of Final Fantasy XVI is. Like I’ve said a few times above – fantasy story lovers have something to enjoy here. If like me, you get easily distracted and lose the plot threads thanks to an insane amount of time just doing side quests, then there is an interesting mechanic at play here. Holding down the touch bar on the DualSense controller gives you access to the Active Time Lore (ATL), which acts as a refresher for what’s going on in the story. It elaborates on the key plot points at play, key characters and the current ongoings. It even tells you who’s who in the cutscene in case you’ve forgotten. It is a brilliant mechanic to catch people up who have spent days doing side quests or are simply picking up the game after a long time.

Gameplay

If you enjoyed Devil May Cry or God of War, then you will feel right at home with the combat of Final Fantasy XVI. It is a more action-focused game with RPG elements thrown into the mix rather than the traditional turn-based RPG. You have the standard layout for combat – light attack, magic attack, special attack, dodge, switch powers, etc. along with the AI-controlled companion thrown into the mix. While you can execute some breathtaking combos in the game, they do take some practice. If you are a novice at action games, then there is a fair bit of hand-holding, making Final Fantasy XVI enjoyable.

The game gives you a bunch of ‘rings’ to enhance your combat ability. While pro players will use the right rings to match their playstyle and enhance their passive abilities, newbies have some interesting rings that offer some hand-holding. This hand-holding can be considered as an accessibility option as well, but honestly, I enabled them quite a few times when I wanted to sit back and execute some slick action moves. The rings are as follows:

Ring of Timely Strikes – When equipped, simply pressing the action button (box), executes complex action moves

Ring of Timely Focus – slows down time giving you time to evade attaches that can be evaded.

Ring of Timely Evasion – When equipped, Clive will automatically evade attacks, provided the attack can be dodged.

Ring of Timely Healing – When equipped, Clive will automatically use a potion when his HP falls below a certain point

The rest of the gameplay is what you’d expect from an action-adventure game. There are no puzzles as such and while the world of the game is vast, Final Fantasy XVI isn’t an open-world game. The gameplay is as simple as going from point A to B to trigger a cutscene, complete a quest, get into some slick action, and repeat. This isn’t a bad thing as the action keeps you on the edge of your seat with some massive Eikon battles. These are nothing short of action sequences reminding me of Pacific Rim or even Godzilla vs Kong. The story mixed with the fantastic combat will keep you hooked.

Graphics and Sound

While there are those that are criticising the game for its low internal resolution in the performance mode, I honestly didn’t find it lacking. The facial animations, the variety of environments you visit and even the Eikon battles all look absolutely next gen.  I played in both graphics as well as performance modes on an OLED TV with HDMI 2.1 capabilities. Considering the visuals on offer the graphics mode makes the game look stunning and the performance mode does help make the action smoother. But if you had to choose one, I’d stay stick with the graphics mode.

I wish the game implemented an HDMI 2.1 mode giving the graphics mode a nice 40FPS mode, something we’ve seen on PlayStation exclusives such as Horizon Forbidden West, Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales, and Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart to name a few.

Moving over to sound, the bangs and swishes of your sword, the cries of the Eikons, and even the orchestral background score all deserve special mention. It is not only genre-defining for the game but up there with the likes of God of War, Doom Eternal, and Bioshock 2 to name a few. The voice acting may be over the top and the dialogues may be cheesy at points, but the way the cast has executed the story is akin to what we’ve come to expect from premium TV shows like Game of Thrones. And if you like to invest yourself in fantasy stories, then you will enjoy the motivations, plot twists and grand reveals that are littered throughout the story. Some of the side quest cutscenes seem subpar, but that’s a small nitpick when compared to the grand package on offer.

Verdict

Final Fantasy XVI is a big departure from the legacy of the franchise especially with gameplay. It goes to prove that the developers behind the series aren’t afraid to take risks, break traditions and take bold steps in new directions to cater to a wider audience. If you love action-adventure games and a great fantasy story, then Final Fantasy XVI is for you. But if you are looking for a traditional turn-based RPG, then you are better off looking elsewhere like the Octopath Traveller franchise.

Editor’s rating: 4 / 5

Pros:

• Fast-paced, action-packed gameplay
• Engaging story
• Great audio design
• Visually stunning game

Cons:

• Some side quests feel lacklustre
• Some over-the-top cheeky dialogues here and there