Final Fantasy XVI Reviews
To sum up, I’ll quote myself from a tweet I posted when I happily traded the game in after finishing it. “Bloated beyond any resemblance of fun, unlikeable characters and incoherent pish for a story.”
Final Fantasy 16 is as good as it is not because it strays from what has come before it, but because it embraces its roots. Everything the series has done, gameplay-wise, over the last few mainline releases, has all set up for what FF16 pulls off with its fantastic-feeling combat. For all the focus on its maturity and shocking narrative, the things that FF16 does with its impactful story have been present in games all throughout the series. And by letting a team like Creative Business Unit 3 take the reins, the best aspects of Final Fantasy 16 feel like pieces of one of the most beloved games in all of the franchise: Final Fantasy 14. I won't deny the series is heading in a new direction, but have no fear, the ways in which Final Fantasy 16 succeeds are deeply rooted in the series' greatest traditions.
Final Fantasy 16 ticks plenty of boxes – fluid combat, epic boss battles and an engaging story – but for every win, there’s a spectacular fail, be it the bland semi-open world devoid of much to do or the uninspired fetch quest-style side quests. It’s a game at its best when its focus is narrowed, but that doesn’t happen often enough.
Final Fantasy XVI is the JRPG of the year, and maybe even of the next five years. It's hard to imagine any game in the genre that could measure up to it.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI admittedly isn’t what I’m accustomed to when it comes to mainline Final Fantasy games, but it’s still strong. Though it can get in its own way from time to time with overly long and interruptive cutscenes, the gameplay, story, and characters ensure this is an overall enjoyable entry to the Final Fantasy series.
Perfection is not of this world, and even Final Fantasy XVI is not without blemishes. They however vanish in front of the excellent narrative, epic world, and technical marvels.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Final Fantasy 16 combines the flashiness of games like Devil May Cry 5 with a compelling story about family, hardship and eudaimonia. It is not without flaws, with its formulaic side missions, pacing issues, and inconsistent open-world design. However, Final Fantasy XVI is still one of the best games in the Final Fantasy series. With some of the best cutscenes and animation in the industry, along with compelling characters and mesmerizing moments, Final Fantasy 16 is undoubtedly one of the best games to play on the PlayStation 5.
At the end of the day, Final Fantasy XVI is an ambitious attempt to iterate on the series’ combat and story formulas, and for the most part is largely successful. Battles are frenetic and fun, with a combo system that feels simple to use but offers plenty of customization through Eikonic abilities. The world is unique and interesting, with varied character motivations and complex political landscapes. While darker than most of its predecessors, XVI‘s themes of acceptance, self-actualization and friendship resonate just as strongly as anything the series has offered thus far, and this is one of the strongest casts in recent memory. There’s a lot to love here, despite some of the game’s shortcomings and rushed ending. If nothing else, it’s given me a lot to think about, and for me, that’s well worth the price of admission.
PlatinumGames' influence on Final Fantasy's action combat is a massive step in the right direction. That, combined with a thrilling war epic narrative and interesting characters makes for one fantastic game.
Overall, Final Fantasy XVI is a phenomenal gaming experience that I enjoyed from start to finish. With dynamic gameplay, amazing characters, and an emotional storyline, new and old fans alike will love the latest entry in the franchise.
Final Fantasy XVI is the pinnacle of the franchise, the fantasy genre, and gaming overall.
Final Fantasy XVI represents a step forward for the franchise in terms of enhancing gameplay elements, but it falls short of being a truly engaging combat experience, with the otherwise fun Eikon ability system being let down by a lack of difficulty. The game thrives as a story-driven experience, with consistently spectacular scenes made more immersive by the outstanding voice acting and fine attention to detail in graphical design. Some players may find themselves wanting more from the sound design, but when the music is on point it truly shines. If rich storytelling, extensive lore, and enticing worldbuilding are your thing, you’re unlikely to be disappointed here.
An action packed Final Fantasy with incredible set pieces and over the top fight scenes that would make the God of War games blush.
Final Fantasy XVI is a page-turner. Better still, it's the beginning of a new book. Although there are some things that still bring to mind the weight that the name carries, Square Enix takes a completely different path in almost everything this experience gives us. It's a good story, with its exceptional peaks, but the climb up there is quite boring and difficult to digest. It feels that, somewhere in middle of the story there are repetitive moments of sloppiness that greatly undermined everything good that this Final Fantasy could provide us. I accept that the changes had to happen, but it leaves a bittersweet taste in the end.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
If you like Game of Thrones-style intrigue and drama, you will like Final Fantasy XVI. It takes itself very seriously and lacks any fun diversions to mix up the experience. Final Fantasy XVI delivers a truly Westernized take on Final Fantasy with simplistic hack-and-slash combat that will appease average gamers.
FFXVI fulfills basic elements of the series. This is total visual feast and beatifully crafted game. If you are willing to open your mind and don't require all the stuff from the past, you are here for a treat in terms of story, characters, the world, wild action game fights and astonishing soundtrack.
Review in Slovak | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI crafts a deep world with plenty to explore, builds a multi-faceted story with characters that kept me playing for hours on end, and blew me away with awe at the visuals at times. Adding a genuinely fun customizable combat system kept the fun going the entire time too. And if you’ve not had enough at the end of the journey, it even adds in a few extras for New Game+. While I do have a lot of nostalgia for the older Final Fantasy titles, I feel this is the best one in the series yet.
Final Fantasy XVI, the latest installment in the beloved Final Fantasy series, has arrived and sufficiently blown the community away. Setting a new standard for storytelling, gameplay, and visuals, Final Fantasy XVI is a truly unforgettable experience.
Final Fantasy XVI justifies the choice of the creators to turn away from the traditional roots of the series, since the end result is so even that it will hardly fail to seduce even the die-hard supporters of the old structure.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI is the definitive real-time combat experience of the series. It expands the horizons of the franchise and mixes the concepts of RPG and Hack & Slash into one masterpiece. Being by far the most epic installment of the franchise yet, it delivers an astonishing soundtrack, a dark-themed story with deep characters and relationships, and an unmatched feeling in combat that even the most experienced will be in awe with.