Final Fantasy XVI Reviews
Final Fantasy XVI, while phenomenal is not perfect. It's a great story that drew me in completely, bringing me a ton of emotions and memories. Final Fantasy XVI will remain in my heart forever, and hopefully soon in yours as well. Because this is a title that absolutely cannot be missed.
Review in Polish | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI certainly excels in spectacle, boasting superb boss fights with a great combat system and narrative, but the quieter moments outside of those big scenes end up mostly uninteresting and boring with RPG elements that feel mostly inconsequential.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI enters my top 3 for 2023. With its gripping story and commendable graphics, Square Enix's latest offering is a masterpiece. Despite a few technical glitches, it verges on perfection. Its main character, Clive, takes us through a whole range of emotions. Add to this a masterful soundtrack, and we have all the ingredients to create a game that will go down as one of the best video games of the decade. Exclusive to the PS5, Final Fantasy XVI has the potential to become a system seller. For beginners, the developers have added a story mode. So you can enjoy the experience in a very gentle way. For purists, you can complete the game once again in extreme mode. Whichever way you play, I'm sure you'll have a lot of fun. After all, FFXVI could be a TV series, and it would be very popular. So, will you succeed in restoring peace to Valesthea?
Review in French | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI, with its shift towards a more action-oriented approach, offers a mature and dark narrative that is both captivating and contentious. The game's combat system, which echoes elements of Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, is commendable, although its RPG elements appear somewhat diminished in the quest for action. Despite some irregularities in the distribution of experience points and variable quality of cutscenes, the game's epic fantasy action, dramatic set pieces, and well-crafted characters make it a standout installment in the franchise. However, the polarizing ending may leave fans with a range of reactions.
Final Fantasy XVI dares to bring a new approach to a franchise with more than three decades of existence, reinventing part of its mythology to offer a unique and revolutionary experience, meeting the needs of a new generation of consoles and players. All in all, FFXVI is exactly what the franchise needed to stay relevant in this day and age in terms of storytelling, gameplay, and technical merits. While nostalgic fans might disagree, this game is a worthy successor to the crystals legacy that began in 1987.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Its spellbinding story, emotive soundtrack, spectacular visuals, and fast-paced action combat make Final Fantasy XVI a must-play action RPG.
I may be a diehard classic Final Fantasy fan at heart, but there’s no getting past the fact that this game, with all of its high-octane, DMC-inspired action, is an absolutely phenomenal example of RPG craftsmanship. Setting out in a new direction once again, the oft-bitter, yet irresistibly engaging story and addictive, action-focused gameplay allow Final Fantasy XVI to stand tall as a phenomenal example of contemporary video game craftsmanship.
I'm totally blown away by the bold, brave new approach this game has taken, which will surely shake up the Final Fantasy formula for years to come. It has some of the best boss fights I've ever seen in gaming, along with a bonkers story that left my mouth open in disbelief. It is truly an epic experience that every role-playing fan deserves to experience for themselves.
Final Fantasy XVI brings the heat with a roller coaster ride if a story and a top-tier combat system.
Though Final Fantasy XVI is a fun game in its own right, much of the appeal comes from the visuals. The combat is fun, with its flashing colours, but spamming square for forty hours isn’t much fun. Though the boss fights look great, once again, it’s all visuals and doesn’t leave much for the player to do except do enough damage to trigger a cinematic and then do some quick-time events. Story-wise, they do well, with the overall goal being for Clive to destroy the Mother Crystals. However, how the story goes about this is rather messy. Characters don’t get enough development for me to care, with Benedikta Harman being a good example. Without spoilers, it felt as if they couldn’t decide her role in the story. Unless the enemies are large or bosses, they don’t really fight back and will just get smacked around. The game says you can do builds but doesn’t offer a proper way for the player. There are no different weapon types or spells. The only two stats used for combat is solely staggering and attack. They decided to go with smaller maps instead of a larger open world. Which is fine, but these areas are lifeless and lack any secrets. I was shocked to see that for a game about gods who control the elements, the elemental effect didn’t play a part in the game. Final Fantasy XVI relies too much on its visuals and not enough on the gameplay. That’s why I’m giving it the Thumb Cultures Silver Award.
While not perfect, the risks Square-Enix took with Final Fantasy XVI to focus this game on a genre completely different from many of its prior entries did manage to pay off in dividends.
Final Fantasy XVI is, in my opinion, an uneven title, with both its strengths and weaknesses. Its excellent combat system, its gorgeous, diverse world and the outrageous epic-scale spectacle it offers are undermined by a confusing style and a narrative that doesn't live up to the very nice introduction. Even so, the thrills it delivers are a given and its journey, despite its ups and downs, is full of memorable images, battles and set pieces. Another diverse and worthwhile chapter in the series' long history.
Review in Greek | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI is definitely not a perfect title, but it is exactly what it should be and of course what the fans of this series have been waiting for for a long time. A Game that is not afraid of innovations and big decisions in the overall structure of the series. In addition to injecting a new soul into the series, it has its own special and unique charm and those who made it really love it. Although the game has seen new and varied changes in its general and detailed structure, it is definitely one of the most FF games of the last few years, and maybe we can finally say that after number 12, we have a single-player title from the main series that deserves to carry this legendary title.
Review in Persian | Read full review
Whether you’re a longtime fan or a casual like myself, you’ll fully appreciate Final Fantasy XVI relishing as one of the best role-playing games ever. A masterpiece story, incredibly in-depth combat and magic, awestruck battles, lovable characters, eye gawking environment and much more formulated the ultimate unique experience. This is no exaggeration, but I couldn’t identify a single negative even if I tried. No question, this is a game of the year 2023 contender.
Final Fantasy XVI has been a fantastic experience for me overall. The narrative is mesmerizing, the gameplay is entertaining, and there are many things to do in the game, all of which appeal to new players and veterans alike. This game is excellent in every facet, from its story and pacing to its gameplay and depth, graphic quality, sound design, soundtrack, and the voice acting it features. If you are still on the fence about something, you should check out the demo.
Final Fantasy XVI is a beautiful game that takes a slightly different approach than its predecessors. Brutal, tempo action with accessibility for everyone is what you can expect.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI is definitely a Final Fantasy, an RPG, and a great action game, with incredible moments scattered throughout a game that suffers from pacing issues and inconsistent presentation.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Final Fantasy XVI doesn’t feel like a traditional Final Fantasy experience, but that doesn’t stop it from being a masterpiece. There has been a big leap in the evolution of the gameplay as the series moves into action RPG territory, but the results are astounding, with the game offering some of the best combat I’ve seen in any action title. Add to that the gripping narrative, the astounding visuals, the wonderful soundtrack, and the sheer scale of the epic adventure, and it’ll be hard not to be wowed by just how magnificent it feels to play. I have no doubt it won’t be for everyone (there’ll be those that crave to see the series return to its roots) and there are some things the game could do better. As it stands, though? Final Fantasy XVI is simply magnificent. It might not feel like the Final Fantasy titles of yesteryear, but it still has the epic sense of scope and phenomenal production values that have made the franchise so beloved by fans.
Final Fantasy XVI is bold, brilliant, and everything a Final Fantasy should be. Despite from some shortcomings due to the sheer ambition of the title, XVI is a masterful work that is a must-play experience for any RPG or action game fan. Clive Rosfield's story is one that will surely be talked about for years to come.
Final Fantasy XVI is not perfect and won't be everyone's cup of tea, but it personally hit almost all of the right notes for me to consider it an absolute must-play and a refreshingly mature take on the franchise. The combat is highly addictive, the story is captivating and the Eikon battles are jaw-dropping spectacles.