Final Fantasy XVI Releases to Very Positive Reception
Last Thursday, the latest game in the Final Fantasy franchise was released after over six years since the last entry. Final Fantasy XVI was revealed at the initial PlayStation 5 conference back in 2020 and has only been climbing in popularity since then. With a presence at almost every showcase and state of play since, Sony was betting big on Square Enix’s latest project to succeed. But did it manage to please critics and fans alike?
The game currently sits at an 88 critic score and 7.9 user score- which should be seen as very high praise considering recent review trends. Critics pointed to an excellent action RPG with a compelling story and some of the best characters of the series. Malditos Nerds said the following in their 10/10 review
“Final Fantasy XVI is the perfect combination of narrative, visuals, pacing, tension and combat and tells the most adult story in the series. The game is, without a doubt, one of the year's best, as well as one of the best Final Fantasy titles to date.”
A similar sentiment was echoed by users- who fell in love with the series’ move to more mature themes and ideas- which is something that is welcomed after the franchise has felt stagnant for so long. User ARBO2K9 shared the following in their perfect-scoring review:
“FF16 has been perfect so far. Characters are possibly the best I've ever seen in a FF game since FF10. It's dark, fun, and looks fantastic. Cannot be anymore happy with it.”
Of course, as with every release, there will always be those who don’t click with the game. While the vast majority of fans and critics enjoyed the gritty storytelling and updated action gameplay, a substantial amount of players were let down by a heavy focus on narrative and the lack of a compelling party to control. User Otodo seemed slightly harsh in their 0/10 rating:
“The plot is absurdly banal, to the point that you can already understand how the game will end after 2 hours.
(and I've finished the game, completing all the hunt quests, in 31 hours) Clive is a bad protagonist, monochromatic and grumpy with a fixation of "revenge".....”
Similarly, the website Metro Game Central had the following to say in their 60/100 rating:
“An excellent battle system shackled to a dispiritingly dull and long-winded fantasy adventure, that takes an inordinate amount of time to say nothing of value.”
It seems that a lot of Final Fantasy’s appeal comes from how much the combat and story resonate with you personally. Thankfully, it seems that this has clicked for the vast majority of players- but there are some who have been let down by Square Enix’s move from the traditional Final Fantasy formula. Regardless, the game’s reviews point to the most widely revered game in the series for over 15 years- making it a huge success for Square Enix and PlayStation alike, who have yet another fantastic AAA exclusive under their belt.
