Final Fantasy 16 Review
If we had to name one of the longest-running game franchises that still exists today, Final Fantasy would probably be the first one to come to mind. This franchise has been around for 36 years, with dozens of iterations, each with its own unique style. The beloved elements like Chocobo, Moogle, and Cid have remained constants, providing a sense of nostalgia for fans who have grown up with them.
For this return, under the direction of Creative Business Unit III, which has experience with MMORPGs, and produced by Hiroshi Takai and Naoki Yoshida, known for their work on Final Fantasy 14, what can we expect from Final Fantasy 16?
In Final Fantasy 16, you'll step into the shoes of Clive Rosfield, the eldest son of the Archduke of Rosaria, one of the six nations in the fantastical world of Valisthea. Valisthea's inhabitants are blessed by the existence of Mothercrystals, dazzling crystal mountains containing aether, a powerful substance that generations of faithful have harnessed to summon magic and lead a comfortable life. Each nation possesses its own Eikon, a powerful elemental creature, used for protection and governance. However, the appearance of the deadly Blight threatens to disrupt the harmony of these nations, pushing them to find ways to combat it. Thirteen years before the main events of the game, Joshua, Clive's 10-year-old younger brother, becomes the dominant vessel for the Phoenix Eikon, although he struggles to control its power. Strangely, Rosaria has two Eikons residing within the bodies of its two princes. Tragedy strikes when Clive's Eikon unintentionally kills Joshua, a fact unknown to Clive due to the sudden awakening of the Eikon's power within him. Following the fall of the Rosaria nation to an invading force, Clive is taken away for training and later becomes a part of the elite force of the newly formed nation of Rosalia, built upon the ruins of Rosaria. From then on, he is determined to seek revenge against the one who killed his brother, not knowing the truth of what happened 13 years ago.
This is what happens in the demo that anyone can access. It must be said that the first impressions of Final Fantasy 16 are truly grand. From the visually stunning combat with colorful effects to the beautiful frames and intricate details, even in expansive and awe-inspiring scenes, you might find yourself constantly wanting to take screenshots. The storyline also seems to be filled with suspense and excitement, with moments that catch you off guard.
In summary, the initial impressions of Final Fantasy 16 suggest a grand and visually impressive experience with an engaging storyline. It's clear that the game is making a strong first impression on players.
The shift from turn-based gameplay to an action RPG style in Final Fantasy 16, and even in previous titles like Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake, doesn't come as a surprise. Action RPG gameplay has become more prevalent, emphasizing direct combat and faster pacing. Hiroshi Takai, the director of the game, explained that they wanted to make the game accessible to as many players as possible, especially those in their 20s and 30s who are used to immediate, responsive actions like character movement and combat.
The decision to embrace action RPG elements seems to have paid off, judging by the sales figures Final Fantasy 16 achieved shortly after its release. The fast-paced action RPG style in the hands of Creative Business Unit III has made the gameplay faster and more dynamic. The game has completely eliminated the need to switch between characters, so throughout the game, you primarily play as Clive Rosfield, occasionally transforming into Ifrit or briefly taking on the role of Joshua, but these instances are minimal. This approach creates a sense of unity with your chosen character's development, allowing you to better empathize with their story.
Additionally, the game has streamlined item collection. You no longer need to press a button to pick up items; simply passing by them automatically adds them to your inventory. Interestingly, the game doesn't include a dedicated sprint button; you just need to push the analog stick to its limits to move faster. This simplification extends to overcoming obstacles; you no longer need to press buttons to crouch or jump. However, this might reduce the intensity in some scenes, such as squeezing through tight rocky passages. While these changes are welcome for their convenience, it's a bit puzzling why a similar level of optimization wasn't applied to item delivery in side quests. In some quests where you need to deliver items to NPCs, the game still requires you to press a button to select the items you want to hand over, even though the interface already displays the required item for you to choose. It seems a bit redundant given the already extensive inventory management.
The gameplay of Final Fantasy 16 revolves around the staggered mechanic, which means making the enemy staggered, ranging from half to full stagger, depending on the enemy's stagger gauge at the time. The more you attack, the sooner the enemy will become staggered, and when they are staggered, you have the opportunity to unleash as many attacks as you can until their stagger gauge fills up again. The goal is to deal as much damage as possible during this staggered state, as damage is increased, usually around 1.5 times. Some have compared this gameplay mechanic to titles like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, which emphasize fast-paced combat, combo chaining, and flashy special moves.
The transition to a more action-oriented combat system in Final Fantasy 16 has made the gameplay feel more dynamic. The game has removed the need to switch between characters, so throughout the game, you primarily play as Clive Rosfield. This approach allows players to better connect with their chosen character's story and development.
Additionally, the game has streamlined item collection by automatically picking up items as you pass by them, eliminating the need to press a button to collect them. However, there's no dedicated sprint button; you simply push the analog stick to its limits to move faster. This simplification also extends to overcoming obstacles, eliminating the need to press buttons to crouch or jump, although this may reduce the intensity in some scenes.
While creating combos in Final Fantasy 16 isn't overly challenging, some finesse is required to discover moves that extend combos both on the ground and in the air. These combos aren't just about dealing damage but also about maximizing their utility. For example, you can launch an enemy into the air with a standard attack, follow up with a basic combo, quickly switch to an eikon's abilities to perform additional moves, and then bring the enemy back to the ground for another combo. There are numerous ways to extend your combos infinitely, but most players focused on progressing through the game won't find this necessary.
The game's true challenges are mostly encountered in boss battles, which make up about 30% of the latter part of the game. However, the AI of both enemies and allies isn't particularly smart. Enemies might not engage with you actively, and allies often fail to take advantage of a staggered boss. The rewards after battle are relatively inconsequential; you'll likely accumulate more gil (in-game currency) than you need, and experience points become less crucial as you max out your base skills and purchase a few powerful eikon-specific abilities. It would have been beneficial to have more meaningful skill upgrade options. If there weren't new choices, the developers could have offered an option to refund experience points if players wanted to change their decisions, albeit at a cost, as the refund fee is over half of the experience points.
Regarding the item system in Final Fantasy 16, there are six item slots in the game, including weapons, belts, wristbands, and three additional accessory slots. The first three slots don't leave much of an impression, as they mainly provide enhancements like increased damage or defense against specific types of attacks. However, the last three slots are quite overpowered from the beginning of the game.
You start the game equipped with five rings, each with various abilities. These rings can automatically evade certain attacks, trigger quick-time events for easier evasion, or even perform combos with a simple press of the square button. This makes it relatively easy to avoid most enemy attacks, as you don't need to memorize enemy movesets or combos. If you want to increase the game's difficulty, it's best to unequip these rings. Both the Action Focus and Story Focus modes have these five rings by default. If you want a greater challenge, you might need to play the game without these rings or engage in some form of self-imposed challenge.
As is tradition in Final Fantasy games, cutscenes make up a significant portion of the game's duration. While some may argue that this affects the game's pacing or find the number of cutscenes overwhelming, it's a matter of personal preference. You appear to be comfortable with the extended length of cutscenes. The developers have crafted an expansive world within the game, complete with intricate plot developments and emotional storytelling. They seem to want to transform the narrative experience into something akin to a cinematic masterpiece. Just look at the boss battles, especially when players have the chance to confront the Eikons. At times, it feels like watching a music video.
Final Fantasy 16 appears to prioritize storytelling and cinematic experiences, creating a rich and immersive world for players to explore. While this approach may not suit everyone's taste, it adds depth to the game's narrative and world-building, creating a memorable experience for those who appreciate this style of storytelling.
There's a good reason why the title of this review is "Realm of Dreams." Final Fantasy 16 revolves around a struggle between kingdoms for national power, personal ambition, or simply vengeance. Ultimately, everyone has their motives driven by self-interest, leading to inevitable conflicts. In the complexity of the storyline, the main characters serve as anchors, evoking empathy in players. Clive, the well-rounded protagonist, has experienced significant turmoil in his past, which haunts him, yet he sees it as a lesson, gradually evolving into the best version of himself. Jill, the exemplary companion; Torgal, the adorable canine companion; Benedikta, a favorite character of mine, alluring, powerful, and ambitious. And we can't forget Cid, who is likely to leave a lasting impression on fans of the Final Fantasy series. He's a man with lofty ideals, charm, and a touch of humor, just the right mix of charismatic qualities. However, it's regrettable that the English voice acting for Cid falls slightly short of fully capturing the character's vision as intended by the writers. From that point onward, you can probably guess my choice for the rest of the game.
There is so much within the storyline that Final Fantasy 16 seeks to convey, and for a deep analysis of these aspects, it might be better to save them for another video. In the meantime, in case players feel overwhelmed by the content, Creative Business Unit 3 has introduced a highly appropriate mechanism, deserving the title "game innovation of the year" at The Game Awards, and that's the Active Time Lore system. Here, you can access details from the lore directly in cutscenes. Simply press the trackpad, and the game will automatically display additional information about the characters, locations, or concepts mentioned in that scene. Additionally, when you need the system to logically recap the relationships between characters or the ongoing military situation, you can turn to Vivian Ninetales, the scholar and strategist residing in your camp, or the historian Harpocrates, who will aid in collecting and upgrading knowledge. When time allows, don't forget to interact more with the characters at your camp, as they all have fascinating stories to share and can be quite helpful. While it's true that the side quests are often simple and sometimes feel like time-fillers, such as delivering food to customers sitting right there, there are also bright spots like charity work, accepting items from townsfolk thanks to your growing fame, or hunting for bounties by defeating various bosses across the Valisthea map. Believe me, these boss fights are worth seeking out and defeating. The optional bosses are already enjoyable, and the battles with Eikons later on promise even more excitement.
Right from the moment the demo was released, the praises for the game's graphics have been widespread across discussion forums. It's safe to say that Final Fantasy 16 can easily be added to the list of the most visually impressive games of this year. From meticulously staged cutscenes with high detail density and smooth animation to the lifelike character designs, every facial expression, nod, or gesture, and even the finer details of clothing textures were beautifully crafted. If I'm not mistaken, most of these are rendered in real-time, except for maybe 1-2 frames with exceptionally high detail. The more important the cutscene, the higher the visual quality, which makes sense given the resource optimization challenges faced by developers. What's even more impressive is the seamless transition between cutscenes and gameplay. The environments, landscapes, and architecture are all meticulously designed. Final Fantasy 16 isn't an open-world game but more of a hub-world where players move from one area to another. So be prepared for the limitations the game imposes, like not being able to swim or pass through some bushes. This title has set a standard for the gaming experience, from gameplay to cutscenes, from cinematic visuals to epic boss battles achieved through stunning attack effects, smooth animations, and authentic sound effects. It would be a disservice not to praise the game's soundtrack, composed by Masayoshi Soken, known for his work on Final Fantasy 14. The music in the game exceeded even my expectations, featuring a blend of grandiose and epic melodies. While not entirely groundbreaking, it elevates the overall experience to new heights. My two favorite tracks are Lunar Serenade and Stillwind, Benedikta's battle theme.
In general, the game's performance is a mixed bag. What I mean is that it's both good and not so good, leading to a somewhat disappointing experience, especially considering Square Enix's previous claim that their game would have good performance without the need for a day-one patch. However, Final Fantasy 16 is not the AAA game with stellar performance that you might have hoped for. The game offers two modes: a 30FPS mode and an uncapped framerate mode, also known as performance mode. In the 30FPS mode, overall, the frame rate is stable, and the graphics are presented at their best. But for a game that is entirely centered around maximizing the action combat factor, many players will likely prefer the uncapped framerate mode to fully enjoy the smooth 60FPS combat animations of Clive. And here lies the disappointing flaw.
In this mode, it's understandable that graphics quality is reduced, but what's not understandable is that the game doesn't maintain a stable 60FPS. Most of the 60FPS segments are limited to areas with less action, such as tight spaces with fewer enemies. In other cases, the frame rate drops significantly, sometimes hovering around 30 to 40FPS. There are even instances where it's difficult to understand why this happens because they aren't combat sequences, and there isn't a lot to process, such as flashy attack effects, character models, or complex environmental scenes. Yet, the graphics resolution drops below 1080p, and the frame rate feels like it's 30FPS, which can be frustrating as it doesn't live up to Square Enix's confidence in optimization.
Final Fantasy 16 is a beautiful game, and it's unfortunate that its performance doesn't match its visual splendor. It left me in a bit of a dilemma where, if I wanted stability, I had to choose the 30FPS mode, but then combat wouldn't be as visually satisfying at that frame rate. It creates a somewhat frustrating loop for the game's presentation.
VERDICT
Given the somewhat unimpressive performance of Final Fantasy 15, there were doubts about the development team and the significant gameplay changes before the game's release. However, through some clever means, following Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Final Fantasy 16 has managed to meet gamers' expectations. It's a sequel where the visuals, music, and story shine, and the gameplay caters to the majority of players, especially newcomers like me who have truly immersed themselves in a title from this series for the first time. While there are some controversial weaknesses, Valisthea is still a place worth exploring, challenging your courage, or fighting for shared ideals.