Final Fantasy 16

Final Fantasy 16 is a stunning RPG game from the popular, long running series. The game has garnered over 50 awards and nominations since being released in 2023. One glimpse at the gameplay, and it’s easy to see why. The Final Fantasy series itself has shaped the field of what it means to be an RPG, and Final Fantasy 16 has changed the field again with refreshing new gameplay.

Stunning Graphics and Sound

Final Fantasy has always been good for its time. Although the graphics from Final Fantasy 11 look dated now, at the time they were the best they could be. Final Fantasy 16 has once again pulled out all the stops as far as the graphics are concerned, providing a hyper realistic backdrop for the game. The sound of course, is also a perfect representation of what Square Enix can do with sweeping music and perfect combat sound effects.

Strong Storyline

Final Fantasy 16 brings combat, action RPG and high fantasy together in a 50+ hour long storyline. The story is powerful and gives players something to reflect on in our real world. The storyline is strongest at the beginning, with strong hints of inspiration from the popular book series, Game of Thrones in it, but does seem to get overly complicated at the end.

The game puts players in the shoes of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria.” Clive is sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. When tragedy strikes, Clive swears revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit. Players can expect epic battles including these dominants, with giant bosses to clash with.

Different Modes Available

Some players are great at swinging a sword or intuitive in combat. Others aren’t much better than a button masher, but still love the story. Square Enix has come up with a solution to balance gameplay so that both types of players can enjoy Final Fantasy 16. The game has two modes for these two very different playstyles. In “Story mode” the game is more focused on the story, with many of Clive’s actions controlled by AI. This allows players to enjoy the story without having to be epic at combos or gaming controls.

For those who prefer full mastery of their character, the game also offers Action-focused Mode. This mode gives players complete control over Clive. They are free to try and make him as powerful as possible on their own skill alone.

If you are a Final Fantasy fan, Finaly Fantasy 16 should definitely be on your playlist. The game offers a vast amount of playtime, fantastic combat, and spectacular graphics. It’s new and different compared to many Final Fantasy games, but still offers that same Final Fantasy feel.

Pros:

• Epic storyline
• Multiple modes for different playstyles
• Hours of play time

Cons:

• None

As far as exclusive titles for 2023 go, Final Fantasy XVI is arguably the biggest that is going to be released. When this game was first shown, I thought for sure that we would not be seeing it for many, many years. Well, Square-Enix is still saying that this game will be released in 2023 and that has me very excited. While many people are excited about this game, the fact that it is a PlayStation 5 exclusive does mean that there will be many people who miss out on this. Hopefully, it is just a timed exclusive and it will show up on other formats sooner than later.

The World Of Valisthea!

The setting of Final Fantasy XVI is the fantasy land of Valisthea which is one of the most intriguing settings for a Final Fantasy game in quite some time. This vast and diverse kingdom is surrounded by these huge mountains that are made from a magical force known as Mothercrystals. There are six factions that rule the land and while peace and prosperity has been good, things are starting to change as these creatures known as Eikons which can be summoned by Dominants are causing all kinds of problems.

Hello Clive

The main protagonist or who we think is the main protagonist of Final Fantasy XVI is Clive Rosefield. Most of what we have seen of the gameplay has featured Clive, but Square-Enix has revealed that you will still have a party on your journey as you try and save the world. The most interesting thing about the party system in this game is that your party will be AI controlled. Hopefully, they have the AI just right, but Square-Enix has been making more and more automated styles of gameplay in their games so this could be that next step. As interesting as this sounds, I do hope we can still have some control over our party members.

Devil May Fantasy!

The combat in Final Fantasy XVI looks awesome, it reminds me of a mixture of Kingdom Hearts III, Final Fantasy VII Remake and Devil May Cry. That last one is very important as Ryota Suzuki is the combat director for this game and his work includes the likes of Devil May Cry 5 and Dragon's Dogma and that has me very excited. While this is still an RPG, I must admit the more action focused combat is something that I am very interested in. I am sure we will find out more and more about the gameplay after I have written this, but so far, it looks very exciting.

Next Generation Power

Ok, so I know that I am very lucky in that I was able to get a PS5 on launch and have been enjoying it for quite some time. However, as selfish as this sounds, Final Fantasy XVI is a game that I feel had to be just on next-generation hardware. Say what you will about Square-Enix, but their games always look fantastic and they are always at the cutting edge when it comes to graphics. By skipping the PlayStation 4, they are able to create a much larger and more detailed world with more realistic looking characters than ever before!

Pros:

• It is one of the biggest games of 2023
• The game looks phenomenal, like you are playing through a movie
• The gameplay is fast paced and very action based
• If you love deep and engaging stories, this will really hook you in!

Cons:

• Will it actually make it out in 2023
• It is a pity that this is not making it to PC or Xbox in 2023