Final Fantasy XVI

 PlayStation 5
Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 146 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 134 out of 146
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 146
  3. Negative: 0 out of 146
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  1. Kotaku
    Jun 21, 2023
    For all it invests in big-scale brawls between Dominants, the game also leans into quieter human connections. Many of the side quests are almost too simple: Go to this place marked on the map, listen to somebody talk, kill some bandits, get a bunch of bloody hides as a reward. But there are so many exceptional vocal performances and well-written arcs that you can’t help but come to love this world as much as Clive does. Show up for the kaiju fights, but stay for the tender series of quests exploring the complicated and noble backstory of your hideout’s resident blacksmith.
  2. Polygon
    Jun 21, 2023
    Worst of all, the plot is diametrically opposed to the gameplay: wooden where the gameplay is vibrant, rote where the gameplay is inventive. During some cutscenes I found myself falling asleep, the characters’ lines just sliding off my brain like water off a duck’s back. This isn’t to denigrate the voice actors, who are all doing their best with some very tired material. Ben Starr’ performance as Clive is a particular standout, as is Ralph Inseon of Game of Thrones fame. It’s just that I have seen this exact story before, almost beat for beat — not just in novels but in movies, songs, video games, and even other Final Fantasy games. In fact, Final Fantasy 16 reproduces some of the same plot beats from Final Fantasy 14, for which 16 producer Naoki Yoshida serves as director.
  3. The A.V. Club
    Jun 27, 2023
    The worst thing you can say about the game is that it clearly wants to be deeper than it is—and even then, that just pushes it to tackle material this franchise has never touched before, sometimes to good effect. It’s a game for the hands and heart, not the head—but it’s damn good at what it does.

Awards & Rankings

16
#16 Best PlayStation 5 Game of 2023
1
#1 Most Discussed PlayStation 5 Game of 2023

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 8567 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6,528 out of 8567
  2. Mixed: 693 out of 8567
  3. Negative: 1,346 out of 8567
  1. Gamerboy1991
    Jun 23, 2023
    0
    Another game boosted by the gaming media. You know why? Because they are afraid that if they dont give good review to sony, they wont getAnother game boosted by the gaming media. You know why? Because they are afraid that if they dont give good review to sony, they wont get review codes and sony will not let them get their hands on the games early.

    So listen carefully, here is a non biased review from a person not afraid of sony:
    1. This is not optimised well. Falls below 30fps during battle.
    2. Battles are too easy. You only need two buttons to kill bosses
    3. Story is messy and weird
    4. Rated M for clout. Nothing mature about this game
    5. Only good thing is that the main character looks good.
    6. Side characters are meh.

    If I am going to rate this, this is like a game trying hard to be xenoblade chronicles, but failed miserably. Disapointed with square enix for this game and disappointed to the biased media.    … Full Review »
  2. Jesadu
    Jun 23, 2023
    0
    I prefer replay Chrono Cross 200 times rather then make a second run with FF16
    Because Final Fantasy 16 become horribly bad from the second    I prefer replay Chrono Cross 200 times rather then make a second run with FF16
    Because Final Fantasy 16 become horribly bad from the second half of the plot    … Full Review »
  3. Otodo
    Jun 23, 2023
    0
    Once again we are faced with a bad new Final Fantasy game.
    I wish I could say I was surprised, but unfortunately I'm not.
    The plot is    Once again we are faced with a bad new Final Fantasy game.
    I wish I could say I was surprised, but unfortunately I'm not.
    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".....
    The gameplay is a basic and very easy action, to the point that I've never done a single gameover, not even in the secondary hunts, which I found flat and repetitive.
    Adding that the whole game is linear (with some areas that are larger, but practically empty), and taking into account an absence of post game (since the game is literally only the Main Quest for 90%), I consider this Final Fantasy 16 another bad final fantasy game.
    No real challenges, no secrets, no minigames, and no "real" world to explore. And since I didn't like the banal revenge story I'd say it's a complete failure from my point of view.    … Full Review »
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