Final Fantasy XVI

 PlayStation 5
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
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  1. 22116
    Jul 1, 2023
    9
    Best game of the year. Totally recommend for people looking for a sory-oriebted game with a big, interesting plot. The only thing really bothered me was unstable FPS in performance mode. In some places, like villages or cities it is like I have 30-40 frames, which makes game fill terrible.
  2. j_obediah
    Jul 1, 2023
    7
    This game is being pushed into the green by a lot of hype.
    Graphics: 10/10. Perfect
    Story: 7/10: The hero is the overly compliant cliché who does whatever is asked of him. Including horribly boring side quests. A LOT of exposition and forced dialogue that does not feel natural at all. Horrible pacing with hard, frequent, transitions that make you feel as though you're going through a    This game is being pushed into the green by a lot of hype.
    Graphics: 10/10. Perfect
    Story: 7/10: The hero is the overly compliant cliché who does whatever is asked of him. Including horribly boring side quests. A LOT of exposition and forced dialogue that does not feel natural at all. Horrible pacing with hard, frequent, transitions that make you feel as though you're going through a documentary and not a flowing narrative.
    Gameplay: 7/10: Not very interesting. It has a lot to it, but there's no real feeling of reward to it. I had more fun when I equipped the auto-attack ring. but then I just wished it let me hold the attack button down instead of constantly mashing it.
    Music: 4/10: I had to turn it down because the music did not fit the scenes. Boss battles that are supposed to be intense are accompanied by flowing, thoughtful music. I felt no suspense in those times.

    The game just did not deliver. If you're going to change this much about the series, then you gotta knock it out of the park, and it just didn't do that.    … Expand
  3. 0Silver
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Hands down the best game ive played in the year. It has its ups and downs but the ups are make the downs worth it. Hope to see more about this game in the future.
  4. kataclysmicmind
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Great game, good story even if predictable at points, great graphics and performance, can be too easy or challenging depending on preference
  5. Oliverje85
    Jul 1, 2023
    1
    All of the negative reviews I have seen are on par with how I feel. Poor pacing, poor mechanics, poor story and character development with mechanics that seem like afterthoughts. More Devil May Cry than Final Fantasy. I will not be getting another one after this, but as a fan of games 1-12 (minus a few here and there) l, it seems I am not the target audience for this anyways.
  6. kvva2020
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Definitely not the game style I grew up with, and the fast gameplay was a bit uneasy at first, but definitely this is NEXT-GEN. The story, the cinematic, the music, the game was definitely more focused in what it wanted to say and definitely taking the PS5 engine to the max.

    Playing this leisurely at 2 hours a night before bed, and treating this like a lost Game of Throne season and    Definitely not the game style I grew up with, and the fast gameplay was a bit uneasy at first, but definitely this is NEXT-GEN. The story, the cinematic, the music, the game was definitely more focused in what it wanted to say and definitely taking the PS5 engine to the max.

    Playing this leisurely at 2 hours a night before bed, and treating this like a lost Game of Throne season and enjoying every second of it.    … Expand
  7. Aseminos
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    I love every second of this game. Characters have "soul". Story keep you in constant pressure for what gonna be next. And fighting system is very satisfying
  8. dyrewhite
    Jul 1, 2023
    1
    I'm very disappointed in the shallow combat system. I turn to Final Fantasy for stimulating strategic fun, this game is not that. Also disappointed in the lack of character customization. It's hypocritical to say that your game is taking a "realistic" angle and hamstring your main character into this unchanging brute. People change, thats reality. Even Gerolt had options. Also animateI'm very disappointed in the shallow combat system. I turn to Final Fantasy for stimulating strategic fun, this game is not that. Also disappointed in the lack of character customization. It's hypocritical to say that your game is taking a "realistic" angle and hamstring your main character into this unchanging brute. People change, thats reality. Even Gerolt had options. Also animate another weapon type, I know its hard to make video games but more than one weapon type seems like a simple ask. I've been playing these games since 1997, its sad to think that this is the last major entry I'll ever purchase. Thank you for doing what you do all these years.… Expand
  9. Thwomp
    Jul 1, 2023
    7
    For the life of me I cannot understand all the 8's 9's and 10's here. Holy smokes this game is no where near a freaking 10 or masterpiece, and it's definitely not a 0 either. There must be a plethora of trolls who give the fake negative AND positive score reviews. Because this is one of the not so great Final Fantasy games in the series. And here's exactly why.

    Huge, linear, empty    For the life of me I cannot understand all the 8's 9's and 10's here. Holy smokes this game is no where near a freaking 10 or masterpiece, and it's definitely not a 0 either. There must be a plethora of trolls who give the fake negative AND positive score reviews. Because this is one of the not so great Final Fantasy games in the series. And here's exactly why.

    Huge, linear, empty and boring world. NPC's outside of main characters have nothing to add with their dumb dialogue and most NPC's just stand in one spot the entire time doing nothing. Also, most of the towns are boring and lifeless as well. Dialogue and script is good at times, bad at others.

    Side quests are easy, but god awful boring. The only reason to do these is to get crafting materials and some extra ability points for eikon powers, which are not needed at all to beat the game. These will come to you by just doing the main story. Witcher 3 just smashes FF 16 in side quest quality. Sad.

    Muddy visuals outside of the climatic Eikon fights and boss and enemy battles. Visuals are great with spell effects, monsters, etc., and then you get back to the actual world gameplay and Clyde looks like PS4 or worse. Heck there are older gen games like Uncharted and Gears of War and God of War and Witcher 3 that STILL look way better than this. I cannot believe the blur I saw on character models and the low textures all around, especially in the distant environments, which are pretty awful in the background. Flat, blurry, zero texture mountains are abound here.

    Extremely dumbed down combat that this is basically just a straight action RPG with the player spamming square half the time, if not more. Eikon abilities are cool, but you'll usually run with the exact same setup the entirety of the game. ZERO depth outside button mashing eikon abilities to win.

    Speaking of depth, the item system and crafting and gathering system is a complete joke. There are very few items even compared to the huge amount of wonderful items in previous FF games. This is a complete joke, as is the crafting system. It's incredibly easy to craft and you are only ever going to need to craft the next best weapon or armor that the blacksmith has available, which is incredibly elementary in nature. Want multiple options for gear? Good luck! This is incredibly simplified and dumb.

    Now for the wonderful part; the horrible performance at low resolution on NEXT GEN PS5 hardware. Holy man is this bad. Ratchet and Clank looks 10x better as do many other PS5 and Series X games. It is 2023 and even The Witcher 3 next gen update absolutely SMASHES FF 16 in terms of resolution and performance. And the original game is almost 10 years old now!! There is no excuse why Square Enix couldn't make a more stable game with better visuals and resolution. Hell, there aren't even any graphics settings in this game and it's a next gen game, LOL. Just about every single new game has several graphics options on console such as HDR, Ray Tracing, Anti-Aliasing, on and on. FF 16? You can forget it! You're limited to graphics and performance mode and the graphics mode is virtually unplayable because the framerate isn't even locked at 30. It dips into the 20's for god sakes. And the performance mode reaches a maximum of 60 fps with several dips into the 40's. UNACCEPTABLE IN 2023, Square Enix!!! You can do better than this. So many other games run look so much better than this garbage. I literally felt like I was playing a PS4 or Xbox One game like MGS Phantom Pain. That game was 1080p max but at least it ran great, and it it was massive.

    Now the little good that there is in this game that prevents it from being a complete disaster.

    While the combat is extremely dumbed down, the fights look incredible thanks to the amazing particle effects and animations of the eikon abilities, boss battles, and cinematic gameplay of the Eikon battles. If those fights didn't look and feel so good then this game would have been a 2 or 3 at best.

    Music is also great and even probably improves on FF XV's awesome soundtrack which has two of the greatest orchestral/choir boss tracks in a game, ever. Hats off to the composer of FF 16, because like Blizzard and World of Warcraft, Square Enix's design team sure doesn't know what the hell they're doing anymore.

    Story. I actually enjoy it quite a bit. I love the dark adult theme to it. Not much to complain about here from me. Betrayal, love, death, revenge; it's all there. It's just too bad Some characters are much better than others (Kupka and Cid for instance carry a lot of the weight for most of the game). Mother starts off strong and then just stays silent for most of the game, with her child bent over her lap. Pointless, but overall I thought the story was a much needed positive point

    Bottom line is FF 16 is an average action RPG with great moments.    … Expand
  10. 538776w
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    画面：幻想味不足，动画演出华丽，但战斗演出稍微多了，显得审美疲劳。
    游戏系统：战斗手感优异，深度适合，不过和队友的交互少了点。
    剧情：前期展开不错，破坏水晶的铺垫不够，就是西德的一句话带过。几位显现者的刻画都不错，最终BOSS的刻画有点单薄，主要就是最后两章的叙述，和之前的章节呼应不太够，导致最后决战的带入感不强。 作为喜欢RPG玩家我看中的还是剧情和探索要素，感觉本作不太够。    画面：幻想味不足，动画演出华丽，但战斗演出稍微多了，显得审美疲劳。
    游戏系统：战斗手感优异，深度适合，不过和队友的交互少了点。
    剧情：前期展开不错，破坏水晶的铺垫不够，就是西德的一句话带过。几位显现者的刻画都不错，最终BOSS的刻画有点单薄，主要就是最后两章的叙述，和之前的章节呼应不太够，导致最后决战的带入感不强。
    作为喜欢RPG玩家我看中的还是剧情和探索要素，感觉本作不太够。
  11. likhalidx
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    The most epic game I have ever played, yes it has it’s flaws but the enjoyment i had with this game over shadow every flaw I have
  12. andnotmetoo
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Great game! Probably the best in the series.
    Performance mode is perfectly balanced.

    I was expecting something worse, but this game surprised me and exceeded my expectations. I would advise anyone to play it.
  13. XxSkysurferxX
    Jul 1, 2023
    1
    Graphismes très moyens, à peine dignes d’une ps4 (et encore). Framerate en permanence à la ramasse en mode performance. 720 p! (Oui par moment c’est flou et en tout cas jamais très fin). Pour une exclue next gen c’est très très décevant. Aucune interaction par rapport aux éléments du décor. L’eau est très mal réalisée, le ciel également. La jouabilité est simplifiée a l’extrême, appuyerGraphismes très moyens, à peine dignes d’une ps4 (et encore). Framerate en permanence à la ramasse en mode performance. 720 p! (Oui par moment c’est flou et en tout cas jamais très fin). Pour une exclue next gen c’est très très décevant. Aucune interaction par rapport aux éléments du décor. L’eau est très mal réalisée, le ciel également. La jouabilité est simplifiée a l’extrême, appuyer sur le bouton o et vous gagnerez tous les combats. Cinématiques bien trop nombreuses et trop souvent soporifiques. Le jeu était noté 74 % par les joueurs dans ses premières heures avec plus de 1000 avis…..puis bizarrement passe désormais à 83 % avec une flopée de notes toutes extrêmement positives pour parvenir à rehausser cette première moyenne! Ces notes sont à coup sûr tronquées!! Ne vous faites pas avoir, ce jeu est indigne de la ps5 et indigne de la licence. Je m’arrête après une dizaine d’heure de jeu (et de cinématiques !) et le revendrai dans les prochains jours. Quelle déception !!!!!!… Expand
  14. Ahglock
    Jul 1, 2023
    5
    It looks good, but that is where the positives end IMO. The game play is shallow and far too easy, the story is dark but not particularly good or deep, the characters are not compelling, and the cut scenes are far too frequent. If you want flash with no substance this is the game for you.
  15. Alexachi
    Jul 1, 2023
    0
    Le tenía mucha fe al juego, pero terminó siendo una gran decepción. Malos gráficos, mala historia, mala jugabilidad, malos personajes, etc.
  16. Thiagogoslaw
    Jul 1, 2023
    8
    I really wanted to give this game a 9. But it has too many issues. This is a good game with so much potential. The highs go high and the lows very low. Highs: Story, combat, music, lore, graphics, protagonist. Lows: Performance, the game is too linear, poor RPG elements, lack of rewarding exploration, repetitive activities, uninspired side content, lack of a true FF party ( except Cid,I really wanted to give this game a 9. But it has too many issues. This is a good game with so much potential. The highs go high and the lows very low. Highs: Story, combat, music, lore, graphics, protagonist. Lows: Performance, the game is too linear, poor RPG elements, lack of rewarding exploration, repetitive activities, uninspired side content, lack of a true FF party ( except Cid, he's awesome) among others. I hope we'll truly have a 10/10 FF game again as we had in the ps1/ps2 generation. ( FF VII,IX and X)… Expand
  17. ekeiyoung
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Great story! But wanted it to be much more in depth, though I realize it would be 20 hours more gameplay, which is what I want. Love the game. Personally love more ff7 remake style action fights
  18. lasmas
    Jul 1, 2023
    9
    -Very good story
    -Excelent music
    -Best combate ever made as is very similiar to DMC (same direct DAH)
    -Very good world building
    -Very good side content
    -Fun huntts
    -Excelent new game +
    -Excelent challenge bosses (when you repet them from high scores)

    9.5/10 and 65h first run
  19. Lennietroon
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Amaxing game. Out with the norm but defo an amaxing experience. The characters and the gameplay nothing like a FFexp before. Gamechanging for the FF genre
  20. CloudXz
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    I played Final Fantasy 16 almost 90 hours with all Sidequests and all. What sould i say? A amazing Game.
    Amazing Graphics, the Soundtrack is like in every Final Fantasy Game outstanding good, the Story is great, the Gameplay is fun, Clive is one of the best Main Character in Final Fantasy History and the Esper Fights DAMN!. For me this is already in the Top 3 of my all Time Favorit Final    I played Final Fantasy 16 almost 90 hours with all Sidequests and all. What sould i say? A amazing Game.
    Amazing Graphics, the Soundtrack is like in every Final Fantasy Game outstanding good, the Story is great, the Gameplay is fun, Clive is one of the best Main Character in Final Fantasy History and the Esper Fights DAMN!. For me this is already in the Top 3 of my all Time Favorit Final Fantasy's after 7 on one and 10 on two. It is one of the best Games i ever played in over 20 Year's as a Gamer. The best Game for me since Red Read Redemption in 2018 and the best Final Fantasy since 10 in 2001. Absolut amazing and i love it. Can't wait to play New Game + again.    … Expand
  21. ghxmz
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Masterpiece of a game, simple as that. The only reason the user score isn’t higher is because of the review bombing. You can truly tell that a lot of effort went into making this game.
  22. Heavenslucifer
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    I am so impressed by this game - it is simply stunning and fun to play and the first game since R&C Rift Apart that feels and looks truly next gen. More than all it is thoroughly enjoyable to play with an enthralling story, amazing music and characters with a real depth. As much as I loved Ragnarok, I have actually unexpectedly had more fun playing this game. So much so that I had to joinI am so impressed by this game - it is simply stunning and fun to play and the first game since R&C Rift Apart that feels and looks truly next gen. More than all it is thoroughly enjoyable to play with an enthralling story, amazing music and characters with a real depth. As much as I loved Ragnarok, I have actually unexpectedly had more fun playing this game. So much so that I had to join Metacritic to leave a user review.

    Of course it isn't without issue, 30fps not a stable 60fps, being the biggest negative, however this is easily forgivable with everything else the game achieves with some of the most beautiful graphics and cinematic presentation. The side quests are a bit more mundane but again not that a big issue for me.

    I fully recommend this game to anyone looking to lose themselves in a thrilling exhilarating adventure in a mystical world with some of the best graphics, music and combat system you'll ever experience. 100% sold!!!!    … Expand
  23. Zacks17
    Jul 1, 2023
    4
    "Hell is paved with good intentions".
    This game trying so hard to do good things, but none of them are memorable.
    You'll play once, and never launch it again.
    That is sad, because now we compare the FF games with titles like "Ys" or "Tales of", and historically, there were light years away.
  24. S7ulk1
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    best game i ever played with GOD ragnarok and final fantasy vii...it's a must.
  25. Skye47
    Jul 1, 2023
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. My review is delivered at 25 hours play time, as that is when I finally gave up hope that Final Fantasy XVI could turn it around.

    This is a bad game, plain and simple. There are some positives, but not nearly enough to outweigh the negatives.
    I do not agree with the 0 ratings being doled out as Final Fantasy XVI is not unplayable; however it does not deserve the 9's and 10's either.

    My main problem with this game is the story which is supposed to be the heart of Final Fantasy. The story is a complete downer. After the first hour or so it's just death and depression and everyone hates you and everything sucks and it doesn't deviate from that path. I prefer mature stories but this one is just depressing.

    Spoilers here:
    Literally everyone dies, and when you get the faintest glimmer of hope everyone dies again.

    The story is also poorly told. It's broken up, the supporting cast is not fleshed out at all and the whole time skipping thing is just lazy. It removes any chance the game could have had to develop backstories or give you any opportunity to care about what's going on.

    Sidebar; time skipping / time travel in video game stories is the ultimate hallmark of bad writing.

    The combat is a massive disappointment, as it had so much potential. There's just so much more that could have been done with it. It's all one note; there's no complexity whatsoever. Were the devs afraid that any shred of depth would send the masses of brainwashed weebs running for the hills at the first sign of an elemental weakness?

    Spoilers again as I am going to get specific:

    Ifrit is done dirty in this game. For all the hype around Ifrit and the fact that Clive is his Dominant, all you get for him is 2 crappy abilities and Limit Break which just gives you a strength boost. You don't even get a third ultimate like Judgement Bolt or Tornado; yes you read that right-- no Hellfire for Clive. It would have been so much better in my opinion if Limit Break activated an ultimate ability for whatever Eikon you were using. It would have made them special.

    I did mention positives so I will say that the cutscenes are beautifully rendered and soundtrack / voice performances are excellent. It's a true shame that they were all wasted on this lackluster game.

    Now lets get to the straight up lies. "RPG"; nope. This is not an RPG, this is Game of Thrones the action game wearing a few bits of Final Fantasy's decaying flesh as armour. "Adventure" is a word used to sell this game; nope. There is no adventure here. There is a linear slog through an awful story with nothing to discover in the world aside from the odd chest or item pickup that gives you either 2 gil or some more useless crafting material.

    I'll rapid fire the rest as I am ready now to forget this game ever took my time and money so here we go.

    The sidequests are pathetic, the crafting / gear system is a joke, and the Performance mode is terrible.

    I will close by saying do not be fooled by the demo; I was. It's all downhill after that first hour.    … Expand
  26. Eremyth
    Jul 1, 2023
    9
    This game was something else, an amazing experience from start to finish, full of dark and epic moments that slow down at the right segments to do some good side questing that ties directly to the story and characters around you.
    The story was amazing and Clive as a protagonist was one of my favourites. Cid is definitely the best Cid in the series as a whole.
    The villain is alright and    This game was something else, an amazing experience from start to finish, full of dark and epic moments that slow down at the right segments to do some good side questing that ties directly to the story and characters around you.
    The story was amazing and Clive as a protagonist was one of my favourites. Cid is definitely the best Cid in the series as a whole.
    The villain is alright and serves his purpose, I've seen better.
    Combat was fun and the Music was on another level.

    Overall, go play!    … Expand
  27. Goblin_Slayer7
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    One of the greatest final fantasy stories ever written. Huge influence from xiv, great characters and great combat. Few performance issues on framerate mode but nothing serious and probably will be resolve in future update. If you are a ff fan and especially ff xiv fan just play it!!!
  28. Betoc99
    Jul 1, 2023
    9
    Great game! Granted I have not yet finished, I have put in a solid 20 hours and am having a blast. The game introduces new mechanics at later stages and keeps things fresh. The Eikon battle are simple epic and sonic fun, there is a lot to do and explore and enjoy with the game. As a newcomer to FF, I simply loved the combat and looks of it all. The story can be a little bit confusing, butGreat game! Granted I have not yet finished, I have put in a solid 20 hours and am having a blast. The game introduces new mechanics at later stages and keeps things fresh. The Eikon battle are simple epic and sonic fun, there is a lot to do and explore and enjoy with the game. As a newcomer to FF, I simply loved the combat and looks of it all. The story can be a little bit confusing, but there is a mechanic that allows you to pause at any point and read more about the current lore, which já awesome. Highly recommend.… Expand
  29. Ioanismaximus
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Right in my alley, fast combat and not turned based, great storyline characters and visuals. And yes I am ffvii original player.
  30. mabohaliqah
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I only didn't like the 4 seconds that bahamut was in. it made me dislike his character.… Expand
  31. Sora25
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    After ff14 my favourite game. Outstanding VA, great storytelling, amazing visuals, best soundtrack. Havent had so much fun playing a game in a while.
  32. Xehranold
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    The game is beautiful and amazing soundtrack is amazing gameplay is amazing and it never felt repetitive
  33. oquic
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    I think this is one of the best final fantasy game. I do like the new fighting
  34. NxtDoc
    Jul 1, 2023
    7
    Final Fantasy XVI is a solid game. Pro's: The soundtrack is very good. The characters are enjoyable, Clive, Cid, Gav, Joshua, and Jill are all very likeable. The voice acting is solid. Con's: Let's get the combat out of the way. Sure it's "fun", however it is a complete clone of Devil May Cry. Swings are nearly the same, the "Devil Trigger" is the same. It's all far too familiar,Final Fantasy XVI is a solid game. Pro's: The soundtrack is very good. The characters are enjoyable, Clive, Cid, Gav, Joshua, and Jill are all very likeable. The voice acting is solid. Con's: Let's get the combat out of the way. Sure it's "fun", however it is a complete clone of Devil May Cry. Swings are nearly the same, the "Devil Trigger" is the same. It's all far too familiar, and lacks originality. Sure the Eikon battles can be epic. However, even those at times can lack inspiration.

    The visuals are not that impressive. For being a PS5 exclusive I was expecting more. I feel like it could have been on last Gen as well. Character models look uninspired, move minimally and go into poses during conversation. But I guess that could be nostalgic.

    The open areas are far too empty, items in the world are waiting for you to pick up with a large white glow. It feels uninspired. Overall I feel like Final Fantasy wanted to be something else, rather than what made it an iconic franchise. I understand others are rating it highly. I don't completely agree. This doesn't make it a bad game by any means, it just isn't anywhere near an A grade.    … Expand
  35. tavaresun
    Jul 1, 2023
    9
    Well i need to say, they hit the point, but don't expect a classic rpg, this one its much action gameplay and linear storyline.
  36. Drabblestein
    Jul 1, 2023
    3
    Broken and borderline unplayable.I pre-ordered and installed this immediately upon release expecting a competent, refined game. It is not a competent game. It's especially unrefined.
    I fail to see why the development team felt okay about their statements regarding the extreme amount of polish this game apparently went through before release.
    The game looks like a PS4 title. The frame rate    Broken and borderline unplayable.I pre-ordered and installed this immediately upon release expecting a competent, refined game. It is not a competent game. It's especially unrefined.
    I fail to see why the development team felt okay about their statements regarding the extreme amount of polish this game apparently went through before release.
    The game looks like a PS4 title. The frame rate is offensive.
    The stutter and technical issues are reminiscent of low budget titles from the PS3/360 era.
    As far as story and game feel/mechanics etc?
    They seem okay but, as it is I couldn't make it past the first few hours due to the severity of the technical issues.
    First pre-order I've made for a title.
    Last pre-order I'll make for a title.

    Final Fantasy died when Sakaguchi left.

    This should be an offence.    … Expand
  37. arlinea
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    CBU3 really delivered with this one. If you love Final Fantasy, this is one of the most Final Fantasy games out there! I was moved to tears at the end!

    Positives: - Very well constructed and complex narrative, especially the 2nd part of the story - well-written Characters that have their own unique struggles - Beautifully build world/lore that adds a lot to the over-arching theme of    CBU3 really delivered with this one. If you love Final Fantasy, this is one of the most Final Fantasy games out there! I was moved to tears at the end!

    Positives:
    - Very well constructed and complex narrative, especially the 2nd part of the story
    - well-written Characters that have their own unique struggles
    - Beautifully build world/lore that adds a lot to the over-arching theme of humanity/hope/willpower
    - Impactful and fun gameplay system, each Eikon fills a different "role" (which I suppose is their way of adding some complexity to the gameplay system)
    - Best boss fights I've ever seen in a Video Game
    - Side Quests that are 100% worth doing, since they provide so much context to the ending, lore and world-building
    - Beautiful graphics and scenery with a big drawing distance
    - Chests that you actually need to search, unlike how it was handled in RE4R

    Negatives, albeit minor nitpicks:
    - World feels a bit empty at times, but given the context, it's no surprise really
    - Motion-capture lip sync seems a bit off in every other language other than German/English
    - If you don't like Final Fantasy as a series or don't enjoy narrative driven games, this game might not be as good for you
    - Side Quests need to be done to understand the whole picture
    - Would have loved if we spent more time with the characters in their youth    … Expand
  38. samueldang1801
    Jul 1, 2023
    8
    I will rate this game at least 8/10, no way this game can be lower. The side quest is not good (but some of them is). This game overall is totally work the money. And the biggest plus is the story and music, it just hit so deep. I love this game, this is what I hope frome the Devs of FF14. I hope this game will have a DLC.
  39. PenultimateFan
    Jul 1, 2023
    8
    About: huge FF fan, played all mainline entries & most spin-offs plus MMO’s.

    Critic score seems overly generous. I desperately wanted XVI to achieve perfect scores, demo raised optimism, but awarding 100% is undeserved (exaggerated fandom?). Having experienced XIV from initial launch to remake, I knew what to expect from Yoshi P & MMO team. Turned out concerns were warranted, but they    About: huge FF fan, played all mainline entries & most spin-offs plus MMO’s.

    Critic score seems overly generous. I desperately wanted XVI to achieve perfect scores, demo raised optimism, but awarding 100% is undeserved (exaggerated fandom?). Having experienced XIV from initial launch to remake, I knew what to expect from Yoshi P & MMO team. Turned out concerns were warranted, but they still managed to build a superb game probably ranking 6th amongst my favourite Final Fantasies.

    Music 10/10
    Great & grew on me throughout: catchy, suspenseful, atmospheric & fits the moment more often than not. Never quite hitting heights of Uematsu’s genius — a tough ask as he’s in his own untouchable tier. Soken meanwhile is top of also-rans, demonstrating consistency, versatility & production quality, albeit surprisingly quirky in parts.

    Combat 7/10
    Shift was a big talking point I found interesting with plenty of choices on the skill tree, but I soon figured you could get away with ability spam & there’s very little challenge or strategy required if keeping equipment upgraded, even for S rank hunts. It becomes somewhat automatic & akin to MMO-style “cooldown” combat with a faster pace. Very flashy and responsive with a lot happening on screen that it’s almost a firework show with numbers plastered everywhere. Often difficult to see the character models. It definitely keeps you busy but a lack of status effects, item variety & proper magic spells simplifies things greatly. I have seen videos of people performing “sick combo’s” that flow seamlessly, but that’s completely unnecessary & requires you to work harder for the same outcome unless you are concerned with number output. FF7R has the upper hand in this department, offering a mix of action & turn-based, being overall the more interesting approach & can be played like an action game if the player chooses. I personally prefer having control of multiple party members with different styles.

    Graphics & Visuals 9/10
    The world of Valisthea is beautiful, grand & unexpectedly breathtaking mixed in with a few other drab landscapes. Overall visuals are of a high quality & warrant next-gen status. Performance mode is so inconsistent that I unusually went all-in on fidelity. Concerns of linearity are addressed early on as areas don’t appear claustrophobic without being fully open world. It maintains the right balance for story focus while allowing exploration as each region opens up. One of the main issues is that exploration is largely unrewarding in terms of items & gear. Loot in general is lacking and underwhelming, including most quest rewards. Some iffy animations.

    MINOR SPOILER: summons (Eikons) take the stage in a new way & these battles sometimes overshadow anything I’ve seen in gaming thus far, even eclipsing Marvel movies.

    Gameplay 6/10
    The is an apparent lack of traditional RPG elements where stats are concerned. Everything has been streamlined or even “dumbed-down” as some might say, possibly to expand appeal to newer fans without being overwhelming. Equipment choices are somewhat limited if you enjoy different builds & the next upgrade is almost always available to increase the few numbers that matter. Accessories offer time reductions to certain ability usage & damage increases, though this is barely relevant in the grand scheme of things. There are also ones that increase item potency, which are plentiful anyway if you can time dodges well.

    Characters 9/10
    Interesting & I cared deeply about most of the core group. Voice acting is performed well, but opinions may vary depending on taste (I did not think Ralph Ineson as Cid fit the character despite being familiar with the actor beforehand — it might have even suited Hugo more who I found dramatically awful).

    Story 9/10
    Fantastic, satisfying & shocking in parts, I was intrigued & excited for then next segment to arrive. The pacing is questionable as there are large lulls in between. My main gripe is that there are far too many inexcusably uninteresting side quests. How anyone can find fetch quests to be their idea of fun is baffling. Luckily they can be skipped entirely unless you want some extra rewards from the ??? points they give. However, I would advise to not miss the important quests having a plus icon. Or, in some cases if you want extra world-building lore then they’re also worthwhile. Being a completionist I was extremely bored by the halfway point. Most serve purely to extend the length of the game which could be half as many hours long without.

    Major positive: fleshed-out world & lore. Fellow Game of Thrones fans will notice many similarities. Lore system is incredible & may spend lots of time reading archives (sadly locked behind an NPC!). Active time lore feature a nice addition — pausing during cutscenes becomes quite distracting if used too frequently.

    TLDR; solid game w/ some inconsistencies, shallowness & genre clichés/tropes    … Expand
  40. pakle
    Jul 1, 2023
    8
    This game is F U N.
    1. Combat is top notch.
    2. Animations, cutscenes and graphic are mind blowing and industry defining. 3. Story is great. This game is also NOT an RPG. You can edit your eikons, to a different play style, but there's no gear, stats, minigame, dialogue that will meaningfully change your experience in a way that is unique to you. Gear could not exist, and the change    This game is F U N.
    1. Combat is top notch.
    2. Animations, cutscenes and graphic are mind blowing and industry defining.
    3. Story is great.
    This game is also NOT an RPG. You can edit your eikons, to a different play style, but there's no gear, stats, minigame, dialogue that will meaningfully change your experience in a way that is unique to you. Gear could not exist, and the change would be minimal.
    Gil are just a way to get orchestrion rolls.
    With just a couple of minigames, some hidden secrets, this would be a 11/10.
    AH, side quests are fine. The ones at the beginning are quite boring, later they define the world as well as giving you some materials to craft the strongest weapons.    … Expand
  41. Jeremie198630
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Quel jeux époustouflant. Je dois dire que j'en attendais pas autant. Le jeu est épique. L'histoire est tellement bien écrit. L'audio 3D est fabuleux avec un casque. Les musiques : WOWWW
  42. superjj3
    Jul 1, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is not a RPG, there are no party members, the only different roles are what skills are equipped which is used in any type of action/adventure game these days, Square Enix has lost what made Final Fantasy special which can be seen by it losing ground to other less known brands like Monster Hunter, Persona Series. Those games have focused on gameplay and being innovative instead of graphics and being like everyone else cough Devil May Cry cough. Also did not enjoy all the needless cutscenes which should only be there for the major story elements, for example this game has over 20 hours of cutscenes vs FFX's 6 hours which did it alot better and more meaningful.… Expand
  43. Nomad27
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Story based action game that delivers a fully fleshed out cast and world. Light rpg elements and side quests for fluff don't detract from what this game is. It's a linear focused journey and one hell of a ride, the devs had a clear vision for this game and it pays off big time.
  44. Skollvaldr
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    What an absolute banger. The quality of this game is beyond impressive. The story, characters, visuals, landscapes, atmosphere, score, and combat are beyond excellent. The skill-tree and gear system could have been a little deeper, but I understand that SE wanted to appeal to a wide audience with this entry. The RPG elements of this game are about on par with the Witcher III, which isWhat an absolute banger. The quality of this game is beyond impressive. The story, characters, visuals, landscapes, atmosphere, score, and combat are beyond excellent. The skill-tree and gear system could have been a little deeper, but I understand that SE wanted to appeal to a wide audience with this entry. The RPG elements of this game are about on par with the Witcher III, which is absolutely fine.… Expand
  45. Tyuhjg
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    The game is fun.Although there still flaws but it still didnt effect much.Hope we can get dlc
  46. HasDan
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Probably the best game I've ever played. Everything about it is super amazing from the boss battles to normal battles. Only gripe I have is that it's a bit too easy and the quick time event window is too large making it feel as though they are kind of pointless. If the input window was a lot smaller and timing a lot tighter it'd feel so much better.
  47. Emp55
    Jul 1, 2023
    8
    The game was solid, but lacked in certain areas in regards to being an RPG. The biggest issues were the negligible elemental weaknesses/resistances and how utterly boring the gear system was. Weapons were literally just stat gains when they had so many knobs to turn to make them all have unique and interesting effects instead of "does this have bigger numbers than my current weapon?"

    Side    The game was solid, but lacked in certain areas in regards to being an RPG. The biggest issues were the negligible elemental weaknesses/resistances and how utterly boring the gear system was. Weapons were literally just stat gains when they had so many knobs to turn to make them all have unique and interesting effects instead of "does this have bigger numbers than my current weapon?"

    Side quest quality varied and it felt like a lot of padding. I'd rather have less quests and have them be more meaningful than have a ton of quests that literally don't do anything but increase my playtime with the game arbitrarily. Another HUGE problem was them locking the hard difficulty behind beating the game. The game is mind-numbingly easy and I don't understand why Square is so fond of this archaic practice. Players have different skill levels and it's just as important to satisfy the needs of your higher-skill players as it is your lower. They gave story mode and all these timely accessories for the inept, but competent players have to suffer through a boring experience before they can even feel a hint of challenge and even then, it's forced into a new game + scenario where you already have God-like abilities for the duration of the run. Square, stop it. Just make hard mode available for those who want to partake in the beginning. Your games are too easy.

    The combat system is fun, but lacks depth due to the lack of weaknesses, resistances, status ailments, etc that make Arpgs fun and interesting to play. The only reason to switch up your load out is to try something new. There's no strategic benefit to changing up your abilities.

    The story started out very strong, but ended with cliche "power of humanity/friendship vs jaded nihilism" tropes and was very disappointing. There were so many epic moments throughout, but the end made the journey feel pointless and left a lot to be desired. They were so close to greatness on this one... But that makes the game's flaws all the more frustrating.    … Expand
  48. Mannoz
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Wonderful experience, one of the best games I've ever played!
    Narration, art direction, music, gameplay.. everything is masterclass
  49. Zogs
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Um Final Fantasy diferente e refrescante, como todos deveriam ser! Excelente narrativa e combate! Que este franchising nunca pare e que agrade diversos tipo de players!
  50. 2bNotToBe
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Final Fantasy XVI, is the best game I've ever played one the best games of all time ever. It should come with a warning label that says,
    "Every game after this will feel like a slight disappointment.” This is a perfect game just keep playing more and more and you’ll see 10/10 game of the year !
    combat, eikon fights, soundtrack, graphics, playability, story, characters, character    Final Fantasy XVI, is the best game I've ever played one the best games of all time ever. It should come with a warning label that says,
    "Every game after this will feel like a slight disappointment.” This is a perfect game just keep playing more and more and you’ll see 10/10 game of the year !

    combat, eikon fights, soundtrack, graphics, playability, story, characters, character development, dark story telling, side quest, originality all 100.    … Expand
  51. Syrax2022
    Jul 1, 2023
    4
    It's like an unfinished game. Long and boring and can't skip the boring scenes, you can only wait and input some stupid QTE and continue waiting.
  52. UpsideDownOne
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    I think this is a top 5 final fantasy, call me crazy, but I personally put this in my top 2, the story is magnificent, the combat is awesome, music is phenomenal, the characters and how they grow are all just so well played out and the voice acting is pretty good, the entire game just gave me so many goose bumps, I took so many screenshots and just had a blast with the different areas andI think this is a top 5 final fantasy, call me crazy, but I personally put this in my top 2, the story is magnificent, the combat is awesome, music is phenomenal, the characters and how they grow are all just so well played out and the voice acting is pretty good, the entire game just gave me so many goose bumps, I took so many screenshots and just had a blast with the different areas and cutscenes, I have about 51 hours in the game and plan to put a whole lot more into this work of art, anyone giving this a 7 is mind boggling.… Expand
  53. LordCommander_
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Well well well.. Final Fantasy XVI, you got me.. this game is the greatest game of all time. Easily the best game I have ever played..

    Revolutionary, Epic, Well-written, Sokkan sound tracks best soundtrack of all time, Beautiful, Through the roof expectations highest standard you’ll ever see in a video game nothing will be touching this most polished beautiful game to ever touch a new    Well well well.. Final Fantasy XVI, you got me.. this game is the greatest game of all time. Easily the best game I have ever played..

    Revolutionary, Epic, Well-written, Sokkan sound tracks best soundtrack of all time, Beautiful, Through the roof expectations highest standard you’ll ever see in a video game nothing will be touching this most polished beautiful game to ever touch a new generation console form start to finish no game will ever latch onto you like this game makes you want to keep playing more and more due to the amount content it feeds you I didn’t eat for 4 days straight playing this, just a few words words to describe this perfect game is All I have to say is Eikon fights… hands down game of the year !    … Expand
  54. Markfrancis
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Goty
    ..........................................................................................................................................    … Expand
  55. KefkaBurninCast
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    I'm one of those people who think that this is the greatest game of all time, no matter what quality games are out now this game raised expectations higher than anything ever will be out. FFXVI, 2023 is officially one of the best games in video game history and we’re only half way into the year, Within the first minutes of playing this game, I knew that I had not played a more enjoyableI'm one of those people who think that this is the greatest game of all time, no matter what quality games are out now this game raised expectations higher than anything ever will be out. FFXVI, 2023 is officially one of the best games in video game history and we’re only half way into the year, Within the first minutes of playing this game, I knew that I had not played a more enjoyable and engrossing game before in my entire life. perfect in any aspect of the game, music, graphics, story, combat, eikon fights and is much more, this game is peak of video games the scaling alone breaks every release start to finish, it sucks you in making you want to start ng+ on final fantasy difficulty straight away 10/10 FFXVI ain’t going no where sitting at peak of Mount Rushmore with God of War Ragnarok, Bloodborne, Elden Ring, Spider-Man and many more. #XboxHasNoGames #NoExclusives 4 years? No exclusive Xbox game won game of the year for how long? Over a decade 10 years stay salty people who actually play the game will say it’s 10/10 quit the 0 review bombing play your so called games … Expand
  56. Bigflo77
    Jul 1, 2023
    0
    Overrated, story is pretty good (nothing awesome), the OST is meh, gameplay is okay but too easy and too much repetitive, no RPG aspect, no diversity on gameplay, the VF is horrible, worst sidequest and filling task (Fedex task) between two main chapters, the global game design is very outdated, no exploration, graphics are limited for a linear AAA only on PS5
  57. Onur84
    Jun 24, 2023
    3
    Grafik Story und Charaktere sind super ...
    Aber .. Das ist kein Final Fantasy mit taktischen Tiefgang..
    Dafür ein scheiß Tasten-bashing .
    Das ist eher ein Devil may cry im Final Fantasy Universum..

    Ich hab mich bei keinem final fantasy mehr gelangweilt wie hier . (kampfsystem )


    Zum Schluss wird es mit den nebenquests nur noch zur Qual R.I.P FINAL FANTASY
  58. AndreyCloud
    Jul 1, 2023
    8
    To be honest I think this game can be worthy of a 9 or higher, but there are some things that hold it back from being better. Overall, the story, music, and visuals were all good. All the side quests were good and really added a lot more depth to all the characters and the world of Valisthea. I just think the story teeters a little too much on the philosophical debates and over emotionalTo be honest I think this game can be worthy of a 9 or higher, but there are some things that hold it back from being better. Overall, the story, music, and visuals were all good. All the side quests were good and really added a lot more depth to all the characters and the world of Valisthea. I just think the story teeters a little too much on the philosophical debates and over emotional dialogue at times. I find them repeating the exact same points and lines throughout the story multiple times, especially if you do all the side quest stuff and read all the letters. For example, Jill said the word together over a dozen times and Clive had to explain this new world idea just as much. Cid and his daughter Mid I found to be my favorite characters, while Clive, Jill, and Joshua seemed a little stale and lacked any interesting character traits (just felt like they were always too emotional). Where the game really lacks however is the customizations, it’s pretty pathetic how little you can gather, collect, and customize in this game. You have 3 gear slots that just stat boost you a little each time you get something new, only the sword is ever a visual customization with no special powers of any kind ever. I crafted the most powerful sword you can get (excluding the final fantasy mode), and it looks exactly the same as the previous sword, seriously! And you can only equip 3 items (out of almost 50) that slightly boost your stats and only rarely give you a special ability. The combat was fun overall, and the ability tree was nice, however I feel like it did not offer much variety in terms of bosses (fought the same ones multiple times) and no elemental weaknesses infused. The Eikon fights were very fun and epic though. I just don’t understand why there were never better rewards or loot to chase in the game. You were stuck with the same outfit for the entire game, nor could you customize your party members in any way. There was little to no dialogue with party members as you were running around side questing, which was a bummer, you would have to occasionally turn around to acknowledge they existed (except for your wolf Torgol). So, I have to say it is good, but not great. Still totally worth playing or at least trying.… Expand
  59. gggeist
    Jul 1, 2023
    5
    Reading all the reviews talking about this being a mature FF game is wild. The story definitely falls short in a lot of aspects. This game is an identity crisis for FF. Still kind of fun though I guess.
  60. Jason2377
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Game is insanely good, best FF in 25 years, highly recommend.
  61. talha900
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Loved the graphics, the story is interesting, love the characters, too many cutscenes but love the combat wish there was block button though. I rather play this than legend of Zelda even though im a Nintendo fan I couldn't get into that game because its too big and overwhelming things to do get side tracked to the main plot its overrated. The main plot of FFXVI is sad and want to figureLoved the graphics, the story is interesting, love the characters, too many cutscenes but love the combat wish there was block button though. I rather play this than legend of Zelda even though im a Nintendo fan I couldn't get into that game because its too big and overwhelming things to do get side tracked to the main plot its overrated. The main plot of FFXVI is sad and want to figure out Clive's fate and what his family went through. Love the entire mature theme made for adults.… Expand
  62. FlexosuarousRex
    Jun 30, 2023
    8
    I'm only part way through FF16 but will update this review if my opinion changes.

    The combat is pretty great, its definitely the focal point of this entry. The Eikkon system is a neat addition but feels a bit shallow compared to the progression systems of the past. Gear is highly dependent on story progression so character customization feels like it lacks some of the choice that    I'm only part way through FF16 but will update this review if my opinion changes.

    The combat is pretty great, its definitely the focal point of this entry. The Eikkon system is a neat addition but feels a bit shallow compared to the progression systems of the past. Gear is highly dependent on story progression so character customization feels like it lacks some of the choice that previous games had. The visuals are excellent but the frames do drop even in performance mode. The music is top tier. The main characters are great but supporting characters all sort of look the same to me. A lot of the strategy has been removed from the formula which was what initially drew me into the franchise back with FF7. Party members just sort of attack in the background while Clive strings together combos. The combat is a huge step up from FF15 but I feel the team oriented combat and character customization in FF7R is superior. The map system in FF16 is far superior to the sprawling open world of FF15 which had vast plains filled with nothing but enemies haphazardly placed throughout. With a smaller world, the vistas are more delicately crafted and have more attention given to their detail. Gear feels a bit shallow in this game as well, being highly dependent on story progression - you aren't able to go out of your way in order to find a secret chest with a super strong item like in past entries, you just sort of have to beat the next story quest and then buy it. Invisible walls are littered throughout and do break immersion a bit but I still prefer it to open world FF15. The only negative that I've been turned off by is that the side-quests are kind of annoying and mundane - they almost feel like padding, or that they are only there because they are expected to be there. The story actually takes place within the game this time and is quite good, it is definitely the biggest motivating factor pushing my gameplay forward. Ultimately FF16 is a good time and a huge step up from FF15. It lacks in some areas and excels in others. Its a good hack and slash game and a mid RPG. I think its worth your time.

    TLDR: FF16 is a step up from the previous numbered entry in almost every way. Hack and slash fans will find a lot to enjoy but old school strategy fans may be left somewhat unsatisfied; however, the flashy gameplay, gorgeous visuals, great story, god-tier music, and new Eikkon abilities do a lot to make up for what's missing.    … Expand
  63. RAGNRXK
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    This is the first review I've done on meta critic but was compelled to write this just because of how epic this game is. The visuals, story, and gameplay are amazing. Although the combat is more similar to games like DMC this I think it is a good thing. The boss battles are jaw dropping. It is worth it to buy a ps5 just to play this game! This is definitely a big improvement over finalThis is the first review I've done on meta critic but was compelled to write this just because of how epic this game is. The visuals, story, and gameplay are amazing. Although the combat is more similar to games like DMC this I think it is a good thing. The boss battles are jaw dropping. It is worth it to buy a ps5 just to play this game! This is definitely a big improvement over final fantasy xv. Ignore the haters and see for yourself this is the best final fantasy yet!… Expand
  64. longta115
    Jun 30, 2023
    9
    I played the game on Graphic Mode and I have zero problem with it, smooth and stable transition between gameplay and cutscenes, this is recommended setting for the game since Performance sucks by Digital Foundry. My overall experience is 10/10, but only downside is the side quest system, there are many but few of them really engaging.

    Main story is excellent! The boss fights are    I played the game on Graphic Mode and I have zero problem with it, smooth and stable transition between gameplay and cutscenes, this is recommended setting for the game since Performance sucks by Digital Foundry. My overall experience is 10/10, but only downside is the side quest system, there are many but few of them really engaging.

    Main story is excellent! The boss fights are unspeakably crazy and satisfied, Square Enix really brought this to new level. Definitely my BEST GAME in 2023 so far!    … Expand
  65. Clangill
    Jun 25, 2023
    10
    WOW, this game is in a class of its own. The graphics are so realistic at moments that in quick moments it resembles real life. The characters are well written and the story keeps things very interesting. Just when you think you’re about to get bored you’re thrown into the next epic adventure happy you didn’t put the controller down. Hats off to you square enix I’ve never liked any of theWOW, this game is in a class of its own. The graphics are so realistic at moments that in quick moments it resembles real life. The characters are well written and the story keeps things very interesting. Just when you think you’re about to get bored you’re thrown into the next epic adventure happy you didn’t put the controller down. Hats off to you square enix I’ve never liked any of the FF game turn based or not. You sure have made me a fan though. 10/10. Concerning the PlayStation and possibly the gaming world has the potential to get game of the year. It’s more than a game, it’s revolutionizing gaming. Setting the bar for the rest. Amazing, purely amazing. Oh and for those that tried to petition to ban the game that was made in Japan yet features all white people. You’re missing out, and quite frankly we don’t want you playing it, you’re the real bigots, crying at every corner well aha I wish more developers would stop with the b.s. oh we need this or that or every game has to be female led with minority groups in it. No, sorry it doesn’t, do I care no will I play those games yes. However the theme square enix chose was perfect for their game. Go bash yourself because you people that bicker are too stupid to ever create beautiful art like FF16… Expand
  66. 808Slush
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    Its a great one! Final fantasy at its core is about breaking a cycle within the world that youre playing in. In final fantasy 16s case, its about breaking the cycle of the mother crystals. As a final fantasy fan for 20 years I believe every single final fantasy game is a final fantasy game at its core. The combat has been continuously changing since final fantasy 11 came out in 2002, so inIts a great one! Final fantasy at its core is about breaking a cycle within the world that youre playing in. In final fantasy 16s case, its about breaking the cycle of the mother crystals. As a final fantasy fan for 20 years I believe every single final fantasy game is a final fantasy game at its core. The combat has been continuously changing since final fantasy 11 came out in 2002, so in my own opinion complaining about a change in combat is old news, and the people who are complaining need to go to a retirement home because its as if they forget that the combat changes in each and every single entry. Nobody can tell me otherwise, and nobody should tell you otherwise. This is a wonderful entry! y in the franchise… Expand
  67. sex69
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Action is the best.
    RPGs are the best.
    The open world was the best.
    In the second half of 2023, in the second half, Final Fantasy 16 and Lies of P are the most fun.
    The best games from June to September are Final Fantasy 16 and Lies of P.
  68. Gbc18
    Jun 30, 2023
    8
    Story: 4/5
    Gameplay/combat: 5/5
    Soundtrack: 5/5 Visuals/graphics: 3/5 (that means I think they are just "ok") Performance: 3/5 (the graphic mode is a solid 30fps, I didn't see framedrops, it's fluid but the performance mode, who is supposed to be 60fps, just reach that in battles cuz it lows the resolution of the game, so performance is just "ok" for me). I got in involved in the story of    Story: 4/5
    Gameplay/combat: 5/5
    Soundtrack: 5/5
    Visuals/graphics: 3/5 (that means I think they are just "ok")
    Performance: 3/5 (the graphic mode is a solid 30fps, I didn't see framedrops, it's fluid but the performance mode, who is supposed to be 60fps, just reach that in battles cuz it lows the resolution of the game, so performance is just "ok" for me).
    I got in involved in the story of FF16 from the beginning of the game to the end, but it's not a perfect game, some part the story could've been improved, such as exploring more Jill's character and Benedikta's past, they are more things I would like to say about the story that could've been improved but that would be spoiler. The combat system is amazing and very enjoyable with memorable boss battles, especially the Eikon battles, you can kill your enemies with style and I'm very excited to see how much they will improve this combat in a future FF17. The soundtrack being wonderful is not a surprise, it's a Final Fantasy game after all, it's a game with memorable songs. FF16 is an enjoyable experience even with some aspects of the story lacking more depth in my opinion    … Expand
  69. mike-
    Jun 30, 2023
    1
    Terrible combat direction for the franchise. Mindless rinse repeating of the same combos over and over. No reason to switch up abilities because elements don't matter, so just pick the skills with the biggest damage. No RPG element/system are left, everything has been reduce to the most minimal possible to the point of have no reason to be remaining in the game. No reason to explore, noTerrible combat direction for the franchise. Mindless rinse repeating of the same combos over and over. No reason to switch up abilities because elements don't matter, so just pick the skills with the biggest damage. No RPG element/system are left, everything has been reduce to the most minimal possible to the point of have no reason to be remaining in the game. No reason to explore, no special hidden treasures, no special hidden bosses, no interesting loot, no status effects. The story is good but extremely predicable if you ever played a FF game before.
    The pacing of the game is completely off due to the ridiculous amount of slowly presented dialog.    … Expand
  70. Keyfly
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    In terms of direction and storytelling the game is fantastic, in addition to having a compelling story it also has an aesthetic level that has not yet been reached. The various open maps as far as level design is concerned could be shabby but from an aesthetic point of view they convince me a lot and give a sense of life that immerses you in the game world. The gameplay, especially sinceIn terms of direction and storytelling the game is fantastic, in addition to having a compelling story it also has an aesthetic level that has not yet been reached. The various open maps as far as level design is concerned could be shabby but from an aesthetic point of view they convince me a lot and give a sense of life that immerses you in the game world. The gameplay, especially since you start having the third eikon, is fantastic and very fun and the bossfights are all a feast for the eyes, each structured in a completely different way. The defects of this game, however, are the underdeveloped level design of the maps, the secondary missions which, despite being very interesting at a pure narrative level, do not have bosses or unique and interesting areas and the equipment in some moments could be very undemanding without needing to overexert themselves on which sword, belt and bracer to use or upgrade. Basically, like all games, this one has its flaws which can be considered more or less serious but the positive aspects it has, in addition to being abundant, far exceed the average.… Expand
  71. XSaber
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Don't be fool by the action game play alone. The game have a rich story and lore that will pull your heart string. The first M rated final fantasy with dark story similar to game of throne. Clive, the MC is the most powerful hero in FF series. The Eikon battle is epic and fast pace like capcom game. Difficulty setting can be set easy for those with slow reaction time. You will have butt clintching moment if play on difficult setting like Eden Ring.… Expand
  72. Nathaniel_Wu
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    I would give it 9.5/10. FF is always about innovation, they made a leap to do things differently than the previous FF and I appreciate that a lot.
  73. mituki_T
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great game, Bahamut was the best and I enjoyed it over and over again. PlayStation's best content!… Expand
  74. tcastle
    Jun 30, 2023
    4
    I’ve “played” about 10 hours. I say “played” because 7-8 of those hours have been never ending cut scenes and dialogue. Intensely boring.
  75. ZeromusPrime
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Damn good game, but a bunch of losers are going to review bomb it since there's a gay character in it
  76. Rpgfan85
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The return of the saga to it's Glory days, amazing story, characters, graphics and battle system.
    The Game set a new standar for AAA RPGs.
    If You have a PS5 ir plan on getting one this game is a must Buy.
    It also has the best final battle in any FF.    … Expand
  77. Guildartz
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Gameplay is fantastic, a slight step up from 15, The story is darker than usual and it's very much a good change of pace for the franchise.
  78. Rex_tirano30
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Expectacular! es poco para describir lo bueno que es este juego. Musica, graficas, jefes, carisma...lo tiene todo.
  79. JackMoschet
    Jun 30, 2023
    5
    Do not take the rating on this site seriously. Whether it's 0 or 10, multiple of these entries mention giving the game a misleading score to amplify their side of the discussion. In fact, there's a ton more 10s doing that than 0s. I finished the game yesterday, and here's the meat of some advice: Final Fantasy fans, this isn't Final Fantasy. If you're going in hoping the series kept muchDo not take the rating on this site seriously. Whether it's 0 or 10, multiple of these entries mention giving the game a misleading score to amplify their side of the discussion. In fact, there's a ton more 10s doing that than 0s. I finished the game yesterday, and here's the meat of some advice: Final Fantasy fans, this isn't Final Fantasy. If you're going in hoping the series kept much of anything from it's previous games, you'll be majorly disappointed. It's mostly a brand new series in the ice cream cone, with some FF sprinkles. New players: go for it. You probably don't care about honoring the series or holding it to standards the developers have abandoned. It's fast, flashy, and dark. That's very popular right now, and you'll probably enjoy it. As an FF game, I'd give it a 4. As a new IP, I'd give it a 7. I picked 5, because haters and lovers alike are being utterly bias with their reviews. It's a bit of a sell out move by Square Enix, but some people don't care. It all depends on what you enjoy, and what an honest series means to you.… Expand
  80. Kingofminds
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    A wonderful entry to the Final Fantasy series. Taking it in a brave new direction, this game gets just about as many things right as humanly possible in a game while also simultaneously raising the expectations for the series. Creative business Unit III brings their magic over from Final Fantasy XIV and implements it here with memorable characters, a banging soundtrack, and an immersiveA wonderful entry to the Final Fantasy series. Taking it in a brave new direction, this game gets just about as many things right as humanly possible in a game while also simultaneously raising the expectations for the series. Creative business Unit III brings their magic over from Final Fantasy XIV and implements it here with memorable characters, a banging soundtrack, and an immersive world. The key stand out feature in this game is the Active Time Lore button that allows players to get contextual information in many cutscenes, allowing characters to speak naturally and fluently as if they've lived in the world for years, while simultaneously giving you the information you need to understand those conversations. This effectively does away with awkward insertions in conversations, such as reintroducing someone that everyone should already know, or defining terms that someone would learn as a child. At the end of the day, the game feels very much like a final fantasy title, while allowing it to grow up and mature just like the content it provides.… Expand
  81. Lokostill
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    I was initially skeptical after FF15 about buying FF16 at launch. Glad I did. I've always loved the Final Fantasy Series since part 6 on SNES for the story and FF16 delivered in that department. Even though I miss the turn based battle system the gameplay on FF16 is just as fun. It's different but definitely entertaining.
  82. Gigachad2
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Sehr sehr geiles Spiel, hoffe Sony liefert so weiter und es kommen noch viele geile Games raus
  83. VerySerious
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Rising forth from the Creative Business Unit III's minds, Final Fantasy XVI exhibits great gameplay & narrative qualities, while maintaining some old-school design tropes. The story unfolds through epic battles and dark-fantasy events, all grounded on a solid world-building.
  84. VLRibeiro
    Jun 30, 2023
    6
    It’s a good game, just not a Final Fantasy game. I played 60% of it already, it’s a straight line as it gets and in summary: press square until it hurts.
  85. StillbornSpider
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    С детства питаю тёплые чувства к серии Final Fantasy и новая номерная часть вновь вернула меня во времена, когда я проходил FF XII на PS2. Оторваться практически невозможно.
    Невероятная работа сценаристов, головокружительный размах и экшен, великолепная музыка и боевая система прямиком из DMC.
    Из минусов отмечу плохо проработанные побочные задания, преобладание роликов над геймплеем и    С детства питаю тёплые чувства к серии Final Fantasy и новая номерная часть вновь вернула меня во времена, когда я проходил FF XII на PS2. Оторваться практически невозможно.
    Невероятная работа сценаристов, головокружительный размах и экшен, великолепная музыка и боевая система прямиком из DMC.
    Из минусов отмечу плохо проработанные побочные задания, преобладание роликов над геймплеем и медленное введение в боевую систему, от чего первые часы боёвка кажется очень однообразной и приходится тыкаться в квадратик.

    Спасибо Square Enix и Sony за одну из лучших игр года и одну из лучших видеоигровых историй. Такие проекты в наше время на весь золота, так что закрою глаза на недостатки. С нетерпением жду продолжение FF VII. Жаль только, что русских субтитров там не будет..    … Expand
  86. Haunt33rr
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Screams Asura's Rath energy, took me 77hr to complete, I could not remove myself from my seat, too compelling, fun and suspenseful(and emotional).

    Looking for a good game? This is one
  87. Thauan
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    You know a game is divisive when you scroll the user reviews and 90% of the scores are 10s or 0s. That aside, the game is amazing, you can see how much the developers loved what they were doing. The combat is addicting as hell, the music is top tier as expected from Soken, story is not the usual JRPG shonen cringe. Can't to play this on PC.
  88. Nasser124
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    This game is just a masterpiece, the music the gameplay the story it’s just pure art
  89. LaFleur786
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Spoilers ahead.
    Has the highest high points of any game I've ever played, but also certain decisions that crushed me and annoyed me more than anything. I'm giving it a 10 despite the inconsistency, as it gave me the things it took away in the first place, and those characters and moments illicit feelings that come rarely in stories. The decision to kill off a certain major character, along with the ambiguity of the ending, crushed me but not in a "good" way that other games such as Nier Automata did. It left me feeling heartbroken and confused in a way no other story has, and although I was so frustrated in the moment, it's made for an unforgettable experience. It has the greatest boss fights in gaming, largely due to the unbridled spectacle and genius music, yet it also manages to interweave the climax of a story arc with those fights in such a cathartic and hype way. The soundtrack is masterful, and now I'm inclined to get into Final Fantasy 14 just to experience Masayoshi Soken's genius work again. Despite some of the feelings this game gave me, I'm completely in love with it and couldn't recommend it enough.    … Expand
  90. ELGuztavos
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Amazing game. Best Final Fantasy game ive played since crisis core for the psp
  91. bra1nscore
    Jun 30, 2023
    9
    Amazing game, the best action fights and scenes I've seen. Though it isn't perfect, the new action design absouletly kills it, it's fast fun and looks awesome.
    The only issue for me was I didn't find story and some characters as good as the rest of the game. I had very high expectations for it, having played FFXIV.
    Overall the game is an absolute achievement for CBU3 and I wish to see    Amazing game, the best action fights and scenes I've seen. Though it isn't perfect, the new action design absouletly kills it, it's fast fun and looks awesome.
    The only issue for me was I didn't find story and some characters as good as the rest of the game. I had very high expectations for it, having played FFXIV.
    Overall the game is an absolute achievement for CBU3 and I wish to see more of it.    … Expand
  92. Abdulrahman021
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    this is a must play game honestly its so good one of the best single player games in the past 5 years the story is out of this world its so good the gameplay and combat system is so good aswell i cant express how good this game is its really a must play game and i promise you wont regret playing it from soundtracks to boss fights its a perfect game
  93. Eliso
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    I just loved this game, great story, and great mechanics, cannot stop playing it, the main character is quite likable, Just great.
  94. BossSlap
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    I thoroughly enjoyed FF16. It is refreshing to see Square-Enix get back to making bangers. In my opinion, the game delivers hard on the combat, story, character development, soundtrack, and graphics. It is not turned based and I am ok with it.
  95. Amburgosson
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Really good game, one of the best stories, I’ve seen in the past few years. And overall great gameplay und combat.
  96. Kashell
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Increíble juego, la experiencia que desborda de inicio a fin es inigualable, la banda sonora se lucio esta vez, me encanto el nuevo sistema de combate que implementaron, sin duda es una gran mejora en comparación a FF15.

    A pesar de que no cuente una historia similar a la de las anteriores entregas, me gusta ver de nuevo una historia madura y profunda, que quizás no se veían desde la    Increíble juego, la experiencia que desborda de inicio a fin es inigualable, la banda sonora se lucio esta vez, me encanto el nuevo sistema de combate que implementaron, sin duda es una gran mejora en comparación a FF15.

    A pesar de que no cuente una historia similar a la de las anteriores entregas, me gusta ver de nuevo una historia madura y profunda, que quizás no se veían desde la época de PS3.    … Expand
  97. Zonif
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazingqoaoaslekemrjfifkslapaosjdnrnfnfockdndndidjfngkzlaosuehrbfnfixidjdjskdkdkid… Expand
  98. HostileUnknown
    Jun 30, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I wrote a 5000 character review, but metacritic failed and I lost my review.

    I will summarize. The game is very good, not great. The first 75% of the game is vastly superior to the final 25%. There are many things to praise, like the epic moments and the fun combat, and many things to criticize, like the lack of depth to the combat and party characters. While I'm at it, I'll also criticize the FPS and worst motion blur in a game ever. And I'll praise the story and lore creation. Custcenes in the game are also excellent.

    Eikon moments are absolutely awesome. Leviathan is "Lost", and absent from the game entirely, which is super confusing. Odin doesn't get a proper Eikon battle, but does have some great cutscenes. Ultima is really lame and underwhelming.

    Voice acting is top notch. Dialogue is good. Great at points, cringe at others. Profanity is fine to introduce, but it is overdone. No one repeats "F F F F F F F" in a string of words, literally. The final part of the game does become overly dramatic with the characters dialogues.

    Characters themselves are mostly very good. Clive is excellent, but the game and subsequent supporting characters suffer from Clive being a one man army. There are however, other lovable characters, like Byron and Cid and Torgal. Other hatable characters like Annabelle and Benedikta and Barnabas. Other characters somewhere in between. Strong cast, but none of them are as deeply explored as Clive, and the game would be better if some of these and other characters would have been more fleshed out.

    The open areas of the game, and pacing of the story sections I think give me hope for FF7 Rebirth to absolutely knock it out of the park.

    There's a lot of good to like in this game. I would love to give all of my feedback to the devs, because they created a very good game, an excellent one at parts, but one that is held back by a number of things, as well as missing the boat on something can make a final fantasy game truly special. It's like they gambled it all on combat that would be fun and welcoming, while all but abandoning core elements of rpgs and final fantasy games that have gained them their player base over the years.

    For me, this is like a 7.5/10. It's absolutely worth a playthrough, as I'm well into the NG+. There's also so much room for improvement, and it would be really nice for Final Fantasy to return to form after 15 and 16 (and to some extent, 13 and even 12), kind of strayed from it to varying extents.

    As a final point, FF7 remake is the closest to a true modern FF game that we have, and I hope beyond hope that rebirth delivers an epic experience and creates the benchmark on how FF games should play going forward. Well developed characters, well developed story, and a combat system that is true to form to final fantasy, where magic and abilities and gear and items all work together to create a full FF experience.    … Expand
  99. ilbolza85
    Jun 30, 2023
    3
    It's a good linear action combat game, on the level of Devil May Cry 5.
    But this is not a Final Fantasy game, it has no rpg mechanics, no freedom, no side quests worth talking about.
    It's an unbearably long 60 hours cutscene with the occasional playable bit. It's boring and it's not an rpg. It's a dumbed down version of a Final Fantasy that will only appeal to fans of games that are not JRPGs
  100. lyekay1
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Absolutely fantastic. Was sceptic of it not being open world, but the worlds are large and you can easily transport between the. Acting, combat, graphics, top tier!
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 22, 2024
    100
    Final Fantasy XVI is an excellent game in every way. If you're a fan of the series for the stories and characters, you won't go wrong here, and if you've avoided the series for, say, turn-based combat, the sixteenth installment offers the perfect opportunity to get started with this legend of the gaming industry. [Issue#329]
  2. Riot Pixels
    Oct 30, 2023
    73
    This is a solid RPG/action game. Some elements of the game are unusual and fresh for single-player parts of the Final Fantasy series, but some are too dull and rudimentary.
    Read full review
  3. PLAY
    Sep 17, 2023
    90
    New numbered FFs are good again. Stunning to look at, with new, punchy combat, and a great yarn, it is, if anything, too focussed, lacking a bit of the weird. [Issue#30, p.78]
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