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. bluecollarjenny
    Jul 9, 2023
    6
    I guess the best way to put this is.. I am bored. FF has always been a story driven RPG and I feel like it’s been sacrificed for flashy combat. I am about 40% through the main missions (I have also completed every side quest thus far) and to continue on just feels like a chore and a drag. Everything feels bland and the main story is full of filler to a point where there isn’t a sense ofI guess the best way to put this is.. I am bored. FF has always been a story driven RPG and I feel like it’s been sacrificed for flashy combat. I am about 40% through the main missions (I have also completed every side quest thus far) and to continue on just feels like a chore and a drag. Everything feels bland and the main story is full of filler to a point where there isn’t a sense of pacing or urgency. I am disappointed as I was very excited for the next entry, and now I can’t even see myself finishing the game.… Expand
  2. cmghiold
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Amazing combat and story! One of the best mainline FF's in a ling time. Really improved on the flaws of 15.
  3. Gregdel
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Best Final Fantasy since Final X, and probably one of the best ever. Strong Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings vibes, that’s PERFECT! The bad reviews are surely trolls or PS haters cause this game is a masterpiece. The visuals, the story, the characters, the music, the gameplay… top notch. This game is a reason to have a PS5.
  4. Static1400
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Excellent fast paced gameplay.
    Amaizing graphics
    Great story.
    Loving every minutes of it !
  5. xCoNDex
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    June 22 (About 10 hours) It is a true must have, an epic adventure that has managed to surpass god of war by far, just enjoy the game, it is a true masterpiece.

    Edit June 26 (Almost 40 hours): For those who complain that the game is very simple, until you get to the new game plus, a tip, play without accessories, use only Torgal's cures (No potions) and try not to always carry the    June 22 (About 10 hours) It is a true must have, an epic adventure that has managed to surpass god of war by far, just enjoy the game, it is a true masterpiece.

    Edit

    June 26 (Almost 40 hours): For those who complain that the game is very simple, until you get to the new game plus, a tip, play without accessories, use only Torgal's cures (No potions) and try not to always carry the best weapon, and that's it You have the hard mode working perfectly

    I keep my word, this is a **** must have for everyone.    … Expand
  6. rubykid15
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    This is a a really good FF Game at it's core.

    - Story is well done and the VA works is consistent enough that it keeps you drawn in. - Combat is far more than "2 buttons" that people clearly havent experimented with. Doing epic juggle combos with Torgal and swapping through 3 weapon types feels great. - The boss battles both normal and Kaiju feel epic and have great pacing. The    This is a a really good FF Game at it's core.

    - Story is well done and the VA works is consistent enough that it keeps you drawn in.
    - Combat is far more than "2 buttons" that people clearly havent experimented with. Doing epic juggle combos with Torgal and swapping through 3 weapon types feels great.
    - The boss battles both normal and Kaiju feel epic and have great pacing. The cinematics QTEs of it all is fun to watch and play. I have never seen such an aggressive way of killing a ninja but it sure as hell felt cool to see and portrayed a different way of ending a fight on a boss than ever before.
    - Music is perfection and properly catches the tonal vibes every single time.

    Genuine cons, but not enough to bring down the score
    Lack of post-story content. It's certainly a finished product with NG+ potentially being the extra content to do. Post game boils down to simiulated score attack and Hunts if not completed.    … Expand
  7. bosox162
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    This game is beyond great. The story hooks you in the very beginning and doesn't let go. The characters are well-acted and well-voiced. The music, as is always the case with Final Fantasy games, is perfection. No, it's not your turn based Final Fantasy combat, but it's better because of it. Every fight, even the ones against regular enemies is fun.

    Boss fights are taken to another level    This game is beyond great. The story hooks you in the very beginning and doesn't let go. The characters are well-acted and well-voiced. The music, as is always the case with Final Fantasy games, is perfection. No, it's not your turn based Final Fantasy combat, but it's better because of it. Every fight, even the ones against regular enemies is fun.

    Boss fights are taken to another level and have an epic feel to them. Whether its an Eikon battle or Clive vs. Big Baddie, you need to learn patterns and react quickly. There are also a lot of ways to customize your play with different Eikon abilities and charms.

    Speaking of charms, the game is accessible to anyone. If you aren't great with action games and just want the story, you can put on charms to help you auto-dodge, heal, etc. If you want a challenge, leave them all off. You don't need to have ever played any other Final Fantasy games to hop into this one, but there are a lot of fun easter eggs if you have played the rest.

    The visuals are stunning. From the cities, to character models, to lush forests, it's a joy to just take in the scenery. The people downvoting the game likely have never played it and are engaging in petty "console wars." There is almost nothing not to like about this game if you are a fan of JRPGs and/or action style games. I've put 20 hours into it so far, and can't wait to play more.    … Expand
  8. Solis429
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    10 de 10 sin ninguna duda, lo disfrute de inicio a fin. Parte fuerte y sigue así hasta la mitad donde empieza a caer pero en sí ya es espectacular. Nada más que decir que la espera valió la pena, y en unos meses a Starfield en PC.


    Un buen año con juegos como Final Fantasy XVI, Tloz totk y esperemos que bethesta no la cage con Starfield.
  9. Sherwood
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    Easily the best Final Fantasy in a long while. The game really shines during the huge boss battles. I haven't seen gameplay and scope this impressive since God of War 3. The story, visuals, gameplay and music are all beyond anything seen this gen. The game really is impressive.
  10. Kaw117
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    This game is an absolute masterpiece in story telling,music, Cinematography, Gameplay,polish and fluidity. A few Performance issues here and there but that's really my only complaint, I can see why some won't like the more linear focus but in a age of thousands of open world games And only a handful being actually truly good and immersive this game Is a welcome change, and the LegendaryThis game is an absolute masterpiece in story telling,music, Cinematography, Gameplay,polish and fluidity. A few Performance issues here and there but that's really my only complaint, I can see why some won't like the more linear focus but in a age of thousands of open world games And only a handful being actually truly good and immersive this game Is a welcome change, and the Legendary Devil May Cry style combat is definitely imprinted into this game making one hell of a Great Action game once You start getting more abilities for combos (it does start off Limited and slow tho at first to be fair). Clive is my new favorite FF protagonist and Cid and Jill are amazing party members to+ you can Pet the dog!!! Overall a Total Overall W for me 10/10 GOTY choice… Expand
  11. Ocioman
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Jugadas mas de 20 hrs al juego desde el lanzamiento, me he encontrado con un titulo maduro, divertido y épico. Los giros argumentales están muy bien hilados, los diálogos son interesantes y los NPC siempre tienen algo que contarnos, gráficamente es precioso, los mapas tienen unos detalles sin precedentes, los efectos están muy bien logrados y la iluminación...eso requeriría mas de 10000Jugadas mas de 20 hrs al juego desde el lanzamiento, me he encontrado con un titulo maduro, divertido y épico. Los giros argumentales están muy bien hilados, los diálogos son interesantes y los NPC siempre tienen algo que contarnos, gráficamente es precioso, los mapas tienen unos detalles sin precedentes, los efectos están muy bien logrados y la iluminación...eso requeriría mas de 10000 caracteres para describir lo bien que acompaña al juego. Los personajes están escritos con mucho peso y personalidad.

    Lo único a lo que podría poner "pegas" es en el ámbito de combate, si bien está muy bien hecho y es divertido como ninguno carece de debilidades elementales, estados alterados y cosas de esa índole, faltó mas Final Fantasy pero para nada perjudica el resultado final.    … Expand
  12. UpperGoddom
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Absolute masterpiece. The game has some of the best boss fights to ever exist in GAMING. They are cinematic, engaging and jaw dropping. All the while, in between are some of the most gripping and dark storytelling the medium has been graced with.
  13. Xalmo43
    Jun 23, 2023
    7
    XVI does Final Fantasy well enough that it deserves a higher score then what many people are giving it.. The game lacks in RPG elements keeps it from being a 10/10 which is a shame. YoshiP needs to start adding more interesting forms of gearing to his games if he wants to stay ontop.

    I believe many negative reviews are due to people simply being unable to afford a PS5 for one game.    XVI does Final Fantasy well enough that it deserves a higher score then what many people are giving it.. The game lacks in RPG elements keeps it from being a 10/10 which is a shame. YoshiP needs to start adding more interesting forms of gearing to his games if he wants to stay ontop.

    I believe many negative reviews are due to people simply being unable to afford a PS5 for one game. While its true, Sony has literally 0 good games worth buying the console for, you can just do what I did and buy the console at Wal-Mart and eventually return it after beating XVI.

    Another reason the game is getting bad reviews is due to 3rd world countries banning it, namely Saudi Arabia. This may explain why many ESL comments are on here saying its a "bad" game.    … Expand
  14. dagamerguy
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Amazing story with tight combat. Music by Soken is amazing. Excited to try Final Fantasy Mode as well. Fans will be upset that it's not like the old FF games, but I love the scale of every fight.
  15. Jaldore
    Aug 12, 2023
    10
    Outstanding game with an new and unique take on the FF formula.

    The music is phenomenal and perfectly sets the tone of whatever is happening on screen. The English localization for this game is excellent. The story is well-paced and the characters voice acting feels like something you would see in a movie or prime time television show. The combat is different from previous    Outstanding game with an new and unique take on the FF formula.

    The music is phenomenal and perfectly sets the tone of whatever is happening on screen.

    The English localization for this game is excellent. The story is well-paced and the characters voice acting feels like something you would see in a movie or prime time television show.

    The combat is different from previous iterations, but it is fast and exciting with a focus on different Eikon powers that you gain throughout the game. It offers a good sense of progression while being easy to learn and satisfying to master.

    This is a groundbreaking game that delivers a cinematic and thrilling experience. 10/10.    … Expand
  16. Gigggachad
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    A masterpiece. it's a 9.5 for me guys they did really well in this game thanks for yoshi p and his team
  17. JankMedia
    Jul 6, 2023
    6
    It's not a bad game by any means but it's also not very good for what it is. FFXVI is a really shallow cinematic action game at it's core. There's lot of cut scenes, combat is fun but repetitive. The game is incredibly easy, not necessarily a bad thing but for those expecting something like actual DMC or Souls, it isn't happening. The game is incredibly easy/forgiving.

    XVI was clearly    It's not a bad game by any means but it's also not very good for what it is. FFXVI is a really shallow cinematic action game at it's core. There's lot of cut scenes, combat is fun but repetitive. The game is incredibly easy, not necessarily a bad thing but for those expecting something like actual DMC or Souls, it isn't happening. The game is incredibly easy/forgiving.

    XVI was clearly designed with a mass audience in mind. Some people are going to love it, some aren't. The thing that surprises me most is just how shallow it is, it really is just running from A to B while killing low level enemies followed by a relatively easy boss and then an even easier Eikon fight. It's lowest common denominator style gameplay in 2023. This game would even be considered basic in terms of gameplay if it released on the PS3 back in 2008.

    I can't even comment on any RPG mechanics because they are non-existent. Yes, you go up levels and you can craft gear. However, the gear you craft is locked to game progression, meaning that there is usually one 1 item to choose from and it's a +1 of whatever you can buy in the store. The upgrade system is a standard skill tree but for combat only. Don't expect to cast buffs/debuffs/libra. None of that is in XVI. It's purely hack and slash gameplay with cool down timers for special attacks.

    It has the stagger system as seen in other FF games but it does not utilize it well, very uninspired compared to FFXIII and FF7R. Enemies also feel like damage sponges. I'm enjoying the game but honestly have no idea what the hype is about. It genuinely feels like playing a remastered PS3 title.    … Expand
  18. Fuzi0n
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    Probably the best Final Fantasy ever made. The gameplay is amazing, the story is extremely compelling and the music is extremely beautiful. Yoshi-P and his team pulled off and amazing feat. :)
  19. Renzokuken
    Jun 23, 2023
    7
    To preface this, I'm a long time FF fan, I fundamentally disagree with a company building a series of RPG games off the money of long term fans, then throwing them to the wayside in order to make action games, under some false pretence that turn based RPG's don't sell.

    That said, I'll put that to one side in this review and be strictly objective, I'm 23 hours into my play through and    To preface this, I'm a long time FF fan, I fundamentally disagree with a company building a series of RPG games off the money of long term fans, then throwing them to the wayside in order to make action games, under some false pretence that turn based RPG's don't sell.

    That said, I'll put that to one side in this review and be strictly objective, I'm 23 hours into my play through and have just passed the second time skip, this review will be spoiler free, however.

    The Good:
    The graphics are excellent.
    The soundtrack is good, Soken is putting in the work yet again and doesn't disappoint.
    Set piece battles are an absolute visual treat, probably some of the best in the franchise, they're really spectacular.
    The main cast of characters are all very likable.
    The voice acting is for the most part fantastic
    Combat is flashy and looks excellent
    The plot is good, if you put in the reading hours.
    The world is very pretty.

    The Bad:
    Performance is abysmal, graphics mode runs at a decently stable 30fps, performance mode runs at anything between 30 and 45fps and jumps around constantly, I found myself playing on graphics mode as a stable frame rate is less distracting than one that jumps around all over the place, still I'd have taken a graphical downgrade for a stable 60fps performance mode.
    Combat is visually flashy, but lacks any depth, you evade, hit stuff with square x4 then triangle, and use your abilities on cooldown, there is no other meaningful strategy involved.
    During my 23 hours with the game I've noticed quite a bit of reuse of bosses, the one that stands out are the dragoon bosses, I'm not sure if we're just going though the whole colour pallet but so far I've fought a silver, white and black one.
    Combat is laughably easy, and difficulty options are locked behind new game plus, enemies engage you in groups but attack you one by one, completely breaking any immersion, not that it matters since anything that isn't a mini boss or boss, never gets a hit in because you stun lock them with all your attacks or one shot them all with AoE abilities.
    Equipment, crafting and just items in general are massively gutted and mostly pointless
    Quest, chest and combat rewards give you materials for crafting most of the time, leaving you feeling cheated, as they're feeding you items for a pointless system.
    Side quests are bland and boring, they feel like MMO fetch quests.
    The plot makes sense, but you need to do a large amount of outside reading in order to understand it, if I can't understand a plot without external help, that's a bad plot. Also it's a real rollercoaster in terms of pacing, one minute I'm in some hype set piece encounter then the next I'm gathering apples for some reason, and these peaks and troughs happen throughout the game.
    The world is very empty, there isn't much of anything to discover by going off the beaten trail.
    The set piece battles are either VERY simplified versions of regular combat, or entirely QTE events, they're extremely impressive to look at, but not very interesting to play.

    All in all, this game is a middling action game, it gets a decent amount right, but all the bits it gets right are the bits I'm not playing, they're the bits I'm watching. It pains me to know we lost the best RPG's in the history of video games, and this is what's wearing its skin.    … Expand
  20. FlintEastwood
    Jun 25, 2023
    6
    An extremely uneven game, that starts off with so much promise only to rapidly go downhill.
    The fun combat beomes stale, repetitive and unchallenging. The story, full of intrigue, goes nowhere. The characters became less and less interesting. The dialogue goes from being quite well written to full of cliché. Everything great about the game disappears at the 15 hour mark.
    At its best, in    An extremely uneven game, that starts off with so much promise only to rapidly go downhill.
    The fun combat beomes stale, repetitive and unchallenging. The story, full of intrigue, goes nowhere. The characters became less and less interesting. The dialogue goes from being quite well written to full of cliché. Everything great about the game disappears at the 15 hour mark.
    At its best, in the first act, the game is as good as it gets. But it deteriorated so fast to the point I couldn't wait for it to end.
    The game has many other glaring faults (bad technical performance, terrible lip sync, a crafting mechanic that you may as well just ignore, an empty feeling world that doesn't much incentivise exploration, other areas that are just corridors, the worst and most uninspired sidequests I've ever seen, and an extremely mediocre soundtrack). These can be forgiven when the story and characters and engaging enough, but become more annoying when you lose interest in main body of the game.
    One of the most disappointing gaming experiences I can remember, made all the worse because it started off so well. Don't base your purchase decision on the outstanding demo, it isn't representative of the rest of the game.    … Expand
  21. vvv123
    Jul 7, 2023
    7
    Overall I enjoyed the game, I liked the story, the lore, and I'm happy I played it. It's not a bad game. However, there were some flaws that took out a bit of the enjoyment and I finished the game with an impactful ending with mixed feelings. The beginning, some parts in the middle and the end were the most engaging. It does miss some of the magic and balance that I felt in FF7 RemakeOverall I enjoyed the game, I liked the story, the lore, and I'm happy I played it. It's not a bad game. However, there were some flaws that took out a bit of the enjoyment and I finished the game with an impactful ending with mixed feelings. The beginning, some parts in the middle and the end were the most engaging. It does miss some of the magic and balance that I felt in FF7 Remake regarding gameplay and characters.

    Pros:
    - The story: carries the game, the cutscenes were great where it mattered. The demo was amazing, first 3-4 hours are intense, then it flattens a bit but overall it picks up at certain points as you progress. I did feel like I was on a lifelong journey with the characters and by the end it was sad to come to a close. Fantasy, especially geo- political based, is my favourite genre so it contributed to me enjoying the game and the world.

    - Soundtrack and visuals

    - Combat: was generally good, the precision dodge then attack was rewarding. The boss fights were fun and challenging!

    - Eikons: being the central part of the game/story was interesting

    - No puzzles or getting lost thanks to Torgal!

    Cons:
    - Cutscenes: I prefer story-based games but this one suffers from too many cutscenes. At times I felt like I was watching the game, sitting on the sidelines vs being immersed in it.

    - Length of game: I felt the game was too long for the story told. Too much filler at times. Towards the end I just wanted to complete the game. Not sure if I would re-play due to the cutscenes, I would prefer to rewatch those if I wanted to get back into the world vs playing the game again. I have played 50+ hour games such as Fire emblem three houses where there was a lot of story and is geo-political fantasy focused but the difference is the gameplay variety with strategy focus. The strategy aspect seen in political fantasy isn't mirrored in the gameplay in FF16 so there isn't much payoff in the end for spending this long in what should primarily be a game, not a movie. This isn't a strategy game but the combat mechanics could have had this or having more control of a party/team combat special seen in yakuza like a dragon or xenoblade chain attack. Since the combat is more simple vs other action games like Astral Chain for eg, I would have preferred a shorter game around 15-20 hours vs 40.

    - Combat: has breadth but not enough depth. I had no incentive to try other eikon abilities towards the end of the game and there were only three slots. I didn't use the auto features and it still felt quite easy, except during boss fights. No enemy weaknesses to consider which could have been done seeing as the eikons have elemental powers so the player could have been strategic with when to use those abilities. The fights were fun and some challenging but the enemies became a bit repetitive. I only died 4 times (sometimes I didn't look at health bar, never died in Eikon fight) and even if you do they replenish all potions so no need to buy or look for much of them. Crafting didn't feel rewarding and it was possible to even buy the better weapons/armor. The cinematic QTE aren't quick so slows down the game a bit and it's always the same button so I already knew what to press.

    - Side quests: I did all except maybe 5. However, they weren't engaging, animation is bland and too much dialogue for fetch quests, defeating enemies.

    - Characters: I didn't become attached to the characters as a whole and it's probably because a couple of the most engaging ones, including villians, die earlier in the game or aren't featured enough and there is no consistent party. Jill is supposed to be a main character but doesn't seem like one. I became more attached to Clive only at the end. I did however like Joshua and the brotherly bond that was showcased at the end.

    - Exploration: I prefer to find my way to a new area, then the ability to fast travel vs relying on fast travel for main story. But this was probably not included as the environments look nice but are empty.

    - Ending: I thought I understood the ending, but it seems it was ambiguous? I prefer clear endings to games. If I believe my perspective of the ending, it was very impactful but not one I want to return to.

    - Edit: I tried ng+ for about an hour past the demo and I was still using the same combat, just need to dodge quicker and enemies health takes longer to decrease. Environments aren't worth exploring and new crafting materials are lackluster. Game just feels a bit bleak knowing what will happen. Now that I've had longer to sit with the game, it is a bit disappointing as I was excited since it was first announced but not much for me to return to.    … Expand
  22. 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!!!
  23. Dmm582
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Amazing! May not be a traditional FF but still has those mainstays we’ve loved for many years!
  24. Markbentley7
    Jul 3, 2023
    6
    Worst mainline FF story. Same boring linear level design as 13. Regurgitated world and themes.
    Combat was fun but could have had way more depth. Side quests and 'crafting' system were a huge waste of time.
    Can't believe there was no overworld...just a straight game of thrones intro rip off...
  25. jezechi
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Just doing my part.
    Good graphics, gameplay, story, music, this is FINAL FANTASY title for real gamers.
  26. kpc
    Jul 7, 2023
    7
    First, let me express how exhausting you "fanboy" vs. "hater" reviewers are. You should be moderated off this damn site, as your 0's and 10's contribute absolutely nothing of value to honest, unbiased feedback for informing purchasing decisions. Anyone giving this game a 0 is either completely dishonest or a neurotic gen-x OG FF player still moaning about the "death of a franchise" thatFirst, let me express how exhausting you "fanboy" vs. "hater" reviewers are. You should be moderated off this damn site, as your 0's and 10's contribute absolutely nothing of value to honest, unbiased feedback for informing purchasing decisions. Anyone giving this game a 0 is either completely dishonest or a neurotic gen-x OG FF player still moaning about the "death of a franchise" that started over two decades ago. You'd have us believe for $70 you wanted a 16-bit pixel art game with MIDI music, 20 minute long random trash mob battles, and 32 different consumables for each status ailment. That era has thankfully passed. Take off the rose colored glasses and try to cope with the reality that your ilk are a microscopic fraction of the overall player base modern RPGs are trying to appeal to. If you can't, go play something else rather than childishly review bombing every FF or other RPG title that deigns to bring in action elements. Now for those of you giving 10's... you're not very bright either. Some of you are just boring white knights trying to offset the 0's. Others have no concept of how point based rating scales work, and think a 10 means "I enjoyed it". Your feedback is worthless. Only a handful of video games come anywhere near 10, just like only a handful of Olympic performances have been so close to perfection as to deserve one. Rate honestly.

    That said, here's my opinion: On its own, this is a good game, but not great. As a Final Fantasy title, this does not crack top 5, and top 10 is arguable. First the good stuff: Beautiful graphics, highly detailed environments, some of the best voice acting and original scores not just in FF history, but all of gaming. The story is not terrible, you do at least want to see what happens next and delve into the lore of this realm. Clive is a top five protagonist, a welcome change from all the teen angst. He feels more like Terra than Tidus or Squall, which is great. This Cid is the best Cid ever, and finally the character gets a central role in the story from the beginning rather than his usual "guy who fixes the airship" role in the second half. Mid is a much better twist on the engineer's legacy than Cindy, the Daisy Duke + Cooter mashup in FF15.

    Now the bad stuff: The story and characters are way too similar to FF14. They didn't even bother creating a new character model for Clive; they just used the generic hero of darkness warrior from all the FF14 promos. Ultima is an uncloaked Ascian. Biggs, Wedge, Ysayle and Estinian/Aymeric had their names changed to Gav, Goetz, Jill and Dion with hardly any variation on their personalities or backstories. Primals (ahem Eikons) pull aether to manifest, only through those with the innate power to channel it, and those who can't become tempered (err Akashic). The city states are almost mirror images of those in FF14, from the Holy See (I mean Holy Empire) with its dragoons to the free city of Ul-dah (oopsie Kanver) in the desert with its merchant council maintaining neutrality. I know the FF franchise reuses town names, imperial conquest, eco-disaster, and character archetypes as readily as bringing back the same Espers, Primals, Eikons or whatever the hell those transformers things were in FF13, but this is a bridge too far... way too unoriginal to be praised as a fresh new fantasy world to be explored. Once again SE fails to learn from mistakes and creates a large, semi-open world just to fill it with random reskinned enemies and resource nodes. No secret dungeons, no incentive to wander off the beaten path and explore until the Hunt Board tells you there will be something in one of those empty map sections. Again, feels way too much like an MMORPG, and not in a good way. The same applies to the MMO style fetch quests in the first half of the game... uninteresting and don't really even try to help develop the characters, lest they leave some key narrative untold in optional content. There has to be something in between killing boars and every sidequest discovering a new playable character, though. All Yoshi needs to do is go talk to his SE colleagues who designed DQ11 to learn how it's done, because just porting FF14 fetch quests is lazy. Combat is too easy, even if you take manual control and execute the combos yourself ala Elden Ring... it's fluid and beautiful, but it lacks the heart racing tension of missing a key mechanic and suffering actual consequences. Right up to the final boss, you can just hit a self-heal ability and power through, ignoring any mechanic you like while being invulnerable during animations.

    Overall, I gave it an 7, which I think is generous. I started with 6, but gave it a bonus because it isn't some rich kid whose backstory I know nothing about driving around the countryside in a black space Rolls with his entourage for some reason, occasionally pulling off to have some ramen from the in-game Cup Noodle commercial or club baby seals for leather. At least SE learned something.    … Expand
  27. jhart24
    Jun 23, 2023
    7
    Good game overall. Shouldn't be hard to actually flesh out the RPG elements, exploration, world map, side quests, mini games, and epic dungeons with the budget Square has though. Like, you can change your game and update the combat but there's no excuse for not developing all those other things. Fun game though, combat and story are good, which again they should be with the budget they have.
  28. Ander_
    Jun 24, 2023
    7
    The game is flashy and grand in its cutscene and boss battle, but apart from that, it's very classic in term of game design. Classic in the mean of many boring fetch quests and the format of cutscene-corridor-cutscene-corridor-fight. It's more similar to FF13 in term of design, but with better boss battle and world setting. Ff16 is extremely linear, to the point that they should just makeThe game is flashy and grand in its cutscene and boss battle, but apart from that, it's very classic in term of game design. Classic in the mean of many boring fetch quests and the format of cutscene-corridor-cutscene-corridor-fight. It's more similar to FF13 in term of design, but with better boss battle and world setting. Ff16 is extremely linear, to the point that they should just make it a level base game like dmc or bayonetta instead. Is it final fantasy ? Kind of, it has the world, setting, tone and character, but not the gameplay characteristic. It's ok to move on from turn base, but a JRPG, or RPG in general, have to provide player with ability to make choices, in term of story or gameplay using its mechanic, team, quest, and so on. FF16 lacks that completely. I find FF got stuck in a limbo, half of it want to grow into an action game, half of it still want to keep tie with the FF name, and the result is wierd. Action-wise, it's just ok and not excelent. Rpg wise, it's weak. The only good thing remains after finish is the great cutscene, but if that's all you like, it's better to watch a movie instead.… Expand
  29. GoemonStag
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    This game is amazing, from the characters and story to the soundtrack. As a big fan of the series, I must say I'm so very impressed, definitely one of the best games of the franchise.
    I truly don't understand all those 0 reviews.. I mean I do, they are all from a) FF purists b) SJW and c) non-FF fans who say they are because they drown in nostalgia.
  30. Voodoo123
    Jun 27, 2023
    7
    At its best this is an superb quality action RPG with 40+ hrs of playtime and some frankly amazing realtime cutscenes and animations with superior art designs and soundtrack.
    At its worst it struggles to keep pace with its core storyline instead forcing players through slow long periods of drawn out fetch quest style of mission design complete with poorly animated dialogue sequences for    At its best this is an superb quality action RPG with 40+ hrs of playtime and some frankly amazing realtime cutscenes and animations with superior art designs and soundtrack.
    At its worst it struggles to keep pace with its core storyline instead forcing players through slow long periods of drawn out fetch quest style of mission design complete with poorly animated dialogue sequences for the sake of fulfilling its 'world building' RPG quota.

    If I could use Odin's sword to slice out the poorly paced areas of this title and instead keep the action and cinematics (and cut the large open areas that slow down your progress) and tighten things into a 30hr play window I think this could've been awesome. As it goes its very good if you can filter out the bad. I loved so much of this game but I must say it felt like it dragged its heels at many points throughout my time with it.    … Expand
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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

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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.
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  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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