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. Linkinslide
    Aug 14, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Definitely did not have the feel of a JRPG as have previously installments of Final Fantasy. The only reason I completed this was because I paid over $100 dollars for it and wanted to get my money's worth. XIII had its flaws but was better than XVI. XV had issues but was better than XVI. Who exactly was XVI aimed for? Certainly not long time FF fans, clearly. I struggled so much to complete this boring game by the time I finished, I was angry. The ending was a joke just like the story. The characters were ridiculous and probably would not have been if SE explored in detail the time periods of each of them rather than doing time skips or having players have to read in some history archive about pivotal parts of the story, terms, places, etc. Why could we not learn what exactly Clive went through where the demo leaves off or Jill for that matter or how about some better insight into Kupka and Benedikta? Explore all of these characters so we can actually get to know them especially Dion and Barnabas. Or how about SE introducing these vast kingdoms and lands but only allowing exploration to the outskirts or abandoned broken down places? Just a lazy way of doing a game. The treasure boxes scattered around were a joke. Nothing of value at all rather crafting supplies instead of actual potions, or armor/weapons. I got to the point where I just skipped some of them because more often than not there was a goblin coin inside. There was no party. No matter what anyone says, having Jill or anyone else "fighting" in battle was laughable. You can only control Clive and have the dog fight by commands but any others just walked around occasionally doing some useless attack and were otherwise just as much helpful as looking at paint drying. This is some medieval game that just so happens to have some magic sprinkled in and the Final Fantasy name packaged on it but it ain't FF.… Expand
  2. realfire23
    Jun 24, 2023
    5
    I would have voted a 7 but score is getting too high.
    1. hardest diffcult 0 times died. Just pressed X and dodge 98% of the time. Very unsatisfying combat only for ADHS people who like button mashing
    2. It tries to mimic western rpg like witcher but even witcher 10 years older is better in almost every perspective 3.90% of the side quests are an insult. fetch x y 4. Its way too dark, in    I would have voted a 7 but score is getting too high.
    1. hardest diffcult 0 times died. Just pressed X and dodge 98% of the time. Very unsatisfying combat only for ADHS people who like button mashing
    2. It tries to mimic western rpg like witcher but even witcher 10 years older is better in almost every perspective
    3.90% of the side quests are an insult. fetch x y
    4. Its way too dark, in terms of brightness. Even brightest settings Iam often unable to recognise anything on the tv
    5. some people call it game of thrones of rpg. lmao… after 1-2 hours everything is clear and predictable 6. Customisations/RPG are minimal
    7. No groups … I miss party management
    8. It made me like ff15 … which was already a desaster


    pro

    the story is well told and I like it. German Translation / voice acting is very good.    … Expand
  3. Catombomb
    Aug 11, 2023
    4
    unfortunately i didn't have that much fun with the game. The character design and the world feels very generic and lifeless. Maybe next time Square Enix
  4. Andyo
    Aug 10, 2023
    1
    It's such a shame to see Final Fantasy go in the direction it has. Nothing good about this game except the story.

    It might pass as a good game but it is a terrible Final Fantasy game.

    Will not be pre-ordering again.
  5. Reipzx
    Jul 3, 2023
    10
    Amazing. There isn’t another word to describe this game. It’s a PS5 must play!
  6. Lawlieto55
    Jul 3, 2023
    10
    Absolutely fantastic game.
    I have ever had faith in CBU3 and they did not disappoint.
    Albeit I do have some critic points towards the game, they have not prevented me from overly enjoying this Journey. I just personally wish that "Spoilers" SE and FF Devs would stop it with ambigious endings. I hate them, as much as they push my creativity, I just dont want them. Give us a clear and    Absolutely fantastic game.
    I have ever had faith in CBU3 and they did not disappoint.

    Albeit I do have some critic points towards the game, they have not prevented me from overly enjoying this Journey. I just personally wish that "Spoilers" SE and FF Devs would stop it with ambigious endings.
    I hate them, as much as they push my creativity, I just dont want them. Give us a clear and proper ending to hour long Journey we have been on with the Characters. For the love of Jill, please. Learn and accept that ambigious endings are not satisfying in the grand scheme of things.

    Other than that I have a little bit of a issue with the lack of Enemy variety. I wish that every story boss fight was a unique experience and that copies of bosses were saved for difficult A and S Rank Hunts. More Hunts would have certainly not hurt the game either. Replacing Mob hoards in side quests with actual Bosses with adds perhaps wouldve done wonders too.
    Over all I feel like the game has certainly lacked some key enemies from the FF series. And perhaps has also missed the opportunity to create new memorable enemies for future Final Fantasy Titles to pick up.

    The Leviathan plot hole is also a little bit of a headache creator. Perhaps the Eikons absence makes the ending make a little bit more sense, with Mythos or rather Logos not being a perfect vessel after all. However, if you exclude a Eikon in a story that is very much reliant on the Eikons to make sense, its absence is indeed noticeable. Perhaps all in plan for a DLC and a non ambigious ending? One can only hope.

    So to summarize:
    Love the game and everything it stands for, with some minor critic points with especially the ending having left me with a little bit disappointment.
    FF16 DLCs, whatever form they may have if being created are definitely welcome. Wether its just more side content as new enemies, hunts, a boss rush mode or something more ambitious like non ambigious ending would most definitely be appreciated.
    Other than that, let the wait for FF17 begin.    … Expand
  7. Pickle43
    Jun 24, 2023
    5
    A Final Fantasy with gorgeous environments and fun combat marred by ugly npc models, questionable world building and a predictable story.
  8. Eeman123
    Jul 9, 2023
    9
    A great game. One I strongly recommend. Has the best boss fights in the final fantasy franchise and has a very heartfelt and emotional story. The M rating of he game allowed devs to go more in depth on topics like genocide and Slavery.

    Its definitely a final fantasy game. The only downside is that AI partners aren't as provocative as I would like. Definitely GOTY
  9. jaggerjacks
    Sep 5, 2023
    5
    Final Fantasy 16 has honorable qualities. But I feel it's the most overrated game of 2023. Most of its flaws (and it has many) would never have been tolerated on a game called "Fall of Crystals" and designed by a random studio.

    I love the work that Noaki Yoshida and his teams have done on Final Fantasy 14, but my admiration for them shouldn't blind me to criticism.
  10. LeopardKishin
    Aug 11, 2023
    0
    Basically a baby first time action game
    It's set as one of the easiest action games I've ever played
    And the whole esthetic of the game environment is low graphics, especially in the texture, where you can clearly see texture that comes directly from the PS3 era But the worst sin made by this Final Fantasy 16 is, copy game of thrones badly, just for the sake of the rating. There's    Basically a baby first time action game
    It's set as one of the easiest action games I've ever played
    And the whole esthetic of the game environment is low graphics, especially in the texture, where you can clearly see texture that comes directly from the PS3 era
    But the worst sin made by this Final Fantasy 16 is, copy game of thrones badly, just for the sake of the rating.
    There's multiple ways to create a serious plot for a story, but here in FF16 it feels all artificial and not engaging at all.
    It's like you see some of the most predictable scene of a movie, and you are just there for see if the plot move in other ways, but it don't.
    For a game like this that point mostly on his story, build a predictable and generic plot made the whole things just pointless to follow, especially when you see how the whole plot fells flat and that doesn't evolve.
    In conclusion, this game trade the Final Fantasy feelings for build something to attract new audience with a budget DMC clone gameplay and a bunch of game of thrones stuff putted together with the glue, and obtaining a terrible mix
    An heavily disappointing experience    … Expand
  11. lazerblade10
    Jun 24, 2023
    3
    Just beat the game today. It's ok.
    - The camera angles are a little weird at times, hard to see what's going on
    - Spells effects can be overwhelming to where you cant see the mob attacking you while it's in a tornado - Combat can sometimes feel repetitive or fights feel a little too long - Boss fight cutscenes are amazing, explosions and monsters, like a HIGH, but once it's over you    Just beat the game today. It's ok.
    - The camera angles are a little weird at times, hard to see what's going on
    - Spells effects can be overwhelming to where you cant see the mob attacking you while it's in a tornado
    - Combat can sometimes feel repetitive or fights feel a little too long
    - Boss fight cutscenes are amazing, explosions and monsters, like a HIGH, but once it's over you experience a low just talking to a shop keeper    … Expand
  12. tensioly
    Jul 12, 2023
    9
    Final Fantasy XVI es un juegazo y un gran Final Fantasy. Con este juego han conseguido un sistema de combate adaptado a los tiempos actuales y que se aleja bastante de los turnos de otras entregas, con una jugabilidad propia de los hack and slash tremendamente divertida y que le sienta como anillo al dedo. Si a esto le añadimos que los combates gozan de unas animaciones y de una puesta enFinal Fantasy XVI es un juegazo y un gran Final Fantasy. Con este juego han conseguido un sistema de combate adaptado a los tiempos actuales y que se aleja bastante de los turnos de otras entregas, con una jugabilidad propia de los hack and slash tremendamente divertida y que le sienta como anillo al dedo. Si a esto le añadimos que los combates gozan de unas animaciones y de una puesta en escena buenísimas, hacen del mismo uno de los mejores apartados del juego. La epicidad de los combates también se puede aplicar a las escenas y distintos momentos del juego y han logrado transmitir una intensidad y un éxtasis a la que muy pocos juegos llegan. Todo viene acompañado por una magistral banda sonora compuesta por Soken que me parece de lo mejor que se ha hecho estos últimos años sin ningún tipo de duda (está a la altura de las composiciones de Uematsu y Shimomura). La historia es muy redonda, está muy inspirada en juego de tronos por sus conflictos políticos y ambientación medieval cruda y muy adulta y está llena de momentos inolvidables. Sin embargo, tras la mitad del juego baja algo el ritmo de la narrativa, pero consigue mantenerte enganchado hasta el final. Al sobresaliente argumento hay que añadir los fantásticos e interesantísimos personajes de los que hace gala el juego, la mayoría con arcos sorprendentemente buenos. También me han sorprendido para bien muchas misiones secundarias ya que te contextualizan de una forma muy cercana a la situación del mundo de Valisthea y a sus personajes. En cuanto al apartado gráfico, es de lo más puntero que he visto en la nueva generación, pero es cierto que en modo rendimiento es bastante inestable, por lo que lo he jugado en modo fidelidad (30 fps), que mantenía bastante mejor la tasa de imágenes salvo en momentos muy concretos. El apartado artístico si que me parece espectacular, con escenarios sobrecogedores y un tono medieval que me ha gustado mucho. Debo mencionar también un NPC que me ha parecido interesantísimo ya que te permite acceder a información y resúmenes de personajes y acontecimientos que han ido surgiendo a lo largo de la historia que pueden aclarar muchas cosas que no hayas terminado de entender o que se te hayan olvidado, y me parece un gran añadido. Como puntos negativos debo destacar la pocas recompensas que hay por explorar el mundo, que algunas misiones son algo tediosas y la carencia que hay de elementos RPG, que se ha perdido bastante en esta entrega y aunque haya variabilidad en cuanto al uso de las habilidades podría haber sido algo más elaborado. En conclusión, Final Fantasy XVI está a la altura de los mejores de la saga y lo recomiendo a todos los que queráis gozar de una gran historia. 9,2/10
    (07/2023)    … Expand
  13. 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
  14. Tyuhjg
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    The game is fun.Although there still flaws but it still didnt effect much.Hope we can get dlc
  15. cosguy91
    Jun 24, 2023
    2
    The game is simply boring. Bland story, bland environments, constant cutscenes. You’ll walk 5 steps then watch a 10 minute cutscene. Walk another few steps then another cutscene. Enemies have such large health bars that you spend several minutes spamming the attack button to defeat them and you’re only given some crafting materials. Very disappointed with this game. I regret buying it.
  16. Montiero
    Aug 10, 2023
    3
    Not a Final Fantasy game. Not at all, not whatsoever. This is Devil May Cry with another brand's label and logo, nothing more. In fact, it isn't even an RPG either. I'm about 20 hours into the game and am at the point that I just don't care to finish it. It's shallow in characters, story, combat, and systems. There's just ZERO depth or nuance that Final Fantasy is known for. But this isNot a Final Fantasy game. Not at all, not whatsoever. This is Devil May Cry with another brand's label and logo, nothing more. In fact, it isn't even an RPG either. I'm about 20 hours into the game and am at the point that I just don't care to finish it. It's shallow in characters, story, combat, and systems. There's just ZERO depth or nuance that Final Fantasy is known for. But this is the new direction that FF will probably remain in. This is not a good game and it's DEFINITELY NOT a good Final Fantasy. Shame it'll be another decade before they even make another mainline game anyway.… Expand
  17. 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
  18. ako005
    Jun 27, 2023
    5
    The plot is incomplete, the characterization is lacking, and the ending is disgusting. The game system is boring and there is no desire to delve into it. Most of the funds are spent on the summoned beast battle scene, and the rest is very perfunctory.
  19. liamlo20220517
    Jul 3, 2023
    10
    25 years playing video games and this is the greatest combat experience i ever had.

    story 9/10 combat 10/10 music 10/10 graphics 10/10 boss battles 10/10 characters 10/10 side quests 8/10 ( the final batch of side quests before the final boss are all amazing) post-game content 4/10 (aside from NG+ and hardmode, severely lacking. no uber post-game bosses, dungeons, etc) biggest    25 years playing video games and this is the greatest combat experience i ever had.

    story 9/10
    combat 10/10
    music 10/10
    graphics 10/10
    boss battles 10/10
    characters 10/10
    side quests 8/10 ( the final batch of side quests before the final boss are all amazing)
    post-game content 4/10 (aside from NG+ and hardmode, severely lacking. no uber post-game bosses, dungeons, etc)

    biggest technical issue for me was too much motion blur,    … Expand
  20. JohnAxel
    Jul 3, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great Game with great combat and story line the only issued problem is the performance mode but I think they will fix it definitively one of the must buy game of the year… Expand
  21. YoshiM8
    Aug 15, 2023
    0
    One of the worst games of this 2023
    FF16 started with high expectations, and ended up to be just another forgettable piece of crap Final Fantasy
    The action gameplay revolve around press one button endlessly, just like you playing the most braindead game. The plot start with a premise that falls horrendously dawn, becoming another boring and shallow experience. The world is flat like    One of the worst games of this 2023
    FF16 started with high expectations, and ended up to be just another forgettable piece of crap Final Fantasy

    The action gameplay revolve around press one button endlessly, just like you playing the most braindead game.
    The plot start with a premise that falls horrendously dawn, becoming another boring and shallow experience.
    The world is flat like a white piece of paper, you can decorate with all the cutscenes that you want, but if there's literally just 0 exploration around it is meaningless.

    Overall I feel scammed by Square Enix with this game. Because FF16 it's a bad Final Fantasy and an overall bad action game without redeem qualities    … Expand
  22. Anto_A2203
    Jul 4, 2023
    10
    El juego es sencillamente fantástico, en cuanto a su apartado técnico va muy bien, sus gráficos son muy llamativos y su jugabilidad va escalando conforme pasa la historia, siempre hay nuevos elementos y poderes con los que entretenerse mientras buscas tu combinación ideal que se adapte a tu estilo de juego, aparte de eso se agradece el hecho que venga doblado al español latino, las vocesEl juego es sencillamente fantástico, en cuanto a su apartado técnico va muy bien, sus gráficos son muy llamativos y su jugabilidad va escalando conforme pasa la historia, siempre hay nuevos elementos y poderes con los que entretenerse mientras buscas tu combinación ideal que se adapte a tu estilo de juego, aparte de eso se agradece el hecho que venga doblado al español latino, las voces de la gran mayoría son muy buenas... Aunque en algunas ocasiones sientes que se repiten las voces de algunos actores de doblaje en otros personajes terciarios qué si bien no serán relevantes en la historia puede que te saque de la inmersión. Las misiones principales son muy buenas, las secundarias pueden quedar a veces como algo repetitivas pero ayudan a profundizar en la historia que quiere presentar el juego y en algunos casos se obtiene materiales necesarios para la mejora de armas que no se consiguen por otros métodos. En general diría que es un Final Fantasy muy entretenido y que vale la pena jugarlo!… Expand
  23. flobv86
    Aug 15, 2023
    5
    The game is pretty poor overall. Story is interesting, and combat can be nice at times but even for combat, too many fight interuptions on important boss fights that have you lose focus while watching the lengthy cutscenes. Level design is really poor also. "open world" parts are absolutely useless. Big frame drops even on performance and graphics look more like 2013. Max 5/10 for me
  24. Romval
    Aug 13, 2023
    2
    An unfinished product. And it’s getting more and more noticeable towards the end of the game. Can’t understand the rating this high for the game that unfinished.
  25. Zarathustra11
    Aug 11, 2023
    6
    This is the most clear 6/10 game I've played in years. There are so many great ideas in the game that don't get executed as well as they could be.

    Pros: The combat is really fun in the first half of the game. The side quests really add to the world building and offers interesting dialogue. Most cutscenes are really great. As should be expected in a Final Fantasy game. The music. Yeah,    This is the most clear 6/10 game I've played in years. There are so many great ideas in the game that don't get executed as well as they could be.

    Pros:
    The combat is really fun in the first half of the game.
    The side quests really add to the world building and offers interesting dialogue.
    Most cutscenes are really great. As should be expected in a Final Fantasy game.
    The music. Yeah, everyone should know thoa by now.

    Cons:
    The combat becomes really repetitive in the second half of the game.
    There is absolutely no exploration or hidden loot.
    The world feels really empty most of the time.
    The story never hooks you and is a total snore fest in the end.

    I had hoped this would be my game of the year, but sadly it just has too many flaws to get there.    … Expand
  26. mc3027
    Jul 6, 2023
    10
    Really enjoyed this breath of fresh air to the series. The story really draws you in. After the lack of a comprehensive story and mythology in its predecessor, Final Fantasy XVI shows that there’s still life in the series after all.
  27. pablolrferreira
    Aug 10, 2023
    4
    The game has incredible graphics, but the mechanics are shallow and poor for a Final Fantasy game. Some battles are longer than necessary and make the game repetitive. The world of this Final Fantasy is beautiful, however, it’s so empty. So, I regret buying it.
  28. Vanitasdeadpool
    Jul 3, 2023
    10
    Greatest game of all time, hands down. Nothing else to say,
    other than that any negative reviews are simply from people who can't stand a game to be so legendary.
  29. Tjprez
    Aug 14, 2023
    5
    I just finished the game and honestly, it was just brutal to get through. I skipped almost all of the story cut scenes after a while because of how boring and invested I was in what was going on. Please bring back ones with open world exploration, secrets and side quest that aren't just me chasing around and collecting things. Have me unlock characters and create my own party. These gamesI just finished the game and honestly, it was just brutal to get through. I skipped almost all of the story cut scenes after a while because of how boring and invested I was in what was going on. Please bring back ones with open world exploration, secrets and side quest that aren't just me chasing around and collecting things. Have me unlock characters and create my own party. These games just aren't fun anymore and this probably my last one that I will buy.… Expand
  30. HamletArcher
    Aug 15, 2023
    5
    Beautiful graphics. Great music. Complex story. Some interesting characters but protagonist is boring. The world is gorgeous but filled with NPCs that delivered the same line like in the 90s. Side quests are forgettable. Even main line is filled with fetch quests. Combat is fast-paced a fun for a while but got repetitive. Enemies look spectacular but feel more or less the same. Gone areBeautiful graphics. Great music. Complex story. Some interesting characters but protagonist is boring. The world is gorgeous but filled with NPCs that delivered the same line like in the 90s. Side quests are forgettable. Even main line is filled with fetch quests. Combat is fast-paced a fun for a while but got repetitive. Enemies look spectacular but feel more or less the same. Gone are the days when different enemies (bombs, Marlboro, mech etc) required different strategies. The equipments had no special effect and only differed in stats. Overall not the final fantasy renaissance that I wished it would be.… 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

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]
See all critic reviews »