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
Buy Now
Buy on

Review this game

  1. Your Score
    0 out of 10
    Rate this:
    • 10
    • 9
    • 8
    • 7
    • 6
    • 5
    • 4
    • 3
    • 2
    • 1
    • 0
    • 0
  1. Submit
  2. Check Spelling
view
per page
  1. Jason2377
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    Game is insanely good, best FF in 25 years, highly recommend.
  2. 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
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. oquic
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    I think this is one of the best final fantasy game. I do like the new fighting
  6. Xehranold
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    The game is beautiful and amazing soundtrack is amazing gameplay is amazing and it never felt repetitive
  7. 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.
  8. 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
  9. 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.
  10. Madness01
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    Might be this year's best game yet
    Addictive combat
    Awesome cutscenes Very compelling story
    Beautiful world
    Loveable characters
    And fabulous boss fights
  11. Sin_
    Jul 1, 2023
    10
    As far as I'm concerned this is one of the best, if not the best games ever made. Even when i defeated the game i just started new game + and started over.
    A beautiful game with heavenly combat, a mesmerising story, best video game soundtrack of all time, godly scaled eikon fight highest peak we have ever seen in gaming period and top-notch voice acting.
  12. BahamutvsOdin
    Jul 2, 2023
    10
    This is without a doubt the best game ever made and for its time the best looking game of all time period I want play this in a cinema god damn!

    This game here is the best game ever made. Sure you may have your opinions but it's pretty much agreed worldwide that this game is perfect and deserves the praise it gets. The story, the gameplay, the fights, the bosses, eikon (summon) fights,    This is without a doubt the best game ever made and for its time the best looking game of all time period I want play this in a cinema god damn!

    This game here is the best game ever made. Sure you may have your opinions but it's pretty much agreed worldwide that this game is perfect and deserves the praise it gets. The story, the gameplay, the fights, the bosses, eikon (summon) fights, the soundtrack, and pretty much everything else is perfect, Everyone should get the chance to experience this masterpiece.     … Expand
  13. IconicEikon
    Jul 2, 2023
    10
    The greatest video game of all time best game I have ever played in my life, everything about this game is flawless cant say anything negative about it.

    one of the best games ever created if not the best. The story, gameplay, bosses/eikon summon fights, and soundtrack all god tier the peak of gaming this made everything that came out look awful thankful being able to play this masterpiece
  14. Vadoss66
    Jul 2, 2023
    10
    Ніколи не думав, що скажу таке про гру Final Fantasy, але стрімкі бої XVI, мабуть, є її найсильнішою стороною і, безумовно, однією з найкращих у серії. Ви також будете час від часу брати участь у битвах Ейкона, де стикаються масивні міфологічні істоти. Спрощене управління не представляє особливої складності, але епічні протистояння демонструють захоплюючу, кінематографічну анімацію у всійНіколи не думав, що скажу таке про гру Final Fantasy, але стрімкі бої XVI, мабуть, є її найсильнішою стороною і, безумовно, однією з найкращих у серії. Ви також будете час від часу брати участь у битвах Ейкона, де стикаються масивні міфологічні істоти. Спрощене управління не представляє особливої складності, але епічні протистояння демонструють захоплюючу, кінематографічну анімацію у всій красі. Моє перше проходження Final Fantasy XVI тривало близько 45 годин. Я виконав усі побічні квести, створив усі види зброї, переміг у кожному полюванні, перевершив усі випробування, а потім одразу ж взявся за New Game+ у режимі Final Fantasy - еквівалент хардкорного режиму в цій грі. Я хотів заново пережити історію, щоб краще зрозуміти її нюанси розвитку персонажів. Хотілося почути вражаючий саундтрек від початку до кінця, і ще раз оцінити його віртуозний діапазон, міць і красу. Я хотів підняти ворогів у повітря, жонглювати ними, а потім вдарити їх об землю, перш ніж прикінчити їх ідеально розрахованим заклинанням. Це все просто так, так добре. А фінал гри змусить навіть дорослого чоловіка заплакати… Expand
  15. Cmajorseven
    Jul 5, 2023
    10
    I did write a longer review for this game. It's over 3,000 words (roughly 20,000 characters) but Metacritic only allows 5,000 characters. I wish I could explain my point fully. But for the sake of honest scoring. I will give this game a 10. Not that it's perfect, but my final score is 9.5 and they don't have .5 scale on this so I top up to 10. It's super engaging combat, deep characterI did write a longer review for this game. It's over 3,000 words (roughly 20,000 characters) but Metacritic only allows 5,000 characters. I wish I could explain my point fully. But for the sake of honest scoring. I will give this game a 10. Not that it's perfect, but my final score is 9.5 and they don't have .5 scale on this so I top up to 10. It's super engaging combat, deep character development, beautiful music, emotional story, marvelous semi-open world landscapes, fantastic art direction, fully detailed models and clothing, rich in lore and side stories. To sum it up: XVI has a combat of hybrid Devil May Cry, spectacles of Godzilla, sidequests of FFXIV, music of grand orchestra, story of a perfect mix between Final Fantasy, Attack on Titans, and Game of Thrones (with so so much better ending). My Game of The Year.… Expand
  16. Higepanda
    Jul 5, 2023
    10
    【English】
    I was very satisfied not only with the beauty of the game but also with the challenging battles.
    The performance during the battle with the bosses was also thrilling and filled me with emotion! Although the game is not a completely open world, you can feel the vastness of the world and enjoy the fun of exploration. There are also memory-collecting and viewing elements that    【English】
    I was very satisfied not only with the beauty of the game but also with the challenging battles.
    The performance during the battle with the bosses was also thrilling and filled me with emotion!
    Although the game is not a completely open world, you can feel the vastness of the world and enjoy the fun of exploration.
    There are also memory-collecting and viewing elements that allow you to delve deeper into the backbone of the characters, and I recommend it to those who want to enjoy the entire world setting.
    Photo mode is also a nice touch.

    【日本語】
    美しさだけではなく、バトルもアクションとしてのやり応え十分で、大満足です。
    ボスとの戦闘中の演出も、滅茶苦茶アツくて、感情移入しまくりでした！
    完全なるオープンワールドではなくても、世界の広大さを感じられ、探索の楽しさを味わえます。
    キャラクターバックボーンを深掘りできる備忘録のコレクション・閲覧要素もあり、ゲームを世界観設定ごと楽しみたい人にもお勧めです。
    フォトモード常備なのも、嬉しいポイントですね‼    … Expand
  17. WorldMapRunner
    Jul 5, 2023
    10
    It's a masterpiece. As a long-time fan, I can say this game deviates from traditional formula in its action gameplay only (and FF12 and FF15 already did that too. This game just did it better). Nearly everything feels extremely polished and top-notch. The story premise and execution, dialogue, acting, music, visuals (technically and artistically), and gameplay responsiveness are all top-tier.
  18. CliveCloudy
    Jul 5, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Can‘t say in Words.. it was amazing love the People the Story the battles the places the Soundtrack… Expand
  19. LadyLaLa08
    Jul 5, 2023
    10
    Every Game has small flaws, but for me that doesn’t take away anything from my enjoyment level. I’m a long time Final Fantasy fan, and I know some people are upset about the lack of turn based combat, or perhaps the lack of controllable party members….Now I love turn-based combat, but the franchise has been moving away from that direction for decades now, so for me, it seems a silly thingEvery Game has small flaws, but for me that doesn’t take away anything from my enjoyment level. I’m a long time Final Fantasy fan, and I know some people are upset about the lack of turn based combat, or perhaps the lack of controllable party members….Now I love turn-based combat, but the franchise has been moving away from that direction for decades now, so for me, it seems a silly thing to gripe about. In my opinion the strongest aspect of the franchise has always been storytelling, and this game is coming up all aces in that regard. Characters, storyline, music, cinematography all 10/10. The voice acting is utterly top notch. Ben Starr is an obvious standout as our main hero Clive, but there really are no weak-links in this cast, they all have such heart. You may not have the traditional “party” that many FF games have, but you absolutely have a great crew that feel so real. Even the minor side characters have their own stories you can learn about in side quests. And yes, I will admit…some of the side quests are simple “fetch quests” and kinda lame, but quite a few are really great for world and character building. Some are just downright silly, which is a charm all it’s own. All the Clive x serving food quests were pure meme’s by the end, and I grudgingly ended up loving it. This game is absolutely visually stunning. When even the weakest video game, over the shoulder shots look as good as this, what is there to complain about? I certainly don’t know. The explorable area’s are beautiful, the atmosphere’s are perfect, the cinematography in the cutscenes are artful. The fact that we can have such subtlety that speaks volumes in video games today is truly remarkable. And the boss battles!? The Boss battles!!! They are pure unapologetic spectacle!!!! Just wow. Final Fantasy is known for having great music and XVI delivers. Beautiful, heartstring pulling Melodies, as well as straight bangers! My personal favourite thing about all the music was the classic crystal theme that weaved in and out of many songs throughout the game at always just the right time. Going back to combat…although many of us lament the death of turn based, XVI’s combat is very fun. I’m not very good at action games myself, but this system is fluid and very satisfying. Ability tree’s that open up throughout the game are fun to play around with as you can re-spec your ability points at anytime for free. I think some of the hardcore gamers out there who like punishment might have wanted a harder difficulty from the onset, instead of having to wait for New Game+, but as that is definitely not me, I can’t say. XVI had some scepticism to combat, us Final Fantasy fans can be a hard to please lot. With this being the first M rated entry, and the mediaeval setting it was advertising, I think some of us didn’t know how to feel. One worry in particular I remember harbouring myself was, “Is it going to feel like a FF game?” I didn’t want a game that felt like a new dark souls because those are so popular. Well I’m pleased to say with confidence, that this is without a doubt a Final Fantasy game. It has that spark that I personally can’t quantify. That something that’s beyond chocobos, moogles, and magic. No game is perfect, but Final Fantasy XVI is a masterpiece all the same in my eyes.… Expand
  20. Godzillahh
    Jul 7, 2023
    10
    Final Fantasy XVI is as close to a 10 as a game has gotten for me in a good while. It's rare to find a game that blends together so many aspects perfectly. From the soundtrack and story, to the gameplay, bosses , eikon fights and characters, CBUIII and Square Enix don't fail to deliver. I can't recommend this game highly enough.
  21. Nightslayer
    Jul 11, 2023
    10
    Easily one of the best games of the year, could win GOTY of 2023. This game offers an amazing combat system, story, characters, graphics, and simply gameplay overall. I'd recommend, 10/10
  22. Kunoki456
    Jul 17, 2023
    10
    what an absolute beast of a game.
    This is one of the best games in 2023 .
  23. Emacto13
    Jul 24, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Live your life and meet your terms. FFXVI continues with the trend of the saga to always changes, transforms and that is Clive Rossfield. Clive can be anyone of us. That suffers, that has moments of happiness, and seeks to fulfill the goals of his life. A shield, a brother, a Lover, a Friend, a Leader when needed, and even more.

    He is the person that demonstrates that even if you are gifted with a great power, that is not relevant because what actually makes us great are the bonds that affiliate us with our goals to pursue. All to pursue an unknown future that is worth with fighting for. With a more tremendous Sacrifice, there is a greater chance to embrace a better future even though it is not visible. I consider that FFXVI innovates in-game story mecánics that should all future RPGs have and for the future FF it should have a bit more of RPG elements.

    At the end of a Story, a new one begins.    … Expand
  24. BaldursCore
    Aug 16, 2023
    0
    Final Fantasy 16 is another example of bad Final Fantasy game
    Over the absence of role play game aspects, ff16 try to be an "action game for dumbies" to the player since it's structure is so weak that isn't able to sustain any kind of strategic approach, making every single battle just a ignorant button smash war. And even the plot isn't good at all.
    This isn't what I personally want    Final Fantasy 16 is another example of bad Final Fantasy game
    Over the absence of role play game aspects, ff16 try to be an "action game for dumbies" to the player since it's structure is so weak that isn't able to sustain any kind of strategic approach, making every single battle just a ignorant button smash war. And even the plot isn't good at all.
    This isn't what I personally want from a Final Fantasy game    … Expand
  25. Iribor
    Aug 26, 2023
    0
    If I had known earlier that playing this film disguised as a video game I would have been so bored, I would not have spent even 1 minute behind it Instead, arriving at the end credits with disarming ease, I was able to verify personally the sad flatness and poverty of this game. To advertise a light show that doesn't have an iota of substance behind it, you get Final Fantasy 16 = aIf I had known earlier that playing this film disguised as a video game I would have been so bored, I would not have spent even 1 minute behind it Instead, arriving at the end credits with disarming ease, I was able to verify personally the sad flatness and poverty of this game. To advertise a light show that doesn't have an iota of substance behind it, you get Final Fantasy 16 = a colorless, very generic product with baby-proof gameplay… Expand
  26. Elhofa
    Aug 26, 2023
    0
    Final Fantasy 16 is easily the worst modern Final Fantasy game
    And surely one of the worst in the entire series
    Every single minute of this boring game was a terrible experience for me. From the first minutes of cringe dialogues to the tedious last one. This trash isn't even a jrpg in the first place, and just for that it lost 80% of the meaning of a Final Fantasy game. And adding the    Final Fantasy 16 is easily the worst modern Final Fantasy game
    And surely one of the worst in the entire series
    Every single minute of this boring game was a terrible experience for me. From the first minutes of cringe dialogues to the tedious last one.
    This trash isn't even a jrpg in the first place, and just for that it lost 80% of the meaning of a Final Fantasy game. And adding the atrocious way they have crated the whole gameplay, it's clear the intent to make the game play itself.
    One of biggest disappointment ever played    … Expand
  27. cesar2000
    Sep 1, 2023
    0
    How depressingly bad is this game made?
    Well knowing how 90% of everything are cutscenes connected by almost soulless "gameplay" phases and almost totally devoid of player interaction, I'd say I can't even call this a real game.
    Then I call it Fake Fantasy 16, the shameful crap of YoshiP
    An exhaustive description of this ****
  28. Hatsuto
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Fun game. Highly recommend anyone to play. Soundtracks in this game are god tier. Main characters are very likeable.
  29. jboonzaier
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    Well not perfect.

    I really enjoyed the story, characters and world immensely. Its a beautiful game and I enjoyed it thoroughly.

    I do wish they leaned more into traditional RPG elements though.

    I had a blast
  30. ItsMeMrX
    Jul 19, 2023
    0
    The worst final fantasy I've ever plays was FF13 series, but this one beat the worst, and achieve the worst FF I've ever played.
    No good sound tracks, no summons (just story line summons), and you can use its power s limit break. Finished within 30 hours (full of boring cutscenes), NO SECRETS, no ultimate weapon.
  31. DenilsonSP
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Final Fantasy's triumphant return.
    Everything a Final Fantasy fan could want.
  32. Jalexander1441
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    It's different from old school FF, but Im having lots of fun with it! (30+ hours in)
  33. FxCKTURNBASED
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    Turn based combat was biggest mistake in gaming history and i'm glad it's never coming back!!! If i could go back in time, i would make sure turn based combat was never invented and they would start with action combat from the very beginning!!!
  34. REGUISTHEFIRST
    Jun 26, 2023
    8
    This game is nothing short of a resurrection for the final fantasy saga.Heavy on fast paced and deep combat and somewhat light on the RPG component (which is by design) After all is said and done, when enough time has passed that trolls and envious gamers have lashed upon another exclusivity this will be recognized as one of the best entry in the Final Fantasy franchise.
  35. Edking4
    Jun 23, 2023
    9
    A fantastic return to form. Featuring a compelling world and narrative. Action focused and highly cinematic thru and thru. A must play if you have a ps5 and any interest in action / adventure/ rpgs.
  36. gnaleinad
    Jul 19, 2023
    10
    Square Enix did not disappoint.

    Just reach level 100 and platinum it. Yup it's not the usual final fantasy but it was great, much better than I'd have expected! I rate it as a 9.9 because it was very close to perfection. However I think it deserves a overall 10 because it is an extremely polished experience. Yes I have watch those video and read those articles condemning it, and maybe    Square Enix did not disappoint.

    Just reach level 100 and platinum it. Yup it's not the usual final fantasy but it was great, much better than I'd have expected!
    I rate it as a 9.9 because it was very close to perfection. However I think it deserves a overall 10 because it is an extremely polished experience. Yes I have watch those video and read those articles condemning it, and maybe there are some tiny minor issues but overall, especially in hindsight of completely mastering the game, this game is gooooooood.

    ESPECIALLY IN A TIME WHEN SO MANY GAME FAILED TO LIVE UP TO THEIR HYPE. Maybe it's because i have been playing alot of action game in recent years so this game play experience is engaging for me and amongst the best!

    Characters: 9.5/10
    Story: 9.0/10
    Design: 9.7/10
    Gameplay: 9.9/10
    Depth: 9.2/10
    Replayability: 11/10
    Fun: 11/10

    Overall = 69.3/70
    Which is 9.9/10!

    The various arcade mode Replayability and Fun is just so addictive!!!    … Expand
  37. PhantomDusk
    Jun 25, 2023
    10
    About half of those review bombing this game are bots. You can verify this by clicking on their names and seeing they only created an account to give this game a 0. Neither the critic nor user scores represent the true rating of this game. Critics are throwing out 60s because of 'lack of diversity' the user score is suffering from bot attacks.

    No matter which game wins GoTY, this game    About half of those review bombing this game are bots. You can verify this by clicking on their names and seeing they only created an account to give this game a 0. Neither the critic nor user scores represent the true rating of this game. Critics are throwing out 60s because of 'lack of diversity' the user score is suffering from bot attacks.

    No matter which game wins GoTY, this game is the true GoTY. It's not perfect. It has faults. But TotK has even more glaring faults, which for some reason get overlooked(Such as the same bad performance this game is getting dinged for, recycling the same exact map to use again in its world, and the combat being extremely shallow which again, is somehow overlooked in TotK but this game is getting dinged for its combat). If reviewers were truly being objective, I feel like this game would be a 9.5 and TotK a 9.0, but apparently it doesn't work that way. With that out of the way, let me get to the pros and cons.

    -The boss battles. Holy #%#^ the boss battles. I don't think I've ever had such an exhilarating experience in a videogame in all the years I've played them.
    -The sound quality is the best you will ever find. The music is god tier. The sound effects all fit and the voice actors are great. Clive's voice actor is next level phenomenal.
    -The graphics are top-notch.
    -The characters are well done. You can truly feel how broken Clive is and the struggles that he has to surmount in his journey.
    -The world and lore is well crafted. Not for the faint of heart, it shows the cost of war and the grim reality of the human condition.
    -The combat is extremely fun to play. Do not listen to those who say you just 'mash one button'. In order for that to be true, they would've had to equip the accessibility items that basically play the game for them. Those items were created for people who only want to see the narrative and not have any sort of depth to their combat. If you were truly just mashing the attack button, you would do hardly any damage and die. What you're more likely to experience in combat is hitting square to attack, then dodging attacks(R1 button) or parrying as necessary countering right after. Your special attacks(R2+square, R2+triangle, R2+circle) play a huge role. These special attacks can be cycled by eikonic element to have different effects on the bosses. You also have your limit break which can be used by pressing L3+R3 that is on its own separate chargeup meter. One button combat? Stop being disingenuous.

    Now we get to the cons. I cannot rate these as positive things, but they did little to detract from my gameplay experience. However, this may affect some people more than others.

    Cons
    -The framerate issue is well known at this point. It is not a consistent 60 fps.
    -The linearity of the game can be a negative for those who wish to have a complete open world at their fingertips.
    -Playing only as Clive is a minor negative from me. I preferred to be able to play different members of my party.
    -The loot is simplistic and shallow.
    -The combat is indeed too easy, at least in the first playthrough of the story. It would have been nice if a harder difficulty was available from the get go.

    It's a true tragedy that this game is getting lower scores than it deserves because of stupid reasons like SJW agendas and bot attacks. True and objective game reviews are dead.    … Expand
  38. glaap
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    It's been years since we had a truly epic just overall great AAA game being released, and in my opinion, this is finally it. Yes, it's not perfect, nothing ever is, but all the things people complain about are just so irrelevant when you look at the whole picture. We should applaud the developers for finally releasing a good complete AAA game when everybody else is not giving a damn aboutIt's been years since we had a truly epic just overall great AAA game being released, and in my opinion, this is finally it. Yes, it's not perfect, nothing ever is, but all the things people complain about are just so irrelevant when you look at the whole picture. We should applaud the developers for finally releasing a good complete AAA game when everybody else is not giving a damn about quality anymore, instead of talking about if it fits into a game series where almost every game is so different. Just enjoy it for what it is - as near as we've gotten to a perfect game in years.… Expand
  39. EcchiMegane
    Jun 23, 2023
    6
    The story and characters are great. I have no complaints there.
    I also LOVE that this a much more mature story, and they aren't afraid to show blood and suggestive themes.
    My big problem is the lack of RPG-feel! Action combat is already something I do not want in my RPGs. But the lack of a traditional party, no classes, barely any gear (which feels like it makes no difference at all),    The story and characters are great. I have no complaints there.
    I also LOVE that this a much more mature story, and they aren't afraid to show blood and suggestive themes.

    My big problem is the lack of RPG-feel! Action combat is already something I do not want in my RPGs. But the lack of a traditional party, no classes, barely any gear (which feels like it makes no difference at all), no real skill tree, level ups happen automatically and you barely feel stronger, and grinding not being an option, is just bad for an RPG of this name.
    How does it make sense that you get 1000 gil from a boss, and then pick up shinies of 2 gil regularly? Why not balance it out, to make it worth picking up?

    Please Squareenix, just go back to a turn-based, party-based battle system with a cool magic or progression system, and leave that dumb idea that you wanna make an RPG with Devil May Cry combat behind! It doesn't work!    … Expand
  40. v00dr00
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    It's easy to see how marvelous this game is the moment you get to the title screen. 25 hours in and I've enjoyed every single second. It's also the first time in any game I've ever utilized Photo Mode. Truly a technical marvel. No serious complaints whatsoever.
  41. Osman5678
    Jul 2, 2023
    10
    Es un juego maravilloso, muy bella su historia y su jugabilidad es muy cómoda, el rendimiento es de mejorar, pero su historia es atrapante y nunca decae, se mantiene interesante en todo momento, la pasé excelente jugando esta obra maestra, gracias por este maravilloso título. Para mi el goty de este año de lejos.
  42. C8H18
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    One of the best entries of the series.
    Clearly, risks were taken with the gameplay but it was for the best.
    We don't want turn by turn fights anymore, nor another soulslike combat system. Localization, especially british voices, is the best I've seen so far in a game. I regret that some of the reviewers here decided to bomb the rating, and th'at's why I've noted it 10 on 10. Without    One of the best entries of the series.
    Clearly, risks were taken with the gameplay but it was for the best.
    We don't want turn by turn fights anymore, nor another soulslike combat system.
    Localization, especially british voices, is the best I've seen so far in a game.
    I regret that some of the reviewers here decided to bomb the rating, and th'at's why I've noted it 10 on 10.
    Without that, I would have given an 9 for one reason, there's some frame drops especially on wooden areas.    … Expand
  43. Eterna97
    Jul 18, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Che regia, che emozioni.
    Uno dei finali emotivamente scritti meglio che abbia mai visto, per non parlare delle bossfight.    … Expand
  44. OdragaoVegano
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    A narrativa é instigante, com reviravoltas e arcos e personagens bem construidos.
    A gameplay é divertida, intuitiva e possui recursos de acessibilidade muito interessantes.
    Game irresistível, que preserva a essência da franquia, mas a atualiza e a torna mais acessível para novos jogadores.
  45. kaikaiHong
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    It is the best RPG in2023, good performance and story, I love this game so that I give it high score
  46. Kingzeus
    Jun 24, 2023
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Beautiful visuals, great characters design and persona. Awesome battle system. All seems new and yet familiar like FF we all love and like. This is a new way of playing FF and I really like it so far. It is worth all the money spent to get this amazing game.… Expand
  47. naked-_-nugget
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    Really, really good game!
    It's not like the old FF Games, but I love the change of the series.
  48. Marcelocdz
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    Não terminei ainda mas estou amando o jogo,os combates são divertidos,conforme vc vai pegando o jeito e descobrindo mais combinações de combos as lutas ficam mais empolgantes.
  49. Gamer1982
    Jun 25, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Very disappointed. When I seen the game was 15 dollars CAD more then Elden ring I thought the game must be huge with great FPS but I was wrong. It's not a rpg it's a game with a bunch of small stages and a boss. Actually more watching a movie and you get to play the action scenes. Elden ring has 20 times more equipment, items, customization, exploration and a combat that will keep engaged. This game got no exploration. Just because you go 5 second to the left or to the right of the beaten path is not exploration. Most times you only find 3 gil for exploring. Hav'nt finished the game but it says I'm 58 percent finished. I died once and that was due not paying attention to my health because I still had full potions. It's a good game for what it is but in no way should of it been 15 dollars more then Elden ring. It's ridiculous. It's just not that special to be the most expensive triple A base game version. I still can't believe they never added any extra secret dungeons or super bosses to test your skills. With all the money there charging for such a small world I expected more… Expand
  50. whateat
    Jun 27, 2023
    9
    As an old and persistent fan of Final Fantasy series, I am luck and happy enough to start my first final fantasy as ff7and ff8 twenty years ago. Guadually I saw the thrive of this series of 7-10 and experienced its "downfall" till 15. Doesn't mean 12-15 is not good, but defects of those is obvious.

    Surely, there is major cons for FF16, lack of traditional RPG's character/gear    As an old and persistent fan of Final Fantasy series, I am luck and happy enough to start my first final fantasy as ff7and ff8 twenty years ago. Guadually I saw the thrive of this series of 7-10 and experienced its "downfall" till 15. Doesn't mean 12-15 is not good, but defects of those is obvious.

    Surely, there is major cons for FF16, lack of traditional RPG's character/gear development, only one controllable character, etc.
    But after spending 45 hrs and approaching the ending, I can feel the sincerity and devotion of this game's developer that try to continue this series and even restor some of its glory moments. FF is not a series that tweak a bit every time. it changes every generation and tells different stories but still keep the"crystal tale" as its core, that is a "fantasy" rpg story. And FF16 did it.

    Also the new added action battle system gives a lot fun and battle between eikons is astonishing, which is highly recommend to play by yourself. Watching walkthrough video won't give you that.

    Based on FF16 did its job(tell a complete "fantasy" story) and action game play style and soul shaking eikon battles, I would give it 10. Then minus what is missing(the traditional RPG part) -1. Thus 9.

    Wish I could see a DLC of it to tell continued story of it and make up what is missing in it.    … Expand
  51. BingusMax
    Jun 26, 2023
    10
    Gameplay is great. Visuals are great. Soundtrack is amazing. Performance could be better, but overall a great game.
  52. felcrotic
    Jun 28, 2023
    9
    This game is massive fan service to Final Fantasy veterans. Seeing Eikons (summons) on the PS5 having full cinematic fights is wonderful. The combat is much more inline with an action game but its is not pushing like Devil May Cry. The ability to choose whichever Eikons you want (and associated elemental powers) without being forced to play a "meta" of sorts is refreshing. While I wouldThis game is massive fan service to Final Fantasy veterans. Seeing Eikons (summons) on the PS5 having full cinematic fights is wonderful. The combat is much more inline with an action game but its is not pushing like Devil May Cry. The ability to choose whichever Eikons you want (and associated elemental powers) without being forced to play a "meta" of sorts is refreshing. While I would love a turn based FF entry with modern graphics, I feel like those days are over. Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler can scratch that itch.

    The world is beautiful and feels alive. You spend a lot of time walking through forests and small villages and the number of NPCs is sufficient. The side quests in the beginning are very short but it is more of a tutorial. Later side quests have a bit more story to them without being distracting. The rewards may seem small but this is a lower number RPG if that makes sense (ie XP is rewarded in 10-15XP increments for killing an enemy with 5-6 giil).

    The characters are easy to love (or hate in terms of enemies) and is so much better than the characters of FF15. It is easy to tell that Yoshie P. was brought in to help with the story and characters. Speaking of story, it is very very dark and deserves its M rating. It does not shy away from the harder topics.

    "It doesnt feel like Final Fantasy" argument is overused. To me, this is part of the third generation of FF and it feels amazing. FF 1-6 were first gen, FF7-10 were the 2nd gen venturing into 3D, with FF 12-16 being more experimental.

    Cons:
    - Wish there was a traditional 3-4 member party system vs only playing as Clive
    - Normal mode feels Easy

    Background: I was worried about how FF16 would end up until I played part one of the FF7 Remake. The more action oriented focus is here to stay and for anyone wanting turn based RPGs, play Octopath Traveler. admittedly I was not a fan of FF 12-15 but loved the story of FF14. I am also a huge fan of Devil May Cry having played all of the games (same applies to FF).    … Expand
  53. pelona39
    Jul 6, 2023
    6
    I bought a PS5 only for this Final Fantasy XVI, what I've got? Disappointments
    I love Final Fantasy series, but this is kinda not acceptable, too hyped for a new FF title
    If it's not "Final Fantasy" I definitely will not finish the game. I saw a lot positive reviews, not really sure are they playing FF series before or not. Story The story of FF16 is basically JRPG in general, but    I bought a PS5 only for this Final Fantasy XVI, what I've got? Disappointments
    I love Final Fantasy series, but this is kinda not acceptable, too hyped for a new FF title

    If it's not "Final Fantasy" I definitely will not finish the game.
    I saw a lot positive reviews, not really sure are they playing FF series before or not.

    Story
    The story of FF16 is basically JRPG in general, but the text or language (I used English subtitle) to this game are not fit for a such "JRPG". English text in this game are suit to western games. I know that the producer of this game said that this game NOT a JRPG, he said this is RPG in generally but for me it's really JRPG in general with western-style language, from innocent character, to become vengeance, and then killing God... yeah basically JRPG.
    This is too hard to accept as Final Fantasy, maybe if this game is not "Final Fantasy" I think this story will be best. Because they only put iconic summon from FF like Ifrit, Shiva, Odin, Bahamut and yes it will automatically turned into Final Fantasy... and oh don't forget Cid, mothercrystal and moogle.
    Also thing I don't like, that they put some fillers in main story which is annoying for me.

    Sound/music
    Good, but not memorable like previous FF titles... I am not saying this is bad, just not memorable

    Gameplay
    Final Fantasy with their iconic turn-based gameplay is dead now, and it's turned into fully combat-action gameplay. The gameplay is too easy, I am not even use help-accessories. If this game compare too DmC, then this game is like easy-mode in DmC.

    Graphic
    No comment, it's good

    Overall
    For me as Final Fantasy fan, this game... this new title of Final Fantasy, is not good. I though this going to be best from FFXV, but this is worse... sorry. That's all my honest review    … Expand
  54. olimpN7
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    Лучшая игра на PS5. Тут основной упор на сюжет и битвы больших айконов, они сделаны феноменально. Сюжетно пока одна из лучших игр в который я когда либо играл, он сам очень драматичный и эмоциональный, постановка так же хороша. Музыка от Сокена великолепна.
    Геймплей чем то похож на ДМЦ или байонету. Боевая система хорошо проработана и не даст заскучать до конца игры. И она стала чисто    Лучшая игра на PS5. Тут основной упор на сюжет и битвы больших айконов, они сделаны феноменально. Сюжетно пока одна из лучших игр в который я когда либо играл, он сам очень драматичный и эмоциональный, постановка так же хороша. Музыка от Сокена великолепна.
    Геймплей чем то похож на ДМЦ или байонету. Боевая система хорошо проработана и не даст заскучать до конца игры. И она стала чисто экшеновой и олдфагам это может не понравится, но зато гораздо динамичнее. В общем наконец то получили реально крутую финалку со времен выхода фф12 (ремейк не в счет)    … Expand
  55. arostislavna
    Jun 24, 2023
    7
    Initially I thought it would be a dry story because I don't like medieval setting games, but it deserves a 7 for a medieval anti-imperialist plot, it's pretty cool for the modern action RPG style combat system, maybe lacks in summons but that's just me. Additionally, the final boss is freaking annoying and I take away 2 points for that. (Previously a 9)

    I still prefer    Initially I thought it would be a dry story because I don't like medieval setting games, but it deserves a 7 for a medieval anti-imperialist plot, it's pretty cool for the modern action RPG style combat system, maybe lacks in summons but that's just me. Additionally, the final boss is freaking annoying and I take away 2 points for that. (Previously a 9)

    I still prefer cyberpunk/futuristic Final Fantasy slightly more (ie: 7 / 13)    … Expand
  56. TheBoss7
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    Es el juego más increíble que he jugado nunca. Combates muy divertidos y épicos. Historia excelente, adulta y con giros que te dejarán de piedra. Soken ha hecho un trabajo espectacular con la banda sonora, lo mejor que he escuchado nunca. Espero que los siguientes Final Fantasy sean con la base de FFXVI. Disfrutad de esta joya, mí goty.
  57. 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.
  58. YakusokuNoJi
    Jul 30, 2023
    10
    Final Fantasy XVI is definitely off tone in direct comparison to the other games. That much is true. It wants to establish atmosphere and does that by forcing itself to be as "mature", dark, gritty and miserable as it can be by having graphical violence, sex and other elements all the time that DID exist in FF but wre glossed over by the fact it was in the old games that were from the 90s.Final Fantasy XVI is definitely off tone in direct comparison to the other games. That much is true. It wants to establish atmosphere and does that by forcing itself to be as "mature", dark, gritty and miserable as it can be by having graphical violence, sex and other elements all the time that DID exist in FF but wre glossed over by the fact it was in the old games that were from the 90s. This makes it very hard to enjoy some scenes if you expect something similiar and that is the one thing that I fully admit can be too off for an FF. Nevertheless for what it wants to tell you, it utilizes these things well but I think this would have fit better for a Drakengard game because Drakengard and Nier are full of misery, violence and sex.

    Action combat: It is true that this is vastly different but if we are being honest, this is nothing new. Final Fantasy since XII re-invents its combat system all the time. XIII had a teeny-tiny bit of its system but XII was different, XV war different and heavily action focuses - and you could also only control Noctis before the patches, btw. - and here it is even more action packed. The switching of the summons is nothing special. They did that in Lightning Returns with the immediate costume changes for Lightning. Whether you like the change or not, you must be extremelly picky to say the combat and the boss battles are bad. However I would have liked if they at least gave the other party memvbers a small health bar below Clives and rudimentary commands that Clive could give them - similiar to Torgal. Their AI also needs improvement.

    Sidequests: Yes, it is undeniable. There are sidequests, especially early ones that do not tell a rewarding enough story but the ones that are good, are really good. A few of the bounties are also good and if can even do the time attack monoliths if you want a challenge. Overall I like that the sidequests and bounties made use of every single "somwhat of a village or bigger space." Especially some of the villages you might not even know of. They are not really there for much but it is a nice discovery. And again if people want to complain: Elden Ring and Zelda is full of repetitive, no value tasks. That is not an opinion. I played them for long enough and I would criticise them for that as well, because a lot of it is also "just there." So all of those games and not just Final Fantasy could do better. FF especially should bring back some minigames for the sidequests. In their essence repetitive sidequests that are drawn out because of constant conversations are not necessarily greatly executed.

    Story: Touching as always - especially the further it goes. A good chunk of it was in Lightning Returns as well. But what it wants to tell and how it presents it is beautiful. It gets a little corny but THAT is Final Fantasy. But it has pacing issues.

    Characters: Clive and Joshua and their dynamic are really good.

    Music: The boss theme, prelude and main theme are all fantastic and properly used.

    Metacritic is extremely pathetic and deletes everything I mention about the idiocies of the review bombs, so I will mention it again: The review bombs of 0s are extremely idiotic and pathetic. Even if you do not like the game, there is no reason for it to be a 0. This is still a high-quality game. People are also foolish enough to claim this is not an RPG just because it is pretty action-heavy. The game has everything that an RPG has. If you want to see which kind of people downvote the posts and the game, check their profile. Many of them were just here to give Zelda a 10 and have nothing else - at least a lot of the older reviews. That should tell you everything.    … Expand
  59. OnlyOneHere
    Jul 5, 2023
    0
    This game is a steaming pile of garbage. Nothing in this game scream next-gen to justify the outrageous price of $70. The physics are beyond horrible. The lighting effects are a joke. The story is complete trash. It is the typical "muh dark mature story" cliche garbage beloved by toy-collecting Millennials. Maybe if these developers were more mature about developing their games thanThis game is a steaming pile of garbage. Nothing in this game scream next-gen to justify the outrageous price of $70. The physics are beyond horrible. The lighting effects are a joke. The story is complete trash. It is the typical "muh dark mature story" cliche garbage beloved by toy-collecting Millennials. Maybe if these developers were more mature about developing their games than writing cringeworthy stories for bully-victims, this game wouldn't have facial animations as awful as Mass Effect Andromeda. For goodness sake, why are developers so obsessed with exaggerating the dramatic music in games? Enough already. It's embarrassing to be a gamer these days because of stupid garbage like this.

    The combat is boring and repetitive. When I pay $70, I expect a combat system with depth and detail. All the developers did is put pretty lights during every move, to give players the illusion that the game is fun. None of that is fun for me. This game fails to add the attention to detail you would expect in a AAA game. There are too many invisible walls in this game, just like the last two arty farty God of War games. Speaking of God of War, there are too many cutscenes, even during the terrible boss fights. I don't want to watch a freaking movie, I just want to punch monsters. The side quests are boring. The level design is poor and so are the camera angles. Dead bodies and plants don't react to your movement. The animations are pathetic.

    There is no multiplayer. So once you beat the story, this game will go back to the shelf and collect dust. Charging $70 for a game with no replay value is a cash grab. The greedy developers were too cheap and lazy to implement multiplayer. I am sick to death of these greedy developers increasing the prices of games, only for us to get half of the game. I don't recommend this game at all, unless you want to support laziness.    … Expand
  60. Joseafc1
    Jun 25, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Mal juego, muy repetitivo. Mala banda sonora, gráficos con caídas en FPS y lo más importante. Me pasa sacando de mi playstation por problemas de calentamiento. Increíble que saliera a la luz tan verde el juego. Dato curioso. … Expand
  61. Keav
    Jun 25, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Juego aburrido, lineal, repetitivo, gráficas de PS3 a 720p y 28ftps es una vergüenza, no gastes tu dinero, además se va a quemar tu tostadora.… Expand
  62. Dad_Zayed
    Jun 25, 2023
    0
    This is not Final fantasy that we know Story is destroyed with ****

    Fighting is not final fantasy style Rename it with any new game name but not Final fantasy And keep it clean with clean story and normal one
  63. Netoztation
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    you can say that it is the best of this year, excellent graphics and gameplay and the story and music on another level
  64. Vexmythoclast
    Jun 25, 2023
    0
    rpg elements: absolutely terrible, have played 5 dollar indie games with far better rpg in it

    pacing: I literally fell asleep during one of the many unnecessarily extended cutscenes. sometimes i would ask myself, what were they even thinking in these situations, i.e 2 charscters looking at each other, no words exchanged. I get it you had actors, who do a good job, but still man. 80% of    rpg elements: absolutely terrible, have played 5 dollar indie games with far better rpg in it

    pacing: I literally fell asleep during one of the many unnecessarily extended cutscenes. sometimes i would ask myself, what were they even thinking in these situations, i.e 2 charscters looking at each other, no words exchanged. I get it you had actors, who do a good job, but still man. 80% of the game is watching it play itself. I can prepare a cheese plate and eat it while just moving from cutscene to cutscene.

    I thought, this game might kindle some joy for this genre, but I still wait for a enjoyable rpg from the east.    … Expand
  65. PapaChief
    Jun 25, 2023
    0
    The Game is struggling on mantaining the FPS and Resolution even in performance mode. Also, most of the battles can be succeded just pushing one button without having the items that makes the game easier.
    The Soundtrack is acceptable but not the best I ever heard. Elden Ring is much superior on this field too.
    Finally the overheat warning on the console is something unacceptable, even it    The Game is struggling on mantaining the FPS and Resolution even in performance mode. Also, most of the battles can be succeded just pushing one button without having the items that makes the game easier.
    The Soundtrack is acceptable but not the best I ever heard. Elden Ring is much superior on this field too.
    Finally the overheat warning on the console is something unacceptable, even it is not a game issue(it is due the PS5 poor cooling system), the game should have been deep tested before the release.    … Expand
  66. NotYetRated
    Jun 25, 2023
    0
    Absolute mediocrity. From Clive having the personality of a cardboard, the low resolution landscapes and poor framerate, to the mindless button spam and the embarassing dialogue.

    Square Enix misses the mark once again.
  67. gh991
    Jun 24, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. 缺点严重的游戏，RPG做得跟屎一样，支线无聊到爆，优化也是一坨屎，除了战斗一无是处的游戏，还不如直接做成ACT，500多人民币玩了是觉得真不值，不推荐购买… Expand
  68. Artist84
    Jun 25, 2023
    0
    A boring action game, 99% devil may cry 1% final fantasy. All the positive aspects of traditional Gdr, have disappeared.
  69. claudeparker
    Jun 28, 2023
    0
    After completing the game, i was left somewhat pleased, but ultimately left wanting due to certain points i felt the game failed to provide, bearing the boastful title of a final fantasy game.

    - upgrading system is a complete disappointment. weapons, bracers, belts all provide strictly vertical upgrades to defense and attack, no effects or passives or anything decision making, and are    After completing the game, i was left somewhat pleased, but ultimately left wanting due to certain points i felt the game failed to provide, bearing the boastful title of a final fantasy game.

    - upgrading system is a complete disappointment. weapons, bracers, belts all provide strictly vertical upgrades to defense and attack, no effects or passives or anything decision making, and are really easy to make, pretty much all the materials you need are spoonfed to you just playing it casually. may aswell not have it in the game at all.

    -No party system. get used to playing as the same guy from start to finish. With the "exception" of...the next point im going to make, the dog.

    -The pet dog torgal barely has any interaction. he gets a stat screen but you get no say or option to affect it in any way? not even food or other means to decide how he fights and gets stronger? big missed opportunity.

    -While the story is fairly impressive, and a less-then-wide cast of lovable and memorable characters, there are many segments that felt rushed and not fully realised, and suprisingly felt more like a means to answer questions quickly, There are also segments where the pacing becomes a bit too slow, and honestly. kind of boring. being forced to help npcs in a town hardly stays fun for long.

    -Virtually nothing else to do in the game except fight. fight, and more fight. most final fantasies have minigames of some kind to world build and overall add to the variety of experiences, and also rewards to go with it.

    -sidequests are the epitome of uninspired. there is some effort to make them connect to the main plot but you could skip all their cutscenes and it wont impact your view on the main story at all. also the rewards for sidequests are often underwhelming, and not worth the time in the grander scope of the experience, although they begin to pay out better by the time you reach the endgame.

    -No robust character customization. final fantasies are known for this. your only form of "customization" comes in the form of 3 accessory slots that in most cases slightly impact your moveset damage and cooldowns.

    -your combat abilities come in the form of Summons (eikons in this game) that provide you with cooldown attacks which is very thrilling visually, althought limiting it to just cooldown attacks and 1 passive function left me desiring more. A party system could have strongly helped in this department.

    -Music, sound design, effects and graphics or any other "superficial" aspect of the game where all top notch.

    conclusion:

    If you want a water-downed action rpg with impressive flashy visuals that dont challenge your mettle in any way with a decent/solid story, this is worthy of buying it used or on sale.
    on the flipside.....
    If you are planning to buy it, thinking you are going to get the true final fantasy experience, expecting that will get you lost in all of its depth and many facets of gameplay systems...... i cant recommend it in the slightest as you will be left wanting for somthing a bit more. I said all this without complaining that its not turn-based gameplay. Honestly, it was the furthest thing from my mind when i was playing this, final fantasy isnt about how the combat is, but more how it moves its genre to new levels, and makes you feel immersed in every way possible. The combat in this game did not redefine anything, its just the DMC combat director moving all of his usual stuff he does into a final fantasy action game.

    Final Fantasy is way more then this. its not just about fast, flashy gameplay and long-winded storytelling. It's that, plus much, much more. This is not final fantasy.    … Expand
  70. phlow
    Jul 1, 2023
    4
    TL;DR: Your enjoyment of the game heavily depends on the question whether or not you like the battle system. If you don't like and you are only interested in the story, than skip this game and watch a "game movie" on youtube. Nonetheless I would wait for a sale, 40€ sounds about right for this.

    Fair warning ahead, I do not like the more action oriented approach of FF16, initially it was    TL;DR: Your enjoyment of the game heavily depends on the question whether or not you like the battle system. If you don't like and you are only interested in the story, than skip this game and watch a "game movie" on youtube. Nonetheless I would wait for a sale, 40€ sounds about right for this.

    Fair warning ahead, I do not like the more action oriented approach of FF16, initially it was quite fun but the more I played I found it less and less satisfying. To their credit, there are certain items you can equip which make it some aspects of the battle system easier (combos / evasion) but they can also turn the game into a quasi auto battler. The main reason I finished the game is the story and because I payed 80€ for it.

    Much has been said about the story and the world. Yes, it is darker and grittier than usual and it starts out good, but later on it feels stretched and a bit bloated. The story is linear and your choices do not affect the world. The ending of the game is ... well ... the first thing I did was to type "ff16 ending" into google to find out if there is more. It is not, which is quite disappointing. The game continues a trend in which you spend dozens of hours in a game, a world and characters and once the main objective is achieved the game just end. No need to show how your actions influenced the world and characters in it. There is a small after credits scene but that does not replace a proper epilogue, especially not this one (you could interpret the scene in a way, that the entire story is just a fictional story in the world of Valisthea).

    The side quests are mostly your usual kill and / or fetch quests. There are some really good side quests, which tell an interesting story. Some reminded me of the character quests from Mass Effect 2, but unlike in Mass Effect 2, they do not affect the story in any way.

    The voice acting is a hit and miss. Overall it's ok, there is no outstanding good performance (but there are outstandingly bad ones for some minor side characters). In general the voice acting feels a bit flat, and some casting choices are questionable. The performance of the main cast is mostly ok. One thing I feel, I have to point out is the game is completely voiced until it is not. In the Hub areas, you can go to characters and talk to them. Some of them have some dialogue options and those are not voiced, even if the character is voiced otherwise. You get a wall of text and sometimes the character says the first words of a sentence. This is not a bug, this is intentionally and I don't understand why they did. It is nothing major but I find it strange and it kills the immersion.

    The graphics are good, I played in "graphics" mode because I am ok with the 30 frames (60 would be nice, but stable 30 are ok). Framerate is mostly stable with some drops here and there. The depth of field and motion blur is a bit much and leads to some artifacts like ghosting and some issues with the depth of field around the hair, which is most notable during close-ups. During battles there are a lot of particles effects, to much if you ask me. There are so many that is it hard sometimes to distinguish what is actually happening, e.g. aerial blast creates a huge particle effect and you are unable to see what is happening inside, which is bad, because some enemies are not lifted in the air and can still attack you and the effect persists for a ~20s or so.

    Regarding the level design, I actually like the smaller scale level design. Yes sometimes it is very linear but that is not necessarily a bad thing. I am tired of those huge but empty and overbearing Ubisoft Open-Worlds. On the other side, the levels are quite small and they still do feel empty and not alive. The hubs are actually quite nice.

    For me the game has zero replayability, but for those who enjoyed the battle system, there is a New Game+ and the arcade mode.    … Expand
  71. mstersmith
    Jul 22, 2023
    3
    This will be my last FF game. It is probably the trashiest game I have ever played. The story is ruined by terrible gameplay and braindead flash. I am sure as well as it sold this is the state of the franchise, cash in on the braindead masses.
  72. Melle1000
    Jun 27, 2023
    4
    Story is okay. Graphic and performance are not great but not gamebreaking. But this gameplay loop is so boring i fall asleep playing this game after Work. What happens to the great roundbased fighting system???
  73. brandishe
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    I created an account to post this opinion.
    It's to counter those who post zero points without even playing.
    You say the combat in this game is monotonous? You don't understand anything about the accessory system, the system of abilities, it's obvious that this is not the opinion of a real player. Of course people have their likes and dislikes, so I don't think it should be praised by    I created an account to post this opinion.
    It's to counter those who post zero points without even playing.
    You say the combat in this game is monotonous?
    You don't understand anything about the accessory system, the system of abilities, it's obvious that this is not the opinion of a real player.

    Of course people have their likes and dislikes, so I don't think it should be praised by everyone.
    I can relate to a lot of the low reviews from people who have played the game properly.
    It's not that there isn't a single thing that I myself found lacking.
    But I despise those who try to manipulate the score with childish and miserable feelings just because they don't like the way FF16 is rated.

    I've also seen some people say that the higher rated reviews lack specificity and that the lower rated reviews are more specific and helpful.
    Do you have any idea how many days it's been on sale now?
    People who like this game are voluntarily taking spoilers into consideration.
    I don't want to take away from anyone's enjoyment, so I can still only give abstract impressions on social media.

    I've played this game for about 50 hours and it's a masterpiece, to say the least. The finish feels like the revival of the Final Fantasy series.
    It is made not for nagging critics, but for game fans who genuinely love the game.
    The battles, the movies and the story are all carefully designed for our maximum enjoyment.
    The immersive experience is unprecedented and you never know when to stop playing.
    The system that allows you to customise the difficulty of the action is really great.
    The story and battle presentation are also very FF-like, beautiful and 'cool!' I want you to see it with your own eyes.
    I urge you to see it with your own eyes.
    For me, it's definitely the best FF ever.    … Expand
  74. tukinoi
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    面白いか面白くないか書く場所。そしてこのゲームは最高に面白いです。
  75. ktheeskywalker
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    SPECTACULAR GAME ,been a while since a game had me feeling like this , the story is amazing really grew attached to the characters, combat was a joy , Eikon fights truly a spectacle, graphics and MUSIC chefs kiss
  76. BloodstarvedB
    Jun 24, 2023
    4
    I played all FF and over 400d playtime in ff14. This ff16 is an overall dissapointment to me. FF single player saga died after ff10. In 16 theres way to many cutscenes
    Boring loot
    Boring weapon visuals and upgrades of gear Areas look nice but feel empty Fighting at first feels like wow, but after 1hour of levelling up, you level up for nothing. Theres little nice skills and no magic to put    I played all FF and over 400d playtime in ff14. This ff16 is an overall dissapointment to me. FF single player saga died after ff10. In 16 theres way to many cutscenes
    Boring loot
    Boring weapon visuals and upgrades of gear
    Areas look nice but feel empty
    Fighting at first feels like wow, but after 1hour of levelling up, you level up for nothing. Theres little nice skills and no magic to put skill points into. Only into your summons
    You also dont have a party, only 1 main char that is also Boring AF.
    Theres no thunder3, fire3, firage, no holy, no ultima, no meteor or poison, no flare, no nothing. Only a few summons wich each 4 skills. Yet again, 79euro waisted.    … Expand
  77. Darkautumn911
    Jun 28, 2023
    2
    The game has the gameplay depth of Space Invaders or Monopoly.
    Only the story is good
  78. Azeriel
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    One of the best modern entry Final Fantasy in over 17 years. Ignore these butthurt xtards who clearly couldn't get their hands on the game.
  79. TranBaThang
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    As a casual player who adore this series so much, I can really appreciate the changes Square Enix has been experimenting with each entries, not every single one clicks with me, but Final Fantasy 16 I feel like the spectacle and the new trajectory the game is heading to is what I have been searching for in a Final Fantasy game, playing it feels like watching a grand finale of the franchiseAs a casual player who adore this series so much, I can really appreciate the changes Square Enix has been experimenting with each entries, not every single one clicks with me, but Final Fantasy 16 I feel like the spectacle and the new trajectory the game is heading to is what I have been searching for in a Final Fantasy game, playing it feels like watching a grand finale of the franchise and reading a heartfelt letter from the developers to us fan. Thank you Square Enix for creating such an experience that I could never forget.… Expand
  80. Ziq
    Jun 28, 2023
    10
    Very beautiful game, captivating story the plot twists remind the good series of the last decade , worth your money.
  81. MrKumoShinobi
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    After playing the demo I pre-ordered it. This is the first time I've ever done it and I'm glad I did. This has an amazing story, fun and complex combat system and amazing music. It ticks all the boxes. This is my Game of the Year. Well Done Creative Business Unit 3!
  82. Morty39
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    Here we we again with stupid review bombs, get a life Final Fantasy 16 is a 90+ game, brought down by woke reviews
  83. Spekkio
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. A bold (and complete) story, a great battle system, fleshed out characters, and the ire of insecure, jealous people. This game has comers from all fronts: Xbots, FF know-it-alls, people who pretend to care about racial injustice and try to find solutions in a make-believe world. You can see the scores. This review is not a way to counteract that. It is simply the truth.… Expand
  84. misspaws26
    Jun 27, 2023
    1
    I really can't see how this game got 10/10s. Note - I just went trough the first village so I didn't finish the game yet but based on other negative reviews Im glad that Im not alone in feeling that I have to push trough the game to at least have some sort of money worth. This is at best an AAA title for Nintendo Switch (and I play on Nintendo Switch too) and I would be thrilled if this isI really can't see how this game got 10/10s. Note - I just went trough the first village so I didn't finish the game yet but based on other negative reviews Im glad that Im not alone in feeling that I have to push trough the game to at least have some sort of money worth. This is at best an AAA title for Nintendo Switch (and I play on Nintendo Switch too) and I would be thrilled if this is not called a Final Fantasy game and is a debutant like Hogwarts Legacy was.

    You know how FFXV had "A FF for fans and First timers"? (and it really is that). SE, you made your shot with calling up newcomers,you delivered, what you delivered, drop it off and return to roots. This one should be "A FF for Tik Tokers and those with attention span of a gold fish". This game is bad even for "hack and slash" type of games. I really don't see how is this called a FF game, when it's clearly a mish-mash of more popular games of this genre (God of War, DMC) with a "GoT" wannabe story. I expected Hogwarts Legacy to be watered down to bare bones of what deserves to be called an RPG, but I don't understand why SQUARE ENIX decided to cater to eventual newcomers, because there are plenty of other games out there that are "meta" and easy enough to play for people that are starting in JRPG and RPG overall. Final Fantasy was known for it's kinda complex combat system and managing right tactics at right time and it has a specific audience. It makes me sad seeing how they dumbed down whole game for masses.

    Starting with preformance issues on preformance mode, reviewers described it as "minor stutters here and there"- No. They are not minor stutters here and there, but every time you enter some kind of "city" I would get motion sickness from such a poor optimization, and it doesn't get better with spending time there, it's the same if I just entered the place or I've been in it for 30min. Lack of customization in graphic settings is sad, I automatically turn of film grain and motion blur in every game because I just can't stand it.

    Story started off strong, but it gets watered down,like they wanted you to hook up but for the rest of the game you hope it will have such a strong punch but it never happens, this basically became a dopamine chaser. Comabt gets old pretty fast, because you just smash square button and kick out same bullet sponges over and over. I got Garuda element but it doesn't really contribute to anything. I tought there would be some elemental weakness or some tought behind it, but nope - just a new flashy way to hack and slash trough mobs.

    More often than not, I feel like game forces me into "Jesus take the wheel" mindset during epic battles. This mechanic was supposed to be the most epic in the game, that makes me want to jump out of my skin from excitement, but instead I drench it because I become a passive observer with ocassional QTE reminder that echoes Netflixes "Are you still watching?" There is waaaay to much cut scenes and with that many cut scenes you expect to know what is going on and who is who in every given time, but I find myself pulling out "Active time lore" more often than not, because there is too much kingdoms, dutchies and what not to keep track off. It feels thrown out and not fleshed out how its supposed to be fleshed out. Witcher is an example where you clearly know at any given time who are the "baddies and good guys" without suffocating the flow of the story.

    I recently finished DIablo 4, and even Diablo had more fleshed out story and "who and why's", Even Diablo has more open map and world. honestly can't wait to finish this and jump back in Diablo.

    Don't even consider getting this game if its not on some major sale, You will not get Final Fantasy expirience at all and you will be disappointed once more at how a huge respectable company can massacre belowed franchise because they are greedy or bored or don't even know in which direction they want to go anymore.    … Expand
  85. shrodin
    Jun 27, 2023
    4
    There are a number of fundamental issues with this game that detract from the role-playing elements, sense of adventure and exploration, and emotional investment. During my playthrough I did not feel compelled to explore the world as there is nothing meaningful in it (and with the game telling you exactly where to go at all times, you don't need to explore). I began to skip side questsThere are a number of fundamental issues with this game that detract from the role-playing elements, sense of adventure and exploration, and emotional investment. During my playthrough I did not feel compelled to explore the world as there is nothing meaningful in it (and with the game telling you exactly where to go at all times, you don't need to explore). I began to skip side quests altogether as they did not add anything to the experience (no exciting treasure to find, no interesting character development, etc.). And combat was trivialized after reaching a certain point very early in the game.

    There is some fun to be had with the boss encounters and some of the story bits. There is political intrigue, plots and subplots, and grittiness, but these are all fairly shallow and don't quite scratch the itch like FFT or GOT.

    Extremely disappointing overall: 4/10

    Breakdown of pros/cons below.

    Main Issues:
    1. Quest Design & System:
    The quest design and system removes the need to explore the world to find interesting interactions or characters. All designed content will be apparent through the infamous ( ! ) covering your map with who to talk to and where to go to complete it. This includes the main story. When you go to a new town or a new zone, you can simply B-line to the objective without fear of missing out.

    The side quests add nothing to the game. These are your normal kill monsters, collect herbs, deliver to NPCs, talk to NPCs, etc. style of quests.

    2. Items & Treasure:
    Treasure boils down to gil, crafting mats, potions/high potions, accessories, and occasionally music. Crafting mats are given very freely so there is never a need to go hunt the world for rare materials nor are they exciting to receive. At any given point in the story, you're only going to be able to choose to craft or upgrade one item in each slot: weapon, bracer, belt. You will not be constrained by limited materials or gil in this regard or have to choose between multiple options.

    3. Difficulty:
    FF16 starts off with a nice level of challenge. Most likely due to the controls being new and only having a small number of abilities to use. Once you unlock three Eikons, however, the game's difficulty drops significantly. With 3 Eikons equaling 6 abilities total, you're generally able to cycle the abilities non-stop. Non-boss fights become trivial.

    4. RPG Elements:
    They are there, but very shallow. Character "builds" boil down to choosing 3 Eikons from a pool of 8. Items do not add any diversity. Weapons and armor simply add attack or defense/life. Accessories come in a couple varieties: decrease a specific Eikon ability cooldown, increase a specific Eikon ability damage, or miscellaneous (xp%, gil%, damage%).

    5. Final Fantasy Charm
    This is a weird one to elaborate on, but there's just something missing. Yes, the game has all the FF tropes like moogles, marbols, coeurls, etc, but they all feel lifeless. The game is very much one note: serious. Final Fantasy usually does a great job of walking the fine line between humor/wackiness and a deeply emotional story. This game completely falls on its side.

    What FF16 has going for it:
    1. Bosses
    Boss fights are the highlight of the game for sure. Some of the encounters were some of the most exciting in all of the FF series. I wouldn't have minded if the game was 100% boss rush with no other small encounters between.

    2. Artstyle/Music
    The graphics, artstyle, and music are what you would expect from the FF series. Definitely a cut above the rest.

    3. Characters
    There are some genuinely interesting character arcs throughout the story. Not all characters quite land, but the main players are what kept me engaged enough to finish.

    4. Story
    The story is great, but has its pacing issues. There are a lot of ups and a lot of spots that drag on and on.

    5. Combat
    Dodge and parry combat is always satisfying (just wish it presented more challenge)    … Expand
  86. Nippsulat
    Jun 29, 2023
    10
    Story focused strong new entry by square enix. Indeed, a very dark story. However, gameplay is novel for this series and it's really fun
  87. Mikui
    Jun 30, 2023
    10
    What a great experiences from this game!
    Great graphics, great stories, great music, great combat, great fantasy. I’m so excited! I think FF16 can be the best one of Final Fantasy series. Thank you Yoshi-P and his team! I hope this game will spread all over the world!
  88. dani3po
    Jun 28, 2023
    2
    The game is nice, but technically I expected more. Also, it's so easy that it's not challenging at all. It's like a Devil May Cry for little kids.
  89. Cutloso
    Jun 24, 2023
    10
    The game is a perfect mix of got, real time rpg mechanics and great visuals. Do not listen to the haters, the game is a soiid 8 , but giving it a 10 to balance the score
  90. vgmkyle
    Jul 20, 2023
    0
    I personally don't care at all about Square Enix after they betrayed Microsoft, and the truth is their games haven't been great in years anyway. They lost their heart and soul and sold it Sony because the characters in Final Fantasy XVI are dull, empty-headed and soulless. The combat is a carbon copy of KH and DMC which doesn't translate well in FF and the graphics are drab if you aren'tI personally don't care at all about Square Enix after they betrayed Microsoft, and the truth is their games haven't been great in years anyway. They lost their heart and soul and sold it Sony because the characters in Final Fantasy XVI are dull, empty-headed and soulless. The combat is a carbon copy of KH and DMC which doesn't translate well in FF and the graphics are drab if you aren't watching a summon. Characters lack personality and face textures. I don't care how many people love it or hate this review; I can only be real and say FFXVI is absolute trash.… Expand
  91. sicksak
    Jul 19, 2023
    10
    Amazing game. Story is good. Combat is fun. I would recommend it for anyone to try.
  92. avifacu2233
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. este juego es unos de los mejores que jugue de la franquicia , la musica , la jugabilidad , la historia son increíbles , las peleas de los eikons son epicos , agradezco mucho a square enix de hacer un hermoso juego . en mi opinion es uno de los mejores juegos de este año .… Expand
  93. Technickle
    Jun 27, 2023
    0
    why just why. I don't understand the hype, and maybe it's just bad timing, but every time I watch someone play this, its looks extremely boring. The dialogue means nothing, and the character look bored as all hell when engaging with NPCS. There is no way the hype can be this strong, for something so off putting.

    The character voices don't even match the characters they portray and makes    why just why. I don't understand the hype, and maybe it's just bad timing, but every time I watch someone play this, its looks extremely boring. The dialogue means nothing, and the character look bored as all hell when engaging with NPCS. There is no way the hype can be this strong, for something so off putting.

    The character voices don't even match the characters they portray and makes liking them even less possible.

    If you enjoyed old-school combat from FF, do not play.

    0/10    … Expand
  94. Gamm0n
    Jun 24, 2023
    3
    Always liked the final fantasy games growing up. 10 being my favourite... for Blitzball. But this just didn't feel like FF to me. It's like they had enough of what made the series great and half assed it. Maybe it'll grow on me but I doubt it.
  95. juniortiger
    Jun 23, 2023
    10
    I awesome game story and love action and graphic amazing and love audio control and I know Xbox people write bad reviews not and try out before judge good day
  96. Renacer
    Jun 24, 2023
    1
    Its not even a JRPG anymore, I've played it and disappointed. Graphic and music is good but I don't feel like I'm playing JRPG anymore. I felt like its more of a hack and slash game but using Final Fantasy's name to get the gamers' hype. For the first time I disappointed in Final Fantasy (I've played FF 1-15, and I love 14). Others opinion might be different, but this is my personalIts not even a JRPG anymore, I've played it and disappointed. Graphic and music is good but I don't feel like I'm playing JRPG anymore. I felt like its more of a hack and slash game but using Final Fantasy's name to get the gamers' hype. For the first time I disappointed in Final Fantasy (I've played FF 1-15, and I love 14). Others opinion might be different, but this is my personal opinion as a Final Fantasy's loyal fans and supporters.… Expand
  97. Maclab
    Jun 25, 2023
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This game feels like a 25 hour movie with interactive parts where a movie would haven't the action you can control the character. The biggest letdown it throughout all the cutscenes the story isn't that good with you being on a fetch quest being taken to locations and not having to discover where to go.… Expand
  98. Zangetsu08
    Jun 25, 2023
    4
    As a long time final fantasy fan I am disappointed in what the franchise has become the last true final fantasy was X I have played all entries. As for 16 I would say strangers of paradise is more of a final fantasy then this game spells are limited almost non existent the gear pool is very limited and the game is ridiculously. The graphics are stunning I give you that its just a shameAs a long time final fantasy fan I am disappointed in what the franchise has become the last true final fantasy was X I have played all entries. As for 16 I would say strangers of paradise is more of a final fantasy then this game spells are limited almost non existent the gear pool is very limited and the game is ridiculously. The graphics are stunning I give you that its just a shame the world feels empty

    At lot of reviews I'm seeing are giving this game a 10/10 I can only believe they are reviewing this game as standalone new tile and not what Final fantasy truly was.

    Please for the love of God go back to your old roots and they type of game your fans truly loved here's hoping that the rumors are true regarding the remakes of 9 and 10 if this what main line final fantasy games will remain then unfortunately I'm going to have to walk away from the greatest game series of all time    … Expand
  99. Polka43
    Jun 26, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. FF XVI wants to be many things,both RPG and action,both a classic ff story and a game fo thrones one. Does it achieve that? Well if you are a new casual fan who never played a deep jrpg before it works as you don't have to worry about any mechanic just spam the same attacks until the stagger while evading some of the most telegraphic attacks ever seen in a video game ,with huge openings in between. FF16 is a game for everyone to just turn your brain off and enjoy the ride through some stretched cutscenes and the worst exposition witnessed in a video game with Clive many times repeating the same freakin thing to everyone. After 30 hours it was surely an experience to go through,a bad one and I at least hope new game plus improves that with final fantasy mode to let the combat flow.… Expand
  100. derekshreds
    Jun 28, 2023
    0
    - Side quests are 100% fetch items and return them.
    - Performance mode averages 20-40 fps.
    - Graphics mode averages 10 fps, with so much motion blur that it looks terrible. - The dubbing is atrocious. Lips NEVER match the voicing. Their fix for this is to cut to the non-speaker in cutscenes, so you can’t see the bad mismatching. Games as far back as FFX had better dubbing. - The    - Side quests are 100% fetch items and return them.
    - Performance mode averages 20-40 fps.
    - Graphics mode averages 10 fps, with so much motion blur that it looks terrible.
    - The dubbing is atrocious. Lips NEVER match the voicing. Their fix for this is to cut to the non-speaker in cutscenes, so you can’t see the bad mismatching. Games as far back as FFX had better dubbing.
    - The graphics in general are worse than PS4 era games.
    - The sound mixing is TERRIBLE, with battles being 3x the volume of the out-of-combat world. This is through high end reference speakers and subwoofer. I’m a music producer, so I’m not ignorant when it comes to this.
    - The combat is generally too easy. You spam the square button and wait a minute for cooldowns.
    - Clive’s sword always clips through the sheathe, and they try to mitigate this by cutting to the front, so you can’t see him holster it in cutscenes.

    This game by all measurable standards is a pile of unfinished garbage. 0/10 for sound mixing, 0/10 for combat, 0/10 for performance, 0/10 for side-quests, and a 0/10 for a derivative storyline that basically carbon copies The Witcher and GoT.

    … Expand
Page:

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 »