Let's start with the most controversial part of the game, the battle system. I absolutely liked it. In fact, that was my favorite part of the game. While it could have been better for sure, like not having more equipment or accessory slots, not being able to customise your party's equipment, not being able to control other party members, but still, whatever they delivered it was enjoyable.

The main plot is good. For some reason, I just couldn't resonate with Ultima as a villain, and the characters I found interesting, like Dion's father or Barnabus, just didn't have that much of a build-up. I would have loved to know more about them and their stories. The world itself had so much potential; it had so much lore to make some rich stories, but I feel like all of them were underutilized. Still ,even after those drawbacks, I loved the story as a whole.

Here comes the bad part of this game: The exploration. It is disappointing. I expect much more from a AAA Final Fantasy game in 2024, but it heavily disappointed me. Once again, Valisthea had so much lore backing it up, but you just have to imagine most of those things in your head. You can't explore most of the major cities instead, they are converted into linear dungeons. I am not saying make a full open world game, but at least make all the areas interconnected and make them filled with some unique locations with good loot.

And lastly, probably the worst part of the game, the loot and the side quest. They are TERRIBLE. You may argue that side-quests are supposed to further explore some of the other non-important characters' story and further explore some lores of Valisthea and yes it does that. But the design of these sidequest is what disappointed me the most. You talk to this guy and that guy tells you to talk to the other guy for the full information when the first guy could have told you the entire thing in the first place is to me a bad game design. There too many dialogue boxes and they feel sloppy sometimes and after all these hard works what do you get? some crafting materials that you already have 50 of them.

Even after all these complains, I think the highs of this game are very high from the over cinematic battles to some excellent voice acting and cinematography. These elements carry the entire game and make them enjoyable. I actually completed all the side quests and now playing NG+ for the battle system alone I love it.

In conclusion, 8.5/10

3/5

Played on PS5.

Liked: Attention to worldbuilding (ATL was great, as was that lore character at the hideaway), sense of scale in landscapes, the combat was good, spectacle boss fights achieved what they set out for, interesting themes (free will, mythos vs logos).

Didn't like: One-note gameplay loop (run here, fight this, run there, fight that, watch movies) - needed way more variety in gameplay as the combat alone can't carry this game and there is literally nothing else to do, characters that aren't sufficiently fleshed out (Jill, Joshua, even Clive were kind of flat), a plot that gets pretty convoluted by the end with unclear mechanisms especially with the main villain, side quests that are absolute busy-work with very little pay-off (additive worldbuilding was not worth it at all).

This game feels like it took too much from FFXIV to a single-player setting. Lot's of people say FFXIV plays great as a single player experience which I whole-heartedly disagree with having played plenty of that game, and this game suffers in a similar way. The side-quests are especially insulting and embarassing in my opinion in terms of design, and absolutely sinkhole the pacing of the overall game.

Overall thought a 'good' entry in the FF series, that I liked more than I disliked.

Final Fantasy XVI es un juego que nos propone una aventura épica y oscura en el mundo de Valisthea, un lugar donde la magia y los eikon, unas poderosas criaturas que se asemejan a las invocaciones de otros títulos de la saga, son los protagonistas. El juego nos pone en la piel de Clive Rosfield, un joven caballero que tiene el don de controlar el fuego y que se ve envuelto en una trama de venganza, traición y guerra entre las distintas naciones que pugnan por el control de los Cristales Madre, las fuentes de éter que permiten usar la magia.

El juego se aleja de la estética futurista y tecnológica de las últimas entregas y apuesta por un estilo más medieval y fantástico, con un diseño artístico muy cuidado y detallado que nos muestra unos escenarios impresionantes y variados, desde ciudades fortificadas hasta bosques encantados, pasando por desiertos, montañas y ruinas. El apartado gráfico es de lo mejor que hemos visto en la consola, con un nivel de detalle, iluminación y animación que nos deja boquiabiertos, especialmente en las escenas cinemáticas y en los combates contra los eikon.

El sistema de combate es uno de los puntos fuertes del juego, ya que se trata de un sistema de acción en tiempo real muy dinámico y divertido, que nos permite usar diferentes armas, técnicas de esgrima, habilidades eikónicas y objetos. Podemos cambiar de arma al instante con el botón L1, lo que nos permite adaptarnos a cada situación y enemigo, y también podemos alternar entre dos modos de juego: el modo normal, que nos da más libertad de movimiento y acción, y el modo estratégico, que ralentiza el tiempo y nos permite seleccionar con más calma nuestras acciones y objetivos. Además, el juego cuenta con un sistema de sincronización que nos premia si pulsamos el botón de ataque o defensa en el momento adecuado, aumentando el daño o reduciendo el recibido.

El juego también nos ofrece una gran variedad de actividades secundarias, como misiones, minijuegos, coleccionables, secretos y jefes opcionales, que nos animan a explorar el mundo y a profundizar en su historia y personajes. La duración del juego es de unas 40 horas para completar la historia principal y unas 60 horas para hacerlo todo al 100%, lo que nos parece un tiempo muy razonable y equilibrado para un juego de este tipo.

La historia es otro de los aspectos más destacados del juego, ya que nos cuenta una trama muy interesante y bien escrita, con personajes carismáticos y complejos, diálogos naturales y fluidos, y giros argumentales que nos mantienen enganchados hasta el final. El juego tiene un tono más maduro y oscuro que otras entregas, con escenas de violencia, drama y tragedia que nos muestran las consecuencias de la guerra y el poder. La ambientación y el lore del mundo son muy ricos y originales, y nos encanta cómo se han reinterpretado algunos elementos clásicos de la saga, como los eikon, los cristales o los chocobos.

La banda sonora es otro punto a favor del juego, ya que cuenta con unas melodías fantásticas que acompañan perfectamente a cada escena y situación, creando una atmósfera inmersiva y emotiva. El compositor Masayoshi Soken ha hecho un gran trabajo, mezclando temas orquestales, corales, épicos, melancólicos y rockeros, que nos recuerdan a algunos de los mejores trabajos de Nobuo Uematsu. El juego está completamente doblado al español, con un nivel de calidad muy alto y unas voces que encajan muy bien con los personajes.

En definitiva, Final Fantasy XVI es un gran juego que nos ha hecho disfrutar mucho y que nos ha devuelto la ilusión por la saga. Es un juego que respeta la esencia de Final Fantasy, pero que también sabe innovar y ofrecer una experiencia fresca y espectacular. Si os gustan los juegos de rol y la acción, no os lo podéis perder.

(Spoiler alert ahead!)

Final Fantasy XVI is a masterpiece. Is it perfect? No. But is it brilliant? Absolutely.

I know, among the “not my Final Fantasy” crowd the character action gameplay is divisive. I’m not going to say they’re wrong for feeling the way they do. However, the action is so tight, so responsive, the combat is so satisfying, that I do feel pity that they hold on to the past so tightly they can’t live for the future. This is a poignant piece of FFXVI and its message, by the way, it’s rather poetic but we’ll get to that later.

FFXVI tells the story of two brothers, Clive and Joshua Rosfield. The younger brother, Joshua, is selected by some divine providence to serve as the “Dominant” of the Pheonix, an Eikon. Eikons, in FFXVI parlance, are traditional Final Fantasy summons from series history. The Pheonix, in this case, means that Clive, while being the elder brother, is passed over for the inheritance of his father’s Duchy in favor of Joshua, something that their mother spurns him for due to Joshua’s sickly constitution.

As the story progresses it is revealed that Clive is also a dominant, this is perhaps why he didn’t inherit the Pheonix in the first place. He is the dominant of Ifrit, something which goes against the understanding of the world since there is only meant to be a single Eikon for each element and here he represents a second Eikon of fire alongside is brother’s Pheonix.

The world in which our characters live, Valisthea, has a rich and interesting history. A history that is mostly told through text by two NPCs but which does come up as references during various plot points. It’s a good approach, honestly, since a more casual player isn’t expected to know this information to follow the plot but those who dig in deep can read up and get a little extra out of the story by knowing more context.

The Eikons are treated as weapons of war. The blessing of the Crystals which grants this immense magical power to people is also, however, destroying the land. The Blight, a kind of magical disease or death, spreads over the land pushing rival kingdoms together and forcing them to fight over ever more scare resources, leaning on their Eikons more and more, which in turn is hastening the death of the very earth they fight over. In an early cutscene two kingdoms are squaring up to fight, the Dominant of Bahamut appears which causes the opposing side to reveal the Dominant of Odin, the two hold each other in check while their armies slaughter one another below.

Clive’s journey, without spoiling too much, revolves around discovering the meaning of his selection as the dominant of Ifrit, an Eikon for which there is no conventional explanation in his world. As it happens, he is meant to become a vessel for all the Eikons as, after defeating Garuda he discovers that he can absorb the powers of other dominants to use aspects of their Eikon himself.

There is a slavery plot at play in Valisthea, its one that Clive falls into when he is taken to be a soldier by a rival faction. Pressed into service and marked with a tattoo on his cheek, Clive becomes what is known as a “Branded” or a “Bearer” depending on the regional parlance. In Valisthea there is magic, but it isn’t for everyone. Only certain people are born with the ability to use it, these people are marked and kept as slaves, families abandon babies born with the gift of magic. Mothers give up their children to slavery and erase their children from their minds. Clive, in the midst of this society, meets a man named Cid who would undo this oppressive system, and leads our protagonist into the life of an outlaw.

The plot revolves around the downtrodden, escaped slaves, trying to fight their oppressors and change the world so their suffering can end. To give the people the ability to live life on their own terms, to choose how they live and die, to be free of the so-called blessing that the crystals offer. As the plot progresses it becomes apparent that a greater force is at work, that a god-like entity is pulling the strings, that our heroes are battling against the forces of nihilism and fear, loneliness and doubt, that the world requires more than a hero. It requires a revolution.

And that is what FFXVI itself represents. Revolution. Change. Gone are the days where you pick abilities and skills off a menu. Where casting a spell plays a little sound effect while a sprite dances about your opponents. Forget about your characters standing in a nice little line and patiently awaiting your command. It’s time to fight, and its going to be visceral.

The combat system in FFXVI is deceptively simple. Clive can be equipped with 3 Eikons, each Eikon has several abilities you can equip and swap between. You can freely change between the 3 on the fly and each one has its own quirks and styles. The part that gets interesting is how you string these abilities together to form combos and keep piling on damage. Knowing how and when to change up your attack combos is wildly satisfying, being aware of whether you are on Pheonix or Titan means the difference of using a warp strike to close distance or a block to parry an incoming blow. There is equipment that removes this strategy, that automatically dodges and uses skills freely, for those who struggle with action games, but the real fun comes in figuring it all out for yourself.

Fighting is meaty, you can stun enemies by piling on pressure to break their stance and open them up to greater damage. Blocking, parrying, and warping around the battlefield all add weight to your selection of abilities and your strategy. Do you get out of dodge with a warp to a distant foe as you become surrounded? Do you counterattack and take the risk of damage to keep pressing forward? Do you parry and smash your way through with Titan? Do you simply dodge and dodge and dodge until you’re clear of danger and hopefully your timing was good enough to go unscathed? However you play a game you can figure out a style that works for you.

Eikon battles are a real treat as well. As someone who used to select Ifrit off of a menu to watch a sprite of a fiery little guy scroll onto the screen and cause red flashes and fire sprites to dance around, I am way into the more savage and brutal representation of old “summons” duking it out. I remember vividly the thrill of the Garuda battle, where each blow, each slash, felt like an event. When Ifrit grabs Garuda’s talon to pull her down and beat the hell out of her I remember laughing out loud and in awe, and Garuda’s not even the best fight. I lost my mind fighting Bahamut!

On top of how satisfying combat is to perform is also looks incredible. FFXVI is a flashy, bright, explosive game that makes all the familiar spells and abilities look amazing. It is remarkably satisfying to blitz an enemy with a flurry of sword strokes while using Odin’s Arm of Darkness to build up to a Zantetsuken or to barrage the battlefield with a hail of laser beams with Bahamut. All the special effects that occur during a fight are pure eye candy, everything has been polished to the nines.

Beyond the combat the characters are excellent. It’s been a hot minute since Final Fantasy had a likeable cast of characters, I would have to go as far back as X if we’re not counting XIV due to being an MMO. Clive may be cold and broody but as you progress in your journey he warms up, as he helps people and deepens his relationships he changes and grows. The ways in which the plot develops Clive from a miserable loner to a man willing to fight to the ends of the earth to protect his friends and loved ones goes hand in hand with the plot being about resisting sadness and nihilism to embrace what makes life worth living, it’s immaculate.

The final showdown is, without giving the whole thing away, peak Seinen writing. Clive and Ultima duking it out not only physically but clashing their ideals, Clive’s hope, will, and love against Ultima’s fear, doubt, and despair. It’s all very anime, very Final Fantasy (this isn’t the first villain to want to “return things to zero” so to speak) and I’m there for it.

Giving FFXVI over to Yoshi-P was a brilliant move on Square Enix’s part, his management of FFXIV has been at the core of the Final Fantasy revival. The worlds and characters that he and his team create are without peer, he clearly had a bold vision for what he wanted XVI to be and he has the seasoning and experience to execute.

My one, main gripe with the game, however, is the side quests. They’re all fetch quests, they all take a bit too long and the amount of quests that require you to not only finish the objective and talk to the quest giver just to have to travel and talk to the quest giver a second time is way too many. A black spot on an otherwise impeccable offering.

All of this amounts to an excellent action game with a great story but what makes it a masterpiece? Why would I invoke such a loaded term? Well, the more interesting aspect of FFXVI is that its thesis is a meditation on Final Fantasy as a series. It demands of us that we consider the franchise and our relationship to it, it challenges fans openly and honestly to reflect.

Taking the major, unifying, iconography of Final Fantasy, the crystals, and turning them into a tool used by the villain in a plot to own the world is a bold stroke. From the first game the crystals have been empowering, they grant heroes their abilities, they allow heroes to become knights and dragoons, mages and beast masters. They are the tools used to defeat the bad guys, to smite Chaos, thwart Emperors, clear up Clouds of Darkness, to resist lunar malice, to battle beings from the interdimensional rift.

Sometimes they are more front and center to the plot than others, but more than Moogles and Chocobos, more than moody pretty boys, more than -aga spells, crystals are the most important image in the series. And here we are, destroying them.

We journey alongside Clive and his allies to undo the evil that the crystals have wrought upon Valisthea, we see how the people have come to rely upon them as tools for mundane tasks, we witness the evil that people visit upon those they enslave to work the crystals they rely upon. We see this icon of power and light turned into an evil tool, we fight against that fate with Clive to resist the doom promised by these blessings, we see that the past of the franchise has become a crutch that the series has leaned on for too long and that things are changing before our very eyes.

Final Fantasy is changing, it has always changed, always moved forwards. Sure, there’s a long string of RPGs that resemble one another closely, then there’s a string that that doesn’t, then there’s a couple of action games. But this is evolution, each block builds upon the next, but the blessing of the crystals can’t stymie the series forever. FFXVI offers a challenge, to uproot the crystals, to build footing on which new things can grow, to move beyond the past and embrace the future. The history will always be there, go back to it if you wish, but the revolution is now and the ground is shifting. Change is coming, but in the words of Cid, “that’s half the fun of it, life’s too short for perfect plans. You want a plan that’ll keep you on your toes – stop you from growing old and complacent.”

So, what will it be? Will you be a part of the revolution?

just now I finished the main and all side quests along with all Hunts.

I’ll say I cheated or took the easy route with this game. I used the combo ring. So I mostly just pushed Square and R1. So I didn’t have the same experience as some would in combat.

That said combat was still fun at times but I really enjoy turn based a bit more. Not having control over side characters and being able to pick your party stuff was things I missed out on in this game.

Side characters mostly felt like super side characters. Some folks I could hardly remember their names. I expected a bit more story for them or bigger moments than they received. However I still ended up digging several. I wish we had a bit more information for Torgal. Even Jill felt a bit thinner than I had expected once the game ended. But Cid and Mid both rocked in their limited time.

Side story stuff was mostly fine. I had a few I absolutely loved like in the North Watch area with the slave beaters being a pet to a little girl or the dad and son tricking bearers to be killed by their pet wolf. Other side stuff I didn’t care as much about or just wish it gave us more depth to those characters than we actually got.

Main story took a bit for me to get into as well considering I hated the whole mystery guy and oh shocking joshu story and stuff. But once it got past that I started to dig it more. I love Ultima, love the alien/Sci Fi stuff going on too. I enjoyed the one to rule them all story for Clive and the Eikons/Dominions. The story with his mother was good. Lots of ups and not as many downs as it may seem for me, I just wanted stuff to be flushed out a bit more. Such as Dion. I wanted more time with this character for sure.

The map grew on me, I wanted a bit more detail in that area as well. For actual map size stuff I often felt the areas to be pretty tiny. But it made travel faster which is a plus.

Overall I enjoyed the game and I want to give it a 3 and a 1/2 but it doesn’t let me.

Solid Story, Characters, combat ect. I don’t think it does anything to really stand out or do anything extra new. Fun experience overall and worth playing.

Venturing into the enchanting world of Valisthea was a roller coaster of emotions and experiences that left a lasting impression. While some aspects of the game may have raised a few eyebrows, the overall presentation managed to captivate me from start to finish.

One notable aspect that warrants attention is the game's linearity. While it's true that the game adheres to a linear path, this design choice surprisingly doesn't detract from the immersive experience it offers. Instead, it serves as a conduit for the meticulously crafted narrative to unfold seamlessly, guiding players through a rich tapestry of events.

One area that could have enhanced the gameplay experience is the availability of difficulty options right from the beginning. This could have catered to a wider audience, allowing both seasoned players and newcomers to find their perfect challenge level. Nonetheless, the game's engrossing storyline and compelling characters help to quickly overshadow this minor inconvenience for me.

It's evident that Square Enix aimed to innovate on the battle system this time. While some players might find certain aspects of the combat a tad monotonous, it's important to note that the allure of the game doesn't solely hinge on its battle mechanics. The eikons' "special moves" may have been a bad idea, bordering on gimmicky. A point of contention for me was the stagger mechanic. This particular gameplay element has been a topic of debate within the Final Fantasy community, and its presence in FFXVI might have stirred similar sentiments. Nevertheless, it's commendable that the developers attempted to experiment with combat mechanics, even if not all attempts hit the mark perfectly. The lack of an elemental damage table hurts a bit too.

However, any reservations about the combat are overshadowed by the game's undeniable strengths. The captivating narrative weaves a tapestry of intrigue, keeping players invested in the fates of the characters. As the story unfolds, the game pays homage to classic Final Fantasy tropes, a nod that long-time fans will undoubtedly appreciate. And let's not forget the ending, which is satisfying and ties up almost all loose ends, leaving me with a sense of fulfillment.

The visual grandeur of Final Fantasy XVI is a testament to the developers' dedication to creating a visually stunning world. The meticulous attention to detail brings the realm to life, and players will find themselves pausing to admire the breathtaking landscapes and meticulously designed characters.

Nobuo Uematsu or even Yoko Shimomura's absence might have raised concerns about the game's music, but Masayoshi Soken steps up to the plate admirably. The soundtrack weaves its magic, complementing the game's emotional highs and lows perfectly and proving that the legacy of great music in Final Fantasy games is alive and well.

Eikon battles emerge as one of the standout features, showcasing the sheer scale and grandiosity that the series is renowned for. These battles serve as a testament to the game's ability to deliver awe-inspiring moments that leave players on the edge of their seats.

In the grand scheme, Final Fantasy XVI, even with minor imperfections in the combat system, its captivating narrative, well-developed characters, awe-inspiring graphics, and a musical score that resonates deeply, stand as a testament to the franchise's enduring charm.

I've been saying that Final Fantasy XV is the best FF to come out since FFX. FFXVI is here to challenge this thought.

I absolutely loved my 68 hours spent with FFXVI. I was skeptical at first because, honestly, it looked nothing like I hoped a new mainline Final Fantasy would be. But I'm glad Square proved me wrong.

The first thing that gripped me into the world of FFXVI was the story and its presentation. I loved the blend and tone between this dark medieval war story and the fantastical mythos of the franchise. The world building and overall conflict took a while to connect, but the strong emphasis on a character-driven plot kept me going. Mostly, from beginning to end, the story is fantastic. It is as epic as a FF game should be, it's bleak (at times a bit too bleak), joyful, well written, deep and gets crazy by the end.

But what really drives the story forward are the characters and their dialogues. FFXVI has some of the best written characters and exchanges in the franchise. Clive is a great protagonist, Jill has an impressive backstory, Gav is one of the coolest characters, Dion is complex enough and even Torgal, the dog, gets to shine. Not to mention Cid - the greatest character in the game. Probably the best Cid in the whole franchise. Voice acting, charisma and vivid well-written conversations were key to all this.

As for gameplay, it may not be as deep as FFVII or innovative as FFX, but it gets the job done better than the likes of FFXV or FFXII. You see, the action mechanics are pretty simple, but they're very accessible, excelling in substance, intensity AND style. It's quite addictive, actually. Especially when it comes to boss fights. Whether you're fighting as an Eikon or going against a tough enemy, this is where the spectacle lies.

This game looks absolutely beautiful. Probably one of the best looking games out there, currently. It is quite impressive and it keeps throwing new shockingly beautiful things at the screen until the very last scene. And it all comes together with what must be the best Final Fantasy soundtrack since FFXIII. Simply remarkable!

But for a game that gets so much right, when something goes wrong, it becomes crystal clear.

It may have an incredible story, but its pacing is all over the place. At one moment you're fighting a god, the other you're collecting flowers. And, yes, this is usually how RPGs goes, but it feels glaring on a game so focused in its own plot. As a result, the writing and rhythm kinda goes a bit off by the final act.

The ending, for example, it's not bad, but with a tale as depressing as this one, it'd be better for a more direct and sunny finale option. Being bittersweet and ambiguous can work, sure, but not always.

The amount of sidequests were a low point as well. They're usually very interesting, with some even gifting you with cool scenes, world building and interactions between characters. In fact, some sidequests at the ending are A MUST, for example. The problem is, if you want to experience them, you have to go through the same repetitive objectives and places over and over again. And there are A LOT of them, coming up at the worst times possible during the main quest. There's simply no verticality. You can see this on enemy variety, which is a joke. Even the hunts get stale.

And last, but not least, FFXVI's biggest flaw is not deciding whether it wants to be an action game or an RPG.

I miss customization, statuses, skill variety, secret dungeons. It is mostly there, but it's just... not enough. It's different. A party system could've fixed part of that. You have very charming characters helping Clive on his quest, but they're barely there during gameplay and are barely useful. You can't even mess around with Torgal's skills and he's always present.

Still, in my opinion, Final Fantasy XVI is an amazing game back to back. Its flaws are clear and I get that it looks and plays different enough to avert a few fans. But it is definitely a great entry in the mainline series and might be the best one since FFX.

Only time will tell. Play it and find out for yourself.

I was really hyped for Final Fantasy XVI, so much so that it was a key factor in my decision to invest in a PlayStation 5. Naturally, I had high expectations for the game, given that it was helmed by the team behind Final Fantasy XIV, which I enjoy. The return to a classic fantasy setting is something I was yearning for after so many years of modern and futuristic settings in Final Fantasy, and the dark tone of the game is definitely intriguing.

There are plenty of moments where XVI lives up to my expectations. Not only is it a smooth and bug-free experience (Looking at you, XV...), it's consistently beautiful to look at, and has a kinetic action combat system that shines brightly in the many brilliantly designed boss fights. Then there's the Eikon fights, incredibly choreographed, adrenaline-charged spectacles that represent the crown jewel of this game. The problem is, when the connective tissue between the awesome bits is as dull as it is in XVI, it can throw the whole thing out of whack.

It's funny to me, because this in complete contrast to my recent experience with the first two Final Fantasy titles. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate turn-based battles, but in those games, battle was a means to an end, giving you the feeling of character growth that is so important to RPGs. The problem was that the encounter rates were so extreme that I actively avoided battle unless it was absolutely necessary. So why do I rate those games more highly than XVI? Because their worlds are fun to explore, progression feels organic, and most importantly, they don't overstay their welcome--areas where XVI really disappoints.

XVI begins promisingly enough. The game's opening hours are quite linear, but they set the stage for a very interesting story and world, detailing the political dynamics between the many countries of Valisthea, and the conflicting interpersonal relationships between the characters that lead them. The inspiration from Game of Thrones is quite obvious--there's intrigue, betrayals, sex and violence. It's overwhelming at first, but I found getting familiar with the world to be quite gratifying.

Combat is clearly the game's strong point. The team received development support from Platinum Games and the Kingdom Hearts team, and it really shows. Combat is fluid and rhythmic, emphasizing quick reactions to enemy attacks while whittling away at their stamina and HP. Your special moves comes from your Eikon abilities, which are unlocked as the story progresses. My only problem with it is that this story-gated progression makes it feel like I'm only getting stronger when the game wants me to, and not because of any particular effort on my part.

The game does eventually open up a little bit, but even the more "open" zones that the game presents offer minimal interactivity and scant reward for going off the beaten path. Side quests are given out at a pretty conservative pace until much later in the game, but even then they hardly ever felt compelling to undertake. While a handful of quests will at least give you a good story, they always involve repetitive tasks like following a map marker to an NPC, interacting with a sparkly node, or fighting weak enemies. After a certain point, I found them so boring that I just decided to stop doing them. There's really no repercussions for that either, since their EXP rewards are so trivial anyway.

The main quest doesn't really fare that much better. There are two different kinds of areas in the world map: "green" areas, which are bigger zones you can return to whenever you want for side quests, and "red" areas which pop up contextually throughout the story and present a linear set of combat encounters, usually culminating with a boss fight. I always looked forward to the latter of these two, because they give the combat a chance to shine, and are broken up by high quality cutscenes and major story events. But so much of the runtime is spent in the former, mindlessly going from A to B to C to D, sitting through endless non-interactive dialogue sequences with stiff animations, dragging on for what feels like an eternity.

This is a lengthy 40-hour game, and these valleys in between the peaks are really long and really boring. It would help if the story remained as consistently interesting as it is at first, but that also becomes an issue. The game's most interesting storylines about the deep guilt for one's past actions is something that is quickly swept aside, leaving me quite unsatisfied with the initially promising character arcs of characters like Clive. Even the game's major theme of slavery left me scratching my head by the end. "Bearers," people born with innate magical abilities, are brutally enslaved in the world of Valisthea, and [Spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI's ending] in the end, Clive chooses to rid the world of magic in order to break down the system that enslaved him and his companions. But what's the message here--Is it implying that our uniqueness should be sacrificed to evade discrimination? That having a special ability is something that will inevitably be exploited? It doesn't help that there are parallels to Final Fantasy XV's ending, which is executed much more effectively. The intended message, if any, is unclear to me.

While I'm glad I pulled through to the end of Final Fantasy XVI, I have no desire to play this game ever again. Action games that I've played such as Devil May Cry and Bayonetta are effective because they tend to be more succinct experiences that don't keep you waiting too long for the next thrill. They may be relatively short when compared to Final Fantasy XVI, but they understand their strengths and play to them. XVI has a lot of good things going for it, but it squanders that potential by spending too much time trying to feign being an RPG. In an ideal world, Final Fantasy XVI would have been a riveting 10-20 hour game without the need for mundane quests or superfluous dialogue. If the series is planning to lean more towards action-oriented gameplay, I sincerely hope this something that they take away from XVI's shortcomings.

As a Game of Thrones fan, I've always wanted to play a game set in a similar world, with a complex universe and stories where you never know what might happen next. And that's exactly what Final Fantasy 16 delivers for me. I love the world-building, the characters and the events that bring the whole world to life. However, I would have liked to see a little more development in the antagonists.

A few other weaknesses lie in the world exploration. Often, the areas are beautiful and you think they would be interesting places to visit, but in the end, they just fill up the world map without hiding anything. Even if there is a chest there, the rewards are usually rather uninteresting. The side quests are hit-or-miss; there are good quests that give the characters more background, but also some drawn-out, less interesting quests.

Basically, though, I had a lot of fun playing because of the combat system, especially the boss fights, which were always spectacular. The German dubbing is also excellent and contributes so much to a good experience with the game. The ending is somewhat open-ended, which divides opinion, but with a few implications, I think there is an ending that is the most ‘fitting’.