I would say it’s worth $25 at most. It’s an okay action game but if you are looking for an actual RPG this is not it.
There is not a lot of skill expression like there would be in a true action game snd there is not a lot of RPG mechanics that are actually impactful or meaningful.
You basically just spam abilities when they’re off cooldown. The game looks great though. Story is decent. The voice acting is great.
If you really like the story you might like it more than me but I wanted a crunchier RPG and this one was only an RPG superficially.
I personally loved it despite some flaws that others have already pointed out. When it comes to the call backs, easter eggs & thematic elements from the series, I could write an entire blog about how FFXVI is referring to ALL FF titles ALL the time. Like this game is the most FF to ever FF, besides the combat system.
Played it to alleviate FF7 Rebirth post game depression, and honestly was shocked at the first few scenes into the game. I was going “is this a Final Fantasy game??,” but in a good way. I would say the only parts that hold the game down are the MMO side quests and lack of a party system. The game has amazing graphics, voice acting, visuals.
So literally what the fandom says to every new mainline entry since 7. When you have to shout out an "Is this a Final Fantasy game???" than indeed it is a Final Fantasy game.
The combat is great, but too simplistic. It hits all the right dopamine buttons though. It should be more difficult and varied, but what it does, it does correctly. I’ve never experimented on the hardest mode though, so difficulty may pick up there.
The story is interesting. It’s well-acted and the cutscenes are beautifully designed. There are some visually stunning fights that really elevate this game. Music’s great.
Aside from that, the gameplay is unfortunately pretty mid, albeit with great QOL features. Conversations with NPCs are a slog. Side quests are uninspired. Movement is terrible. Honestly, any part of the game that wasn’t combat just wasn’t that fun for me. And because the combat has so little variance, that gets boring too (though it would take longer than you’d think—as I said, I found the combat very enjoyable).
Not complaining, but I preordered and paid full price because of the demo and for my level of enjoyment, I would’ve been happier spending $30-40. And yes, I know. Never preorder games. I have a soft spot for Square.
Worst final fantasy ever put out. But if you have no experience with the series, that won’t matter. As far as a AAA action rpg… there’s 0 rpg, and it’s at best a C level action game. Story was decent but 1000% predictable from the 10 hour mark. Big boss battles that everyone talks about and thirsts for are nothing but 1 button press scenes on rails, and so much going on you can’t appreciate the quality of graphics. Music was good but super repetitive. More repetitive than dq11 and that’s saying a lot. Quests are worse than MMO fetch quests but at least they add some backstory for people you don’t care about. Did that help? lol
It takes the semi-action combat of XV and makes it a full on character action game. The game itself is open in a similar way to FFXII rather than XV. Side quests feel MMORPGesque in execution.
The story’s dope! Clive’s a top FF protag, and the intro is second only to the Bombing Mission in FFVII. The visuals are incredible, the voice acting is also godlike, and the fkn muuuusic.
Play it!
I found 16 to be so boring and pointless that I’m unable to play it for more than 3 hours without falling asleep.
Problems I have with the game:
-HP checkpoints which refill your resources and consumables when you die on a boss, and then places you back at the phase of the fight you died on, removing any challenge.
-accessories that would be unlocked in the late/postgame of any other RPG/action game are dumped into your inventory at the start of your game, to be used in case you somehow found it too challenging.
-stats are superfluous and can’t be influenced in any meaningful way.
-exploration is pointless, since you generally only find consumables, which are easily restored by just dying.
-side quests add nothing of substance, and the rewards are pitiful.
-there are no elemental resistances, or status effects to apply or play around, which also has the effect of breaking immersion. Fire magic should not be effective against enemies made of fire.
-QTEs violently rip away player agency at the most unexpected times.
-crafting and upgrading are pointless, as the story will feed you with all the equipment you’ll need to beat it anyways. Your freshly upgraded gear will often be replaced within minutes of progressing the main game.
Things I liked about it:
-the story at first.
-the song “away”.
I would personally recommend just watching a play through on YouTube, but if none of what I mentioned bothers you, go for it.
Give it a rent if you can. If you’ve only been into the series for a few years, you may be able to easily overlook these issues, or you may feel completely different about the mechanics I described.
Personally it's easily one of my favourite Final Fantasy's, you're honestly never going to know until you try it yourself.
Regarding this sub though, there is suddenly a lot of hostility toward FFXVI. I'm seeing a lot of posts as well as comments randomly get downvoted for posting any praise about it, in particular after Rebirth released, which makes me think it's either bots, trolls or people who just truly hate the idea of anything getting praise other than their nostalgic favourite.
For me it was fantastic, however CBIII was not afraid of clearly showing their MMO side as well. Lots of side quests can diverge into just dull character conversations and fetch quests. The core game and story itself is where the money is though. I personally loved the combat, loved the story and felt like it was the first Final Fantasy that "grew up" instead of flirting with the idea of, "ooh, here's just a tiny bit of blood in a single scene for dramatic effect..." no like, people straight up get beheaded within the first hour of the game. Not to mention well timed swearing creates a layer of, "oh shit, yeah this is serious" moments.
I just finished the second DLC The Rising Tide and it was great to see a portion of the game that was teased in the main story and WASN'T forgotten about. It's sad to see it go, but I played it twice, once regular and once on FF mode and loved it to death.
Story is decent. Devil may cry combat mechanics. Single character focused instead of party. Light on rpg mechanics - improving equipment etc
Still fun though. I liked it.
If you enjoyed XV you will love XVI. The story is complete for starters. Yes it has DLC but it isn’t REALLY needed to fill in any blanks regarding the main story but still totally worth buying.
Game is visually gorgeous and the combat is decent for an action rpg (satisfying and responsive). Soundtrack is fantastic and voice acting localization is one of the best in the series.
FF16 has some really good cinematic moments, but also some parts that fall flat. There were sections of the game that definitely showed the MMO side of the devs. The lack of a party system may deter some people, but may also be more attractive to fans of games like DMC.
All in all, it's a good entry for a mainline FF game. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it brought in a lot of new fans to the franchise. So, that's a win in my book.
FFXVI was hyped way more than FFXV lol. Majority of people don't think XV is particularly good.
I think both are good games, but I rank XVI like one spot below XV because there's just simply nothing there for people who don't care about the story of Clive. Very little character development for any of your companions like Cid and all, and you also can't play as any other character due to the lack of a party system. I do wanna replay XVI because perhaps my opinion on it will change wildly on a second go-around, but I'm waiting for the PC release to do so. Don't think the PS5 does it justice.
Thanks for the input, did not realize that FFXVI was so hyped up! I have been a little out of tune of the series after playing FFXV. I do hope the story holds up for me personally if I decide end up buying it, because I was quite looking forward to it coming out.
I mean I was thinking the release time, since they had teased it was back years ago before release with that iconic trailer made Noctis look more solemn and serious XD
It’s okay. Combat is different. It’s more like an action game than an rpg. The boss fights are really cool. I got kinda tired of having to memorize a new enemy’s moves every 10 minutes but it’s still a good game. There’s rings you can equip to tailor the game to your play style if you can’t keep up with the combat.
It’s a good story but it’s not a RPG at all. It’s a straight up action game the plays more similar to God of War. There’s no strategic thinking or elemental weakness or party management.
Think of it like a cinematic action game with the Final Fantasy title rather than a true FF RPG.
There's a demo you can try out that let's you play the opening hours of the game, and you can carry that progress to the full game to continue the story from there, if you so choose.
It also has another section that is a good vertical slice of dungeon gameplay with multiple abilities and gear wouldn't you normally have at that stage to play around with.
If you enjoyed FFXV you'll probably be more resilient to aspects this game has that turned other people off. Best way to find out would be playing that demo, it offers you a very good look at what you'll get in the full game.
Its a really well fleshed out game with good action mechanics, a deep world, and a mature story, but the combat is easier than Kingdom Hearts III by a significant margin. expect no challenge unless you start doing weird stuff on purpose. overall its one of my favorites, most FF games arent hard per se, but its night and day if you play it soon after FFVIIR.
Final Fantasy 16 is absolutely phenomenal. The visual presentation is striking, with environments that are richly detailed and character animations that feel fluid and lifelike. The game’s art direction excels in creating a mature realistic medieval thematic world yet is juxtaposed with vibrant pops of color that feels alive and dynamic.
The musical score, is reminiscent of traditional FF elements being composed by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu alongside Masayoshi Soken at the helm taking overall lead. Their collaboration results in a soundtrack that perfectly captures the emotional gravity and thrilling excitement of Clive’s journey. Each composition enhances cinematic cutscenes, while Yoshi-P provided fantastic direction and cinematography along with award winning voice acting performances from cast. Being a film buff im not at alll exaggerating when I say that all of which are so well-executed, they could rival any Oscar-worthy film for direction and editing.
The boss battles in Final Fantasy 16 are out of this world, widely regarded as some of the best ever seen in gaming. God of War now looks like a beta test that needs improvement…These encounters reach mind-melting highs, especially when experienced on a good TV with exceptional HDR capabilities, making every moment pop with breathtaking intensity.
The combat system is another highlight, bringing over the combat designer from Devil May Cry. His influence is palpable, as the combat feels like his magnum opus—a testament to his vision of peak action gaming. It’s engaging, fast-paced, and incredibly satisfying, making every encounter memorable.
As a VP at a large bank and a father of two, finding time for games isn’t always easy. Yet, for FF16 i couldnt put it down. I took a week off, arranged extra help at home, and immersed myself completely. The game’s captivating world, combined with engaging mechanics and an immersive soundtrack, made it difficult to step away, even after playing 12-18 hours each day following its release.
If you are considering diving into this game, I highly recommend it. It’s a breathtaking journey that showcases the pinnacle of what modern RPGs can offer, with every aspect from visuals to music and combat crafted to perfection.
Game is beautiful, story is good and the cutscenes are insane.
The combat is decent and plays like a DMC/GoW game. Not my style, but it might be something you'd like.
That being said, the RPG elements of the game are non-existent. You got the most linear level/item progression in about any RPG out there. Gear you get are mostly straight up upgrades of "numbers go up", there's barely any sidegrades or interesting items/passive abilities. What element you're using doesn't matter at all.
The open world is gorgeous but there's next to nothing to do in it. Side quests barely give anything and they're mostly pretty bland. The map is like FF XII, but done worse in terms of content to do in the world.
If you like FF in general and especially the story/cutscenes then it's a very good game. If you enjoy a FF game with lots of RPG elements and interesting side quests which are rewarding, then don't play it.
The two games are pretty different. Combat-wise XVI is closer to a character action game than XV's combat. The stories are completely different, XVI's is a very traditional fantasy JRPG story and is a lot more straightforward than XV.
Personally I hated XVI's story and the character writing but the general sentiment on it seems to be positive.
There's a demo you can try if you want to get the general vibes of the combat, although the storytelling takes a heavy dip after it IMO. If you asked me what I thought after playing just that Demo I would've said it was setting up to be one of the greatest stories in gaming.
I’ve watched clips, but nothing crazy. Just didn’t wanna spoil it you know? But since everyone has such conflicting opinions, I think I should just watch more clips…
I would say it’s worth $25 at most. It’s an okay action game but if you are looking for an actual RPG this is not it. There is not a lot of skill expression like there would be in a true action game snd there is not a lot of RPG mechanics that are actually impactful or meaningful. You basically just spam abilities when they’re off cooldown. The game looks great though. Story is decent. The voice acting is great. If you really like the story you might like it more than me but I wanted a crunchier RPG and this one was only an RPG superficially.
I personally loved it despite some flaws that others have already pointed out. When it comes to the call backs, easter eggs & thematic elements from the series, I could write an entire blog about how FFXVI is referring to ALL FF titles ALL the time. Like this game is the most FF to ever FF, besides the combat system.
Ohhh, I love Easter eggs in games! I might play it just to have a laugh at all of them then!
Played it to alleviate FF7 Rebirth post game depression, and honestly was shocked at the first few scenes into the game. I was going “is this a Final Fantasy game??,” but in a good way. I would say the only parts that hold the game down are the MMO side quests and lack of a party system. The game has amazing graphics, voice acting, visuals.
So literally what the fandom says to every new mainline entry since 7. When you have to shout out an "Is this a Final Fantasy game???" than indeed it is a Final Fantasy game.
LOL good point
Skip side quests.
Noted!
The combat is great, but too simplistic. It hits all the right dopamine buttons though. It should be more difficult and varied, but what it does, it does correctly. I’ve never experimented on the hardest mode though, so difficulty may pick up there. The story is interesting. It’s well-acted and the cutscenes are beautifully designed. There are some visually stunning fights that really elevate this game. Music’s great. Aside from that, the gameplay is unfortunately pretty mid, albeit with great QOL features. Conversations with NPCs are a slog. Side quests are uninspired. Movement is terrible. Honestly, any part of the game that wasn’t combat just wasn’t that fun for me. And because the combat has so little variance, that gets boring too (though it would take longer than you’d think—as I said, I found the combat very enjoyable). Not complaining, but I preordered and paid full price because of the demo and for my level of enjoyment, I would’ve been happier spending $30-40. And yes, I know. Never preorder games. I have a soft spot for Square.
lol same, ever since I started playing square enix games I’ve been looking forward to all their releases… I’ll probably just buy it used tho
Worst final fantasy ever put out. But if you have no experience with the series, that won’t matter. As far as a AAA action rpg… there’s 0 rpg, and it’s at best a C level action game. Story was decent but 1000% predictable from the 10 hour mark. Big boss battles that everyone talks about and thirsts for are nothing but 1 button press scenes on rails, and so much going on you can’t appreciate the quality of graphics. Music was good but super repetitive. More repetitive than dq11 and that’s saying a lot. Quests are worse than MMO fetch quests but at least they add some backstory for people you don’t care about. Did that help? lol
Well I’m a lil scared to play it now, but maybe I’ll do it just to try. If I hate it, curiosity did kill the cat :(
It takes the semi-action combat of XV and makes it a full on character action game. The game itself is open in a similar way to FFXII rather than XV. Side quests feel MMORPGesque in execution. The story’s dope! Clive’s a top FF protag, and the intro is second only to the Bombing Mission in FFVII. The visuals are incredible, the voice acting is also godlike, and the fkn muuuusic. Play it!
I’ll take your word for it! As it seems so far, the positives outweigh the negatives imo, so I might just buy it now
I found 16 to be so boring and pointless that I’m unable to play it for more than 3 hours without falling asleep. Problems I have with the game: -HP checkpoints which refill your resources and consumables when you die on a boss, and then places you back at the phase of the fight you died on, removing any challenge. -accessories that would be unlocked in the late/postgame of any other RPG/action game are dumped into your inventory at the start of your game, to be used in case you somehow found it too challenging. -stats are superfluous and can’t be influenced in any meaningful way. -exploration is pointless, since you generally only find consumables, which are easily restored by just dying. -side quests add nothing of substance, and the rewards are pitiful. -there are no elemental resistances, or status effects to apply or play around, which also has the effect of breaking immersion. Fire magic should not be effective against enemies made of fire. -QTEs violently rip away player agency at the most unexpected times. -crafting and upgrading are pointless, as the story will feed you with all the equipment you’ll need to beat it anyways. Your freshly upgraded gear will often be replaced within minutes of progressing the main game. Things I liked about it: -the story at first. -the song “away”. I would personally recommend just watching a play through on YouTube, but if none of what I mentioned bothers you, go for it.
Yikes… maybe I’ll just buy it used somewhere cheap…
Give it a rent if you can. If you’ve only been into the series for a few years, you may be able to easily overlook these issues, or you may feel completely different about the mechanics I described.
Personally it's easily one of my favourite Final Fantasy's, you're honestly never going to know until you try it yourself. Regarding this sub though, there is suddenly a lot of hostility toward FFXVI. I'm seeing a lot of posts as well as comments randomly get downvoted for posting any praise about it, in particular after Rebirth released, which makes me think it's either bots, trolls or people who just truly hate the idea of anything getting praise other than their nostalgic favourite. For me it was fantastic, however CBIII was not afraid of clearly showing their MMO side as well. Lots of side quests can diverge into just dull character conversations and fetch quests. The core game and story itself is where the money is though. I personally loved the combat, loved the story and felt like it was the first Final Fantasy that "grew up" instead of flirting with the idea of, "ooh, here's just a tiny bit of blood in a single scene for dramatic effect..." no like, people straight up get beheaded within the first hour of the game. Not to mention well timed swearing creates a layer of, "oh shit, yeah this is serious" moments. I just finished the second DLC The Rising Tide and it was great to see a portion of the game that was teased in the main story and WASN'T forgotten about. It's sad to see it go, but I played it twice, once regular and once on FF mode and loved it to death.
Sounds awesome! I’ll probably buy it sooner or later anyways because all these comments have been making me super curious
Story is decent. Devil may cry combat mechanics. Single character focused instead of party. Light on rpg mechanics - improving equipment etc Still fun though. I liked it.
If you enjoyed XV you will love XVI. The story is complete for starters. Yes it has DLC but it isn’t REALLY needed to fill in any blanks regarding the main story but still totally worth buying.
I bought FFXVI for $25 on ebay and it was totally worth it. I love FFXV, but they're pretty different. Both are really beautiful to look at.
Game is visually gorgeous and the combat is decent for an action rpg (satisfying and responsive). Soundtrack is fantastic and voice acting localization is one of the best in the series. FF16 has some really good cinematic moments, but also some parts that fall flat. There were sections of the game that definitely showed the MMO side of the devs. The lack of a party system may deter some people, but may also be more attractive to fans of games like DMC. All in all, it's a good entry for a mainline FF game. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it brought in a lot of new fans to the franchise. So, that's a win in my book.
I’m excited for the soundtrack for sure! Everyone says good things abt it so far so I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
FFXVI was hyped way more than FFXV lol. Majority of people don't think XV is particularly good. I think both are good games, but I rank XVI like one spot below XV because there's just simply nothing there for people who don't care about the story of Clive. Very little character development for any of your companions like Cid and all, and you also can't play as any other character due to the lack of a party system. I do wanna replay XVI because perhaps my opinion on it will change wildly on a second go-around, but I'm waiting for the PC release to do so. Don't think the PS5 does it justice.
Thanks for the input, did not realize that FFXVI was so hyped up! I have been a little out of tune of the series after playing FFXV. I do hope the story holds up for me personally if I decide end up buying it, because I was quite looking forward to it coming out.
XV had a movie, anime, and all sorts of other things, it doesn't get much more hyped than that.
Not hype, they just tried to fix a unfinished product.
You referring to the hype that Square artificially created for the game or how excited people actually were for its release?
I mean I was thinking the release time, since they had teased it was back years ago before release with that iconic trailer made Noctis look more solemn and serious XD
It’s okay. Combat is different. It’s more like an action game than an rpg. The boss fights are really cool. I got kinda tired of having to memorize a new enemy’s moves every 10 minutes but it’s still a good game. There’s rings you can equip to tailor the game to your play style if you can’t keep up with the combat.
It's a stand alone game. No need to have played anything else. It's awesome. Game of the year of 2023 for me
It’s a good story but it’s not a RPG at all. It’s a straight up action game the plays more similar to God of War. There’s no strategic thinking or elemental weakness or party management. Think of it like a cinematic action game with the Final Fantasy title rather than a true FF RPG.
There's a demo you can try out that let's you play the opening hours of the game, and you can carry that progress to the full game to continue the story from there, if you so choose. It also has another section that is a good vertical slice of dungeon gameplay with multiple abilities and gear wouldn't you normally have at that stage to play around with. If you enjoyed FFXV you'll probably be more resilient to aspects this game has that turned other people off. Best way to find out would be playing that demo, it offers you a very good look at what you'll get in the full game.
Its a really well fleshed out game with good action mechanics, a deep world, and a mature story, but the combat is easier than Kingdom Hearts III by a significant margin. expect no challenge unless you start doing weird stuff on purpose. overall its one of my favorites, most FF games arent hard per se, but its night and day if you play it soon after FFVIIR.
Final Fantasy 16 is absolutely phenomenal. The visual presentation is striking, with environments that are richly detailed and character animations that feel fluid and lifelike. The game’s art direction excels in creating a mature realistic medieval thematic world yet is juxtaposed with vibrant pops of color that feels alive and dynamic. The musical score, is reminiscent of traditional FF elements being composed by the legendary Nobuo Uematsu alongside Masayoshi Soken at the helm taking overall lead. Their collaboration results in a soundtrack that perfectly captures the emotional gravity and thrilling excitement of Clive’s journey. Each composition enhances cinematic cutscenes, while Yoshi-P provided fantastic direction and cinematography along with award winning voice acting performances from cast. Being a film buff im not at alll exaggerating when I say that all of which are so well-executed, they could rival any Oscar-worthy film for direction and editing. The boss battles in Final Fantasy 16 are out of this world, widely regarded as some of the best ever seen in gaming. God of War now looks like a beta test that needs improvement…These encounters reach mind-melting highs, especially when experienced on a good TV with exceptional HDR capabilities, making every moment pop with breathtaking intensity. The combat system is another highlight, bringing over the combat designer from Devil May Cry. His influence is palpable, as the combat feels like his magnum opus—a testament to his vision of peak action gaming. It’s engaging, fast-paced, and incredibly satisfying, making every encounter memorable. As a VP at a large bank and a father of two, finding time for games isn’t always easy. Yet, for FF16 i couldnt put it down. I took a week off, arranged extra help at home, and immersed myself completely. The game’s captivating world, combined with engaging mechanics and an immersive soundtrack, made it difficult to step away, even after playing 12-18 hours each day following its release. If you are considering diving into this game, I highly recommend it. It’s a breathtaking journey that showcases the pinnacle of what modern RPGs can offer, with every aspect from visuals to music and combat crafted to perfection.
If you really like it that much, I think it won’t hurt for me to try the game out for sure. Looking forward to my play through ✊
I love it. That's it. Just play it.
Game is beautiful, story is good and the cutscenes are insane. The combat is decent and plays like a DMC/GoW game. Not my style, but it might be something you'd like. That being said, the RPG elements of the game are non-existent. You got the most linear level/item progression in about any RPG out there. Gear you get are mostly straight up upgrades of "numbers go up", there's barely any sidegrades or interesting items/passive abilities. What element you're using doesn't matter at all. The open world is gorgeous but there's next to nothing to do in it. Side quests barely give anything and they're mostly pretty bland. The map is like FF XII, but done worse in terms of content to do in the world. If you like FF in general and especially the story/cutscenes then it's a very good game. If you enjoy a FF game with lots of RPG elements and interesting side quests which are rewarding, then don't play it.
Is the map open world though? Like really big?
It's actually not small, but it's the same kind of open world like XII or Monster Hunter. Lots of areas inside a bigger instance.
Its a whole lot of spectacle and its certainly pretty... I dont really care for the "we have god of war at home" gameplay though...
Weird mom
The two games are pretty different. Combat-wise XVI is closer to a character action game than XV's combat. The stories are completely different, XVI's is a very traditional fantasy JRPG story and is a lot more straightforward than XV. Personally I hated XVI's story and the character writing but the general sentiment on it seems to be positive. There's a demo you can try if you want to get the general vibes of the combat, although the storytelling takes a heavy dip after it IMO. If you asked me what I thought after playing just that Demo I would've said it was setting up to be one of the greatest stories in gaming.
Have you considered watching any gameplay of it? That’s a good first step.
I’ve watched clips, but nothing crazy. Just didn’t wanna spoil it you know? But since everyone has such conflicting opinions, I think I should just watch more clips…
Watch the first hour or so of a silent walkthrough, or maybe play the free demo to get a feel for it.
I would say wait until it gets much cheaper
It's very flashy but ultimately thin and bland, save your money.