Final Fantasy XVI may be the worst representation of the Final Fantasy series to date. Like every mainline entry, it borrows ideas from previous games while building its own world and story, but for me it misses the mark in almost every aspect. Aside from a handful of strong story moments, there was very little that kept me engaged.
[h2] Gameplay 4/10 [/h2]
The combat abandons the traditional turn-based gameplay the Final Fantasy series is known for in favor of real-time action. Many people compare it to Devil May Cry, but I think it's closer to the mindless button-mashing of a Dynasty Warriors game. While the combat looks flashy, it lacks the depth needed to stay engaging throughout the game. There is some basic item management, but it suffers from the same issue: there simply isn't much depth to it. Outside of combat, the gameplay mostly consists of walking from point A to point B until the next cutscene or another group of monsters appears.
My recommendation would be to play the game on the [b] Story Mode [/b] difficulty. It gets you through the repetitive gameplay much faster, allowing you to focus on the one aspect the game does reasonably well: its main story. Then again, you could also just [b] watch the main cutscenes online [/b] and have a similar experience.
[h2] Story 6/10 [/h2]
The game starts off strong, but it gradually becomes more tedious and repetitive. The story was the only thing that kept me motivated to reach the end, yet even that felt unnecessarily stretched. I honestly think at least 50% of the main story could have been cut without losing anything of value. The game constantly pads its runtime with unnecessary main story objectives and an overwhelming number of side quests. Thankfully, most of the side content is entirely skippable.
One of the game's biggest strengths is Ben Starr's performance as Clive. His voice acting is excellent, and Clive is by far the best-written character in the game, and several supporting characters are memorable as well.
I'm glad Ben Starr had the opportunity to showcase his talent in a game that truly delivers on the ambitions Final Fantasy XVI fell short of. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 proves just how compelling his performance can be when paired with stronger gameplay and a more focused narrative.
[h2] Music 5/10 [/h2]
The soundtrack gets the job done, but it's ultimately forgettable. The only tracks that stuck with me were the series' iconic Prelude and Prologue themes. Rather than feeling like they were earned through the game's own identity, their inclusion came across as borrowed nostalgia—a reminder of better Final Fantasy games instead of a meaningful part of Final Fantasy XVI itself.
[h2] Graphics/Performance 7/10 [/h2]
Final Fantasy XVI ran flawlessly on my PC. The landscapes are beautiful, the character models are highly detailed, and the art direction does a great job of creating a believable world. However, I found the overall visual presentation visually exhausting after playing for more than an hour at a time. The unusually small font size certainly didn't help either.
[h3] Bugs [/h3]
Occasionally, cutscenes would start before the video had fully loaded. This resulted in the audio playing over a black screen, forcing me to pause and wait for the visuals to catch up before I could continue watching.
[h1] Overall 5/10 [/h1]
If you're interested in the story, I'd recommend either [b] watching the cutscenes online or playing the game on Story Mode. [/b] As far as I've been able to research, the DLCs are entirely optional and don't appear to be essential to the overall experience. That said, I haven't played them or watched them myself, so I can't personally comment on their quality.
