FINAL FANTASY XVI

通的第一个FF正作，通后只感觉被喂了坨大的，致命的是吃之前我看到的是一堆秀色诱人的大餐，吃的过程我也感觉很是美味，但吃完后被告知“ごめんなさい、排泄物から加工したものです。”这就是我唯一的感想。对于没玩过这作的新老玩家我不建议入。 同一时间入的7Remake和Rebirth，但我现在不敢玩了，没玩过旧作，怕被又喂坨大的。 我看FF就终结在XVI也挺好。

This game is horrifically unoptimized on PC. It should genuinely be criminal to ship a product this poorly. I want to care about this game's story but it's a bit hard when the cutscenes (which are capped at 30fps, by the way) so consistently drop to single-digit FPS.

Sto giocando questo final fantasy facendo una fatica indicibile. Se non si chiamasse Final fantasy lo avrei già abbandonato da un pezzo. La trama è insipida, il gioco è noioso, i combattimenti insulsi e tutto sembra fatto per far perdere tempo al giocatore. Non hanno neanche progettato correttamente l'esperienza di gioco, in alcuni momenti partono delle sequenze video di 20 minuti in cui non è possibile salvare la partita e nel caso in cui una persona chiudesse il gioco perderebbe 20 minuti di partita più la sequenza precedente contro il boss di turno, quindi 30 o 40 minuti senza poter salvare. Sono ingenuità che non sono accettabili in un gioco, indie o professionale che sia. Per chi, come me, vuole giocarci perché ha giocato anche a diversi altri Final Fantasy, suggerisco di non lasciarsi tentare dall'affezione al brand. Qui non c'è quasi nulla del valore dei capitoli precedenti.

Masterpiece.

At one point in Final Fantasy 16, a Warrior of Light, Dragoon, Red Mage, and Black Mage form an alliance to right the wrongs of the world. The game then proceeds to deftly crush said alliance, iterating yet again that this isn't that kind of story. It's the story of a man dressed like Dracula, running around disarming the world's nukes whilst saying "♥♥♥♥" a lot. • A bold and subversive Final Fantasy that is deeply respectful of the series' legacy • Earnest to a fault, with mature characters and a nuanced worldview • No forced sentimentality or cheap melodrama • A textured world rich with history and lore • Clive Rosfield is, perhaps, the most nuanced FF protagonist ever written • Mature and likeable at the start of the game, he grows ever more so throughout • Clive's willingness to emote and express vulnerability is his greatest strength • Watching him interact with others is one of FF16's greatest pleasures • Every emotion is explored through his eyes: despair; elation; hatred; love; cynicism; hope • Crucially, FF16 uses heightened emotion sparingly, rarely resorting to sad-music moments • This lends the game a sense of genuineness, with most emotional beats properly earned • While Clive may be FF16's protagonist, Cidolfus is the embodiment of its tone and ideals • Like Cid himself, there's a sense of assuredness and self-awareness about FF16 • It knows this isn't your first rodeo; it understands age and cynicism and apathy all too well • It endeavours to keep you engaged by being an entertaining and cinematic rollercoaster • FF16 isn't afraid to shed many of the traits often associated with its contemporaries • In exchange for all it gives up, you get consistently good writing, a brisk pace, and incredible combat • FF16 is less a JRPG and more a narratively rich action-adventure game • When you expect the story and characters to zig, they'll zag intelligently instead • Instead of grinding 50 battles for EXP in each area, you'll do just 20 and actually enjoy each one • The combat system feels like a stylish-action game without the rote combo memorisation • Early on, you can switch between the playstyles of a knight, wizard, and brawler • As you unlock more Eikons, and grow more comfortable, you'll learn to mix and match your abilities • This allows for some imaginative builds with a fair bit of combat depth • Every time you think the boss fights couldn't feel more grand, they'll find a way • The familiar swell of boss music at the start of each fight never gets old • The game also contains an entire encyclopedia's worth of lore • You can read up on history, in-world politics, character connections, and more • All of this is presented through a slick in-game UI designed for an attentive, lore-obsessed player • Beyond the dedicated lore section, you'll even find tidbits of worldbuilding in item descriptions • Reading all the lore makes for a wonderful way to spend time with the game when you're feeling lazy I found Final Fantasy 16 respectful of my time, intelligence, and love for videogames as a daring and experimental artform. It's the sort of genre experiment Squaresoft would have attempted in the late '90s, at a time videogame sub-genres were still in their formative years and audiences weren't as scared of stepping out of their comfort zones. It respects the importance of legacy, but understands and advocates the need for progress.

TOP D+

PRETTY INTENSE STORY BRO

This game fulfills the concepts of fantasy and tragedy. I don't want to sound cliche, but the ideas the game explores - the nature of humanity and its existential threats, the concept of fate, the love and tragedies of following religion, and [spoiler]the struggles and inevitable endings of our heroes[/spoiler] - are things we have seen in stories many times. Yet, there is a reason why these ideas are constantly revisited. The creators of this game focus on how to retell them in their own fashion. I believe this game borrows concepts that shows and games like Game of Thrones and The Witcher presented to us. It examines similar principles - political conflicts, the unexpected downfall of a mighty kingdom, and an early ignored true enemy - but, dare I say, tells them in a fresh and special way. It is special perhaps because it is a game, but also because realizing these ideas never gets old. For someone who likes to dissect the philosophical meanings of God, choice, the unnecessary internal conflicts that distract us from the true problems, and the importance of human connections, the game managed to deliver these thoughts through heartfelt emotion and meaningful storytelling. Regarding side content, the sidequests were hit or miss. Most of them felt bland at the start, but progressing further, they definitely got better, though also predictable. A lot of quests were typical: a character has an internal problem, they can't face it alone or are afraid/conflicted, the main character comes in to help, you help them, then they realize their problem and change their perception. On paper, it doesn't sound bad, as it is the fundamental nature of humans and many characters in storytelling, but having so many of these quests makes it a bit repetitive. As for the combat, I believe it is somewhat peculiar. I honestly really enjoyed it, especially with the different types of abilities you can use to construct various builds. Yet, I found a huge problem with balancing, as some abilities are "broken," making other abilities obsolete and decreasing the variety of worthwhile builds you can create. But ignoring the builds and abilities, I can't deny how majestic the fights felt under specific circumstances. I have never felt shivers like this while playing a game; the battles are simply majestic, bundled together with the soundtrack and visuals. Speaking of the soundtrack, I can't emphasize enough how great it is. The tracks feel well crafted in regards to what the world and the game are. For me, it is definitely the highlight of the game and one of the best soundtracks I've ever heard. One thing I hope, if someone reads this review, is that they do not make the same mistake I did - having an incorrect perception of what the Final Fantasy series is, as this game is so different and unique from all the other entries. Simply put it, fights are beautiful, story is epic yet at moments makes you want to cry, soundtrack is amazing.