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.
