Final Fantasy XVI PS5 Review

Final Fantasy XVI PS5 Review – Square Enix’s RPG Series Like You’ve Never Seen It Before

Final Fantasy XVI introduces a protagonist with a name as unremarkable as Cecil from Final Fantasy IV, but its gameplay is anything but ordinary. This instalment blends unexpected elements that transform the long-standing Japanese RPG series into a full-fledged action RPG, all while preserving many beloved features of the franchise.

Final Fantasy XVI shines through its compelling narrative and well-developed characters, set in valisthea, a world inspired by Medieval Europe. Despite Clive’s seemingly ordinary name, he plays a crucial role as a royal entrusted with protecting his brother, Joshua. The game features massive protective crystals and magic users known as Bearers, who face discrimination due to their abilities. Eikons, the game’s version of summons, involve characters transforming into these powerful beings—called Dominants—and Joshua is one such individual. The theme of war permeates the game, and the British voice acting stands out with a variety of regional accents, complemented by some of the series’ finest music.

From a storytelling perspective, Final Fantasy XVI offers something entirely new. Despite the presence of magic and monsters, the narrative feels more grounded, with mature themes woven throughout, including occasional nudity and strong language. The dialogue includes some colourful language, but it doesn’t feel forced or excessive. The script uses strong language thoughtfully, ensuring it fits naturally within the story without overwhelming the dialogue. Clive, meanwhile, spends much of the plot as a seasoned adult rather than a teenager or someone in their early twenties.

Final Fantasy XVI features intricate lore that can be challenging to follow, but the game addresses this with the brilliant Active Time Lore function. This feature provides quick access to information during story sequences, making it easy to refresh your memory or learn new plot details, enhancing your overall understanding.

The game offers a main storyline alongside numerous side quests, ranging from mundane tasks to more engaging mini-stories. Some side quests delve deeply into the characters’ backgrounds, offering some of the most rewarding character development, while others are less engaging and are simply boring fetch quests. The dark fantasy setting is fully utilized, with open environments that encourage exploration beyond the main path. This serves as a good substitute for the lack of a traditional explorable world map. The detailed towns, villages, cities, and gothic landscapes evoke the atmosphere of titles like Castlevania or Devil May Cry. Engaging in optional challenging timed combat trials, side quests and optional boss fights, the gameplay can extend up to 70+ hours for the most dedicated player.

Combat represents the most significant shift in Final Fantasy XVI, resembling Bayonetta and Devil May Cry more than previous entries in the series. The action is intense and fluid, with minimal downtime aside from cooldowns for special attacks. The combat system includes a dodge manoeuvre similar to Bayonetta’s Witch Time, where time slows after a perfectly timed dodge. Parrying is straightforward, executed by pressing the attack button just before an enemy strikes. After dealing enough damage to larger and tougher enemies, they become staggered, allowing Clive to unleash powerful abilities without restraint, dealing even more damage. Healing potions are readily accessible and can be assigned to the D-pad for quick use during combat, though they are also available through traditional menus.

“The Eikon abilities offer a wide range of effects, from rapid strikes to impressive, screen-filling attacks.”

Combining attacks in Final Fantasy XVI is immensely satisfying. Smaller enemies can be juggled, magic spells cast, and special Eikon abilities—some of the game’s most powerful moves—deployed for extra damage, crowd control, or breaking an enemy’s will more quickly. While it’s difficult to go into specifics about Eikon abilities without spoilers, they offer a wide range of effects, from rapid strikes to impressive, screen-filling attacks. Later in the game, Limit Breaks become available, similar to the Devil Trigger in Devil May Cry, enhancing Clive’s speed and power while also restoring some health.

The boss fights in Final Fantasy XVI are exceptional, a hallmark of the series. While many bosses are fought alongside Clive’s companions, the most dramatic encounters often involve powerful transformations. These battles are visually spectacular and can sometimes be overwhelming for the eyes, but they deliver a truly impressive experience.

Outside of combat, Clive’s equipment and abilities can be customized, and weapons and accessories can be crafted or enhanced. Completing battles and quests earns ability points, which can be used to acquire new moves or enhance existing ones. Mastery of abilities unlocks new potential combinations, and there’s also the option to reset ability points and redistribute them as needed. As you progress, new elemental abilities become available, encouraging experimentation with different loadouts. However, the lack of elemental weaknesses for enemies—a key RPG element—is oddly missing, raising questions about Square Enix’s decision to omit it.

Another potential downside for some is the absence of a traditional party system. Allies fight independently and cannot be controlled, healed, or equipped with new weapons or gear, and they are invulnerable to defeat. The only character under direct command is Clive’s loyal dog, Torgal, who can be instructed to attack and heal Clive, but he also acts autonomously. Additionally, the game lacks a Devil May Cry-style performance system, which would have been beneficial given that experience and item rewards seem tied to battle performance, as suggested by the tutorial.

Visually, Final Fantasy XVI offers two modes: Graphics and Performance. While Performance mode aims for higher frame rates, it suffers from flaws that negatively impact visual quality. Although Graphics mode runs at 30fps, it provides a more consistent frame rate, making it the recommended choice for the best overall experience.

Final Fantasy XVI has a few shortcomings that may not sit well with all. The shift towards action-oriented gameplay, the lack of elemental damage, and the absence of a party system diverge from traditional RPG elements, which might not appeal to some long-time fans. Additionally, a minor design flaw towards the end of the game may extend playtime but lacks logical coherence. The toughest difficulty level is only unlocked (as a part of New Game Plus) after completing the main story, which could leave those seeking a greater challenge dissatisfied with the default settings. The game doesn’t present much challenge on the default difficulty, with potions being fully replenished when you die and checkpoints are even present during boss fights.

Final Fantasy XVI PS5 Review Summary:

Overall, while not perfect, Final Fantasy XVI represents a successful reinvention aimed at attracting new audiences. While it diverges from traditional Final Fantasy elements, its appeal to fans of action games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta is strong, while action RPG fans should also be satisfied. The combat, though not as deep as in the aforementioned games, offers a satisfying blend of fluidity and complexity. Long-time fans may also appreciate the fresh take, with its engaging story, memorable characters, and richly detailed dark fantasy world.