Game review. Final Fantasy XVI begins a new era – I’m really happy about that

After my predecessor disappointed me recently, Final Fantasy XVI has rekindled my love for the series. The game does a lot of things differently than you’re used to, but it’s about time.

With “Final Fantasy XVI,” Square Enix has truly entered a new era. An era that puts more emphasis on work without forgetting where you came from. Long gone are the turn-based battles that typified Final Fantasy and that made parts 6-10 in particular absolute classics in gaming history. Instead, all sword slashes, magic attacks, and evasive maneuvers now require a much longer reaction time.

In fact, the innovations are so amazing that Final Fantasy 16 has the potential to become one of the most controversial parts among fans. In my view, it’s clearly one of the best titles ever. This is because Square Enix and developer Creative Business Unit III not only created an epic fantasy adventure, but also brought a political environment to the ground, which greatly increases the tension. It may not be to everyone’s taste, but for me it was more attractive and exciting than the recent releases in the series.

New winds in history

While die-hard fans may struggle, Final Fantasy 16 really tries to keep the familiar elements but give them a modern twist. Nowhere is this more evident than in history. What at first looks like a simple revenge story starring Clive Rosefield develops into a long journey to restore power to the people.

It is a tale of unforgettable heroes and villains in a land of rich history. Its ingredients still feel like they’re part of the series’ core, even if it has obvious inspiration from, say, Game of Thrones. Creatures referred to as summons in previous Final Fantasy games are now called Eikon. These are huge fantasy creatures that certain people, called dominants, can transform into.

The entire story is set in Hollywood style and told to players with incredibly beautiful video sequences. In the first few hours of gameplay, you should be ready to see more scenes than you actually play. But you never get bored, because the video material is shown epically, as if you were actually sitting in the cinema.

Easy to learn, hard to master

As mentioned earlier, Final Fantasy 16 now looks more like a modern action game. This means that you usually combine several powerful attacks and spells and dodge enemy attacks at the right moment. It looks simple and it is at the beginning of the game. However, as time goes on, how you develop your character and what skills and items you prioritize becomes increasingly important. Depending on the preferred playing style, the whole structure is played more and more.

It helps to only focus on one character with this development. It is no longer about micromanaging, healing and polishing an entire party like its predecessors. The focus is entirely on the main character and still provides more than enough opportunities to vent, evolve and try out different modes. Yes, the role-playing elements have been somewhat deprecated. But if you remember how many items you used to carry unnecessarily throughout the game, this is not a big deal.

Boss fights are the absolute most important

Then the game’s new identity also gives the boss fights a much better flow. Gone are the days of watching helplessly as a dominating villain launches an attack that threatens to wipe out the entire party. Instead, in time, an attack can be dodged or averted.

You can practice this a lot from the start. Every so often, you come across mini-bosses, which are as impressively staged as many video sequences are. And so it fits well into the general picture only if you can also use special “cinematic” moves in these battles that do not complicate the whole scene, but give it more excitement.

Boss designs are consistently great. And if sword fighting wasn’t enough, you’ll be happy with Eikon’s fights at the latest. Clashes between superior classic forces will be impressive enough as pure spectacle. But when a player is allowed to participate, it’s hard not to be completely enchanted.

Get everything graphic

Technically, Final Fantasy has always been pushing the boundaries of console graphics, and Part 16 is no exception. The graphics are gigantic and evoke everything from the current Playstation 5. Performance hits its limits in places, but rarely is it really annoying.

Given the level of detail and scope, and the fact that there are almost no loading screens, it’s no surprise that the frame rate is inconsistent. But performance issues aside, Final Fantasy 16 is lush, full of vibrant landscapes and amazing, beautiful environments.

The soundtrack perfectly complements the lauded gaming experience. It doesn’t matter if it’s quiet, soulful moments or the most epic battles, everything fits in the soundtrack.

And so in short, “Final Fantasy 16” is not only one of the best parts of the series, but also one of the best games of the year. The developers decided to release the latest branch only on Playstation 5. It’s a big problem for all owners of old consoles, but this was the only way the game could be organized in such a gigantic way and the fans earned it even more so after the recent parts.