Square Enix's latest attempt to alter the baseline of what Final Fantasy stands for is respectable, but ultimately Final Fantasy XVI is another of many recent flops (I use that word very loosely here) showing that the series has strayed too far from its roots. The darker tone of the story and the heavily action-oriented combat may have appealed to many new fans of a new generation in its own right. At the end of the day, however, the game itself is just a generic action title that arguably should not have carried on the Final Fantasy name into the future.

Visuals
The graphical fidelity of FF16 is top tier, showcasing the detail of characters models and environments and stunning lighting effects. Overall, the game is a treat to the eyes that is representative of the modern era of video games. The Eikon battles in particular make you feel the full force of how much of a visual treat the game proves itself to be. Whereas the art direction is well polished, some areas of the world feel underwhelming, with limiting interactions or exploration to match their level of detail.

Voice Acting
Although I found myself not really attached to any of the characters due to the subpar quality of the story, I like to give credit where it's due. The voice cast gave some compelling performances, especially where emotion was necessary to carry the weight of certain plot points. Clive's voice actor, while his voice may seem "generically mature protagonist-y", does fit well to the darker tone of the game and never "overplays" his part. The characters may not be interesting, but the performances do help to keep the player's attention on everything that's going on within the narrative.

Eikon Battles
After slogging through the many unnecessary and often pointless cutscenes, I always found myself waking up slightly whenever it was time for a Eikon boss battle. The gameplay itself may have been less engaging as I would have liked it to be, but again, the combination of the visual spectacle and intense music with grandiose action sequences was one of very few highlights of the game. The lack of challenging gameplay and boring quick-time events were a letdown, but when looking at it from a mere simplistic standpoint? Quite enjoyable.

Linearity
Open-world does not automatically make or break a game, but FF16's overly linear structure makes the game feel incomplete. There were open "zones" that felt so limited in scope when compared to the likes of its predecessor Final Fantasy XV. The main story path is filled with set pieces for the sake of making you feel like you have a choice to go here or there, but in hindsight you quickly realize you're placed in a tunnel of predictable and restricted sequences.

Gameplay for Dummies
Even without the special accessories, the game is a chore - an easy one at that. The expected appeal before launch was "DMC-esque high-octane action combat", but therein lies oversimplified mechanics and zero depth. Having the ability to control only a single character (Clive) is not the issue here. Players are only given a handful of flashy moves that quickly become repetitive with the goal being to just wail on health sponges to get to the next obstacle. Final Fantasy XV received similar criticisms in its heyday, but there was a balance: while combat could seem repetitive at times, FF15 also had challenging enemy AI, party coordination, and the need to "think" in combat: all of which FF16 severely lacks in every aspect.

RPG Progression
...Or lack thereof. If one is even slightly familiar with other RPG games (past or present), it doesn't take long to realize there is really no sense of progression in FF16. Gear customization and deep skill trees are arguably mandatory in RPG games, and here we find they are sorely absent. Upgrades and crafting weapons are bare minimum and have no real impact to gameplay, and the numbers are there again as set pieces to make the player feel a sense of progression. True Final Fantasy fans will quickly find themselves yearning for a system similar to the likes of the Sphere Grid from FF10 or the License Board from FF12.

Generic Storytelling
Few months after FF16 launched on console, I was wondering why no one was raving about how great the story was. There was nothing to talk about. Nothing special. Nothing extraordinary. They tried to mimic the likes of Game of Thrones and had their fingers crossed that the medieval fantasy approach would appeal to a wide audience. Themes of political warfare and betrayal were a great start, but eventually disappeared into thin air and did not really matter anymore as the story took a turn for the worst and focused on the predictable plot points. With a severe lack of focus and impactful twists, the story can be summed up in one word: forgettable.

Final Verdict: 6/10 D+
Final Fantasy XVI had just enough intrigue for me to push through and finish it to the last, but I am reluctant to even call it a Final Fantasy game. Call me a purist, call me a hater; but as it stands, I would not recommend this game to anyone, especially if my goal was to get them into the Final Fantasy series. There are many more FF fans out there who are far more well-versed with the series than I am, but I'm 99% certain they would probably agree with me that FF16 is not the first game that would commonly be recommended. It wouldn't even be the second, third, or fourth game tbh to recommend to someone who is excited to get into the series for the first time. Hard pass on this one.

The future of Square Enix - and I daresay the future of Final Fantasy - is bleak.

[UPDATE] Dec 27, 2024

Fix the loot.


12k queue at launch? Forgivable. I don't even remember waiting.
Broken website? Overlooked, it'll be back up in time.
MTX coins still pending and nowhere to be found on my account? No worries. Probably processing.
All of these things trivial in the face of the quality and fun factor of the game.

In the language of the hardworking folks over at IGN...
Ubisoft? A shadow of its former self 7/10
FFVII Rebirth? Lazy multiverse storytelling and not faithful remake 7/10
IGN? Dying wannabe game journalists 7/10
DA Veilguard? *slow clap* accomplished peak wokeness in gaming 7/10

Path of Exile 2? GOTY 2024. Undeniable fact. 11/10
In honor of the transition from POE1: "If it ain't broke, don't fix it"