With Final Fantasy 16 set to launch tomorrow, and the game being one of the hottest releases and exclusives for the PS5, we thought our readers must be thinking what the critics are saying about the title. Therefore, if you want to read up on all the critic reviews before the game’s launch, you’ve come to the right place! Here’s the Final Fantasy 16 reviews round up.
Final Fantasy 16 Reviews Round Up
Metacritic, Opencritic (Mighty)
A Fiery Encore
Regardless if FFXVI is your first Final Fantasy game or you’re returning to the series, Square Enix’s latest game in the franchise lives up to the hype. Forget about JRPG’s or how action-RPGs nowadays need an open world, side quests that last for ages, co-op or whatever gimmick. FFXVI just throws all that out of the table and proves a tightly woven narrative-driven game –when built right — can make up for all those.
The minor issues the game has doesn’t detract from the incredible experience Clive & Co. bring to the table. Players will be treated to a compelling tale, stunning visual spectacles, and a fluid and fun combat system. What’s even more impressive is, Square Enix manages to make the franchise “grow up” alongside the players who grew up playing the series. FFXVI deals with more mature themes and manages to make it matter without being overly preachy about it.
Those looking for the series’ return to glory, rejoice! Final Fantasy XVI is that game, and this is one fantasy you’ll want to make sure you’re a part of.
Final Fantasy 16 will very likely be looked back upon as a turning point for mainline Final Fantasy games, taking its combat fully in the direction of an action game, but I hope that conversation doesn’t overshadow its dark and captivating tale, memorable characters, and the innovative ways in which it helps you keep track of it all. The Active Time Lore feature is incredible, and should be standard for all story-driven games going forward, and while the combat may not live up to the sky high standards as some of the best games in the character action genre, among other action RPGs, it’s near the top of the heap. Pair all of that with one of the best soundtracks of the year, incredible performances from top to bottom, and drop dead gorgeous visuals, and you’ve got a game worthy of an orchestral Final Fantasy victory fanfare.
For me, FF16 was able to excel in many of the most important aspects of what video games mean to me – and because of that, I found it hard not to love in spite of its shortcomings and foibles. If someone were to offer me a laundry list of faults, I’d probably acknowledge them all with a “Yeah, that’s fair”. I can see these issues, acknowledge them, and even share frustration with them – but ultimately not find them detrimental to the parts I adore. Padding, RPG depth, quest design, the bizarre lack of a mini-map, and all those other nagging criticisms be damned – this game is special.
Final Fantasy 16 is an incredible action game with blockbuster visuals and music, but there’s a very real sense that it’s missing some of the series’ RPG identity at its core. To play this as a straightforward action game with little deviation is to have an amazing experience, but if at any time you feel inclined to stop and smell the roses of Valisthea, you may be found wanting.
It’s difficult to judge a Final Fantasy against the crystalline legacy of its predecessors. But Final Fantasy XVI takes a confident step into new territory and doesn’t slip. And for those who want an impressive, electrifying, enjoyable action RPG to sink hours upon hours into, you’d be very hard pressed to find a better option than Final Fantasy XVI.
With more than 65 hours of FFXVI behind me, I still have a lot to do beyond the story, and I’m glad my time with Creative Business Unit III’s latest isn’t at its end yet. FFXVI has some of my favorite moments in modern Final Fantasy, but its lows threaten the pace at which they arrive. I wish FFXVI’s various elements were intertwined more seamlessly. Still, when I look back at my time with Clive, his friends, his enemies, and Valisthea, it’s those highs that I vividly remember. FFXVI is very different from its predecessors, but in many ways, very familiar; And it’s still a Final Fantasy, through and through, reminding me why I love this series so much.
Final Fantasy XVI is an outstanding achievement. Every part of it, from its characters to its combat, was put there with a purpose. Not only does it deliver satisfyingly slick action RPG combat in between masterfully directed cutscenes, but also a story with real heart. Most importantly, it’s incredibly clear that a team of creative individuals was behind every decision. There’s a human element that permeates every aspect of Final Fantasy XVI, and it’ll end up becoming a lot of people’s favorite Final Fantasy because of that.
Again, FF16 is on some level a playable deconstruction of the traditional hero yarn – its plot painstakingly explores how the urge to fight everyone’s battles for them may disintegrate into egotism and even callousness, bred of thinking the world is yours to save. But the game’s insistence on playing out the hero fable regardless is having your cake and eating it – certainly, it doesn’t take 50 hours to grasp this morale. And while Final Fantasy 16 is perhaps the state of the art for real-time Final Fantasy combat, its dreary sidequests and slight excess of worldbuilding leave me reluctant to fire up New Game+. All told, I still prefer the older Final Fantasies, which also trade in stories of heroes averting the apocalypse, but always place those heroes second to the party.
It’s the kind of gamble that Final Fantasy has happily made in the past so that the series may reinvent itself to execute the type of story its creatives want to tell. Time will tell if Final Fantasy 16 pays off, but history certainly supports it.
When I hear the new renditions of the Crystal Prelude and the original Final Fantasy theme, I look back at the franchise’s rich history and realize just how much of an impact it’s made on me and countless others. There are eras of my life that have been defined by Final Fantasy games and my connection to them. Having seen FFXVI all the way through, I’m happy to include it alongside some of my all-time favorites in the series. It’s heartening to see that this bold approach to both story and gameplay is now part of that legacy, expanding the definition of what a mainline entry could be. It may fall short in some respects, but it should be celebrated for its most stunning moments and the characters who embody them. FFXVI succeeds and earns its place within the Final Fantasy pantheon as one of the great entries, and does so on its own terms.
Very little gets in the way of the success that Final Fantasy XVI creates. The strength of combat on top of a compelling, deep narrative steal the show. Despite little need for world exploration and the occasional lower resolution texture, Final Fantasy XVI stats true to the namesake while forging its own path forward.
With an incredible score, an enthralling story, and an eccentric and electric gameplay approach, Final Fantasy 16 is, quite simply, a modern masterpiece.
In FF16, Clive, Cid, and the others ultimately derive their power from the same mysterious origins as the crystals themselves. To complete their objective, they need the very thing they seek to destroy. And so too does FF16 need that history, those traditions, leveraging some even as it drives a dagger through others. That is the duality of the game. A dichotomy at the heart of its structure, its triumphs, and its failures alike. It’s a fascinating piece of work, a wholly imperfect but nevertheless enthralling experience.
At its best, Final Fantasy 16 is a jaw-dropping epic of rarely seen proportions. It’s pretty much the pinnacle of cinematic spectacle in modern games, and its often gripping, emotional story is only matched by its fantastic combat system. While its overall quality does dip outside of the main plot, this is still a must-play action RPG, and the best single-player Final Fantasy in over a decade.
Final Fantasy XVI is a bold and ambitious new vision for the franchise, that succeeds on almost every level.
That sums it up. Let us know what you think about the critic scores in the comments below, but it sure it looking good for Square Enix. For everything else related to Final Fantasy 16, stay tuned to MP1st!