Disclaimer: This is a special version made for the media to experience, and contents may differ from the final version.
Final Fantasy XVI is a game of spectacle, where nothing else matters except looking cool and feeling great while doing it. The animation and flow of combat both mix to create a feeling of playing a cutscene at any given moment, whether you’re dueling against another human or taking control of a god-sized beast to throw down against another god.
As a Final Fantasy game, the first two hours of the experience are packed with expository cutscenes, but thankfully FF16 takes them at a satisfying pace. It helps, too, that the character writing is solid, making the story you’re forced to sit through entertaining at the very least.
If you’re new to JRPGs, this kind of front-loaded infodumping might be off-putting, but there are plenty of great games that start much more slowly – Persona 5 being a prime example of this – and have still managed to attract a sizable fan base. This storytelling might be slow, but it’s worth paying attention to, as the political intrigue on display sets the tone for a Game of Thrones-style story that is as interesting as it is entertaining.
All it takes is one or two simple scenes, and we’ve already seen a glimpse of all the major players from all six nations in Final Fantasy XVI’s world. These cutscenes promptly and expertly tell us who these people are, what motivates them, and hint at the secrets and hidden motives pulling the strings of our main cast.
Clive, the game’s main protagonist, is pretty instantly a more intriguing protagonist than Final Fantasy XV’s Noctis ever was, with a motivation that seems basic on its face but appears to have a great deal of depth to it. Clive’s motivation may be vengeance, but it comes with a background of internal struggle that is genuinely fascinating and should be exciting to see play out in the full game.
It doesn’t take long before the action starts to ramp up, and you see that all the infodumping was very much worth sitting through. You’ll start by clearing out goblins from an abandoned village, but in a flash you’ll find yourself in the midst of a cinematic clash between two gargantuan gods known as Eikons.
Having played a bit of the game previously, I’m still less than impressed with Eikon battles. They tend to be a bit boring, as the combat is slow and your attacks feel weak. Combine this with the fact that these battles are largely scripted, and it feels very much at odds with ordinary combat, which is fast, flashy, and fluid.
For much of the game, you’ll be playing as Clive, whose sword attacks and elemental powers make him a versatile character to play as. Striking with your sword is at the core of the combat system, but it’s action-packed and fast-paced, with combos and dodges all flowing into one another.
There are also Eikon attacks, which can take a bit of time to charge up, but can pretty much erase a basic enemy. They can also be used to deal big damage to a boss fight, but there’s not a great deal of depth to the system — you just wait for it to charge up and fire it off to deal damage.
That said, the combat system is a lot of fun and is a massive improvement on the action RPG gameplay of the last game. Even basic moves always look great, with gorgeous, vivid effects accentuating movement and attacks, and the combos are packed with style and neat visual effects.
On tougher enemies, though, combat can get pretty stagnant and samey at times. Most fights will eventually lead to a cinematic-like moment, which plays out a sequence where your input into the combat is very minimal, like a button press or a few button mashes. They help break up the monotony a little bit and go a long way to emphasize crucial moments in a battle.
Linear level design also helps keep the pacing of encounters interesting, as does a wide variety of enemy types to fight against. It prevents you from settling into a rut, and the only time you really get to let loose is in the open areas, which let you roam freely and complete quests, fight tough enemies, and find useful items.
I didn’t personally get bored of the combat in the four-hour hands-on session, but it’s hard to say how it will come together for the full runtime of the game. The addition of new elements and enemies throughout could help it from getting too repetitive, but we won’t know for sure until we get stuck into it.
Overall, Final Fantasy XVI has a lot to like, but a lot to be wary about. There’s definitely plenty to look forward to, but some aspects like the Eikon fights throw up some concerns. The narrative looks to be the best in the series for a long time, and there’s a great deal of momentum that makes it all feel interesting and fresh. It’s early days for now, but so far the signs are looking good for something special.
FINAL FANTASY XVI © 2023 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.
Written by Oliver Brandt and Ryan Woodrow on behalf of GLHF.
