The first mainline Final Fantasy entry since 2016 looks to have been worth the wait, with a refined combat system and a world begging to be explored.
The last time Final Fantasy returned to its roots by leaning into the latter half of its namesake, we got Final Fantasy 9 for the PlayStation One. Not the most iconic instalment, true, but one that in recent years has gained a beloved reputation amongst its fans for how well it hearkens back to the 1987 original; it was darn near swords and sorcery perfection. Fast forward 20 years later and Square Enix has been clear in the lead up to Final Fantasy 16’s launch that this PS5 exclusive has the exact same objective. Only now, in 2023, the high fantasy rulebook has very much been rewritten.
It's no longer enough to have a wizard, rogue and healer in your party and call it a day. Final Fantasy 16 – at least from what I played during my recent six-hour preview session – in both its story and presentation is far grittier in a way that feels appropriate. This is clearly a medieval-esque Final Fantasy game made for the Game of Thrones generation, doing away with lofty sci-fi concepts and boyband protagonists in favour of complex family dynamics, multiple warring factions and characters I actually care about. I found it hard not to be totally engaged throughout, and already I can’t wait to play more when the full game releases on June 22, 2023.
