I bloody adore Final Fantasy, but I'll be the first to admit that I haven't loved the series' modern direction. I'm a diehard turn-based gal through and through, and I've struggled to adapt to the action combat of more recent entries like Final Fantasy 15 and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. I was worried my relationship with the games had run its course, but I've held out hope for Final Fantasy 16. Thank god I did, because I'm convinced it'll be one of the best RPGs we've seen in the last 10 years, and I'm pissed that we have to wait for a PC release.
Playing the demo on PlayStation 5 made me realise how long it's been since I felt so invested in a Final Fantasy game, outside of the critically-acclaimed MMORPG variety. It sounds daft, but I was worried it wouldn't feel like a Final Fantasy game. But it does. It really, really does. While the demo is only a snippet of the first two hours of the game, it's Square Enix's best attempt yet at blending traditional series staples with modern gameplay to reel in a new audience.
