As one of the most anticipated titles of the year, Final Fantasy XVI is a welcomed new entrant into the Final Fantasy franchise.
A rich, dark storyline, coupled with high-octane combat and an endearing cast, makes it an essential gaming experience.
The first twenty minutes of Final Fantasy XVI can be summarized in one word – spellbinding.
Two staples of the Final Fantasy franchise, Phoenix and Ifrit, are tumbling through an endless sea of caverns, launching fireballs and dashing at each other in visceral detail. The reason? Who knows.
But an orchestral symphony bellows at every corner. Phoenix drifts across the screen like a kite. Ifrit is on a rampage. My eyes dart to every corner of the screen to capture the detail, but it is impossible.
The expectation for the game to keep this momentum going feels impossible. And yet, moments later, two other goliaths, Shiva and Titan, battle across a barren wasteland of armies. The level of action and detail this game starts off at is simply out of this world.
Set in the medieval-inspired world of Valisthea, Final Fantasy XVI is a story of war, magic, revenge and redemption. It circles around magic, those who wield it, and those who control the wielder.
The people of Valisthea have relied on the magic of the Mothercrystals for generations. But as this power begins to wane and as a mysterious blight sweeps the lands, war between nations seems inevitable.
Central to the conflict are Eikons, powerful magical forces that control specific elements. Eikons reside in hosts, known as Dominants, who will be reborn if and when their host dies.
You play as Clive Rosfield, a nobleman and sworn protector to his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of Fire. As tensions around the world mount, Joshua becomes a crucial military chess piece in defending the Kingdom of Rosaria from other armies and rival Eikons.
But tragedy strikes early, sending Clive and his beloved homeland into a downward spiral. His royal titles are soon replaced with the brand of a slave. His ability to use magic is now seen as a curse.
All sense of purpose seems lost - that is until a chance encounter with an old friend forces Clive to confront his haunting past and, more importantly, forge out a brighter future for himself and other magic-bearers around Valisthea.
Revolutionary combat is a slice in the right direction
Like many die-fans of Final Fantasy, a part of me longs for the franchise's older, nostalgic turn-based combat. But even purists of the cause cannot deny the sharp execution and ambitious direction of XVI’s combat.
When first seeing Clive, you’ll initially feel meek and small against the backdrop of such utter carnage. Shiva’s pillars of ice rain across a canyon. Blood splatters are dotted across the ground. Every second cut-scene sees an axe fly into something.
These harrowing sights are uneasy – until you experience what Clive is truly capable of. He is a weapon of destruction.
Even at Level 1, his ability to execute his enemies with a sword in hand is nothing short of remarkable. Using abilities that stem from his brother’s Eikon, Clive can 'Phoenix shift’ through swarms of men like a ping-pong, bouncing across the map in quick succession.
Controlling him is relatively straightforward, too; button-mashing the square button to chain a series of melee attacks and pressing the R1 button at precise moments allows him to parry attacks. Pressing Triangle charges magic, used early on to remind you of the fantasy setting.
But as the game progresses, Clive’s arsenal of magical abilities evolves exponentially. While his sword is still useful, it may not actually be his greatest weapon yet. I won’t spoil the context of how he gets these powers, but suffice it to say Clive will have access to a multitude of elements, abilities, and powers, allowing for much greater creativity than the demo or trailers of the game leads you to believe.
The morals of magic: a blessing or a curse?
Clive's prowess with a blade is in stark contrast to the personality and feel of the character, at least in the beginning. And in this fashion, FFXVI travels back to familiar territory.
Let’s be honest, Final Fantasy is laden with stoic, cold, and deflated heroes, only to rediscover their 'mojo’ as the story progresses. Do we really need another one? I feared the worst when starting XVI, hungering for some fresh approach to the archetype. And Clive sticks the landing.
His story is shared among so many people across Valisthea. He is a bearer, after all, a person who can wield magic without the use of crystals. And the brand etched across his cheek mean he can never hide that fact. Despite his noble upbringing, he is essentially a nobody and, thus, someone we can all root for immediately.
His underdog status is helped in no small part by the cultural war across each nation on the ethics of magic bearers. In the holy Empire of Sanbeque, for example, their magic-wielding Dominant is royalty, treated with reverence and fear, but ultimately still used as a tool of war.
In other lands like the Iron Kingdom, which we see in the opening scenes, Dominants and bearers are slaves, ridiculed, abused, and beaten, and their unimaginable power is seen as heresy. They are seen as expendable. Clive is unmistakably expendable.
Some normal folk are sympathetic to the plight of bearers. This subtext is heightened by the discovery that using magic will eventually petrify the user, and while most slave bearers are forced to use their gifts for the temporary comfort of their master, they are slowly dying away.
This caveat is a driving force as to why Clive and his allies are finally fighting back - to create a world where they decide their own fate in life.
A merry band of allies & villains
Speaking of allies, what Final Fantasy character would be complete without its supporting cast? And with XVI, there are some definite scene stealers.
A standout character for me is Cidolfus "Cid" Telamon. As the leader of the Hideout, Cid plays a vital role in organising and protecting bearers across the continents. Played by Ralph Ineson, he brings a wealth of humour to the game that is sorely needed. Trust that he'll always have a one-liner to mellow Clive’s altogether serious demeanour.
While it does take some time for leading lady Jill to find her voice and come into her own, her personal story of redemption is another game highlight, reminding us that while Clive is a highly capable soldier, he needs all the help he can get to achieve his goals.
Depending on where you are in the world, you may be joined in battle by Cid, Jill, or an array of other helpful allies Clive meets on his travels. I found these served no real purpose on the battlefield, as anyone else on your screen during a fight amounts to the scenery. This feels like a missed opportunity, given how important party dynamics have been to the franchise to date. There is one exception to this - Torgal.
As animal sidekicks go, Torgal wins any and all contests. He’ll play an instrumental part in how Clive fights, shadowing him at all times, throwing a well-needed heal, or ravaging enemies throughout your combos. This wolf has been by Clive and Jill’s side since the very start, and as time proves again and again, his bite is much worse than his bark.
But what are heroes without their villains? Luckily for Clive, XVI has these in spades. There are at least five nations, after all, and more than one Eikon whom Clive has a bone to pick with.
Benedikta Harman is by far the most polished. Voiced by Nina Yndis, she is a character you’ll love to see but hate the thought of fighting her. I hope you survive.
Battling Eikons lead to some of the most exciting and intricate boss scenes imaginable, where you’ll be in a constant struggle to sit back and enjoy the spectacle, only to jolt back into action when the battles continue. I suspect these fight scenes will surely be the water-cooler moments that will flood Twitter in the coming days.
Accessibility & challenges
Regardless of your skill level or familiarity with action RPGs, FFXVI is a game that wants you to succeed. There is no right or wrong way to play.
The game has two modes to pick; Story or Combat, which can be swapped at any time and emphasizes the respected elements of the game. Equipping certain accessories can also customize the difficulty of fighting even further and fit your individual play style.
Equipping Ring of Timely Focus, for example, slows down enemy movements before an attack, allowing Clive ample opportunity to dodge. Ring of Timely Healing will see Clive automatically use potions to restore health, etc.
Stuck on where to go? Pressing the L3 stick in will ask Torgal to guide you to your next destination (a feature I promise you'll use on more than one occasion!) An 'Active Time Lore’ feature also allows you to pause a scene, where the game will then fill you in on the who-is-who with little lore entries. With over 2,800 lore entries and a steady stream of new faces every couple of chapters, it’s a vital tool you should use to appreciate the unstable political climate of Valisthea.
That’s not to say FFXVI isn’t without its challenges. Hunt boards in the game task you with taking out formidable, optional bosses. A myriad of side-quests will entice you with extra gear, upgrades, and character lore. An arcade mode (with a leaderboard) will provide an opportunity for additional bragging rights.
Finally, once you complete the game, New Game+ mode unlocks, offering a brand new challenge to the story with monster placement adjustments, difficulty, and more rewards and upgrades, too.
A modern twist to a classic formula
Overall, FFXVI is a triumphant entrant into the pantheon of Final Fantasy games. A darker storyline around magic and destiny will grip players right from the beginning and keep them guessing right up until the credits roll.
The world of Valisthea is beautiful, detailed, and complex, with forests and marshlands, sandy deserts, and blight-infested wastelands all vying for your attention. High-octane combat tests the mettle of the PlayStation 5 to its core, where every skirmish loads instantly and looks and feels like its own epic encounter.
If you’re still on the fence, my advice is simple - play the demo.
You’ll have the game’s opening chapters to experiment with and a minute taste of what to expect. If there’s even a hint of curiosity from that, then XVI is an altogether essential gaming experience for you.
Final Fantasy XVI is available to play on PlayStation 5 from June 23rd
