FINAL FANTASY XVI

Great game, but this port is extremely unpolished. Major issues with lag during cutscenes and framerate drops in a few areas. There is a unoffical patch which helps with these issues somewhat, but does not fix them entirely. However, would reccomend if these issues are fixed in the future.

The side quests are mostly boring; there's a few standouts, but it's mostly just "There's a merchant being held up by bandits (or monsters), gotta help em out!" kinda thing, or the occasional "Hey Clive, I know you're busy saving the world, but you need to go find me some cooking ingredients by killing X mobs and picking some flowers. Thanks b**ch). The main story has its moments, but I never really got into it, either. It feels like they wanted this to be Game of Thrones really bad, but they copied season 7-8, instead of season 1-6. It gets better near the end, but I was around 40 hours in before I was actively interested in some of the things happening. Aside from 2-3 songs, the soundtrack was basically forgettable (which is unfortunate for a Final Fantasy game). 99% of the loot in the game is worthless. You get tons of crafting materials you'll never use. If you get a new weapon or piece of armor, you're not using it very long, and it's usually a miniscule upgrade that you barely notice. The game gives you party members sometimes, but it still feels like Clive (and sometimes Torgal, your wolf) are the only characters in the party. Characters like Jill etc are there, but you don't equip them, you don't give them commands, you don't level them; they just kind of exist for cut-scene purposes now and again. The game has some high points for sure, but there's just more meh/middle-ground than anything imho. The combat can sometimes be fun, but often feels like a slog when you have to fight an enemy that has a ton of HP; the fights aren't even hard, they just take forever. Same with the Eikon battles; they look really cool sometimes, but they're ridiculously easy and they take forever. The entire game is basically an extremely forgiving action hack'n slash with cut-scenes between fights. During my entire play-through I never died a single time, or really even came close. I know other people have fun with the game though, so obviously everything here is just my opinion. Watch some game play videos for yourself and if it looks interesting, buy it, but I suggest getting it while it's on sale so you don't feel let down like I did. For the TLDR people; Some pros. The graphics are nice. Most of the voice acting was pretty good. I like at least half of the characters I'm forced to interact with. I can pet my dog. Some cool cinematic cut-scenes here and there. Some cons. Lackluster combat. Mostly forgettable soundtrack. Painfully boring/repetitive side quests. Party members that don't effect anything outside of cut-scenes. Pointless loot.

[b]Final Fantasy XVI: A totally chill game that definitely didn’t emotionally ruin me[/b] Let’s get one thing straight: [i]Final Fantasy XVI[/i] delivers an unforgettable experience — gripping narrative, fast-paced combat, devastatingly good soundtrack, and emotional storytelling that will (without question) hit you at least once per hour. Maybe twice if you’re soft like me. [b]But before I spill the tea — please read this![/b] I gush about the [i]story, combat, characters, soundtrack and DLC vibes[/i] — but there are [b]no major spoilers[/b] here. No key plot reveals or twists. Just minor details, personal reactions, general impressions, and emotional chaos. If you’re suuuper spoiler-sensitive, be aware that there may be [b]light story hints[/b] and descriptions of the game’s vibe, but nothing that would ruin the experience. Enjoy ♡ [b]Story & Setting:[/b] At the heart of [i]Final Fantasy XVI[/i] is [i]Clive Rosfield[/i] — the kind of protagonist you want to squish and protect ಥ﹏ಥ. A tragic event tears his world apart, and he’s left with grief, guilt, and a burning desire for answers and revenge. What follows is a years-long journey through the war-torn land of Valisthea, where realms fight over dwindling magical resources called [b]Mothercrystals[/b]. These towering, glowing crystals are the source of the world’s magic — and everyone’s desperate to control them. Each realm also has its own [b]Dominant[/b], a chosen person who houses a powerful god-like being known as an [b]Eikon[/b]. Clive’s story is full of political twists, shocking reveals, and deeply emotional moments. He starts as a broken man seeking revenge — and slowly becomes something more. It’s dark, mature, and genuinely moving. [b]Combat:[/b] This ain’t your classic turn-based Final Fantasy. [i]FFXVI[/i] dives headfirst into [i]real-time, action-heavy combat[/i]. You’ll be dodging, slicing, combo-chaining, and launching giant Eikon powers like a total legend. It’s stylish, punchy, and satisfying — especially when you pull off those perfect dodges. But the REAL combat highlights are the [b]Eikon battles[/b] — battles where you take control of these god-like beings and wreak havoc on the battlefield. Those battles are CINEMATIC. CHAOTIC. AMAZING. They feel like boss fights from a final movie act — and I loved every second. Plus, the game includes some nice accessibility options (for example, items that make dodging or healing easier) so you can focus on the fun without feeling like you’re stuck in a rhythm game from hell. [b]Side Quests:[/b] Mhm.. side quests. I completed all of them. I went in thinking, “Oh, this’ll be chill.” Wrong. You start off delivering meals and end up sobbing over the state of the world and people’s lives. Some aren’t just regular side quests — they deepen the lore, expand your understanding of Valisthea, and give humanity to the NPCs — they’re worth doing. No regrets. Except the emotional damage. Thanks, Square Enix. I didn’t ask to feel this much, but here we are… [b]Soundtrack:[/b] Masayoshi Soken didn’t compose music. He [i]summoned feelings[/i]. From haunting piano themes to thunderous orchestras, every note ties directly into the narrative. Certain tracks hit so hard I started tearing up before anything even happened on screen. Each Eikon fight has its own track and every one of them goes hard. Battle music? Bangers. Quiet scenes? Beautiful. The soundtrack is permanently lodged in my brain and probably in my next therapy session too. [b]The DLCs:[/b] I jumped into both DLCs — [b]Echoes of the Fallen[/b] and [b]The Rising Tide[/b] — and yep, turns out I wasn’t emotionally safe after the credits rolled. [b]Echoes of the Fallen[/b] dives into the darker corners of Valisthea’s lore, and gives you some great items for NG+. [b]The Rising Tide[/b] is visually stunning and emotionally brutal — oh, and the end boss? Let’s just say I screamed, ripped my hair out, smashed my controller in the most dramatic way possible, made a weird sound I’ve never made before, and then had to sit in silence for a minute. That being said, the DLCs are definitely [b]worth it[/b] if you love the game‘s world and want more, but they’re [b]not necessary[/b] if you just want to focus on the main story. Personally, I enjoyed them a lot, but those opinions may vary! ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ [b]Final Thoughts[/b] (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶) .ᐟ.ᐟ As a longtime Final Fantasy fan, I’m baffled by the hate. Yes, it’s different. But it still has the soul of the series: iconic characters, incredible worldbuilding, emotional weight, and a story that punches you in the heart over and over again. Could the combat outside of Eikon fights use more variety? Sure. But I was too emotionally wrecked to care. I was locked in — sobbing, laughing, yelling. Clive’s journey? Beautifully tragic. The side characters? Layered and unforgettable. The lore? Addictive. The soundtrack? Hurt me. The vibes? Immaculate. All of this adds up to one of MY [b]all-time favorite[/b] gaming experiences. I’m still thinking about it daily, planning my next NG+ run on Final Fantasy Mode, and convincing my friends they HAVE to play it. This isn’t just a game for me — it’s a beautifully wrecking ball of storytelling, spectacle, and emotion — and I couldn’t love it more. Also, my screenshot folder is on the verge of collapse. I physically cannot go five minutes without hitting the capture button because [i]everything[/i] in this game is gorgeous. The lighting, the characters, the landscapes — even the emotional devastation is beautifully rendered. Square Enix didn’t have to go this hard but they DID. This game gave me trust issues, existential dread, and a deeply unhealthy emotional attachment to several characters. The story slapped, the combat slayed, and the soundtrack personally dragged me into the abyss. I laughed, I cried, I questioned my life choices, and at one point I may have yelled “NOOO” at my screen while sobbing and sniffling so loudly I sounded like a broken vacuum cleaner. I went in expecting cool swords and pretty graphics, and left with emotional trauma, four favorite characters I can never emotionally recover from, and a playlist that makes me cry in the shower ദ്ദി( ╥ ᴗ ╥) Would I recommend it? [b]Absolutely.[/b] 10/10 story. 10/10 emotional damage. Would let it destroy me again.

The criticism surrounding whether this game is a “true” Final Fantasy or not is pointless. A game with this level of quality, its combat system, characters, story, and soundtrack deserves to be praised as one of the best in its genre. If you're looking for a traditional JRPG with deep character customization, this might not be the right game for you. But if you want an action packed experience in the style of Kingdom Hearts, paired with one of the most beautiful stories in the entire Final Fantasy series, I highly recommend it.

*＊✿❀　❀✿＊* This was an awesome ride. It’s a long game, but absolutely worth every hour. The only small downside for me was some of the sidequest, they can feel a bit repetitive, but that’s easy to overlook considering everything else the game does right. What really stood out to me was how alive the characters feel. ღ Their relationships are genuine and grow naturally over time. There are no sudden shifts or forced drama; just pure, emotional storytelling. Watching them develop, especially the main cast, was truly rewarding. Musically, FFXVI is nothing short of sublime. Masayoshi Soken’s score doesn’t simply accompany the story, it elevates it. Each piece is deeply emotional, majestic, and timed with perfect precision to enhance the drama, the quiet sorrow, or the soaring triumph. It’s a soundtrack that resonates, echoing the emotional highs and lows of the journey. Visually and musically is on another level. It's not just a highlight of the franchise. It’s a reminder of how powerful video games can be as a form of art. I’d love to keep writing about this wonderful game, but honestly, words don’t quite do it justice :) ˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚

The characters truly shine in this game, and I find myself holding onto each of them even after finishing. The story and game play are a lot of fun, even if I maybe didn't enjoy some of the side quests as much. Clive's big beautiful chest also contributed to my overall enjoyment. 10/10

Side quests feel like a boring waste 90% of the time but the rest of the game is a masterpiece.

Final fantasy killing it again with its stories. FFXVI is such a good story, no spoilers but i cried like a baby at the end. Beautiful graphics, some of the most beautiful that i've ever seen as of writing this. FFXV used to be the most graphically beautiful game for me but this one hit it out the park. Stylistically speaking this game is much dark in the environments as it's technically part of the lore, completely linear, and feature a more hack and slash type of combat, with a lot of emphasis on parrying and counterattacking. The game is rated R and it definitely shows in the story. It's absolutely amazing that a mainline final fantasy tells such a mature story. You can tell from the get go when they show the very first fight in the game where it's all blood and gore in the battlefield that this isn't your usual final fantasy experience, and it's so nice for a change. The music is absolutely phenomenal, the composer, Soken, absolutely killed it with many of the songs and i've added around 30 songs to my playlist to listen to it at all times. They range from epic orchestral grandeur symphonies with huge choirs for important battles to relaxing flute, piano and violin forest, big field songs, ethereal out-of-this-world borderline experimental magic themes or just a EDM Devil May Cry-esque metal song with choir chants. It really shows why it won best music score on the 2023 game awards, absolutely deserved award. The amount of hours i've spent taking pictures of this game is insane, i've used photo mode so many times because every single landscape is absolutely beautiful and i couldn't stop myself. I've taken around 300 screenshots of the game. I love it. Some of the side missions are a little annoying, like some fetching quests, but others are absolute and pure cinema and definitely add a lot to the lore and worldbuilding, especially the ones from early and end game. The gameplay adds a lot of variety of builds to work with, whether you want a build that's focused sorely on damage input after staggering opponents, or go for a full counter/parry build or style around people with different combo enhancer powers, or just a little mix of every single one. Every single main fight in this game are some of the most iconic and memorable fights i've ever played in a videogame period, every fight is iconic in its own way and after you finish you will definitely remember them all with clear detail which goes to show how memorable they are. After finishing the game there is a NG+ that adds a couple of new enemies to the normal fights as well as some unique moves to the bosses, a new endgame weapon, and overall a fun challenge for people that want to keep playing the game. The game lasted around 100 hours for me for each playthrough. If you decide to get this game, please get the DLC. The dlc adds around 15 extra hours of play and it features not only some of the most beautiful landscapes and music, but also some of the best boss fights in all the game, which definitely made it in my top 3 of best battles in the entire game. It adds a new map, new weapons, new bosses and a brand new expansion on the story. I really would like to get into more details but i don't want to spoil anyone new to the game playing this. If you're a new fan, you'll love this game. If you're an old fan that wants to give a chance to one of the new non-turn-based FF games, you'll have a blast. I think that everyone should experience this story, it has become a must play game that i'll recommend everyone that's looking for games with amazing stories. 10/10.

After playing FFXVI I'm surprised by how much hate I see about it. I didn't have much in the way of issues with performance, it may have been worse on release which was a common complaint, but I do have a pretty good PC so that may also be a factor. Another common complaint is the sidequests are boring and I fully agree. Knowing the team that made this game is the same that made FFXIV (CBU3 in Square Enix) it fits, and is a complaint I have about that game as well (one of so many). The sidequests are very much 50 variations of "go pick 1-3 flower(s) across the continent and maybe fight something that's in the way" and it's unfortunate. They also tend to give you a ton of these sidequests while a world-ending threat has just appeared that you were on the way to deal with and it definitely breaks the illusion of tension and the pacing of the story. Honestly the game would be better without the filler content that was added for time. I did all of these - excluding some of the Rising Tide sidequests - and while some were good, I think most were just added to pad the playtime of the game. There's only so much "Hold [X] to pick up flower" I can do before I start to lose it CBU3, I've been doing it for XIV years now. But the rest of the game is very well put together. The combat is very fun, you can tell it's very Devil May Cry inspired and you can configure your primal powers however you want, from having a bunch of flashy moves to a classic Zantetsuken "I win" button that I never get tired of using. It's not particularly hard on the first play through (on action focused), there were a few times I died on some major story fights but deaths are extremely forgiving. The DLCs are a little harder than the base game, but nothing crazy. New Game+ may be a lot harder, but you have to complete the game once to get there if you want the combat to be more difficult. The story is very fun too, a dark fantasy twist on the Final Fantasy formula while using the primals/eikons as a sort of mecha anime thing, it gets as ridiculous (in a good way) as you can imagine. It's fairly predictable story wise, but that's alright in my opinion as it just is very fun. While I still wish they'd make another lighter turn based FF, the action is very good in this one and I didn't bounce off of it like I did for XV. Overall very fun game. I really hope that Square/CBU3 take the criticism for the game seriously, but also think it gets way too much hate.

Very good story, acceptable gameplay

Looks incredible and the combat is satisfying just unequip all the assist items in the beginning. The story is mid at best the writing feels rushed imo. Get ready for alot of cutscenes (you are more watching than playing it feels like) The rpg elements are non existent there are no elemental damage multipliers or debuff stats to worry about. i personally enjoyed it for just playing through the story. i did skip all the sidequests except the ones that give you permanent extras like bigger potion inventory etc. they are marked with "+" on the map.

It's a good game, solid game in the franchise, but it's nothing "groundbreaking" for the mainline title.  ‍  As of writing this, the year is 2025. I would assume most Final Fantasy franchise fans either played it or crossed it as "won't play" already. I think [b][i][u]for an "outsider", it's a great game[/u][/i][/b]. Story and political narrative have very nice exposition, characters are very well written. Combat is engaging when you're fighting bosses, but it shows some cracks when you're just mowing through "trash mobs". The biggest downside is the equipment system, to say it's linear, sadly would be an understatement still. I won't touch on optimization, since I didn't have any issues or it just didn't bother me enough. Don't get me wrong, even the points that i did praise have their "low points" and cracks. But they're definitely far far from causing me to call them "bad". And as a side note, just so you, dear reader, who maybe never played a Final Fantasy game. get a clear picture- you don't need to play other Final Fantasy games to understand it. It's rather self-contained.  ‍  But, if you're ARPG/Hack and Slash fan who wants to buy this game just for the combat- i don't think there is enough of it there to justify it [strike](at least full price)[/strike]. If you don't really care about the story, you just won't have fun sitting through hours of story exposition and fighting trash mobs over and over again. On the other side- if you're somebody who cares mostly about the story and wants easy but still fun combat, i don't think you'll have fun in this game either. The combat [b]is[/b] fun, but mostly when it challenges you. I can see it easily getting boring when you play on "easy mode" and you press the same one button over and over, while being unable to die.  ‍  It's a bit of an obvious point that will apply to all games, but it's really... [i]icky[/i] thing for that game, at least for me. That point being: [b]I would consider picking up this game [strike](again, full price)[/strike] only if the combat looks fun to you, and you think you'll enjoy the story. If either element doesn’t interest you or you don’t see yourself enjoying it, i would probably hold off with purchase.[/b]

Would highly recommend this game now. I remember hearing about this game when it first came out and got the feeling it was mixed, mostly from performance I think. Well after sinking some time into it I can say this is one of the best Final Fantasy games I have played and it keeps me wanting more. The battle mechanics are great and I love all of the abilities you can use and link together. The story keep me engaged and captivated by this realm and it's happenings. Though the side quests can be repetitive and very MMO like, I personally enjoy the little side stories they bring and some even gives me a greater bond with some of the characters you meet and interact with. Overall if you're new to Final Fantasy I would definetly reccomend this game, and if you're an older fan and don't mind action style combat then you'll also feel at home here as well. Even if you don't feel you'll like it I ask that you at least give the demo a shot and see what you think! Happy Gaming!

The game keeps crashing on a high end PC. Before the 10 hour mark I had only 1 crash, after that the game crashes every 5-10 minutes, during combats, dialogues, cutscenes. I tried every fix I could find Online, tried the fan patch, put every setting the lowest possible. Absolutely nothing works!! From what I've seen, the actual games seems great, but I can't play for more than 10 minutes, it's absolutely dispicable that they don't even try to fix the port.

The secound best Final fantasy game i have ever player, good story, good game play, drags a bit at the end.

So, i bought this game a while back ago, however, i couldn’t get it to run in my pc . it will crash on the very first cut scene. I have a 4090 so to say it was a bummer is very little, after some troubleshooting and some digging i discovered that the game was optimized very poorly and other users where having the same problem, so i ended up requesting a refund. Now after a while, i am going to buy the game and tested it out, lets see if they have finally made the proper optimizations 🤔. I will update my review later on

Love these games but massive problems with this PC port with multiple players saying that it messes with your screen set up which is a fact. You shouldn't walk away from a game for 5 minutes to learn that it's completely dropped monitor 1 from windows requiring a restart.

This is my first time leaving a game review on Steam. FF-XVI is my new favourite FF (my previous favourite being FF-IX). It's a big departure from what you'd normally see in a FF game - gritty, bloody, manyyy curse words, sexual themes, etc. I liked seeing Clive's and other characters' growth arcs, how their relationships with each other changed over time. Perhaps it's partly because I'm close to Clive's age, but I enjoyed the maturity of the characters and it was a breath of fresh air (most protagonists in the FFs I've played have been quite young). I've not played an FF in English since FF-X as I usually prefer JP VAs as I find them better. I was quite pleasantly surprised by the quality of all the VAs, even the smaller NPCs at the markets or guards in towns. I appreciated the consistency of characters from the same regions bearing similar accents, like Barnabus and Edna. The scripts flowed well and was a joy to go through. One of my favourite parts of the series is that FF-XVI isn't afraid to show male characters crying or expressing their emotions. It makes them relatable and human. The way it's been portrayed throughout the game has been masterful and touching. SPOILERS ---------- There were a few minor gripes for me: 1. Odyn's fight - I wish it was more awe-inspiring and gave a bigger sense of danger or difficulty. Compared to fights with Titan and Leviathan? It was kinda lacklustre. There was barely any Eikon vs Eikon action. It's mainly just Clive in semi-prime fighting Odyn in semi-prime or primed form 2. Barnabas and Clive chat - When Barnabas parted the ocean with his sword and came down to speak with Clive, Barnabas was talking for so long. Way too long. 3. Jill's history with the North - In the Rising Tide DLC, Jill mentions the North a few times and how Mysidia reminds her of her past. It'd have been good to explore more of that.

Final Fantasy 16 has some of the most insane boss fights . The first part of the game is some of the best story telling. It has some low points in the story where it feels like it is slowing to a crawl then that final fight just fits perfectly. It took a hour to finish the final fight alone. I would say if you like final fantasy I would try this one

This was my first Final Fantasy game, and I'm so glad I tried it out. I love so much about this game- Its characters, gameplay, story, music, themes, pretty much all of it. I did all the Sidequests in this game, and while some were kinda tedious, I didn't mind because I loved learning more about the world and moments of downtime through them. And while I agree the action gameplay could be improved, I still had so much fun with it. What I appreciate the most about this story is its themes. One of the big ones being Liberation. I have heard that people say that the story "pivots", gone from [spoiler] Liberating slaves to typical JRPG defeating god, [/spoiler] but that's where I disagree. For what is [spoiler] Defeating a god if not a slave liberating themself from their master on a cosmic scale? [/spoiler]. There's so much I'd like to talk about, but it's probably best I do that on my own time. I love this game and highly recommend it to my friends and anyone else interested.

At the beginning of the game the game is very good but in the middle part of the game it becomes very boring,the garphics are great,but the game still needs some optimizations because sometimes {e.g. leaving a cutscene} the fps drop by a lot even in high end pcs like mine.

Edit: Nvm its good I was cranky. This game is such mediocre dogwater. Performance is terrible, runs like shit after 30mins-1hr needs to be restarted. Missions are a snoozefest. Sidequests are useless and repetitive MMO style. Combat is literally clicking 1 button. Everything is so slow and boring. Main character is cringe as hell, side characters are all so damn boring. The only interesting thing about this game is the music. Overhype trash.

Don't let Final Fantasy "fans" gaslight you into thinking that this game is bad or the biggest piece of bs that has ever been made. The game, while not a masterpiece, its very good. Sure, the game has its flaws, the pacing being the one that annoyed me the most. But for every flaw the game has, it has something that made this journey very enjoyable, the boss fights for example, which has some of the best boss fights I've ever seen in this medium, the buildup, the presentation, and the soundtrack just blew me away every single time. I can see why people that grew up with this series may not like it, but as someone that DIDN'T grow up this this franchise, I found the game to be VERY VERY enjoyable, and if you are on the same boat as me, I'm sure you'll enjoy this experience as well. *note: Performance may be inconsistent at times. I had to use the performance mod to get stable a stable frame rate, but sometimes the game would still stutter in some areas, plus I'd get some huge drops in some areas or CUTSCENES that required me to change the resolution, then change to my native resolution again or straight up go to the main menu, and the open my file again. I don't recommend that you play this game with anything under 8GB of VRAM if you want "decent" performance, heck I wouldn't even call it "decent", just "playable". I've seen people complain about crashes, but my game only crashed once in my entire run (although, some of the frame drops were so bad that i'd consider them "crashes", so that would pump that number to 5 or 6). So, while I DO recommend the game, if you own a PS5, you are better off just getting the game on that console. Regardless of your build, this game just seems to be a headache to get running consistently... reviewed with: RTX4070m, Ryzen 7 7840HS, 16GB DDR5

I finished my first playthrough of Final Fantasy 16 after roughly 80 hours of playtime. This includes both DLC's (The Rising Tide and Echoes of the Fallen) as well as all side quests and hunts (however i did not get all achievements yet). It was an overall great experience with stunning graphics, an amazing soundtrack and an emotional story. I am currently on my second playthrough on NG+ FF-Mode. Here's a breakdown of the most important aspects the games has to offer: Story: - the characters are quite well written, but since the gameplay focuses on the MC Clive Rosfield, i did not get quite the emotional attachment to other characters that i had in previous FF titles - the world building is great and the game offers many opportunities to explore the lore, characters, setting and the politics -> there are many ways to reread and re-experience the core moments of the story - the way the story ended left a lot of space for interpretation which i am not a huge fan of tbh Gameplay: - unlike other FF games, FF16 focuses on action based combat -> it's basically just spamming an insane amount of abilities and combos to defeat your opponents - with dodging, parrying and blocking to avoid getting damage -> i enjoyed the action packed combat and it definitely feels more modern and up to date compared to the older FF titles which are turn based (which has it's own unique charme) - i think elemental strengths and weaknesses would have been a great addition though -> this would make the gameplay more strategic and less repetitive - there are many ways to explore the combat by using all sorts of combinations to switch between espers and their magic spells which is great - crafting: i's basically just super useless, you press one button and that's it. - dfficulty: due to the focus on cinematics and story, the gameplay feels way to easy for the most part. it is no challenge to beat the game even without the noob accessories (ring of timely evasion etc.) - Esper fights: they are definitely some of the best highlights in the game which makes the game stand out. They almost feel like Titan battles in Attack on Titan Side Quests and Hunts: - the side quests (except the ones that reward you with items or treasures) are one of the biggest weaknesses in my opinion -> the sides are just fetch quests with a lot of yapping from the npc's -> there are a few good side quests which add a little bit of lore about certain characters but most of them just feel like any boring anime filler episode - the hunts however are a great addition to the game -> every hunt is like a mini boss and some of them (especially the S tier ones) are even stronger than some of the main bosses in the story! -> the hunts also reward you with a lot of gil and sometimes even crutial items for crafting -> they can be quite a challenge if you unequip the noob accessories DLC's: - The Rising Tide was a great addition to the game with a lot of extra lore and a whole new place to explore -> the final esper fight against Leviathan was quite challenging and is one of the most memorable fights in the entire game -> it's a must play if you enjoyed the rest of the story! - Echoes of the Fallen was good as well but it wasn't quite as interesting as TRT in my opinion -> it's a must play as well, but it falls short in terms of story, lore and characters compared to TRT -> the fights were pretty cool NG+ and Final Fantasy Mode: - new game + offers a way to experience the game again with all unlocked abilities and weapons - it gets unlocked once you beat the game in regular diffculty (action or storymode) - you can activate FF-Mode which is basically the "hard mode" in NG+ only Summary: It's an overall great game and i would highly recommend it to players who enjoy an action packed RPG with stunning visuals. It is different from the older FF entries, which is totally fine in my opinion. 9/10 experience for me personally :)

I expected more from this game, as the story is pretty much the same as it always is, and the combat is repetitive and unrewarding. The amount of cutscenes is absurd, especially when it fails to pique the players interest. Finished it only to see if the ending justified the rest of the game and was still disappointed.

This game is not Final Fantasy. It has more in common with devil may cry or God of War. There are essentially Zero RPG elements. It's simply a spectacle fighter with an final fantasy coat of paint. It's a middling spectacle fighter.

I really want to like this game but god is this poorly optimized. In 11 hours of gameplay I had at least 6 crashes. I can't play the game and I have a strong PC. Like game just crashed during me picking up a side-quest. I'm sure that this is a great game but optimization is horrible, I don't want to download 3rd party programs to make this game run properly. During cutscenes FPS is non-existent. Horrible.

Sorry I really tried, but this game feels like SE tried to make something new and just couldn't deliver on it. Game play was soo bad, combat system was extremely stale and repetitive, no matter how many upgrades you get you are still doing the same attacks. Plot was a mess, I get that FF games are usually a little out there but this one was just boring, I liked Clive but it was incredibly confusing to keep up with all the locations and alliances. If you wanna play a good FF game try FF6.

Full action Final Fantasy game with amazing cinematic Eikon fight and soundtracks Too bad the game is still not optimized for PC, game can get pretty lag at some point

nope, great boss fights and cinematics. However it's paced so poorly. For me the combat was repetitive. Amazing story but the game was made by an MMO team and it shows with the very poor pacing and fetch quest padding. It does lack most JRPG elements as well but that's not a complete turn off for me. I really did enjoy it until the hide out became a thing. It goes like this, Awesome fight, awesome story, standstill pacing, exposition dump, followed by another awesome hit of joy. But it's just not challenging and the side content is lacking. Also no real endgame content on the vanilla version. I'm happy if you enjoy it because it does have awesome potential. But there's just too many flaws that messed with my immersion and ability to be committed to the story.

Final Fantasy XVI Review - Two Years Later! I wanted to write this review on the eve of it's two-year anniversary. I was truly captivated by Final Fantasy XVI, particularly by its darker, more mature narrative. The story delves into complex themes of power, betrayal, and sacrifice, creating a gritty atmosphere that sets it apart from previous entries. For example, the intense scenes involving the political machinations and inner conflicts of the characters amplify this darker tone, making the story feel both compelling and emotionally charged. The character development in the game mirrors elements from Game of Thrones, with deeply layered characters navigating morally ambiguous situations. Clive's transformation from a driven soldier to a more layered and conflicted hero is particularly admirable, reminiscent of the nuanced character arcs seen in the iconic series. The intricate relationships and betrayals further add to the realism and depth of the narrative. Visually, the game is breathtaking. The attention to scenery and the action-packed graphics are nothing short of spectacular. Each environment feels alive and meticulously crafted-from the lush, vivid landscapes to the detailed cityscapes. The dynamic combat sequences are fluid and exhilarating, making every boss fight feel epic and immersive. The visuals truly elevate the gaming experience to a cinematic level. The voice acting also deserves praise. The cast nailed their roles, bringing authenticity and emotion to every line. For instance, the lead's somber yet fierce delivery during pivotal moments added weight and engagement, pulling players deeper into the story. I loved Final Fantasy XVI so much that I initially played it on my PS5, enjoying the base game, the DLC, and even trying out New Game+ to experience the story from a fresh perspective. Its immersive world and engaging gameplay left such an impression that I recently re-bought it on Steam just to stream it and share my philosophical input on the game's themes, characters, and narrative intricacies. It's rare for a game to inspire such a dual-layered experience for me. However, the game isn't without its flaws. One area where it struggled was in the direction, likely affected by the studio's simultaneous development of two AAA titles. It sometimes felt like the game's pacing and narrative focus were compromised, with certain sequences feeling rushed or underdeveloped, hinting that the studio's priorities might have been split. Overall, Final Fantasy XVI is a visually stunning, narratively rich, and emotionally resonant experience-despite some developmental challenges. It's a must-play for fans of darker stories and epic adventures.

Game... run... poor... FPS... all.. over... place... in... menu screen... Wait it works n... no... still... bad... All jokes aside, this is the last Final Fantasy game I ever buy. If SquareEnix is comfortable releasing a game that can't runs on lowest settings on a rig that can play Monster Hunter Wilds at 4k (one of the most unoptimized games of 2025) then I am comfortable putting them on my list of shitty devs. This is the worst purchase I've made in a very long time.

really good story with bland gameplay. eikon fights are cool spectacles but the gameplay aspect is even more lackluster. combat did get a lot more fun after unlocking the fifth eikon but thats 25 hours in. pacing can also be really slow at times. the story is worth it tho i was super invested

I want to preface this review by saying this was my first Final Fantasy game. That bit of context is important because based on my understanding, FF XVI represents a pretty big departure for the series in terms of core gameplay with a number of series staples such as party members and turn-based combat being absent. All this is to say, I can't speak to the appeal Final Fantasy XVI does or does not have to long-time fans of the series, but I can speak to what about this game appealed to me, a new player. I was drawn to Final Fantasy XVI primarily for its world and story; from the outset, Square Enix hyped up XVI as being a darker, gritter, more adult entry in the Final Fantasy franchise, and on that front, Square really delivered. Valisthea is a deeply political game in its construction, full of Machiavellian intrigue and maneuvering armies vying for control over the realm's ever-dwindling resources. Valisthea is powered by the Mothercrystals, massive crystal formations that are the source of the world's magic. The people of Valisthea are entirely dependent on magic for their day-to-day lives, but as the crystals' power has begun to wane, an all-consuming blight spreads across the realm, consuming everything in its path and rendering more and more of the realm uninhabitable. This plunges the kingdoms of Valisthea into a war for the realm's remaining land and resources, and central to their plans are the elemental gods known as Eikons, and their human avatars, known as Dominants. Eikons are essentially weapons of mass destruction, their use in battle a harbinger of incalculable devastation; a single Eikon can lay waste to entire armies, or turn a capital city into a smoldering crater, and as such, the kingdoms of Valisthea teeter on a knife's edge of mutually-assured destruction. In this sense, Valisthea can be viewed as an allegory to the real world: The mothercrystals and the magic they provide represent fossil fuels. As more and more of the crystals' magic is used up, the blight that begins to consume the world represents climate change. Finally, the terrible power of the Eikons and Dominants can be viewed as a stand-in for nuclear weapons, their use in battle becoming ever more likely - despite the terrible cost - as resources deplete and nations grow desperate. This is the backdrop against which Final Fantasy XVI takes place, and if that premise sounds cool to you, there's a good chance you're going to like this game. It certainly sounded cool to me, which is why I decided to pick this game up. One big advantage of Final Fantasy being an anthology series is that it gives Square the freedom to take big risks with their characters, and it's this risk-taking that imbues Final Fantasy XVI with a real sense of danger and stakes. Nowadays, most franchises are content to tell bland stories with established characters who are never in any real danger. However, with an anthology series, where you know you're never going to revisit this world or these characters again, you have the freedom to do whatever you want, and Square's willingness to take the plot armor away from its characters really established Final Fantasy XVI as a "game for adults" in my eyes. To be clear, characters you have come to know and love WILL die in this game and it WILL bum you the hell out. I've honestly come to love it when a game bums me the hell out. because at least it's making me feel SOMETHING, in an age where most media is so bland and overly-cautious that I come away from it feeling nothing. Seriously, the characters in this game are truly excellent, you will have deep, poignant moments with each of them, and these moments feel earned and built towards, and that's what kept me going in the times when gameplay became arduous and monotonous. And yeah, this game can be a bit of slog sometimes. To start, side quest design is probably the worst I have ever seen in any video game ever. For real, the side quests in this game are awful, you can skip basically all of them: the set-ups are boring, the gameplay never ventures beyond your stock-standard fetch or kill quest, and the loot you get out of them is next to worthless (here's 100 gil and an amulet that reduces a single ability's cooldown time by 1.8 seconds). Unless you're a sicko like me who has a compulsion to clear quest markers off a map, there's really no reason to do ANY of the side content in this game with the exception of maybe 2 questlines. Some of that boring, uninspired side quest design seeps its way into the main quest as well, and that's when this game can become REALLY arduous. I think Square Enix *knew* that the quest design in this game was bad because they actually lean into it for comedic effect later on: towards the end of the game, you carry out yet more fetch quests for an NPC, only for that NPC to be like "by the way, when this is all over, I'm going to destroy my life's work and bury the schematics so that it can never fall into the wrong hands! :)" as just a huge middle finger to the player, like the developers were saying "yup, you just totally wasted your time IDIOT!" I can appreciate how Square Enix had a sense of humor about their game's shortcomings, but I think I would have appreciated better side quests even more. FF XVI has this quasi-episodic structure to it, with the rogues gallery presented to the player in a serialized, "villain of the week" format. This is both a strength and weakness, as it allows each villain to get their moment in the spotlight and helps the game's chapters feel distinct, but the drawback is, you don't even meet the game's main villain until about the 15-hour mark, and only start interacting with him directly at the *40-hour mark*. A main villain who by the way is easily the least interesting of the bunch. The fact that it takes so long for the game's main antagonist to be properly introduced and even longer for his plan to come into focus makes this game feel meandering at times, and while I felt the story as a whole was very strong, it did lose a little focus at the endgame. The game's pacing has been likened to a see-saw, with each chapter beginning with mundane busy work and culminating in those big, marquee boss fights. I didn't mind this pacing but I can see how it's not going to sit right with everyone. The way I like to put it is, Final Fantasy XVI is a game that is constantly "zooming out" and enlarging in scope, right up to the end credits; the early game is defined by Clive's PERSONAL quest for vengeance, the middle game zooms out into the POLITICAL strife of Valisthea, and the end game zooms out yet again into the METAPHYSICAL realm of gods, prophecies, and a battle over creation itself. That last "zoom out" is where the game becomes a little unwieldy, and in my view loses some of that tight allegorical focus that made the early and middle game so compelling. But, on the other hand, without those big, apocalyptic stakes, is it really a Final Fantasy game? I had some more thoughts but this review actually exceeded Steam's character limit so I have to cut this short, but I've had nearly 3 months to let this game marinate in my brain, and I wanted to make sure that this review was as exhaustive as possible. As much fun as Final Fantasy XVI is to play, it's almost more fun to *think about* and *talk about*. At the end of my 55-hour playthrough, I felt very strongly that Final Fantasy XVI was good, but why is it good? What makes it good despite its very obvious shortcomings? The conclusion I ultimately came to was that this setting, these characters, and this story were all so compelling, they kept me coming back to see it through to the end. At the end of the day I'm glad for the time I spent with Final Fantasy XVI, and if anything about this world or these characters is clicking with you, absolutely you should pick it up, I think there's every chance you're ever gonna have a great time with this one. 8/10

A Game that mesmerizes with its enhanced visuals and phenomenal Fps drops at spectacular scenes that are absolute cinema- as you raise your hands to the sky you notice that you almost forget yourself to press Square repeatedly to win the Cinematic-Clash. The Combat feels as well-oiled as the peerless identically faces of every npc and child, the many Buildings are so Engrossingly Huge that even a nameless unimportant fortress tower above the greatest skyscrapers of our world today- you can barely imagine the size of these important cities that hold treasures of precious ancient materials called Steel silk Spools, unclear of their purpose you reach your count to the thousands without ever knowing what to do with them- but they matter not- no, what matters is to find your flame and become that huge burning Dog of Yore and Punch The Mythic Gigachad’s true form in his Chin. Having acquired our Giantfaced abilities you can enjoy Clives “RoOOOOOoRgh” and “UUURrrrrRGH” voice clips that we Women so desire. Having finished the last of side quests- continuing for the next Main Scenario Quest you get ambushed by yet more to do a beat after- Tedious Tasks with heavy story implications, one feels like not to miss one or be cursed with the bad ending- there are certainly two big DLC’s hidden behind them. As you started to understand the combat better you get these kind of Ultimate abilities you could cycle the cool downs with to have Absolute (Un-)Natural Catastrophes on your screen 24-7, Abilities you gain through a way- the games title could as well been GOD EATER- through gobbleing your way through the ranks until your mind mastered the Cataclysmic cycle of your abilities. You then finally get to hold the sword of Sentzuken in your hand and build up the mighty Zezukiken gauge- abilities that you just need to cram in your rotation because that’s when the Aurafarm gets its peak- soon your goal is to finish every fight with that beloved rainbow-colored Font Sentzukeki 5 star style points; shortly after Yoshi p is wrangleing your throat with the last of its dying race Behemoths to test your Sentsikuken abilities as well as your trigger finger for high precision-high-potion gulping- The story also starts to make more sense? Anyways Brotherly love is just beautiful- as your Phoenix feathered sibling alerts you yet again “There so many Brotha!” knowing he just saying it to increase your Big-Bro Ego as you finally are able to sneeze Zantetsuken in its correct pronunciation to erase any number of foes to 0. Overall I enjoyed the glorified Kaiyu Simulator the most and wish they made a pure Primal/Eikon/Kaiyu Fighting game similar to these Bossfights.

It's a beautiful cinematic game. The story is good, voice acting is top notch. It's more like enjoying a movie with a little game included. Get it during a Sale for best value.

Amazing game but does not work on my computer. If it works for yours, 10/10

I enjoyed the demo and the continuation of the main game. The storyline features unforgettable plot twists and moments. Most side quests are must-plays. However, some of them are really boring, à la delivery service.

Overall i enjoyed the game. I enjoyed the story, the visuals were amazing and i enjoyed exploring its semi-open world. The main problem i see is the game has massive limits for each power. Each power has a choice of 4 abilities that you must select 2 of and you can only juggle 3 powers at once, with a skill tree that's basically just more damage on an ability of your choice. The whole game just feels very repetitive and in the end only the story kept me going as the combat oddly felt really mundane.

Great game and amazing story altough incosistent and mixes badly with side quests, you can go from a very high stake high pressure moment in the story to a laughing and everyone is friends moment in a side quest. on the subject of side quests they all end up being either fetch or kill quests which makes them less enjoyable although some of their stories are absolute gems. all in all it's a very mid-high entry to the final fantasy franchise. overall 7.8 / 10.

Best parts about FFXVI: - Dog - Immersive story and gameplay - Dog - Beautiful Eikons and well thought out Eikon skill trees - Dog - Awesome combat and visuals - Dog - Hot protagonist Worst Parts about FFXVI: - Some tedious sidequests. Reminded me of FFXIV (still worth doing for story building and clarification at some parts though) - Not dog - Some issues with freezing (fixed when set to performance mode) - Not dog - No choice based options for roleplaying (sometimes I wanted to tell people to p*ss off but couldn't.) Overall score: 8.5/10 If you like fast paced hack and slash games you'll like this. If you like the old style turn based FF games, you should probably pass. But if you're open to trying something fresh in the FF franchise then please get it. You won't be disappointed. Also did I mention there is a dog in this game?

This is a badly structured review that's more gushing than critique, written by someone wholly enamoured with the series and this game in particular. To me, XVI is a truly modern Final Fantasy game with its heart and soul steeped in three decades worth of nostalgia. It feels like the FF classics without even remotely looking the part on the surface. I really enjoyed my time with it. It delivered a linear, yet well-paced, cinematic experience throughout with some of the most satisfying action combat in the franchise. That said, I'm also biased as hell, of course, being a long-time fan and all. This game's story soothed a XV-shaped wound in my heart (only to tear it up again, lol). Action-wise, XVI has some of my favourite bossfights in the entire series, I know I'll be coming back to replay them often. That, and cute aggression all the characters, as is mandatory - I don't make the rules. Things I absolutely love: [b] QoL features! [/b] Free on-demand transmog! Story and fights replay! Dramatis Personae and Tomes! Teleport to quest giver! I feel outright spoiled by how this game treats me as a player :3 And Vivian. I love Vivian and reading everyone's thoughts on everything, it's a lot of fun. [b] Farming is not necessary to progress. [/b] I never felt like I hit a wall going into a fight underleveled. Doing all the side quests and bounties as they appeared was more or less enough to keep my head above water during 99% of encounters using my own strength (no rings) and tactics. Some fights have more of a bite to them, in a fun way. You always feel in control of the difficulty and the stakes. That said, the combat is really fun, especially as you get more abilities, so I'm never tempted to skip encounters in the overworld either. [b] The characters and the world [/b] Entirely unsurprising, if not entirely redundant point, but I still feel the need to mention it. The world feels alive, and even the most minor of NPCs have touching stories or "quirks" that progress over time. I always run around the Hideout collecting stories, saying hi to the resident bard, checking on the children and buying rounds to celebrate milestones. Torgal also moves around the hideout and it's adorable. The Boyfriends by the Veil also get a "hi" when I'm in the area. I get that XVI has nowhere near the RDR2's level of NPC involvement story-wise, but it's still very immersive and impactful. There's plenty of unobvious plots and subtextual nods to some of the character relationships in the game, if you pay attention. And, as I mentioned before, the NPCs move and say different things and you complete/quests side quests - so there's technically missable interactions out there for those rushing through the main story, which makes for a shallower experience, in my opinion. A good portion of the worldbuilding can be recovered through visiting the Shelves (and Vivian?) though, I think it's neat when games basically include a wiki within. [b] Cid [/b] Best Cid ever. Absolute legend. Literally. [b] Jill & Joshua [/b] My lovely darlings <3 Turn-based or not, they carry both the Final Fantasy spirit and the heartache. [b] Dion [/b] Best boy. Never did anything wrong ever. Dion <3 (His JP VA also voiced Ravus in XV and when I first heard him speak... [strike] neuron activation! [/strike] immediate closure, I will not elaborate further.) [b] The BBEG [/b] Sublime. The second coming of Sephiroth (with unexpected wet cat energy). Overall, easily in my top three FF antagonists. The whole two things I dislike: [b] The chocobo animation. [/b] I barely ever used the chocobo because there's barely any speed difference, and because the animation loop feels... [i] off [/i], for lack of a better descriptor. I suppose the loop feels too short, stuttery, and clunky overall. [b] Torgal needing a "timely" ring to automate combos. [/b] This is a nitpick bordering skill issue territory, because I don't enjoy "manual Torgal". I just feels like there's already enough buttons to press at any given time and as such I always forget to add him to combos. He's the goodest boy of all though, all is forgiven. Honorable mention: [spoiler] The Leviathan fight was awfully frustrating, in two different phases at that, but namely the Press-the-Attack part which has a timed DPS check which results in a game over if not met. I'm not looking forward to going through it again in NG+ Final Fantasy mode. It's genuinely the only place in the game that took me out of 150+ hours of uninterrupted enjoyment - the time limit is brutal and VERY close, but the rest of the fight is still a lot of fun I'd say. [/spoiler] XVI's story hit close to home for me, and it hit as hard as Final Fantasy game should, even without the aforementioned bias. Playing through this game blind was the best thing I've done all year and [i] I highly recommend it [/i] to any fans of JRPGs and spectacle fighters alike. I was still sobbing when the credits stopped, 100/10 (again). [spoiler] XVI, as expected, also left an XVI-shaped wound in my heart, and, with my tears still wet, I'm already itching to run through it all again in NG+ on higher difficulty and fully in Japanese this time. hoping against hope for a happier ending for my found family in this FF. This series has magic about it that few other JRPGS have and it's not just nostaligia. Plus there's tons of content, albeit mostly in terms of combat challenges and unlocking abilities. I'm very hungry for more FF, so I wish there were more story side quests, despite a single complete run of the game took me 180 hours. [/spoiler] There's no accounting for personal taste, but some of the negative reviews I'd seen baffle me. It's a great game, and a great entry in the series. The English translation and voice acting are brilliant, the kaiju battles are very satisfying- the combat itself has lots of variety and tinkering potential. If anything, it is an amazing story to experience and I highly recommend it.

In terms of enjoyability, this game ranks high. It’s very easy to see some of the DMC mechanics that were ported over to this game such as the staple ‘Jump Cancel’ which elevates this game to a whole other layer in terms of depth and creativity, that being said it has flaws. The character development, or more accurately the ‘lack of development’ towards the more important side characters isn’t surprising, given that Yoshi P managed to do the same with EW and DT expansions for XIV. The soundtrack however is brilliantly composed, and while the dlc’s are okay, parts of the game felt bland. Overall, for a modern FF title, this one is worth checking out.

Good Game. VERY button mashy, and you WILL get tired of the same basic 4 hit combo that NEVER changes the ENTIRE game. Story is nice and dark, involving things that would get me censored for saying on youtube. (Looking at your childhood, Jill) Truly UNBELIEVABLE Eikon fights, but they are pretty rare. All in all, a Good Game.

Great game, great story, and i loved every moment of the game.

Great combat and even greater story! I thoroughly enjoyed this experience and if Square Enix knows 1 thing at expert level, its end bosses and endings - wow wow wow!

Loving it so far. I wish it was more open world, but maybe that will change the further I get into the game.

I'm not even a fan of Final Fantasy and I love it. Pros: - Combo system is smooth, and easily able to be picked up. - Customization with your attacks and how you use them is highly versatile. - Story itself is easy to follow, and isn't in your face the whole way. If you want to learn more you can, and there's a whole mode dedicated to it. - If you want a fully dedicated run that focuses more on the action (Which in turn increases the difficulty) you can do so. - Overall runs pretty well towards the beginning-mid game. Cons: - The DLC adds items that make the early game way too easy, with the items being weapons primarily. - Performance dips now and again in certain boss fights. Not a deal breaker but it happens mid-late game. - Titan combat feels a bit sluggish, and not really polished. Some fights take ages to complete, and this goes for normal fights too. Not enough Jill. Need more Jill. Overall, I recommend.

A little ridiculous in places with some odd bits here and there but with a deep, melodramatic story and plenty of character development. It's a main line final fantasy game. try it.

epic music, insane combat, one hell of a story, one of my fav games of all time