Final Fantasy XVI is the latest core entry in the beloved JRPG franchise, receiving universal critical praise across the board.
Despite ongoing success with Final Fantasy XIV, the most recent MMO, the series as a whole has somewhat fallen by the wayside. Generally speaking, the demand for JRPGs in Japan, along with interest in consoles for AAA experiences has largely dwindled, and more global competition than ever in the genre has given Final Fantasy a lot to answer for.
The last core entry to grace the franchise was none other than Final Fantasy XV (2016), which had an incredible promotional campaign that included a feature-length CGI film, an Audi R8 directly inspired by the Regalia, a limited anime series, and more. A title that was 10 years in the making, XV gave players a massive open world to explore, but with content that felt barren in comparison to other titles in its genre.
Now more than ever, Square Enix and fans have placed their hopes and dreams of the future of the franchise in the hands of Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), the director and executive producer of Final Fantasy XIV, to deliver the next core entry that is Final Fantasy XVI.
Final Fantasy XVI returns to a classic medieval setting that embraces many of the series tropes, particularly the focus on a war between nations that hold power over magical Crystals. Guardian Forces return in the form of Eikons, and Chocobos help characters traverse the land.
As of the time of this post, Final Fantasy XVI is averaging over 85 on Metacritic, the site known for aggregating reviews across the world’s most reputable authorities and critics. This figure is shared by other titles like NieR: Automata considered one of the greatest games of all time.
In general, critics and content creators have praised the title for its dark, mature story and setting, powerful world-building, masterful voice acting, graphics, cinematics, and thrilling combat. Like the more recent entries in the series, Final Fantasy XVI embraces the Western-style action-oriented combat in a package that manages to still feel unique.
The only real criticisms thrown at the game so far are based on its reliance on traditional RPG elements with a lack of deeper customization, slight issues with framerate, and the standardization of side quests.
- Read more: PlayStation Exclusives Are No More
At the moment, Final Fantasy XVI is a PlayStation 5 exclusive, but the odds are almost certain that it will receive a PC port later down the line.
Final Fantasy XVI is an action role-playing game developed by Square Enix Creative Business Unit III and released exclusively for the PlayStation 5 on June 22, 2023.