Finally Fantasy XVI is a 2023 fantasy game that is the latest installment in the Final Fantasy series, produced by Square Enix. The initial release was exclusively for the PS5, with a PS4 version coming out later and a Windows version in production. The game follows the story of two brothers, Clive Rosfield (voiced by Ben Starr) and Joshua Rosfield (Jonathan Case), as they battle the rulers, monsters, Eikons, and gods of the six nations within the twin continents of Valisthea. The game is played in the third-person perspective with detailed options in the character menu, including a dynamic and functional map. While the game began concept development back in 2015, COVID-19 did impact production and promotion of the game. This review will contain spoilers.

The game was directed by Hiroshi Takai with producer Naoki Yoshida, artists Hiroshi Minagawa and Kazuya Takahashi, creative director and lead writer Kazutoyo Maehiro, composer Mayayoshi Soken, and battle designer Ryota Suzuki. The game was intended to fall under the dark fantasy category to have a broad appeal to larger audiences. The game overall received positive feedback and reactions, with only certain dedicated fans of the Final Fantasy series taking issue with the lack of role-playing elements, even though that was done away with previously. The game had minor technical issues for some players and updates continue to come out. There are talks of some DLC packs to be developed to provide some closure for the fans who did not enjoy the openness of the ending.

There are no major bugs or issues with the game, as the team took time with the development to ensure quality for fans. However, some plot information is lost from the Japanese to English translation, despite developers suggesting players play in English. During the development process, they heavily debated which form of combat to select, settling on action-based despite traditional fans preferring turn-based combat. This decision greatly enhanced the battles and allowed for players to really feel the intensity of Clive’s feelings and drive to fight. The setting choices were inspired by the classic Final Fantasy games, focusing more on fantasy rather than science-fiction. There was an evident difference between detailed cut-scene quality and minor character cut-scene interactions, but it did not take away from the plot lines being represented. Though it may not have been as evident as intended, there were a large amount of deeper meanings within the game for viewers to ponder. For example, Clive and Dion (Stweart Clarke) were meant to represent Light and Dark; the crystals were a representation of fossil fuels; the Dominants and Eikons symbolizing weapons of mass destruction.

Within the game, generally between large plot story-lines, are subplots and world building quests that dive deep into the lives of those living on the continent and give players the opportunity to level up. It is highly recommended for players to take the time and complete each side-quest to gain skills and upgrades to assist with high-level battles. There are also monster hunts that provide large amounts of XP and crafting materials for better armor and weapons. At the end of the game there are a series of side-quests, before the final story-line, for players to somewhat wrap things up with the characters they’ve come to befriend. Ensure that you complete all of these quests as they are important for the development of the story. Begin with Joshua’s, Torgal’s, and Gav’s (Christopher York) side-quests in order to unlock Jill’s (Susannah Fielding), then complete the rest with Joshua and Jill as members of your party. All of these quests are exceptionally emotional, so be prepared to cry. During battles and side-quests you’ll notice a beautifully sounding score that elicits emotion in players. Take time to appreciate and listen to the score as the time and care that went into its creation is evident in how it sounds.

The plot of the game is too vast to explain in detail, but it was exceptionally well written and the characters were developed to completion. The delivery of the plot, however, was slow for non-dedicated Final Fantasy fans. In order to tell a successful story, information must be provided in a timely fashion to create interest in those playing. While the game was exceptionally long and had plenty of time to develop the story, having some more information towards the beginning would have been beneficial for players who have never touched a Final Fantasy game before. The ending also is extremely open-ended, something that non-dedicated fans are not used to and somewhat frustrated with. That is why there have been mentions of DLC, so players can find some closure with who actually lived, who died, and what happened to everyone in the end. There were also some plot-points that were lost in translation, literally, as mentioned earlier. The main example being Jill’s anger towards the Iron Kingdom. In the game, she simply is mad at being used, how her people were treated, and the sacrifices of children. While understandable, there was something lacking in why she was so angry, that was mentioned in the Japanese version. The priest, who was sacrificing the children, was “purifying” them first through SA. This detail added the depth needed for players to understand her anger and find justice in his violent murder. 

Torgal, Clive’s frost wolf companion, was voiced by a small, adorable dog (pictured below).

Overall, I really enjoyed this game and the dedication that was put into it. While I would have preferred a more complete ending, I have hopes that the DLC’s will fix those story-lines. This game is worth your time for the beauty of the battles alone, and if you’re not interested in playing I would still recommend looking up the two battles of Ifrit VS Titan and Ifrit and Phoenix VS Bahamut. 

Thanks for reading and please support me by giving me a follow and checking out my social media! Twitter & Instagram.