After an announcement in 2020, Final Fantasy XVI has not been keeping a low profile. The PS5 exclusive is finally here, and has the joy of being developed by one of Square Enix’s finest teams: Creative Business Unit III! So let’s see if the little hands behind Final Fantasy XIV have managed to transcend the saga with a total change of direction.
Eight years after Final Fantasy XV.
Yes, it took no less than 8 years to get a new Final Fantasy title. In the meantime, Square Enix has offered us the Remake of Final Fantasy VII and other exciting titles, and Final Fantasy XV has had its share of setbacks during development and too many transmedia. Final Fantasy XVI returns to something more concrete. Naoki Yoshida, the man who saved Final Fantasy XIV from total failure, is back at the helm. Yoshi-P is no laughing matter, and he has surrounded himself with some of the biggest names in the game, including people who have worked on other big names in JRPGs. Not to mention the fact that reinforcements from other studios have lived up to their promises (cuckoo, Platinum Games), because Final Fantasy also means new gameplay with every episode. Long gone are the days of turn-based, ATB and passive action. Here, FFXV’s hybrid action-RPG system is replaced by pure, grandiose action. Every confrontation has to feel powerful and epic.
Valisthea, your unforgiving universe.
Finale Fantasy XVI sends us to the lands of Valisthea, where various kingdoms are at war for control of the Mother Crystals. These huge crystals are used by kingdoms for their magic, but also to protect them from a plague that is invading the world. To protect them, each kingdom has its own emissaries, chosen by the primordials to obtain their powers. This is how we know, for example, that our hero’s little brother is Phoenix’s emissary. In all this, we play the role of Clive Rosflield, guardian of the Phoenix emissary. The emissary allows him to use some of the primordial’s magic, without being able to invoke the primordial’s true powers. While the adventure begins with a war between kingdoms, we’re quickly introduced to the stakes with a return to the past. A sort of huge tutorial to learn the basics. The basis of an engaging, simplistic gameplay.
This isn’t Devil May Cry!
To talk about gameplay, you need to understand the changes the title makes. Here, no more magic, item or skill menus. It’s all about simplicity. One key to attack, one key for basic magic, one key to dash, one key to dodge and one key to use primordial powers. Yes, this is an action game, and the strength of the gameplay lies in the fact that you have to fight various battles between attack and magic to get the most out of them. Not to mention perfect dodges and other devastating powers. The basic enemies don’t pose any problems. You’ll soon discover more powerful enemies with a destabilizing gauge. Like Final Fantasy XIII, you need to reduce this gauge to 0 to be able to chain the grounded enemy for a fairly short period of time.later, the title will allow you to optimize your skills via a talent tree, enabling you to learn new spells and, above all, mix them with others that we won’t spoil for you here.to complete all this, you’ll find the classic equipment menu, which has been greatly reduced and simplified. For example, there are 3 classic item slots: your weapon, wrist and belt. There are also 3 other slots more suited to your style of play. Like an item for automatic combos. Super useful if you’re struggling with the frenetic action genre. In other words, in this part of the game, we’re more concerned with support items that can save even the most unskilled players. We also feature quick-use items such as our potions, which are ultra-limited and therefore a resource not to be wasted. That’s right, no more 99 potions in your inventory. Here, you’ll have to be very careful. Fortunately, the title is generous with the potions you can pick up along the way. The downside of the gameplay is that you can’t control or give orders to your companions.
It’s as pretty as a boat!
When you think of Final Fantasy, you also think of the captivating scenery. And let’s face it, Final Fantasy XVI is as beautiful as a truck. You’re taken in by the various settings from region to region, and yes, we’re on worlds that sometimes change radically from one region to the next. And it’s a real thrill to see how everything’s been taken care of from A to Z. Except for the characters’ labials. It feels like it’s all been generated by an AI, so it sounds wrong when the characters speak. In English, this works quite well. But in French or Japanese… It’s shaky. BUT, that doesn’t stop the game from being beautiful and fully dubbed. Add to that one of the most beautiful soundtracks in the Final Fantasy universe (after Final Fantasy VIII), and you’re transported by every epic journey, battle and scene. Especially since the Final Fantasy XVI reinterpretation of famous themes brings back so many memories for the fan that I am. (And thanks again to Square Enix for the collector’s set including this magnificent OSTThat 3 years since its announcement have done it good, the title has shown just what it takes to prove that it’s one of the finest titles on the PlayStation 5, making the most of the console. The team succeeded in making the title what you’d expect from a Fantasy Finale. Valisthea offers so much to discover that you’ll want to explore every nook and cranny. Despite a few shortcomings such as a labial passage and framerate drops. But it’s all in good fun, and we love discovering new regions. At the end of each session, you’ll be back for more, as the title offers new discoveries at every turn.
