Last week, the next chapter in a beloved series was finally released. Almost 7 years since Final Fantasy XV came out, Final Fantasy XVI launched on the PlayStation 5. The game released on June 22 with reviews for the highly anticipated next iteration going live the day before, on June 21. While some gamers ignored these reviews to avoid any potential spoilers, the internet was going crazy with chatter. Review scores were high with many near perfect or perfect scores, even with some shortcomings or negatives called out. Not surprisingly, most reviews agreed that the cutscenes were as beautiful as you’d expect and the storytelling was deep and intense. Some complaints came about side quest structure and a weird lack of true RPG elements beyond some limited accessory options.
Two elements have taken over the bulk of conversations: the gameplay and the console exclusivity. Let’s start with the easy conversation that is the console exclusivity. Users are review-bombing the game on metacritic with 0/10 ratings simply because the game is not on Xbox. Sony and Square Enix made a deal for at least 6 months of console exclusivity to the PS5 with a planned PC release likely sometime in 2024. There is no word on a potential port to the Xbox, making it the first mainline series to skip the console in several iterations. Both Final Fantasy XIII and XV were available on Xbox as well. While gamers are allowed to be upset at this fact, review bombing does nothing to help their cause or move the gaming community forward. Hopefully Xbox fans will get the chance to play the game at a later date or on PC.
Now for the gameplay. Final Fantasy XVI leans hard into the action part of Action RPG. Gone are the turn based elements many fans of the series know and love. Final Fantasy XV did something similar and was criticized for the move, with many feeling like the combat was simple and repetitive. Final Fantasy XVI seems to have learned from that and delivers a more complex and fast-paced action combat environment. Combat blends hack and slash, magic, Eikon abilities, dodges, and parries to make for more in-depth and engaging fights. The issue this time around appears to be more about fans missing the classic elements and not so much about the execution of the system. Just like review bombs for console exclusivity, “fans” are review-bombing the title with 0/10s as well just because it is different from the older games in the series. And just like the console exclusivity critics, these gamers are entitled to their opinion. But maybe they should actually try the game first.
All-in-all, Final Fantasy XVI has already enjoyed a very successful launch. The game has received high praise from nearly all outlets with a metacritic score of 88/100 and a user score of 8/10. It has been stated that the game would be a complete game and story with no planned DLC. That’s not to say that there will be no DLC for the game, only that the story and the systems are complete and whole. Anything additional would be just that, something additional and new. If you enjoy dark fantasy stories and action RPGs, it sounds like Final Fantasy XVI is a must play, either on PS5 or PC sometime in the future.
Image from: Square Enix
