‘Final Fantasy XVI’ Review: A Mesmerizing, Cinematic Masterpiece

It begins in fire.

A clash between behemoths, the Phoenix and the Ifrit. They fight engulfed in flames viciously, violently, brutally.

It is mesmerizing.

Suddenly the triangle button prompt flashes on the screen, instigating you to spew fireballs at the Ifrit who is chasing the Phoenix, followed by R1 for evade.

It has officially started.  

Final Fantasy XVI, is as the numeral in its title suggests, the 16th mainline installment to Square Enix’s Final Fantasy franchise that spans over three decades.

For the uninitiated – no, you do not need to play the fifteen games that preceded FFXVI to play this.

Every single mainline game is different, unique, having standalone stories and characters with engaging plots and an awesome soundtrack. Except for the recurring Moogles, Chocobos, the Summons and well, the character name Cid, no two Final Fantasies are alike. The settings of these games vary anywhere from dystopian cyberpunk, futuristic Sci-Fi to medieval fantasy.

The events of Final Fantasy XVI take place in Valisthea. A land that had prospered due to the presence of Mothercrystals. These Mothercystals possessed abundant aether, which was used by the Valistheans to make everyday life easier. However, much like our own natural resources, these are not infinite; the aether is running out and the deadlands are spreading. The fragile peace between the nations is fracturing as everyone wants to get hold of what power remains in the Mothercrystals. Ravaged by war and Blight, things are not looking good in Valisthea.

There are some who do not rely on the power of the Mothercrystals to cast magick; they are called Bearers, identified by a brand on their face. Used as tools, the life of a Bearer is harsh, as they are treated in the most inhuman ways. At the other end of the spectrum are the Dominants. A Dominant is a person who is host to an Eikon. Eikons are powerful entities, dangerous, deadly – the Phoenix and the Ifrit we encounter at the beginning are Eikons. Harnessing the power of their Eikon, a Dominant can wield its power. While some nations consider their Dominant a blessing and treat them as royalty, the others are viewed as monsters and treated as weapons of mass destruction.

Our protagonist is Clive Rosfield, firstborn to the Archduke of Rosaria. Clive becomes the First Shield of Rosaria since his younger brother Joshua was chosen by the Phoenix to inherit its flames and become the Dominant. A Shield to guard the Phoenix that is his brother, Clive strives to protect Joshua with his life.

Unfortunately for Clive, fate is cruel and tragedy strikes. Joshua is killed by a mysterious second Eikon of fire, the Ifrit. Clive takes an oath, to kill the Dominant that killed his brother.

En route to his road of revenge, Clive encounters many faces – some familiar, some new, some who aid him in his journey while others do their best to thwart him. Among these faces is Cidolfus Telmon or Cid. Cid wishes to see a world where Bearers and Dominants can live and die on their own terms. Deep in the heart of the deadlands is Cid’s Hideaway, a utopia for Bearers and Dominants. This Hideaway functions as Clive’s base of operations, and has the Arete stone where Clive can hone his combat abilities.

There is admittedly a rather large info dump at the beginning but that can be accessed anytime within the game through the active time lore or by checking in with Harpocrates and his Thousand Tomes at the Hideaway. It’s extremely handy, especially at the beginning when you’re just stepped foot in Valisthea and there’s just an overwhelming amount of lore you are introduced to.

There are plenty of optional side-quests available that flesh out Valisthea and its inhabitants. While some of them seem mundane and droll on the surface, there’s a lot of worldbuilding that happens in these quests. So, it’s definitely something that should not be overlooked. When you progress through the story and gain access to the Hunt Board, there are optional missions that lead to smaller boss fights which reward you with XP and crafting materials to upgrade your gear. While these are not on as grand a scale as the main story boss fights, they’re still exciting and challenging. Any fight in Final Fantasy XVI is a fight worth digging into.

Combat in this game is flawless. Combat director Ryota Suzuki (Devil May Cry 5/Dragon’s Dogma) has implemented a stylized real-time combat system. Clive can cycle through various Eikonic abilities which he acquires throughout the story to switch things up. Burn your enemies using the flames of the Phoenix, draw them towards you and slice them up via Garuda or perhaps use the powers of the earth via Titan. It’s versatile and by upgrading your abilities you can customize it to your preference. And your abilities can be reset anytime you like for absolutely no cost whatsoever, if you want to try and take a different approach. Cilve can cut through his enemies like butter.

Final Fantasy’s staple summons have all been transformed into Eikons in FFXVI. It is the battle between these Eikons that is the most exhilarating. Your controller shakes with the might behind each attack you inflict on your enemy. When you finally end up crushing your opponent, it’s a very, very, very satisfying feeling. Pacifist or not, you will end up looking forward to every single battle, especially because the graphics are gorgeous.

You can slice and dice your enemies in 4K. It’s slick, it’s fun and devastatingly beautiful. The game is a feast for the eyes. The cutscenes are breathtaking.

There are two modes of gameplay that you can change anytime you like – one that prioritizes action or one that prioritizes the story. There are even accessories that make things easier for those who wish to use it, such as the Ring of Timely Evasion which allows Clive to automatically avoid attacks.

FFXVI isn’t a traditional RPG in the sense that you don’t get to do a lot of experimenting with your classes or your party to figure out where you want the character’s skill set to lie as you usually do. You control Clive and Clive alone. You do not have agency over the rest of his allies who come to assist him in battle. There is one exception though. There one character that you can command other than Clive, rather assign commands to.

Torgal.

Torgal is Clive’s faithful canine companion. You can tell Torgal who to attack, when to attack and how to attack. In addition to attacking, this wolf can also heal Clive to a certain degree. Torgal also attacks independently in battle when you don’t issue him commands. Alternatively, if you don’t wish to manually tell Torgal what to do, merely equip the Ring of Timely Assistance. The best part about Torgal is that you can pet him or give him a treat anytime you want out of battle. Any game that lets you give a dog a headpat is automatically excellent. Players with dogs beware, if your very own canine friend sits with you whilst you play, there’s a very high chance of your dog imitating Torgal or barking when he appears on screen (mine did!).

Another part of what makes Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy is the music that’s essential to the story. FFXVI is no exception. Masayoshi Soken has composed the soundtrack to complement each scene beautifully. Whether it’s the whimsical and comforting plucking of strings that begins to play when you reach the Hideaway or the full force of an orchestra that begins when you set foot on the battlefield. It sets the mood and evokes emotion and the melodies convey what cannot be put into words.

An action-packed adventure that’s a cinematic masterpiece, will you embrace the flames like Clive and make your fantasy final?