Final Fantasy XVI feels like an absurd mishmash of Game of Thrones, Godzilla, and JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure. That’s the most trite way that I can think of to describe Square Enix’s latest entry in the long-running RPG franchise although it proves to be an appropriate one. In many ways, some of the properties and ideas that Final Fantasy XVI seems to be drawing inspiration from shouldn’t work well in concert with one another, but after having played an extensive chunk of the game for myself, it seems safe to say that this is shaping up to be one of the best experiences of 2023.ย
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Recently, I was able to go hands-on with a little more than six hours of Final Fantasy XVI and came away impressed in virtually every regard. From its deep story and lore, to the flashy combat, to its gargantuan setpieces, Final Fantasy XVI is doing everything it can to make this the best original entry that the mainline saga has seen in decades. And even as a Final Fantasy novice, I’ve found myself gripped by everything that is featured in FF XVI.ย
One of the most notable components of Final Fantasy XVI is that it’s taking the series back to an actual medieval-style “fantasy” setting. Gone are the flying cars and bromances of Final Fantasy XV and in steps a new locale known as Valisthea, which has far more in common with Westeros than it does previous Final Fantasy worlds. Before you ever swing a sword, you’ll be introduced to some of the warring factions, complex characters, and mystical abilities that lie at the heart of this universe. Final Fantasy XVI isn’t afraid of dumping tons of lore and backstory on you up front, but as I continued to play the game, I found myself pulled even deeper into this narrative as a result.ย
The catalyst at the center of Final Fantasy XVI is Clive Rosfield, who is the main protagonist this time around. Clive comes from a family of royalty, though his own role within this familiar hierarchy is quite complex. Clive’s story begins with him at a young age and sees him as the primary protector of his little brother, Joshua. The early hours of FF XVI introduce players to the events that set Clive’s life in motion and put him on an eventual path of revenge. Given my limited time, I obviously couldn’t get an extensive grasp on the story and Clive’s character, but everything I’ve seen so far has been engaging.ย
Combat in Final Fantasy XVI is far-gone from the days when this series was turn-based as FF XVI now has more in common with a franchise like Devil May Cry than it does Persona. Even though this may be a tough thing to come to grips with for longtime Final Fantasy fans, the combat seen in its sixteenth entryย is so excellent that even those who have been dragged kicking and screaming into this new era of the franchise will find little to complain about.ย
At a baseline level, Clive has a number of basic attacks and abilities that you’d expect from most action games. Most of his standard moves include sword strikes, magic blasts that shoot from his fingertips, and dashes that can be chained together to perform extensive combos. Beyond this, Clive also has various partners that can assist him in battle and help him eventually stagger enemies to deal damage in larger chunks.ย
Where Final Fantasy XVI starts to get far deeper though comes with the powers that Clive can tap into. Clive’s most unique ability allows him to use stronger attacks that stem from entities known as Eikons. When Clive begins the game, all of his additional powers stem from the Pheonix Eikon, which allows him to dole out strikes that are closely associated with that Eikon’s properties. As Clive’s journey continues, he begins to unlock more of these movesets that can all then be rotated through on the fly.ย
One mid-game section of Final Fantasy XVI that I was able to play allowed me to really see what combat is like once you unlock multiple Eikon powers and it proved to be a ton of fun. Cycling between the various powers that Clive has doesn’t simply add more depth to battles but it also forces you to continually mix and match to see which powers might work best against certain foes. Since Final Fantasy XVI is an RPG, you can also index your experience points more heavily into the specific Eikons that you favor to create a version of Clive that matches your own preferred playstyle.ย
Combat really reaches its peak during boss battles, which might be my favorite part of Final Fantasy XVI based on what I’ve played so far. Even though I only played a small portion of FF XVI compared to what will be seen in the full game, the boss battles that I’ve already seen put to shame some of the best fights seen in other action games. The handful of fights that I was able to partake in didn’t only push me to the limit and force me to use all of the abilities in my repertoire, but they were often accompanied by a great spectacle of some sort.
This is even doubly true for the Eikon battles in Final Fantasy XVI. When fully unleashed, Eikons in FF XVI are essentially the equivalent of kaiju and come with various powers that are often associated with specific elements. Certain characters known as Dominants can house these Eikons, and when fully unleashed, they can blow up to the size of Godzilla to let loose their power. I took part in one Eikon fight in Final Fantasy XVI where two Eikons did battle with one another and it was incredible. The sense of scale during this setpiece was staggering and was perhaps the best example of what Final Fantasy XVI will be able to do with the power of the PS5. Even though combat mechanics seem pretty rudimentary during Eikon fights, it was still hard for me not to be in awe during the entirety of this sequence. I cannot wait to see how many more like it are in the finished game.
One aspect of Final Fantasy XVI that I was quite surprised about came with its level of polish. Although I only played for a few hours, I found no problems or bugs of any sort, which was encouraging. It’s hard to know if this will end up being reflected in the final product that launches next month, but in a time where so many AAA games have often been coming in hot at release, it seems like Square Enix has chosen to really make sure that Final Fantasy XVI is ready to go before pushing it out the door. Hopefully, the fact that the game went gold nearly three months before its arrival is indicative of as much.ย
In short, Final Fantasy XVI is one of my most anticipated games for the remainder of the year. Between Final Fantasy XIV, Final Fantasy VIIย Remake, and now Final Fantasy XVI, Square Enix seems to have really found its stride with what is arguably the biggest franchise that it owns. The jury’s still out on if Final Fantasy XVI can reach the same level of acclaim as these other outings, but if my own taste of what’s to come is any indication, this could end up being a new high point for the series.ย
Final Fantasy XVI is set to launch next month on June 22, 2023, and will be available exclusively for PlayStation 5. Be sure to stay tuned to our coverage here on ComicBook.com leading up to release as we’ll have more to share with you over that time.ย
*Travel accommodations to this Final Fantasy XVI preview event were provided by Square Enix. This preview is based on a special version of the game made for media to experience, and contents may differ from the final version.
