Final Fantasy XVI never breaks out of immersion with its seamless cutscene-to-action gameplay
In the latest, not-so-Final Fantasy, protagonist Clive Rosfield – a skilled swordsman, son of an archduke and protector of his more favored younger brother – battles against a dark medieval fantasy world of betrayal, tyranny, giant creatures and magic. with a lovable wolf companion who often fights at his side.
The story of “Final Fantasy XVI” is expectedly unique and has nothing to do with the predecessors of the series. However, there are references to past games that would catch the eye of fans.
Final Fantasy fans But the mood in FFXVI is far more serious — you’re no longer driving around in a car with snacks and supplies with your favorite allies.
Seamless transitions and gameplay
Final Fantasy XVI introduces some changes. Crystals (used for protection in FFXV) are now intended to be broken. A docile messenger dog is reimagined as an ally’s animal in battle (Torgal). And the giant summons themselves (eicons controlled by their respective human hosts) are no longer just special attacks that appear and instantly disappear, but controllable beings with their own movement and combat.
The fluid and active game mechanics will likely draw both praise and disapproval from newcomers and loyalists who have followed the series since 1987, when it was first purely turn-based and then gradually ditched all non-real-time mechanics altogether. (The latest FFXV only had it as an option in the settings, while in FFXVI it was completely removed.)
The protagonist Clive Rosfield is depicted in Final Fantasy XVI (Credit: Square Enix)
In this case, a key goal of the story direction was to prioritize a seamless experience to avoid the cutscene becoming immersed in the gameplay, says director and producer Naoki Yoshida.
There is undoubtedly something that every game producer can admire that takes risks with their fan base even after great success. (Yoshida also produced FFXIV, a critically acclaimed MMORPG, or massively multiplayer online role-playing game.) And I may stand alone as a critic when I judge a product based on its developers’ advertised vision and how smooth (and bug-free) it is judge execute it.
Before you buy
If cutscenes are the bane of your existence and you love beating every boss through the credits without knowing who they are or why, then this might not be the game for you.
As one would expect from any Final Fantasy game, the passionate voice acting, emotive musical score, and overall movie-like narrative are integral parts of the gaming experience – as is the action gameplay itself. The linear structure (there is free movement throughout some Areas) is sort of the opposite of a game of superfluous conversations that make sense of killing a certain number of bosses.
And as far as difficulty goes, there are points where it can be challenging, but there are options (easy mode) for those who want to hit the credits without needing the controller dexterity of the average SoulsBorne fan.
I think it’s worth buying, especially if you’re a fan of dark fantasy, medieval settings, and RPGs where there’s an almost overwhelming amount of skill tree upgrades available. And it’s an experience that’s enjoyed by regulars and backseat players alike.
