Final Fantasy XVI review: Clive alive

There’s been some fantastic Final Fantasy games in recent years, such as the remake of the much loved VII as well as each new expansion of MMO XIV Online, but a proper mainline sequel has been a long time coming. The long-running role-playing series always brings a fresh world and story with each new numeral, but not always without growing pains: 2016’s Final Fantasy XV changed the formula a little too much, and some argued the developers were stuck in the past on the gameplay front.

Final Fantasy XVI arrives as the most controversially radical of all. It not only ditches turn-based party combat, but has a much grittier dark fantasy tone of warring kingdoms. The first in the series with a PEGI-18 rating, the prologue alone has enough betrayals and body counts to fill a Game of Thrones episode. But with the development team headed up by series veterans, and combat expertise coming from someone who previously worked on top Capcom action games including Devil May Cry 5, the Final Fantasy legacy is in safe hands.

Sweet Sixteen

From its iconic illustrative art to the seventh instalment’s first leap to 3D, the Final Fantasy games have always been beautiful, with amazing cinematic moments forever etched into memory and some of the best character designs in the business. In the PS5 era, those cinematic moments are no longer just pre-rendered CG but breathtakingly rendered in-engine, with more than 10 hours worth of cutscenes.

While the overall tone goes for gritty realism, Final Fantasy XVI still can’t get enough of the series’ tradition of beautiful characters, and it’s not just brooding pretty boys. We’ve no doubt some will be swooning over this game’s version of Cid. A key difference is that you’ll only be playing as its protagonist Clive (yes, they’ve named a hero Clive, but you do get used to it, honestly). While you still adventure with a party of sorts, they come and go as the story dictates and you don’t have control over them – apart from a loyal and adorable wolf-hound you can issue with a few basic commands.

You don’t get to play as the other characters, but they all have much to contribute to the story in their backgrounds and arcs. Even the villains have an incredible depth, as you get a sense of tragedy behind some of the more tyrannical figures.

The visuals are well matched by the audio, with a score fitting the grand occasion that still manages to layer in many series leitmotifs from legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu. His successor Masayoshi Soken doesn’t just play on nostalgia, but adds his own modern twists, from the booming choir of the iconic Victory Theme at the end of a challenging battle to some intriguing uses of industrial electronica. Fans of the Final Fantasy XIV composer will also be thrilled that there’s one set piece where the soundtrack even goes full-on metal.

Lights, Eikons, Action

Final Fantasy XVI isn’t the first game in the series to subvert the traditional turn-based battle system but it’s nonetheless radical for fully committing to real-time action. It’s got more in common with Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, and while lacking the same intricate combos, there’s still plenty of opportunity for aerial juggling, well-timed dodges and counters, as well as the ability to stagger your opponent to deal more damage.

Players less used to action games can also equip accessories to make some of these mechanics easier to get to grips with. In any case, this isn’t Dark Souls, so even if you do hit a Game Over screen against a tough boss, these fights are checkpointed and even restock your potions. The combat is such a highlight that we wholly recommend investing in it. Role-playing games get a bad rap for grind, but we often found ourselves looking for a scrap.

Gameplay is largely split between linear action stages taking on enemies and culminating in a boss fight, and much larger open field areas where you can roam seamlessly between expansive environments and smaller towns, getting into fights or taking on side quests. There are occasional moments when the framerate drops in these larger areas, even with the graphics set to Performance Mode, but it holds up fine in the thick of battle.

The wide-linear approach makes it easier to fill the screen with gorgeous vistas, even if you won’t be able to visit some of them without loading into another bespoke level or cutscene. Even so, some locations suffer from being poorly lit or just a bit gloomy. Partly this is down to many significant story beats taking place at night but also because the medieval fantasy setting of Valisthea is a realm that’s being overtaken by a life-sapping phenomenon.

That gloom is however balanced by the stunning eye-searing effects when Eikons come into play. In past games, you’d summon these gargantuan mythical beings to deal huge damage. But in Final Fantasy XVI, Clive can use their powers in battle and change his combat style. For instance, Phoenix lets you warp-shift towards enemies to close distance and dish out fire-based abilities, while Titan grants you rock-smashing powers but also the ability to block attacks, including a bad-ass perfect guard that immediately lets you follow up with a counter. By being able to equip three Eikons at once, and a flexible upgrade system that lets you reset and respec at any time, you won’t get bored with just a single playable character.

Of course, the Eikons still get their screen-filling screen time in bespoke Eikon-vs-Eikon scraps that are nothing short of epic. Just to tease a few, we’re talking Godzilla-style clashes, Panzer Dragoon rail-shooting sequences, and even one that feels like a cross between a 3D Sonic game and Shadow of the Colossus.

Crystal Clear

Pre-launch there was concern Final Fantasy XVI’s Japanese developer was taking too much inspiration from Western media, be it games like God of War or shows like Game of Thrones. It sometimes feels like the mature narrative is oppressively grim for the series, namely with its depiction of people enslaved and dehumanised for being able to use magic. Nonetheless, the overarching narrative, once again tied to crystals is still uniquely Final Fantasy. As is the familiar bestiary.

This is a sweeping narrative with both a flashback and timeskip that covers a couple decades of Clive’s life, which also means the series finally has a protagonist who’s not just an angsty or wide-eyed teen, played wonderfully by Ben Starr. He’s joined by an equally fantastic and predominantly British voice cast, with a good variation of regional accents. Our highlight must go to Ralph ‘Finchy from The Office’ Ineson as the voice of freedom fighting outlaw Cid.

It’s actually astounding how the game threads this complex narrative needle. There’s Clive’s personal arc of revenge and redemption, a timely allegory of the climate crisis much like Final Fantasy VII, geopolitical machinations reminiscent of both Final Fantasy XII and XIV, and the latter’s ability to just keep topping itself with one show-stopping climax after another while coming back to some cosmic and timeless themes. Sure, there’s also some pretty familiar genre tropes in there too, but executed with the epic grandeur only a Final Fantasy game can.

It’s easy to keep up thanks to the Active Time Lore system, where you can bring up concise explanations of characters, locations, concepts and other lore relevant to a given cutscene. It also updates accordingly, such as when someone turns out to be your enemy or a stranger’s identity is revealed. It’s a great way of keeping on top of the vast lore without having to look up a Wiki on your phone.

Back at a hub known as The Hideaway, where you’ll regularly return to between story beats, there’s even several other characters who can keep you abreast of what’s happening in even more detail. For us, it’s more a chance to catch a breather as well as take on other quests, including the return of Final Fantasy XII’s excellent hunts. While there are times that going back to this hub can slacken the pace (being able to fast-travel between points would be appreciated) quests outside of the main story are well worth pursuing – not just for some important rewards but also to further flesh out this rich world.

Final Fantasy XVI verdict

As a bold new direction for the series, with a more mature story and no-holds-barred action gameplay, Final Fantasy XVI is a spectacular triumph. It’s the best PS5 exclusive of the year so far.

The first-class real-time combat may still divide purists, though really it’s as radical as 2006’s Final Fantasy XII (in our opinion the best game in the series, until now). You might even say it has a lot in common with that entry, from the excellent voice-acting to its fascination with geopolitics, and, of course, its hunts, which work even better with the new combat. These hunts, along with plenty more side quests, the ability to replay action stages in a Devil May Cry-style arcade mode, and a New Game+ difficulty means there’s plenty to keep you coming back well beyond its 50-hour campaign.

As for Final Fantasy fans who have long heard all the obsessive love for Final Fantasy XIV but are forever put off by the idea of logging into an MMO, this is essentially that same team putting their storytelling talents into a single-player experience with a blockbuster budget to do it justice. And don’t forget the return of chocobos and moogles! If that’s not enough to convince you, we don’t know what else can.