Final Fantasy XVI

For a video game series that has the word final in its title, there sure are a lot of entries in it. Will there ever be a final? These are the questions we need answers to.

In all honesty, though, I do hope that this is not the last one. The series just brings back so many memories, going all the way back to the original PlayStation. I’m pretty sure that the very first game that I physically bought myself was Final Fantasy VIII. There was so much hype for this game at the time because it was coming off the heels of Final Fantasy VII. I would be in awe of the graphics for it at the time while reading Game Informer and EGM. Back in those days, we bought things physically, and when I finally got the game, I took care of it like a newborn baby. It came in four discs, and I made sure each one was nurtured lovingly. But alas, I never beat the game. I got damn close, though. I made it all the way to Ultimecia, but a dispute with my brother caused him to erase my save file. Kids are gonna be kids, and my 12-year-old heart couldn’t muster the will to put in all those hours again.

Fast forward some 25 years, and there are double the Final Fantasy games now, including two MMOs. I’ve beaten three Final Fantasy’s now: X, XIII, and XV. Although I haven’t beaten VII, I have beaten Remake and am currently playing Rebirth at the time of writing this. The latest mainline entry into the series, however, would be Final Fantasy XVI, released on June 22nd, 2023.

The game began development in 2015, with production starting in 2016. It was developed by Square Enix studio, Creative Business Unit III, which includes members who worked on the MMO Final Fantasy XIV. It received help from a team at PlatinumGames. The game's development was impacted by COVID-19, causing the team to work remotely and delaying development for half a year. After the release of the game, the team disbanded to work on other projects.

When it comes to RPGs, I tend to lean toward turn-based combat. Sure, I love to hack and slash every now and again, but nothing satisfies me more than tactically coming up with a plan and crushing an opponent. I’m looking at you, Persona 5. However, this is the first entry, in my opinion, that has steered completely away from Final Fantasy’s turn-based roots and planted itself into the action RPG garden. You could see the trend coming with XV as it dipped its feet in the water before cannonballing in with XVI. In my opinion, though, Final Fantasy VII: Remake strikes an incredible balance between the two. Letting you hack away to fill your ATB Gauge and then pausing the action to let you select a tactful way to get you closer to victory is the ultimate sweet spot and compromise for RPG fans of all genres. This is also why I didn’t immediately gravitate toward this entry in the series.

I expressed interest in wanting to play the game to one of my friends, and low and behold, he let me borrow the game out of nowhere. I was looking for something to play at the time and decided to give the game a shot. And I’m glad I did. Off the bat, the game is gorgeous. It’s probably one of the best-looking games out. From the landscapes, character models, particle effects, and cutscenes. I would always hear about the grand Eikon battles in the game—how they were a glory to witness—and they did not disappoint. The combat itself was good, although it didn't challenge me enough to want to change my Eikon powers continuously. It was a good test of my reflexes, though.

The best thing about the game, in my opinion, is the story. I love a game with a great story. Aside from occasional Call of Duty binges and looting dungeons with friends in Diablo, I primarily play single-player, story-driven games. I love being immersed in a game’s world. Whether it’s swinging through New York City as Peter Parker or Miles Morales, taking down all the Valkyries as Kratos, or taking down a ThunderJaw as Aloy (PlayStation Fanboy anyone?), I can’t help but be invested in these characters and their journeys. And this game is no different.

I was definitely invested in the journey of the main protagonist, Clive. I’m trying to leave out spoilers, but the game follows him through a number of years of his life following a tragedy at the age of 15. Through the years, you get further immersed in the lore of the game. Hell, they even have features that literally update you with the lore during cutscenes and downtown in your hideaway. I also believe this is the first entry that has a Mature rating, which I was not expecting. I only found this out after already starting the game and witnessing a beheading and multiple characters cursing. It made me intrigued by how they would handle the story with their brand-new adult gloves on, and I’m happy to say that it made the story grounded. I feel it allowed them to tell a story without having to compromise to ensure it met certain age restrictions.

Surprisingly enough, the story even carries on to most of its side quests, with two of them being My Favorite Parts. Typically, side quests are not the most entertaining and incredible things about a video game. They’re usually there as filler to ensure a game that can be beaten in 10 hours takes you 20 hours. They’re usually repetitive and don’t necessarily contribute too much to the story. Now, the actual doing part of the side quests in Final Fantasy XVI follow this trope—a lot of fetch quests, go here and kill this, then come back and be bestowed with an item you could have just bought at the nearest shop. But the stories associated with most of the side quests, I have to say, were some of the best I’ve done. It really felt as if they were all connected to the plot of the game, and as repetitive as the tasks were, I completed them because it felt like I was still progressing the story, just like a main line quest.

There were two in particular that stuck in my head because of how they made me feel. A little bit of insight into the story of the game. In Valisthea, the world the game takes place in, there are big structures called Mothercrystals that provide Aether, a form of energy. The Mothercrystals are farmed, and the shards from them have magical properties, such as fire, water for drinking, etc. There are also people who can use magic naturally, called Bearers. The usage of magic comes at a cost, however, in the form of a curse that causes them to be petrified after constant use of magic. Even though they can do something that normal people can’t do, these Bearers are treated horribly. They are treated as slaves and tools, receiving brands on their faces symbolizing what they are, slowly succumbing to the curse after constant use of magic, just to be thrown away like trash. Luckily, a great deal of the story of the game deals with you assisting in freeing Bearers from this life and providing them the freedom they deserve.

Both side quests are located in the Northreach region of the world map. The first, All Bark, has you coming across a man on the side of the road. He demands your help as he notices Clive is a Bearer due to the brand on his face. While speaking to him as less, he tasks Clive with finding his son, who has gone missing. Ever the hero, Clive takes on the task regardless of how he was spoken to. Clive searches the area and finds the missing boy being attacked by a mastiff. You jump in as Clive and slay the animal, only to be berated by the child, who is angry that the animal has perished. Confused, you go back to report what happened to the father, and you realize that the animal belonged to them and they have been tricking Bearers into going to save the boy, only to have them killed by the animal for their entertainment. Clive rightly threatens the father, who backs off but advises that he’ll just get another animal for his son. Karma strikes back, however, as the new wild beast they’ve claimed can’t be controlled and turns on the father and son, killing both.

The second quest, Playthings, sees Clive talking to a girl who is missing her pet. Clive accepts the mission and searches the area for the missing pet. He comes upon a windmill in his search and finds the body of a Bearer, whose body has been petrified due to the curse. After this, the little girl shows up and sees the body. Instead of being frightened or startled, the girl yells at the body of the Bearer, demanding they get up. You realize at this point that the Bearer is the pet the girl has been looking for. After her demands go unanswered, the girl, not realizing that her Bearer is dead, states that she’ll get her parents to get her another. Clive then chastises the girl and makes her realize that Bearer is indeed dead. After realizing this, the girl accepts what is happening and feels remorse for what has happened.

Now, I know you may be asking why these side quests are My Favorite Parts, given how sad a story both missions are, but I chose them because of what they made me feel. I vividly recall feeling angry and saddened during both missions. Questioning how these parents can raise their kids like this and feeling the pain for the Bearers who perished in both quests only helped immerse me in the world of Valisthea. I think that any form of media, especially video games, which don’t get the same respect as music or movies, should make you feel something. And this definitely did that for me. I’ve felt things in other games, too, but this is the first time I can recall it happening from a side quest, which is usually the spare parts of the game. To take the time and turn a spare part into an essential piece of storytelling that rivals some of the main line quests shows the dedication that Square Enix and the developers at Creative Business Unit III had to telling an amazing story that I will remember for some time. Thank you.