Final Fantasy XVI: Did I like It?

I finished Final Fantasy XVI last week. 

Fifty hours spread over two months, and I'm not really sure how I feel about it.

I mostly enjoyed my time with Clive and his mates, but I'm struggling to form a final, coherent opinion. Something I could confidently share with friends over dinner. Something that would make them say "Yes, that is a good opinion about Final Fantasy XVI. Matt's an OK guy and his game-thoughts are well-considered."

"He is also handsome."

In an effort to solidify my position on XVI, I'm going to work through my thoughts by comparing it directly to its predecessors. Hopefully this will provide me with some clarity. And if it doesn't, we still get to chat about Final Fantasy for a bit, which is always nice.

Is XVI as good as golden-age Final Fantasy (VII-IX)?

Fuck off, yeah?

Can we eliminate FF I-III, as it's just too hard to make meaningful comparisons with the series pre-IV?

Yes, let's do that.

How does it stack up against the upper-mid tier Final Fantasies - VI, X and XII?

OK, now we're talking. Firstly, I don't think XVI is as good as any of the above. They're in a different class. It has none of the considerable charm of VI, and it doesn't have a setting or story as distinctive as X. Combat in XII is far more satisfying and the options infinitely more meaningful. Also, the kingdom of Ivalice puts the comparatively bland Valisthea to shame.

One positive trait that it does share with VI and X, however, is the strength of its leads. XVI's main cast is without question its greatest strength. A memorable group of well-written, superbly voiced, fleshed-out leads whose relationships are nuanced and believable, and whose pay-offs are well-earned. I fully approve of the inventive swearing - Great Greagor's gash! - and was delighted by the variety of British dialects. And to top it all off, Clive is an extremely likeable lead. 

On the other hand, unlike VI and X, the treatment of core female characters is far from stellar. Jill is gradually diminished from a Shiva-wielding badass to an eventual bit-player and weeping dame.  Garuda's Dominant, Benedikta, is a charismatic and powerful presence early on, but she is too quickly tossed aside.

XVI is not on the same level as XII, VI or X. Not even close. However, it does possess a smidgen of their finer qualities.

Any sense trying to compare it to IV and V?

I recall V far more fondly than I do IV, and that's entirely down to the job system which allows you to change, develop and customize character classes in a way that set it apart from what came before. In my experience, it's one of the first truly great RPG battle systems.

I found XVI's systems and economies to be seriously lacking in depth and felt little need to interact with them beyond equipping a better sword when one became available, and doing some routine skill-upgrading whenever I remembered to check my ability point balance, which wasn't very often. As for the actual combat itself, it's functional, easy to pick up, and unnecessary to master.

Boss battles offer real challenges, but there is little danger of dying in regular confrontations, as long as you're paying attention. The stagger system returns from VII Remake, and it's very welcome, and I did rather like the dodge ability that slows down the action when executed with care. However, at times it can be almost impossible to ascertain when exactly the enemy is attacking, which is when you want to dodge, as their actions are obscured by magical fireworks.

Square Enix was keen to talk up the action-focused combat in the build up to release, but I found it to be a little underwhelming and far too flimsy to support a full-length RPG. It was just fine. 

How about the online entries, XI and XIV? Any dubious comparisons we can make there?

Of course there are! Both XI and XIV contain their fair share of busy work - tedious fetch quests that require large time investments before you're allowed to get to the good stuff. With a couple of notable exceptions, I found the side quests in XVI to be dull, unrewarding and needlessly time consuming. And the rewards are rarely significant, just more currency for an under-cooked economy that I rarely engaged with.

On a more positive note, just like XI before it, XVI isn't afraid to aim high and try new things. This wasn't to everyone's liking, but I appreciate SE trying something different, while continuing the more action-focused evolution that arguably began with XII, and fully took root with XV. I'm all for experimentation within the mainline series, and FF should be pushing the limits of what we expect from an RPG. And that's exactly what XVI does.

What about XIII and XV?

Yes, the inevitable grouping. I think this is where XVI belongs.

Just like XIII and XV, XVI has serious pacing issues. There's a particularly brutal stretch where you are forced to plow through a string of unimaginative fetch quests in an effort to build the transport required to progress the story.  I was beyond fed up with it. To be honest, if it weren't a Final Fantasy, I'd have abandoned it there and likely never gone back. Like the early corridors of XIII, or XV's rushed final third, I fear that this bad memory will linger longer than most of the good ones.

More positively, in terms of sheer spectacle, XVI has a lot in common with XIII and XV. Boss battles are a sight to behold, and mostly succeed in convincing the player that they're in control. Clive's transformation into the hulking Ifrit is strictly rationed, so it doesn't lose any of its luster in the late-game. XVI does scale and spectacle exceptionally well.

And I should mention that it's wonderfully scored, just like XIII. The OST is a mix of inventive tunes and familiar refrains, one that I can picture myself returning to years down the line and enjoying very much.

So this is where XVI lands: somewhere in the lower-mid tier of Final Fantasies. I certainly enjoyed it more than XV, which was fairly impressive in the moment but ultimately very forgettable. It might be a "better" game than XIII, whatever that means, but I definitely derived more entertainment from Lightning's first outing, despite its well-documented faults.

Final Fantasy XVI confidently introduces us to the future of the series, while still remaining faithful to what came before. It manages to be both a worthy Final Fantasy and a worthwhile game in its own right. Here is proof that there's still plenty of life left in the series, and that it can and will evolve.

So yes, I think I did like Final Fantasy XVI.