So… I may have played the FF16 demo twice. I had seen all the announcements about its unique combat system and the goal had been to experience these changes and write about it. Of course, I can admit that that was simply an excuse, a mask to hide my fangirling. I loved every minute and the next thing I knew, the demo was over. It is a testament to the designers that I got so lost in the experience that I had to replay the demo, and watch a friend play, to notice the details.
So, I immediately pre-ordered the game, and then, nothing. Life happened and I didn’t get around to playing FF16. Like a lot of other amazing games, it fell into my backlog.
It took a friend logging into my PlayStation and loading it up a few weeks ago to get me back to it. It didn’t take long to remember why I loved the demo. The rest of the game, thus far, outshines that initial experience. It all boils down to the game’s design, and to the experience it takes you on. More than that… it is because FF16 might be one of the most comfortable games to play… ever. I know that is a weird statement… bear with me.
Without further ado, here is why you should play Final Fantasy 16 if you haven’t yet.
Reason 1: I See Your Westeros And I Raise You Valisthea
The world of Final Fantasy 16 is massive. The designers have created an enormous world with intricate politics, multiple cultures, and a fully fleshed-out history. But most of this information is for you to find if you want to. The game drops you into the story with only the exposition you need. You have to seek out the details — You visit the Library and its archivist for historical details or meet a professor for political information and to see recaps or track relationships between the wide cast of characters. It’s a small but oddly satisfying feature.
Reason 2: What Even Is This Narrative?
Between the clever writing and amazing voice acting, each one of the many characters of this world is memorable. From funny companions to wry mentors and people I love to hate, FF16 manages to have them all. They all have distinct motivations and drivers for their behavior and it works to create a narrative that is relatable and often unpredictable. Just like in real life, we don’t have all the information and can’t always predict the character’s actions. Honestly, it has been really fun to play a game where I can’t predict a lot of the storyline but it all still makes sense. This is a very well-written and well-balanced world.
Reason 3: Music to my ears.
The best review I can give you for the music of this game is my non-gamer sister coming by and asking me what I am playing because ‘the music goes hard.’ If you ever needed to just feel badass, the Final Fantasy 16 battle themes have you covered.
The Real Reason To Play: Fight, Your Way
Every Final Fantasy game is built around a cinematic tale of heroes and villains. Within these linear heart-pounding tales, lie pockets of open exploration where you can learn more about the world and complete sidequests. Like most action RPGs, a major part of this game is the combat. The series has evolved from turn-based strategy to real-time combat over the years. And it was a good move, opening the game up to a larger, younger audience of gamers.
Now, there is a reason that there was so much buzz around Ryota Suzuki’s design for the combat of this game. Not because it is something new but because of how clever his use of familiar elements is. And it all lies in giving the player control. It is something that is noticeable from the start, from the skill tree’s system of mastery to equipable gear that provides buffs. This game provides you with a lot more control and a lot more options in customizing the gameplay than you would expect.
While I was playing the demo, I was enthralled by the detail, but I did not realize just how powerful it was until I was hours into the game with an injured hand.
Adjustable To Every Player
Final Fantasy has 2 game modes, story-based and action-based. It changes the base enemy engagement, after which, you adjust the overall game and combat difficulty through your strategy. There are the expected adjustments within the skill tree and how you upgrade your equipment or how much you grind. But the most impactful element here is in your loadout, specifically your gear and your powers.
FF16 has gear that provides standard buffs, like increasing your health or defense, but it also has gear that actively changes fundamental aspects of the combat. For instance, at a foundational level, you have complete control over everything, when you switch between your different types of powers, what action your hound, Torgal will take, when you trigger a special move, who you target, when you take a healing portion, etc.
Mastering every element comes down to patience, skill, dexterity, and time. It’s challenging and highly rewarding. However, at any given point, you can also equip gear that automates some of these more challenging elements. From automating Torgal’s reactions to slowing time to help you parry, even using healing potions. If there is something you struggle with, chances are you will be able to find the equipment you need to automate it so that you can concentrate on what you can do.
You Still Run The Show
It’s a godsend because some of these fights and scenarios have been created to be challenging. Not just that, the gear doesn’t work 100% of the time, requiring you to still pay attention and learn the enemy movements so that you can dodge or manually trigger an action. You still have control. The gear just provides support while still allowing you to develop the skill. All while helping you prioritize what you are good at.
You also get to choose which of Clive’s powers you want to be able to use, as well as which move. Allowing you to pick from ranged to melee attacks, switching the move set to suit your preferred combat style.
And just as you get the hang of all of this, the enemies change, bringing new challenges. Forcing you to consistently revisit your loadout and strategy so that you can stay ahead of the curve.
A Perfect Balance
This past year has been amazing for my little nerd brain. Because we have been seeing some truly amazing pieces of design. From the mindboggling narrative branching in Baldurs Gate 3 to this perfectly balanced combat system in Final Fantasy 16. It’s impressive because the more power a designer gives a player, the higher the chance that something will break. But here I am, 40 hours into this game and I have zero complaints.
It blows my mind that I can pick up my controller on a day when my hand hurts and still have just as much of a satisfying playthrough as I can on a day when everything is ok. It’s impressive that I can keep trying different strategies and I can keep finding new ways to string an attack. So much so that I genuinely love grinding for XP in this game. Final Fantasy 16 is a great example of where this industry can go, in creating games that can appeal to every kind of gamer. And that… is exciting.
