The Final Fantasy franchise has as many iterations as different games we have seen since the release of the first game in 1987. With so many years behind it, it is logical that the saga has not only changed, but has also adapted to trends in gameplay and the comings and goings of its players. Final Fantasy XVI is the next iteration of the saga, and again comply with this maxim.
It is a title that is similar to what we have seen in recent years, but with a very different personality that goes from its narrative to its gameplay. We have already played the new Square Enix title, and we have seen first-hand how the maturity of the saga has become a title that, without a doubt, is one of the great promises of the year.
In fact, one of the things that surprises about the title as soon as you sit at the controls with him is its staging. It is very similar to the most recent installments, but the truth is that it comes in its own world, with common structural elements that, while embracing the most recent trends in the industry, maintains the essence that makes the player see that he is facing a Final Fantasy. This is one of the main differentiating elements. The studio has taken from here and there to provide the game with enough elements to make it a potential benchmark in the saga, but also new enough to work on its own.
Final Fantasy XVI: one of the best narrative and artistic sections of the saga
There will be not a few who see elements of HBO, Game of Thrones, family betrayals and medieval epics reflected in the new Square Enix title, but also of pure fantasy, of cExtremely frantic real-time combat and, above all, an artistic section that is one of the best that the franchise has given us in the last decade. Final Fantasy XVI feels fresh, familiar, and tremendously immersive.
Perhaps the novelties in the combat system, the fluidity of the movement and that kind of semi-open world that contains itself through small sandboxes that offer relative freedom, make it a delight to play. Final Fantasy XVI perfectly knows how to introduce itself to its history, and the truth is that in the several hours that we have had the opportunity to play it, we can see first-hand how well Square Enix has done in the narrative section. The reminiscences of Game of Thrones, of betrayals and impossible alliances, are built little by little throughout the first bars of the game, involving the player.
From there, halfway between the freedom of an open world contained in its own level, and a combat that combines minor secondary bosses and spectacular fights against final bosses. Combats in which the special abilities of each one stand out, which have a significant impact both on their construction and on the narrative arc of the game, complete a game that, in the absence of playing it in its entirety, aims to be one of the the big releases of the year.
Final Fantasy XVI is undoubtedly one of the most anticipated titles of the year
Perhaps four hours are not enough to know everything that a title of the stature of Final Fantasy can offer us, but without a doubt they are enough to be that Square Enix knows what they are doing. Final Fantasy XVI captures like no one else everything that makes a title of these characteristics fun. There is Direct changes to the gameplay and combat system that feel great. Others maybe not so good, like the 30 FPS of its quality mode, but it is already the toll of most of the titles that offer the performance mode focused on the highest graphic quality and the quality mode. Be that as it may, in the build that we tested, although there are obvious differences in the quality of the textures or the draw distance, the game looks pretty good in its two modes.
A lot has to do with the artistic aspect of the game and the different biomes that it offers, as we say, in the form of small sandboxes. Although there are many linear sections, the areas in which exploration prevails are a delight, and wide enough to offer the most completists secondary and tools enough to occupy your time and delve deeper into the epic narrative that Final Fantasy XVI offers.
Final Fantasy XVI is perhaps the least RPG RPG in the saga in recent years, which is why it is a highly recommended (and friendly) game for those players who look nostalgically at classic titles, but that they have abandoned the franchise along the way. And also a very interesting claim for the most staunch. And a title that we can’t wait to play in its entirety when it goes on sale on July 22.
The impressions of Final Fantasy XVI correspond to a special version of the game for the press, its content may be different from that of the final commercial version of the game at launch. The game has been tested on PS5 at a special event organized by Plaion for the press. All images are property of Square Enix.