Final Fantasy 16 review

What is it? An action-RPG in the long-running Final Fantasy series, featuring punch-ups between gods.
Release date September 17, 2024
Expect to pay $50/£45
Developer Square Enix
Publisher Square Enix
Reviewed on Intel® Core(TM) i7-7700 CPU @ 3.60GHz, 16GB Ram, Intel® HD Graphics 630
Steam Deck Unsupported
Link Official site

When you picture what a Final Fantasy game is, what does your mind jump first to? Shiny, pretty landscapes? Even prettier hair? Cute little creatures? Final Fantasy 16 really doesn't fit that mould. With high-stakes action combat and a much darker tone, FF16 flips all of your expectations upside down.

The world of Valisthea feels as grubby as Game of Thrones. Both have medieval(-ish) worlds full of warring nobles vying for power with a cruel approach to their citizen’s welfare, and both face impending doom—in Final Fantasy 16’s case, a blight that is draining life and magic from the world, slowly consuming it and leaving it barren.

Those who can use magic without the aid of crystals are feared and marked as «Bearers»—forced to work as slaves and perform menial tasks such as drying laundry with their gifts. However a select few are chosen as «Dominants», and can channel transformative, god-like beings known as Eikons in the form of classic series summons such as Shiva and Titan. Of course, this being a Final Fantasy game, there is another, greater threat waiting in the wings to introduce themselves.

Brooding protagonist Clive must navigate it all to uncover what happened to his younger brother—the Dominant of the fire bird Phoenix—all those years ago, face his past, and see where that takes his future. After a chance meeting he sets about working to free Bearers and master his own Eikon gifts. It makes for a compelling tale of revenge and personal growth in the face of death and hopelessness, with actor Ben Starr doing an excellent job of performing Clive’s bitter grumbles.

Even better is Ralph Innesson, who steals the show as Cid, the Dominant of