Final Fantasy XVI, an epic story with a combat system like never before in the saga

The Playstation 5 console has exclusively received the title developed by Square Enix, final fantasy 16. After surprising us a few years ago with a trailer in which you could see the game already quite advanced, we didn’t have to wait too long to get our hands on it and thus immerse ourselves in this new installment that undoubtedly comes with many changes. Of course, the game has arrived much faster than other previous installments, but let’s see in depth if this speed is accompanied by good proposals.

Valisthea, a world marked by Crystals, Carriers and Dominants

Final Fantasy XVI takes us to Valisthea, a world of medieval style mixed with fantasy in which the kingdoms base their power on crystals and, in turn, on the Carriers that are capable of using the Ether they give off. Beyond the Carriers are the Dominants, those who have been chosen to carry the power of an Eikon, or what has been the same, invocations in other installments, also from the use of the Ether. Thanks to their Bearers, the kingdoms prosper and, with their Dominators, they keep the rest at bay.

It’s up to us to get into the shoes of Clive, who is the son of the King of Rosaria, and who is also the brother of Joshua, the Dominant of the Phoenix. However, when he was just a boy, Joshua dies and Clive, who could do little to help him, decides that he will do everything he can to avenge him. In this way, he will have to travel throughout Valisthea to carry out his revenge. On this path, he fights with creatures and enemies, accompanied, yes, by other characters who help him discover the ins and outs of the great powers of the different kingdoms.

Combat system, absolute protagonist of the game

All this approach has a main protagonist, the combat system. The Final Fantasy saga is characterized by having combats that are more focused on strategy than action. Well, on this occasion the priorities are exchanged, relegating the strategy to an almost non-existent level. What we find in this installment is pure and frenetic action in combats that will demand maximum attention from us to get out of them, at least in the most relevant ones.

To fight we will have several resources. On the one hand, physical attacks, on the other, magical, and finally, those granted by the Eikon. The latter is really powerful, and used well gives us a great advantage during combat. However, we will have to be very attentive to find the best moment to use each type of attack or combination thereof. And it is that, depending on how we carry them out, we will be able to stun the enemy with greater or less success.

It is in combat against special enemies, where all this makes more sense. And it is that throughout the game we will find ourselves with numerous duels against characters and creatures that will use all kinds of attacks and abilities to finish us off. However, if we are able to stun them, we are given some time to relentlessly attack them and deal a large amount of damage. But defeating them is not easy, since each time we stun them they will use more abilities, so our expertise will have to be even greater.

With all this, the combats are very entertaining. They are fast and put our dexterity and concentration to the test. As for the enemies, they are very varied, as well as their abilities. Therefore, it will be up to us to be attentive to the enemy’s way of fighting in order to reject their attacks and do the most damage possible at key moments.

Finally, during the combat another protagonist will be Torgal, the dog that accompanies Clive during the adventure. Torgal offers us three options, attack, destabilize the enemy or make a small cure on Clive. Used well, it can offer us several advantages during combat. Although everything is said, in the most complicated confrontations, managing all types of attacks can be somewhat complex for us. But everything has a solution, because as we will see later, Square Enix provides us with several help options.

And of course, the combat system is based both on the equipment we carry as well as on the skills that we unlock and improve. As for the equipment, there are not too many options: weapon, belt, bracelet and 3 emblems. In this sense, there are not too many complications. You can buy and improve weapons, belts and bracelets, and as for the emblems, buy them or obtain them during the adventure. The equipment improvement system is simple, you simply use the materials that you find for later in the blacksmith and apply the available improvements. However, since weapons only have two attributes, physical and magical attack, we will not have to rack our brains to have a powerful weapon for each type of enemy.

For their part, the emblems give us improvements to different characteristics. They can be both in defense, such as increasing our standard of living, or also improving a specific attack. For example, they can be used to decrease the recharge time of an Eikon attack. But there are some emblems, in particular, available from the beginning of the game and that have the task of making our lives easier, for example, helping us with the dodge, with the counterattack, or making Torgal act alone.

A journey to discover the world and also Clive himself

Our journey through Valisthea is divided into several parts, each one made up of a series of chapters. Each part of the story will lead us to live action-packed moments in which for each part of the story the climax builds up to a great epic moment that will allow us to rebel more about the nature of the world or Clive himself. In this way, the final chapters of each part, the game will guide us during the moments through scenarios in which our only task is to advance and defeat all enemies, each time, yes, more powerful.

However, the initial chapters of each part of the story, the game slows down and offers us phases that invite more exploration and the completion of secondary missions. These are moments in which we will be asked to travel from one point with missions that, despite being main, are very simple. In turn, at this time we will also receive secondary missions, but everything must be said, they are very trivial. It is noticeable that all aspects that do not surround the main story have been worked on.

In this way, we will find missions in which, for example, we are tasked with going to bring a certain object to someone, or defeating a specific enemy, or other similar ones, but at no time do we contribute anything interesting to the game beyond filling in something. background. The same happens with exploration, it is not vital that we go through an entire scenario looking for chests or resources, they will not reward us excessively for it. For example, the collection of resources has hardly any value since in the case of having a sword, even if it has some improvement available, in turn said improved sword can be found for sale for a price that will not even put us in trouble. our reserve of gils. Thus, the game invites us more to continue with the main story rather than to carry out alternative tasks.

And this is good? it is bad?. Here it already depends on each one and it depends on how purist of the saga you are. Looking away from other Final Fantasy, we quite liked that this is so. And it is that the most worked in the game is the story, the characters and the spectacularity. Therefore, following the main story leads us to live the best moments of the game, and that are really worth it because they are a real blast. And since the duration of the main story is remarkable, you don’t miss being forced to spend a lot of hours on side missions.

A tremendous technical section in the great moments, but bland in the others

As with the primary and secondary missions, the technical section also offers two versions. On the one hand, the most spectacular, which is the one that surrounds the main story and the most memorable moments of the game. It will be in those moments when we will enjoy great scenes both in sequences and during the main fights. On the screen we will find an endless number of effects, destruction of the environment, really wild moments and all with a very convincing finish. Thus, the characters also show off good artistic designs as well as a technical finish. Therefore, it is a great pleasure to enjoy the most epic moments of the game.

However, as we say, the rest of the time the game is not so flashy. The environments, while convincing, have somewhat simple and repetitive designs. We cannot say that there are too many elements of the game that are going to become iconic, as we have seen in other installments. The same happens with the secondary characters, excessively generic and with simple animations. They almost look like something out of another game.

An epic soundtrack but far from the greatest of other installments

And with the soundtrack we are in the same. Being one of the most important aspects of the saga, for us it has been quite watered down. Although in the great moments of the game the soundtrack is just as epic as its scenes, in the rest of the game it does not attract so much attention. We are accompanied by beautiful melodies but there is none that sticks to you or that you say this is special.

A great adventure that we can replay at a devilish level of difficulty

As for the replayability, the game offers us a new level of difficulty when completing the story in which we will have to face more enemies, with more skills and a huge risk of falling in combat to the minimum. Quite a challenge that fully exploits the combat system and, if we manage to master it with excellence, will allow us to experience even more spectacular combats, inflicting disproportionate amounts of damage. But like everything in the game, if we get out of combat, we can add little else, since we don’t find additional content like in other installments of the saga that invite us to search for new territories, hidden enemies or get legendary equipment.

Finally, comment that Final Fantasy XVI makes quite thorough use of the features of Playstation 5. On the one hand. DualSense’s vibration is very well worked at all times. Special mention to the videos that include specific vibrations. The roars of the Eikons are a sample of this, making them even more significant. The triggers are also used at times, although everything is said, in a much more residual way.

And finally, it must be said that the game squeezes the console so much at certain times that it can suffer some drop in frames or overheating. And it is that sometimes there are so many enemies that surround us and so many effects that come from Clive’s numerous attacks that the console has to work at full capacity to reach everything.

In conclusion, a twist to the saga with great moments and some forgetfulness

Final Fantasy XVI is undoubtedly a great game, making us experience truly epic moments. With him we will live a complex story, adult but at the same time with a very characteristic style of the saga. Of course it is the most remarkable delivery (removing remakes and online deliveries) since the twelfth. And above all, it makes us vibrate with a fun and very complete combat system that makes us quickly forget other systems experienced in previous installments.

However, although throughout the game we find many influences and nods to the Final Fantasy universe, we miss other aspects that we have already mentioned: the strategy in the combats, more entertaining and charismatic secondary missions as well as moments of exploration that really serve to something.