Final Fantasy XVI Review Round-Up: What Are The Critics Saying?

Final Fantasy XVI is finally launching tomorrow, almost three years since it was first announced. It's an extremely heavily anticipated title, with it being marketed by PlayStation and Square Enix as the next big exclusive title. But what are the critics saying about the game?

The first review dropped earlier today from Famitsu, who gave it an overall score of 39/40, meaning that it narrowly missed out on the coveted Famitsu perfect score. Recently, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom achieved that score, so there was hope that FFXVI would reach the same heights, but it was not to be.

Tim Gettys (Kinda Funny): "Not only is it one of the best in the franchise, it’s one of the best video games I’ve ever played. "

VGC: "Final Fantasy has never played better, and 16’s cast is destined to be fan favourites. We just wish that when they are outside of the Hollywood blockbuster-tier adventures of the main quest, they were given some more interesting adventures to pursue. "

Prima Games: "There’s still so much to discuss with Final Fantasy XVI, but it’s worth experiencing. The narrative takes some sharp turns, and no matter what Clive faces, he faces it together with his friends, and I just think that’s neat."

Gamespot: "Having seen FFXVI all the way through, I'm happy to include it alongside some of my all-time favorites in the series. It's heartening to see that this bold approach to both story and gameplay is now part of that legacy, expanding the definition of what a mainline entry could be. "

The last mainline Final Fantasy title was released back in 2016 and was met with middling reception. Both critics and fans alike believed the game felt incomplete, something that was confirmed by the fact the game later had both DLC episodes and a book released in order to actually finish the story. Since then only spin-offs and remasters have been released in the series, with games such as Final Fantasy 7 Remake launching in the interim to massive critical acclaim. There's a lot riding on the back of Final Fantasy XVI, with it not only propping up PlayStation's quarter but also setting the tone for the Final Fantasy series going forward. 

The game was first announced in 2020 during the same event that revealed the PlayStation 5 price and release date. While that original trailer indicated that the game would also be coming to PC, this was later denied by Square Enix themselves, who stated that the game was a timed exclusive for the PlayStation 5. It's worth noting, however, that Final Fantasy 7 Remake was also a timed exclusive for the PlayStation, and that's now available on PC, so it could still come to PC at some point in the future.