Final Fantasy XVI, the proof: lights and shadows in Valisthea
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We had already got to try the new chapter of this very long saga and first impressions gave us the idea of a mix between game of Thrones and Evangelion or, wanting to look for a more contemporary reference, Attack on Titan. And these are impressions that after hours and hours of play we can only confirm.
The realm of Valisthea, with its intrigues, hers kings and queens in constant conflict with each other for a piece of land and the constant threat of a disease that is making the world sterile and uninhabitable, they are the Euro-Japanese version of the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros.
Even the protagonist, Clive Rosefield, looks decidedly a curmudgeon and taciturn Jon Snowalmost completely impervious to love, perpetually plagued by guilt, accompanied by a wolf and, of course, unaware of predestined.
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But in this game of thrones every faction can be counted on a weapon of mass destruction: the Dominants. In Valisthea magic is present and usually it can be used thanks to some crystals, but some people, called Bearers, are able to use it naturally and, depending on where they are born, they can be treated with respect or branded as slaves. And then there are the Dominants, whose magical power is such that they can transform themselves into very powerful creatures, the Eikon. The Eikon have various powers and various forms, they can be dragons, incarnations of Nordic gods, phoenixes, titans or fiery demons. Who knows Final Fantasy will have no trouble recognizing their names: Bahamut, Ifrit, Shiva, Ramu and for each summon there is clearly only one Dominant, representing immeasurable value in battle.
If you appreciate great fantasy narratives made of violence, twists and turns, betrayals and massacresAt that time Final Fantasy XVI it will be for you a fabulous folk tale capable of showing you both the palaces of power and the sordid alleys, stories of courage and tales of cowardice. And to do so, he will take all the time necessary with hours and hours of dialogues. But on the other hand, if you love the genre (even if Final Fantasy XVI clearly escapes the classifications of the genre to which the predecessors belong) you already know what you are getting into. In fact, you crave it. The adult approach to storytelling is not only an excuse to include more violence and sex, but offers the opportunity to address issues such as slaverythe corruption of power, mourning, the guilt provoked by one’s inner demons, the importance of mentors, the impossibility of returning to a happy and idealized past, but rather the need to fight for one’s future.
Of course, this whole story can only lean on one graphics sumptuous, and here things start to creak: there are moments in which Final Fantasy XVI assaults the pupils with breathtaking panoramas and scenes of an epic that give goosebumps and others in which goosebumps come for the stiffness of the animations, for the fixity of some faces, unable to feel emotions, and for the poverty of certain environments. This without counting that in most cases everything around us is a sort of very rigid nativity scene made up of extras who do not react to our proximity and indeed do not even move. And the environments, although characterized by some open areas, are mostly well hidden corridorsinterspersed (sometimes) by larger spaces.
And those moments, as accustomed as you are to corridor games and some idiosyncrasies of Japanese development, have the ugliest effect for a strongly narrative game: they pull you out of the magic, remind you that they are just lifeless three-dimensional puppets. And this despite the dubbing, both in English and in Italiando everything to instill soul and heart behind those eyes that are too fixed for a game that comes out in 2023. Because, it’s okay that graphics aren’t everything in video games but something will also count, especially if then there comes a moment that leaves you with the jaw on the ground.
Let’s talk about combat system, another theme that will surely make fans of the saga discuss a lot. As already anticipated, Final Fantasy XVI completely abandons the few remnants of past systems to become an action title with a single protagonist helped occasionally by some travel companions. We will have at our disposal a basic attack, a ranged attack, a dodge and a series of attacks based on Eikon’s typethe great magical powers that personify themselves in gigantic creatures that we use at that time.
This means that we will start with very simple attacks and a quite repetitive game strategy: hit the monster with the only attack you have until the special attacks recharge and repeat it, dodging from time to time, until you win; which, however, will become more refined over time and will allow us to decide at any moment what is the right move.
In short, the situation is initially a bit boring but improves over time, but we will come back to this point. Speaking instead of the clashes between the Eikon, they are more cinematic than playful moments in which everything is usually very simple and linear, with just a few keys to press at the right moment, designed only to break the rhythm and give spectacular moments. Perhaps only a couple in the final part raise the bar a bit.
The difficulty of the combat is extremely scalable, but it rarely becomes demanding, perhaps just in some clashes with particularly powerful and, often, optional monsters. But then again That Final Fantasy it would be if there weren’t absurd additional challenges for those who decide that they want more? And after all, apart from some epic moments, the clashes have always been very accessible, shifts or not.
To modulate the challenge, at the beginning you can choose whether to play with a very easy mode or a more challenging one and decide whether to wear a ring that makes dodging easier or automatic. Imagine everything as if they were the aids of a driving game: by removing everything you will have to commit yourself to every corner and if you get distracted you can end badly, but if you want you can insert one or two aids every now and then if you feel that frustration is rising. All in all, it seemed like a sensible choice and inclusive, which allows anyone to enjoy the story and the clashes without the fear of failing.
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Perhaps the most regretted aspect of past titles is that in Final Fantasy XVI we’ll just play Clive’s shoes and no one else’s. So no particular care in building the party and equipping it with adequate equipment, no particular coordination in the attacks or synergy to exploit, and indeed often one gets the impression that the adventure companions do the bare minimum, with the exception of Torgal, faithful 4-legged friend which we can give orders to attack or heal a minimal part of the damage suffered.
The most curious aspect of Final Fantasy XVI perhaps the management of the rhythm remains: for a good part of the game you are directed almost directly towards the next challenge, the next village, the next twist, with very few moments to do short and laughable secondary quests, then more or less in the middle there is a strong change. Everything becomes more open, more explorable at your own pace and somehow flirts with the remnants of RPG that have remained present, allowing us some minor but useful tasks for upgrading equipment, hunting rare animals and so on.
It’s strange, because narratively it all makes a lot of sense, but maybe it would have been nice to be able to enjoy this twist sooner. However, many things are weird inside Final Fantasy XVI and maybe we have to accept it as it is. A new game for the saga but with gameplay ideas and an architecture quite linked to the past. With beautiful views and poor moments, big aspirations and small maps, full-on action, but it takes a while to get going. If you can let you be fascinated in the cruel and magical world of Valistheathis game could be a faithful friend of early summer, but it is also absolutely legitimate that you are not comfortable with it.
It always depends on what you are looking for in the game, what you ask of it: if you want that Final Fantasy XVI is a perfect action you’re probably not in the right place, if you’re looking for technical perfection either, but if you’ve always looked for this saga an epic to get lost in, Then you have come to the correct place. Not everyone likes it, even those who have been following the saga for years, but if we have to look back, all in all, it was an experience for us that we were happy to have.
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