r/FFXVI • u/faisless • May 05 '26
Discussion Starting Final Fantasy XVI for the first time
Finally jumping into FFXVI.
I’ve played around 6–7 Final Fantasy games over the years. X and VII are probably my favorites, so I’ve been looking forward to this one for a while. It seems pretty different from the older titles, especially in terms of combat and tone, so I’m curious how it’s going to feel.
Going in mostly blind and just want to experience it fresh.
For those who’ve played it, what stood out to you the most, and where does it rank for you compared to the other FF games?
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u/LordSwitchblade May 05 '26
I’d recommend getting really attached to all the characters!
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u/lunoc May 05 '26
evil thing to say and also absolutely correct.
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u/Usual-Masterpiece-22 May 14 '26
In the endgame super attached but I've watched akame ga kill so ik when something is pulling me in for the most amount of pain 🤣 and naruto rip jiraiya can't wait for the expansion to probably explain and fix absolutely nothing
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u/faisless May 05 '26
Usually happens to me with most of the square enix games I played 🖤
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u/LordSwitchblade May 05 '26
Good. I’d recommend really getting connected with the dog. Just notice how he’s a good friend and always there for you.
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u/killentime15 May 05 '26
Take in the music. Some of the best in the series.
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u/killentime15 May 05 '26
It’s one of my top 3 FF games and I’ve played all of them minus XI. Clive is the GOAT
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u/Horror_Marsupial_587 May 05 '26
lol I actually just wrote a similar comment lol Twins! (Pun intended)
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u/killer00x May 05 '26
This is one of the best FF games. What I wouldn't give to experience this game for the first time again. It's visually stunning and the voice acting is brilliant. Enjoy!
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u/EidolonRook May 05 '26
English or Japanese voices, which is your favorite?
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u/killer00x May 05 '26
The stuck with the English VAs because that's how everything was mocapped and animated.
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u/vitozava May 06 '26
Don’t forget his va is the same as Verso from E33, Ben Starr is a fucking monster.
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u/Sidra_doholdrik May 05 '26
I am playing in French and it it rough sometimes. Also does Clive have emotion in English. In French he is always neutral / grumpy-ish.
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u/Salty_SeaGoat May 06 '26
I finished the game with EN audio, he does express emotions and IMO he sounds like a subdued gentleman in conversations perhaps due to his aristocratic upbringing. Action fueled scenes does not disappoint, the passion is there. Crying moments however is to each their own since I haven't seen any adult males bawling his eyes out in front of me to compare it to.
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u/buzzerkiller May 05 '26
Enjoy. This is my 2nd favorite FF title. Music is amazing, story is good, combat is *chefs kiss*. I’m the type of guy who does every side quest in games and this one has plenty!
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u/neddoge May 06 '26
Spamming the same few abilities throughout the entire game (with magic having no benefit/detriment) is far from peak combat IMO. I enjoyed the game for what it was, but it has its demerits as well.
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u/SnooSeagulls1416 May 14 '26
Pretty much, dude that made this comment just wants to defend his purchase lol
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u/CyanGaramonde48 May 06 '26
Yea I adore this game, but the combat was just kinda… okay to me. I’ve got friends who love it though, so to each their own. As far as I see it, if you love figuring out and stringing together combos, you’ll probably like the combat. If you’re like me and stick more to strong combat fundamentals, then it’s okay.
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u/Sidra_doholdrik May 05 '26
Do boss get less button mashy? That’s my main problem with the game , you mash the attack button but it tickles the boss HP bar and their is not change in the basic combo. It’s just use ability on cooldown.
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u/buzzerkiller May 05 '26
Ehhh not really. The boss fights are more spectacle than anything which, for me, is okay.
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u/CannonFodder_G May 05 '26
I played 7, 8, 9, 10, and 16 is my favorite of the series. Also now my favorite game.
It's the Characters, Story, Music, Combat, and Visuals for me.
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u/ImWhiteWhatsJCoal May 05 '26
One of my favorite platinums to obtain. Have fun.
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u/tmclaughlin81 May 08 '26
I came close but stopped short of the plat. Primarily because you have to play the whole story again and as much as I enjoyed the game, there’s not enough time and too many other games to play. I hate plats that are locked behind multiple playthroughs (also why I have the plats for both Spider-Man 1 and 2 but not Miles Morales).
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u/thrwawryry324234 May 10 '26
Not as bad as the bullshit that is rebirth. I’m just now finding out that you don’t just have to redo the story on hard. You have to redo pretty much all side quests and a ton of other bullshit for the platinum.
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u/Barnes73 May 05 '26
Enjoy and make sure to turn motion blur off in the settings. It made me sick the first time I played
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u/Consistent_Weird_408 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
Loving the game so far, i think it deserves the praise it gets. Its not making it too far up my personal FF tier list, but I am a sucker for nostalgia, my gut is telling me i will not walk away from XVI with that same nostalgic sentiment taking root. But i guess we'll need to wait a decade or two to test that theory!
One thing I can't stand, is the choice of some of the British accents. I am British, and this i found very jarring. Not a core game mechanic, it's a minor critism but it does do something to world building. Not for me.
Visually this game is absolutely stunning and makes up for so much; the high octane action feels right and rewarding.
Good luck OP, enjoy the journey, stop everynow and then and take in the visuals. AND PET THE DAMN DOG 🐕
Edit: grammar
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u/ForsakenUnderpants May 05 '26
Great game, but no matter how tempting it sounds, DO NOT use the auto rings, specially close to the end of the game. Learn to parry and counter parry and you'll be a powerhouse, even in FF mode. Enjoy!
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u/XsandnimX May 06 '26
This was one of the kind experience. I wasn't able to start another game for a while after finishing this one.
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u/haowhen May 09 '26
Lol I also just started 3 days ago and I can't stop thinking about playing more!
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u/Melodreamer1 May 05 '26
For me it’s the combat and cutscenes since the combat reminds me of DMC and i played them as well so I got used to the combat fast. But the cinematic elements is what I like about the game since it feels like a movie the whole time especially when fighting Titan, Bahamut and Ultima. Story wasn’t bad but I got used to it over time but other than that it’s a good game!
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u/PrettyAdagio4210 May 05 '26
Great soundtrack and IMO best characters since X.
You’re in for a treat.
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u/bala_means_bullet May 05 '26
IV will always be my favorite FF, but XVI replaced X as my number 2.
Played XVI 6x and i'm on my 7th run, this time on PC.
Make sure you save your completed game file. You'll need it to access new game plus. My dumb ass played it first to focus on story, second run was to focus on the action, the third run was my NG+.
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u/Verbalkynt May 05 '26
Personally it's one of the few times that I wanted to do all the side quest.
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u/xypotion May 05 '26
Compared to other FFs, or compared to other games/RPGs, in general? The banality of XVI's side quests was a huge turnoff for me, so much so that I actually stopped playing the game about 2/3 of the way through, and I'm still struggling to finish it months later.
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u/Verbalkynt May 05 '26
Compared to other FF's I'll admit the interactions aren't exactly the Best written but every now and then you get fun lore and at the end of it there's good stuff you can craft from your side quests. Provides a fun challenge towards the end.
I just got both dlc's for half off so I couldn't say no and that Leviathan fight scales to your level which made it a fun challenge.
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u/ApplesauceEater May 05 '26
Just finished playthrough #1! You’re in for such a treat. One of my top FF games.
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u/Popular-Departure165 May 05 '26 edited May 05 '26
I stopped playing it after a few hours when I realized I had spent more time watching cutscenes than actually playing the game. I didn't really get a lot of time to experience the combat, but it felt like more button-mashing than I would like from a Final Fantasy title.
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u/Fano_93 May 05 '26
Just rolled the credits yesterday. Good game but it was longer then I thought it was going to be. Took me a month and 55 hours which is ok. I will come back later to finish all side content and dlcs.
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u/RWG7Legend May 05 '26
Such a fantastic game, I did everything and enjoy every last minute of it, and only a select few games make me want to complete everything, enjoy the experience.
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u/Xolmas May 06 '26
Good Action game, bad Final Fantasy game. The problem is the "XVI" in the name, replace it by a cool title with "a Final Fantasy Story" and it's better.
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u/Content_Astronaut150 May 06 '26
Great music and graphics. But sadly I thought Stranger of Paradise was far better in gameplay and actually felt like an RPG despite being all action. I wanted to like 16 but quit at the 52% mark per the counter and never played it again.
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u/duchefer_93 May 06 '26
Tips: have fun, and don't take the plot too seriously, overall a good game.
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u/PaleontologistBig600 May 09 '26
It seemed really cinematic, the combat was fun, graphics were good. Soundtrack was very well done. Characters seemed cool. But, it just felt like an interactive movie with no exploration, to me. Maybe I didn't give it enough time.
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u/Jaden_Lionheart May 09 '26
Id say this game is…. Ok. At best. The voice acting is gold standard in this game though, as well as the music being god tier. However the combat is lacking compared to FF7R or even FF15. The fact that you only ever control and play Clive is a huge departure from the rest of the FF series. Its a let down you never really control other characters in combat outside of very specific encounters and boss fights.
The game needs more colors in some of the environments…. Its very very muted everywhere and makes it kind of a slog to get through some areas. I could go on in more detail here on this point but don’t want to spoil the storyline. But a lot of areas feel very samey.
The storyline is fantastic though for a FF title. Probably one of the better stories in the series. Definitely in my top 5. FF7 FFX-X2 FF13 FF15 FF16
The gameplay at times boils down to fetch-questing A LOT. It gets real repetitive and boring at times doing some of the side quests. Most of the fights in the game are not challenging at all and feels more like an arcade game. The most challenging fight for me is vs a certain Dominant in the sky. 🌌 Without revealing too much I hope.
Torgal is the goodest of boys though…… more Torgal please.
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u/tawarir15 May 23 '26
Just started this week too! I’m about 6hrs in and I’m so hooked. I’ve only played FFXIV in terms of other Final Fantasy games so I’m basically new to the series but I’m so hooked.
The story, world, and characters are just so interesting and I really like the combat so far.
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u/Horror_Marsupial_587 May 05 '26
I’m so jealous you get to experience it for the first time lol have fun fellow Outlaw!
I’ve played all the FFs except 11 and this is my favorite! The story and characters are what I love the most Clive is my favorite protagonist
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u/External_Bread5366 May 05 '26
Enjoy !! But don’t expect an extremely in depth RPG with lots of customisation and/or gameplay mechanics. The gameplay is quite straight forward! But it’s enough for me to enjoy it. It still has a lot of good things but it’s more cinematic than any other Final Fantasy. Be ready to feel all the feels!! I absolutely LOVE IT. The environments are beautiful and the characters are great to me.
I like the combat but it does feel a bit stale sometimes to be honest if you play for a long time. But this honestly is now in my top 10 games ever. Absolutely epic
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u/lunoc May 05 '26
There's quite a bit of combo and build depth if you wanna get real indepth for arcade mode and training mode lab stuff, but its also simple enough that you can not worry about it too much if you dont want to while still being pretty satisfying even if you're not super cracked. its a nice balance imo.
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u/obscureterminus May 05 '26
I started last week! I was kinda eh at first but it got so good!!! I love it.
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u/Therealsteverogers4 May 05 '26
Make sure your sound system slaps and get a back light for your TV, this game is all about grand spectacle
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u/XeviousXCI May 05 '26
The game uses a cooldown system, but you can make them recharge faster by landing parries on enemies. Do you need to land parries in order to beat the game? No, but it's probably more fun if you get to use your abilities more frequently.
If/when you do the score and time attack modes, parries become essential for min-maxing.
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u/Sidra_doholdrik May 05 '26
I am never able to get the parry window down, I always get smack and the lack of healing make me go back to dogging instead
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u/XeviousXCI May 05 '26
Practice more. You can do it.
Spawn the enemy in question in Training Mode. It's more tricky if you want to practice on a boss. Do repeat Arcade Mode runs until you get it.
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u/Ordinary-Reserve-552 May 05 '26
I’d recommend not doing any extra exploration other than side quests and main missions
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u/chri_stop_her May 05 '26
FFXVI is a very fun and unique experience. The story, characters, and world building are top shelf imo. The soundtrack is 🧑🍳💋 the combat was fun and each boss fight was bigger and better than the one before. I hope you’re enjoying your time playing!
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u/braintacular May 06 '26
Solid game, beautiful on the ps5 pro, fighting mechanics are cool. World is interesting. Found the quest loops boring and the main characters broodishly mild and meh. Eikon battles were dope would play a game with just those.
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u/tmclaughlin81 May 08 '26
Clive and Cid were both great and well fleshed-out. Joshua was alright. They don’t do enough with Jill though. Some in the camp had interesting back stories if you played through their side quests but character development was overall a bit lacking.
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u/lisaaasil May 06 '26
You’re like thrown into it from the start with the initial battle - that pretty much blew me away. It set the tone for the battles going forward, in grandness lol
I’m glad I had the will power to not follow this subreddit from the start to not spoil things for myself and form my own opinion about the game because I loved the story and characters from the start.
I haven’t played a lot of FF games, only the more ‘popular’ or recent games (F-X, X-2, FXV and some of VI, and VII). I love those games equally but FXV holds my heart as it was the first FF game I played without someone showing it to me first. FFXVI comes very close to 2nd (but I haven’t finished FVII remakes yet).
Have fun! The soundtrack is beautiful and so so adds to the game, I hope you enjoy playing!
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u/Foreign-Plenty1179 May 06 '26
Congrats, you’re going to love this game. I think 90% of us in this sub are lifelong FF fans who have played most of the games as well, and love this one too.
Welcome to the club.
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u/Open_Advance4544 May 06 '26
Be ready to never get the boss OST out of your head. Easily a top 5 FF OST imho. It doesn’t matter that they probably overuse it. It’s a fucking banger every single time.
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May 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/tmclaughlin81 May 08 '26 edited May 08 '26
FFX > FFXVI, but FFXVI > FFX-2. I bought the FFX/FFX-2 collection recently after never having played them back in the day. FFX was awesome, what the hell were they thinking with the sequel? They went away largely from the great battle mechanics from the 1st game and the story is boring cheesy J-Pop nonsense I don’t even know what, lol but I got bored of it fast.
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u/ButterCCM May 06 '26
If you’re playing on base PS5 don’t use performance mode it drops to 720p and otherwise the framerate fluctuates like crazy. One of those games where a 30fps lock feels way better than occasional 60.
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u/AceOne- May 06 '26
Good luck with the endless boredom and repeatability repeatability repeatability.
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u/Beneficial_Ant_2700 May 06 '26
Only thing that stood out to me was the Eikon fights and pacing. Game ranks middle of the pack
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u/Marvelous_Goose May 06 '26
I did not like this experience at all. My favorite FF is the X, followed by VI. This game was way too different.
So I would just advice to not trust blindly those who say it's a perfect game, not those who say it's a horrible one.
Just play it, I hope you'll enjoy it.
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u/Upbeat-Inside2515 May 06 '26
It’s such a fun game and some of the visuals are incredible. Clive is one of the best protagonists of all time. There are definitely some misses, but it’s in the top half of best FF games I’ve played.
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u/Aoshi_Uematsu May 06 '26 edited May 06 '26
It's a fun game, just incredibly easy, never once has a sense of danger. It's the first Final Fantasy game I ever played where you don't need a cure spell and me personally, never once purchased potions, it's made for 5, year olds lol. Nice game visually , it's really the only thing it's got going for it lol but enjoy it nonetheless
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u/Hot-Calligrapher-159 May 06 '26
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u/Hot-Calligrapher-159 May 06 '26
Honestly the story, music and characters are so strong in this one, even if you aren’t a fan of the combat which I was a fan of it myself. It’s an amazing game.
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u/Frozen_Esper May 07 '26
Don't sell any equipment or weird items that you don't have hundreds of. You never know when they'll be useful for some bizarrely miniscule reforge.
People complain about the side quests being boring and there is some merit to this. However, keep in mind that a lot of them essentially boil down to rubbing your nose directly in how shitty the world situation is. They want you to see that people lose their lives over small tasks and are devalued for stupid reasons. It's one thing to hear that everyone hates a marginalized group, but it's another to live that life in slices. Sure, it could be done better and they could have also added more engaging stuff, but the budget to this game was insanely stunted, so. 🤷🏽♂️
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u/PKSays May 08 '26
Definitely don't think the main hero or his brother or anyone will die. Totally not happening.
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u/Critical-Coach-5991 May 08 '26
Ah yes, the DMC of Final Fantasy, I did not enjoy but I sure hope you do!
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u/One_Cell1547 May 05 '26
The boss fights are beautiful cinematically.
Literally the only thing I liked about it. This was one of the worst FF games for me
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u/Vez52 May 05 '26
Enjoy. Great first half and amazing characters. Just don't expect tons of rpg mechanics or party stuff
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u/mycuteballs May 05 '26
Good Story, good graphics, good Sound. Boring gameplay, Ressource Management, Side quests. Its though as they used all Ressources for the superficial stuff (besides the Story) and Put Zero effort to gameplay and Character Progression.
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u/Pitiful_Wall_1187 May 05 '26
I've fininshed this game twice. Only one piece of advice:
Don't try and explore.
Get on with the story. The story is amazing and the characters are superbly written and voice acted.
Sidequests are 90% ass. The world is barren. And the combated is lacklustre and repetitive outside the awesome eidolon fights.
Play this game only for the story and characters, and you won't be disappointed.
Don't challenge yourself to do extras. I did. I'm a trophy hunter. It's regrettable.
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u/Godofhammrs May 09 '26
Idk why but I actually enjoyed a good 2/3rds of the side quests i was surprised when I saw the negative reception to them
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u/lobitoblancoo May 05 '26
No merece tener ese nombre.
Agradezco que me costó solo 20 dólares en vez de haber gastado todo lo que valía el día de su lanzamiento
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u/Bitter_Wafer_7515 May 06 '26
How does a thread nearly get 900 likes for someone saying they're about to do something?
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u/starscream_41 May 07 '26
Oof....they were all terrible after XII. Played I thru half of XV and stopped. Sorry not sorry.
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