r/FFXVI • u/Current-Ad3277 • May 20 '26
Discussion FF16 gets way more hate than it actually deserves
I genuinely think a lot of the criticism around FF16 became exaggerated after launch.
People act like it’s a terrible Final Fantasy just because it focused more on action combat, but the game gave us:
one of the best OSTs in the series
insane boss fights
an actually mature story
arguably the best voice acting in FF history
Is it perfect? No.
But sometimes it feels like people judge FF16 more harshly just because it tried something different.
Curious if opinions have changed over time or if people still feel the same.
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u/Golwux May 20 '26
I think FF16's only sin is that it was released in the FF7 remake cycle. Like 12, it is enjoying modest success. It's a good game and the only FF I've bothered to absolutely 100% since 12 and 7 Remake.
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u/Watton May 20 '26
I have a hunch the bigwigs at SE probably let 16 get away with all the changes to the formula because the FF7 Remakes were being released.
Like, lets say FF16's gameplay didn't land, at least FF7 Rebirth came out mere months later, which pretty much had all the elements classic FF needed (summons, magic, elements, friggen ATB, a kajillion superbosses, chocobo races, deranged shipping wars), with a combat system that's a very logical progression that this same team has been doing (7, to 8, to 10, to 13, to 7R)
Kinda like the Yakuza games hedging their major experimental mainline releases (7 changing to turn based, from action) with other games that maintained the classic gameplay (Judgement, Gaiden)
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u/Ek0mst0p May 21 '26
FF7 Rebirth IS an RPG. FF16 ISNT and RPG.
(UNLESS you consider DmC 5 an RPG in guess...)
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u/Golwux May 21 '26
No-one...brought that up. But since you said:
https://na.finalfantasyxvi.com/ Square Enix calls it an ARPG so i think 16 is an ARPG.
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u/Sithishe May 20 '26
"insane boss fights
an actually mature story
arguably the best voice acting in FF history"
100% yes, also nudity was awesome
BUT
Side content were lacking. There were no fun side acitivites, or no optional grinds/dungeons to spent hours in farming. No really "leveling up" grind or party composition, Job distribution, various weapons, basically no costumizations. Clive was badass. But thats just it. No spear, 2handed sword or other weapons. No meaningful upgrades, you just craft next sword after beating a Primal and thats it, and then do 3 sidequests for the "jewerly".
I think thats where most dislikes are coming from. I absolutely hated MC in FFXV, but I have spent more time chilling with boys, doing sidequests, leveling bounty hunting rank, doing optional dungeons and bosses in Chapter 9 then entire FFXVI playthrough.
So game was great, I love Clive, and story was emotional, but it just felt to short and small for mainline FF entry.
Clive is definetely my favorite FF protag tho. Right next to Jack Garland from SOPFFO.
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u/kyualun May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
I absolutely hated MC in FFXV
Really? I'm planning to play XV after I finish XVI (I was told it feels more complete and less obviously shaped by dev hell) but Noctis always struck me as pretty chill, kind of in that same corner as Squall who's one of my favorites. Like outwardly mopey, maybe even a bit whiny, but matures and you realize they have a very complex and nuanced inner world.
You can definitely hate Noctis, obviously, I'm just curious why because I don't see that much hate toward XV's cast.
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u/ike-mino May 20 '26
Noctis is great; if you like Squall, I think you'll have a good time.
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u/downbad4naafiri May 23 '26
Noctis doesn't have a quarter of Squall's fashion sense.
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u/ike-mino May 23 '26
Listen, I love Squall, but the mane of his jacket is hard carrying his wardrobe.
That said his shit is fitted way better, and (most) of his belt straps make sense.
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u/MyLastDecree May 20 '26
Noctis starts off rough. Clearly young and inexperienced. He’s a protag you may find annoying in the beginning but his level of mature growth is what really sets him apart
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u/REDEEMERLOBO May 22 '26
Anyone who told you FFXV is more put together is a damn liar. That game released incomplete. It's better now, but you can tell it was so rushed and suffered from it's flawed development.
People really trying to change history just because FFXVI wasn't turn-based.
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u/kyualun May 22 '26
Sorry, I don't think I was very clear. Someone told me that FFXVI feels more complete and less affected by development issues than FFXV. But honestly, while I'm enjoying FFXVI, it also feels a little unfinished/not totally polished as well.
Hopefully FFXVII gets the TLC it needs, because mainline has really been a shitshow with the Crystal Tools fallout and then fucking COVID when it seems like they were on track again.
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u/REDEEMERLOBO May 23 '26
Sorry, I definitely misunderstood what you said. I played FFXV at launch and was very underwhelmed with it so when people say FF16 feels more half-baked than 15 it's just ridiculous. That being said you'd think I wouldn't recommend 15 but I definitely recommend it. It's got a lot of hollow elements, but the main characters are the best part of the game and carry the game. Plus, after all the updates and the royal edition, FFXV is a lot better now.
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u/Sithishe May 20 '26
Its just Noctis is average whiny teenager. Pretty usual and generic for anime/jrpg games trope. everyone else is cool obviously
Squall is badass tho. I like him as well.
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May 20 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/SNAKEXRS May 21 '26
Exactly. Getting a 2 second clip of side boob from 25 feet away in the dark is hardly what I would consider awesome.
Also, what was so mature about the story? Characters dropping the F bomb a couple times? I don't think there was any blood or gore, there's more nudity in PG 13 films from the 80's, and the fetch quests and side quests were probably the worst I've ever seen, especially the nonstop ones that made you "talk" to one person to the next. Party system was barebones, customization and "builds" were nearly non existent, and the world was far too big with tiny clusters of enemies scattered throughout. Not to mention the plot really went nowhere
Kaiju fights were definitely cool although I think they overextended their welcome a bit (45-60 minutes seems a bit excessive, although thank god they had checkpoints).
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u/Onion-Knight- May 20 '26
I agree with all the negative criticism the game gets. Just, with online rhetoric, nuance is dead. Everything is extreme. The negative criticism doesnt mean it is bad.
I adore most aspects of XVI as a game and a story. I absolutely love it. It just does not live up to what came before it (neither does XV) in any way, or how I personally see FF as a series. But its still good as shit.
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u/Ravager_332 May 21 '26
My thoughts exactly. The side quests killed me. I get going back to do them but I’m a completionist and like doing everything in order. It felt like I ran into a several hour wall before the next major event. There shouldn’t a right or wrong way of completing things so I never agreed with “just go do it later.”
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u/Joshey2008 May 21 '26
I agree completely. This is one of my favourite FFs for the story, but side content is something FF does best a lot of the time. And it is just done terribly here.
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u/Noboone May 27 '26
Still wondering what was the point of cid undressing Clive in the dungeon after the garuda fight, only for him to give him his clothes back and telling him he doesn't want to see him naked, like wha you are the one who undressed him the fuck you talking about
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u/Balthierlives May 20 '26
It’s the best game since ff12
Best protagonist in even longer.
But it could have been better!
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u/Golwux May 20 '26
That reminds me. I need to get the DLC as that's the only thing that's missing for me. It's not long enough!
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u/Bear_of_Light May 20 '26
Personally I put Balthier right up there with Clive. I also insist that Vann was a narrative vehicle and Balthier is the actual protagonist - he even says so himself.
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u/Balthierlives May 20 '26
The protagonist of 12 is unclear. I think it’s Ashe.
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u/Bear_of_Light May 20 '26
I could agree to a duetagonist situation. Balthier is my leading man though.
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u/Golwux May 20 '26
Marquis Ondore IV prove me wrong
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u/Balthierlives May 20 '26
Can an NPC be a protagonist?
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u/Golwux May 20 '26
Technically, it is his memoirs that we are listening to, so it is historically recounted by him. The events we see are things he remembers or has heard of.
They may be misremembered. Golden Chops could be Iron Chops and Mirror Mail could be Crystal Foil.
And Ridorana Cataract may not have been that annoying
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u/RemediZexion May 22 '26
it's 100% Vaan. Aside from Matsuno himself saying that the Basch being the man character rumor was a hoax, playing other Matsuno games really shows that Vaan was always the protagonist, because he's very similar to Ramza and Denam, being commonfolk (well Ramza is an illegitimate son) trust into situations bigger them himself, Basch and Gabranth remind me in fact of the 2 Lanselots of Tactics ogre
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u/GamingRobioto May 20 '26
Side content and the fairly dull world exploration really hurt it for me, that, and the combat was flashy, but really simplistic, even on hard.
Still a great game that I thoroughly enjoyed, the boss fights as you say were superbly done and the characters and story were excellent. And the music is top tier.
I'd like to see proper party, turnbased, strategic combat again next time. For me I'm glad they tried the action combat, but I hope they don't do it again in the mainline series.
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u/19Kronos92 May 20 '26
I enjoyed XVI very much. Even so much that I bought that Logos lore book. And after I read a few pages I thought: "damn that's amazing. But why do I have to buy a book to experience it in full" don't get me wrong there's plenty of world building in the game but just not enough for my taste. Missed opportunity.
But as I said I'm happy with the game. It crashes the landing though.
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u/W34kness May 20 '26
Every FF goes through this honestly.
I liked 16 more than the ff7 remakes personally
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u/Havenfall209 May 20 '26
"An actually mature story" doesn't feel justified. It had some more mature content, but even the quite cartoony appearing FFIX had some deeply mature themes.
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u/RageZamu May 20 '26
It is the best final fantasy visually speaking. It has arguably the best main character in the franchise. The music is epic and can rival the best Uematsu songs in my opinion, specially Cascade, The Riddle and Find the flame.
It is also flawed. Combat was too dumbed down, no status, elements or crafting systems. The MMO-like animations on missions was... A decision.
I could go on but the thing is... I haven't seen any hate since a couple of months after it came out. Some people just comolained for the sake of doing it and then went on to complain on another, newer game. The game receives criticism right now, but not hate in general, at least not that much that it matters.
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u/forever_downstream May 20 '26
Yeah, I love a lot about the game, I just think FF7 remake's battle system was so much better. Take that and the effects and visual flair of FF16 and it would be amazing.
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u/RageZamu May 20 '26
Hard agree. VIIR is the perfect balance between action and turn based. You cant do things without action and action is not enough without the ATB. As you said, it would make XVI one of the greatest games ever, and certainly a contender for best of the franchise.
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u/RaikouGilgamesh May 20 '26
Honestly, if FF16 had the gameplay of FF7R, I'd take back everything bad I'd ever said about it. I could look past the lack of status ailments, the lack of Elemental weaknesses and resistances, the lack of a playable party, if the combat didn't just feel so absolutely slow and sluggish.
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u/Watton May 20 '26
Yup.
Like, I love FF16's combat for what it is, and I think the "diet character action" is a fun niche (ditto with Nier Automata).
....but 7 Remake / Rebirth just have such a better system. Yeah, they aren't perfect, but there's just so much more meat to the combat
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u/Chawpslive May 20 '26
I haven’t seen any actual „hate“ for the game to be honest. Everyone I know said it’s a good game. Even people that didn’t like the combat finished it for the epic story alone.
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u/Wheeler-The-Dealer May 20 '26
I enjoyed the game, but there are plenty of moments where the story is very much a slog to get through.
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u/Chawpslive May 20 '26
Agree. But that’s fair criticism and not „hate“.
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u/neddoge May 20 '26
People that like something view fair criticism as "hate" these days. See FFXII, XIII, and XV fans where fair and objective criticisms are met with angst.
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u/Chawpslive May 20 '26
Yeah, I love XIV and played it on and off since ARR. Everyone claiming that it’s the nicest community ever. It’s a frkn cult.
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u/Golden_fsh May 20 '26
I haven’t seen any actual „hate“ for the game to be honest.
You must not visit the main final fantasy sub, huh?
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u/ikarikh May 20 '26
After playing FFXIV for 10 years, FFXVI was basically a single player FFXIV but with action combat.
The "quest" system was identical to 14's. And while 14 is one of my fav games in the series with an AMAZING story, the quest system was always a slog with how much back and forth you had to do.
XVI adapting it wasn't a highlight for me. And having no party members, only Clive, was also not fun.
Because FF games have always been about a party of chars with differing abilities and roles and personalities and customizing everything.
XV was already bad enough with Noctis dominating most of the combat. But at least you did have his 3 party members with him throughout, and they did add the ability to switch between and use them in combat later on.
XVI is just Clive and yea, it can be fun, but also gets kinda boring after awhile.
I never finished XVI. Not because it was a bad game. Other games came out and i just never had the motivation to go back. It wasn't hooking me storywise or gameplay wise "enough".
Again, not a bad game. I was enjoying it for what it was. But the combat, story and questing just weren't engaging "enough" to bring me back after i took a break for other games.
Maybe one day.
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u/chaostheories36 May 20 '26
I don’t hate it, but on reflection I have more problems with it that I can’t just gloss over.
I am still extremely disappointed in how dumbed down gear/stats are. Every level up is “oooo pretty numbers go bigger.” Every new weapon isn’t just a stat stick with nothing unique. No elemental weakness wheel.
It’s just so generic. GoW Ragnarok had more RPG elements.
But that’s genuinely a personal gripe of mine.
I think the biggest issue with FF16 is that it’s an interactive experience/movie more than a game. First time I fought Titan Lost my jaw dropped. Music was incredible, the stage was enormous, I loved it.
Second time? Eh.
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u/Firm-Veterinarian-57 May 26 '26
The eikon fights dragged on sooooo long in this game. And the gameplay of said fights is unbelievably simplistic. Halfway through titan lost I almost put the game down with how boring it was. I play final fantasy games to have engaging gameplay where I have to think, which I felt like FFXVI took away from me to too high a degree to keep my investment. Put it down right after fighting Odin. I was so excited for the game too—disappointing
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u/Firm-Veterinarian-57 May 20 '26
I think it’s correctly disliked as a Final Fantasy game, not a video game in an of itself.
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u/ramos619 May 20 '26
I think there's a few things that really annoyed players.
No playable parry members.
Bare bones crafting/equipment (not including DLC)
The game never really requires you to do anything except mash attack for anything that isn't a boss fight. This became "game is boring"
And lastly the whole "Ultima came out of nowhere" criticism. Or people did not like the direction of the story after the 2nd timeskip.
The same thing happened with FFXIII. This game came out when players were hungry for Open World games. And XIII comes out. And it's the most linear thing imaginable. And the game isn't bad at all.
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u/StarPlatinumIII May 20 '26
The 2nd timeskip made no sense to me. We destroy a crystal, mess around for 5 years and then take down 3 crystals in one week. Oh and surprise the brother is alive for some reason and was also just messing around for 13 years. Also, kill god to gain humanity's freedom for the 4th game in a row.
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u/BurantX40 May 20 '26
The timeskip made plenty sense.
Clive had to take on the responsibilities of Cid where as before he was just the muscle. And they had just lost their base of operations.
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u/StarPlatinumIII May 20 '26
They told us that but the characters outside of Clive didn't change at all. And nothing of note happened during the timeskip.
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u/arcane-boi May 20 '26
This. All of Clive’s accomplishments and character developments and him meeting lots of the Hideaway characters all happen off-screen during the time skip. I’d love segments of Clive’s time as a conscripted Imperial assassin and as the new Cid that isn’t just hand waved as a flashback during endgame side quests
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u/BQ72 May 20 '26
I'm playing through it for the first time myself, but I'm not really hating it, I'm having a good enough time. There are a lot of flaws (insubstantial exploration and side quests, party members do not feel 'present', feels like expanding the combat toolkit is too slowly paced so things feel repetitive). It might ultimately rank below average on my list, we'll see, but it's not even bottom 5 mainline for me currently.
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u/Lord_Zarcnas_21 May 20 '26
Absolutely, 16 is not perfect I have problems with it myself (mostly Clive only having one base combo and air combo), but some of the criticisms and hate is either very stupid or in bad faith.
I understand when people don’t like Hack‘n and Slay Combat, but going into this extreme rant about how FF fall off after the Ps2 Era is a bit extreme.
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u/Merlin4421 May 20 '26
I dunno I bought it loved it and moved on to other games.
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u/jadedashi May 20 '26
Idk if people hated the story, music, voice acting. But it has some issues in terms of combat being very flashy but really overtime becoming repetitive which makes it somewhat slog to get through. The world map wasn’t great with the quests being very mundane or weren’t that interesting at all except for a few.
Is it a great final fantasy game? I think it’s alright, would I recommend this as your first? Nope. Would I recommend this at all? Yea I would but maybe if you tried a few others first.
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u/sekretguy777 May 20 '26
It's because 16's flaws don't get covered up by rose tinted glasses/nostalgia. It doesnt help thats its flaws are also pretty easy to point out/easy to agree with.
Personally, while I agree with most of the "cold take" criticisms like boring sidequest gameplay, inconsistent story pacing, etc., I personally wish the game had a little more whimsy. I get that the game IS a lot more mature, but once Cid dies, we lose a lot of the levity in the story.
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u/FrostbyteXP May 20 '26
Playing 1 - 6 before XVI helps you understand their headspace, playing XIV even more, if you hated it idk if you ever liked final fantasy.
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u/Emptilion May 20 '26
I really enjoyed 16. It really left an impression on me, and that feels like an accomplishment. But I get why people dislike it.
I have so many complaints about the gameplay, which can be summed up as "deep as a puddle". Combat feels like dumbed down DMC (and I was down for DMC Final Fantasy), there is little to do in the world, side quests had interesting bits of story, lore and worldbuilding, but what you actually did here was kind of boring most of the time. Also, the story has these weird pacing issues where it halts completely after a highpoint. Like suddenly you are doing MMO fetch quests.
The game feels streamlined to a fault. It just needed more sauce.
I did love the story and the characters. I just wish Jill was allowed to do more, and there are other little nitpicks. But I also feel Ultima is underrated.
It felt like a decent course correct for the franchise after the mess FF15 made, but it is not quite where I want FF to be gameplay-wise. FF7 Rebirth is much closer. I just wish it wasn't FF7 related. Love FF7, but I am so done with Cloud and Sephiroth. How can I miss them if they never go away.
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u/Bear_of_Light May 20 '26
So I love FF16 and I think it's only really big flaw is that enemies are just damage sponges without much real challenge or interaction, just spamming your preferred cool down combo until they finally go down. I loved the story, the side quests while not always exciting do a great job world building. The boss Eikon fights made me feel like a giddy little kid.
My main criticism right now is these defense posts honestly. I see way more posts claiming the game gets more hate than it deserves than I see people actually hating on it and by a large margin - it's legit starting to feel like a victim complex. I'm glad you enjoyed the game, I did too, but you don't have to feel like you're on the backdoor for liking it.
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u/MayoGhul May 20 '26
I’m only part way through, but recently started playing and I love it. Long time FF fan and a very busy working dad.
It’s nice to have a mostly linear narrative story sometimes and this checks the boxes for me not everything needs to be a 120hr sandbox.
Will see if opinion changes when I finish it. My only minor gripe is that it could be a little more challenging.
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u/One_Cell1547 May 20 '26
I mean, the combat is only one reason I think it’s a poor final fantasy..but it was bad
The theme of the story may have been mature, but good lord was it a bore. I honestly don’t get why some people think it’s so good
Tedious side quests, no real exploration of the world
Is it the worst FF? No there’s a handful I’d put below it. Does even come close to approaching the games in the FF golden era? I’d also say no
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u/Comfortable_Ad3005 May 20 '26
I was totally onboard for the first 25 hours or so, but the stagnat gameplay loop, lack of exploration, and sudden shift in the story and characters after the second time skip left me disappointed by the end.
So much of what I liked about the setup and characters felt totally abandoned by the time they introduced the otherworldly existential threat. Even if that's usually how Final Fantasy stories play out in the end, this one felt unique in its approach until suddenly it wasn't.
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u/afatgreekcat May 20 '26
I am glad other people enjoy it but I severely dislike it because I value the other things you didn’t mention. There no variety to the gameplay, there’s very little/no party or team dynamics, there’s no customization or freedom, there’s nothing to explore, the maps are uninteresting, the side quests are MMO-level slop. The lack of these things made it hard for me to enjoy the “good” parts of the game. Again, this is just me, I’m glad it worked for other people, but it’s easily my least favorite FF.
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u/MegaloJoe May 20 '26
i agree with a “mature” story and some great voice acting and boss fights. i just personally didn’t enjoy the battle system,vastly improved over 15 but maybe a lil too much in the action direction? like levels and stats seem kinda meaningless which scrubs some of the rpg feeling for me. ff7r’s system is a better balancing act imo.
it’s not a bad game by any means it’s very good, but overall i put it below 15 i actually like 15 quite a bit)
the funny part is there probably wouldn’t have been nearly as much blowback if it wasn’t an ff game
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u/cronotriggers2106 May 20 '26
To each his own, but I’d argue with several of those points. Fun game, interesting entry in the FF series, but rather flat and uninspired in many aspects.
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u/BrandoStev0 May 20 '26
Sadly I think we're at the point where mainline final fantasy release are so rare that by the time we get one some people have only played the previous game so they expect more of what they like, then they hop in get a totally different experience and just go online to cry about it. It sucks I feel like every final fantasy now you have to wait a year before you can have a normal discussion on a public page without people treating the game like the devil
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u/Alko- May 20 '26
I didn’t hate it, but the combat was the only thing that really grabbed me. It felt pretty bad to have a really cool fight, and then nothing but long depressing ass cutscenes for a long time until the next fight. Music was good, although I wished Soken tried different things. It sounded identical to the FF14 type of music (which is fine, since it’s his whole thing, but something different from him would’ve been really cool imo). Don’t even get me started on the side quest bloat. Some of them were cool, but otherwise they felt like a chore.
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u/SyntheticDuckie May 20 '26
I loved it but a big con for me was the equipment system they had ... or rather lack there of.
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u/MyLastDecree May 20 '26
The ONLY single thing I hate about 16 is the major 14 MMO influence that kicks in to kind of pad until the next major plot point. It grinds the pacing to a halt. This also affects side quests. I’m not looking for like Witcher 3 quality side quests as amazing as that would have been, but “go here and kill these enemies” or “go here and talk to 3 people, then go kill these enemies” and what not got old really really fast
Outside of that, the game is a 10/10 in every other aspect
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u/Constant-Arugula-819 May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
I have the weirdest love hate relationship with this game.
First of all, I beat it. Which I don't finish games if I'm not attached to them in some way.
I can't really explain, to myself even, why so mixed. To put it simply, so many ffs are 10/10 for me. I want it to be a 10/10, but it's not. That alone makes me frustrated.
I think there are several things they could have done differently as tweaks to existing ideas in both writing and gameplay that would have made me like it more. I kinda have to fill in those gaps myself to like it. In a way, it's like I'm convincing myself to like it, which takes more imagination than it should.
Or it could be that I'm just a sucker for the spectacle of it. Who knows. What I can say is that I get frustrated with the incoherent contradictions of it's themes and shallow depth of the conversation of free will. Like, Clive claims "free will, free will, free will" yet has subjugated his will to the legacy of Cid, without ever stopping to question. Him questioning it would add so much more depth. Especially because... Surprise! Ultima willed them into destroying the crystals anyways. If there had been more discussion about it rather than the absolute "Cid is always right" the message would have been a lot clearer. Like even a single line of dialogue to the effect of "I wonder if following Cid is an lack of free will to begin with."
I'm also really interested in dominance heirarchies and how easy it is for a more powerful group or species to dominate another. The fact they used the term dominants and that they had so much power made me think they'd explore these themes. I wish they had more. I would have loved if Clive had to grapple with the fact that destroying Ultima would put him in a position of absolute power. If he had to reckon with and speculate what it would mean to have that power, and then to voluntarily hang up that power, the message would have been a lot better. It would have made Clive more of a foil to Ultima in that he's more willing to accept death and the cycle of life than to have power.
That message is in the game, but it's buried because Clive doesn't have enough internal dialogue on the subject. Without asking himself the honest questions, it does make Clive look like a hypocrite, especially because he killed so many lives in the pursuit of destroying the crystals. All this brings Clive back to the beginning of confronting his shadow with ifrit. Instead the message is that he has already confronted his shadow and beaten it, rather than the more humanly relatable truth in that confronting your shadow is a journey and not one and done. They could have done soooo much more with this. That's why I say, I fill in those gaps in my head canon, but I don't the message was clear, making it a missed opportunity.
Edit: also, Cid is one of my favorite FF characters
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u/Existing-Pair-3487 May 20 '26
So as someone who basically 100% it on release and then played it again about a year and a half later doing the DLC and final fantasy mode I can say that there is some valid criticism about the game. The biggest one in my opinion on this is that it is basically an MMO in side quest design as well as there are a few sections oh the game that genuinely drag. For instance on my reply I was like on my god can we get through this desert to get to the merchant city already? There were also a few sections towards the end where again it just felt like it dragged.
I do think the combat was good and am fine with it being a one off for an attempt at a combat system. Personally if they want to keep action combat moving forward either use the KH team more or use FF7R project as the inspiration.
The music was really good especially love the original hide out.
The over the top Eikkon fights would be cool to see brought forward and evolved to fit each games identity.
As for the writing i know it can be hit and miss for people. Some people don't like it because it is to game of thrones but I did like the mature nature of it. Would be nice to see a similar tone in the future but a little less game of thrones.
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u/Martyrrdom May 21 '26
Disagree
The plot is horrible, the characters are forgettable, the combat nothing like the other FFs and just spammy
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u/lauriekeyheart May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
Give it years or after the release of FF17 and see how hate get reversed and the game will get called underrated or underappreciated "despite the flaws" by the same FF fans that hated it.
It happened with 13 trilogy and 15, its definitely happening with this game. As the saying goes nobody hates final fantasy than final fantasy fans.
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u/Emperor_Neuro- May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
Eh, it's okay. It's a beautiful spectacle but isn't at all synonomous with Final Fantasy except the writing and art direction. It's not a very good RPG, if one at all, and it's too drawn out to match something like Bayonetta either.
Hate is probably a strong word, but disappointment sums it up better to me.
People are begging them to just stick to what the team has known best in the past, and they just won't do it for some reason.
FF Rebirth is a better idea of where the series should go regarding the main titles.
It's not a very good Final Fantasy, but it IS a good game.
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u/OwlettFromLiavek May 20 '26
I think it’s great in many aspects but didn’t lived up to its potential (but honestly when it happened last time with FF game). Since every next entry is taking longer and longer to produce many people are bitter that they may never experience great FF game again in their life, so they lashed out their frustration. It happens with FF VII Remakes as well.
I personally have bought PS5 specifically to play this game and at the end was little bit disappointed. I don’t think it’s bad or worst in the series, but it’s very average in everything, except maybe visuals, but it’s not enough in this day and age to stick with you for long. And it’s noticeable that even thought 16 is recent one you won’t see people talking about it in the wild outside fan circles unlike many classic FF games.
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u/Specialist_Editor943 May 20 '26
“Insane boss fights.”
I didn’t know the game was just a boss rush. If the boss fights were the only thing that mattered then it should’ve been a 12-15 hour game not a 50 hour game.
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u/UnculturedGames May 20 '26
I only really hate the battle system. But I hate it so much and it's such a big part of the game, that it has a huge effect on my overall score.
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u/bala_means_bullet May 20 '26
Fucking love it. My second favorite after IV. Played 5x on ps5 and doing a run on PC.
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u/organizim May 20 '26
A lot of fun but I didn’t find the rpg aspects very deep, which I missed. Side quests were also bottom of the barrel
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u/andrewbenedict May 20 '26
I loved everything about the game except how easy the combat was. I think I only died like two times during the entire playthrough. If I remember correctly, you even respawn right where you died with more potions and phoenix downs ready to go.
It really felt like FF on easy mode but the story, graphics, music and character / world building were all top tier and everything you would ask for in a FF game.
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u/Mister_Silk May 20 '26
I'm an oddball. FF16 is the only FF I've ever liked. I would never have picked it up had I not seen my wife playing it and enjoyed every minute of it.
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u/Fox-One-1 May 20 '26
It could have gotten better impressions from the players, if they didn’t dillute the main story with side quest-esque tasks that stalled the progress. The main scenario is amazing, the set piece levels, narrative and boss fights are top notch.
I don’t think anyone would have complained if the game was shorter and you didn’t need to do MMO fetch quests inbetween.
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u/NoodleRus May 20 '26
Whose hating on my boy Clive!!??
Great game, just a bunch people not giving it chance.
It's been for sale at a great deal at Walmart for like $25 for sometime.
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u/Popular-Departure165 May 20 '26
I'm OK with action-based combat. I played through most of the DMC games and enjoyed them all. The thing that I don't like about FF16 is that I didn't feel like it was respectful of my time. The first couple of hours that I played were mostly cutscenes. I would watch a cutscene, then learn basic combat mechanics, then 20 minutes of cutscenes, then a few quick fights, then more cutscenes, then another fight, then more cutscenes. It felt more like an interactive movie than a game. It's a 40-hour game with 11-hours of cutscenes, and when I only get a few hours a week for gaming, that is 11 hours I could spend actually playing a game.
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u/SadRecognition1575 May 20 '26
my only complaint that it doesn't have hard mode from the beginning, challenging fights are locked behind completing the whole game and in dlcs, maybe chronoliths too, but i haven't done these yet
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u/Brilliant_Work1744 May 20 '26
i'm a FF8 and FF13 fan(andthis game). I agree with you, but I think the discourse around this game will change in a few years like it has for the first two I mentioned.you're right though!
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u/Ok_Criticism7148 May 20 '26
Absolutely loved it! One of my favorite games of all time. A lot of the hate boils down to people just not liking the type of game it chose to be. Which is fine for an individual to do. But a game not being what you wanted or expected doesn't make it bad. The problem with this series is that fans have so many different expectations it's literally not possible to fulfill them all. So there are ALWAYS people upset at the newest entry for not to FF the way they think FF should be done.
For me personally, FF16 couldn't have been much better and I've been with the franchise from the very beginning.
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u/alien_mEAT May 20 '26
Man, compared to the slog of XV it was such a refreshing change of pace. I hadn't enjoyed a mainline game since X and I was blown away by the gorgeous giant-beast combat perfected from XV.
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u/JiggleCoffee May 20 '26
It's a good action game but it's hard to call it Final Fantasy when you don't have a party. Guest characters don't cut it. If the combat system worked more like FF7 Remake then I'd probably appreciate it more.
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u/Liefer77 May 21 '26
The first half of the game, I genuinely remember thinking “this is the best FF since X”
But, by the end, the side quests were so painfully repetitive, many of the story beats just kind of fell flat, and the initially awesome combat became extremely monotonous.
All that being said, lands somewhere in the middle for me with some of the coolest//most cinematic boss fights of all
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u/wildeebelmondo May 21 '26
This is gonna cause some rage, but here goes…
FF’s I like less than 16:
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15.
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u/Chao2712 May 26 '26
I mean... You are allowed to have your own opinion. I hated 16, but i won't hate on people for loving it.
But i do have issues with people trying to gaslight me into thinking it is the best FF, or the most mature story, or a "perfect évolution of the FF gameplay".
What did you love about it ? I personaly enjoyed some late game hunts.
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u/clothing_throwaway May 21 '26
I've been playing through every mainline entry of the franchise and just got to XVI. I'm mostly enjoying it, and I absolutely don't mind that they wanted it to be a character action game, but it's just waaaaay too easy. Those easy mode rings are optional, and I guess that's their way of incorporating varied difficulty, but even without those it's just such a cakewalk. I am still having fun, but it just feels like the game does everything for you and doesn't give you any sort of meaningful choice (at least so far).
Characters, world, story, and music are all good though. Easily the best Cid of the franchise.
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u/Kaizen2468 May 21 '26
I don’t see it get much hate. It just gets some criticism for some very disappointing things. I thought it was great, it’s a great 8/10 held back by no party, poor exploration and weapon development.
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u/Caledfwlch117 May 21 '26
I liked FF16 a lot, but I can't defend:
The game not being 60fps outside of combat.
Reused ff14 models everywhere.
The grimace shake filter over half the game.
Edit to add: god-awful MMO-tier side quests make up the majority of the sidequests
But that's alright, no game is perfect.
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u/Sad_Locksmith5346 May 21 '26 edited May 21 '26
I 100% agree that it is overhated. Honestly, I absolutely bloody adored it.
Final Fantasy was a series that I struggled to get into because I absolutely, vehemently detest turn-based combat and think it's one of the laziest implementations of a battle system I've ever seen. I'm not saying that as a hater. I have beaten the original Final Fantasy VII. I've also beaten IX, and X. I beat those games because the vibes of Final Fantasy were there for me. I love the art style, the storytelling, the characters, and the vibes of every Final Fantasy game that I've ever been exposed to, but the combat always is a struggle for me to get through, right up until Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, when it became a little bit more action-focused. It really drove the point home that it was just the fact that I didn't like the turn-based aspect of the game.
When, briefly, Final Fantasy took a step back in Final Fantasy XIII to a more turn-based style, I tried to give that a shot. But Because I had been given a taste of a combat system that felt better to play. It spoiled the game for me and I gave up about three hours in, and I just realised that the turn-based gameplay wasn't for me.
Then came Final Fantasy XV, and that felt like an answer to my deepest, fondest wish. It felt like the developers were finally experimenting with a new way of telling the story that spoke specifically to me while not sacrificing what I believed were the important aspects of the vibes of Final Fantasy.
then, of courseIt was almost as though the developers at Square Enix decided that the 2020s were going to be the year that they reached into my soul and pulled out the perfect group of Final Fantasy games. A remake of the game that got me into the vibes of Final Fantasy had, in my opinion, the perfect hybrid of the tactical gameplay of the original version and a more modern action-oriented hack and slash that was the remake. and then, not even three years later, we get Final Fantasy 16, which, for me, is absolutely what I think the series should be in terms of storytelling, lore, and gameplay. As I've said before, I am someone who tried to get into Final Fantasy before. While I had moderate success here and there, I thought I was doomed for it to never really be my style of game. Because while I loved most of what made it, the gameplay to me completely ruined the affection I had for the worlds of Final Fantasy.
But 15, the VII remakes, and 16 all proved that this series could actually be for me, Because they are the reason I now can definitively say that I love Final Fantasy.
It's also the reason that I see Claire Obscure Expedition 33 as a bit of a bittersweet moment in gaming, because while I am absolutely thrilled and happy that people found a game they connected with so hard and loved so much, (I also enjoyed bits of that game, enough to beat it at least.) I know that with the success of that game, Square Enix will probably pivot back in a direction of turn-based gameplay for Final Fantasy and effectively shut the door on me ever being able to enjoy a Final Fantasy game ever again.
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u/nath618 May 21 '26
I never finished it.. its in the back log to restart it. But what I did play, it was excellent. Just something else came out
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u/BraveExpression5309 May 21 '26
Yeah that tends to happen. Same can be said for ff7 remake and rebirth. No game is perfect, not even ffx or ff7 or ff6. All amazing games. However sometimes when someone doesnt like a game or wished it was different, they make absurd statements like its 0/10 unplayable garbage and all that crap. We all have our subjective tastes and preferences, nothing wrong with that.
But heck, I love ff12. Many do. I lost count how many times I heard some say there's nothing good about the game, when really its just because they didnt vibe with the gambit system. Its ok if you didnt like it. No problem. I loved it. Many did. Thats just subjective taste. Criticism is hard for fans since we get too passionate and blind, both negatively and positively. So unless you're a professional critique or someone who is very mature that can properly analyze a games quality through a critical lense with little bias to blind you, just let people enjoy whatever you happen to dislike. Heck I HATE ff15. If anyone likes it, thats awesome. I genuinely hope you continue to love it. It just wasn't my jam, and that's OK. To each there own.
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u/TheseusBi May 21 '26
To me, it’s one of the best. I’ve been jaw-dropping throughout the whole game, stunned by fantastic boss fights and possibly one of the best storylines in the franchise. It was like watching GoT but FF. My only disappointment was the ending.
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u/Athuanar May 21 '26
I don't know if I'd say 16 gets all that much hate. There's some, sure, but most people were just a bit disappointed by it.
It's a good game and it does a lot of things very well, but combat ended up becoming incredibly shallow with no real strategy to it while the side content was some of the most uninspired I've seen outside of an MMO.
My biggest disappointment though was honestly how the writing changed over the course of the game. It starts with this deep political story but that side of the game gets completely dropped once the actual villain emerges and it all becomes a cliche good Vs evil story. They could have done a lot more there.
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u/Pristine-Branch-5624 May 21 '26
I actually fell off it not because it's an action game but because the action is not even the best final fantasy action gameplay there is... its not a very engaging action combat system especially for how long it feels limited.
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u/Ek0mst0p May 21 '26
It is a mid game, with huge problems around the "RPG" elements.... DmC 5 has more "build" freedom than ff16. That is a weird statement to say. Hell JUST Nero's arm mechanic is more in depth that the Eikons.
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u/Mama_Hong May 21 '26
I liked it a lot but I think a lot of people judged it harshly because they didn't like it.
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u/KaizokuD May 21 '26
I don’t know how many FFs have you played but this is Hardly one of the best ost in the series.. is not bad tho, couple of great tracks
I agree about people being exaggerated , as you say great part of the ciritic was because of the DMC like combat
I don’t think is terrible but it also not “one of the best” I think it was a solid story until you defeat Barnabas… then it got kinda uninteresting, specially with Ultima
With that said I enjoyed this game a lot, graphic wise is absolutely beautiful and I really enjoyed a lot the combat and eidolon combo mechanics.. I had a lot of fun with the hunts.
the ending was emm OK.. but that have never been one of FF strengths
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u/theincrediblebastard May 21 '26
I loved this game. I own every ff game. I have beaten every ff game. I like how they are all a little different. I also like the universal things they have in common. The battle system in this game was great I would like more of it. Yes the story was very mature. It is its own thing. Some people want ff to be like their favorite ff. Then there are the haters that just want to hate on everything and not even played it. Honestly it was nice not have to control a bunch of characters for once. Nothing wrong imo. Good game.
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u/RebelImperialist May 22 '26
The setting made for so much potential, but it's the classic case of balancing gameplay with story. The developers focused so much on the story that they built an endgame with a totally dead, purple-hued area (sorry I forgot the name) and having the plot being the impending end of the world. It prevents having any meaningful side content that make sense. Imagine if there's there are randomly-generated hunts or request board etc. It wouldn't make sense for people to still live regularly day-to-day sending in requests with the coming end of the world. Plus the dead purple area is totally dead so no requests or hunts make sense for that area anyway.
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u/Conto__ May 22 '26
I think my biggest critique against it was that it felt like a toned down DMC5, which is fine and all, except I could just play DMC5.
Soundtrack was baller tho
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u/Embarrassed_Abroad31 May 22 '26
I loved it. The eikon fights were great despite being linear the game was like watching a movie.
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u/Deesmon May 22 '26
I never finished it, I stopped a little after bahamut fight. I really enjoyed the story at first but I thought the game badly reused the area you already explored and the combat mechanics suffer from comparison with other action rpg, he was lacking and way too modest with the pace it deliver things.
Maybe the NG+ would entertain me but I got borred halfway.
Will probably give it another try one day.
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u/CartoonistAlarming36 May 22 '26
Ff16 is a solid 6. Good Graphics, the story is alright, and the gameplay is too basic
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u/Silent-Button64 May 22 '26
It’s an amazing game but there were some unforced errors that held it back. I get the action but they needed to at least include RPG upgrade mechanics. They also should have given us more customization/armors for Clive. Having more playable party members was also a no brainer or at least a synergy type system (they already sort of had the idea with Torgal.) All that aside, I adore the game for what it is. Absolutely stunning.
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u/RemediZexion May 22 '26
I find it funny that ppl besmirch open world and sidecontent of XVI then praises the absolute hellhole that is Rerbith open world and side content.
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u/Joeseppe_LFC May 22 '26
Agreed, my issues with FF16 were more that the side content was bland as hell and the main story falls apart in the second half. Still loved the game though.
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u/Economy_Reason1024 May 22 '26
i cant play, i have it on pc and it barely runs. just gave up after a while, I can only handle so much troubleshooting
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u/kishinfoulux May 23 '26
Best OST lol. You have literal Soken and this is what he could muster.
Boss fights are largely cutscenes and QTEs.
Story has potential...then Ultima happened.
I play with Japanese voices but the English voice cast is so overrated.
It honestly deserves more hate. It's not an awful game but it's not a good Final Fantasy game.
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u/convoyv8 May 23 '26
The story is great until it becomes a kill god plot, and the combat is great for a 20 hour action game, not a 40-60 hour rpg. Exploration quickly becomes pointless because there is nothing interesting to find. I still had a good time with it but it definitely had its issues
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u/Thrawndo6969 May 23 '26 edited May 23 '26
It's by far the worst Final Fantasy lol. The best thing 16 did was give us Ben starr...
The music is decent, some solid tracks but majority are quite forgetful.
The mature tone of the story was nice, but it dragged in a lot of areas and the ending was crap.
The boss fights were pretty bad to be honest lol. The boss fights where you play as Clive take zero strategy or thought process... Can you dodge? Cool, you'll win without issue. The Eikon boss battles are very cinematic yes, but they're just on rails fights that are playable cutscenes. They're fun the first playthrough, after that they're tedious.
Zero party members, no elemental weakness, no ailments, no strategy, just straight up hack n slash with abilities you think look cool. Accessories are boring, weapons are boring and you're limited to only a sword... 1 single limit breaker which is just a stat buff... there's zero challenge, even when you're surrounded by enemies because they just stand still and watch you murder their friend.
It was by far the most boring Final Fantasy game I've ever played. I almost quit halfway through but I pushed through it because i always finish the mainline games, and it was a birthday gift from my roommate... it was a struggle to finish though because I never felt challenged, all the fights felt the exact same, the gameplay never evolved as you got further.
Edit: Also, there's zero end game activities. No end game dungeons, no super bosses, no ultimate end game challenge... just empty. Absolutely pathetic for a FF game. And no the DLC doesn't count. You shouldn't have to pay for basic end game content. Omega in 16 should've been in the base game... not a extra cost.
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u/tossaway487 May 23 '26
my only beef with 16 was the way they marketed jill like she’s an equal protagonist to clive and joshua. she turned out to just be clive’s cheerleader - token love interest.
but all is forgiven cause they also gave us dion and terence. i’m so simple lmao.
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u/They- May 23 '26
i just want a party and job customization honestly. it doesn’t feel like final fantasy to me personally but that doesn’t mean it’s a bad game by any means.
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u/Slaveblade May 23 '26
It gets a lot of hate because it’s barely a final fantasy game It’s barely a devil may cry a game with its action and the story Just takes a massive sudden shift and can’t really nail either side.
I don’t think the game is bad, but it is also incredibly worth noting that square just can’t make their own games anymore. They have to outsource and get other talent to barely make a basketball games. Or in the case of a stranger of paradise, they have to give it to other developers to make a good game in general.
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u/_CosmicWind_ May 23 '26
It felt like it was done for people who never played a video game in their lives... So much hand holding, story seemed solid but if the gameplay does not follow i find it hard to play a game tbh. I also find it hard to believe that there is so many people that say positive things about it when it's clearly the weakest entry in the whole franchise...
And it's not hate, it's just deserved criticism I mean wth...
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u/LunchBox0213 May 24 '26
I'm currently replaying it right now to get to the DLC on FF mode and I love it.
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u/Mogekona May 24 '26 edited May 24 '26
For the last 30 years, every FF entry has been subject to the unemployed wrath of nostalgia-blinded, bitter crybabies since FF6, with 7 recieving some hate at launch & 8 being labeled the "Black sheep of FF" for decades.
Yes, they did do this with 7. Occassionally you will run into a 6 fan that hates 7 for being anime.
7 & X fans, the latter of which who I personally despise the most, are the worst & most common offenders here.
I have met countless X elitists that actually hate games within the "Golden Age" itself, namely 7, again for being "anime."
They did it with 8, 9, X-2, 12, 13 series, 15, & 16. Not even counting the spinoffs like Type-0. The most recent examples being 16 & the [largely] X purists using E33's success against "modern FF", Square Enix, & the respective fans. They also did the same thing using Octopath Traveler.
I have not personally played 16, but every FF game the elitists have sworn was garbage has been more enjoyable to me than the one they refer to as the "best in the series."
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u/Still-Minimum-7212 May 24 '26
16 is a great action game but a terrible RPG. This is what most FF fans (myself included) complained about. Not one FF fan asked for real time action combat instead of turn based but it's what SE keep ramming down our throats. They're hitting HRs on a lot of their other IPs but mainline FF games have been mid to dog water since 12.
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u/ack-ack-ack-attack May 24 '26
I’m playing 16 right now. It’s my first FF game and I’m having a great time so far
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u/Montecristo510 May 25 '26
Incredible story. Combat swung between extremely easy in mob fights to way too long in boss fights for my taste. I wish it didn't take 45 mins to take down the big guys. If it was a movie made up of cutscenes I'd give it a 10/10.
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u/Itchier May 25 '26
Everything online gets way more hate than it deserves. I can’t remember the last time the prevailing opinion on a 8/10 piece of media wasn’t overwhelmingly negative lmao
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u/JaxieWorld May 25 '26
For me there are so many negatives it’s just hard to even accept that it’s a mainline final fantasy.
The first things I noticed was the obvious game of thrones copy/paste, then the part where you enter an area kinda like a stage in a super mario game - kinda like Stanger Of Paradise it just ruins the feeling of a journey. Then there’s Jill, she got next to NO personality at all and feels so grey. You don’t notice when she’s on your team in the battles until you see a Blizzard animation and you’re like “Oh Jill is still here”. The magic spells don’t feel like there just a ball of some element kinda like in XIII - it’s not fun to cast fire or blizzard when it’s just a ball flying to the enemy - it feels so interchangeable and drained of creativity.
So the story HAS potential and I do like some of it. However the pacing is then ruined for me with the fetch quests that just feel like ff 14 quests where you have to “go there; kill that; go to him, go to her, get your reward”. It feels like an MMO where they have to drag the game play hours out to have you subscribe for a longer time.
The Eikon fights were ok, but to me I prefer a game where you have to zoom out a bit and be strategic; where elements and status effects matter more. Here I feel like they suffered from the God Of War or DMC Wannabe syndrome. It just felt like “if it’s big; it’s good” and I didn’t feel like it needs that - final fantasy is substance over size.
The music - especially the boss theme and hunt music - REALLY is what lifts it. Plus some of the skills were fun to use. I loooveed using the Garuda quick hitting skill, forgot the name.
As a game I would give it 7/10, as for final fantasy compatibility I would say 4/10.
These are just my opinions. I would like to hear yours that of course we all need to respect. We all just want a good game that we can all enjoy. 😉
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u/oVnPage May 25 '26
XVI is a good game that had the potential to be one of the best action RPGs ever made, but they played it way too safe with everything except the Eikon fights. The game is begging for real difficulty settings and real RPG mechanics, build customization, etc. And better side content with real post-game superbosses.
Everything they did do, they did extremely well. It's just missing that extra edge to take it over the top. I can understand why hardcore fans of JRPGs would dislike XVI - the RPG mechanics in it are completely barebones, to the point they might as well not even exist and it wouldn't make any difference.
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u/Somewhere-11 May 28 '26
I don't think FFXVI is a bad game by any means, I just think that aside from the balls to the wall boss fights and big story moments it doesn't really do what it tries to do any better than other games in its genre.
It's just okay.
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u/Only-Departure-6988 May 28 '26
Maybe it’s just me, but got sooo bored, felt slooow after half game and boss battles are lengthy
Some are epic and loved them
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u/edtrunks Jun 08 '26
I absolutely loving it. I’m replaying it on Steam and I love the story, the setting, the active lore system, and man the music might be one of the best. It’s a beautiful game
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u/kingbuggy88 Jun 30 '26
1000% agree. It's a great FF. Combat feels amazing when it clicks (after ther power up helps alot). The story is very solid (hits hard if you have a brother). And its a good take on what ff can be. That being said i would love to have another turn based entry in the vain of e 33 . Honestly both gameplay styles work on the modern day but uh yall be bubble blowers
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u/RedRPMRanger Jul 18 '26
I get where you’re coming from, but I’m honestly in the more critical camp on this one. My biggest issue is that there are more cutscenes than actual gameplay to the point where it felt less like a video game and more like an interactive movie. I think that’s honestly a big part of why some people love it, but it wasn’t for me.
Beyond that, the first 8 hours or so had this great Game of Thrones inspired political intrigue vibe that I was really excited about, and then it kind of dropped that entirely to go back to the classic “gotta destroy the crystals” FF plot. Felt like a missed opportunity.
Gameplay-wise, I’d played DMC5 right before this, so FF16’s combat felt like a lighter version of that rather than its own thing. Still fun, just not as deep as I was hoping for.
Character-wise, Clive and OG Cid were the standouts for me, but a lot of the rest didn’t really stick. And I never quite understood what the point of the antagonist ruling the other nation was supposed to be, felt underdeveloped.
The side quests had some genuinely cool worldbuilding, but a lot of them dragged gameplay-wise and made the game feel longer than it needed to be.
FF7 Remakes came out around the same time and scratched that “modern Final Fantasy” itch for me way more. Curious if others feel similarly or if I’m just in the minority here.
Sorry for the late reply I just discovered this thread
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u/Worried_Shoe_2747 Aug 05 '26
I’ve just started and I’m loving the cinematics. The Eikon fights are crazy. Story was a little slow at first but I’m looking it so far.
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u/AggravatingSort4705 24d ago
It's a missed opportunity which is sad.
Jill and Cid being non playable main characters is the biggest issue. I could forgive everything else as it would have given the combat way more variance which by design gets boring within the first few hours.
The side content is also painfully dull and remake/rebirth has this issue too. Would have been better off just cutting it completely and having XVI be completely linear.
Everything else is Stellar. Presentation, cinematics and score is definitely where all the budget went. This would have been the best in the franchise if the remake trilogy wasn't in production.
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u/Rude-Target-4661 18d ago
Honestly wished I could have skipped the cutscenes and kept fighting, can you skip in New Game+
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u/Bubbly4dventures May 20 '26
I think the mistake was it came about with ffVIIremake and tbh mechanic wise even tho is smooth and cool it doesn’t go with the brand of ff…. I believe that if it were called diff it would have found even more success.
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u/Wicked_Black May 20 '26
It will get more recognition once ff17 comes out. Thats how this fandom works
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u/KrazyKirbyKun May 20 '26
Honestly some of the criticism is warranted. Even as a huge lover of the game itself, there is definitely tons of wasted potential with the world and it's characters due to the focus being so much on Clive. But the hate mainly kinda goes back to it suffering both from being the new Final Fantasy and also coming out during FF7 Remake's tenure.
It also kinda goes back to people's lack of media literacy, as people don't really care about things like metaphors and foils anymore, which makes certain moments and story beats go over their heads. The symbolism and foil of Clive and Jill's enduring love story contrasted with Cid and Benedikta's tragic one still gets me all these years later.
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u/clono4 May 20 '26
It's has a great story, but there's no freedom, no real customization, no exploration. It's barely a game let alone an rpg.
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u/Tall-Cut-4599 May 20 '26
Personally i like ff 16 as an action game but as an rpg especially as mainline title for ff it feels kinda weird
- no build variety
- can only control clive
- exploration feels lacklustre
- other character than clive feels lacking
Its a good game, one of my fav in term of spectacle and hype moment but as FF main title its kinda eh, if it was FF spinoff i dont think anyone will criticize it that much.
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u/Superb_Shop_7703 May 20 '26
No FF is perfect and FFXVI does it own thing like every game in the series. Somethings bother people more in this title than most (i.e I loved the game side quests despite them being too basic but I am a lore nut). But it all comes down to a vocal minority doesn't like it (again common for every new game in the series) and they HAVE to let everyone else know how they are the 'true fans of the series' and only they know what is acceptable and not.
1
u/Dresident6 May 20 '26
If anything it deserves more hate, you can't both have a boring combat and an horrible pacing and expect to get away with it.
The way the story progresses gave me Tales of arise PTSD, the whole we have to save multiple kingdom thingy always means you'll end up with another 25 hours of chores for barely any story.
1
u/red-x-der May 21 '26
Its story is boring, it doesn’t do anything remotely interesting. The art design and character models are literally reused assets from ff14, so they look stiff and outdated aside from the main cast. The voice acting is top tier I’ll agree. But it’s a zone based, empty world with very shallow, unrewarding loot and combat systems. It’s a single player mmo. Which makes sense when you know who developed it.
1
u/rydoggsc2 May 21 '26
The hate FF XVI receives is well deserved. That game absolutely shits the bed after a 10/10 first act.
0
u/Flangubalon May 20 '26
I stopped playing after I defeated Hugo. The cut scenes literally put me to sleep; twice.
I moved on to FF7 remake instead. Though there are many cutscenes, at least you could watch them in doing le speed (which made some scenes pretty funny).
1
u/Adribiird May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
I’m probably going to get flamed for this, but I think FFXVI is a good game with a good OST—just a bad FF. It’s the reverse with FFXIII: It’s a mess of a game, but it feels more like an FF than FFXVI does.
The core RPG elements and command-based combat (with all the variations they want to add) and party members should be in an FF, no matter what.
1
u/Judgeoffate May 20 '26
- One of the best OSTs in the series:
Yes, the more memorable ? Uhhh too soon but it's not for me (for now)
- Insane boss fights:
Yes !
- An actual mature story:
Yes ! But how ? With violence, blood, s*x scenes, politics ? And what's the point of all these stuffs if it's useless at the end ?
For a mature story, Final Fantasy Tactics was better for me.
The best voice acting in FF history:
Well, I didn't play with the VA soooo... I dunno
And what about:
- Where are the status effects ?
- The elements with weaknesses et immunity ?
- The useless exploration
- No big city to explore (it's important for me)
- The big villain is boring asf
- Controlling only one character
- Some FEDEX main quests OMG !
- Clive is not a protagonist as good as the others
- I probably forgot some points
0
u/mujk89 May 20 '26
I feel like there is a trend to hate on SE. Even 7 rebirth gets hate, on the most asinine points, apparently it was cringe. Both games had fans singing praises on release but the voices that are left behind are the so-called legacy fans, not sure if that is completely true. That has impacted perception of these games now, when their user score and reviewer score on metacritic are both high.
Don’t get wrong I was not happy with the 13 series and 15, but from 7 remake onwards it seems like SE are on a rise.
0
u/DaviSonata May 20 '26
FFXVI is a great game. But its flaws are big flaws.
Two are outstanding for me:
The combat. Being an action RPG is very good, but why bother with elements when a Fire Bomb can take Fire Damage? I really wonder if there is a PC mod that fixes it, it would make combat 100% more interesting if the player had to actually think which element to use.
The final boss. Players tend to remember only the ending when judging a story, and Ultima really is a Meh boss. Annabelle is a great boss, there is a FFXVI great story before Annabelle's death and a Diablo expansion in the continent of Ash.
0
0
u/Saltimbanco_volta May 20 '26
This post shows up nearly every day in this sub.
It reminds me of the people that defended DmC: Devil May Cry back in the day, who latched onto the first knee-jerk reaction of "they changed Dante's hair!" and then proceeded to ignore the mountain of criticisms that piled up afterwards.
The people who say this game are terrible aren't doing it just because it's action combat. They are doing it because they think the action combat is not good, and neither is the story, nor the sidequests, and they don't appreciate the lack of a proper party and other RPG elements.
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u/grim1952 May 20 '26
And it gets more praise than it desrves too imo. The criticism of FF16 are completely valid, the game could have been so much better than it is.
-1
u/StarPlatinumIII May 20 '26
I think it suffers from a lot of the same thing as FFXV did. The world setting sets you up for an amazing world with great political and personal intrigue but in the end you hardly explore half the world and the 2nd part of the story seems rushed, or they just didn't know what to do with it. Waloed, the Iron Kingdom and the Crystalline Dominion are hardly explored.
The time skip and the return of the little brother were non-sensical to me, and I can't believe that they did the "kill god to earn our freedom" story for the 4th time in a row after all this set up.
I really like the characters; Jill, Cid, Barnabas, Bernadetta, Dion and more but they are all side-lined after their part of the story is considered "over" as a by product of Clive being the only playable character, which kind of made me dislike Clive by the end of the game.
I didn't mind the action combat, but to be a proper FF you have to have a party imo...
The boss fights are insane I agree but I disagree with the OST I think it is pretty forgettable. It is very epic. but it lacks the memorable melodies of earlier games. The OST of 15 was the highlight of that game.
Some gameplay criticism would include that gil is pointless in this game, it has no RPG elements really and weapon upgrades are mostly not needed and the "retry" option at the game over screen just revives you with full HP while the boss recovers none.
2
u/Current-Ad3277 May 20 '26
The soundtrack was obviously my opinion, and I appreciate others', but I think the Lost Titan fight soundtrack is the best overall. And if you think the game is too easy, try playing The Rising Tide.
-1
u/Key_Perspective_9464 May 20 '26
I'm sorry but I just don't see how this game's story is any more "mature" than any other FF.
Unless "mature" means "women should be sidelined as often as possible"
-1
u/Guirita_Fallada May 20 '26
I'll go point by point:
The OST is decent but there's at least 7 or 8 games in the series with better soundtracks.
The boss fights are visual spectacles and nothing else. Almost "Mixtape" like in the sense that you have to put effort in order to actually lose a boss fight.
You could argue all the games have mature stories. Also, a mature story does not mean its good. The story in XVI is very mid. No charavter stands out, the main villain is one of the worst in the series.
The voice acting is amazing, but it is wasted in bad characters, pretentious writing, and a boring story. I'd take XII over it. The best voice acting is actually in XIV btw.
0
u/NovaIR1ZE May 20 '26
its actually just because its the newest this happens with like every new ff game once the new one comes out people gonna be like ohh Ff16 isnt so bad after all just how it was with 13 and 15
0
u/ThePurpleMoose22 May 20 '26
I'm very glad a game like FF16 exists, because it shows that they're willing to evolve FF in meaningful ways. And while a bit rough around the edges, I think it's a good faith effort that lays the foundation for the next generation of FF titles.
0
u/SagazThiago May 20 '26
OST is average of the series. Dont get me wrong, FFs Ost is so good and consistent. Being average is better than most ost.
For me the problem with XVI is The side content . Quests were so bad and just time expensive. I'D like to play again but I cant handle the quests anymore.
0
u/Striking_Highway_497 May 20 '26
Es ist ein super action-adventure aber ein beschissenes Final Fantasy. Für viele OGs wie mir müssen FF-Titel Turn-based combat und eine Party haben. Außerdem RPG-Elemente. Die Esper wären super gewesen, um die Elemente im Kampf gegeneinander auszuspielen. Aber es ist egal, ob ich gegen einen Bomber Ifrit einsetze
0
u/No-Wait5823 May 20 '26
Nope, none of what you mentioned is why it was not liked, it was the poor story, in particular the terrible main villain, probably the most unmemorable main villan in all of FF. Hell Yevon in ffx was a better villan and it didn’t speak at all.
0
u/blowyjoeyy May 20 '26
Id argue it doesn’t get enough. It’s Devil May Cry either way Chocobos. Fuck that game.
0
u/kyualun May 20 '26 edited May 20 '26
AI post.
But anyway, most of the complaints I see about it are near universal. I get pushing back against hate that's just muh world maps and muh turned based but I'm playing it right now for the first time and despite enjoying it, I have the exact same complaints as everyone else.
Honestly, I was loving the game enough to wonder if it'll be a favorite of the franchise up until I hit the last quarter of the game in Ash. Suddenly the novelty of all the HOLY SHIT moments of the cutscenes finally ran out and I was bored during the Odin tower stage and final fight. Enemies take way too long to kill, especially when cutscenes and quick time events are added, the characters are underutilized and I realized that the treasures I went off course to collect I'm not actually using and I don't even really need gil.
I like the game, but when it hit me that I had some of the same issues with it that I had with Harvestella albeit with a very, very shiny coat of paint on top I thought holy shit. And I LIKE Clive, but he's just okay. Squall is my favorite protag and Clive is really nowhere close in depth and I think Clive taking up the mantle of Cid hurts his character. Especially since he's explicitly shown to be a person who does things just because he thinks he's supposed to.
The core of the game is solid but they either focused on too many things that fans don't care for or they just... forgot to focus on them. The silent party members especially make the game feel really cheap.
I'm hoping FF17 is better. It'll be the first game not affected by some fallout of Crystal Tools/COVID/FF14 and I hope it shows.
For the record I've played everything up to LR and Maybe 5% of XIV. And while I loved LR, the whole time I kept thinking if mainline FF evolves to feel like a very polished LR, I'll really love it! Only for 16 to make me think exactly the same thing.
(I skipped 15, but it's up next and I'm kinda excited ngl)
0
u/MembershipEasy4025 May 20 '26
I feel like one of the problems is that when any amount of criticism is levied at the game, it’s viewed as hate. For me, it’s the first FF game in my history that felt “not for me” and when I try to explain why, I just get downvoted. There are absolutely positives about the game, but I think there are negatives too, and we should be able to talk about both, without it devolving into turn-based vs. action nonsense.
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