009EspadaSageJay
Member
FullStop DEEZ Nuts
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KàIRóS
Member
I'm finally done with the game at 107 hours, Final Fantasy mode completed and all trophies gotten, so I'll give my final thoughts.
This is coming from someone who has played pretty much every game with FF in the title and IMO this is the second best FF ever made, only below FFVI and nostalgia might as well be playing a big part here as that was my first FF.
The Story is great from beginning to end, Clive is the best protagonist this franchise has ever had and the Lore is insanely detailed if you actually take the time to read all the stuff from Harpocrates, my only complaint here would be that the main villain feels kinda meh and uninspired as it uses the typical godslaying trope we've seen time and time again in JRPGs, but well it gets the job done in the end.
The Combat is amazing, the combo possibilities after unlocking everything gets super creative, going for a full HP damage build or quick stagger build? a counter build or a DPS build? it's honestly super fun no matter what you go for, also they actually managed to pull something very few JRPGs are able to do and that is keep the difficulty balanced throughout the whole 100+ hours, typically in most JRPGs the overleveling ends up taking over and the games become a cakewalk by the end with only optional content giving a challenge, but not in FFXVI there was never a time I felt the game was too cheap or too easy, I guess I should also address the bombastic Boss Battles it's really going to take awhile until another game manages to do better Boss Battles than this game.
Music is also a highlight, this dude Soken wants to take Uematsu's spot so bad and honestly he might have done just that with this soundtrack, the battle themes tend to define how good a JRPG soundtrack is and the man outdid himself on those.
My only real complaint gameplay wise would be not having a proper Party System and even with this half assed one they managed to pull some cool moments like that time you have 5 party members vs hordes of soldiers, that was pretty epic, but yeah a proper party system would have elevated this to best FF ever.
I think FFXVI will age really well and it's going to be remembered down the line as one of the best in the franchise, it's probably going to be a similar story to what happened to FFXII, when that game first came out there was also vocal minority who hated it, calling it an Offline MMO and the biggest departure ever from FF, but time passed and now it's considered one of the best entries by many, FFXVI is on that way IMO.
This is coming from someone who has played pretty much every game with FF in the title and IMO this is the second best FF ever made, only below FFVI and nostalgia might as well be playing a big part here as that was my first FF.
The Story is great from beginning to end, Clive is the best protagonist this franchise has ever had and the Lore is insanely detailed if you actually take the time to read all the stuff from Harpocrates, my only complaint here would be that the main villain feels kinda meh and uninspired as it uses the typical godslaying trope we've seen time and time again in JRPGs, but well it gets the job done in the end.
The Combat is amazing, the combo possibilities after unlocking everything gets super creative, going for a full HP damage build or quick stagger build? a counter build or a DPS build? it's honestly super fun no matter what you go for, also they actually managed to pull something very few JRPGs are able to do and that is keep the difficulty balanced throughout the whole 100+ hours, typically in most JRPGs the overleveling ends up taking over and the games become a cakewalk by the end with only optional content giving a challenge, but not in FFXVI there was never a time I felt the game was too cheap or too easy, I guess I should also address the bombastic Boss Battles it's really going to take awhile until another game manages to do better Boss Battles than this game.
Music is also a highlight, this dude Soken wants to take Uematsu's spot so bad and honestly he might have done just that with this soundtrack, the battle themes tend to define how good a JRPG soundtrack is and the man outdid himself on those.
My only real complaint gameplay wise would be not having a proper Party System and even with this half assed one they managed to pull some cool moments like that time you have 5 party members vs hordes of soldiers, that was pretty epic, but yeah a proper party system would have elevated this to best FF ever.
I think FFXVI will age really well and it's going to be remembered down the line as one of the best in the franchise, it's probably going to be a similar story to what happened to FFXII, when that game first came out there was also vocal minority who hated it, calling it an Offline MMO and the biggest departure ever from FF, but time passed and now it's considered one of the best entries by many, FFXVI is on that way IMO.
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
Yes, on NG+. But it's pretty clear they are talking about a regular playthrough.
CrustyBritches
Gold Member
Just finished Drakes Breath. Level is gorgeous. When you enter the mountain Clive is like, “It’s hot.” and Jill is like, “No shit, we’re inside a volcano.” Classic.
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hyperbertha
Member
Finally you say something that I can relate to. For me an many like me, we're already desensitised to the explosions and spectacles from the very beginning. The only thing going was the story, but that kinda really fell off at about half way point imo.
hyperbertha
Member
Really hate it when villains are unbeatable in cutscenes and whoop everyone around and then you dispatch them easily in a boss fight. The story built up some mystery around how you would ever manage to overcome the combined might of odin and ultima but nope, just another easy af bossfight. If this were a tv show this would have been dealt with far better with actual in story explanations.
TheDarkPhantom
Member
Colin on the latest episode of Sacred Symbols:
"I want to be *unequivocal* about something, I've been eager to say this. If your complaint about Final Fantasy 16 is that it's not Final Fantasy then you don't know fucking anything about Final Fantasy. You're entitled to that opinion but you don't know anything about Final Fantasy.
The franchise has always, always, ALWAYS changed fundamental parts of itself in every game, don't confuse Final Fantasy for Dragon Quest"
Yup, 100%, I said similar stuff very early in this thread as have a handful of others who actually know what the fuck they are talking about. I'm a bit older than Colin, I believe he started gaming on the NES where as I started on the Atari 2600 but our gaming pedigree is quite similar. This isn't about opinions and preferences, it's about actual facts and gaming knowledge. It's fine to completely hate FFXVI but stop with the bullshit and misinformation, you're only fooling yourself.
Anyway, I'm right before the final mission, a whole bunch of sidequests opened up so I'm naturally doing it all. Currently at 70 hours clocked, narrative is just as strong in it's latter half but (logically) different from what preceded it due to events that shaped the entire tale up until that point (you know, how stories usually work). I'm looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up and breaking it down in one epic post upon completion.
"I want to be *unequivocal* about something, I've been eager to say this. If your complaint about Final Fantasy 16 is that it's not Final Fantasy then you don't know fucking anything about Final Fantasy. You're entitled to that opinion but you don't know anything about Final Fantasy.
The franchise has always, always, ALWAYS changed fundamental parts of itself in every game, don't confuse Final Fantasy for Dragon Quest"
Yup, 100%, I said similar stuff very early in this thread as have a handful of others who actually know what the fuck they are talking about. I'm a bit older than Colin, I believe he started gaming on the NES where as I started on the Atari 2600 but our gaming pedigree is quite similar. This isn't about opinions and preferences, it's about actual facts and gaming knowledge. It's fine to completely hate FFXVI but stop with the bullshit and misinformation, you're only fooling yourself.
Anyway, I'm right before the final mission, a whole bunch of sidequests opened up so I'm naturally doing it all. Currently at 70 hours clocked, narrative is just as strong in it's latter half but (logically) different from what preceded it due to events that shaped the entire tale up until that point (you know, how stories usually work). I'm looking forward to seeing how it all wraps up and breaking it down in one epic post upon completion.
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DownLikeBCPowder
Member
Sure, Final Fantasy has changed from entry to entry, but massive changes began at X (in the case of X regarding world structure, not so much combat) and continued. I hate the talk like the games have been radically different every iteration when really I-IX were mostly iterative. XVI is pretty damn different than what came before, not sure why people don't want to admit this.
Blendernaut
Neo Member
True.
But anyway, final fantasy is about the characters, story and sense of "magic" and "epic".
FFVII is my favourite game ever and its not because of the combat system. In fact, I dont care at all about combat systems being used, as long as its fun to play. And FF XVI is the best final fantasy ive played since X. Im just loving it. I would delete the secondary missions though, and any trace of "openworld-ness" that it has at some points. I dont like those. Classic FF were not open worlds and they had a pretty linear structures. I wish they didnt try to implement shit coming from open world games such as secondary missions or boring open-world-like sections to walk through.
Apart from that, FF XVI is PURE final fantasy.
Lokaum D+
Member
Lol went from 50k to 70k damage thanks
TheDarkPhantom
Member
Either you're looking at the whole picture or you're not and I can't help you. There is nothing to "admit", one can easily turn that logic right back around and say "not sure why people can't admit Final Fantasy has always been about change", the difference in the latter example is that it's a valid question to ask lol. It's clear some people had it out for this game from the get go and have done everything they could to try to diminish what it is: a fantastic *Final Fantasy* game.
I say again, I 100% accept anyone who simply says "the changes in THIS FF just aren't for me, these are some of my criticisms, let's see what they do in the next one". Furthermore, the big changes started with VII, we're on XVI so for more than half franchises life it's been in a sea of constant change. The reality though is it *really* started with IV and the introduction of ATB, a *radical* change to combat if there ever was one. It's also delusional for people to tie FF's entire identity up with just it's combat system, it's so much more than that.
There were those who hated VII and it's drastic departure from VI. Hated VIII with it's draw and junction system. Hated IX and it's return to a "chibi" aesthetic. Hated X for it's linearity. Hated XII and it's turn towards action oriented combat. Hated XIII because here comes linearity again. Hated XV because open-world boys trip. Hate XVI because "God of War clone".
I have my own criticisms of XVI and I will lay them out once I'm done with the game but they pale in comparison to the grandeur of the whole, I absolutely love the game. It's worth listening to the whole conversation on Sacred Symbols, Colin makes a lot of fantastic points I agree with, not getting into a back and forth here.
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
Mispost
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boomcrab
Member
I don't know if anyone's mentioned this yet but I find it absolutely hilarious how perfect everyone's hair is in this game. Every branded, main character, npc, what have you has some sort of hair style that is just perfectly cut for what it is. Especially since this game is meant to be in a medievalish time period it just makes it that much funnier. Be talking to a branded slave with hair nicer than most people I see when I leave home its so goofy.
Great game.
Great game.
Celcius
°Temp. member
I’ve been thinking about how the game will be remembered as well, though my opinion is a bit different. I too think the game is great, but I don’t see it being remembered with the same nostalgia and fondness as, say, ff6 or ff7 for people. I could be wrong though and I’ll be very curious to see how the game ages in 20 years. Especially for people where this was their first FF game.
Mephisto40
Member
I can't see it being remembered as fondly as 7 and 8 tbh, as it's just too dissimilar to the older games
What I can see is it being remembered as the first action RPG to basically get most things right though, although I wouldn't even call this game an RPG as such, it's just a great action game
Madflavor
Member
It’s not going to be remembered with the same fondness as VI - X because most of us were children when we played them. There’s never been a game, no matter how great, that felt as magical to play now as an adult than it did as a kid.
acidagfc
Member
This is the power of crystals. You may wear rags, but your hair will stay perfectly clean and styled.
That's the sole reason why wars are fought in this world - to preserve their amazing hair.
TheMan
Member
Does the game open up at all? So far it all seems relentlessly linear with no real reason to explore or level up. For context
but I think I’m still pretty early in the game.
At this point I think it’s hilarious that FF13 was blasted for being a corridor simulator while this game feels just as bad in that regard and no one seems to talk about it.
i just found out my little brother is still alive
At this point I think it’s hilarious that FF13 was blasted for being a corridor simulator while this game feels just as bad in that regard and no one seems to talk about it.
Sub_Level
wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Yeah you are still super early. But no it doesnt really open up that much. Future areas follow the template set by Martha’s Rest area, not sure if you are there yet. Wide-linear spaces with a town and some teleport crystals spread about. Fields are about on par with FFXII fields, with dungeons (aka stages) being linear.
FFXIII was not just blasted for being linear (which FFX and the first half of FFVI also were). Its also blasted for annoying characters and poor writing.
Perfo
Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
It opens quite a bit with many larger areas in-between linear story dungeons. If you played FF14 you know more or less what to expect from exploration.
Lokaum D+
Member
DId u see the size of the maps ? even Gran Pulse is smaller and has little to no exploration if compared to FFXVI maps.
Once u open up Hunting Board u ll have to do some exploration and u ll have to find the Chronoliths if u want some of the best itens for Eikons abilities, of course the game dosnt have the exploration of Elden Ring but comparing it to Final Fantasy 13 is a bit of a stretch
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DonkeyPunchJr
World’s Biggest Weeb
God damn, generic MMO/open world quests do NOT belong in a linear story-driven game.
“Hi, I accidentally dropped my ice crystal in that swamp 50 feet away from where I’m standing. I really needed that to keep my fish from spoiling. Will you go pick it up for me??”
I’m enjoying it overall but this shit is so immersion breaking. I’m supposed to be on some urgent quest yet I’m just listening to these lazy whiny assholes asking me to do trivial chores for them.
“Hi, I accidentally dropped my ice crystal in that swamp 50 feet away from where I’m standing. I really needed that to keep my fish from spoiling. Will you go pick it up for me??”
I’m enjoying it overall but this shit is so immersion breaking. I’m supposed to be on some urgent quest yet I’m just listening to these lazy whiny assholes asking me to do trivial chores for them.
Sub_Level
wants to fuck an Asian grill.
I agree the sidequest design sucks. But you can always skip them. The ‘+’ sign sidequests & Hunt Board still give you hours and hours of side content to do. I would just stick to those if you don’t enjoy the regular ‘!’ sidequests.
What is wrong with a linear leveldesign? It's no better or worse than openworld or semi-openworld by itself. There are tons of amazing linear games and tons of garbage openworld games and vice versa.
Pasta la Vista
Member
If you have it mastered you should be able to equip to any slot for any Eikon you have equipped, regardless of the area you are in. Unless it's like choronolith trials or maybe the arcade mode.
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Clear
CliffyB's Cock Holster
Indeed. One thing that stands out generally is that there's very little "filler" in the game. Everything that's in there, no matter how seemingly trivial, is attached to the central narrative or at least branches out from it.
The side-quests are a great example of this as you very rarely get tasked with helping out some random NPC. What typically happens is that you encounter a character that's involved with Clive's quest in some way, and they initially ask you to do something trivial. Then later on they give another quest which situates them within the overall worldbuilding. Then they give quests which are expressive of their own place in the story, usually leading to a reasonably significant payoff.
I'm not saying these are the best designed or most fun side-quests ever, but they, in the overwhelming majority of cases, feel intentional; as in they are there to round out the story and their and Clive's place in the world. They aren't random busy-work, by the end of their quest arcs you will be given something of actual narrative/world-building value.
This isn't a game where scouring the maps will turn up tons of minor junk. But there's nearly always something to find if you look hard enough or are cued to go to a certain place based on an NPC interaction.
DownLikeBCPowder
Member
While I do wish there were some more there there, in general I agree with you. Areas are developed further like Eastpool, Rest, North watch, etc as you go along in a reasonable way. A hidden dungeon and boss or two would not have gone amiss though.
And I was pleasantly surprised at how well areas connected. Not sure why they didn't choose to connect the three main zones but honestly it's pretty solid with decent size pretty areas.
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touchfuzzy
Member
I find the sense of 'place' in the game very poor. For example, we're tasked with going to the Imperial Capital, one of the most secure and heavily guarded places where Clive and friends are most wanted criminals. We see it from afar and our characters wonder -- how will we get in to such a place? It doesn't matter, you just pick it from a world map and suddenly they're there, inside the city in a building talking in a cutscene. In that cutscene our characters wonder... okay, NOW how will we get in to the super secure area inside the city we need to go to? No worries, another cut to black and fade in, and they're there.
Shifty1897
Member
Just fought
Holy shit.
Titan
Sub_Level
wants to fuck an Asian grill.
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
The blacksmith quests rewards suck ads you only get a draft for which you need materials. I mainly do side stuff for the story bits
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
It is established early in the world that Clive uses teleporters but then the game still acts as if they don’t exist and you travel for days with your companions. It’s strange
Lokaum D+
Member
Well, arent the rewards blue prints for better weapons and gear ?
rofif
Can’t Git Gud
Hardly better and you need materials
Sub_Level
wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Celcius
°Temp. member
I remember doing a double take at this tooDid Harpocrates really just said and I quote:
"You don't need to worry about his health. Just this morning I found him with his nose in my nuts."
Sleepwalker
Member
The Gotterdamerug is well worth it. But if you dont want to craft that you still get the Ragnarok without needing more materials.
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adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Did Harpocrates really just said and I quote:
"You don't need to worry about his health. Just this morning I found him with his nose in my nuts."
yeah that caught me as well lol
I think the fact that the 'local map' isn't available in all dungeons is an oversight which makes it confusing.
and .. uh ..
excuse me ?
Muddy
Member
Absolutely loved it.
Best story since FF10.
Only complaints are how easy it is. So easy I finished the game at around level 45.
First time in a FF game where I never grinded to level up my character.
Boring sidequests and lack of enemy variety.
Enemy variety is a lot less than previous FF games.
Lots of dogs, scorpions/spiders and chocobos everywhere.
Where are the hidden bosses like Ultima weapon etc.?
Best story since FF10.
Only complaints are how easy it is. So easy I finished the game at around level 45.
First time in a FF game where I never grinded to level up my character.
Boring sidequests and lack of enemy variety.
Enemy variety is a lot less than previous FF games.
Lots of dogs, scorpions/spiders and chocobos everywhere.
Where are the hidden bosses like Ultima weapon etc.?
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Sleepwalker
Member
Yeah Clive can teleport but only him so he does travel with his companions when hes not alone. Still its a bit weird but ultimately I could look over it lol
Sub_Level
wants to fuck an Asian grill.
Its the first game that feels like FF since 10. Its like coming back home after 20 years.
Danjin44
The nicest person on this forum
Holly fuck some of these side quests is disturbingly dark and downright fucked up. There is one about literally treating Bearers as foods for the monsters they kept.
FFXVI’s world got to be darkest and hostile world in FF universe.
FFXVI world is very similar to Drakengard and even people who turn to akashic similar to mindless red eyes in Drakengard.
FFXVI’s world got to be darkest and hostile world in FF universe.
FFXVI world is very similar to Drakengard and even people who turn to akashic similar to mindless red eyes in Drakengard.
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March Climber
Member
I've just come across some of them myself. I'm hoping that there are more like these further in the game and if so, I'd be way more forgiving towards the early game almost filler-esque lighthearted side quests.
Madflavor
Member
Count me in the camp that thinks FFXVI will be looked at very fondly in the years to come.
You got a link to that episode?
You got a link to that episode?
Sleepwalker
Member
I think it will be remembered as a classic.
Im thinking of going for the hunts I have left and the platinum while trying skills I havent used.
TheDarkPhantom
Member
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