Final Fantasy XVI (FFXVI) is a groundbreaking action Role Playing Game (RPG) developed by Creative Business 3 (CBU3) and Square Enix which was released on Thursday, June 22, 2023. This title is exclusive to the PlayStation 5 system, with a PC version of the game revealed for an unannounced date. 

FFXVI follows Clive Rosfield, firstborn to the Duke of Rosaria and shield to his brother Joshua. In the land of Valisthea, royal families are given the gift of the Eikons, massive beasts that are equivalent to real-world nukes. These Ekions are humans that transform into monsters, and Joshua is the dominant of the Phoenix (basically he holds the power to turn into the Phoenix). Other humans can harness magic and they are called bearers. They are treated like slaves by humans who cannot do magic because barriers can cast magic and can help with chores. All bearers must be branded with a mark to devalue their humanity.

The kingdoms of the land have been fighting the blight (areas of land that are drained of their magic) and trying to press on to habitable lands. The overuse of crystals (how non-barriers use magic) and barriers create droughts of life. All lore of the land is compiled in a book players can read at the hideaway (Clive’s hub) and also by touching the middle pad on the DuelSense Controller. 

The cinematics and voice acting made FFXVI feel like a high-quality HBO show. The political drama, doublecrossing, and intense storylines made the game much more believable than just reading the text on screen. Ben Starr, who voices Clive, puts his whole heart and soul into every single scene and steals the entire show. 

Ever since the series debuted in 1987, the mainline Final Fantasy games have innovated and evolved into a multimedia powerhouse of video game entertainment. What FFXVI does differently than its predecessors is the switch to a character action-style combat system. 

The controls of the combat feel fantastic with amazing sound effects and visuals to accompany the insane actions players perform. Clive can use the power of the Eikons in combat to perform moves to down your enemies. The fluidity of combat with the abilities of the Eikons makes FFXVI the best action RPG I have ever played. 

Clive also can turn into the Eikon Ifit allowing for beast vs. beast combat. These Eikon boss fights are the highlight of the experience as they mix cinematics, action, and intense music. Playing this game is like being on a high-speed rollercoaster ride. 

There is one weak spot. The side quests during the first half of the game are all fetch quests and not very exciting. While this is very annoying toward the start of the game, after the final time skip, those quests pick up a lot.

If this review piqued your interest, there is a demo right now on the PlayStation store featuring the entire prologue of the game. Your progress also transfers to the full game. FFXVI is an absolute must-play for all PlayStation 5 owners and is the reason why many should purchase a system.

Score: 9/10

The first of two expansions for Final Fantasy XVI was released on Thursday, December 7, 2023. This short expansion takes place towards the end of the main scenario of the base game. It delves deeper into the lore of the fallen, a society that fell from the sky on the lands of Valisthea long ago. As dark crystals are found in the black market, Clive and his allies investigate a spire of the fallen. This is where the dungeon of the DLC takes place.

While not a long expansion, taking me only a few hours, I found that the dungeon was quite fun and rewarding. The final boss is quite a challenge and will use all of your skills to win. This DLC is an easy recommendation just because it is very affordable and there is a bundle with both halves of the DLC.

When traversing the lands of Valosthea, some may have noticed a giant wave frozen in time in the distance. This is Leviathan the Lost. The final Eikon in Final Fantasy XVI was missing throughout the base game. This led to speculation online as to why and how he was missing from the main story, and this final expansion answers all of these questions.

Released on Thursday, April 18, 2024, The Rising Tide is the explosive finish to the FFXVI story and world.

At the hideaway, Clive finds a mysterious letter saying that the dominant of Leviathan is in danger. The strange thing is, Leviathan has been missing for over 100 years. The DLC takes Clive and his friends to the land of Misidia to discover why Leviathan needs saving and how to protect the lands of Valosthea from his impending rage.

This DLC introduces two new sets of Eikonic abilities for Clive to wield.  Without spoilers, I must say these may be the most fun and powerful Eikons in the game and are worth the price of the DLC alone.

Misidia is an extremely beautiful land to explore with many sidequests and new enemies to face. New items, abilities, and weapons are also included in this DLC, expanding the amount of customization that can be done.

The story of this expansion is really interesting and expands on the base game and Echos of the Fallen.

In addition to the DLC itself, the main game has been updated with new music for the hideaway, a new tower challenge mode, and overall improvements to the game experience.

The bosses and fights in this DLC are extremely challenging and will keep you engaged to the very end.

This DLC is a must-buy for anyone who enjoyed the base FFXVI game and any Final Fantasy fan.

Final DLC score: 9/10