It has been a little over a year since Final Fantasy XVI first released on PS5 and now Square Enix’s hit role-playing game has come to PC for more players to enjoy. With a year to reflect and two DLC packs to add to the story, it is important to take a look at how well the game holds up and if it still is worth checking out.
The story follows Clive Rosfield (Ben Starr), the eldest son of the Archduke of Rosaria. Clive’s brother Joshua tragically dies, and Clive sets out on an adventure to find the truth behind what happened. The quest takes him all across the world of Valisthea, discovering new Titans and their Dominants and unleashing new powers all in his journey for answers.
Get BWT in your inbox!
Get BWT in your inbox!
Final Fantasy XVI eases players in with a seemingly straightforward story that starts to twist and turn as the story progresses. After meeting Cidolfus “Cid” Telamon (Ralph Ineson), Clive realizes there is more to the world and his role in it than he ever expected. Even returning to it a year later, Clive’s story feels just as massive as it originally did. Watching him find his purpose in a dark, twisted world is incredibly enjoyable.
Although Final Fantasy XVI is a journey of self-discovery for Clive, he never has to go it alone. There is a wide cast of characters and side stories to flesh out the main narrative and I often found some of these side quests even more enjoyable than the main story. The smaller moments of Final Fantasy XVI are intimate and build up the world in such a fascinating way.
The only real story beat that does not feel as great is Jill Warrick (Susannah Fielding)’s role in it. She starts off as a childhood companion of Clive’s and has the potential to be really great. While she does have her moments, ultimately, her story and characterization take a backseat to Clive’s story, and she does not get the development she deserves in the main quest line. She does get more time to shine in the expansions, but her role still just does not age as well as the rest of the game.
What does age incredibly well is the action-packed combat. Fighting is incredibly fluid and exciting and there are myriad combinations available for players to choose from. Even on my third full playthrough of the game, I still found myself messing around with different Titan combinations to try even more attacking strategies. The Titan battles do feel a tad stale mechanically, but the epic visual aspect more than makes up for that.
The biggest benefit of playing on PC is enhanced framerates, especially during more chaotic battles, making it feel even more fluid and fast-paced. As long as your computer can handle it, there is no need to sacrifice visual fidelity for higher framerates. Performance does take a dip at times, but the settings customization available on PC does make it easier to keep the game running well, even in the most hectic moments.
That visual improvement without performance sacrifice makes Final Fantasy XVI even more epic. It banks on massive “wow” moments that land really well on the PS5, but seeing them again with even better performance makes it a completely different and better experience. Even if you have seen it all before, there are constant breathtaking moments. If this is your first time, this is definitely the definitive way to experience the game.
Final Fantasy XVI holds up quite well a year later, and the new PC version is the best way to enjoy this masterpiece. If you are a fan of epic quests and exciting combat, you can’t go wrong here.
Final Fantasy XVI is out now on PlayStation 5 and PC.
