Final Fantasy XVI General Discussion Thread

Without going into spoilers, I've heard this game is bleak and has nobody worth rooting for. Guess my wait for that one good singleplayer Final Fantasy continues. Thanks for ruining other fantasy franchises 'Game of Thrones'.
 
I'm only about 5 hours into the game, but so far I don't think it's so terrible - and not nearly as terrible as I was anticipating. I wouldn't consider it ruined by any means, at least not yet. I don't think it sings the same tune as some of the golden FF's that we grew up with, but I'm not hating this game either. The music is really good in my opinion, it fits the FF mold, a bit catchy, and will probably hit my playlists at some point. I've heard they made the team working on this game to watch Game of Thrones, but so far (given, only 5~ hours in) I don't feel like this is a copycat, it's still Final Fantasy at its core. It definitely doesn't feel like it has the same whimsy that we're used to in a lot of these games and is heavily political, but I'm glad I've decided to play it regardless.

Well, that's my first impression anyway, and I'm willing to accept if I'm wrong and my opinion changes. I really didn't look forward to this game when it first game out, but I'm glad I at least gave it a chance.
 
I am near the end of my first play-through currently and I am just wrapping up some sidequests and optional hunts. I would argue that the game feels as true to the spirit of a medieval European fantasy FF game as any previous one. Regarding the score, I've been impressed and the highs of the narrative and game are quite high. The lows and lulls are reminiscent of FF14 sidequests, however, I don't find that a detriment in toto. The lulls feel like remnants of a more classical narrative structure. While there are elements of the game which apparently resemble Game of Thrones, those aforementioned elements only make up the first quarter of the game at most. The rest of the game is Final Fantasy through and through, and the initial moments are dark, but I would not say they are too different from starting FFIV with genocide. In a word, the game is definitely polished and set forth with a complete vision. While it may be an enjoyable action game experience for some (especially those that love playing with Eikon loadouts), I can see how it is not for others.

I know that in a few interviews, the core staff behind FF16 has cited FF5 as a major source of comfort and I see why. The simplicity of narrative in FF4, the radical approach to combat like in FF5, and the more gothic fantasy setting of FF6 [in part, I even would reference elements of Secret of Evermore which came out around the same time] all feel like the most pertinent influences for this FF. The game feels as much as like a love-letter to the franchise as much as a step-forward. I do prefer the fantastical tone over a more science-fiction setting, but I understand the partial back-to-basics approach of FF16. The game gives me genuine excitement for an inevitable FF17, all the more since I would hope a new game would not need to create a new engine from scratch and could potentially build on pre-existing assets. This is by no means the best Final Fantasy, but it is easily the favorite single-player entry in 20 years.
 
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