Final Fantasy XVI

This game should have been marketed as a system seller for the PlayStation 5 because it shows what the console is truly capable of. There were so many moments where my jaw hit the floor while watching and playing parts of this games sequences, boss fights and cinematics. Adding to that praise a truly mesmerising soundtrack, this game is simply one of the all time greats from all things technical.

The only bad marks it gets is how it builds a very interesting and in depth story of politics, wars and regicide from all different angles but then almost drops this to focus on the more mythic and other worldly elements of its story. I feel like the story chiefs were caught in a tug of war between grounded political intrigue and remembering this is a Final Fantasy game and therefore needs a cosmic entity to define the whole picture.

While this isn't necessarily a bad thing, I do think more could have been done to have the games multiple antagonists have more of an impact on our hero's actions and 'destiny' than they did. They end up being stepping stones, only to be rendered narratively obsolete by there being a bridge further down river. But really, come the end of the game there are numerous call backs that make it not too much of an egregious misstep.

The only other criticism is a nitpick, as mentioned at the start, this game is a technical marvel, but to its detriment at times as there are so many particle effects, flashes and chaos happening on screen that, if you're using multiple abilities at the same time, it can become extremely difficult to tell what on earth is going on on your screen. Certain abilities had me turning my camera to an upward angle so I could see what the enemy was doing as I was charging up a latent power that took up much needed space. Also considering the enemies also have their own particle effects and attacks that leave impacts on the ground, it's a confusing and chaotic melee on screen. Thankfully the combat is extremely fun and intense so again, it's a nitpick.

The strength of this game quite rightly is the technical flexing it pulls off with ease. I had zero crashes which is extremely impressive considering everything that can be happening everywhere, all at once on my screen. Unforgettable boss battles and brilliant performances from all casts members. This is a one of a kind fantasy epic and I will always look back on it with excitement.