u/nufrancis

My journey has finally come to an end. Struggle, bravery, sadness, happiness, and epic moments—so many feelings defined my experience with this game. I'm quite sad that it's finally over. I definitely wanted more, but I think the ending was handled very well.

I actually finished my first playthrough about two weeks ago. After that, I tried Final Fantasy mode but got burned out shortly after. I've never really been an NG+ or trophy hunter kind of guy, so I decided to just move on and leave it at a high note.

Here is a quick review of the game from my perspective (scaled 1-5):

Story: 4.5/5

Almost perfect, and easily one of the best FFs story-wise. The mature tone really resonates with older players. The lore is incredible, and there are so many well-written characters. If they had just gone a bit deeper into Jill's story arc and made the final stretch of side quests feel a bit more epic, it would be flawless. I really hope Maehiro-san continues as the writer for mainline FF games.

Gameplay: 4/5

Even though it barely passes as a traditional RPG, it absolutely excels as an action game. The combos are smooth, and I've always been a fan of flashy combat. I just wish there was a bit more depth to the builds, or at least the ability to give simple commands and perform combination attacks with party members like Jill, Joshua, etc. My other gripe is the exploration. It's a bit frustrating looking at all these majestic castles in the background that we can't even enter.

Music: 4/5

The soundtrack perfectly matches the medieval theme of Valisthea. The slow and calming music when entering towns and villages is my absolute favorite. As a rock fan, if they had just added a bit more heavy/rock-infused battle music (like some of the Eikon fights), it would be a perfect score for me.

Voice Actors: 5/5

A perfect score. The English VA cast is phenomenal. Their voices and accents match their respective characters and personalities so well. It’s easily on par with the stellar voice work we got in FF XIII.

Photo Mode: 3/5

As someone who loves taking screenshots, the photo mode just didn't do justice to the game's beautiful landscapes. Focusing on characters other than Clive is notoriously difficult, the filters are limited (and mostly useless), and there are very few lighting options.

Overall: 4/5

This game is right up there, sitting just behind FF7 Rebirth as my favorite modern FF game.

I'm still secretly hoping for a surprise patch or content drop from Square Enix, even though the chances are very slim. If it happens, I will definitely be back.

Lastly, I just want to say I love the vibe of this sub. I really appreciate the positive posts here—it’s so much less toxic than many other gaming subreddits. See you guys around in other games!

As my boat approached Mysidia and passed through the magical barrier, I was blinded by a sudden burst of light. Once my eyes adjusted, I saw a vast, clear blue sky. Blue?! How is the sky blue? Did Ultima forget to curse this land? Does this mean I can finally take beautiful screenshots again without needing editing software to fix the lighting?!

​Ahem... sorry, I got a bit carried away. But seriously, this area is absolutely gorgeous. Easily a work of art—huge props to the development team.

As my boat approached Mysidia and passed through the magical barrier, I was blinded by a sudden burst of light. Once my eyes adjusted, I saw a vast, clear blue sky. Blue?! How is the sky blue? Did Ultima forget to curse this land? Does this mean I can finally take beautiful screenshots again without needing editing software to fix the lighting?!

​Ahem... sorry, I got a bit carried away. But seriously, this area is absolutely gorgeous. Easily a work of art—huge props to the development team.

IMO, he's the 2nd best-written character after Clive. We owe this guy a lot. Without his vision of liberating the people of Valisthea from the Mothercrystals, we would have never won. He laid the foundation for us to fight Ultima. Many people, including Clive, would have strayed far without his guidance.

Sadly, he didn't stay long with us. Since we never got a proper Eikon boss fight against Shiva or Phoenix, I was really hoping for a DLC where we could fight him as a boss along with Ramuh.

What do you guys think? Is he your favorite iteration of Cid in the entire franchise?

IMO, he's the 2nd best-written character after Clive. We owe this guy a lot. Without his vision of liberating the people of Valisthea from the Mothercrystals, we would have never won. He laid the foundation for us to fight Ultima. Many people, including Clive, would have strayed far without his guidance.

Sadly, he didn't stay long with us. Since we never got a proper Eikon boss fight against Shiva or Phoenix, I was really hoping for a DLC where we could fight him as a boss along with Ramuh.

What do you guys think? Is he your favorite iteration of Cid in the entire franchise?

After the mostly grounded areas in the main game, this DLC is a breath of fresh air. Now this is what I call a true Final Fantasy-esque area. It reminds me a lot of the dungeons in FFXIII, and the view from the top is absolutely gorgeous. I just wish there was more space to explore and more than one tower to conquer. They really could've used this tower concept for a challenging endgame dungeon, kind of like the Tower of Druaga from the Tales series

My best bro. It's so good to see him grow up to be a worthy leader, and I'm glad he didn't just remain a clingy little brother to Clive. His voice actor did an excellent job, too.

There is still so much that could be explored with Joshua. I was really hoping we would get a DLC focused on his adventures right after the Phoenix Gate incident. Gameplay-wise, I would have loved to see combo attacks with him, more Ifrit-Phoenix fusions, and lastly, the chance to fight him as a boss, maybe in Arcade Mode.

Waloed is an absolute hellscape, but it still makes for some gorgeous screenshots. It's insane what Barnabas did to his own realm—sending his entire kingdom to their deaths and letting Ash rot. An undeserving king."

Waloed is an absolute hellscape, but it still makes for some gorgeous screenshots. It's insane what Barnabas did to his own realm—sending his entire kingdom to their deaths and letting Ash rot. An undeserving king.

Barnabas might be one of the most tragic villains in FFXVI. Looking at him, he is the ultimate product of blind faith. He surrendered his free will, his emotions, and his entire humanity to a false god, all rooted in his mother's teachings.

​Fighting him felt like a literal clash of ideologies: Clive’s fight for free will vs. Barnabas’s absolute submission. Here are some shots from their duel. What do you guys think of his character arc?

Barnabas might be one of the most tragic villains in FFXVI. Looking at him, he is the ultimate product of blind faith. He surrendered his free will, his emotions, and his entire humanity to a false god, all rooted in his mother's teachings.

​Fighting him felt like a literal clash of ideologies: Clive’s fight for free will vs. Barnabas’s absolute submission. Here are some shots from their duel. What do you guys think of his character arc?"

I have to admit, I didn't appreciate the landscapes of Rosaria and Sanbreque early on. Compared to older 3D FF games, the maps here are so grounded and lack that crazy fantasy spectacle—it gave me more of a Westeros vibe than Final Fantasy.

​Now that I’m deeper into the lore, the bleakness makes perfect sense for a dying world, and there is actually a lot of subtle beauty to appreciate. My only regret? Realizing this after Ultima cast Primogenesis. Getting good screenshots in this lighting is a struggle! Anyone else miss the blue skies?

​I have to admit, I didn't appreciate the landscapes of Rosaria and Sanbreque early on. Compared to older 3D FF games, the maps here are so grounded and lack that crazy fantasy spectacle—it gave me more of a Westeros vibe than Final Fantasy.

​Now that I’m deeper into the lore, the bleakness makes perfect sense for a dying world, and there is actually a lot of subtle beauty to appreciate. My only regret? Realizing this after Ultima cast Primogenesis. Getting good screenshots in this lighting is a struggle! Anyone else miss the blue skies?

​A ray of light in the depressing world of Valisthea.

It's so rare to see someone as cheerful and optimistic as Mid. If only she was a playable party member (imagine if she was a Dominant, too!).

​On a side note: why didn't she come along to visit Cid's grave in the mid-game?

One of the light in the depressing world of Valisthea. Cheerful and optimistic. If just we can bring her in combat as party member and even better if she is a dominant also.

Btw why she didn't come with us when we visited Cid's grave in the mid game?