Final Fantasy 16 is one of 2023's best games, and did well to continue the upward trend of Final Fantasy's popularity in recent years. The MMO offering, Final Fantasy 14, is going strong, and the remake series of Cloud Strife's adventures in Midgar have also reinvigorated people's love for the historic franchise.
Perhaps lost in the pack nowadays is Crisis Core, which received a makeover in the form of Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 Reunion in December 2022. It's a great game, and is worth playing in its own right, but perhaps more impressively, it does enough different to be inspiring enough for others to take cues from. Final Fantasy 16 has all the minerals to be a big benefactor of what Crisis Core did well all those years ago.
A Crisis Core-like Follow-Up Could Explore New Ideas
While Final Fantasy 7 unfolded similarly to other JRPG's of the time, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy 7 adopted a different philosophy and structure. Due to its release on the PlayStation Portable, Crisis Core felt a lot more mission-based, and designed to be played in short bursts, instead of consumed in one big play session. It did well to feel different to what came before, and fit in with the narrative of Zack Fair, a member of SOLDIER, who has to undertake tasks as part of his role within the organization.
Final Fantasy 16 is a AAA JRPG in every way. Its story, pacing, and level design are in-keeping with what fans have come to expect. Therefore, a Crisis Core-like side story using different mechanics and systems, possibly for different types of future hardware, would help to contribute to Final Fantasy 16's legacy, rather than feel like it's trying to replace it.
Rosaria's Underserved Characters are Ripe for More Screen Time
When players visit Rosaria in Final Fantasy 16, it can feel like a tale of two settings. In the opening stages of the game, its regality and grandeur is evident, and it is very much a duchy at its best. When Clive returns in the quest, Homecoming, it's a different, more solemn affair. Because of this, it can feel like the characters and personalities that were present before it was annexed by the Holy Empire of Sanbreque are short-changed. A Crisis Core-like story focused on Elwin Rosfield, for example, could do well to give more attention to a different point in Rosaria's history, and further add to Clive and Joshua's own character development.
Final Fantasy 16's World Has More to Give
Final Fantasy 16 feels like a return to form after the past few mainline singleplayer offerings could easily be described as polarizing. The sixteenth installment has had the opposite impact, as it's very much liked by both returning veterans, and new players, and has built a reputation for having universal acclaim among audiences and critics. In particular, the characters, storytelling, and combat mechanics have been given a lot of credit, but there's another substantial part of Final Fantasy 16 that is some of Square Enix's best work in years.
The world of Final Fantasy 16 is wonderful. Separating the harsh setting of Valisthea into the continent of Ash and the continent of Storm did well to paint a war-torn picture, and give it a sense of history, despite only making its debut in the recent release. To return to that space with a new story could not only give light to its choice of an underserved, overlooked character, but it could also flesh out the setting further, and fill out its map with more locations, which would only help should the developer decide to return to its shores, much like it has with Ivalice in Final Fantasy Tactics, Vagrant Story, and Final Fantasy 12.
Final Fantasy 16
- Released
- June 22, 2023
WHERE TO PLAY
An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.
This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
- How Long To Beat
- 36 Hours
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
