(CNN Spanish) — The only constant in the Japanese saga of Final Fantasy video games is change. It has shown a capacity for innovation that is not common in other franchises, something that was repeated and exacerbated in “Final Fantasy XVI”, its latest installment.
A title that, in order to appeal to a wider audience, has evolved into a real-time combat action that does not have moves, commands or a tactical mode that excludes the open world and presents more linear levels.
Can “Final Fantasy XVI” then be considered a true game of the saga? The answer is that Final Fantasy XVI is indeed Final Fantasy. And, moreover, one that bets on the epic and that borders on the high-end, creating spectacular moments, albeit with some narrative problems.
The saga had turn-based combat, more direct combat, it killed main characters, it changed settings, it had online multiplayer, it let the villains win, it had more linear titles… The only thing that repeats itself is that , that They are role-playing and fantasy games in which they usually repeat some elements, such as their bestiary or the presence of magic crystals, among others. Furthermore, they are adventures in which a group of characters seek, almost always and as their ultimate goal, to save the world from a great evil. And everything in this part is more in the form of an epic than an adventure.
Screenshot of a stage from “Final Fantasy XVI”
Icons and combat, the successes and challenges of storytelling
Classic invocations of the saga, these deity-like creatures that are ubiquitous in the saga return to become the protagonists and foundation of all elements of the game. For this reason, they are called eicons. Set in a dark medieval fantasy world, Final Fantasy XVI follows several kingdoms fighting for control of a series of magical crystals that allow non-magical people to use them for their own purposes. own life. However, the conflicts between these kingdoms are affected by the fact that each has a number of people known as Dominants who have the ability to summon eicons, which are all-powerful deities.
There can only be eight eicons and eight dominants in total. In this context, the game tells the story of Clive Rossfield, a nobleman whose younger brother is the dominant Eikon Phoenix and who suffers a tragedy that will force Clive to start this story of revenge, in a story that unfolds over 20 years. .
Titan, one of the icons of the promotional image “Final Fantasy XVI. Square Enix”
The people responsible for this new installment made it clear from the first moment they showed the game that they wanted to bring the franchise closer to a wider audience. So that players of all generations, whether they know “Final Fantasy” or not, get closer to the title.
For this reason, they decided to make the game more linear and make the combat system pure action. Pressing a button means performing an action, and connecting them together results in different combinations. Simple and direct.
The result is one of the most rewarding combat systems in the entire saga due to how exciting it is and the possibilities it offers. It’s dynamic, delicious and filling. It’s a frantic dance of hitting, dodging, parrying, re-striking using skills learned from eicons… And it’s in the battles with the latter that the game shines. They are impressive and epic because of their design, because of the way the fights unfold, because of the story leading up to them, and because of the masterful soundtrack that accompanies them.
Final Fantasy XVI screenshot
All the plots and narrative twists have these icons and their dominants as protagonists. It is they who set the pace of this story and what is most interesting about it. Each of these deities was designed to shine, and fighting and interacting with them are the best moments of the game. This is when the story really develops, with many cinematic sequences that develop the characters and their world.
The main problem found in “Final Fantasy XVI” is at the level of the story and affects various elements and mechanics. A significant part of the characters are flat, uncharismatic or fall for clichés and dead phrases. There are characters who, at the end of the story, you still don’t really know their motivations or even if their actions made sense. Clive is a well-defined and well-interpreted character that allows us to sympathize with him and allow the dramatic moments to carry weight. But the other secondary ones are much lower. Only a few stand out, such as Jasua, Cid and above all Dion, the latter being the protagonist of one of the best segments of the game.
The creators of the game have cited Game of Thrones as inspiration for this geopolitical plot and conflict between kingdoms, but this argument weakens when once again everything is left in the background and the story becomes archetypal and everything is a struggle to prevent a great evil from taking over in the world.
The game also wanted to have a noticeably darker and gorier tone, featuring more violence, dismemberment and swearing, but at times it feels like a forced false maturity. “Final Fantasy” doesn’t need to decapitate enemies to present itself as an adult game or to provoke deep thought, as the saga has done for more than 30 years.
Dion, a character from Final Fantasy XVI. Promotional image by Square Enix
The other big problem is pacing. The work shines in those moments when the player has to face the ekons or final bosses of each part. However, the connections between these moments do not quite work. It goes from a peak to a trough that goes on for too long. The game offers various preparatory missions that usually follow the same pattern: reaching a new kingdom, doing side missions that do little to contribute to the overall plot, while fighting some beasts/bandits/knights who want it to end quickly so you the next big fight against the Ekons could get there.
In turn, you can choose to complete secondary missions, but most of them are very poor: they offer little knowledge of world history and local culture, and consist of acting as a messenger or eliminating a specific enemy. Completing them is rewarding for resources (the side missions have important rewards like jumping), experience, and above all because the combat system is so good. The world of “Final Fantasy XVI” is beautiful artistically, but the decision to make it levels instead of a big open world and that you are only there to fight enemies and do side quests and hunt powerful enemies leaves a bitter feeling of what could have been.
A screenshot of the Final Fantasy XVI scenario map.
Final Fantasy XVI continued the saga’s tradition of innovation. And he did it with a title that was very clear that he wanted to be spectacular, especially in his fighting. In terms of plot and storytelling, it doesn’t reach the level of other parts of the franchise, but its wonderful fights and dramatic moments with ekons really belong in the pantheon of the best that it has given.
