Spoilers for Final Fantasy XVI and its expansions follow.
Rarely has a game confused me as much as Final Fantasy XVI. Though I loved most of my time with it, thanks to its pulse-pounding action, heartfelt performances, luscious visuals, and impeccable score, it undoubtedly faltered. Final Fantasy 16 abandoned its most controversial and consequential storyline—centering a poorly handled slave rebellion—and sidelines some of its most intriguing ones, making for a muddled and disappointing story. Much as I adore Clive, Joshua, Jill, Cid, and plenty of other members of its cast, many of them also feel shafted after performing their function in the story, being reduced to little more than means to an end. Final Fantasy 16 is also dour, which isn’t tremendously different from the rest of the series on its face, but it turns this misery into the entirety of its identity, leaving little room for any other emotional expression in the game. – Moises Taveras Read More