I have to start this demo review with a confession: I have never completed a Final Fantasy game before. In fact, I only gave Final Fantasy XV a brief chance, but it didn’t quite capture my interest. The fifteenth installment is not known as one of the more popular entries in the franchise, so it would be unfair to dismiss the entire series based on that alone. And now that I have just finished the demo, I can say that I’m glad I didn’t do that.
Please note: This review contains spoilers for the first few hours of Final Fantasy XVI. Important events that occur in the demo will be discussed.
Is Final Fantasy XVI a Good Entry Point for Newcomers?
Square Enix previously stated that Final Fantasy XVI would be enjoyable for both veteran players and newcomers. And after experiencing the first few hours of the game as a newcomer, I can confidently say that there wasn’t a word of fantasy in that statement. I was immediately drawn into the story and atmosphere of the game.
The gameplay is presented in bite-sized chunks at exactly the right moments. From the footage I’ve seen of previous Final Fantasy games, as well as my own limited experience, I often found the games to appear quite overwhelming. However, in the first hours of Final Fantasy XVI, I never felt that way.
The Characters
In the demo, we are introduced to the 15-year-old Clive Rosfield. Clive is the firstborn son of the ruling family of Rosaria. Despite being the second born, his younger brother Joshua is the designated heir since he is the Dominant of Phoenix. Clive, as the “Shield,” has the task of protecting the future ruler.
Clive is introduced as a very likable protagonist, who cares about his loved ones as well as his subjects. The teenager is respected due to his prestigious family background. I don’t know why, but it always feels pleasant to bask in the respect given to you in these kinds of games. Unfortunately, you also know that it often goes hand in hand with an inevitable knife in the back. Not sure if that’s worth it…
Leaving a less likable first impression is Clive’s mother, Duchess Anabella. She looks down on Clive for not being born as a Phoenix. By the way, why are queens often so evil? I blame Disney.
Archduke Elwin Rosfield, Clive’s father, comes across as a sort of Ned Stark. He is the type of duke we like to see: inspiring, protective, and with a good heart. He even rejects Anabella’s sexual advances when she speaks ill of their son. Hats off to him!
The first thought that crossed my mind was that we probably wouldn’t get to enjoy this man’s pleasant presence for long. Just like queens are often evil, the good people are often taken away from us prematurely. It goes to show once again: good guys finish last.
The Combat
A brief sparring session with Lord Commander Rodney Murdoch (re)teaches us the basics of combat. The combat feels highly responsive and satisfying. Executing a perfect dodge by simply pressing R1 at the right moment feels great and rewarding. Pressing triangle shoots fireballs at the unfortunate opponent while you can keep running around yourself. Square handles the melee. Simple as that!
Shortly after, you get to practice this in action. Clive, along with Sir Wade and Sir Tyler, is sent to the Stillwind Marshes. Goblins have been spotted in the swampy area, and it’s your grateful task to eliminate them.
Instead of facing just one opponent, you find yourself facing off against multiple enemies here. The goblins look like… well, goblins. Many games, films, and series have made valiant attempts to create goblins, but I have rarely seen such goblin-like goblins as in Final Fantasy XVI.
The battles still feel somewhat like a tutorial but with a tiny bit more challenge this time. Meanwhile, you collect your first items and gil. What catches my attention is that you automatically consume picked-up potions when your inventory is already full. It’s such a simple yet brilliant feature.
Not long after, you come face to face with a Morbol (if we can even call it a face). This monstrosity is a familiar sight for Final Fantasy fans and was first introduced in Final Fantasy II.
In contrast to the goblins, the Morbol can endure a lot and deals a hefty amount of damage as well.
When you manage to floor the enemy, you can inflict significant stagger damage. The Cinematic Strikes and Evasions are also introduced in a spectacular manner. Clive performs these actions when you press the melee or evade button at the right moments, during cinematic interruptions. The window for executing these actions is actually so generous that even my grandma would be able to perform them. A bit less leniency would have been welcome in my opinion, but that’s nitpicking.
Another noticeable aspect is the exhilarating music. I have been told that Final Fantasy is known for its great music, and now I can attest to that. It contributes to the scale of the game and the stakes involved. The music makes everything feel even grander than it already does at first glance. Not only is the battle music well-chosen, but the more intimate, sensitive moments are also accompanied by music that beautifully complements them.
An Intimate and Moving Story
Speaking of more intimate moments; after returning from Stillwind, a beautiful and personal conversation takes place between Clive and his brother Joshua. Clive mentions that he would have been a laughingstock if he wouldn’t have been able to handle his sword well. “The archduke’s firstborn failure,” in his own words.
Clive expresses that people mainly believe in Joshua instead. Joshua counters by saying that they don’t believe in him, but in the power of the Dominant. He believes that Clive should have been the future leader. The boy shows vulnerability and insecurity.
“However hard it gets, I’ll never let you down,” Clive reassures him. It is clear that the two share a strong bond. This makes what lies ahead all the more painful.
Immediately after this scene, the atmosphere changes as the castle is invaded. We temporarily take control of Joshua, who showcases his magical abilities. He deals with the intruders and tends to a wounded Sir Tyler. Once reunited with Clive and Duke Elwin, Clive asks his father to take Joshua to safety while he stalls the attackers.
Outside the castle, we find ourselves in a battle with a Knight of the Blinding Dawn. The fight begins with a Cinematic Evasion. That gives me enough time to make a cup of coffee, do some laundry, and then press R1. Fortunately, the battle itself is more challenging than activating the Cinematic Evasion. This time, I needed quite a few health potions because the Knight inflicts significant damage. It was my mistake for mistiming the evasions; the regular ones proved to be more challenging.
Once the Knight is taken care of, a cutscene focusing on Joshua and Duke Elwin confirms in gory detail what I had feared. The Duke is impaled on a sword, with his young son watching in shock. A distraught Joshua experiences flashbacks of conversations with his father and Clive, before transforming into the Phoenix.
As is often the case with transformations into enormous, powerful creatures, Joshua doesn’t seem to have control over his transformation. Clive tries to stop him but then gets revealed as the Dominant of Ifrit himself, a mysterious dark Eikon.
The Visuals are Stunning
The two Dominants clash and an epic battle ensues. “Epic” is such an overused, cliché word. But in this case, it’s almost an understatement. The magical violence bursts off the screen, and you almost need an extra set of eyes to take it all in. Honestly, at times, I couldn’t even fully grasp everything that was happening. But it was undeniably captivating. Massive amounts of fire and debris explode before your eyes as you, in the form of the Phoenix, try to stop the Eikon of Fire.
During a tragic climax to this struggle, you helplessly witness how Clive is helpless against his own alternate form. The Eikon of Fire beats the life out of the Phoenix, while you hear Clive desperately pleading to stop the violence. He is trapped, and his bone-chilling screams have no effect. He appears to be single-handedly killing his own brother, before the screen goes to black.
“I’ll kill you!” Clive declares, announcing his revenge. The likable, kind-hearted Clive appears to be replaced by a bloodthirsty version who will be driven by vengeance.
In a final twist, if you can even call it that, we discover that Duchess Anabella was involved in the invasion. She orders Clive’s execution but then changes her mind and decides to recruit our protagonist as a soldier. Undoubtedly a grave mistake she’ll soon come to regret. I can’t wait to make that witch pay when the adventure continues on June 22nd.
And then it happens, the inevitable moment I’ve been dreading for about two hours: the Final Fantasy logo appears, and we are thanked for playing. The demo is over, and the wait until June 22nd will feel like an eternity.
Conclusion
I’m sold. After this introduction, I must experience this game until the end. The brief introduction was enough to immerse me in the beautiful, magical world of Final Fantasy. The story is captivating, the characters intriguing, the music exhilarating, and the combat smooth and seamless. One minus is the fact that the framerate did drop multiple times throughout, sometimes even during pretty calm moments. Nothing too bothering though, but hopefully something that Square Enix will be able to improve with a patch.
The hype surrounding the previous 15 installments may have eluded me, but this time I understand it like no other. Just ten more days to go.
