Final Fantasy XVI is an absolute triumph. This franchise's glorious return is marked by phenomenal action combat, scrupulous attention to world-building, an impeccable OST, and a grandiloquent celebration of all things "Final Fantasy." Although light on the qualities that we would typically attribute to a role-playing game, make no mistake about the veracity of that last assertion. This game, outstanding in its own right, serves as a love letter to the many Final Fantasy games that came before it. Within a new world, with new lore, there is a slew of creatures, names, weapons, themes, and icons of the franchise realized in a reverential manner. The kinetic combat is naturally a departure from previous Final Fantasy games, but it is a terrific venture. Fast-paced, evolving, responsive and flashy… FF XVI's combat provides a power-fantasy that is unapologetically fun. It truly shines in the grandiose boss battles that mark the most iconic moments in Clive Rosfield's journey. Speaking of Clive, he is perhaps one of the best realized protagonists in a video game of recent memory. Ben Starr delivers a superb performance as Clive. The supporting cast of Ralph Ineson, Susannah Fielding, Logan Hannan, and others deliver fantastic efforts as well. Clive's closest companion, Torgal, is of course an absolute standout. In fact, Torgal might just be one of the greatest canine companions in all of video games. It is exceedingly difficult not to be enamored with the cast of Final Fantasy XVI. While some of the earlier side quests feel relatively bland, there are some absolutely phenomenal efforts in the later goings that congeal the complexities of the supporting cast and prompt stronger understandings of their motivations or relationships. I will not delve into the intricacies of these side tales or the main story and overarching narrative here with these thoughts, as inadvertently spoiling what I found to be a special experience is not something I want to risk. Suffice to say, FF XVI embarks players on an emotional and captivating journey.

Clive's journey is truly an epic one: it defined only in part by the before said boss encounters, the thoughtful motivations for the main crew's actions, the stunning locales the game brings you to, and the complexities of a deeply divided society. Final Fantasy XVI's shortcomings are minimal in nature. Difficulty settings aren't particularly well-realized, electing to make enemies more "spongy" rather than tweak the challenge through more meaningful implementations. Performance leaves something to be desired when traversing from mission to mission, generally not holding up in its 60fps performance mode, although more consistent in combat. The last reasonable complaint would be the presence of some filler content, with some side and main quests disrupting pacing and not contributing meaningfully to otherwise wonderful world-building. It cannot be emphasized enough how complex and deeply thought out this world is too. "Active Time Lore" and designated NPCs assure that players may always keep up with the rapid pacing by which you learn more about this world, making it quite approachable in spite of its richness. Further adding to the realization of this world is superb visual fidelity and art direction. By the end of my two playthroughs, my PS5 harddrive was laden with screenshots of FF XVI - it is simply stunning. All of this is packaged together with a moving, transcendent original sound track befitting of the epic nature of the tale FF XVI seeks to tell. Final Fantasy XVI is a phenomenal title that I would recommend to nearly anyone. It represents an inspired return for this beloved franchise, supported by incredible performances and a loving veneration for Final Fantasy's 36 year history.

FFXVI is, without doubt, a fantasy worth witnessing.