Final Fantasy XVI says you have a reason to love the world you live in, even if everything begs and claws at you to give in. Love’s presence is palpable through what can feel endlessly bleak and grim for much of the experience, wondering when it truly lets up, if our efforts will yield reward. The oppressive weight placed on bearers, the harm of holding a faith’s teachings as absolute, the cruelty to take advantage of you at your weakest. But as the story progresses, it gives way to a brighter tone symbolizing the gradual success of our protagonist, Clive Rosfield’s, endeavors. The reward when a community achieves the impossible, the acceptance of your deeds and committing yourself to righting your wrongs, the understanding that nobody should convince you to settle for less. The game asks you to love you for you. To make peace with your individuality, and join with those who would elevate each other.

I didn't want to dump a college thesis onto this website so extremely long form review here: https://kingelireviews.blogspot.com/2023/07/final-fantasy-xvi-review-labor-of-love.html

While it sounds crazy enough to write a review about a game thats not even OUT LMAO. I why I can 100% confirm that this game will be my favourite game ever when it releases.

FFXVI from a series I'm genuinely not that familiar with. beside playing FFXIV recentlt. Having played a few hours of FF7 on the PS1 emulator and having watched like 7 episodes of FF9 lets plays and then dropping it out of boredom. You would genuinely be insane from a series where your intertest was never fully captured nor grasped to have the latest entry be your FAVOURITE GAME EVER?! Well here I will try to concretely enough explain my "My insanity" or for some of you guys "Stupidity" I'm assuming.

I found out about FFXVI pretty late actually the game was revealed the September State of Play 2020. I accidentally stumbled upon the game in October pure on whim. I was watching videos about JRPGs and I saw the games Trailer in my recommendations. I didn't even wanna click on the trailer nor did I want it to play YouTube Autoplayed it for me when I went to the toilet lol... but when I came back I was like "fuck it why not" and pressed replay and my mind was blown away... to most it's a standard trailer nothing outstanding or experimental enough for someone to lose their shit over it but man... I WAS IN. From the SFX of Clive's eikon attacks, silent build up and the narrator to the strong fantasy athmosphere but with a striking distinct visual style. It reminded so much of every favourite Fantasy series I love and it happens so rarely that I ever have such a strong sense of nostolgia from past of something in the present that I have no strong knowledge. But from the previously mentioned things and flashy gameplay and strong and striking character designs. I just knew it was the one. The Fantasy genre is a VERY important genre to me because it helped me allot as a person throughout my life and I honestly watched allot of fantasy media but super rarely has this same feeling been matched before. I literally searched up every information about the game since and don't think I've ever been as hype for something as this game. The latest Info dump just made me even more confident in my feelings. I rewatched each trailer over 10x and watched the gameplay showcases over 10x. Did as much research as I can on the people working on it. Theorize heavy about future characters , environments and potential story beats. I genuinely have 100% trust in this game and don't think I can get dissapointed really.

So it really a case of pure feelings of nostolgia , charm and trust that makes me so sure. I know this seems goofy asf to write this but I know myself the best so I know best what my true feelings on the game will be.

( P.S I've done this before and know how my expectations work so I really cannot be dissapointed. also I will do a follow up in Summer 2023 on this when I play it.