That opening was incredible. Reliving a traumatic memory of Clive as he gazes into the campfire.
There's something hauntingly beautiful about the scene; The imagery of warriors resting around a campfire encapsulates a quintessential Final Fantasy feeling for me.
Music
The soundtrack is phenomenal, and probably my favorite element. It's so booming, with many evocative pieces that enhance the atmosphere scene after scene.
I really admire the way the music is mixed in this game, particularly when it swells during battles as opposed to distinct field and battle tracks.
The entire experience felt like listening to an orchestral suite.
Masayoshi Soken arguably delivers his best work in this installment.
Characters
The characterization in FFXVI is possibly some of the best I’ve seen in any FF game.
The performances, particularly in the English dub, breathe life into an array of strong personalities.
Seeing small details like characters indulging in vices and being overtly sexual, paint a world of moral ambiguity, making them a bit more emotionally complex and intriguing.
Having said all that, there's still a touch of melodrama and romanticism that Final Fantasy games are often known for.
Although not every character left a strong impression, I enjoyed most of their interactions in the demo.
Writing
Game of Thrones/ ASOIAF inspirations is very apparent in the political intrigue and machinations.
I enjoyed the books and the shows, so I don’t consider it an issue. Although some of the more obvious parallels were amusing to see.
The more mature tone is something that I’ve been dying to see from a Final Fantasy entry for years.
A critical & commercially successful M-rated mainline entry opens the door to so many interesting narrative possibilities that were previously confined to spin-offs.
It’s playing the role I think Versus XIII would have, had it not been rebooted and given a T rating.
I'm curious to learn about more of the lore in the full game. I already know that I'll read the Active Time Lore stuff quite often.
Art Design
Some will find it dull or uninspired, but I find FFXVI’s combination of a modern style of presentation with classic motifs to be aesthetically pleasing.
Was also pleased by much it leaned into the Medieval Europe-inspired trappings with the world-building. A rather refined blend of grounded and fantastical elements.
The environments are wonderfully detailed, with pretty nice natural lighting during the day and these rich colors at night.
I generally like the UI design. Could even be mistaken for an Ivalice FF, with some of that design language.
Menu navigation is responsive, with some nice visual/audible feedback.
Despite the fantastic animations in combat and cutscenes, I think the facial animations were rather poor, and could've used more expressive faces.
Naughty Dog games have some of the most natural-looking character acting I've seen in any game.
Maybe Square Enix should consider incorporating some of their techniques. I think the storytelling and drama would benefit immensely.
Gameplay
I played the game in both 60fps and 30fps. While the combat feels better to play in performance mode, there is some very noticeable loss in image quality.
However, 30fps gameplay outside of battles didn't hamper my enjoyment.
Exploration of the environment is fairly basic, with limited interaction with the surroundings.
The lack of physics or reactions from NPCs can sometimes disrupt the immersion.
However, the game shines in its battle system, momentum really is the bread and butter.
This is one of those battle systems that reward elegant players, with a dodge mechanic that feels very satisfying to pull off.
I like that it also allows players to practice mastering the mechanics without having to engage an enemy, a sign of a good action game imo.
Although I found the camera somewhat troublesome in tight spaces during battles.
I found myself needing to reorient myself multiple times during some battles after zipping around with the Phoenix shift.
The on-rails sections are not ideal. I'm not exactly the biggest fan of prolonged scripted sequences in games, but I must admit they make for quite the visual spectacle.
In a sense, they can be viewed as "playable cutscenes," so I suppose it's a better alternative to sitting the controller down for minutes at a time.
Although I consider it far from perfect, for me, the pros outweigh the cons.
This will be my first day 1 game in years. I'm eager to return to this world and its characters.
emoji to anyone who doesn't agree with you?
