Final Fantasy XVI is the Year’s Most Controversial RPG | The Completionist
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- čas přidán 6. 06. 2024
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With 84 hours and two full playthroughs, I bring you the mini movie of my Final Fantasy 16 review.
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Intro 0:00
Ready, Set your expectations 2:01
Factor 12:16
A neverending story 14:39
Valisthea Combat Club 29:18
The little things 41:36
What is it all for 45:35
The 16th standalone entry in the legendary Final Fantasy series marks a darker turn for the RPG franchise, with a complex tale of revenge, power struggles and unavoidable tragedy.
Final Fantasy XVI reimagines the series' iconic summons as Eikons. These deadly creatures are housed within Dominants, men and women who inherit their immense power at birth - whether they like it or not.
Eikons are the most powerful beings in Valisthea, a land where six powerful realms have emerged thanks to the power of the Mothercrystals. The aether provided by these towering mountains of crystal powers the magicks that have allowed these nations to thrive for many years - but now a mysterious Blight threatens to disrupt their uneasy alliance.
Play as Clive Rosfield, First Shield of Rosaria and guardian of his younger brother Joshua, the Dominant of the Eikon Phoenix, in this epic action RPG from a team of Final Fantasy veterans.
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A lot
Most controversial? I wonder if that title will be taken by Diablo 4? I mean, Blizzard has been in the - Zone for some time. (Which makes OG Diablo 2 the best still, maybe.)
daddy di you cumpleted it
8:30 I wonder if that quote applied to FF2, as well?
Okay but for real, this may be the first time I see a CZcamsr eat a factor meal.
"Final Fantasy XVI is the Year’s Most Controversial RPG"
A true Final Fantasy game then.
In a world as dark as 16, the instantly likeable characters really shine through,
The voiceacting for Byron really heavily carries his character, in secondplace you got Gav.
They really put all their budget in camerawork and writing, and it shows
At first I thought Gav was going to be a throwaway character and he quickly became one of my favorite characters in the game such an amazing build up
Rest in peace to the lad, also voicing a cool father figure in 14. He will be missed
@@RaReVaporytotally agree. I was like who’s this chump. And now I want to be his best friend. Great character.
And unlike a certain TV show revolving around thrones and some kind of game, some of the likeable characters actually survive. What a concept. You can have a game that is heavily influenced by that series, and have it NOT be a 'kill 'em all' storyline.
Clive's anguish as he berserked and started killing Joshua. Made me visibly cringe from the pain in his voice.
Strength was never the point of Torgal's attacks - utility is. He launches grounded enemies and spikes airborne enemies, or he keeps them in the air longer allowing you to extend your combo. Using him for Precision Sics at the end of every combo does actually do decent damage as well.
Precisely. Using a charged spell shot to rise the enemy into the air, then usin Sic for him to hold the enemy there so that I can more easily keep the combo going after using Phoenix Shit was something I used all the time in regular battles. Also using Ravage to bring an enemy up so I could combo it away from other enemies reach, or using it just to spike an enemy down the do a ground punish. All great uses to mix up combat against regular enemies that don't really do much.
Doesn’t stop me from spamming his attacks when I stagger an enemy lmao
And this is his active attacks you control, his passive play is where he does work
But I felt like the game kept hinting that there was going to be more to Torgal as the game went on. The game wants you to keep track of his "pedigree", saying he'll be more useful as it goes up, but I maxed it out and nothing felt different. Getting Fenrir mode does nothing. Yeah he gets more attacks, but it didn't impact how you control him.
@@chrisdaughen5257 fenrir was more for plot reasons
Torgal is SUPER useful if you learn how to use him. There is precise timing to when to use Torgal to get the best out his attacks, the game will say instead of just Sic & Ravage "Precision Sic" or "Precision Ravage" or "Punishing Sic" etc. when you do it correctly. Those attacks not only do more damage but also act as combo enders & extenders. Once you can weave Magic Bursts with Precision Torgal attacks with Charged Strikes and aerial moves and all that is when the combat REALLY starts flowing.
It does so little damage its not even worth doing tbh. Most of the busted stuff in the game has the potential to do 900k or outright delete the enemy without even using the sic command. nothing in the game has that much HP. Ryota Suzuki was on drugs when he called this system his magnum opus. He didnt even come close to topping DMC5.
@@paulsurratt2005 That's because, like I already said in my comment, Torgal isn't for damage he's for utility (combo enders, extenders, keeping enemies juggled, etc.) Also, hard hitting abilities are for use during the Stagger window not just generally in combat like Torgal. He's literally a part of the base kit like Burning Blade & Magic Burst which also don't do a whole lot of damage becaus3 they're not meant to.
Let me guess, you also think Lightning Rod & Rift Slip are useless abilities right? Because they don't just do big damage either.
@@paulsurratt2005
Wtf is doing 900k? The best possible staggers aren’t even topping 500k at the best of times
Love Torgy!
Facts
It’s interesting to see the history of Final Fantasy, and compare it to the history of the video game industry.
That's a great point, there are not a whole lot of games with as many entries, that are worthwhile anyway.
Yea and since the modern AAA industry is creatively bankrupt so too is final fantasy
@@brya9681once certain upcoming “laws” get pass, it will be impossible to be creative
This game is going to be the Death Stranding of the Decade
@@uria3679what do you mean by that?
This is some paraphrasing but i think it was the director of 15 who said that Final Fantasy is in a way cursed, that it has such a wide base with all kinds of styles that there is nothing any new game can do to make the entire fanbase happy.
As for me, I'm content to take each one in stride, and judge them based on how well the team accomplished what they set out to accomplish.
In 16's case, other than a few nitpicks and preferences I think they nailed it. It's a phenomenal experience but like anything isnt going to everyones cup of tea. Sure is mine though lol.
This game is going to be the Death Stranding of the Decade
It's okay, pretty mid honestly.
So basically, each game has its own merits.
Yoshida also said every FF must have the best visuals, best gameplay, best story, best music, and if it lacks in any way the fans will never forgive you.
As a guy who has played the FF games since the PSX / PS One days, I amvery happy with the changes presented in #FinalFantasy16.
It would not be an FF game without some kind of controversy regarding any of its elements, and I would not want it any other way!
>claims hard mode is too easy
>uses the ring that makes the game easier
amazing methodology
I completed it myself, took me 94 hours and it was a fucking blast. Great game.
When you say you completed it, do you mean just beating the game and doing everything possible on the first run, or did you then do FF mode in New Game Plus and complete it again? Because I've got a hunch it's going to take me alot longer to do all that, since I'm over 60 hours in and just now getting to the end of my first run through the game.
@@SBabyI beat the game on my first run in about 65 hours, and then did every side quest and trial, ending at about 77 hours. I’m just now starting my NG+ run, but from what I understand, if you’re skipping every cutscene and side quest, you can BREEZE through NG+. I started today and already got the Garuda fight done.
@@gavo7911 I heard NG+ skips the intro part of the game and starts you where Clive first meets Cid.
yeah it is ! but what got me worried is that some you tubers started playing it but then gave it up for example charlie white aka penguinZ . i dont understand why . have i missed something he said bout it ? or is it perhaps he does'nt like GOOD games? also angryjoeshow did the same thing
@@adhumbla1153 Angryjoe and PenguinZ aren't dedicated fans of the franchise though. So that isn't surprising. You have to get people that are dedicated fans and get their takes on it, because those are going to be the people that have enough real perspective to be able to tell franchise fans if this is worth playing.
When talking about this game, I am reminded of the transition from Digimon Adventure 02 to Digimon Tamers. The change in concept was a base breaker for fans at first, but nowadays people pretty much universally agree that Tamers is one of the best, if not THE best Digimon series ever made. To the point where Tamers is the most requested series for a reboot or sequel in the history of the franchise.
The fact he finished this video before the tears of the kingdom video tells me hes slaving for all these collectables and side quests he gotta do
He’s not emotionally ready for the 100% reward. Honestly he deserves a break after TOTK
Totally lol. I am 90 hours in to TOTK and still have only 2 temples completed, less than half of the depths explored, and about 100 shrines and very few complete armor sets. The game is ridiculous and I, unlike the completion, have no intention of getting anywhere near 100%…
@@chriswhetton3584 i gotta agree w u on this one. Ive found myself completing more games in recent years but this game just has way too much stuff for u to have to do and the rewards dont make up for the effort. And this is a switch game so there isnt even any trophies or anything to show off that u did everything the game has to offer
Ya ha ha!
@@ZeusThePhoenixwho do you exactly show your video game trophies off to?
Excited for a PC release at some point, I always preferred medieval Final Fantasy over the more Sci-fi ones.
Same, but I love them all.
I love all the FF games (minus FF13) but yeah always prefer the traditional Fantasy medival setting more than the Sci-Fi ones.
@@badass6300 Even FF13?
Ya got about 5 months to go my friend
I'm opposite personally. Ff7r is the best game I've ever played. Ff16 was good. But I wouldn't put it top 5. The cinematic were great but hard to get with all the characters.
Torgal is actually really useful. He does good damage if you actually keep telling him to attack while you also attack. I found that there is a sizable difference in damage output during stagger if you spam torgal while also attacking
Also, he warps to you when called to attack. So if you attacked someone and the enemy had a little hp but got flung away, even if torgal is fighting someone else, just press d-pad up to throw torgal at the soon to be dead enemy while you confine on to a new target. He really helps get through things faster
game was diluted trash and only animephiles will find the game interesting because they have unrealistic anime mongoloid taste and dont know a well written original story if their lives depended on it.
Torgal is the GOAT despite being a "dog." Just wrapped up his pre final mission scenes. This game does bring the waterworks
@@GenghisWanghis hes an eikon fenrir not just a dog
@@veritasaeterna he's Clive's doggo mate, his goodest boy
I use Torgal as my launch attack so i can phoenix shift to the enemy and continue my combo in the air.
All right, hot take: Its because its not actually an RPG. Its a DMC style game with an RPG story.
You do have some of the trappings of an RPG like levels and gear, but they do not significantly effect your combat potency and provide basically no sense of progression. There is little to no reason to grind or explore, and not much in the way of places to do so even if you wanted to. Your choices, what little you get, dont appear to change much if anything. Your elemental abilities have little to no difference in terms of tactical value (enemies do not appear to have apparent elemental weaknesses) but instead are each different power-sets to use to customize how you want to go about the beatem-up combat. You have 1 playable character throughout most of the game.
Compare that to say, FF7 Remake. Each level provided access to different weapon slots. Exploring netted you gear, materia, and story. Your choices mattered, both in terms of story and in gameplay. There was a clear sense of progression, and you could do several different builds with each character, and you had multiple characters that you could swap between on the fly throughout most of the game.
FF7 Remake is a modern version of the Japanese RPG. FF16 is not, its something else that is not well defined or refined yet. Which does not mean its not good, its been plenty fun. But its not an RPG just because it has some window dressing mechanics baked in and FF branding.
The moment I popped the disk of this game into my PS5. There was no coming back. It gripped my soul and it was a long journey to the finish. Loved every moment of it, save the last few hours I spent double checking if I missed anything before heading to the Endgame. Still need to do Final Fantasy Mode but figured I needed a break after such a wild ride. Only 3 trophies left to get!
So glad to see this channel going, I used to be big into completing games and this channel showed me that tons of others love doing the same👏🏾👏🏾
The thing about Torgal, is he's a combo helper when the player controls him (I didn't realize this until i saw someone use him to carry a combo). But he's also for adds, whenever there's multiple enemies you can focus on the main one and let Torgal deal with the others and he'll do it effectively.
Such a good boy he is.
Very helpful and informative review. It’s been fascinating watching and reading reviews that describe the same elements with completely different takeaways.
Agreed, I've been trying to figure out whether I should get this game, and this video along with a handful of others gave me like a more complete perspective on it I feel.
When it come to reviews of games, this channel is the only one I truly trust.
The Titan boss fight melted my brain
My brain was shooketh when I heard the music for titan lost
@@yummcake yeah that shit was 🔥 🔥 🔥
And my ps5 was about to melt as well.
That was a sweet cutscene
@@enternamehere142Good thing it was absolutely not just a cutscene lol what
Ff16 has one standout feature: the screenplay and the voice acting. I'm English and really appreciated the compelling performances with accents from Ireland to Liverpool. Fantastic work!
Glad you enjoyed it and all your high points were mine too! (Only note is you said Clive’s father was killed before his very eyes. Clive was not present for that, Joshua was)
Haven’t been able to play XVI yet, so I can’t watch this video, but I’ll like and comment to feed the Algorithm. Thanks for all you do Jirard, keep rockin it!
At this point feels like every RPG is controversial
XVI isn't an RPG.
@@StriderZessei Sure is, but thanks for playing.
@@lonelyphoenix7 For real the fuck is strider talking about lmfao.
This game is an cinematic action game, not a rpg in the sense your actions can change the person you are playing as, meaningfully allocate stats or change builds, nor can you really affect your change your companions in any meaningful way. You the player cannot personalize anything important in this game about the main or side characters. You are not even really in a drivers seat in any real sense of the word. You are completely a passenger. I even hesitate to call the recent big ticket sony games rpgs either.
@lonelyphoenix7 Literally how?
I guess Asura's Wrath is an RPG too now?
The Bahamut battle is chef’s kiss. Frickin amazing!
I actually got to the point where I rolled my eyes lol. Like, just stay dead so I can get back to the hideaway please. Same with Odin, like how many times must we do this dance sir? Can’t you go directly to super sayian blue?
I was here for the action but stayed for the lore and story. I love the characters both the villains and the heroes. Even the side characters which is why I love doing them. I love seeing Clive taking a moment and teaches kids about how to rebuild the scales. Yeah slows down but I enjoy this as seeing how he interact with kids and doesn't scold them and allow them to grow and learn as kids.
Agreed! I just wish they would've explained a lot more when Clive and Joshua reunited. Their relationship was basically the entire point of the game, and we just had too many questions left unanswered. Everything else about the game was fantastic though.
@@BlazeRothschild what questions? he was the pheonix, he revived and was pursuing ultima when he found out it was the demon doing all this and influencing people so he could achieve his plan
Everything is controversial, we cant enjoy anything. That being said 9.5/10 LOL
It's sad but true. This game had flaws but besides that it was an amazing game with some of the best characters amazing combat a rich world. The quest could get annoying but the upside to them were the world building and character development. This isn't my favorite FF game yet but this is a great FF game a great game in general. I cried at the end and I believe clive lives at the end. Like you said 9.5 man
@jepasdenom7643 I thought we were talking about games not food. I'd prefer canes if anything
9/10 for me personally.
I haven't cared about characters in videogames this much since Final Fantasy 4
6.1 / 10 this game is TRASH
You can enjoy something while still acknowledging it's controversial lol
Torgal is extremely useful for "ground juggling".
When you knock down a standard enemy Clive can do a finisher and you can do a charge magic blast immediately after to launch the enemy and have Torgal use Ravage to knock the enemy back down to where Clive can do a finisher again. Rinse and repeat you can chain these moves to lightning speeds to wipe out mobs super fast.
I've been hooked on FF since the kid on a bus lent me his copy of mystic quest on the snes. I've played every game in the series since then, mainline and not, online and offline. I didn't think I'd live to see my vision off FF so perfectly realized. Ty square
hold on to that memory....now kids cant even play this mature game
Dude trading and lending games was the Jazz back then. That's how I got to check out a lot of games. Fun times
The scream the voice actor let's out when Joshua is killed was chilling to the bone. Such good acting.
Why the fuck would post a spoiler like that
Joshua is....
@@albaniampureana8602 🤓
D.U.D.E. not chill
@@bonk4885I don't get why people have to act that that. Like, do they think it's funny? 🙄
I completed it a couple days ago. Love the game. Although I did find myself missing certain RPG elements, this game hits some incredible highs. Combat, story, characters, music, all really great. It’s my favorite mainline FF since FFX.
All spectacle no substance
@@bobross8585definitely not true and disagree there but that’s alright I guess 💙 different views
Agree wholeheartedly. Definitely light on the RPG elements and I'd certainly say it's more of an action game than an RPG. But even with that taken into account, this is the first mainline FF game since X that has captured that magic the old games did for me. (Story, music, world, etc)
@@bobross8585 did we play different games, or did you just not play it?
@@andrewbowser1506 he probably didn't or he just lack any form of emotional intelligence or any of the sort
Honestly my memory of FF10 was going from cutscene to cutscene, and people loved it. But Ff16 gets hate for it. I thinks 16 is great.
FF10 had other things to do as well though. This game literally is nothing but quest markers and fighting the same 12 enemies on repeat for 40 hours. The game is just not really well designed as a GAME
This game is absolutely incredible! Flaws are glaring, but doesn't take away from how great story, characters, soundtrack and combat is. Great review!
combat is the best, best combat for me next to kh2
I feel this subject really fits the idea of the more Final Fantasy changes. The more Dragon Quest stays the same. Final Fantasy is almost unrecognizable when compared to earlier entries. Dragon Quest is extremely obviously the same series every new entry. I like that though. Final Fantasy experiments and tries to make what they consider a modern RPG. Dragon Quest purposefully stays classic in order to keep that classical style that we don't really see anymore. It covers both ends of the spectrum.
I see where ya are coming from game play wise. Story wise I would say FF16 very much mimics FF 1-5 story, but in a juxtaposition. In those first few games it's about saving the crystals from being destroyed. Their power ultimately being used to keep evil at bay (a simplistic explanation).
While gameplay may be way different, there are a lot of references to other ff games hiding within it as well. Say the Eikon abilities Clive have, very much mimics a "job" system. I like seeing how they can incorporate FF names into the game awell, such as Ragnarok and other names that appear in multiple FF games. Like how Cid is always the one to make or use a ship/airship.
I agree. Although I am worried about Dragon Quest 12 cause rumors has it that the series might change in terms of the gameplay, combat and how they said it doesn't appeal to the quote on quote " adult age ".
@@jaretco6423 Yeah I can see where ya coming from there. I don't mind the whole "less adult" thing since DQ doesn't feel like it should copy the witcher/game of thrones/spartacus approach that FF16 obv took. It would feel out of place to me seeing a lot of blood/gore and cussing in a DQ game.
@AllyMonsters Exactly. That's why I prefer Dragon Quest over those cause the plot/story & characters have it's has serious, yet also lighthearted & charming moments and the battle systems are still turn-based and simple, yet still challenging & engaging in it's own merits and may add one or few simple mechanics here & there, but it was still an turn-based combat and it does work really well. I'm hoping Dragon Quest 12 stick to that route. Otherwise it might turn out to be the Final Fantasy 13 of Dragon Quest and I don't want that.
Not entirely true because the early dragon quest games were revolutionary. And this continued up to DQ7. Now they're rehashes and the only rehashes that get away with it.
Just finishing up my NG+ run for my Platitnum while listening to this now. This game has been an experience. What a ride
To be honest, it would not be a Final Fantasy without some kind of controversy or complaint about a change present in any of its elements.
For me, this game is a strong contender for Game of the Year!
i mean it wasnt up until like FF10, after that they started making numbered entries in completely different rpg subgenres
Did we just collectively forget that BoTW 2 released this year?
As a guy who has played the FF games since the PSX / PS One days, I amvery happy with the changes presented in #FinalFantasy16.
@@hyperspace2752 That is another strong contender for GOTY alongside (in my opinion): Dead Space remake, RE4 Remake and Hi-Fi Rush.
Time will tell if Baldur's Gate 3 and / or Armored Core 6 will join the list.
I got my eyes on Starfield. Right now I still have ToTK for GOTY since it's gameplay mechanics they added literally changed the game. Baldurs Gate 3, FF 16 and Armored Core 6 are definitely up there, but I don't think Baldurs Gate will win. Honestly if Starfield nails their launch and we get the game we were promised then that will win GOTY. Starfield is an extremely ambitious game. I don't think a remake will ever win GOTY tbh. Hi-Fi Rush will win some other award most likely such as most creative or something.
This Completionist intro floors me every time I watch it.
I found Torgal to be very useful after spending time practicing to incorporate him into my combos. His base attacks lack punch, but using him at the right moment allows for heavy damage, extended enemy juggling, or pushing away enemies to buy time.
I’m on my second playthrough in FF mode. I absolutely adore FF16!!!
If you could play FF mode from the start I think I’d be able to get through the game. Combat for me is just so boring. Really pushing to finish it
@@enternamehere142honestly I skipped all optional combat aside from marks and side quests, and I thought it was fun. I think its up to you to mix up your abilities and pick whats enjoyable, but I agree that the staggering and spamming can get a little tiring after a while.
@@savionmcqueen8944 around the Titan fight I stopped liking the combat. Your right tho, you have to make your own fun by not killing everything fast with spam…but it’s like…da fk is that.
@@savionmcqueen8944 I also skip all side quests that are not + signs. Honestly the quality of those makes me feel 12 lol
@@enternamehere142 I just tried to do everything severely under leveled and it was way better. Final fantasy mode so far is fixing all those issues, everything is already a lot stronger than me and everything can 3-4 shot so overall its worth it.
For me, ff games have always been mostly narrative focused. Sure, you could say that most of this game is cut scene and you would be right, but in older ff games that was just replaced with massive text dumps to get the story across... and I for one am a fan of having the story told to me through a complete medium with the proper visuals, sound design and voice acting rather than reading blank text.
I agree the game was too easy. I wish there was a harder difficulty setting, but I also understand that without dramatically changing the fight mechanics themselves, adjusting health and damage numbers dont really make the game harder, just longer. The combat was still really fun, although not very difficult, and I would rather that than make it so hard that it alienates a lot of the player base from being able to experience what the game is truly about. The story, the characters, the world, and the truly epic eikon battles.
Overall, I think this game was a massive success and I'm very happy with it, which feels great as an ff fan because I havnt thoroughly enjoyed an ff game since 10 aside from 14.
I agree 10 and 14 were my last good ones. I'm just starting remake now and that's it. Just finally began to appreciate that one. So I definitely don't appreciate this one (16).
8:03 Kiros' idle pose looks so hilarious when sped-up 😆 🤣
Did you notice that most of the named characters are puns (and potential spoilers)? For example: Jill = "chill"; Hugo = "huge"; Clive = Clyde...
Great video Jirard! As I often find, I agree with you about pretty much everything here. Idk if I will go for platinum, but I am for sure looking forward to my FF Mode playthrough. This game is SO GOOD.
Still in the process of 100%ing for the Platinum trophy for this game, I beat it a couple of days ago. It's been super fun so far! Just have some hidden trophies left + the New Game+ stuff to do.
You did an amazing job on this review definitely one of my favourite your rpg reviews
I'm one of those that is put off by the combat, but I can understand why they went with a more action feel. It likely appeals to the masses a lot more.
Personally, I'm a big fan of old school turn based combat. If this game had that I'd buy it.
i love turn based but i also like kingdom hearts 2 combat and i think this combat is just as good, it has other issues, if it had better farming and better stuff to craft it woulda been great like kh2
39:45 you have missed the point of Torgal, he meant to be used to launch enemies (Ravage) as aerial attacks do more damage and can extend combos with a perfect Sic. He isn't meant to be there to do damage but as a combat utility tool.
It’s weird, the is the first time in a long while I’ve managed to beat a game before a lot of the big streamers I follow ie. Maximillian Dood, Woolie and Pat, I managed to have the week off work so I got to blast through my first playthrough and I am now chipping away at ng +, loved every aspect of the game and think they could easily flesh out the combat in updates like adding pause combos
Great review man, love the effort.
35:16 That also would have happened if you didn't have the easy mode ring equipped. Instead of getting a prompt telling you when to dodge, you'd take damage which is also a teacher. What a weird point to make.
My favourite parts of the story (so far that I've played) is any Ifrit and Clive scene and when Clive meets Annabella (his mother) after years.
I wish I got more interactions with those two but I'd take what I can get
The "reunion" with Anabelle has such a Sheaksepeare'ian feel to it
Honestly, I'm so disappointed with the way things ended with her, like, I'm glad she not only saw that both Joshua and Clive are alive (and that Clive is also a Dominant), and that her attempt at "bettering" them got lanced by Dion (and possibly wasn't even ever actually a real person presumably), and even that she died, but like, I still think she should have suffered more. She should have faced far worse punishment. She should have been imprisoned and brought back to Rosaria and put on trial by the people there, maybe also bring in people from Sanbreque as well since they also suffered at the hands of her and her "Black Shields". I just feel like she escaped any real justice. I really kind of wanted Jill to be the one to kill her.
@@R0D3R1CKV10L3NC3 m8 I couldn't agree more, that and just the "Reunion" or more interactions would have made it more emotional in my eyes, that or Clive could have told here that he is the Dominate of Ifrit, then show of Limit break and rip her Ego down even more.
And also tell her that.
Clive killed kupka and about ultima.
But I'd take what I can get, that's still a missed opportunity more or less.
The bit I'm up to is just past the bahmout fight (not sure if that's spelt correct).
@@connorohalloran1636 ah yeah, I almost wrote out a bunch more of what I wish could have happened but realized it all might have included spoilers for side quests you haven't done yet so I held off, and I'm glad I did, don't want to be one of those people lol.
@@R0D3R1CKV10L3NC3 cheers m8, appreciate it.
I've done all the side quests thus far
Its good to have a fully developped no big dev issues ff again with a consice story that knows what it wants to be!
Are you on crack? The story is all over the place, and most of it is dull as dishwater. The second half of the game is basically fetch quests that serve no purpose other than to waste your time. There's screen tearing, the awkward run before you sprint(which is a hold over from the last star ocean game(which was also dogshit). The combat is the best thing about it.
This game is going to be the Death Stranding of the Decade
@@uria3679 as someone who doesn't care about death stranding, what's the comparison?
It might not have had a troubled dev cycle, but there are a ton of issues with it. Enemy and area variety is ridiculously bad and the systems in it are clearly tacked on and underbaked. It still feels unfinished, but just in different ways that 15 was.
@@uria367916 is not a walking simulator lol, that's a disingenuous comparison
A quick thing, about 18:00 in, while talking about Branded and Clive only being treated differently because of his family: Clive isn't a Branded and wasn't born with magical powers like a Branded is. His initial magic comes from the blessing of the Phoenix that he receives as a shield of Phoenix.
I'm currently 1-2 hours into act 3. I do plan on getting the platinum for this game. The pacing isn't perfect but the story and characters are very compelling. Action isn't revolutionary, but it is tight and satisfying. 10/10 would recommend anybody looking for an engrossing story and a fun but not backbreaking combat system.
One of the best single player FF games and I’ve pretty much played them all besides 1 and 11.
Yoshi-P promised an amazing story and great characters and that is exactly what we got. Nonetheless I will for sure remember this new FF story and characters for years and years to come.
I adored this game. I understand it's not for everyone. I've been an FF fan for decades and will continue to be a dan going forward. This is my game of the year. And I hope you all find yours.
How? Meh story, horrible side quests, map explorwtion is pointles, itemization does not exist, doggo being a magic pup was just one time even and was ditched completely later, roman e with jill was so fucking bad. First nothing between them, then they try to kiss, then years later they finely kiss and all of a sudden (i love youuuuu i love you moreee blah blah blah), characters are also meh. Combat was cool but still fighting with anything else than what yoi really need to fight was pointles, all those materials you grabbed are also worthless. No point in making weapons other than those magic ones you get by drfeting bosses. Is a really good game but goty?
@malakith5176 see that's the thing. You missed the part where I said it's MY game of the year. Everything clicked for me. I'm sorry you didn't enjoy it as much as I did. But it was great. And I hope you find yours dude.
The side quests in early and middle game were trash.
@@seanhood6902 he did say some stuff that was wrong for sure but yeah definitely you are true on your words and view 👍 and I agree with it
@@malakith5176 it’s my goty too. Bit of a shame it missed the mark to some people while it really resonated with a lot of us.
@@malakith5176 Romane?? please fixed your Grammar first ahahaha
I love this game, on my NG+ run now, and I wish we will receive some kind of DLC or expansion. I just love the universe XVI set up, and it is my Game of The Year for sure.
Couldn’t imagine doing a ng+ not with the combat as it is
@@enternamehere142 I respect your opinion. For me it is really fun one, thinking of combos I can do etc. and if you want some challenge just take all the rings off. Also you can just play whole game smashing square and get to some point, but it is honestly to players playstyle how combat will be played.
@@porgi2436the game is kinda too easy but there are some challenging boss fights. Saying the gameplay is boring is just wrong. So many combos and Playstyle choices. Most people that complain probably just spam magic and have long ass fights.
Also completed my NG+ . I still want to play it even after completed NG,+ such a good game. Goty for me personally.
@@Whiteshade that’s gotta be BS. lol
I love this game so much. The amount of side quests were a slit, but the sheer epicness of the main story and combst nade uo for it.
Near the end of my playthrough when I was trying to get the achievements for Shiva I'd get 3 enemies to low health and Torgul would just destroy one of them before I could finish them off all at once. Eventually I found out that if I told Torgul to attack them he would do about 70 hp damage to them compared to the 600 hp damage he was doing without guidance. Such a weird choice to make.
I think it is because if you command Torgal directly he does stuff that can allow you to combo better. Additionally since it is spammable they devs don't want someone spamming Torgal to attack and do hundreds or thousands of DPS.
Torgal is used for utility, think of him as an assist in fighting games for extenders, launcher and finishers.
So far I am loving the hell out of this game!, My current favorite moment is when Clive and Torgal double teamed Benedikta, but I have more hopes for the rest of the game!.
Ill never forget the things i saw in this game, ever.
As a gamer of 33 years (I started at three with super Mario bro. with my older sister) I could not agree with your breakdown more, I adore that FF never rests on its laurels and is daring itself to always reinvent its systems. FFXVI was a ray of light in this season of my life, I’m taking care of dying parent, it was so nice to just have something this good in the quiet hours of my evening waiting for me. It’s made me as a film school graduate want to go back to school finally for game design. Long live Square Enix!
Keep it up man. Your story mimics mine in many ways [had to deal with my remaining parent this year and DAMN has this game been a good break]
@@Stavvy0 nothing but good vibes back, it’s good to have things to love and look forward to 🙏🏼 my dad will be 79 years old this year in December he’s aged very quickly this season attempting to take care of my mom, I wish us both the best in this place and nothing but healing for us both.
I’m watching this as I go through Final fantasy mode for the 100% completion.
Nice job ❤
The action stages in Ff16 kind of feel like the instanced dungeons of FF14, very linear and cinematic
I also liked some little Easter eggs, such as Estinien's voice actor voicing the Dragoon you fight in the prologue, and the Orchestrion is identical to the FF14 version for player housing and Inn rooms.
Or count fortemps being our favorite father figure again as lord Byron
There is so many callbacks to FF14 everywhere, they are too many to count!
Its very similar to Outriders
@@dafire9634As a raider that cleared UCoB, the bahamut fight made my brain go offline for a few minutes ngl
I havent' watched The Completionist in a solid minute, but this new intro is amazing!
I agree with pretty much everything you said, especially the part where you mention FF having its own special flavor of drama. I loved this game, I have been taking a break after rolling credits for the first time because I was devastated for it to be over. Cant wait to play theough FF mode and do it all over again soon though.
I'm glad that he didn't suffer too much in his Completion.
Sometimes these kinds of games have some real grinds.
Final Fantasy ones tend to be not too bad, for the most part, at least not the more recent ones, the older ones can get really bad, though, yeah.
18:00 Small thing: Just had a big discussion in my friend group about it and we ended up asking Harpocrates but, Clive is not treated differently at the start “because of who his family is” as Jirard says, but his thing is different altogether. When he became First Shield, Joshua bestowed upon him partial use of the Phoenix’s powers, which is something only the Rosfields really do (the Phoenix in particular seems to have a number of traditions exclusive to it), and only with their Dominant’s closest protectors. He however can only control fire with the blessing, so when he was Branded and conscripted into the Imperial army, he was basically pretending to be a Bearer for those years, albeit one that could only control fire, but he was never a true Bearer in the full sense, and were it not for the events of the prologue, he’d have never been treated as a branded despite his use of magic.
Its just another plot hole. Theres a few of them but nobody cares since everyone seems to be too invested in the circlejerk.
@@slowdown8at606it's not a plot hole. They specifically say in the opening scenes that clive recieved the phoenix's blessing; whicj is why he can use fire magic. Branding him was just ome of the ways they could control him (the brands are made with a deadly poison that will kill anyone who tries and removes the mark) and hide his royal lineage from the masses. His mom does become empress afterall. If a non bearer starts using magic that'd raise questions in the empire.
@@slowdown8at606And yet you’re so invested in hating you’ve apparently forgotten what a plot hole actually is.
@33:18 I never knew that!!! AHHH! Thank you! I'll be mixing some stuff up now! :D
Excellent review of everything and matches my feelings of the game to a T. Ff16 was an amazing experience and i can only hope we get some sort of DLC to spend more time in this world.
One of your best review I must say !
I love this channel!
No idea who you are you randomly popped up on my feed, but I hit subscribe just for the intro. That was epic and awesome. I love your super Saiyan is your beard
This game is Final Fantasy, DMC, Ashura’s Wrath, Attack on Titan, Game of Thrones, Dragonball Z, all in one. Mechanically there are many things I found lacking. But, I loved being able to stay toe to toe and string precision dodges and counters. Most side quests / side quest bosses are repetitively simplistic. However, there are also sidequests that are AMAZINGLY written. I love how they did the character specific branches to flesh everyone’s motivations out. Man, the teaser after-credits message had me excited because I WANT to see what these people make of this world in another game. Uncle and Gav and Jill, even Quinten. Cid… aka Daniel Craig James Bond with Lightning powers lol. I love the Ashura’s Wrath style Eikon Battles being stacked on top of the insane bullet hell style boss phases which comes after the regular combat phase. That ramp up almost never failed. Bahamut and Titan were absolutely INSANE. Nah man, Joshua needs to wake this man and his dead hand up on that beach lol. This cannot be the only installment. This was a wild ride. And it deserves to have the combat and the RPG elements fleshed out, together with this awesome cast of characters. Aside from the fact that side quests recycle enemies SO heavily… my only real knock is the explanation of Ultima himself. So much was revealed at the end, they couldn’t quite put a bow on it.
One thing I wish they’d implement is an option to reduce spell effects/particles. Attempting to dodge things, especially in NG+ FF mode is almost headache inducing. I LOVE the spells etc but it’s so intense, seeing incoming telegraphs is basically impossible. I know there is an accessory for dodging but I do want to play without them as much as possible.
I do love the game though. Combat and graphics are wonderful. The only complaint I have is that the side quests, and maybe even some of the MSQ, have pacing problems. I get done doing an epic battle that had 4 phases and then I am running to get supplies for people or some other gather crap and it all just crawls to a standstill.
Also, hot take, Clive’s voice started to get on my nerves a little bit lol. He is VERY breathy. Like, a mouth breather Batman.
40hrs in and still getting chills at every turn games amazing
Same, I'm 30 hours in and I'm having a blast.
I've often settled for just beating games these days cuz I really don't have the energy to complete games like I did when I was a kid. But I still have a pretty good time just playing through stories. And I'm looking forward to this one. I don't like turn-based RPGs much but the action on this one reminded me of KH and caught my attention
Great video as always, Jirard. But I'd have kept Clive's transformation a secret since that's technically not revealed until much later. The game heavily implies it's someone else at the start until he realizes it himself.
i think you may be spoiling it. :( based on demo and early gameplay, you obtain powers after defeating the enemy. safe to assume clive defeated the "enemy."
@@remember2save He mentions it's Clive directly in this video. I mean it's probably obvious, even my girlfriend figured it out, but the game doesn't make it directly apparent in that scene and I feel like he should have avoided that detail.
@@FreakinSweet1987 i just rewatched that section and dang, yeah he shoulda left that out lol. my bad.
@@remember2save No worries. Does kinda suck though. From what I remember they definitely try to play it off like it was someone else at the beginning.
This game hits the mark with the things I look for in a Final Fantasy game.
I find it weird how some people didn’t feel like this game was “Final Fantasy enough” when it has the most textbook Final Fantasy story.
I can confidently say that it’s in my top FF games ever.
How is it the most textbook Final Fantasy story?
I agree. You got the crystals. You got the bad guy that wants to take over the world and exert his “will” over the people. You got knights, thieves, warriors, clerics and every other D&D inspired job type. Big emphasis on monsters. And did I mention, the crystals? It’s the most rudimentary and straightforward FF story, something that can be written at any time for any audience and be a success. It’s a tale that never gets old.
Great video on the game - and it's a much more nuanced take than even a lot of reviews! Killer work to the team
... uh, though I will add, on the face shots you sure were zoomed-in quite close lol
I need that Zero shirt, Jirard.
Jirard, I was lucky enough to meet you years ago at SGC in Dallas. There we spoke about FFVI, I'm still eagerly awaiting your FFVI video! We had very similar feelings about XVI, I'm pushing my way through Final Fantasy mode currently.
PS: I love the FFVI Opera shirt!
One of my main complaints are the weapons and crafting. I wish they would've expanded more and made the eikon weapons actually usable. For example let's the Garudas weapons, stormcry. Make it where when equipped, all of Garudas abilities get a boost in damage or the amount of stagger they dish out. Or have it where you have a proficiency system where if you master the sword, abilities and damage are boosted. I just want to use different weapons for different situations. Also, this could be complimented with an elemental affinity system. Make me want to use Jill's ice elemental sword against enemies associated with fire. All in all, I give it a solid 8.5. The story is awesome, side quests are your typical ff side quests, just wish the rewards were better. Combat is amazing besides the gripes that I mentioned above which are associated with the systems and not so much the combat. The pacing for me was the worst part. Main story bit, bunch of side stuff, main story bit, more side stuff, rinse and repeat. Just feels at times where the story beats should keep going but they just turn to side stuff. I've played them all and this is definitely one of my favorites. Personally it's in my number 3 spot. 7 (yeah I know it's overly glorified but I was born in 94 and it was the first rpg I ever beat, cut me some slack), 15 (yes 15 is my 2nd favorite. I've put hundreds if not 1000s into the game) then 16.
Great vid Mr. Completionist!
I loved the story and most of the side quests myself. It did feel a bit slow at times. It was was a weird back and forth of pacing but it wasn’t a huge negative for me.
And I thought I was crazy. Everytime I got an Eikon weapon it felt like immediately after I got a much better upgradeable lower tiered weapon or was I missing something?
I'm a fan of the berserker ring in this game, when you execute a perfect dodge you get powered up and look even cooler
Sameee!! Berserker ring is so fun to use
Fun fact about the berserker ring, someone actually tested it and it actually makes you do less damage over the same timeframe of it being activated if you were to just precision dodge then counter and then attack normally.
The effect is cool though, and it gives you more i-frames during the precise dodge.
@@OathkeeperSoraXIII Maybe im wrong, but normal damage is lower i think after using berserker ring, but their poise bar lowers much quicker.
I found Torgul to be extremely useful particularly in doing stagger damage. Sic is so helpful to chain with your magic burst combos.
Such a great review!
I’m about 80hrs in and the PlayStation progression system says I’m 76% through the story I think. I’m taking it very slow and really enjoying it. I’m trying my best to do all the side quests and hunts as I go. I think my character is level 43/44. I’ve also been reading all the lore between each big story quest. Hopefully I will have it beaten in a week or so.
A week or two? 80 hours?! Do you play like 15 mins a day or something?
@@enyaliosares4301 took me about 76 hours to do everything. (once) Played about 4 hours a day and did a long marathon day of 10 ish when finishing the game. Im honestly kinda baffled people can do *everything* in 40 or 50. Granted i did take 3 or 4 hours just trying out different build because i wanted to see if i could make certain abilities work with different set ups. I wasn't rushing and wanted to take my time, Even still i wouldn't have thought i was 20 extra hours slow.
Admittedly, there are time's I sit in the menus for a bit. I actually just beat the game after doing all the side-quests, and all the hunts. My game says I have 98hrs on it now. Oddly enough, the PlayStation progression tracker says I only played 90% of the main story. I did not touch any of the arcade mode stuff, or the chronolith stones. I did start a NG+ run on Final Fantasy Mode too. I don't know if I will re-beat it right away though.
For people still saying, "I - X are all the same, they're turned based." The backend mechanics of each them are different from one another.
Yo , I’ve never seen your content before.. just gotta say your intro is sick !
Great review loved this game!
I love that this is a polished game that’s complete with no dlc or extra story content or any major issues like bugs (I can handle the sub 60 framerate, I grew up on PS2 Megaman X and Sonic The Hedgehog I’m immune).
I finished the game last night, and this was an epic story. The ending got me good. I think that this’ll be looked back on a solid game after all the dust settles. I like this game, a lot. It’s relatively focused, a lil messy, and fun to engage with. Now, on to the platinum for me..
Certainly it’ll be considered better for being a complete release on launch. Not since XII or possibly XIII (the first game as an ending that works as an ending and not a sequel hook unlike XIII-2) has this happened in the franchise, including the VII Remake trilogy.
I came across one major bug my entire playthrough (uploaded on my channel, an enemy went out of bounds) but other than that this game was very solid imo. Feels nice to play something complete
@@zoruasnivy i just watched your video, that’s wild lol glad there were ways to get around it but that could have been lost progress real easy 😂
One thing that i really missed in this game is the chit chat between characters. In FF7R they'd have casual one liners after each fight, FFXV has casual chatter while exploring, XIII had casual chatter when seeinf certain landmarks or enemies. This has nothing though, there were times whenI genuinely thought it was just Clive and Torgal in battle only to look around and see I had party members. Within the mission gameplay its fine, but in semi-open content it's just barren and dull. Doesnt feel like there's much life going on.
massive agree! there's some talking between companions late-game, but I didn't like how followers just kind of disappear when you start side questing and quest givers totally ignore them :D It's also one of the reasons Jill felt really underdeveloped for me, you don't really get to know much about her other than that she has a dark past and she likes Clive. Their relationship gets only a couple of scenes to develope and boom they're naked together on a beach now.
speaking of, the thing that I wouldn't have missed in this game is the nudity 😅 It didn't really add anything and made some scenes uncomfy or awkward for me to watch.
Fantastic video. I'm almost completing ff mode now and I just can't get enough of this game! The combat specially is immensely satysfying.
Also, for the demo, I learned the hard way that the save data only carries over if the demo and the final game were bought in the same region. My PSN is Canadian so when I popped my Japanese disk I was greeted with a message that the save data from my demo would not carry over because of region issues. And since you can't change regions in your PSN I had to play it all over again.
I love this game and I don’t care what any of those purists or naysays what they think about this game. This game is fantastic. Game of the year
Not even close to game of the year for me, and it has nothing to do with being a purist. It's just a completely mediocre game. Weak combat, almost non-existent exploration, no rewarding side activities outside of maybe 5 quests, very poor itemization and a total lack of proper RPG mechanics. The end result is it's a mediocre action game that is completely carried by the characters, graphics, and soundtrack.
@@MarkHogan994it’s Game of the year for me bro but I understand why you found it mediocre
@@MarkHogan994I don't, so I'm here to give you your hate right back buddy. The combat which simulates DMC style and you call it weak? Side activities, we're meh true but you're saying weak RPG elements...bro what? It wasn't supposed to be like the other RPGS. It's an action game, at least you admitted the characters, and all that were great. But your opinion is shit
The perfect game for people who hate RPGs but want to say "I've played Final Fantasy".
I loved this whole experience and your quality content. I’m a long time FF fan and I loved this game. New sub here. Would love to see more games like this so looking forward to exploring your content.
1:31-1:33 when it said game over I died in crash bandicoot 😂
i love this game. I love the cast, story and combat. wish it was longer.
You more more cutscenes? Already this is a movie not a game . How much longer do you want
I love the game too, but I don't know about longer. I actually think they could cut out 5 hours of the pointless filler quests in between levels
@@prince_warhero sigh lol
@@prince_warhero yeah I think I should of been more specific, I don’t necessarily want the the MSQ to be longer but just more hunts and side quest for the main cast. I want to spend more time with them.
@@danielrivera1387 oh stop he's not wrong. Wait till hype dies down
I love this game, and I love all the old ones
Can someone plz tell me the name of the song being played during clive's confession of love and farewell kiss to Jill towards the end of the game?
A simple, although effective way to control party members could be something similar to the paradigm shifts in XIII.
The action already has the player very busy, but setting up specific strats for the crew would have been the icing on the cake