Final Fantasy 16 Is the Seventh Best Final Fantasy Game According to Fans

Final Fantasy mode in NG+ is how the game was meant to be played. I'm enjoying my second playthrough even more than my first.

I’m now 60% of the way through the game, and it really is a fantastic entry in the series. I’m hoping I can beat the game fully before next weekend when I’ll be out of town for an entire week.

FF7 not being in the top five is criminal. That game was the Star Wars of JRPGs. lol I'm stupid

Never was a huge FF fan, but I'm having a blast during my first FF16 play-through. Interesting setting reminding some kind of Game of Thrones, nice battle system and awesome cinematic. On the other hand there are lack of solid RPG elements, simple level design with non-rewarding exploration and too simple side-quests - all those moments written in PushSquare review. But still one of the best games of 2023.

@Ralizah It is there, it's just not highlighted.

@Ralizah FF7 is in second place, just in case you missed it!

My top 5 are 7, 9, 10, 6 and 4 in that order. Am about halfway through 16 according to my PS5 stats, so will see when I finish it - but so far loving it. I’m really annoyed though why there’s no in game clock - which I don’t think I’ve ever experienced in a FF game.

I have a lot of thoughts about this game, even more now I’ve played a good chunk of it. I’m way more positive on the game now than I have been, but I do think 7th sounds about right out of a long list. For my personal list of FF games I’ve played it would be probably sit in 3rd behind FF9 and FFX. I think it probably does have the edge over FF7R, but only just.

@Splat Yeah that's how it is with other character action games like DMC, its much more fun when you have everything unlocked since you have a lot to experiment with.

@ShogunRok @Cordyceps Woops! Helps when you read words that aren't blue, I guess.

@Ralizah I almost had a whole comment Copy pasting that paragraph and saying that's only 4 games.

But it's not highlighted when you cut and paste it. 🤣

27 hours in and at the beginning of act 2. FF16 is a fantastic game with epic Eikon/boss fights and a captivating story. The only FF I have played before is FF X2. Will play FF 7 remake later. Want to get into FF 14 but don't have a lot of time to play.

The further I get into the time skip the better the writing seems to be getting. It's almost like the real story they wanted to tell was in the 2nd half of the game and the 1st half was purely to set up characters and plot points albeit way too rushed. Hope the game keeps it up

So far. I still think 14 is CBU3s better game and that being in 12th is more criminal, easily a top 3 FF. And as always the top spots are always 6-10 with the orders switched between them here lol

There was a lot of user score review bombing that has still not been removed unfortunately. Just because it was PS exclusive. Bit sad really.

I'm over 40 hours into the game (roughly 75 percent) and it just gets better and better. A lot of the complaints people have about the game in the early parts are rectified later on. Side quests become so much more interesting and more rewarding and the world opens up a lot more with a fair amount of exploration.

My favourite part of the side content is easily the hunts. FF16 has such a fun and varied combat system that I never get tired of and it truly shines during boss battles, which is why I love the hunts. You get to truly go all out on challenging enemies.

The main gripe I have about the game is the lack of party members. However, it more than makes up for that with a rich cast of characters.

It's a fantastic game and easily the best FF title I've played (and I've played FF 1-7 thus far). It's just such an epic experience that none of the FF titles I've played come anywhere close to.

Easily in my top 10 FF games. Really love the characters, story and Eikon battles.

FF7 Remake doesn't deserve to be above this game.

Personally my top 5 would be.

1. FF10
2. FF 7 (original)
3. FF16
4. FF 9
5. FF 13

Also I think the style of FF16 can be expected to stay the same going forward as I don't think Square Enix having high hopes a turn based game would do well this day and age. I think our best hope of getting a turn based Final Fantasy game would either be a remake of 6/8/10 or a World of Final Fantasy 2.

Er, FFVII is the seventh, get it right.

@UltimateOtaku91 I mean, Square Enix has already made a fair amount of turn-based JRPGs that are reminiscent of classic Final Fantasy, i.e. Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler. The only difference is that they don't carry the name "Final Fantasy". We don't really need FF to go back to turn-based when Square Enix is already creating plenty of alternatives.

@LtSarge Yes but they aren't high budget games, the only high budget turn based game they've made over the last generation or two is Dragon Quest 11, and even with that series I dread them turning the main games into a hack and slash at some point.

@thefourfoldroot1 yeh exactly. Metacritic user scores in particular are an absolute joke as they allow any sad individual that has never played or watched something leave a 1 or 0/10 because of an ideology (Xbot, bigot etc). The problem here is mass review bombing by sad Xbox fans wasn't a thing really until the last 5-6 years so a lot of the older entries escaped that nonsense.

Only way to solve this scourge is to only allow purchase verified reviews

@Immortal_Barnet Or it's probably just because of Final Fantasy fans just not liking that FF turned into something that isnt turn and an RPG(Which is understandable) and not because they're a "bigot" or an xbox fanboy.

I've not played 16 yet but FFVIII is my favourite in the series and I rather liked XV as well

I'm about 20 hours and the start of the game was a bit too linear for me; however, it improved very much after some point. The combat is excellent, it is fun and challenging at some points. Excellent music and story so far. It is one of the best main FF for sure. However, my top five still are FF7, FFXII, FF6, FFI and FFIV.

I think this is a good, not great entry.

@emj2010 are you me lol. Literally my exact order. I flip flop or 4 and 6 sometimes though. Excellent taste good sir or madam!!

@Nepp67
That’s partially true, but many many reviews openly admitted the reason was that it wasn’t on their box of choice. Many, but not all, were removed fortunately. However, many others with this reason were not as explicit about it.

The point being, this would have been higher up the list where it not for people taking issue with the exclusivity (which might be a valid negative, don’t get me wrong, but is not a criticism of the game as much as it is the publisher).

I believe this is only going to improve and the game will be remembered as one of the best entries ever. Right now it's a bit early to judge; too many players are still bitter and bash the game for the change of gameplay or the PlayStation exclusivity...
Anyone willing to give the proper time investment will realize that this game is a true masterpiece with a rich gameplay, a good story, and jaw-dropping moments that only rival with the likes of GoW or TLOU....

@Nyne11Tyme haha yeah - well I guess these 5 are many people’s favourites 6 could be higher - but actually never finished it - hopefully I get to it during the Pixel Remasters some time.

I'm going to use this comment section to say that people who claim that FF16 (or any other) isn't a true Final Fantasy game because of the combat are missing the forest for the trees. Final Fantasy has been reinventing itself in various ways every time since the second entry. There are many classic hallmarks that still persist from game to game though, and 16 has many of those. The story and characters are FF as hell, you have the chocobos, moogles, summons, etc. The spirit of FF is there from what little I've played, and from what I've heard, it gets very FFIV later.

As for the turn based side of the equation... only FFI, II, and III can truly qualify as turn based if we're being picky about things. Maybe X?

It's started good and has only gotten better over time. Definitely a good sense of progression. I just wish the side quests were better and the combat a bit more challenging. If not for those two things we'd be looking at an all time classic. Really enjoying it!

9, 10, 7, 6, 8 for me currently. Too early to say on 16 (only just unlocked limit breaks, but i'd love it to be in the conversation when all's said and done).

I do think 13 and 15 are underated but they both have too many issues to reach top 5 status. Namely issues with the story. But the music in both is top notch.

12 never did much for me and i still couldnt get into the Zodiac age version. The sequel, Revenant Wings on DS is fantastic though

7 Remake is fab, dont care about the haters. Its a great game and was a return to form for the series

10-2 was ok, and 13-2 was very good. Less said about lightning returns the better.

4 i remember being very good but cant remember much of 1, 2, 3, or 5

Best thing about FFXVI was Gav. That boy was a breath of fresh air in a game very light on the charm and humour. Even Clive seemed to remove the stick from his arse whenever he talked to Gav.

FFXII is still my favourite.

I'm taking my time with it and it's great. Just over the 70% mark and had the most epic boss battle!

I'll tell you what I really like about this game...

You complete a Massive Boss Battle walk about 10 paces, and meet a big bunch of enemies and then a Field Boss and then another Big Boss Battle 😁😁😁

This is the game I've been craving since Elden Ring. I'm getting great value per battle already!

That's not bad but personally, it's an easy top 5 for me. My personal top 5 FF games:

1, FF7 (OG, Remake, Crisis Core)
2. FF8 (mostly the remaster)
3. FFXVI
4. FFX
5. FFXV

Do this same poll in a year - once the new sheen has worn off - and it will have changed places. Likely dramatically.

@ApostateMage I quite enjoy Clive and his semi woodenness 😄 it's like Henry Cavill in The Witcher. And I think it has its own genuine charm that you're missing. He's growing on me a lot. In his mind he has a tonne of better revenge stuff he wants to be doing early on, and he's just going along other stuff in the meantime. Basically all of his interactions early on are like "Fine... if I have to"

Also, it makes me incredibly happy every time I remember that I'm not actually watching the Witcher on Netflix 😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁 Big bonus right there.

On my NG+ and I'm enjoying it even more this time around, much more challenging but I'm now much more skilled, so it's very fluid. I would agree with the rankings tbh. It's definitely up there.

Genuine question... if Final Fantasy 6 really is the best in the series, then why are SE remaking 7, and now there's rumours that 9 will follow? Why not 6?

As for 16's ranking... meh. I'm not far in at all, but the Game Of Thrones vibes this is giving off is already annoying. Will give it a chance, and hope it'll improve - but some of SE's story writing leaves a lot to be desired. It's like they develop great characters, locations and ideas... but then completely lose the plot. I hope it moves off the GOT vibe because I don't believe for one minute SE have written something even close to that quality - and I'm not even a huge GOT fan.

This game is an excellent example of an "Emotional Rollercoaster." if there is a song that describes the game it is that one. I have played so far. It gets disturbing fast. It has also done some inhumane things. That made me uncountable. On the other hand impressive.

That's my spoiler-free impression.

I've put a few hours into the game so far and I'm having a fun time.

@Cashews Absolutely. Ask again when it doesn't still have that new car smell.

@Ravix I like his Schwarzenegger type lines after defeating hunt marks but even then he's just lacking a little in charisma, at least for me. You're totally correct about Netflix's The Witcher, though. They royally f**ked that up with some truly awful writing. No wonder Cavill is jumping ship.

I loved 7 when it originally came out, the mad story and open world full of secrets. 10 was a paradigm shift on PS2 of drama and amazing graphics. I didn’t like 12 initially because of the combat then fell in love with it on the second play through. They’re my top 3. I still think it was a big mistake making 7R episodic. 15’s gameplay was pretty dull, but I did like the story towards the end. I’ve never played 6 all the way through, but I want to (pixel remaster). I was a bit lukewarm on 8/9, and played 1-4 years after they came out (not a huge fan). I guess I’ll see where 16 fits in a couple of weeks when I’ve got two weeks off

@thefourfoldroot1 One could argue that there are also an unusual amount of 10 out of 10 scores for the game. So maybe it all balances out.

I hope there will not be a minigame where Clive is tortured and have to press buttons to stay alive, just like in Metal Gear Solid.

@Tomato_Goose The side quests are interesting. They are typically fetch quests, but some of them have really excellent writing, so it almost makes up for it. That said, the level design is quite outdated.

I am really enjoying the game a lot but speaking of recent ones I think I prefer XV by quite a big margin.

My top 5 would be V, VI, VII, X, XII in no particular order.

I don’t mind the side quests, you’re all crazy! Most of them tie nicely into the world building and are decently written. Try an average JRPG and tell me about it.

It’s crazy how good FFXVI is, at least to me. There are obvious flaws in the game - level design, the lack of proper RPG elements, and not the greatest of side quests - but I can’t stop thinking about the game. The story is absolutely gripping, with memorable characters, and excellent voice acting. And the combat is really damn fun. Now that I’m halfway through the game, it has opened up a lot more in terms of content, story, quests, and it truly does get better and better as you progress through the game. I would probably put this game in my top five FF games.

I don't think you'll ever get a group of people who'd agree on a top 3, let alone all of them.

Have to do in consoles in order.
PS1
SNES
NES
PS2
Gameboy
I don't know which is worse though, PS3 or PS4.

I was just under the assumption this game is more of a return to form, than the best so 7th sounds about right.

Its actually the first final fantasy game I fancy playing since 10

When someone says lack of "level design, game design", it's a wee hard to understand because they never say such "design" compared to what, if you ask me, I think it's a very good "level design" since the game is divided on chapters and the levels are according to the plot, perhaps not so good as Ghost of Tsushima, and they are also different, Ghost has got a faster pace and it've very cinematographic, FFXVI on the other hand you must return to the hideaway after a milestone. But the fights are more epic in FFXVI, I was a wee disappointed but actually the fights are at a new level... It seems that modern RPG is also about decimated the fauna, I mean, you are a spider, you just ate your weekly human, you are digesting minding your own business by the road and then bang!!!, bloody Clive came and slashed you with no reason, you'll be like "wtf, these humans are mental", but it also happens in HFW, even in Jedi Survivor, what's wrong with you people!!!, haha... anyhow, I think it's one of the best FF because it's better than FF7 remake by using all the PS5 technology that a real "next gen" game could offer, with a very good manufacture not like a enhanced PS4 game from 2010 that can run at 60ps in PS5...

Just didn't feel like a Final Fantasy at all, if Sqenix want to make games like this give them another name.

Okay, I'm halfways through FF16 and I see nothing special about this game. It's got its positives, but there's really not much meat to it. I'm not part of the crowd who questions if this is a final fantasy game, because I believe FF can always reinvent itself, also to an action RPG, but I don't think it's a very good action RPG. I think the series made a better jump into ARPG territory with 7R and 15. If I compare it to the likes of the Kiryu Yakuza games it's just lacking in all meaningful ways.
I feel like many are just so hyped they wouldn't admit it's more than obvious flaws. I cannot play the side quests FF16 has to offer after knowing what studios like cd project red or Team Ryu Ga Gotoku have on offer.

@Cashews agree! I wonder when people will realise this is a slightly more interactive asuras wrath. Also the "next gen" graphics will very quickly fall into the uncanny valley.

@tameshiyaku yup...feels like the beginning of what could have been a 9/10 if it had another year of development. Outside of the story it feels hollow. Combat, level design, equipment, crafting, abilities, side quests.....you can go on and on.

sounds like a lame accomplishment and nothing to be proud of. when you consider the fact that ONLY a handful of final fantasy games are considered "classics" and very well regarded (ff 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 and to a lesser extent 8 and 12), that really isn't saying much if ff 16 is considered the 7th best out of the top 8 that have stood the test of time. the other entries are a part of history but are either outdated or very divisive or lacking in ff spirit in some way. wouldn't include tactics since it is a different genre entirely. considering how controversial ff16 has been amongst some circles, i don't think it will be remembered fondly with a general consensus 10 years from now. i have yet to play it and cannot comment on the game, but it has garnered a lot of criticism — even more so than ff 12 (which i really enjoyed for the record).

@Porco mainly criticism comes from " its.not a final fantasy bruh" the combat is all new and the story is more adult than usually. People get hurt cause sqx is changing with the times, either change it up or you die simple, I've played 30 hours and I am really enjoying it. Combat is awesome especially when you get couple.if more Eikons and abilities, can literally juggle enemy's through 8 or 9 abilities,.and or break stagger bar
People the combat is simple, but ro be fai its as simple as you want or very complex, I feel People commenting how easy it is...most likely playing on story mode with the easy.mode rings
I think FF16 will be remembered for the different path it took and I hope they continue down this path

I was really excited for this game. Following the success of FF14 and how much I enjoyed FF7R I thought they were on the right track. But I was taken aback by how barebones this game is. I get no feeling of curiosity, progression, or adventure. The world feels so small and hollow. Compare it to Ghost of Tsushima which had so many sights to see and secrets to uncover. Epic fights result in yet another sharp fang. Maps are littered with pocket change and feathers. Crafting is just about upgrading to the best weapon, no choice to be had, nothing to customize my game plan. Not that it was needed since every fight consists of using the phoenix aoe to destroy everything but the mandatory semi-boss which then is killed with one or two cycles of eikon abilities. Not that other Final Fantasy games have ever been difficult, but this does not have much to lean back on. The cast is beyond bland, and I don’t really sympathize with any of them. I really had wished for more. I'm 50 hours in and have 25% left of the main story but I don’t see it recovering from this. As of now it is the least liked Final Fantasy I’ve played (with FF9, FF12, FF7 at the top 3). My favorite moments from older games were those like in Grandia when you climbed the wall at the end of the world thinking you were nearing the end of a journey but then realized you were halfway through, or when I first played FF7 and got to leave Midgar, or when I travelled underground from the mist continent in FF9, or the different acts in Dragon Quest 11. I want another epic adventure!

I haven’t played it yet. Decided to wait for a sale.

And since most others are doing it, I’ll list my top five Final Fantasies.

1. FF Tactics: War of the Lions
2. FFVII
3. FFIV
4. FFIX
5. FFVII Remake

People are listing top 5s so why not list how I rank every main final fantasy then:
16. XI
15. XV
14. VIII
13. I
12. XVI
11. XII
10. II
9. IX
8. IV
7. III
6. X
5. XIV
4. XIII
3. VII
2. VI
1. V

@nocdaes FF7 was simply a more successful game than FF6, but not necessarily better. It is what put the series in the cultural zeitgeist with the launch of the PS1 due to the massive marketing push and the new partnership between Sony and Square. So FF7 is just more well known and likely more played. And it's a beloved because it was groundbreaking for its time due the combination of its design, cut scenes and mature storytelling.

FF6 is from an older console generation and it was the culmination and perfection of the the core elements of the early FF titles. But it was still more of a niche genre compared to the cultural splash that FF7 made. But for those who played FF6 when it was released it was an instant classic and considered to be the better game by many of those who know the ins and outs, ups and downs of the early series and the games that followed.

Basically FF7, while great, partly owes its success to the PS1 launch, while FF6 was a late generation release for the Super Nintendo and was largely loved by the diehards moreso on its own merits.

@IslandLogic nah. One could argue the game deserves a 10. No one could argue it deserves a 0.

Always seems to be the same people in the comments wishing for this games demise. Very sad indeed. Still I'm happy that FF16 is doing well and I look forward to what Square Enix will cook up for the next main installment. I've been taking my time with it myself as I really like to absorb these games and I'm 60% in according to my ps5.

Anyone who says this game is too easy clearly hasn't fought the Nine Of Knives!

If FFXIII isn’t in the top 5 you can’t take this survey seriously,