Final Fantasy is easily one of the biggest video game franchises of all time, and it's only a given that every new entry in this historied series would be anticipated to kingdom come. This is exactly the case with Final Fantasy XVI — fans can't wait to embark on a whole new journey that's full to the brim with classic Final Fantasy tropes from start to end.
That being said, the wait for a new Final Fantasy title can prove to be quite excruciating at times — something that fans have unfortunately experienced with the infamously prolonged development period of Final Fantasy XV. So, it's possible that some people simply won't be able to bear the wait and will definitely need another game to satiate themselves before Final Fantasy XVI hits store shelves.
For all these impatient fans, here are ten action RPGs that will surely help pass the time until Final Fantasy XVI releases.
10 NieR: Automata
Yoko Taro was an underappreciated genius for the longest time... that is, before NieR: Automata wowed critics and fans alike with the sheer depth and brilliance of its combat, story, and characters.
Any fan of good action RPGs — in fact, any fans of good games in general — should definitely try out this masterpiece. The combination of Yoko Taro and Platinum Games has proven to be quite fruitful, serving as an entertaining romp for anyone who wishes to play a fresh and unique game.
9 Tales Of Berseria
The Tales series might not exactly be all that well-known in the West, but one can't deny that a ton of notable heads were still turned when Tales of Berseria was released in 2016.
This title is easily the most accessible game in the long-running franchise, serving as a great entry point into one of the most underappreciated JRPG franchises out there.
And since we're already on the topic of underappreciated JRPG franchises...
8 Ys VIII:Â Lacrimosa Of Dana
The Ys series is something that most JRPG veterans might be aware of, but there's a large section of the gaming world that has absolutely no clue about this franchise, which is quite a shame indeed.
Just like Tales of Berseria, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana is a great entry point into the Ys series, possibly allowing a ton of new gamers to finally realize the brilliance of this illustrious series.
7 God Of War
The reboot of God of War was a game expected by many, and Santa Monica Studios definitely didn't disappoint with this title that most people would comfortably call a masterpiece and one of the best titles on the PlayStation 5.
Anybody who even remotely enjoyed the original God of War trilogy or just loves good games, in general, will be more than pleased with the God of War reboot. The plot in this game is astoundingly deep and moving, while the combat has modernized the hack-and-slash goodness of the original games to create something truly magical.
6 Horizon: Zero Dawn
Another game that also started life as a PlayStation exclusive before being released on the PC is Horizon: Zero Dawn, one of the bravest and imaginative IPs to have come out during a time when making big-budget AAA games under a completely new and unfamiliar name was quite a risky proposition for many people in the gaming community.
However, Horizon: Zero Dawn managed to be an excellent title that showed what Guerrilla Games was capable of when they weren't bottlenecked into making linear first-person shooters.
5 Dragon's Dogma
In the wake of Final Fantasy XVI's launch, a bunch of news was propagated about a new hiring at Square Enix which somewhat explained the apparent action-heavy focus in this title. The person hired was none other than Ryota Suzuki, who had a major role to play in two major titles that Final Fantasy XVI seems to be inspired by.
One of these titles is Dragon's Dogma, an action RPG by Square Enix set in a fantasy land that is as generic as can be. However, don't let that deter you — Dragon's Dogma is still very much an extremely enjoyable game, mainly for the combat alone.
4 Devil May Cry 5
Another title that Ryota Suzuki had a sizeable role in was Devil May Cry 5, a game that is considered by many to be the best Devil May Cry game and even one of the best action RPGs ever made.
Regardless of what one's competency may be when it comes to hack-and-slash games, there's no denying the fact that Devil May Cry 5 will still be an enjoyable romp regardless.
3 The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
It would be impossible to talk about excellent action RPGs without mentioning the brilliance of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a game that is considered by many to be one of the greatest role-playing titles of all time.
After all, there's a reason why the hype for Cyberpunk 2077 is through the roof — the amount of love and care that CD Projekt Red put into The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a testament to the fact that AAA games don't have to be soulless cash grabs that have absolutely no creativity whatsoever.
2 Final Fantasy XV
It might be easy to recommend another Final Fantasy title to people waiting for the latest entry in this series, but given the action-heavy focus in Final Fantasy XVI, it must be said that the game will definitely be inspired by two of the biggest games in the series that lean towards the same real-time combat scenarios.
The first game in this regard is Final Fantasy XV, a game that — while flawed due to various problems in development — is an enjoyable romp that's full to the brim with excellent combat and stunning visuals, coupled with a story that may be told in a weird manner but still manages to hit all the sweet spots regardless.
1 Final Fantasy VII Remake
The second game in the Final Fantasy series that is very much action-focused and has proven to be way more successful than its counterpart is Final Fantasy VII Remake. The hype for this game was through the roof, which is quite understandable — after all, the game was planning to remake one of the greatest video games of all time.
Final Fantasy VII Remakepassed this test with flying colors, and one can definitely expect some facets of its combat and gameplay to make its way into Final Fantasy XVI.