While it can be argued that Final Fantasy's general designs for enemies, characters, and summons have had their hills and valleys, one has largely remained consistent throughout the franchise (until FF15 that is). The Adamantoise has appeared in practically every game since Final Fantasy 2, and while the size of them has varied, they've always just been fantasy turtles, sometimes with spikes. Lore and franchise-wise, they've always been a solid addition to any game, but they were typically nothing more than a normal enemy. However, Final Fantasy 12, Final Fantasy 13, and a few others experimented with them a bit more, growing them in size and resulting in the excellent Adamantoise of FF15. Unfortunately, Final Fantasy 16 seems to walk back all that growth.
The Adamantoise of Final Fantasy 15 was a special, super boss fight. It took a long time to kill, with the fighting taking a well-prepared player about ten minutes to beat (which was actually shortened in an update to this time). It had over 5 million HP, was colossal in comparison to other creatures, and beating it, however strenuous, felt like a huge accomplishment. The sheer size, scope, and ambition of this Adamantoise set a high bar for any that followed it, but unfortunately, it doesn't seem like Final Fantasy 16 hits the same level.
FF15's Adamantoise Was Something Special, But Final Fantasy 16's Is Not
In comparison, Final Fantasy 16 returns the Adamantoise back to a regular enemy. It can be slightly annoying to fight, and an errantly placed attack results in its shell deflecting it, but the frustrations and successes of fighting it are nothing like FF15's Adamantoise. There was truly something special about defeating such a giant beast, even when the game put players up against other giant creatures like Leviathan and Titan. Perhaps Square Enix did not want something on the same scale as FF16's Eikons, given how special each of their boss fights is, but this would have been a great exception nonetheless.
To be fair, an Adamantoise of FF15's size is not going to work in many games, but given the openness of some Valisthea locations, a giant resting turtle would not be as odd to see as some of FF16's peculiarities. At the very least, something special should have been done for it as part of Final Fantasy 16's hunts, but since it wasn't, it's clearly a glow down
Of course, Final Fantasy 16's Adamantoise may be nothing special, but that doesn't mean it's the end-all. Square Enix has no plans for Final Fantasy 16 DLC, but its reception could persuade it otherwise, adding a huge boss fight akin to FF15's in the process. There could be spin-off games that bring back its huge size, and of course, Final Fantasy 17 will happen eventually. From Final Fantasy 16's Adamantoise, almost anything would be a glow-up instead.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now on PS5.
