Now that it has been a few weeks since the launch of Final Fantasy 16, it is safe to say that the latest mainline entry in one of Square Enix's longest-running franchises has been a success. With strong critical acclaim and smashing PS5 sales records in Japan, Final Fantasy 16 has shown itself to be a great showcase of what the current generation of games can be like despite being exclusive to one system.
One of the game's most important elements is the medieval world of Valisthea, which takes influence from the grim tone of works like Game of Thrones, making Final Fantasy 16 contrast considerably from more sci-fi or modern-inspired settings like FF15's Eos. Although it lacks many open-world elements found in its predecessor, Final Fantasy 16 still has several open zones that players can explore in-between linear stages. These provide an opportunity to give a bit of a deeper insight into the setting and provide some deviations from the main story's spectacle, but the more players explore, the more it starts to feel like taking it slow is a bit of a double-edged sword.
Exploring in Final Fantasy 16 Often Feels Unrewarding
The biggest downside to exploring Valisthea in Final Fantasy 16 is that it feels unrewarding most of the time, especially from a material point of view. This is due to several factors, but one of the most evident is that there is almost nothing worth finding when poking around areas off the beaten path.
While there are interesting pieces of gear such as the Ancient Sword or certain accessories that buff Clive's skills, almost every chest that protagonist Clive Rosfield opens has materials or gil. This somewhat devalues much of the excitement surrounding opening a chest but is an issue emblematic across other games with crafting mechanics, as most loot gathered is simply more materials to put towards something desirable.
Where it becomes rather egregious in Final Fantasy 16's case is that both materials and gil can be found in abundance outside of chests. Not only do enemies drop them, but they are also often the rewards given in the game's side quests. These factors and the fact that many collectible weapons cannot be upgraded means that players will be flush with materials and gil that do not have much purpose.
Gil in Final Fantasy 16 can be useful for collecting Orchestrion Rolls since those are all expensive and ensure a safety net to buy more consumables. Materials on the other hand can only be used for crafting or reinforcing certain weapons and armor, something that occurs less often as players acquire more unique gear. This means that weapons that need only common materials can be bought and reinforced to their strongest level within a few minutes, making the need to upgrade them at all almost feel redundant.
Even the joy surrounding finding a new sword in an open area can be dulled because new weapons are often found quickly and with better stats. While giving certain weapons certain attributes could have given them more staying power, the only stats weapons are judged by in the game are Attack and Stagger, with both often sharing the same number. This means that even iconic weapons like Excalibur are rendered obsolete almost as soon as they are obtained.
There Are Moments Where Exploring Final Fantasy 16 Does Pay Off
Given the drawbacks of exploration, it's tempting to rush through the story and get to some of Final Fantasy 16's spectacular boss fights, but that might not be for the best. Valisthea is still a place worth exploring because some of the game's gems can be found by taking a little time to look around.
An obvious reason to look around is that Final Fantasy 16 is a gorgeous game to look at. From open meadows and hamlets built under ancient airships to a deserted fishing village tucked away with a river of beautiful clear water running alongside it, just taking in the sights while poking around can almost feel a reward in itself, even if the inevitable discovery of materials already stored in abundance does sour the experience for a moment.
Helping these moments are the little comments Clive will make to his only constant companion Torgal, as several are unique reactions to a new area he stumbled across. It helps to solidify how relaxed the pair are around each other when there is no combat and emphasizes their relationship as best friends.
A more material reason exploring Valisthea can bear some fruit is that looking around is how Final Fantasy 16's Notorious Hunts are found. These are essentially the game's optional bosses, and while some reuse moves belonging to mini-bosses, several have unique attacks that make them stand-out encounters in the game.
While there is a board showing the rough area where a target is located, they still require players to keep a close eye on any small areas they have not been to as no markers will indicate exactly where they are at. This gives players something specific to look out for, and the fights themselves can almost feel like a reward given how satisfying Final Fantasy 16's combat often is while remaining approachable to players unfamiliar with spectacle action games. These fights also often drop materials that can be used for crafting the game's strongest gear.
Final Fantasy 16 succeeds at being a more linear entry in the franchise as it focuses on bombastic and fluid combat. This might have hurt its explorative elements and side content as most of the effort went into the main story content. While it is a shame that exploring is often just for the sake of doing so, there are enough moments that still make it worthwhile since several of the game's best fights and weapons can only be gained by taking in Valisthea's beauty for a few moments.
Final Fantasy 16 is out now on PS5.
