Highlights
- Final Fantasy 16 has received critical acclaim, but some fans are disappointed with the lack of traditional franchise staples, such as the party system.
- Despite the missing party, players can command their dog Torgal with a few D-pad inputs.
- The game's lack of a party system allows for quick action and focused storytelling, but controlling other characters in the way players control Torgal could enhance player connection to the extended cast. DLC and future updates may address these concerns.
Final Fantasy 16 was met with critical acclaim from reviewers and fans, but it also lacks many of the franchise's staples and moved away from the JRPG genre. Final Fantasy is capable of being many things, so the developer of Final Fantasy 16 deciding to make it an action game isn't astounding, but many fans were left missing longtime series fundamentals that were omitted. One of the biggest complaints levied against FF16 is its abandonment of the party system. While a traditional party likely would have felt clunky alongside the game's action-oriented combat, one existing apparatus could have been expanded to fill the gap.
Final Fantasy 16 is a character action role-playing game. This decision makes sense given the game's premise. The world of Valisthea is in conflict because kingdoms want to control the Mothercrystals and have access to magic, a dwindling resource. Many of these kingdoms have a dominant serving their cause, an extremely powerful magic user who can summon and become massive magical beasts known as Eikons. The story is told from the perspective of Clive, who is the dominant of Ifrit, and is attempting to take control of other dominant's Eikons and destroy the crystals. These fights often occur in the form of massive set-piece battles that rely on unencumbered, fast-paced action to feel as visceral as they do.
Torgal's Controls Could Work For Other Companions
The lack of a party system in Final Fantasy 16 allows for its action to play out quickly, and the relentless focus on Clive allows for these massive Eikon battles to play out without worrying about what other characters are up to. Despite this, Clive has a single ever-present companion: his dog Torgal. While other allies come and go, Torgal is alongside Clive for the vast majority of the game and, unlike any other companion, can be controlled by the player. While the ability to command Torgal is limited, it expands the combo system and adds variety and freedom to the gameplay.
Torgal is controlled with the D-pad, which allows the player to give one of three commands to Clive's furry friend. These moves include a light and heavy attack and the ability to heal Clive limitedly. While Torgal can only do so much, he is useful for crowd control and for safely engaging the opponent while low on health. Torgal is the most present companion, but Jill and others also accompany Clive through much of his adventure. While companion AI is good in the game, it is disappointing how Jill Warrick is sidelined narratively and how the game's lack of a party system has left characters other than Clive underdeveloped.
FF16 Would Benefit From Being Able To Control More Characters
The system used to control Torgal is simple but effective, and importantly, it's unobtrusive. While the three simple commands feel like commanding a dog, it would likely help players feel more connected to the other characters if they could control NPCs similarly. Jill and FF16's Cid, who both serve as companions for large chunks of the game, have useful abilities, so being able to use them in combos alongside Clive's move set would add more freedom. Rather than making the player choose who to control in this way, it could be bound to the chapter being played, meaning that the ability to control other characters wouldn't get in the way of story beats. The feature could also be relegated to New Game Plus to ensure players feel connected to Torgal on their first playthrough.
While expanding Torgal's command system to other characters could be the best solution to make players feel more attached to the extended cast during the main game, the promised Final Fantasy 16 DLC could also be a venue for exploring other characters. It is also important to note that the next game in the series, Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, will be bringing back the party system, meaning that the issues in FF16's lack of a party could be exclusive to it. With more updates and DLC on the way, there is still hope that Final Fantasy 16's extended cast could become controllable characters.
Final Fantasy 16 is available now on PS5.
