Despite receiving near unanimous praise from critics, there's a small but very vocal contingent of Final Fantasy 16 players that are unhappy with the new direction taken by Creative Business Unit 3 and its development of the title. Most notably, the shift from the traditional turn-based combat associated with the series to a fully real-time character action combat model has proved to be divisive among fans, with many decrying the action-oriented latest entry as not being a "real" Final Fantasy. However, this reverence for turn-based combat almost completely ignores the precedent established by other recent JRPG series, including the highly-regarded Xenoblade Chronicles 3 and its predecessors on Nintendo Switch.
Combat in the Xenoblade Chronicles series is not purely turn-based but instead heavily dependent on automated actions and cooldown timers, very similar to an MMORPG. In what is perhaps the best iteration of the series yet, Xenoblade Chronicles3's version of this combat model is the most fully-realized version of this system, offering players plenty of options in how they strategize encounters and synergize with party members. And while Final Fantasy 16 does admittedly do away with some of the more commonly expected RPG mechanics that fans associate with the series, the switch from turn-based combat to something more action-oriented has been inched toward since Final Fantasy 13 and embraced by other JRPG franchises, Xenoblade included.
Acceptance Of and Praise For Xenoblade Chronicles' Combat Speaks to a Double Standard
The mixed reception to Final Fantasy 16's combat comes as a surprise given how Xenoblade Chronicles' combat is almost universally appreciated. Despite not being a purely turn-based system, millions of RPG fans have sunk hundreds of hours into the world of Xenoblade Chronicles 3, and the combat in each of the Xenoblade games is arguably the star of the show. After all, it's likely the activity that will eat up the majority of players' time spent in-game. The praise for Xenoblade Chronicles 3 coming from some of the same fans who are unhappy with Final Fantasy 16 speaks to a bit of a double standard in how fans treat the Final Fantasy franchise.
Of course, Xenoblade Chronicles is a newer franchise without even a quarter of the enduring legacy of Final Fantasy, and it also isn't one of the two franchises responsible for establishing the genre's blueprint. Still, it's not reasonable to expect that each game in the Final Fantasy series will adhere to the exact same elements and mechanics of its predecessors and refuse to evolve with the times. In fact, one of the main points of emphasis of the Xenoblade Chronicles franchise is to provide players with a modern JRPG that maintains the classic feel of many fans' most-beloved games. Ultimately, it seems as if many fans who enjoyed Xenoblade wouldn't take issue with the latest Final Fantasy if the title was from a different franchise.
Fans of Turn-Based Combat Didn't Show Up in Big Numbers for Octopath Traveler
For those longtime RPG fans that only enjoy titles with purely turn-based systems, there are several quality newer titles. Square Enix itself has brought classic-styled RPG mechanics back into the zeitgeist with both Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler, and both of these titles feature combat systems more reminiscent of the 16 and 32-bit RPG greats. Unfortunately, the truth is that these titles can't begin to compare with Xenoblade Chronicles and Final Fantasy in terms of sales, indicating that most players seem to prefer combat systems that evolve beyond the turn-based model.
For a mainline Final Fantasy title to return to its turn-based roots, there would have to be incentive for Square Enix to do so. Ultimately, the sales and critical reception to newer JRPGs that embrace real-time or hybrid combat systems (such as the Final Fantasy 7 Remake's brilliant blending of turn-based with real-time action) are making purely turn-based games a niche. With each Final Fantasy dramatically switching up its mechanics from title to title, it's possible that Final Fantasy 17 will course-correct in some ways, but the likelihood of it going back to being strictly turn-based seems very slim.
Final Fantasy 16 is out now on PS5.
