Square Enix’s flagship comes to PC, and that’s a new test of fire: the so-called definitive version of Final Fantasy XVI comes to the hands of demanding players, who hope to find in the journey of Clive Rosfield a technical and playable spectacle superior to what has already been seen on PS5. The plot lends itself to epicness, mind you, and our colleague Juan Sanmartín published in iGamesNews the definitive chronicle with the best and the not so successful. But, of course, the question asks itself: has it been used to make a leap in quality or We are facing a relaunch?
Truth be told, I’ve played the first seven hours on both PC and Steam Deck and there are very specific stretches that I find really uphill. In fact, officially Final Fantasy XVI It’s a game that is not compatible with Valve’s handheld (we’ll get to that) and I can’t currently recommend the experience on it. On PC, however, I’m the first to admit that I was expecting something more. Something more surprising. Which doesn’t detract one bit from its content and its milestones, which they are always in sight.
Before jumping to conclusions I want to make it clear that Final Fantasy XVI It doesn’t look bad on PC, but I don’t get the impression that Square Enix has tried to take advantage of the advantages of desktop computers, to squeeze out the power of graphics that are worth more than consoles. However, right now I can’t tell you if this is because the game has reached its own limits or if they simply didn’t want to take the result to the next level, but rather improve the options and configurations.
Don’t get me wrong: how I play Final Fantasy XVI It constantly punishes your graphics and memory with effects, details and much more, and it also asks you to store it on an SSD. Among other things, to disguise the loads that occur when passing between walls, moving a tree trunk or opening two large doors. That said, and despite the fact that you have countless tabs to adjust the smallest details to your liking, the launch version of the PC also forces us to choose between resolution and fluidity.
For reference, the team I’m playing with Final Fantasy XVI It’s an Intel Core i7-11700 @ 2.50GHz with 32.0GB of RAM and my graphics card is a GeForce RTX 3060 Ti, which means I’m well above the requirements. And yet, when comparing the data and components in the steam product page
Is your PC ready for Clive Rosfield’s epic battles? The official game requirements are:
Minimum |
Recommended: |
|
---|---|---|
Quality |
30FPS a 720p |
60FPS a 1080p |
Operating system |
Windows 10 / 11 64-bit |
Windows 10 / 11 64-bit |
Processor |
|
|
Graphics |
|
|
Memory |
16 GB RAM |
16 GB RAM |
DirectX |
Version 12 |
Version 12 |
Storage |
170 GB of available space (SSD required) |
170 GB of available space (SSD required) |
So is it worth fiddling with the settings to dish out blows and pyrotechnics in glorious 4K? Not really. Although I’ve decided to play this game with my Xbox 360 controller rather than my console’s DualSense.
Final Fantasy XVI, the franchise’s U-turn towards Action RPG
Since I’ve already made several confessions, I must make one more before continuing: I’ve played all the numbered Final Fantasy games and I didn’t connect with the last two games. The series is in a very particular period of transition and Sakaguchi himself, the creator of the series, knows this very well. That said, Final Fantasy XVI It also became a thorn in my side: it came out on PS5 the same month as Street Fighter 6 and Diablo 4 and after being crushed by both it stopped being a priority.
Precisely for this reason, its arrival on PC was an unequivocal sign to give it a second chance.
I understand – or I want to understand – that the current Square Enix not only aspires to evolve its franchise, but also to redirect it to please those who prefer to spend their time on action RPGs than enjoying the timeless excellence of the cult classics that cemented the acronym. To each their own, and for those in love with turn-based battles and pixel art, we have the reissues of the first games and wonders like Octopath Traveler or Live a Live. The current Square Enix franchise is a game of chance, but it is also a game of chance. Final Fantasy that’s another thing.
I’m the first to admit that Final Fantasy XVI It is overflowing with ambition and constantly strives to give the player genuine emotion and moments of true epicness through Clive Rosfield’s emotional journey. However, I also see from afar all that its creators borrow from series like Game of Thrones, the Lord of the Rings films or The Witcher novels.
Yes, as a work Final Fantasy XVI orbiting much more on the narrative plane than on the essence of role-playing games and, ultimately, gives those who only want to see the plot a Story mode that, based on key objects in the inventory, guarantees a frustration-free on-screen spectacle.
From here on, a note: I’m not going to defend its secondary missions such as serving three dishes or picking vegetables while my character experiences his own search for revenge at a time when Baldur’s Gate 3 gives lessons on how to take advantage of video games as a means to create deep stories. And despite this, when the pretensions of Final Fantasy XVI the choirs of their powerful Original Soundtrack are fired up and it’s time to celebrate what has been achieved.
What it’s like to play Final Fantasy XVI on PC with an Xbox 360 controller and Steam Deck
With those ideas clear I assumed (before seeing the requirements) that the PC version of Final Fantasy XVI
Let it be said in advance that Final Fantasy XVI It’s so well-suited to the DualSense that the PS5 controller even appears as one of the icons in the settings. And it’s clear that it adds extra nuance to combat and the experience itself. But for practical purposes I’ve been doing combos in fighting games and playing RPGs with the same controller for two decades and I find it more comfortable. The on-screen buttons are well-suited to the controller and, in fact, it’s surprising how well the vibration adapts (within the margins) to the Microsoft controller.
That said, the game’s performance in casual combat and epic combat varies greatly. Sometimes it feels fluid and sometimes, when I want to show off, there are too many effects applied simultaneously. They’re not bad overall, mind you, but if I have to choose between combat with a consistent pace and sparks, I’ll take the former.
It’s not that Final Fantasy XVI It is poorly optimized. From the options you can activate and make use of the DLLS 3, AMD FSR 3 or even Intel’s Xess 1.3 technologies. I like to think that the best optimization has to be found and a Benchmark tool would have been much better than an automated adjustment button that will invite you to tweak three or four things again. But perhaps, just perhaps, a truly superior result could have been achieved than what we saw last year and not just an improvement thanks to the new options.
And what about Steam Deck? Aside from claiming a huge chunk of internal storage, when I installed it I couldn’t get past the opening sequence, the battle between the Phoenix and the mysterious Fire Eikon, without my laptop rebooting. Maybe later updates helped, maybe it was the new (more limited) settings I added from the PC version on top of the default “Low” settings, maybe it was just that I got far enough along to skip such an intense cutscene.
In any case, Steam Deck only lasts for an hour or less of gaming. Final Fantasy XVI and the final minutes and big battles are a poor choice. However, this is a game that officially bears the label “Not Playable”. Which makes us wonder if, perhaps, Square Enix would have been worth releasing a version that would be more and better suited to any PC. Both those with a cutting-edge graphics card and those that look like a portable video game console.
Picking Up Papers: Is Final Fantasy XVI Worth It on PC? (Spoiler: Yes)
When it was developed Final Fantasy XVI Square Enix’s priority was the PS5 consoles. This is not an assessment, but a fact. The Japanese giant embraced Sony’s console with its great sagas and new franchises (including Foamstars or Forspoken) although the progressive appearance of its star saga on mouse and keyboard systems is not only part of its plans, but is something that PC players have assumed in one way or another.
From here on, a note: although Final Fantasy VII Rebirth will receive the Enhanced seal for PS5 Pro, we do not know if Clive’s great journey will receive that same treatment, if they were waiting for the PC launch to work on it or, perhaps, the work they wanted to offer has simply already been achieved. However, none of this detracts from its strengths as a video game and as an Action RPG.
Final Fantasy XVI It is a great spectacle fueled by revenge, which is increasingly manifested in combats that fill the screen with apotheotic moments seasoned with sequences that overflow with epicness. And not only that: as an Action RPG it constantly seeks to reach all types of players, giving a system of combos and upgrades to those who want to show off and all the facilities to those who simply want to know what will happen to Clive and company. It works wonderfully at two speeds, but it always knows how to rely on two essential pillars: action and fantasy.
Maybe in ten years or less Square Enix will bet on giving a remaster to Final Fantasy XVIbut today it is a game that is very clear about what it wants to contribute to the franchise and what range of players it wants to reach, offering all of them what they came looking for. Which implies colossal battles, dramatic twists and a protagonist who did not come to make friends, but will end up dragging a whole range of personalities into his own search for revenge. A profile of a hero that, no matter how you look at it, is very Final Fantasy.
And yet, in the end it all comes down to one concept: Final Fantasy XVI comes to PC to claim a more than deserved second chance to shine and connect with many more fans. Both of the series, as well as of the action and fantasy games. And although I wouldn’t recommend playing it on Steam Deck, if what you’re looking for is a great Action RPG well sprinkled with moments of pure epicness, you’re going to flip out with Clive Rosfield’s journey. A lot.
At iGamesNews | How the Final Fantasy saga was born: the story behind the acronyms that will take the passion for the JRPG beyond Japan
At iGamesNews | 35 years of Final Fantasy, the beginning of the most influential JRPG saga in the history of video games
At iGamesNews | The four Final Fantasy demos that broke our hearts (and their bittersweet endings)