GameFace Episode 348: Final Fantasy XVI, Nintendo Direct June 2023, Aliens: Dark Descent

Jerome - it's a shame this game left you feeling like that. I have had the opposite feelings so far. I love the overall package! The story glued me and the combat felt satisfying. The side quests are underbaked and there are some technical issues, but the overall presentation and boss fights are so amazing that I'm so engrossed with it. Did you like FF7 Remake?

Great episode shane, gj with the guest! After playing the demo and experiencing the first major fight in FF16, I must admit I was quite disappointed with the rest of the game. While the graphical presentation was impressive, there were several significant issues that stood out. Firstly, the character models were subpar, with many characters, including some main ones, resembling generic fetch quest NPCs. Additionally, the lip-syncing was poorly executed, and certain animations, such as the torch fire, appeared to be running at a low frame rate, reminiscent of the PS2 or PS3 era. The physics interactions between characters and objects also felt unnatural, and the animation for picking up items, whether it was a meal or a bundle of wood, was the same which feels so dumb when delivering the item 10 foot away. These aspects made the game feel unpolished, which is disappointing considering it is supposed to be a next-generation PS5 action game. Moreover, even the main quest occasionally felt like a series of fetch quests, diminishing its overall appeal. The side quests, which had the potential to explore interesting themes of class differences, fell flat narratively. In some quests, the outcome resulted in an awkward situation where a child ended up crying, leaving the player with no further resolution. This lack of depth was disappointing and did not contribute positively to the overall experience. Furthermore, the music in FF16 was lackluster. In previous Final Fantasy games, the music was predominantly driven by memorable themes for characters, battles, and environments. However, in FF16, I struggled to recall any standout tracks that left a lasting impression. As a fan of FF6, these shortcomings have left me feeling let down and dissatisfied with FF16.

Jérôme Archambault

Hey everyone. Try not to spoil who the special guest is in the comments. At least for a couple days so people can discover it on their own. Thanks!