The Final Fantasy series has been around for quite a few years in the gaming world, and after the huge success of Final Fantasy 7 on the first PlayStation, it started to make the RPG genre more mainstream. We have now reached the 16th game of the franchise, and Final Fantasy XVI was released for the first time on June 22, 2023, for the PS5. Its creator, Naoki Yoshida, once again used semi-open environments and a combat system with a more action-oriented character, allowing heroes to use RPG mechanics, but also melee and magic attacks.

In the story, there is a large map available for travel, and within it, players will find many familiar figures and creatures, such as Chocobos. The protagonist of the game is Prince Clive, a member of the royal family that rules the kingdom of Rosaria, between the two continents of Valisthea. The 6 tribes of the world hold the planet's power through magical Crystals, and conflicts begin when a magical force ravages the land. Thus, the hero decides to take matters into his own hands. He wields the Eikon Phoenix, which can greatly assist him in battles and challenges he will face, while he also enhances his equipment and becomes stronger himself.

Among everything, there is also communication with other characters, including members of the royal family, and amidst all this, the protagonist is called to prove that he is not there by chance and that nothing was given to him for free. If you have missed parts of the story or decided to enter the world of Final Fantasy now, the creators have incorporated the Active Time Lore into the game, a mechanism that during some video offers you information about terminologies, events, and characters/monsters.

In battles, the hero primarily uses his sword and magic, and as he develops his skill tree, he becomes better and creates combo attacks. Clive is the only selectable character, with the rest of his team being controlled by the game itself and participating in battles. For those who do not feel comfortable with the battles, there is also the Story mode, where everything is simpler and the characters are much stronger than their opponents. 

Furthermore, in terms of the technical aspect, on the PS5 the game supports two modes, Graphics and Performance, with the former focusing on 4K resolution and 30 frames per second and the latter on 1440p resolution and 60 frames per second. As expected, on PC everything depends on the player's hardware and overall, many more options are offered to tailor the title to each player's preferences.

Final Fantasy XVI managed to win over both the audience and critics and is considered a worthy successor to the story and one of the most legendary RPG series in the videogame market.