Final Fantasy XVI has gone gold and I can’t wait to see how it compares to the classics

Let’s see how people react to the action focus

As we enter phase 16 of the Final Fantasy mainline series (and like, phase 1000+ if you count spinoffs, or maybe even just Final Fantasy XV side projects), I’m stoked to see how Final Fantasy XVI turns out. Not only does the darker tone intrigue me (both in terms of how they can capitalize on it and/or falter with going in that darker direction), but the action-centric gameplay is something I want to experience right now. Well, we’re all about to experience it together soon, as XVI is [likely] not getting a patented last-minute Square Enix delay: it actually just went gold.

The Final Fantasy XVI release date holds

https://twitter.com/finalfantasyxvi/status/1641758683129344010

As announced on the game’s official Twitter account, Final Fantasy XVI has gone gold and will launch as planned on PS5 on June 22, 2023. That’s good news! If you’re looking forward to Final Fantasy XVI that is.

So far, so good: but there are a lot of expectations

As a reminder, we had a comprehensive first-hand look at Final Fantasy XVI recently, and our own Eric Van Allen came away impressed. But of course, there are sky-high expectations for this mainline entry, especially given the additional context of the polarized reception to XV, and the high ongoing quality of XIV that has fans on edge. He said it best in his preview:

“My main takeaway from playing Final Fantasy XVI is that Square Enix is not making a half-hearted effort at an action-RPG. From the team that’s been assembled to the way combat feels fast and engaging, XVI certainly feels like a fresh and different take from what’s come before it. The ultimate question is whether it can make the action still feel that good across a vast RPG adventure, and if fans both new and old latch onto this.”