2023 is a good year of gaming for me. I had the chance to play five AAA games while catching up with my ever-endless backlog before the year’s conclusion. The Game Awards are fast approaching leaving me to reflect on those five $79.99 games for contender of game of the year (GOTY). Street Fighter 6 is a shoe-in for best fighter and Armored Core VI Fires of Rubicon snuck up on my expectations with its mecha greatness. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 while great, left me with more criticism than praise. Truthfully, my mind was made up in June with my GOTY being Final Fantasy XVI.
I am not the biggest Final Fantasy fan, but I appreciate Square Enix’s flagship series all the same. I got a third of the way through with Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy VII: Remake. Final Fantasy games are not necessarily tough, but I get distracted easily if the game’s length or story lingers. XVI/16 was the first FF game where I beat it within a week or two. XVI/16 truly spoke to me on all fronts. A dramatic story with enriching depth, gameplay reminiscent of Devil May Cry, visuals for days, and an unforgettable soundtrack.
Protagonist wise, Clive Rosfield is the similar caliber of Jin Sakai from Ghost of Tsushima. The theme of the Branded or slaves being a major vocal point from beginning to the middle of the game is top notch with Clive as its pilot. A former noble prince revoked of his status and family; Clive seeks to fight against his world’s heinous caste system while fighting against his all-powerful daunting opponents. FF’s newest protagonist makes it easy to root for during the 36 – 78-hour playtime. Clive’s supporting cast is great, and the bosses matched their presence with equal intensity. Each fight solved a piece of the intertwining puzzle of the story with flare and tension to match. Outside of it having superb cinematics, all boss fights were a test through the prominent gameplay mechanics.
On the note of gameplay, as mentioned before, the series is like Devil May Cry with a mindset of switching styles through different powers. The freeform outlook of switching powers with a primary feature and two other secondary abilities kept playtime fluid. You could make the choice of sticking with what you know or experimenting with your own curiosity. Although the role-playing aspect of equipping different armor or items is minimal, the different modes such as arcade, training, or monster hunt complement the game nicely.
My initial thought of Final Fantasy XVI not being a contender for GOTY at The Game Awards was disappointment. Square Enix’s game has everything to gameplay, story, visuals, music, and accessibility ripe for modern audiences. However, FF16 not showing up to the awards for that category does not diminish my enjoyment. Clive’s story is a rewarding journey through its immersion and characters. Final Fantasy XVI is more than enough to be my 2023 game of the year.
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