Summary
Final Fantasy 16was a huge departure for the storiedfranchise. Eschewing the series' turn-based RPG origins,Final Fantasy 16ventured farther into the action RPG field than ever before, sharing more in common with the gameplay of character action IPDevil May Crythan classic entries in theFinal Fantasyfranchise. In spite of this massive shift, the game was narratively faithful to the series' traditions and dressed its new approach in familiar tropes. This genre switch-up was executed carefully, and it landed well with most fans. It also let the developers craft some of the series' most epic and over-the-top combat encounters.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthis leaning more into the RPG genre, which means living up to the boss battles ofFinal Fantasy 16may be impossible.
Final Fantasy 7 Remakelaunched in 2020 and brought with it an entirely new vision of the belovedFinal Fantasy 7.FF7Remakesurpasses the originalin many ways, and one of them is the game’s approach to combat, which provides fans with a fast-paced action RPG experience. While skill and reactions play into one’s ability to survive combat, it is still an RPG, and the way players level their characters and choose weapons impact combat as well. The player is also responsible for controlling their party inFinal Fantasy 7 Remake,so using each character’s resources and keeping track of ATB gauges while engaging in real-time combat is a challenge, one that is more elaborate than the action combat ofFinal Fantasy 16.
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Final Fantasy 16’s Simplicity Is Its Strength
Compared toFF7R’s dense web of action RPG mechanics, the character action/RPG combat ofFinal Fantasy 16is relatively simple. While the freedom granted by the combo system is quite impressive, and the game requires precise input timing, its sense of challenge is fundamentally different and aligned with its action game identity.This foundational difference from other entries in the series opened the door for huge combat encounters. Clive could also become Ifrit, allowing for battles that feel right out of aKaiju movie. Boss encounters inFinal Fantasy 16were fast and epic in proportion because its simpler systems let action be the focus.
Final Fantasy 16’s boss fightsare among the best in the action genre. Their scale and pacing would be hard to recreate or surpass in another action game, let alone an RPG.Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthcouldn’t achieve the pacing or scale ofFinal Fantasy 16’s boss encounters without sacrificing the depth of its RPG mechanics, its more deliberate combat, or its focus on its ensemble cast. These elements are part of what madeFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeresonate with fans, and it would be a shame to see them go.Rebirthcannot surpassFF16’s boss fights without fundamentally altering its DNA, so instead, it must be different.
Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth Finds Fun In Other Places
Because players control multiple characters in the remake series forFF7, fights can be more mechanically complex and require more deliberate strategies and planning. While they might not be as aesthetically impressive or fast-paced, they can be just as engaging. Furthermore,Final Fantasygames are more than their boss fights.Rebirth’s map appears more open, which could provide a less linear structure. Additionally,Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s side questswere lacking in many ways, as were those ofFF16,so this new game could easily improve on that aspect as well.
WhileFinal Fantasy 16may have set the bar for boss fights impossibly high,Final Fantasy 7 Rebirthcould hold advantages in other aspects.Final Fantasy 16’s party systemmade sense for telling Clive’s story, but longtime series fans will likely be excited to see the return of a full ensemble cast forFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth.This return to tradition, along with a more open world and denser action RPG combat, will set this new game apart fromFF16.TheFinal Fantasyfranchise is in a place where it can explore multiple types of games, and while that means that parts of some will outshine others, it will also provide players with a ton of variety.
Final Fantasy 16is available now on PS5.
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