It’s not on daily basis two genre-defining RPGs launch again to again, however it’s even rarer to see two top-caliber Last Fantasy video games launch inside a yr of one another. And but, that’s precisely what’s occurred with Last Fantasy VII Rebirth and Last Fantasy XVI.
This, in fact, has led many to ask which is the higher Last Fantasy recreation. Even when they’ve very totally different themes and tones, they’re nonetheless the exemplars of the collection’ present trajectory and what we are able to count on from it transferring ahead.
That’s why we’re right here to just do that and pit each video games towards one another in a number of classes. When the mud settles, you possibly can relaxation assured that you just’ll know which Last Fantasy title is most value your time (at the very least in our opinion).
Story and Narrative
Last Fantasy has at all times been hailed for its tales and narratives, however the newest video games actually pull out all of the stops to make theirs the very best round.
Last Fantasy XVI delves into decidedly darker territory with a narrative impressed by Recreation of Thrones and different darkly practical fantasy epics. An try is made to look at the ramifications of a world run by magic, and the way social norms would emerge across the therapy of these able to unleashing otherworldly powers at a second’s discover.
Admittedly, it’s nonetheless not an ideal execution. The story by no means absolutely digs into these themes the way in which you’d need them to, and it forgoes them fully by the top of the sport for a extra customary story of crystals, celestial entities, and saving the world. Nonetheless, although, it’s an earnest try and strive one thing new with the franchise and feels satisfying when all is alleged and carried out.
Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, in the meantime, retells a story followers know all too nicely; or at the very least, it retells a part of it. Choosing up after the occasions of Last Fantasy VII Remake, it digs into Cloud and his occasion’s pursuit of Sephiroth and their eventual discovery of his true motivations.
Concurrently, it presents some new components within the type of Zack’s adventures in an alternate timeline and its eventual collision with the primary timeline’s occasions. This new materials isn’t at all times laid out clearly although, and may really feel overwhelming when it’s dumped on the participant late into the sport. It’ll nearly definitely make extra sense when the following recreation within the Remake trilogy releases although, and is a welcome addition to the FF7 mythos.
Winner: Last Fantasy XVI
Compared towards one another, nevertheless, Last Fantasy XVI comes out on high. It extra successfully introduces its new components to the collection’ storytelling, and manages to weave a coherent narrative with no need a number of different video games to prop it up. Not solely that, however it presents a brand new course that future entries can discover versus retreading concepts which have already been explored ad-nauseum.
Essential Solid & Characters
Up subsequent are the characters gamers spend their playthroughs with, and each titles take decidedly totally different approaches to how they current their stellar casts.
Last Fantasy XVI is decidedly extra minimal with its characters and solid. The principle occasion often consists of three core characters by way of Clive, Jill, and Torgal, and different characters like Cid and Joshua rotate in because the story permits. This retains the character constructing intimately targeted on the core characters, which does admittedly make for some extra private narrative progress moments.
On the similar time, nevertheless, there are many partaking moments created by the supporting solid. Whether or not it’s the politically savvy Benedikta or the tragic final days of Cid, the characters gamers meet as their playthrough progresses maintain the world feeling lived in and energetic.
Then, there’s Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, which arguably takes the alternative method. The principle occasion is loaded with totally different characters, all of that are given time to shine and work together with one another. Granted, most of those interactions occur with Cloud as a centerpiece, however they nonetheless enable the core solid to really feel like absolutely fleshed-out characters.
The supporting solid is rather less fleshed out, however nonetheless simply as attention-grabbing. Gamers can spend time with the bombastic Gold Saucer proprietor Dio, the multi-talented Shinra Center Supervisor, or the numerous Queen’s Blood gamers scattered all through the world, they usually all serve to make the general expertise higher with each scene they’re in.
Winner: Last Fantasy VII Rebirth
Larger isn’t at all times higher, however it’s arduous to not give this one to Last Fantasy VII Rebirth. Its solid is bursting with oddballs gamers can’t resist spending time with, they usually all make the general recreation a pleasure to participate in for its many hours.
Visuals and Presentation
To say each of the newest Last Fantasy video games are visually beautiful could be an enormous understatement.
Last Fantasy XVI leans extra into top-notch lighting and particle results. All of its Eikons, whether or not one is speaking concerning the fiery Ifrit or the gargantuan Titan, are at all times aglow in ethereal sparks and magical components, and this stays true during the expertise. The battles are stuffed with fantastical assaults that really feel like they may leap off the display screen, and actually promote the visceral nature of every landed hit.
The remainder of the sport’s visuals are simply as spectacular. Character fashions will be minutely detailed, with practical facial actions and small results like scars or blemishes rendered superbly. The environments supply practical depictions of lush forestry and bustling cityscapes alike, and additional immerse gamers into any a part of the story.
Last Fantasy VII Rebirth presents a lot the identical, however with reverse focuses to its counterpart. The majority of its efforts go into the character fashions and environments, which pop with a type of hyper-realism that melds with its fantasy setting. One can actually get invested within the dramatic story moments because of the painstakingly crafted facial animations for Cloud, Aerith, and Sephiroth, and the quantity of effort put into bringing each setting to life can go away gamers enraptured.
The fight and particle results are nonetheless jaw-droppingly attractive although, and assist the moment-to-moment gameplay really feel all of the extra impactful. It simply feels a bit extra useful than beautiful, and fades into the background in comparison with every thing else.
Winner: Last Fantasy XVI
We have now to offer this one to Last Fantasy XVI. Its visible presentation feels extra nicely rounded in comparison with Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, and it presents a greater feast for the eyes because of this.
World & Facet Content material
In terms of the world and the facet content material on supply, there’s arguably the most important hole between these two titles.
On one hand, there’s Last Fantasy XVI, which has a really attention-grabbing new setting on supply. The world of Valisthea and its novel method to Eikons makes for a fantastic backdrop, and every likelihood one will get to additional study its cultures is a splendid alternative. This helps to drive the participant to discover as a lot of the world as potential and to study all they will about its many characters and folks.
Sadly, its facet content material is much from must-play materials. Most of its facet quests boil all the way down to fetch quests that present small bits of lore as a reward, which may get grating after almost 100 hours within the recreation.
Counter to that, Last Fantasy VII Rebirth offers gamers with an enormous world that sits simply exterior of Shinra’s direct affect. The cramped and soiled passageways and corridors of the Sectors are changed with an enormous open world to discover, full with totally different villages and settlements which every really feel distinctive from one another in key methods.
Not solely that, however there’s significant facet content material to distract you for hours on finish. The facet quests supply alternatives to deepen Cloud’s relationship together with his occasion members, and are various sufficient to all really feel totally different from one another. The World Intel duties can function good methods to interrupt up the open world journey when taken sparsely, and the plethora of minigames serve to interrupt up even essentially the most dire segments with some levity.
Winner: Last Fantasy VII Rebirth
This one handily goes to Last Fantasy VII Rebirth. It revels within the likelihood to offer gamers loads of moments to see the corners of its world and makes it endlessly enjoyable to take action.
Fight & Gameplay
Whereas it’d look like there’s a transparent winner on this class, the competition is much from a easy one.
To make certain, Last Fantasy XVI is the sport with the quicker and extra dynamic fight system. Akin to Satan Could Cry or Bayonetta, it presents gamers all kinds of strikes and methods they will use in fast succession to tear their opponents aside sans-turn-based fight components.
The Summon fights are additionally a key a part of the sport, they usually don’t disappoint. Whereas they’re crammed to the brim with wild anime-esque scenes of huge monsters leaping backward and forward like zero-G gymnasts, there’s additionally a way of weight and affect that helps to promote the sensation that you just’re battling with — and as — titanically huge monsters of delusion.
As for Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, it retains the gameplay type of Last Fantasy VII Remake. Fight skews towards a mixture of turn-based and lively gameplay, which permits for each hack-and-slash brawls and thoroughly orchestrated bombardments with talents and magic.
Whereas this may sound extra sluggish and methodical than its competitors’s gameplay, there’s truly loads of room for creativity. One can slash and tear their method by foes quickly by way of hot-keyed strikes and talents, which makes it potential to drag off strikes simply as insane as these seen in Last Fantasy XVI.
And it’s nonetheless greater than potential to go for a turn-based method too. One can select to activate a mode which makes it potential to offer orders to the sport’s characters because the battle progresses, turning the sport right into a extremely cinematic alternate between the participant and the enemy.
Winner: Tie
This class is a bit too near name. Each video games supply the identical type of innovation to the collection’ tried and true turn-based fight, however in very totally different ways in which nonetheless work nice all the identical. As such, both one might take house the win.
Audio & Voice Appearing
Lastly, there’s the audio and voice performing, and each titles give it their all in these areas.
Last Fantasy XVI’s soundtrack is dire and bombastic, with melancholy tunes for its extra dramatic moments and intense items to associate with the world-ending clashes between its Eikons. Each are used masterfully, and bolster the moments they’re utilized in to really promote the stakes or emotional affect of every scene.
The voice performing follows go well with, with performances that may vary from Oscar-worthy to proper at house within the climax of an motion film. Specific kudos goes to Clive’s voice actor Ben Starr, who carries the sport together with his many line deliveries and spectacular vary irrespective of the scene.
Last Fantasy VII Rebirth is equally spectacular. Its voice performing generally is a little extra erratic attributable to its bigger roster of characters, however everybody provides strong performances that don’t ever pull the participant too far out of no matter they’re doing.
The sport’s soundtrack, nevertheless, is unmatched. Nailing quite a lot of tones, it each revels within the themes of the unique Last Fantasy VII and reinvents them in new and attention-grabbing methods. The result’s a treasure trove of themes and songs which aren’t solely excellent accompaniments to the sport however stand out as wonderful tunes in their very own proper.
Winner: Last Fantasy VII Rebirth
Regardless that Last Fantasy XVI has the higher voice performing, Last Fantasy VII Rebirth’s soundtrack units it aside as the higher recreation by way of audio design. Its OST might be on many a participant’s playlist for months and years to come back, and it deserves all of the accolades potential for that truth.
General Winner: Last Fantasy VII Rebirth
The competition was a detailed one, however Last Fantasy VII Rebirth is the higher Last Fantasy recreation in our eyes. It captures the magic of the collection at its finest, and nails key areas that any actually nice entry within the franchise wants. If you must choose between the 2 video games, Rebirth is hands-down the one to check out first. As soon as that’s carried out, give the opposite a glance to cowl your bases and experience what is definitely a brand new golden age of Last Fantasy.