Which Is the Higher Last Fantasy Sport?

It’s not day by day two genre-defining RPGs launch again to again, nevertheless it’s even rarer to see two top-caliber Last Fantasy video games launch inside a 12 months of one another. And but, that’s precisely what’s occurred with Last Fantasy VII Rebirth and Last Fantasy XVI.

This, after all, has led many to ask which is the higher Last Fantasy sport. 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 in opposition to one another in a number of classes. When the mud settles, you may relaxation assured that you just’ll know which Last Fantasy title is most price your time (not less than 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 most effective round.

Last Fantasy XVI delves into decidedly darker territory with a narrative impressed by Sport of Thrones and different darkly reasonable 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 remedy 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 attempt one thing new with the franchise and feels satisfying when all is claimed and accomplished.

Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, in the meantime, retells a story followers know all too effectively; or not less than, it retells a part of it. Selecting up after the occasions of Last Fantasy VII Remake, it digs into Cloud and his social gathering’s pursuit of Sephiroth and their eventual discovery of his true motivations.

Concurrently, it gives some new parts within the type of Zack’s adventures in an alternate timeline and its eventual collision with the principle timeline’s occasions. This new materials isn’t at all times laid out clearly although, and might really feel overwhelming when it’s dumped on the participant late into the sport. It’ll nearly definitely make extra sense when the subsequent sport within the Remake trilogy releases although, and is a welcome addition to the FF7 mythos.

Winner: Last Fantasy XVI

Compared in opposition to one another, nevertheless, Last Fantasy XVI comes out on prime. It extra successfully introduces its new parts to the collection’ storytelling, and manages to weave a coherent narrative without having a number of different video games to prop it up. Not solely that, nevertheless it gives 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 forged. The principle social gathering 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 centered on the core characters, which does admittedly make for some extra private narrative progress moments.

On the identical time, nevertheless, there are many partaking moments created by way of the supporting forged. Whether or not it’s the politically savvy Benedikta or the tragic final days of Cid, the characters gamers meet as their playthrough progresses hold the world feeling lived in and lively.

Then, there’s Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, which arguably takes the other strategy. The principle social gathering 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 permit the core forged to really feel like absolutely fleshed-out characters.

The supporting forged 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 various 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

Greater isn’t at all times higher, nevertheless it’s exhausting to not give this one to Last Fantasy VII Rebirth. Its forged is bursting with oddballs gamers can’t resist spending time with, they usually all make the general sport a pleasure to participate in for its many hours.

Visuals and Presentation

To say each of the latest Last Fantasy video games are visually beautiful can 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 parts, and this stays true right through the expertise. The battles are stuffed with fantastical assaults that really feel like they might 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 may be minutely detailed, with reasonable facial actions and small results like scars or blemishes rendered superbly. The environments provide reasonable depictions of lush forestry and bustling cityscapes alike, and additional immerse gamers into any a part of the story.

Last Fantasy VII Rebirth gives 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 form 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 depart 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 purposeful than beautiful, and fades into the background in comparison with all the pieces else.

Winner: Last Fantasy XVI

We’ve to offer this one to Last Fantasy XVI. Its visible presentation feels extra effectively rounded in comparison with Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, and it gives a greater feast for the eyes consequently.

World & Aspect Content material

On the subject of the world and the facet content material on provide, there’s arguably the largest hole between these two titles.

On one hand, there’s Last Fantasy XVI, which has a really attention-grabbing new setting on provide. The world of Valisthea and its novel strategy to Eikons makes for a terrific backdrop, and every probability 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 doable and to study all they will about its many characters and other people.

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 sport.

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 provide alternatives to deepen Cloud’s relationship together with his social gathering members, and are diverse 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 probability 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 would look like there’s a transparent winner on this class, the competition is much from a easy one.

To make sure, Last Fantasy XVI is the sport with the sooner and extra dynamic fight system. Akin to Satan Could Cry or Bayonetta, it gives gamers all kinds of strikes and methods they will use in fast succession to tear their opponents aside sans-turn-based fight parts.

The Summon fights are additionally a key a part of the sport, they usually don’t disappoint. Whereas they’re stuffed to the brim with wild anime-esque scenes of large monsters leaping back and forth 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 large monsters of delusion.

As for Last Fantasy VII Rebirth, it retains the gameplay fashion of Last Fantasy VII Remake. Fight skews towards a mixture of turn-based and energetic 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 really loads of room for creativity. One can slash and tear their manner by way of foes quickly by way of hot-keyed strikes and skills, which makes it doable to tug off strikes simply as insane as these seen in Last Fantasy XVI.

And it’s nonetheless greater than doable to go for a turn-based strategy too. One can select to activate a mode which makes it doable to offer orders to the sport’s characters because the battle progresses, turning the sport right into a extremely cinematic trade between the participant and the enemy.

Winner: Tie

This class is a bit too near name. Each video games provide the identical fashion 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 appearing, 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 go together with the world-ending clashes between its Eikons. Each are used masterfully, and bolster the moments they’re utilized in to actually promote the stakes or emotional affect of every scene.

The voice appearing follows swimsuit, 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 regardless of the scene.

Last Fantasy VII Rebirth is equally spectacular. Its voice appearing could be a little extra erratic as a result of its bigger roster of characters, however everybody offers stable 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 good accompaniments to the sport however stand out as superb tunes in their very own proper.

Winner: Last Fantasy VII Rebirth

Regardless that Last Fantasy XVI has the higher voice appearing, Last Fantasy VII Rebirth’s soundtrack units it aside as the higher sport when it comes to audio design. Its OST will probably be on many a participant’s playlist for months and years to come back, and it deserves all of the accolades doable for that reality.

Total Winner: Last Fantasy VII Rebirth

The competition was a detailed one, however Last Fantasy VII Rebirth is the higher Last Fantasy sport 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 it’s a must to choose between the 2 video games, Rebirth is hands-down the one to check out first. As soon as that’s accomplished, give the opposite a glance to cowl your bases and experience what is definitely a brand new golden age of Last Fantasy.