The Mind-Blowing Flaw in Final Fantasy 16's Eikonic Abilities That Will Leave You Speechless

Final Fantasy 16 breaks from series tradition in numerous ways to propel the franchise forward, with one standout change being its shift to a fully real-time action combat system. While fan opinions on this new combat model are divided, there's no denying its immense enjoyment and its ability to rival Ryota Suzuki's previous work on the Devil May Cry series. The combat in FF16 truly shines in Action Focused mode without any combat-assisting accessories. However, one aspect that lacks variation is Clive's Eikon Abilities.

Initially granted the Blessing of the Phoenix and fire elemental Eikonic abilities, Clive gradually unlocks additional Eikons by absorbing the Eikonic essence from other Dominants. These newfound Eikons drastically enhance Final Fantasy 16's combat, granting Clive access to new sets of abilities and elemental magic. Yet, with few exceptions, most of these abilities fall into the same functional and attack categories, leaving the impression that there is untapped potential for creativity in some of Final Fantasy 16's most breathtaking displays.

Most of Final Fantasy 16's Eikon Abilities Fall Into Predictable Categories

Clive is granted the Blessing of the Phoenix at the start of Final Fantasy 16, thanks to his lineage and connection to past and present Dominants of the Phoenix Eikon. This blessing grants him access to four Eikon Abilities that harness the power of the element of flame. Each of these abilities corresponds to a specific attack type. For instance, the Scarlet Cyclone ability allows for an area-of-effect (AoE) attack, while the Rising Flames ability enables Clive to launch enemies into the air. Additionally, the Heatwave ability proves effective in countering magic attacks. However, it should be noted that these same general categories are seen across almost all other Eikon Ability sets.

As Clive acquires new sets of Eikon Abilities, ranging from Garuda to Bahamut, each falls under these aforementioned general categories. There is an attack type that involves rushing or charging forward, an area-of-effect (AoE) type, a launch type for facilitating aerial combos, a multi-hit damage-over-time (DoT) type, and a homing attack of some kind. The only exception to this pattern is that only the Phoenix and Titan Eikon Ability sets include moves that focus on blocking or countering. With the exception of these two unique abilities, nearly all Eikon Abilities in the game can be classified within one of these categories.

Almost all ARPG or RPG games use these categories, and most non-combat abilities rely on fitting into one of them. However, modern games in this genre have found ways to diversify and differentiate these attack types, particularly among different classes. Diablo 4 is a good example of this as it uses similar templates for class abilities but still manages to make them unique, allowing players to be creative in building their characters.

In Final Fantasy 16, players only control Clive and don't have the option to choose a class, which has been a point of criticism for longtime fans, especially considering the absence of the classic party system. The Eikon Ability sets could have served as replacements for the traditional class archetypes in the franchise's history. Unfortunately, each set is essentially a mix of similar abilities, with the only incentive to switch being the cooldown timers. While the combat in Final Fantasy 16 is enjoyable and contributes to the overall experience, it is hard not to feel that there could have been more uniqueness and individuality among the Eikons, treating each of them as their own distinct "class".

Final Fantasy 16 is available now for PS5.