Unlocking the Magic: Final Fantasy 16's Open-World Surpasses Elden Ring's Potential

Numerous AAA games have recently embraced the concept of open worlds, as seen in titles such as Elden Ring and Final Fantasy 16. Each of these games takes a unique approach to this immensely popular genre. While Final Fantasy 16 initially presents a more limited game world compared to its predecessor, it gradually expands towards the end, resulting in the opposite challenge faced by Elden Ring.

Both Elden Ring and Final Fantasy 16 encounter a common issue as open-world, open-field, or map-based games—they tend to guide players during pivotal moments of the narrative. Elden Ring restricts the scope of its world towards the conclusion, while Final Fantasy 16's drawback lies in its prolonged narrow focus, hence failing to convey a sense of openness until later stages of the game.

Elden Ring's Narrow Final Levels

The endgame of Elden Ring received criticism from players due to its lackluster experience compared to the expansive open fields like Limgrave and Liurnia. The Mountaintops of the Giants, although it had the potential for rich lore and a vast wasteland to explore, ended up being a linear path towards the end of the game. Despite some hidden areas within the mountains, such as catacombs, caves, and optional bosses, the lack of variety and underwhelming rewards disappoint those seeking unique experiences. Additionally, the significant difficulty spike in this area can negatively impact player progress at this late stage in the game.

Final Fantasy 16 Widens as the Story Progresses

Final Fantasy 16 faces a different issue towards the end - the narrowing of its gameplay due to the dominance of the narrative. Unlike previous Final Fantasy titles, where players were dropped into a vast open field to freely explore, the initial chapters of Final Fantasy 16 confined Clive to a series of confined hallways, guiding him to fight enemies and bosses in a specific order. This linear approach is characteristic of the franchise, with limited areas for exploration and narrow dungeons setting the tone for the rest of the game.

However, as the story progresses, there is a significant change. Clive's movements expand beyond different locations within the world, ultimately expanding the game's scope for players to freely run and explore. This expansion unveils hidden challenges and over-world bosses in the form of Final Fantasy 16's hunts. Although the early stages of the game restrict players from straying off the intended path, the later part of the game broadens the possibilities for exploration.

The gameplay experiences of expanding on the worlds of Elden Ring's The Lands Between and Final Fantasy 16's Valisthea differ significantly. Although these worlds excel in certain aspects and the games themselves are successful in terms of gameplay, they ultimately fall short of meeting players' expectations for the open-world genre. However, it's worth noting that the success of these worlds does not solely depend on being open, as they can still deliver the intended gameplay and narratives without that particular feature.

PS5 users can currently enjoy Final Fantasy 16.