Final Fantasy XVI

Final Fantasy XVI has a lot of problems. For starters, its cast is weirdly white-washed, its treatment of slavery is a mess, and the game really does its female characters dirty. Even its equipment system and side quests, things that should be the bread and butter of a massive RPG, are weirdly lacking. But with all of those flaws, Square Enix’s latest entry in the long-running series about magic crystals and fallen worlds soars to greatness thanks to an impeccable combat system and dazzling boss fights.

Read more: Final Fantasy XVI Shouldn’t Be This Divisive

Modern blockbusters are tasked with too much. They often blur genres and go on way too long in order to justify ballooning budgets and reach as large an audience as possible. Final Fantasy XVI is a reminder that sometimes a game only needs to do a couple things very well to be excellent. Cinematic storytelling and a strong central cast make for some unforgettable scenes, while action in the vein of Devil May Cry makes Final Fantasy XVI hard to put down despite some third-act rug pulls and tedious backtracking. — Ethan Gach

Playable on: PlayStation 5

Rough average playtime: 35 hours