Technologies

Final Fantasy XVI: Review, Release Date and Everything Else You Should Know

The latest Final Fantasy is a solid game with an intriguing story, but it’s not the must-play experience some of its predecessors were.

Not since Final Fantasy X all the way back in 2001 has Square Enix made a new Final Fantasy as ambitious as Final Fantasy XVI. As the PS5-exclusive game’s grand-yet-focused story unfurls over 50 hours, players will experience a reimagining of Final Fantasy’s RPG roots. Not all of Square Enix’s lofty ambitions are realized, however, resulting in a game that, while exhilarating, won’t thrill you quite like previous Final Fantasy games have.

There is certainly a lot to love about Final Fantasy XVI — but you’ll need some patience to see it.

Square Enix generated buzz earlier this month releasing a demo consisting of Final Fantasy XVI’s opening two hours. Feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. The game does indeed start with a bang: You’re witness to a dazzling clash between two Eikons, powerful superbeings known in previous Final Fantasy games as Summons, and your toe is gently dipped into the ocean of lore that Square Enix crafted for the world of Valisthea.

You’re also introduced to main character Clive, playing through a crucial childhood experience that involves Clive transforming into an Eikon and ends with tragedy befalling his brother Joshua.

Yet these spectacles obscure one of Final Fantasy XVI’s central flaws. From a combat and gameplay perspective, the first 15-20 hours are slow going. Clive eventually amasses a varied repertoire of abilities, but the majority of these are learned through story events that happen in the second half of the game. You’ll spend a lot of the first half mashing the square button to perform generic combos.

If you want true power, you gotta earn it.

final-fantasy-16-screenshots-playstation-blog-20230417-04 — Final Fantasy XVI’s combat is beautiful to look at, but isn’t particularly deep.

Square Enix

The level and world design doesn’t help. Final Fantasy XVI is a linear game. Not every game needs an open world, but Final Fantasy XVI feels restrictive. This is especially true in the first chunk, in which levels are thinly disguised corridors. Clive finds himself in a battle area where he dispatches low-level foes, runs through a narrow hall or jungle path to the next battle area where there’s a boss-esque enemy. Wash, rinse and repeat.

It’s not bad. But it’s not terribly exciting, either. The story carries a lot of Final Fantasy XVI’s weight during these opening hours, with Square Enix hoping the narrative power will help propel you along. And to its credit, Square Enix largely succeeds at creating a compelling universe — if you have tolerance for high fantasy with a dash of anime melodrama.

Final Fantasy XVI does an admirable job of keeping the narrative tight. The game starts with Clive searching for answers about his brother and, like all fantasy epics, ends with the entire world at risk. One of Final Fantasy XVI’s biggest strengths is how it escalates gradually, with each quest bridging to another with slightly higher stakes, such that you can slowly imbibe the lore of Valisthea as the scope of Clive’s story expands.

Though there’s a lot going on in Valisthea — nations at war, land destroyed by mysterious blight — Clive’s quest motivations are always clear. That helps the story to always feel focused in spite of its frenetic grandeur.

The cost is that this is a cutscene-heavy game. Plus many quests, even late in the game, can be drab affairs: Transport to this location, talk to three villagers and then, because you’re there, fight some generic bad guys. These down moments are usually done to establish a piece of the narrative puzzle, helping to keep the story cohesive until it all connects together, but they do slow momentum.

And there are a lot of pieces to this puzzle. Final Fantasy XVI features something called «Active Time Lore,» which, if you hold down the center button, brings up journal entries on the relevant on-screen happenings. If Clive is talking to his brother Joshua in their family castle, for instance, ATL will throw up reports on who Clive is, who Joshua is, and one on their home nation of Rosaria. It’s the digital equivalent of an encyclopedia on your lap — one you’re likely going to need to refer to again and again.

ff16-interview-02-28-23 — Clive with Cid, the game’s best character.

Square Enix

Part of why ATL is necessary isn’t because the story is complicated per se, but there are just so many moving parts. There are countries, magic crystals and characters to remember, plus the relationships that bind them all together. It doesn’t help that characters, instead of referring to Valisthea’s six nations by their distinguishing names like «The Empire of Sanbreque» and «The Dhalmekian Republic,» use more interchangeable terms like «the empire,» «the republic» and «the kingdom.»

If you want to understand Valisthea, you gotta work for it.

The story is a win, but with an asterisk. As the need to regularly familiarize yourself with lore suggests, you’ll be turned off if you don’t have a taste for high fantasy. And since the story is the foundation of Final Fantasy XVI, an allergy to the genre is reason enough to stay away. That’s because Final Fantasy XVI the game is good, but not extraordinary.

World and level design are the biggest issues. Though the visuals are beautiful, environments often feel more lifeless than they should. Invisible walls are everywhere, in the form of logs Clive can’t jump over or doors he can’t smash through. Quests instruct you to find a person or item, but lead you directly to them in a way that makes everything feel small. Crates and tables don’t break when you swing at them as they do in other action games, making the world feel dead and static. At a time when Nintendo is making magic over in Hyrule, the absence of a sense of exploration in Final Fantasy XVI is conspicuous.

Then there’s the combat. It’s fun to look at, and many of the boss battles are outstanding. But the hack-and-slash combat system lacks depth or any strong incentive for creativity. You can mostly get by with basic combos and a decent evade skill. Abilities help you cut through enemies faster, but you don’t need to use them tactically to win. Really, there aren’t many tactics to employ. Though you’ll learn different flavors of magic, there’s none of the elemental strategy of games in the franchise’s past. Doing an ice attack on a fire-powered creature, for instance, yields no extra damage.

It’s one of the many ways Final Fantasy XVI has been de-Final Fantasied. Also gone is the party system of yonder. Instead of controlling different members of a party, each with their own specialized skills, you’ll have a changing cast of characters accompany you on missions, a la Disney luminaries in Kingdom Hearts. And instead of the idiosyncratic progression systems the franchise is known for — the Sphere Grid in X, the License Board in XII, the Materia system in VII — Final Fantasy XVI features a more generic skill tree.

But there’s a lot of Final Fantasy here to charm fans. I mean that literally. This is a big game, with lots to do. The main campaign will take you between 40 and 60 hours, and there are plenty of side quests to expand that playtime. Post-game content is promising, especially with a bounty board that allows you to hunt increasingly tough enemies that are satisfying to topple.

The changes Square Enix made to Final Fantasy XVI have sparked debate about what precisely it is that makes a Final Fantasy game. But apart from any specific gameplay system, Final Fantasy made its name by being on the cutting edge of roleplaying games. Final Fantasy XVI is good — but it’s not that. It’s a solid action game with a memorable story.

Nothing more, nothing less.

When does Final Fantasy XVI come out?

Final Fantasy XVI comes out on Thursday, June 22, and will cost $70 (£70, AU$115) for the standard edition and $100 for the deluxe edition.

Preorder Final Fantasy XVI $70 at Sony

Sony will also release a Final Fantasy XVI PS5 bundle on June 22 for $560. The bundle comes with a standard PS5 console with DualSense Wireless Controller and a Final Fantasy XVI game voucher.

Preorder Final Fantasy XVI PS5 Bundle $560 at Sony

What platforms will get Final Fantasy XVI?

Final Fantasy XVI is a PlayStation 5 timed exclusive. Naoki Yoshida, Final Fantasy XVI’s producer, told ASCII last month that there are plans for a PC version of the game.

Will there be any DLC for Final Fantasy XVI?

Yoshida told Game Informer last month that there are currently no plans for downloadable content for the game.

Is there a Final Fantasy XVI demo?

Yes, it’s currently available for download in the PSN Store.

What’s the story of Final Fantasy XVI?

Final Fantasy XVI takes place in the world of Valisthea, where nations battle each other over magical Mothercrystals, which provide magic energy to the people of the nation. A powerful force in the nations are magical creatures called Eikons who are controlled by human hosts called Dominants.

Players control Clive, the son of the Archduke and First Shield of Rosaria. His role is to protect his younger brother Joshua, who is the Dominant of Phoenix. The game explores the turmoil Clive goes through following an attack on his home nation.

What’s different in this Final Fantasy?

Each mainline Final Fantasy game is unique in its own way, and Final Fantasy XVI makes some big changes to the series formula by making the combat more of an action RPG rather than a turn-based party game. This means players will only control Clive, who uses both physical and magic attacks to take down enemies. Other characters will join Clive in the fight, but they’ll act on their own. The exception to this is Torgal, Clive’s four-legged companion, who can attack and heal via quick commands.

Another big change in Final Fantasy XVI is the mature rating. The US Entertainment Software Rating Board rated the game M due to its depictions of violence, partial nudity, blood and strong language, which is the first time a game in the series received this adult rating.

The adult themes and medieval setting led to comparisons to HBO series Game of Thrones, which members of the development team confirmed they were fans of and noted some similarities.

Technologies

San Diego Comic-Con Draws a Line: No AI Art Allowed at 2026 Event

The long-running fan convention is banning AI-created works from its popular art show.

Like Sarah Connor in The Terminator, San Diego Comic-Con is fighting back against AI. The prestigious, long-running pop culture convention has banned all artwork created by artificial intelligence from the 2026 Comic-Con art show. Rules posted on the Comic-Con website now state that AI-generated art won’t be shown in any form.

«Material created by Artificial Intelligence (AI) either partially or wholly, is not allowed in the art show. If there are questions, the Art Show Coordinator will be the sole judge of acceptability,» the website reads.

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A representative for San Diego Comic-Con did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the past, the convention allowed participants to display AI artwork, provided it was clearly marked as such and wasn’t sold. But now, those artists can’t even bring it through the door. The rule change is a response to artist-led pushback, according to a 404 Media report. San Diego Comic-Con is one of the world’s most famous pop culture conventions, uniting comics, movies, television, gaming, cosplay and collectibles.

Jim Zub, writer for the Conan the Barbarian and Dungeons and Dragons comic book series, told CNET he supports Comic-Con’s decision and hopes other conventions will follow their lead.

«Hundreds of thousands of people attend San Diego Comic-Con each year, and the excitement that generates isn’t because they’re eager to meet a computer spitting out homogenized slop,» Zub said.

Zub, who’s also an artist, is scheduled to appear at Comic-Con in 2026.

Entertaining AI

The use of generative AI in comic book and pop culture art has generated controversy in recent years as AI programs have become more skilled at imitating creators.

A central focus of the 2023 actor’s strike involved backlash against the use of AI in movies and television. The issue has continued to roil Hollywood, as actors, special effects designers, and other film workers see the technology as a threat, while some movie studios view AI as a way to reduce production costs.

Netflix has already begun using AI-generated imagery in at least one series, Argentine sci-fi show El Eternauta. CEO Ted Sarandos praised the technology during a 2025 earnings call.

«We remain convinced that AI represents an incredible opportunity to help creators make films and series better, not just cheaper,» Sarandos said at the time.

AI is also an issue in the video game industry, with publishers facing swift backlash whenever fans discover AI was used in a game. The Indie Game Awards rescinded two awards for the hit RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, after they found out that AI-made placeholder assets were included when the game launched. The game developer quickly patched the assets out.

While the movie and video game industries appear to have mixed views on using AI, Comic-Con has taken a firm stance, at least for now.

«Artists, writers, actors and other creatives gather and celebrate the popular arts in person because the people part of the equation is what matters most,» Zub said.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Saturday, Jan. 24

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Jan. 24.

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s a long one, as per usual on Saturday. 1-Down made me awfully hungry! Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Snow day vehicle
Answer: PLOW

5A clue: Steam room alternative
Answer: SAUNA

6A clue: Show on which Jon Hamm had his breakout role
Answer: MADMEN

7A clue: Subject of negotiations with a 3-year-old
Answer: BEDTIME

8A clue: Respected veteran, in slang
Answer: OLDHEAD

9A clue: Gain back, as trust
Answer: REEARN

10A clue: Spooky
Answer: EERIE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Noodle dish garnished with lime wedges and crushed peanuts
Answer: PADTHAI

2D clue: Singing candlestick in «Beauty and the Beast»
Answer: LUMIERE

3D clue: ___ band
Answer: ONEMAN

4D clue: Decreased in size, as the moon
Answer: WANED

5D clue: More blue
Answer: SADDER

6D clue: Chaotic fight
Answer: MELEE

7D clue: Total snoozefest
Answer: BORE

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Technologies

iPhone 17 Pro Max Specs vs. Galaxy S25 Ultra: The Best Top-Tier Phones, Compared

The top premium phones from Apple and Samsung have the best specs, cameras, battery life and more among their lineups.

Apple’s full iPhone 17 lineup offers great phones that meet different needs, but one that rises above the rest for specs and sheer size: the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The company’s priciest top-tier iOS handset goes toe-to-toe with the top Android phones, and at the top of that list is the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, that company’s highest-end conventional phone.

Both phones live up to their names, with nearly 7-inch screens, advanced cameras and the most powerful specs to date. While they have a lot in common, they follow slightly different approaches for assembling the most premium phone on the market.

Here’s how the iPhone 17 Pro Max specs match up to the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Looking to order the iPhone 17 Pro Max? Check out our deals guide to learn if you can get it free and other great offers.

Want to buy the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra? Find out which carriers and retailers have the best deals on Samsung’s slim phone.

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iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra price comparison

iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB of storage): $1,199
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (256GB of storage): $1,299

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is $100 cheaper than the Galaxy S25 Ultra, which has been the same price gap between these phones in prior years. Samsung’s phone does have a notable hardware extra with its S Pen stylus (stored within the handset), but it’s also far more likely to go on sale than Apple’s big handset, assuming prior years’ trends continue.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra design and displays

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Heat-dispersing focus. This year’s Pro Max reverts to an aluminum frame and introduces a vapor chamber to better vent heat.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Best screen yet. The display’s new anti-reflective coating on the Ultra may be its best feature.

These are the biggest and densest phones beyond foldables, so they stack up pretty well, at least on the outside.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch OLED display, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 6.8-inch screen (both have 1-120Hz variable refresh rates). In Jan. 2025, when the Ultra was released, CNET Managing Editor Patrick Holland called it «the best I’ve seen» on a phone, thanks to its new antireflective coating that makes the phone more usable under direct light, along with 2,600-nit top brightness. For its part, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is easier to see in daylight with its 3,000-nit maximum brightness (up from 2,000 nits in last year’s iPhones).

Thanks to its titanium frame, Samsung’s phone is slightly lighter at 218 grams and potentially more durable than the aluminum frame on Apple’s premium phone (which is heavier at 233 grams).

But interestingly enough, it seems Apple reverted from the titanium frame on the iPhone 16 Pro Max back to aluminum in its new top-tier phone in favor of better thermal regulation. To handle heat even better, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a vapor chamber filled with deionized water sitting over the CPU and other chips to disperse heat away from the silicon. The S25 Ultra has its own vapor chamber (40% larger than its predecessor’s, Samsung said).

The S25 Ultra also has the advantage of its own stylus that tucks into a dedicated slot on the phone’s underside. Unfortunately, it’s not as smart as the S Pen of previous S-series Ultra models. Samsung removed the remote Bluetooth controls, which the company said were only used by barely 1% of Ultra owners, but it’s still disappointing to see tech revert.

Like all iPhones since last year’s models, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a Camera Control button on its right side. This button launches the Camera app, allows you to take photos and tweaks settings while shooting. The button can also activate Visual Intelligence, which lets you do a Google image search or prompt ChatGPT using what the camera is pointed at.

Comparing iPhone 17 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra cameras

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Nearly all cameras are now sharper. Everything but the main camera got a megapixel upgrade.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Better ultrawide camera. The 50-megapixel ultrawide captures more light and detail.

From the outside, not much looks different with either phone’s array of cameras compared to their predecessors, though the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s rear camera bump has been extended across the width of the phone. But the big changes are packed inside that «plateau,» as Apple calls it, with improvements to nearly all of its cameras.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 48-megapixel main and ultrawide cameras are largely untouched, but the telephoto camera is now also 48 megapixels (up from 12 megapixels in last year’s Pro Max). All three are «dual fusion» cameras that can zoom in twice at 12-megapixel resolution using sensor cropping. This effectively means the telephoto can go to the equivalent of 8x optical zoom, or up to 40x digital (up from 25x).

There’s the big upgrade for selfie lovers: The front-facing camera is now 18 megapixels (up from 12 megapixels in last year’s model), which is nice but less important than the larger sensor behind the lens. It’s square in shape, which allows users to switch between taking selfies in either horizontal or vertical orientation without rotating their phone. It also enables Center Stage, the video chat feature that first debuted on iPad Pro and Mac devices, which keeps the focus on the user even if they move around and can adjust the orientation if more people enter the frame.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra retains its four rear camera setup, fronted by an impressive 200-megapixel main shooter. But it’s the 50-megapixel ultrawide camera (up from 12 megapixels in the S24 Ultra) that delighted CNET reviewer Holland, who felt the larger sensor afforded crisper shots with more light in both very wide and close-up macro shots. The phone also has a 10-megapixel 3x optical zoom paired with a 50-megapixel 5x optical zoom for different levels of telephoto shots, topping out at 100x «Space Zoom.»

Both phones have dueling AI-assisted tools for video. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the Audio Mix feature introduced in its predecessor that isolates desired audio sources (like subjects talking) and cancels other ambient noise. The Galaxy S25 Ultra has its own tool, Audio Eraser, which trims away wind, music, street noise or other disturbances. As a last difference, the Galaxy S25 Ultra can shoot footage in 8K while the iPhone 17 Pro Max tops out at 4K video.

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra specs compared

iPhone 17 Pro Max: Better specs, bigger battery. The Pro Max gets a new chip, better performance and longer battery life.
Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra: Great performance. The S25 Ultra boasts better performance than any other phone we’d tested.

Both phones are at the absolute top of their lineups and are in the running for the most powerful phone on the market anywhere in the world. Unsurprisingly, they’re pretty competitive in terms of specs and performance, with each edging out the other in specific ways.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max packs a new A19 Pro chip that, combined with the improved heat management, results in 40% better sustained performance compared to last year’s Pro Max, Apple said during the new phone’s launch presentation. Apple has continued not to state how much RAM the phone packs (conventional wisdom suggests at least 8GB to run AI features).

The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes with configuration tiers for 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and the new 2TB option. That max storage pushes the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s overall price to around $2,000. Apple also doesn’t release exact battery capacity, but did suggest the Pro Max has an even bigger one this year.

In CNET’s battery tests, the iPhone 17 Pro Max scored better than any phone we’ve tested, including the Galaxy S25 Ultra. It has a top wired charging speed of 40 watts or wireless at 30 watts, and built-in MagSafe magnetic attachment capability.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra packs a Samsung-customized Snapdragon 8 Elite chip and 12GB of RAM, both of which enable more on-device AI that runs smoother than the hybrid and cloud AI tools used in prior Galaxy Ultra models. In benchmark tests, the Galaxy S25 Ultra outperformed other leading smartphones, including the OnePlus 13 and last year’s iPhone 16 Pro, but we’ll have to wait for our tests on the iPhone 17 Pro Max to truly compare both. Samsung’s premium phone has 256GB, 512GB and 1TB storage options.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra has a 5,000-mAh battery, 45-watt maximum wired charging and Qi2 wireless charging up to 15 watts, though it doesn’t support magnetic attachments (unless you get a case with built-in magnets).

Of course, both phones have their own suites of generative AI technology. Apple didn’t introduce any new features this year, relying on the Apple Intelligence suite of assistive tech that debuted with last year’s iPhone 16 series. Samsung’s phone has its own suite of Galaxy AI features, like answering requests with info from apps and Google’s Circle to Search feature that can now recognize audio in videos and social media posts (or even tunes you hum yourself, supposedly).

iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra

	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra
Display size, tech, resolution, refresh rate, brightness	6.9-inch OLED; 2,868×1,320 pixel resolution; 1-120Hz variable refresh rate	6.8-inch AMOLED; 3,120×1,440 pixels; 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate
Pixel density	460ppi	501ppi
Dimensions (inches)	6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 in	6.41 x 3.06 x 0.32 in.
Dimensions (millimeters)	163.4 x 78.0 x 8.75 mm	162.8 x 77.6 x 8.2 mm
Weight	233g (8.22 ounces)	218g (7.69 ounces)
Mobile software	iOS 26	Android 15
Camera	48-megapixel (wide) 48-megapixel (ultrawide) 48-megapixel (4x, 8x telephoto)	200-megapixel (wide), 50-megapixel (ultrawide), 10-megapixel (3x telephoto), 50-megapixel (5x telephoto)
Front-facing camera	18-megapixel	12-megapixel
Video capture	4K	8K
Processor	Apple A19 Pro	Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy
RAM/storage	RAM N/A + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, 2TB	12GB RAM + 256GB, 512GB, 1TB
Expandable storage	None	None
Battery	Up to 39 hours video playback; up to 35 hours video playback (streamed).	5,000 mAh
Fingerprint sensor	None (Face ID)	Under display
Connector	USB-C	USB-C
Headphone jack	None	None
Special features	Apple N1 wireless networking chip (Wi-Fi 7 (802.11be) with 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 6, Thread. Action button. Camera Control button. Dynamic Island. Apple Intelligence. Visual Intelligence. Dual eSIM. ProRes Raw video recording. Genlock video support. 1 to 3,000 nits brightness display range. IP68 resistance. Colors: silver, cosmic orange, deep blue. Fast charge up to 50% in 20 minutes using 40W adapter or higher via charging cable. Fast charge up to 50% in 30 minutes using 30W adapter or higher via MagSafe Charger.	Titanium frame, 2,600-nit peak brightness; 7 years of OS and security updates; 5G (mmWave); IP68 water and dust resistance; wireless PowerShare to charge other devices; integrated S Pen; UWB for finding other devices; 45W wired charging (charger not included); Galaxy AI; Wi-Fi 7; Gorilla Glass Armor cover glass; ultrawideband
US price off-contract	$1,199 (256GB)	$1,300 (256GB)
UK price	£1,199 (256GB)	£1,249 (256GB)
Australia price	AU$2,199 (256GB)	AU$2,149 (256GB)