Final Fantasy XVI - Review (Spoiler-free)

[@SkillUp]

Thank you Eureka Ergonomic for sponsoring this video. Click eurekaergonomic.com/SkillUp and use code SkillUp to get 12% off site wide non-promotional items for the next 30 days

[@zanec14]

6 hours ago 😎

[@dr.sivavignesh664]

Review TREPANG2

[@daLukasMain]

I friggin love this game so much. Im half way through

[@obi-wan3916]

Thank god someone else agrees with me regarding this game, people are calling this goty and saying all ff games should be like this going forward. No fkin way man

[@HanmaHeiro]

It'd be cool to hear why you like FF8 so much Ralph. Personally it was my first final fantasy game and the draw, junction system was so cool. Plus the GF mechanic having story implications was amazing

[@nighttrain5006]

Odd for the creator to say that gamers these days won't tolerate turn based combat due to their attention span, but then make a game that's 75% cut scenes

[@acking1502]

They should be teaching people to maintain their attention span instead of trying to adhere to it. Brain dead generation is ruining the natural flow of games

[@grtcara8386]

PS gamers love cut scenes

[@xxx-pliskin-sniper-xxx8538]

Meanwhile Persona proves that statement wrong

[@bojangler9685]

Yosheep finally getting real criticisms. FFXI/xiv 1.0 players have been saying it for a while.... but this business unit 3/under this current producer isnt really all that great when it comes to game design. I mean he still gets praise for ARR from 10 years ago... and even that I think he just manages time/money more then he makes a good game. Most of the good stuff in XIV was build on backbones from the original team... But the current era of players always praise anything and everything he touches. This game is just proof and the actual criticisms can be herd about what this team lacks.

[@captainpep3]

@@acking1502imagine calling an entire generation brain dead, you’re no different to baby boomers who said bad things about millennials

[@IzunaSlap]

I do like how, similar to FF9, summons are treated as weapons of mass destruction and the consequences of using them are explored.

[@allexio]

@@KurosuKirie As if that's ever going to happen x)

[@Ronbotnik]

​@@KurosuKirieif they ever remade FF9 they would tear it to pieces and rebuild it into kingdom hearts, just like FF7R and every other game they make these days

[@vijaz5559]

@@Ronbotnik which is great. turn base FF is ass anyway

[@extinctbaryonyx]

FF went action : Waaaahhhhh This is not FF FF Stayed Turnbased : RRRreeeee why wouldnt they evolve. Turnbased is so Boring and oldddd

[@jonatanrobledo9812]

@@extinctbaryonyx almost like those are 2 different groups huh? It's really a mystery why that happens. Sarcastic enough or should I explain it to you like an AI being asked "explain it like I was 5 years old"?

[@Yuuria_]

I'd like to say that I really appreaciate the community you've fostered, everywhere else I see constant fight between different 'fanbases' about what's good and what's not, fights about the average reviewer rating, etc. It's nice to read very respectful comments even from people who are very much enjoying the experience, it's something I hardly ever see these days.

[@diegofigueredo4745]

Skillup’s a brave man

[@WiteXRan]

Comment filters and blacklisted words must be working overtime

[@MisterK-YT]

Where are you looking lol. I’m all over ACG, Gameranx, David Jaffe’s channel, GmanLives, etc… and the comments are always quite amicable bruv.

[@customizablemilk353]

yeah the only disrespectful thing you might see is someone calling him "shillup" but most of the time its memeing and if someone means it unironically they get clowned on.

[@MisterK-YT]

@@customizablemilk353 bruh we all call him shill up and NO ONE means it seriously. I don’t think a single person actually means it these days

[@carbodude5414]

Its pretty hilarious knowing that FF16 was produced with such a cynical mindset towards turn-based gameplay but then months later, Baldur's Gate 3 came out and completely outshined it EDIT: And Baldur's Gate 3 won 6 out 10 awards at the VGA, including best of RPG and Game of the Year 2023 lol

[@lukapitkanen3333]

When you try to make a game for everybody, you make a game for nobody. FF16 dumbed down every aspect of the game to appeal to as wide of an audience as possible, and ended up being a pretty shallow experience.

[@TheCyclicGamer]

Stranger of Paradise already outshined XVI and most FF fans dismissed that game because one guy said "Chaos!" too much when in reality, it's a much better designed game than XVI and is more closer to the FF feel than XVI is.

[@rommelthedesertfox3089]

Lol no one agrees with u ff16 was very well received and highly praised

[@cynicalidealist11]

Even final fantasy 7 remake was a blend of turn based and action, and people loved it.

[@David-dv5ov]

Tf? Did you set a reminder on your phone to edit your comment after the Game Awards?

[@BLitzRunner77]

Thanks for including the scene where you punch a chocobo in the butt to death for like, 10 seconds straight at 24:25 Excellent review.

[@ArtDadDraws]

"One... Thousand... Years... Of... DEAAAAAAATH!"

[@Loongear]

The 5 + 3 BLOODY HIDES are just * chef's kiss* divine.

[@infamousincubus2888]

lol he ripped that chocobo a new one indeed

[@zacmackey]

Oh my god, I was just about to post this, absolutely hilarious!

[@phootaphan9166]

Ah, so that's where the M rating came from.

[@jordanneal576]

As someone who bounced off of Final Fantasy XV pretty hard, I'm kind of enjoying just having a linear, cinematic experience. The combat is fun and I'm really invested in the story, so I'm having a good time. Only eight hours in though. I guess we'll see if it holds up.

[@MarcelloGarini]

You just scratched the surface my friend!

[@SwiftViper]

My feelings exactly.

[@intellectic9155]

I'll bet you're also into being {redacted} by a they/them.

[@shigerumiyamoto9612]

It seems like the ending is divisive, but I hope you enjoy the game

[@Lightningdays]

8 hours in is huge. Some game are only around that long. If you're enjoying it I think its time and money well spent

[@GojoStiglitz]

I can’t tell whether or not I’m enjoying the game or that I’m TRYING to enjoy the game simply because I paid for it.

[@dankerbell]

yeah same, i spent so much on it because the demo convinced me it'd be a certified banger but i just couldn't keep pushing through it

[@FrancisYorkMorganFBI]

i dropped it after the titan fight. i just couldn't force myself to boot it up anymore. every aspect of it is just god damn boring. from story to world to characters. every cool character either dies or leaves early. so you are left with generic stoic hero dude, his dog and jill the woman that happens to be also there. the mediocre and easy combat didn't help much either. even once you unlock more skills and finally have the ability to string combos together it doesn't come close to the greats of the character-action genre.

[@NuniPikachu]

I forced myself into finishing this...😅 Like, it wasn't bad-bad but I always felt burned out

[@GojoStiglitz]

@@NuniPikachu I can respect that. I don’t think it’s bad bad either but forcing myself to play something I should be eager to play is just no good.

[@BigLipBoy]

@@GojoStiglitzI get that but you have to get your $70 worth, I was burnt out at the home stretch of this game.

[@davisandew44]

Just finished the game last night. I started off really enjoying it, but by the end I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I think Ralph gave a completely transparent review of this game. I have all the same thoughts.

[@kheops101]

Finished it today and have the exact same feeling. At first the game was incredibly amazing for me, but by about 3/4 of the story I was dying for the game to end. Writing became more and more cheesy for me as well which made the entire thing even harder to go through.

[@Swolidarity]

I didn’t even finish the game, I fell off around the 45% mark

[@92JinKazama]

​@@kheops101The dialogue between Clive and Ultima boils down to a tedious repetition of -I will do X! -No, because I will do Y instead!

[@SasKP]

​​​​@@kheops101Right, the writing just kept getting worse. So many cringe interactions, politics, plot holes, things that make no sense. I'm at around the 80% mark and I still wonder how destroying all the crystals will make things better.

[@travisspazz1624]

​@@SasKPit will get rid of the blight.

[@Jmerithew87]

Even when it looks like our opinions differ on a game I’m always eager to hear your thoughts.

[@johnciano3524]

I agree I love his reviews but really disagree here this games is awesome combat is amazing

[@Jmerithew87]

@@johnciano3524I’m personally loving it as well. I think this is just another Lost Judgment situation where we don’t really see a game in the same way. It doesn’t break XVI for me, but it would have been nice to see a few minigames to break things up a bit, but their importance has really varied game to game.

[@Oryyyt]

agree. I don't agree with everything he says but I love listening to his opinions for some reason lol

[@doneatthetuna1342]

I mean the point of a game review is someone's opinion on a particular game. It's not to make the reviewer's point of view the same as everyone else.

[@Jmerithew87]

@@doneatthetuna1342 I completely agree, but with the outrage at the couple of 6/10s this game got, it’s very apparent that a lot of people these days get upset when reviews don’t validate their opinion.

[@firebreather190]

My god, the balls of titanium of this guy. He got the sole invite from Square. AND HE STILL TOLD US HIS OPINION. I'm sorry, shillup is no more. This is a type of genuine I have never seen. GG Skill, this is why you are my number 1 go-to videogame reviewer!

[@everetthamby4387]

Seriously what a legend. Invited to fly out and talk to the devs one-on-one and still gives us the hard truth. Or at least his real opinion. Don't always agree with Ralph but I've never questioned his integrity.

[@iCHRIS-x]

Balls ? This review sucks lol

[@ineedscissors6176]

If you love him so much then why don’t you marry him?

[@themightyant.]

He gets more views from the negative videos. Shill up lives on /s

[@firebreather190]

@@everetthamby4387 dam straight

[@Johnnybox81]

Why do I have 700 sharp fangs Why am I finding useless items and 2 gil everywhere Why are my new weapons being replaced 5 mins later Why are the side quests so boring and back ended Why are there cutscenes every 10mins Why cant I min max stats or build clive to fit a certain style i.e. why does gear exist and give the eikons more depth Where did game of thrones go.. Why is this game soo confused as to what it wants to be Why cant we switch party members like in FF7r? Why am I fighting the same birds and wolves everywhere Why are there no cactuas in the desert? Why are there no secret dungeons?

[@ORITHEDREAMER]

nail on the head being that there is so many little mistakes it piles up to one massive one

[@tangentkatz]

Looking back on 2023, I’m so glad BG3 came out the same year as FF16. It shows how wrong Yoshi P was about what gamers want and what can succeed in this day and age.

[@theherooffire007]

For real. Bothers me to no end when developers say stuff like that without any solid data or research to back it up. Turn based RPGs still rock and will always have a massive core audience that grew up with them, and a new one that discovers and loves them. I mean, look at the new Pokemon that came out this year. Turn based, very flawed, game, and yet, it's the 2nd best grossing game in the franchise, (and one of the top sellers of the year). Not to mention BG3 as well.

[@PenguinsAreColdish]

yoshi-p is a huge fraud for sure, will never touch a game directed by him again

[@magnificmango336]

@@PenguinsAreColdishHe isn’t a director. He didn’t even direct this game.

[@miz6294]

​@@magnificmango336 he is the director

[@magnificmango336]

@@miz6294 The director is Hiroshi Takai. Google is your friend.

[@tonyrame7548]

The next Final Fantasy will be a first person shooter at this rate.

[@jimmythegamer2231]

Lol that's so true it hurts.

[@skdeathxlife]

I would genuinely play that if it was any good

[@DawnAfternoon]

If they went the FPS route theyd have to be MGS level of visionary lol Actually I'm morbidly curious to see how it would look like

[@rasendori20]

🧂

[@jlm0175]

Probably more like a rail shooter....or a giant 50 hour Cutscene with qte

[@IcyBlaze616]

Honestly kind of surprised you didn't mention the soundtrack. Regardless of how you feel about the gameplay changes, the soundtrack was just freaking phenomenal. There were a couple of moments where the soundtrack crescendoed with the story or action on screen perfectly and as corny as it sounds I actually had to pause and just kind of process it because it was SO good

[@JSmooove98]

🤣🤣🤣

[@MajorasLullaby]

It might sound corny, but I feel you dawg. It's makes me genuinely tear up and moves me, that's how good that is.

[@AngladaFrankFrankyvape]

A soundtrack, no matter how good, only supports the gameplay. It does nmt make the game.

[@MarkHogan994]

A good soundtrack is like a cherry on the cake. If the cake is underwhelming the cherry won't matter much, no matter how great a cherry it might be.

[@skeishu6806]

@@AngladaFrankFrankyvaperegardless,it does play a role in the gaming experience and can make or break the experience/immersion.

[@Valdrath]

I think if we mixed FF 16 with Stranger of Paradise we'd get SkillUp's favorite game. For real though, Stranger of Paradise has pretty much everything that he feels is missing from this game.

[@ctguitarguy8510]

Which is hilarious as that is marketed as an action game, and this is marketed as an RPG

[@CosmicAeon]

1 year later, skillup is one of the few reviewers I trust, in part because of this review. The balls to go against the circlejerk and give honest, critical opinions is commendable. And after playing the game I ended up agreeing with all of them, and still don't understand the level of hype and love behind this game.

[@Lazirus951]

I just finished the demo and this review makes so much sense now.

[@Wintermute--]

Been playing the game on PC and man is it boring as fuck. One of the most uninspired games I have played in a long while.

[@mwjgcreeves4984]

27:22 In regards to *Heatwave* , the projectile counter/parry that takes up an Eikon ability slot: you don't actually need to use it as a parry ALL the time and in fact it does very decent damage, has fast cooldown and has a deceivingly wide hitbox that'll knockdown medium/small enemies around Clive. IF you use it as a parry not only is it one of the coolest-looking and best-feeling moves but it also pretty much DELETES even bosses' will meter AND it stops time so they actually won't be able to avoid it (try it on Benedikta's flying projectile attacks that avoid even the magic precision counter and it'll freeze her in place lmao). All this to say nope, it's not a waste of a slot even if you don't like parrying.

[@tyrobityll]

I like how he says "There are wery few enemies that throw projectiles" when it is simply bullshit. Almost every single boss if not every one throws projectiles, a lot of mini-bosses throw projectiles, a lot of normal enemies throw projectiles.

[@A.H.M.K]

Thank you his opinions are suspect at best, it’s like he’s looking for things to dislike for no reason. I have no trust left for this guy. I’m done

[@lesfrisbees]

All that is kinda irrelevant if the combat is braindead easy, though. So you're making a useless nitpick. It's fine if you like the game, but it's hard to argue that the combat has any meaningful depth.

[@A.H.M.K]

@@lesfrisbees I’m sure you haven’t played the game enough because there is alot of depth to the combat actually especially the more abilities you gain

[@ridderbanaan]

​​​@@A.H.M.Ktoo bad depth doesn't really matter when you can melt all normal enemies by just dumping two maybe three cooldowns. Unless they are those spongey stagger meter enemies. Which are mostly just longer fights. There is zero strategy necessary.

[@SuperRamos619]

Reading new comments daily is now my favorite past time for this review. The divide is amusing to me.

[@ChewyPocket]

I yelled an audible “YES!” When I saw this video up as I poured my morning coffee.

[@Ali-vk6jm]

I would say the same if I wasn’t 10+ hours in🤣🤣

[@Yu7Zi]

SkillUp has the best videos to watch whilst having breakfast

[@sazthegreat1154]

Lol that’s sad

[@KennyB1990]

You may be yelling NOOOO by the end

[@xbulmiruwu6030]

Interesting take from Yoshi P on going away from turn based combat, yet Yakuza took the direct opposite mentality of going from instant action to turn based for the first time and it ended up working.

[@RavusNox-z5i]

" it ended up working." 99% of Yakuza fan base hated that change and found it inappropriate.

[@KefkaJr]

@@RavusNox-z5icitation needed? It’s got an equal or higher rating than Yakuza 6 on metacritic.

[@RavusNox-z5i]

@@KefkaJr I never said the game was bad. It was well received overall. But yakuza fans prefer the old system.

[@Jambonlololol]

​@@RavusNox-z5iData shows that the sales of the franchise went from 14 millions to 17 millions after releasing Like a Dragon, most Yakuza games before sold 1 or 2 millions. So Yakuza like a dragon sold more

[@kirururik]

@@Jambonlololol yet the new games are not turn based combat anymore lol

[@Stunbunny]

I’ll be very curious to see how XVI ages. It’s enjoying a groundswell now, due to the lengthy runup and plentiful teases but will that momentum hold for another few years? When we’re waiting on XX, it will be interesting to see the various “Best FF” or “FF Games Ranked” lists and see where XVI lands.

[@GradietPanda12345]

Why would it? This game is another one and done. There’s literally nothing else after beating the game. No replay value at all

[@ArtcadeShow]

This is the most cinematic and spectacle an FF has ever had. Yes it’s going to last smh

[@iHaveTheDocuments]

We're in the honeymoon phase but it's got forgotten energy all over it. It will probably be near the bottom of every list

[@cheesemuffin8129]

​@@ArtcadeShowCinematics aren't everything. It's a game, not a movie.

[@ArtcadeShow]

@@cheesemuffin8129 I hate that argument lol, Last of Us, lasted a long time too, and it was cinematic experience.

[@thomasmitchell134]

I knew from the moment I finished the demo that this game was going to be divisive. I love this game. But I can definitely see why some people wouldn't. If you're a bigger fan of the more traditional Final Fantasies, this one's going to rub you the wrong way. But I do appreciate how accessible this game actually is, and I think that was part of the point in the game's direction.

[@AlecJulianGarza]

This I never was interested in final fantasy until this game

[@Coolguysup]

Yeah... I kinda hated it. Makes me really sad.

[@jonr7364]

my girlfriend loves it. babies first rpg. yoshi p thinks we cant handle a little strategy any more, i guess

[@gloominaati3105]

Disagree, i love the old turn based style and this game is a return to form imo

[@jonr7364]

@@gloominaati3105 and what form would that be? a stripped down action game thats a mile wide and an inch deep? im upset i bought it, i thought there would at least be some actual rpg systems, interesting gear, strategy etc. instead we got babys first action game. i want my money back.

[@mithrillis]

It's crazy to think that the recent Assassin's Creed games now have more RPG elements than freaking Final Fantasy... What a time to be alive!

[@szilvesztertoth1628]

Exactly what I was thinking as well. Currently playing Odyssey and that is more RPG than FF16. Crazy...

[@slashinghades7347]

Or that World Tour mode in Street Fighter 6 is more stat heavy than FF16.

[@bigdaddynero]

It's almost like a character action game isn't conducive to superfluous RPG mechanics that only bloat the player experience and add nothing of real value to the gameplay.

[@TheGuiltsOfUs]

This is a bad thing - the assassins creed series is DEAD!

[@kab-l4468]

These were my exact thoughts playing through FF16. It just felt significantly underbaked on gameplay despite having a ton of potential. The narrative was too drawn out and padded as well. I didn’t realize it was the same studio as FF14 (if I understand correctly), and that explains a lot imo. Great and honest review!

[@twistedsyncapation413]

Oh dear… This must of been a challenging script to write SkillUp, we thank you for the huge effort and your honesty 👍

[@riptide772]

Love how honest he always is.

[@KyngD469]

@@riptide772 except when he recommended Cyberpunk 2077 lol

[@michaelpreller4025]

@@KyngD469 yeah, that was a major oof.... not just by him but most KZbin reviewers. That game is the reason why I watch gameplay before buying, regardless of what any reviewers say.

[@veraalves6874]

​@@KyngD469I don't understand when people bring this review up, because I used his footage to make fun of the bugs lmao He really showcased all the problems the game had, on the platform he was offered (at the time, PC only)

[@speedforce8970]

@@KyngD469 but he was honest back then too, he only had the PC copy and he pointed out all mistakes the game makes. He didn't know how bad the console releases were.

[@xorphz]

40 hour game, 30 of it watching fucking cutscenes. The rest of it fighting easy fights with no danger if you understand the basic mechanics of the game. Long bullet sponge fights with no danger. Just big health bars. No status magic, no character customization or builds outside of stat sticks. Snoozefest of a game. How again is this an RPG? Where's the fun? Why is there no hard mode at the very least? I feel insulted when I play this game, because of how dull it is, from a roleplaying/immersion standpoint. I'm just watching Clive, but I never feel sucked in to the character. Really sad. The world building looks phenomenal, from the backgrounds to the music, it all looks stellar. But what does that matter if the game itself is a slog?

[@megamike15]

it's no an rpg it's a chracter action game.

[@ghhgafzan]

@@megamike15character action games have more depth than the disappointment that is FF16

[@megamike15]

@@ghhgafzan whitch is sad as therre are alot of overlap wih chracter action games and japanese apgs. kingom hearts for example.

[@soldatheero]

square keeps doing this.. building epic looking games then making them way to damn easy the gameplay is just boring

[@D..S..]

THANK YOU. People giving this 9's are crazy. This is a 6/10 game, with 10/10 cutscenes once in a while. Parts of this felt like playing a PS2 game at worst, and a PS4 game at best. And it sucks that things like elemental weakness doesn't exist anymore. All magic does exactly the same damage to every enemy. And I hate how exploration is basically pointless in the open areas. Any item you find is worthless garbage.

[@TheCyclicGamer]

6/10 is generous, more like 4/10. PS2 game at worse and PS4 game at best? Buddy, most PS2 games were at the very least fun and worth your time, this game ain't. (Maybe you're talking about graphics?) Also glad I'm not the only one who noticed elemental weaknesses aren't a thing in this game, a game centered around the iconic elemental summons of the series no less.

[@viator1987]

I am 43 hours into the game, and that's about 70% complete. And I am completing 100%. The more I play, the lower my review score keeps getting. After beating Titan, my score dives even lower. It's supposed to be a spectacle but it's just a lot of fast cuts and nonsense attacks, things flying everywhere that doesn't actually make any damn sense. Trying to copy God of War just to be big in scale? I don't get it. When it plays out like crap, who gives a damn. Life to the empires are all about the crystals, but when they "vanish" no time is spent on it. The foundation of the world is irrelevant. It's baffling. Summon fights are one of the worst things in this game. They clearly had no idea what to do with them. And to make it worse, limit breaks are dead. This game isn't an RPG at all. I keep thinking that me going out and farming, leveling up, and looking at every corner of each map will pay off in any way. But it hasn't. I'm not having much fun anymore. I started to skip conversations from my side quest people just yesterday. Nothing interesting happens, nor do you get anything interesting. S rank hunt? Easy and I didn't get anything. I hope there is something more before the journey ends. There are a million games like Final Fantasy 16, but before there were almost no games like it prior to even FF13 (which was bad). They just keep changing FF into what they think will sell, not make it to what FF actually means and having people want what FF they make. Nintendo doesn't change their games at all, not Zelda, not Pokemon and they don't give a damn. You put out a game that is fun, and what do you know? People will buy it and enjoy it even if the game direction isn't what is mainstream or deemed the best route. You will find it interesting what people will gravitate towards. Final Fantasy has always been about heavy RPG elements. It's not about turn based combat like FFX, or ATB. Variations of gameplay. It's about the entire package. The RPG aspect of those identities is much larger. FF16 so far, 43 hours into it has thrown it all away. Who told these guys we want Final Fantasy to not be an RPG game anymore? Who says that we and younger kids whom are the "future" want instant gratifying games where you just hit everything? Why hasn't anyone been paying attention to actual trends. Final Fantasy doesn't need to follow a trend. It is a trend. It's chasing games that have two or three entries max and then die off. Final Fantasy used to be about creating what they dreamed of, what didn't exist. Now they are chasing what's already there. Devil May Cry? Bayonetta? These bomb games are the sales that they are chasing? It doesn't make any sense to me. My rating of FF16 right now. Graphics 9/10 Dialogue 7/10 Combat 4/10 Story 7/10 Systems 2/10 Character Design 5/10 World Design 8/10 Extra Content 2/10 Overall - 7/10

[@alter9933]

I understand your points, but I don't think giving Nintendo praise is a good thing when there's tons of indie, single, and double AA companies that "put out a game that is fun" without all the scummy stuff they've done to the fans. Giving more attention to Nintendo only exacerbates the problem and weakens any potential boycott towards them.

[@mr_smiles4213]

A 7/10 is a good game lmfao you mean like a 5?

[@Vincent-hx1ql]

Agreed. The total absence of RPG elements in 16 and the shallow gameplay with almost 0 replayability made the game a total disappointment for me. It's just another shallow action adventure game with very little unique/memorable component.

[@coolyeh1017]

@@mr_smiles4213 Well game scores, in general, are more or less inflated, a 5/10 is like objectively a bad game (like tons of bugs, the game is clearly incomplete, and the controls have a literal second or two delays i.e. Balan Wonderworld for the PS5 to a 51 on Metacritic and that game was terrible or at best mediocre by all measures), which FFXVI isn't. FFXVI, though flawed, is more or less complete, performs overall pretty well despite the performance issues, and the average player is unlikely to encounter any game-breaking bugs. A 7/10 is more appropriate for such a review as Skill Ups or the OPs review.

[@liaw3166]

Oh so true. You feel the lack of self-confidence in every fiber of the game. The poor story and characters - it could have been great :(

[@jackmayor3574]

Yoshi-P should probably take a look at how well Baldur's Gate 3 is doing. Turn Based combat isn't out of style yet.

[@deepmoist]

@@vivifell Of cause there are nobody play the game in japan. The game does not have japanese version yet -.-"

[@cartoonvideos5]

@@deepmoistIt never will because it doesn’t appeal to Tojo

[@skeel77730]

@@vivifell seems like no one is playing FF16 in japan also considering the sales...rofl

[@skeel77730]

@@vivifell Yeah selling half of FF7 Remake and FF15 is really "highest selling PS5 game in Japan ever"....rofl. Yoshi-P cultists lie to themselves and everyone else. 😄

[@Naruxos07]

​@@vivifellNobody is playing FFXVI in Japan either.

[@carbonfibercarpet4655]

That's a shame because I know you were so excited for this! I found myself surprised that I'm loving the action combat

[@amolbhatia1449]

I reckon it’ll the the same for me since I abhor turn based combat. For who need that like Skill Up it will not gel. But I’m glad for it.

[@BrandinPlaysRPGs]

I love the whole game. Story is great so far maybe the end will be shit like game of thrones

[@creed22solar123]

@@amolbhatia1449 real time with pause is the way to go, they could've tried that instead of dumbing it down. And the fact that there's no companions or bros traveling with you seems to me this is not really a FF game anymore, though all of that could be manageable if not for those empty uninteresting flat maps in the world.

[@amolbhatia1449]

@@creed22solar123 For me personally that’s fine because I’m not really a FF guy. It’s okay to do something different and except at it. See how RE switched between RE2 remake and RE4 remake that capture the very different essence of each game and then the brilliant RE7 which is pure and unadulterated horror. Or Zelda which has gone through a few transformations. For people like who find turn based combat grating and at times had to drag themselves through even the quite good FF7 remake this direction is exciting. And having seen the reviews to be fair it seems not all FF fans fall into the seem category as Shill Up.

[@metroidcypher]

@@amolbhatia1449 the problem is that its not even an rpg, its an action game. the series completely jumped genres when it could have just been an action rpg

[@nodieza]

I wasn't expecting Stranger of Paradise to feel like more of a Final Fantasy game than 16, with its elemental weaknesses, a more useful party, more strategic itemization, and respect to legacy 😢

[@ronniewhitedx]

I really like strangers in Paradise! Haven't had a chance to play 16 yet because I'm a PC gamer but I still want to try it out. Wasn't a huge fan of 15 but we'll see.

[@LupercaliaXVI]

I just recently played the first hour of that game and couldn’t continue. I even prepared myself for a corny experience but the voice acting, pacing and costume designs were just too much lol

[@ronniewhitedx]

@@LupercaliaXVI I understand that but as a kingdom hearts fan I've learned the role with the brain rot.

[@CENmassTER86]

i fn love stranger of paradise..just hit the ending yesterday..bout to jump into endgame..was thinking about getting this but now I can see they are nothing alike

[@nodieza]

@@ronniewhitedx I am still going to play 16 for sure. I was originally going to get it for my birthday butI am just gonna wait till it hits $30 or so now.

[@FacadeWitch]

Baldurs Gate 3 really proved that guy wrong about turn based combat 😅

[@Randomaccount9470]

Not really though it's an outlier and as a fan of it myself It's the rpg elements /story that attracted us to it not so much the combat

[@CrimsonFIame]

I don't think things will set in with gamers till more people finish it. It's heavily cinematic comparable to something like MGS4 where there's more cutscenes than there is gameplay. Sadly there's no endgame dungeon or superbosses at the end either and the sidequest are the same as most games. Combat is very fun but yes there's some negatives Edit - It's not a bad game I'm a fan of both the FF series and Devil May Cry but this isn't the perfect mixture of both titles. It's missing alot of elements that's known within the series and before anyone says "well yeah that's because it's an action game" It's still a mainline FF title and one can't help to expect certain things from that. It's very restrictive with what you are able to do. It's an action rpg and I've seen God Of War Ragnarok handle being within that genre far better.

[@DiamondDusts]

I think for an experiment sure but I hope they don't ever make another FF game this restrictive again tbh

[@theninja2k14]

Ng+ is your friend for difficulty, same with ff7 remake

[@playin4k611]

I've always played FF games more for the story than the combat.

[@bigwig252]

I disagree. I think most people will decide they love it. Skillup is probably in the minority here.

[@staroceantill]

​@@bigwig252I believe the point is it's flawed more so than what people are currently willing to realize. It's a good game but it's one step forward in terms of combat and steps back regarding everything else

[@residentevilclone]

Pretty bold move to take a beloved RPG series, claim it needs to be modernized, only to “modernize it” into a 2012 action game. Obviously seems like the majority enjoy it, but to me it’s like my favorite metal band dropping a pop album.

[@Nonov685]

FF16 open world is pointless because they streamlined the rpg elements. Whats the point of exploring and gathering when there is not much to craft or equip. They really poured their budget into their story and force you to drag yourself throughout. Open world gives you a break from story but its empty and pointless...i was literally skipping cutscenez at end just to feell rewarded by getting new powers from bosses. I was exhausted from story pace

[@bean-charlieartz3138]

I disagreed with you at first (Before I beat the game) But now I think everything you've said was 100% Facts the game for me went from a 9/10 to a 7 to 6/10 by the end of it.

[@92JinKazama]

The game really kills its momentum with the stupid loop of returning to the hideout... Especially in the latter stages.

[@BakesBread001]

I’m 90% through the game. And the longer I played, the lower my score. There are epic scenes. But the game is absolutely drowned in side missions and pointless dialogue.

[@ludgerkresnik3972]

Fun fact: The gearing system in FF14 is very similiar. Gear is just stat sticks with nothing intersting to them. The secondary stats matter so little that you feel no difference with same-itemlevel gear with different secondary stats - unless you use a parsing tool.

[@rudolfambrozenvtuber]

MMOs have a significantly better excuse for this though, balance is much more important

[@Derekmeetsworld]

Gear in ff14 has a visual aspect and materia. For example you can choose to increase your critcal damage vs base damage vs skill speed. As well as being able to choose what clothes you wear visually. You can't do that in 16 you have a 'damage go up' stat, and you can change the visual look of your sword but that's it. You can't even change the colour of your sword or clothes in this game.

[@joshuayung5158]

​@Derekmeetsworld everyone in 14 just melds based off off the balance anyways. If you're not doing endgame content (extreme at minimim) there isn't even a point in melding

[@flipnskater]

@@Derekmeetsworld in 14 there are literally just 1-2 common builds per job and that is it, as basic as you can get

[@Derekmeetsworld]

And yet you can do that in ff14 but you can't in ff16

[@sauceinmyface9302]

I think most of these issues come from a fervent desire to make the game as accessible as possible, that it can be anyone's first final fantasy. No party management, no items, no leveling, no weapon swapping, no resource management, straightforward sidequests, linear levels, easy combat.

[@VicViper1984]

Have you played it? It has items, levels and new weapons/upgrades. They're not particularly fleshed out but they're there.

[@soundthatyoucansee123]

@@VicViper1984 they are barely there.

[@sidew8ys]

@@VicViper1984they are so bare bones they might as well not be there. Coming from someone really enjoying the game

[@VicViper1984]

@@sidew8ys thank you both for reiterating exactly what I just said. "They're not particularly fleshed out, but they're there." My point was simply that OP's wording makes it seem like they don't exist as features at all.

[@Darro85]

While I am really enjoying the game myself, I can definitely agree with your criticisms in regards to lack of RPG elements. I think it would have been nice to have enemies that give you status effects; the death blossoms for example could poison you and thus you can use antidote to heal but nada. It would have been nice to know what you thought of the soundtrack overall, as that is one thing you didn't tackle whatsoever in the review.

[@dankerbell]

it slaps so hard

[@darthmandalore409]

I’m honestly a bit surprised by the unanimous praise for the game. You had an absolute gem in FFVIII Remake which didn’t get as much praise, but now you have DMC with a FF sauce over it, and people are blowing their load. It seems very odd to me that FF fans are okay with their RPG being turned into an action game. This is the first negative sound I have heard, and I feel like this game should be a lot more divisive. Great for players who want another GoW, not so great for fans of the series.

[@TheTinyTimmyTimTim]

@@darthmandalore409they’re not okay, they just get 1 game every 7 years and will get over the honeymoon phase eventually, just like from soft fan did with Elden ring

[@angelamengualcortinas3614]

@@TheTinyTimmyTimTim The fact the honeymoon phase certainly exists and that more criticisms will eventually come up doesn't mean fans, largely, are not going to be ok. You talked about Elden Ring as if every From fan hates it now, which, as a fan that's active in the community, is plainly false. Elden Ring wasn't more divisive than Dark Souls 3 or Sekiro (maybe you'll be surprised to know how many fans didn't like or weren't even interested enough to play those tittles), just on a much bigger scale because...well, the game was fucking fire so everyone was playing it, thus multiplying the number of opinions and takes. Yes, a lot of people are not going to like FF16, and more negative reviews are surely coming. But the largely optimistic take on the game will not magically vanish with time. FF13 and 15 never got to have ''honeymoon phases'' because they were divisive (and trash) from minute 1.

[@Fender91]

@@darthmandalore409 To be fair.. it went the action route a long time ago, specially in XV THAT game didnt even have good combat, it was a one button smasher all the way.

[@sheaodland544]

The game will not age as well as this review will.

[@nightfears3005]

Nonsense

[@wallacelovecraft8942]

You were honest in how you felt about the game and that's commendable. It's the reason why I've been watching your channel for all these years.

[@nineth-lion]

I saw this when I was first starting the game and loving it, and I didn't really get what you were saying as my experience was being so different. I had such high expectations for FFXVI and the first hours were crazy good to me, but as the game dragged on I saw these high highs and abysmally low lows. By the end, I didn't care at all about the story and was burned out by the terrible pacing. Combat felt endlessly boring by the end, it felt like the game had random encounters as you would take two steps and be bombarded by unnecessary enemies and bosses over and over again. I'm still heart broken, I was so sure this game was going to be a 10/10 for me and for sure it had the potential to be so, but I ended up having a mediocre experience.

[@notimportant8643]

I’m at the point where the main quests have become as garbage as the side quests, it’s the ff14 msq all over again. This game encapsulates everything I hate about modern games: too many god damn cutscenes and a bland boring world filled with the most garbage mmo quests that would make ff14 blush, I think chatGPT could make better quests than the ones in this game

[@ataridc]

yes as a lifelong FF fan this game ain't for me. But I'm an old man pushing 40. Happy for the youngsters who love it, and I realize this isn't a series made for me anymore. At least I have remasters, the FF7r games to look forward to.

[@feral_orc]

@@notimportant8643 what is it about old quest structure in video games that appeals to you? Or the worlds? Is there something they have that this doesn't? Don't bother replying if your answer is "good writing"

[@feral_orc]

So the combat felt like every turn based game in the world by the end? Nice, they must have tried that on purpose

[@laharl90]

Couldn't relate more. I'm near the end but just don't have it in me to finish it.

[@DontFeedTheTrolls]

I really liked FF Tactics on PS1... everything since then has been less interesting. i did enjoy FF XV more than most people but I had a strong feeling XVI would be another step in the wrong direction.

[@MonkeyCurler]

Couldn't agree more

[@lynx22684]

This was one of the best, most honest reviews I have ever heard. I spent last night trying to explain my issues with this game to my wife. You just explain how I feel perfectly. Im enjoying the game, but every point you made is exactly how I feel about it. Very impressive review 👍

[@maineman5757]

I'm still chipping away at it, trying to beat it. If I didn't spend 70$ on it, I would have dropped it by now.

[@Cund]

​@@maineman5757your fault for not knowing what you got yourself into

[@maineman5757]

@@Cund no shit Sherlock

[@Cund]

@@maineman5757 really? "no shit" yet you said in another comment that you played the demo and even told people that it was ass

[@maineman5757]

@Cund Yes, no shit Captain Obvious. Do you have a point or are you just butthurt that other people aren't simping for your vidya game as hard as you are?

[@vnrender]

Not liking it but still understanding and respecting those who like it, and honestly explaining the points you didn't like is the most amazing thing about your text.

[@halkon4412]

Tbh the preface shouldn't be necessary. It should be common sense that a review is a single opinion and doesn't control your life. Everyone's so damn fragile, it's ridiculous.

[@megamike15]

@@halkon4412 you'd think so but this comment section says otherwise.

[@sion7651]

exploration is downright being punished.... Bloody Hides, sharp fangs, Magicked ash are THE ONLY things i keep finding and i can do nothing with it. i remember finding a mythril braclet in the volcano ... and that was a main mission!! that was the only item that i got that was better than what i had in like 30 hours... i fougth a notrious mark and got a meteorit in the chest behind which i can buy!!! and yeah dont need it anyway. there is nothing to craft besides the stuff you get after boss battles.... what were they thinking? is this realy what the new generation likes? i am dumbfounded.

[@NotARealPerson12345]

I feel you man, I doubt they even bothered designing the reward system - it feels like there is nothing left except the flashy combat, which quickly becomes boring due the lack of variety and limited choices

[@Manthathasspiderlikepowers]

@@NotARealPerson12345there’s plenty of variety and choices. You need to go further in the game to unlock said things and then apply yourself to use them. If you’re not gonna take advantage of the move sets or try to do combos why play this game lol.

[@NotARealPerson12345]

@@Manthathasspiderlikepowers I did apply some small combos and it was fun, but that's really not enough. A game can have 100 options but if it doesn't provide the drive for players to discover then then it's useless. The combat has combos but it if doesn't require any tactical decisions - want to attack fire with fire? Yeah go ahead, the same damage... Use ice to attack fire? Well, same amount of damage... There's no penalty if you make bad choice. You can dodge infinitely without worrying about stamina, which doesn't exist. All you gotta do is wait for CDs and unleash your big moves to bosses. Yeah, certainly the game gives you a lot of options but the game wasn't designed well to drive you to discover them.

[@bossmangaming666]

I don't think I've ever agreed with a review more. Mirrors my own thoughts exactly!

[@Shwinayy]

I doubted u when I first saw this. I come back to this review 130+ hrs later and shillup summed up my thoughts exactly. Moments that r like no other but falls short in so many other aspects.

[@SteaamedBun]

27:25 it is literally one of the best abilities. It takes away half of enemy's will bar. Basically staggers them.

[@Lerkero]

I think this is true, but if enemies are mostly just punching bags, it seems like a waste of time to go for stagger in this one. A more proactive approach is more efficient

[@SteaamedBun]

@@Lerkero what you mean they take more damage on staggered state.

[@IceBloo]

@@Lerkerono not really

[@IceBloo]

I didn’t even know heatwave had a counter mechanic. It’s a great move without even blocking a projectile. Doesn’t more damage to a single target than the spin attack. What I’m curious about now is if the Garuda counter is really good. I like the other two.

[@theninja2k14]

@@IceBloo read the descriptions lol and yes Garudas counter is amazing for stagger

[@Steve-pb3bh]

What a weird timeline when street fighter have more rpg elements than a mainline final fantasy game

[@QGfk1]

whoever at Capcom pitched making world tour a Yakuza game that teaches people to play a fighting game deserves a bonus and a promotion

[@gamerforlife3946]

Dude Street Fighter 6 deserves a GOTY nomination more than FF16. Not kidding

[@CrashDAMFCourse]

@@gamerforlife3946Okay you're fucking high..... Like someone should make sure you never are a decision maker in life ever and if you already have that position your employees should quit

[@daysofhalcyon]

I had hoped that I wouldn’t find myself agreeing so much with this review; but now, having played 16, All of the criticisms leveled here are accurate and kind of damning. The clincher for me was when I realized they were really going to re-use the same “meet with the town leader, do quests for them so they give you a badge in order to get through a gate”. This lack of creativity in the MAIN QUEST design is awful.

[@CobraTrainer]

Bro thank you, i thought i was going nuts since it seemed i was the only one that had issues with this game. Your video echoes my own sentiment of the game perfectly.

[@pinguman13]

You’re not the only one

[@palladiamorsdeus]

The sales tanked. I think it's a general consensus now. We just had to get past brain dead KZbinrs drooling over it.

[@TheUltimateHacker007]

Blame identity politics for all these biased reviews. Politics being the current consoles war

[@pedrooliveira936]

Same feeling mate, I could not understand how FF fans were totally happy with the game.

[@Mirristal]

@@palladiamorsdeusi’m pretty sure some of those youtubers got paid or some sort of deal. No shot they all love it that much

[@joshrogers6669]

After actually playing I agree. I always get nervous when I hear "modernize" when it comes to long running series. Sometimes it turns out that by "modernizing" a series they completely disregard what made the series great and turn it into a game that's hard to differentiate from any other game in the genre. It sad but kind of true FF16 is like every other action adventure game we have all played a thousand times. Final Fantasy was always a pallet cleanser for me, but I'll have to find another. All that said if you do love FF16 that is awesome and super glad that it seems many enjoy it.

[@lucasrodriguez8957]

We still have Dragon Quest 12 to look forward to, they also said they were going to take the action route, let's see if they can make it better.

[@Stanzbey69]

@@Ungli2.0i genuinely don’t understand how you can hate this as a game without the old final fantasy player bias. It’s just incomprehensible to me

[@Leee275]

I'm not familiar with this franchise so I can't say much about it, but hasn't the franchise taken this direction a long time ago? Because if so, then why assume that this is something that only started happening *now?* I know that the recent FF7 Remake should have made it even more obvious that this was going to be the case with this game, not to mention the heavy marketing and demo.

[@joshrogers6669]

@@Leee275 Well in the mainline series number 15 was the first to switch from turn based. 15 still had a lot of RPG elements though. 16 feels like they completely ditched those elements making it feel like another action adventure game to me, which isn't inherently bad, just not what I prefer from a Final Fantasy game. Kind of like how a lot of people don't like the newer Assassin's Creed games because they kind of ditched everything that made the earlier games interesting. The new games aren't necessarily bad games just not what those fans expect from assassin's creed. That said it's a very delicate dance. It's difficult for long running series to evolve without alienating at least some of it's fans I get that.

[@Leee275]

@@joshrogers6669 That makes more sense, I guess it's like a DMC game then.

[@Dezzyyx]

"They roped the vendor in" I died

[@Xorital]

I just got to the part he's talking about and he's downplaying it greatly. The "vendor" is one of the central characters who plays a big role in the story, especially if you do the side quests

[@kar12894]

@@Xorital yes but what sick degenerate would want to do the sidequests in this game

[@Xorital]

@kar12894 you wouldn't need to in order to understand she's a central character, but the sidequests in the second half of the game have major story additions and are absolutely worth it.

[@kar12894]

@@Xorital when does this second half come in? im at the part where he gets to the second hideout...is this halfway of the game?

[@Xorital]

@@kar12894 correct. The part where he's a teen and a young adult, most stuff doesn't count at that point, but once you unlock the second hideout and take up a certain name, things start to open up and actually have substance behind it - since you can't go back to the previous timelines

[@timejannies]

37:00 The game actually never hits 4K in either mode, it's very obvious when pre-rendered cutscenes that are actually in 4K start playing at different point in the game. It's probably maxing out at 1440p at best.

[@gysahlfields7506]

There are no prerendered cutscenes I think. ATL works everywhere if I am not mistaken.

[@timejannies]

@@gysahlfields7506 There are a bunch of them actually, just no FMV, they're all in-engine. The most noticeable example is the Barnabas scene on the boat, it's very sharp looking compared to the rest of the game.

[@gysahlfields7506]

@@timejannies They are not pre-rendered, they are real time, just better quality.

[@Sakisasvictorianmask]

@@gysahlfields7506 No, they are not, mate.

[@gysahlfields7506]

@@Sakisasvictorianmask There is no Cutscene that ATL does not work on, unless it is at the beginning of the Cutscene and it is still loading. I checked the Barnabas scene you mentioned, and ATL works perfectly. Also, with the new costumes, they work with all Cutscenes.

[@Indefatigable]

Hopping in here almost a year later because that's how long it took me to beat the game as I was having a hard time staying interested, you hit most everything on the head. Just gonna say, when you start the game there is a brief splash screen with Clive and the words FINAL FANTASY XVI and every time I saw in the latter half the game I would like raise an eyebrow because it just did not feel like a Final Fantasy game to me.

[@DerUserX]

I finished this game last week, and as a huge FF fan, I'm still extremely disappointed by it. Forget the "is this a Final Fantasy" discourse, this is just straight up not a good video game, FF or not. I agree with most of the review, although I wasn't even impressed with the locations. Very bland game, admittedly with some spectacular scenes sprinkled in. No RPG elements, no humor, no fun. This ain't it. I hope that future FFs won't be like this. At least Rebirth is coming, which will be on a completely different level (like Remake already was).

[@KeyoXKeyo]

@@vivifell if they were comic relief they failed

[@DerUserX]

@@vivifell No. Byron had one funny scene in the tavern and that's it. That's the only mildly amusing scene in the whole game.

[@DerUserX]

@@vivifell Perhaps you're easily amused. Good for you!

[@GOHST13ly]

@@vivifellno way you actually think Byron was a good and funny character. 💀

[@ganshrio7336]

Your belief that the upcoming installment will be of high quality, despite the elementary school level writing in the previous one, speaks volumes about your standards for what constitutes "quality."

[@Nownadda]

So far I’ve really enjoyed it. However, I miss having a party, I miss being able to slow down at times and think. I still think ff7 is the best hybrid they’ve ever created, but I can’t help but to miss the slow technical gameplay of 9 or 10.

[@Y0PPS]

I hope 17 is made by the same team as 7R

[@MarkHogan994]

@@Y0PPS Honestly my dream would be for the FF16 team to create the world, lore, characters, and tone, but for the FF7R team to create the combat. The music could go either way, both are very good. And for the level design and exploration, well, I think they just might have to get someone from outside of Square Enix, lol.

[@cody3335]

@@MarkHogan994final fantasy 8 remake with the two studios yeah that would be sick.

[@gamerforlife3946]

@@MarkHogan994 Create a world that is not alive like this one? Stop

[@gamerforlife3946]

@@MarkHogan994 And the characters of this game are so bland btw

[@godisacatgirl]

I do think the IP isn't evolving to become better, it's changing to become more profitable. You can make action games with deep RPG systems, but that's not what happened and it feels like FF16 is a game in a different series (in particular the Tales of series which used similar systems) that looks great but doesn't innovate at all. A big problem I have is how the main plot points feel like "hey I've seen this before, but it was better". When there's 30+ years of games it sets expectations, and I'd love to see what the job system could become in an action game with deep RPG systems, maybe even more dynamic systems to allow customizing skills to make the jobs your own and a big wide world, but FF16 makes me believe Square will never do that, they will just chase the sales even if that means throwing away 30+ years of their IP and the company that innovated and was on the forefront of the JRPG genre aren't all there, Square is just another triple A corpo making pretty fireworks but nothing more.

[@titheproven954]

So do what they have been doing for 30+ years but also "innovate"...just not much, or that way. Or whatever the hell Goldilocks ratio you want I guess. What your talking about sounds like a bloated game of menus. Look at the jump from Mass Effect 1 to Mass Effect 2 if you want an example of why slim and trim is often better game play. Fresh air for a new era of gaming thank god.

[@Swenneh]

I was really hoping you where wrong, but after about 70% of the main story completed, I don’t see a reason to finish it, I was really blown away by the boss fights, but that’s about it, side quests are some of the most boring things I’ve had to sit through, armor and equipment are basically pointless, but the thing that really makes it come apart for me is the combat, once you find a good combo, the combat is basically the same through the whole game, it didn’t matter what enemy you facing, it’s the same over and over again, I was pretty shocked to see that weapons and armor doesn’t give you any new special effects or powers in combat, it’s only for hp and to look cool, for the last couple of hours I basically just skipped every cutscene just to get to the boss fights as fast as possible.

[@girroh9117]

didn't want to watch this before getting into the game cause i was worried it was going to be brutal. but boy, 30 hours in and...what a disappointing experience. the level design of the game is so FLAT. for a game that was supposed to be "story driven", the "story" in between each boss fights were such a drag. appreciate your honest review Skill Up! must've gotten brutal feedback but you keep being you. cheers

[@vedajanitra8199]

i don't know what is it with this game, the narrative started so strong it's so *chef kiss* good, but fell flat about midway through the game..

[@giantfightingroboto]

It feels like a game for nobody. The open world and side quests? They feel like a weak attempt at chasing something like The Witcher 3. The RPGnesss? Crafting and items are pretty useless, just serving to make your current thing have a bit of a higher number than your last one. There's no strategizing. The combat? I mean it's pretty flashy and cool but it has no depth so if they were trying to chase the DMC crowd they fell flat on their arse there.

[@KevsShwaShwa]

I loved this game to absolute death

[@eddiemin4312]

I highly value your reviews in that you don’t let popular opinions sway you. As someone who is no longer interested Final Fantasy games, still was hoping this one would be fantastic for the fans.

[@firefistgaming117]

I'm a Pretty big FF fan (Started with OG 7 back when it came out, Played em all Since minus 1-3) and I absolutely Love 16, I disagree with the whole "this isn't final fantasy" Take personally it has the core Stuff of FF like the Engrossing Story,Focus on characters (even if you only play as 1 character), Godly beings Like Bahamut ect, Emphasis on magic and Crystals and end of the world scenario, Epic cinematics and music ect. All those things were what made final fantasy for me ultimately, Combat systems Keep changing per mainline Title and some I liked some I didn't, I LOVE 16s combat but I'm also biased cause DMC is my favorite gaming franchise and I meld into it's influences in this game nicely. I was mostly concerned bout the inability to use party members like in launch 15 which I didn't like much, However oddly enough 16 I'm perfectly content with Clive and I think the reasoning is just the protagonist you play as, I didn't care for noctis and preferred Ignis for example yet I couldn't play as him till stupid dlc but in 16? Clive might be one of my favorite FF protagonists now tbh I love his character and thus don't mind Being relegated to playing just him. I actually love all the main cast tbh, Especially Cid! Ultimately I think it's worth Trying, This game is really dang good But Skill up is right if This gameplay formula turns ya off it won't make you a believer

[@eddiemin4312]

@@firefistgaming117 Thanks, good to know a current fan’s perspective. Happy that the core fans are digging it. I’ll probably give it a try once it goes on sale. Right now it’s all Diablo 4 for me and waiting on Armored Core 6

[@lemontonk]

It is fantastic for the fans!!

[@snozbucket]

@@firefistgaming117 that's how I see it as well which is why I love this game :) different strokes for different folks I guess. I suppose most people starting with ff7 or ff10 (a lot of them) might not enjoy it as much? idk but what the ff world to me in my head is what yoship is conjuring.

[@rommelthedesertfox3089]

U also shouldn’t let unpopular opinions sway u I mean there’s a reason the game is loved

[@PixellatedSushi]

I played the Steam demo earlier this week and then rewatched this review. I don't understand how people say this is the greatest FF game of all time. I just felt deeply disappointed as I went through the demo.

[@sheercold26]

Game is great

[@makasete30]

Since this review more have agreed with Skill up and it has a very mixed reaction. In fact I often see many criticisms of the game when people play it. I expect we will see more of them once it releases on PC. Fan favorite RPG mechanics were gutted out completely, and even as an action game lacks the depth of games like Bayonetta or devil may cry. And the side quests-oof. Not bad, amd I enjoyed the Eikon fights, but my most disappointing game of last year as I had such high expectations.

[@2cents4u]

When these devs forget the character of their franchise to chase trends is what loses me and the sight of where their creations go. If I wanted Devil May Cry, I'll go play DMC 5.

[@SheldonCoopersBrain]

This game made me want to play Final Fantasy X again.

[@jonnykhatru]

I did exactly this 😅

[@spudmaphot]

Yoshi P's response to why it can't be turn based is absolute nonsense. Kids play Pokémon. Kids play the Pokémon tcg. WTF are you smoking? What universe do you exist in?

[@Unborn8436]

I agree with your review. Im 20 hrs in and really wanted to love this game. It has too many flaws for a modern big name game. People and players reviews giving it 9-10s out of 10s blow my mind. Has the bar gotten low over the years?

[@johnpleasant8542]

what i've learned is that those of us who grew up with nes/snes, rpgs are just different these days. i've played every rpg/zelda game since time began and in 2023 heres how i had to come to grips.... xenoblade chronicles is my optimization game, zelda is my exploration game, ff14 is my mmo game, octopath is my turn based game and final fantasy is my ex that you wont date but wont let go either.

[@liaw3166]

XD

[@krench421]

36:56 "Sadly this is one area where Final Fantasy 16 does disappoint". Like he didn't just get done being dissapointed for around 30 straight minutes.

[@StewNWT]

Oh my god the stupid in that 'gamers these days don't want turn based gameplay' comment needs to be slapped out of that developer so hard

[@SnipeGenetix]

When you said “side quests that would make ARR quests blush”, I gasped very dramatically

[@Ninakoru]

I really appreciate you are able to totally separate the love many of us process to Yoshi-P and his achievements. And deliver a reasonable and harsh critique.

[@MellowFungus]

Except he's not able to separate himself. Someone literally already posted a video where he's praising FF7R for the exact same things he's complaining about in FF16. This isn't a "Harsh but honest" review. This is him kinda making himself look like a clown

[@Ninakoru]

​@@MellowFungus The context matters a lot. A remake has nothing to do with a new entry in the series. The expectations are so different. (BTW the overuse and incorrect of literally... I cannot understand)

[@CaptHam]

@@MellowFungus I'd be a hypocrite too with FF16 just from hearing the criticisms. Yet I love Dragons Dogma despite it having a bland open world, and story. There's always some sort of bias that you can't really escape.

[@MellowFungus]

@@Ninakoru Bad elements are allowed to be magically excused if it's in a remake, that's not context. That's a massive cope to justify a viewpoint that makes no sense. Like, what context is there to justify this line of thinking? It's a remake of an old title so it's fine to be linear but newer titles aren't allowed to be. Is that it? Cause that makes no sense... Also, if the use of "literally" is bothering you then I don't know what to tell you. How else am I meant to tell people that I'm not exaggerating without using "literally" to emphasise it's a one-for-one in what he's doing. Also don't horseshit me again with the "context" nonsense ok? I'm not in the habit of dealing with retards like you. You want context? Everyone here wants context? Ok, jump to this clowns review for FF7R and go to the end where he essentially just says "I know it's got problems and isn't perfect, but I don't care". As he says this he looks like he's creaming his God damn pants thinking about the game. There's your context, for him and many other people here. FF7R will be allowed certain "passes" by this dude because "Muh Final Fantasy 7" where this one won't because it doesn't have established "nostalgia" to butter people up. There's your precious context that you wanted so badly, one has nostalgia which is like catnip for stupid people and the other doesn't. Shit, I like FF7R but that doesn't mean I need to be stupid about all this. I'm not actually dumb enough to praise one and then complain about the other. When it's about certain elements being the same or similar. Happy with that? Retard...

[@Ninakoru]

@@MellowFungus Take it easy, you will have a longer life. Seems you cannot have an argument. Having a hard day? :)

[@johnsmithson4479]

Do you think this is one of those situations where outside of the franchise it would be a great game? I know a common sentiment is AC Odyssey is awful if you expect a traditional AC game but if you see it as a standalone Ancient Greek rpg it’s great.

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

I honestly just don’t really understand why it’s a game. It doesn’t utilise the medium in any way. The story is good and seems to be the main focus to the point where I wonder why they didn’t just make it an Anime or a TV show.

[@Teja]

@@amysteriousviewer3772 so a game with a strong story should become an anime or tv show? wtf u talking about 🤣 I love Samurai movies/anime and Ghost of Tsushima finally gave me the wish fulfillment that only games can offer. The demo of FF16 is excellent. they are GAMES not interactive movies like Detroit become human there’s a difference. FF16 belongs as a game! Its SO Awesome the combat is mindblowingly fantastic to play FUN

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

@@Teja That’s not what I said. What I said is that it doesn’t utilise the medium in any way to tell its story. The gameplay, no matter how fun it may be in a vacuum, is completely separate from the story and is merely used as padding between cutscenes. Other story focused games like God of War, Last of Us and, as you mentioned, Ghost of Tsushima manage to intertwine storytelling and gameplay in a way that enriches both aspects. FF16 doesn’t do this at all.

[@Scraniel]

Honestly an accurate review. Only just getting around to this game now and it's been a disappointment. The pacing of the game is poor. I've found myself just turning it off and going to bed instead of wanting to make it to the next big event or moment. The itemisation seems pointless. Exploration is pointless. Side quests are dull. The story goes from intriguing to dull so often that it makes me loose enthusiasm for the parts of the story I was enjoying. I've finished every main series game to date. I plan to finish this one. But playing this game after BG3 makes this a tough slog in comparison.

[@MoggyTheWolf]

THANK YOU. You put into words what had been bugging me about this game. I personally really liked some of the characters, the gameplay was kinda fun (at parts) but in general this game was a drag to get through. I was so bored at multiple parts and have zero interest in doing Game + just cause I dread having to sit through it all again. Even with the option to skip the cut scenes there is so little gameplay between each one, what's the point? I dunno. It's hard cause I enjoyed it...but I also didn't? I really liked the story and as said before, the characters but as for the gameplay? Brutal. I loved FFVII remakes gameplay so much and even FFXV's (despite how easy that was too) but I miss those RPG elements. I started off fighting seemingly elemental enemies with my years of FF knowledge thinking I was using the opposing element only to realize that using fire on that fire bomb did just has much as any other. 😐

[@chacachaca11]

I can already hear the negativity and I’m enjoying the game quite a lot. I’m easily influenced unfortunately so I’ll have to come back to this one later Ralph. Thanks

[@intellectic9155]

Is it hard being so weak?

[@chacachaca11]

@@intellectic9155 yes.

[@Mohgenstein]

@@intellectic9155yes.

[@RaymondKarlVeasey75]

Mr. Yoshi-P Saying Kids Wouldn't Like Turn Based Combat Is The Equivalent Of Saying Kids Don't Like Playing Chess... 😮 Because That's Basically What Turn Based Combat Is.

[@cherozkiahyusof4902]

N something like Honkai Star Rail make people spend money on it

[@rndhoody2634]

Imagine if the chess community openly crapped all over the turn based nature of the game to the younger generation. smh

[@MrShinigami420]

U’d be surprised by the proportion of students playing chess regularly in my 100 people college classes

[@trautsj]

Kids won't like turn based .... stares in Persona, stares in xenoblade, stares in octopath, stares in DragonQuest, stares in Like a Dragon. If anything turn based games are MORE POPULAR now than they've ever been, there are just fewer of them. Devs are just refusing to make them to try and chase that ADD audience who will never appreciate anything beyond the flavor of the week anyway. Sure I guess they are sales, but I guarantee that almost none of them will still be talking about, let alone playing these games in a decade like some of the other truly great installments in the franchise.

[@bebekkurus]

Square Enix produce some of the best turn base RPG for the past few years such as Bravely Default and Octopath Traveler. Although those games are incredible, those games sales number and reception must be accounted for Yoshi-P decision to switch the gameplay into Action. Resident Evil also benefit from changing their gameplay from a puzzle game with survival horror mechanics to action game.

[@kei7540]

There is fewer for a reason

[@EssenceYT]

The most popular gacha game right now is literally a turn based game, Honkai Star Rail. The excuse that kids don't like turn based is a joke.

[@skyriotAndKadeGaming]

Xenoblade isn't Turn Based though

[@Johnnybox81]

​@@skyriotAndKadeGamingyeah it's more action with wait for abilities, not sure what you call it. Arte based combat? 😅

[@pawnpure123]

I loved it for about 15- 20 hours or so, but then it was kind of.. is this it? what really killed me was realizing that all of these cool looking cities we in cutscenes are no access able outside of story moments. And honestly while the open zones look pretty, they are just empty there is very little to reward exploration and no hidden dungeons to go into it. Its by no means a bad game but i honestly couldn't give it higher than 7.5 out of 10 as honestly there is a lot lacking. I also think locked the harder difficulty behind NG+ was a really dumb move, after awhile the game just play itself really and the same combos work on 95% of enemies. (No i am not using any of those rings that make the game easier.)

[@RetroGhoulHQ]

same thing for me! loved the first 15 or so hours, minus the dips in the story pacing- but the rest of the game just slowly diminished my opinion more and more. It went from an obvious 10, to down tl an 8 at most for me. Funny to see someone had a similar experience.

[@regular5571]

Same

[@ocher8931]

Same. I’m 80% just got to reverie. I’ve been asking myself whether I’m enjoying myself for the last 25 hours or so tbh. It has some awesome moments but it is… lacking.

[@bsmit208]

I was in a similar boat due to is being an action game with very tacked on rpg mechanics. Level ups and gear do so little they might as well be removed. I think RPG's can get these long lengths and hold interest is due to character progress, with your hard (or maybe just time consuming) levels really making you feel more powerful. The gear and stats just do not do that in this game. There is a reason action games aren't 60 hours long, you get burnt out from it like I was in the later half of this game.

[@JungKooksTwin]

same when they first showed off the world and seeing all the huge major cities with the mothercrystals i was so hyped to get to explore them.... and now half way thru the game realizing you NEVER get to actually go to the cities lol at most this game gives you little roadside villages and nothing more....

[@Kammie69]

For all the missteps mentioned in this video (which I agree with entirely), I think the worst one has to do with itemization and skill progression, and what they did not do with the crafting system. There needed to be something special to the weapons, perhaps special qualities that would force you to stick to one for a particular playstyle. Instead, every new item gives you +5 Attack and +5 Stagger, and all game through both stats are almost identical. Or instead of having accessories that give a 2.5 second cooldown reduction or 7% damage increase, those types of upgrades should have been built into the skilltree, allowing you to upgrade abilities (to a certain limit) as you used them, incentivizing experimentation. And the accessory slots could have again been used to allow different playstyles. The game is an odd middle ground where they act like they're afraid of alienating RPG players with too many action elements, and afraid of alienating action game players with too many RPG elements. And at the end of the day they have provided you with the worst for both: limited action options, and the most barebones RPG fetchquests, but with no other systems in place to make them rewarding. I really hope this is not the direction for XVII. This was only a Final Fantasy game in name, but not in spirit.

[@captainziggy82]

very well put, agree with everything ESPECIALLY the progression bit, It’s almost non existent

[@off-meta-michael]

I can't tell if it's a lack of ideas or resources. They wanted to make an action game but they forgot that every good action game has to have good platforming/puzzlez and level design as well. Those seem like obvious mechanics to have in a game where you collect powers one by one in a linear fashion. The trickle down effect of traversal abilities from the eikons would have made the map basically design itself.

[@Zardigan]

I initially disregarded your review when the game came out, I thought I'd play the game and find out for myself and... I agree with everything you had to say about it, especially with regards to how pointless exploration is. I really wanted to like FF16 because It's my favorite franchise but it left me feeling so disappointed.

[@ganshrio7336]

Exploration being pointless is a good thing actually - we need to move away from the checklist activities of ubisoft.

[@Zardigan]

I didn't mean it in that sense, I don't mind a game not having multiple things to complete or towers to conquer, but when you go through the trouble of reaching a certain place you should be rewarded for it, there was absolutely no sense of accomplishment for anything in this game. You killed a tough enemy? Here, 2 meteorites... Oh look a treasure chest! Another meteorite. They keep giving you useless stuff, it's like they built the world and forgot that you had to play through it. I loved the story and how crazy the fights can be, Clive is an amazing MC but it just left me feeling disappointed because of what could have been...

[@SuperRamos619]

Even a year later people in the comments are very divided. This is truley a rare love or hate game.

[@Hek0990v2]

I’ve returned to this review 2 months on and 40 hrs later. Skill Up was right in his assessment and courageous in going against the grain here. FF16 sucks. Its combat is ok, it’s action set pieces are a spectacle - but everything else is dated and tedious. The demo was great but unfortunately everything went downhill from there. Towards the end, I skipped through all side quests, skipped all the cutscenes and dialogue just to fast track myself to completion. It was a chore. I’ve since deleted the game from my PS5 and never intend to return to it. Skill Up - you may have taken a short term hammering for this review. But in the long term - your credibility as a reviewer will be enhanced from your brutal honesty. Compared to other reviewers - I actually believe you sunk in the hours - and as a result, similar to myself - wish you could have them back.

[@Hek0990v2]

@@vivifell so to qualify yourself as a reviewer you need to do a juggle? are you actually being serious here? anyway irrespective of if he learnt air combos or not - or played on final fantasy mode or not - bottom line is that many of his observations were correct.

[@cheesemuffin8129]

​@@vivifell"he didn't juggle review bad" Lol stfu fanboy

[@ganshrio7336]

All Jrpgs are "dated" and "tedious". Have you ever created anything?

[@occiderisaethiopissa3702]

" your credibility as a reviewer will be enhanced from your brutal honesty." Then goes on to give Immortals of Aveum a recommendation over FFXVI. L M A O. The guy's opinion is trash.

[@Hek0990v2]

@@occiderisaethiopissa3702 never heard of that game. But maybe it is better. You may think it’s not, but that’s your opinion. Regardless his criticisms on FF16 still stand.

[@smkks]

Finished the game today and yeah, I agree with most of the criticism. However, I still felt entertained by the game, solid 7.5/10 if you stick to the main quest and take it for what it is. My biggest complaints are general pacing and sidequests. I'm fine with the combat, but I also wouldn't mind going back to a party system for FF17. Once again this channel proves to be a reliable source for honest reviews. Cheers

[@ItsYuhBoyyyy]

Definitely a 9/10 if you stick to the main quests. The side stuff is what brings it down to a 7

[@Erkelify]

First time ive gone against your advice and bought a game and...yeah, you were right bro.

[@anaguma90]

I deeply regret buying this game at full price...

[@princedmarvel3719]

@@anaguma90 same here and this is my first game into FF series

[@Enigmata23]

Same. This is my biggest regret purchase of 2023. I would pay someone to make me forget how much time this game made me waste. Worst side quest design and absolutely worst pacing of the year.

[@StriderZessei]

@@princedmarvel3719 don't let it discolor your opinion of the series; they're usually much, MUCH better.

[@princedmarvel3719]

@@StriderZessei after 16 i gave the Ff series one more chance by watching OG VII gameplay and started playing remake and i loved it and platinum the game now I'm playing rebirth 15hrs in Kalm and im loving it

[@JJ-lb6hm]

I'm with this review. I didn't like the game for the same reasons given. But I really appreciate that you underline that it is just your opinion and that other people might find a liking in it.

[@sehrschee]

I find it also a very cynical statement from Yoshi P that "those kiddies only play COD". What about those "kids" that played FF in 90s, then grew up a bit, and now still play video games? Square Enix forgets a whole generation of gamers. After finishing 7Remake recently, and really liking it, i was looking into if i would like XVI. I think i would not. I was HOPING to like it. But i know myself and the things i value are just not in XVI.

[@parzival123]

They're milking from ff7 fans like you while making new mechanics in the upcoming Final fantasy.

[@battlep0t]

I'm really enjoying this game but your take on this is kinda like my take on Breath of the Wild where the rest of the gaming landscape was losing their collective minds over it but I thought it got too experimental to the point where it lost the series identity, so I get where you're coming from.

[@MajorasThoughts]

Agreed bro!! BOTW was an all-time great game, but I can name 5 better Zelda games. It didn't feel like Zelda at all to me.

[@pbpraga3963]

Zelda is ten times better game than this.

[@pbpraga3963]

@@MajorasThoughts I think the difference is that Zelda is a great game and FFXVI its not. I dont care if they "feel" like the other games on the franchise. Zelda it's a masterpiece on its own and FFXVI its average at best.

[@Vaffi]

While usually watching most of Skill Ups content right away, I avoided this one (and also other reviews) to get my own first impression of the game outside the demo. But now that I'm 2/3 through the game, I felt the urge to finaly watch this "controversial" review and hear some actual criticism for a game that earned so many 9/10 ratings. A rating that it didn't earn in my opinion. I'm at a point in the game where I started avoiding sidequests, because the mainquestline almost feels a long string of pointless, uninspired quests between interesting political developments, extremely epic battles and a "quite alright" story for the main character. The world is the highlight of the game, while exploring it is rather pointless. The characters are fine. Functional for the plot. But no highlights on that front for me. Developments within this world are interesting and I want more of them, but then I'm forced to gather stuff or investigate something to progress with the story. I will probably finish FF16 just for the epic moments and to see how the main storyline will conclude. After that I will remember the game as a giant missed opportunity, an overrated product in a pretty good year for games in general, but definetly not as an RPG or something that glued me to my screen for its content. Until then I can only agree with SkillUp and pretty much everything he said in this video.

[@branboom3342]

Why would you want the combat to be the same as FF7R? We have 2 more games in that series coming. I think the combat in 16 is awesome, though the cinematics are a bit exhausting

[@_Kakoosh]

Somehow I simultaneously agree with most of the things you said in the first 10 minutes, but still love the game. More than likely the DMC inspired combat and presentation has been keeping me hooked. Everything you said however about the lack of customization, weak exploration and small maps, and abysmal side quest design is 100% accurate.

[@justinsanegaming9724]

Ya exactly his points are valid but I still love this game that's how I know it's good cuz if it couldn't hold up in my mind after seeing and having the flaws pointed out I'd know it'd be my own personal bias. But the fact that I can agree with Ralph on the flaws and be so excited to get home to play more tells me it's something special and Ben starr is such an amazing guy and VA

[@coleG112]

I've absolutely felt that. I have that with Valhalla. I 100% agree with every critique of its length, reptitiveness, and feel. Yet I can't get enough - I'll throw 5-6 hours into it every week, a similar way I used to play Destiny 2 or ESO. And I think that's exactly people's issue with it - it's essentially a single player MMO, and that gets exhausting. I don't blame reviewers for trying to power through it for a review, and burning out hard. It's a ton of fun as a slower, "play a bit over time" game.

[@myrrical2203]

I really enjoyed the game overall, but I definitely felt that criticism regarding the party feel being lost. I think for the most-part the combat and story is simple yet enjoyable. My favorite part of the game though was the world and feel, I always felt immersed and engrossed in the goings-on, politics and atmosphere of the game. The soundtrack was really solid too imo! That all being said, FF16 isn’t my first FF but it’s definitely one of, so I may be a bit biased in that sense

[@netweed09]

👍💯

[@dankerbell]

well it's literally my second ff and i hated the story and pacing so much i ended up quitting not long after you get your lightning powers, i love character action gameplay but that's not enough to save a game for me when the story is so abysmally bad, as a matter of fact i really didn't like 7 remake's gameplay at all but the story was so good i pushed through it to the end regardless

[@whitecomet98]

Funny how a buncha rabid fans coming into the video and being mad over somebody having a nuanced opinion instead of total blind approval of everything in the game Edit: Funny when people are talking about blind disapproval or being disingenuine when they are coming in after watching an out-of-context reddit clip and then refusing to watch the full review to understand a nuanced view that finds both things he likes and dislikes.

[@KoKoNuTz232]

Its likely majority are from reddit or other echo chambers but they can't affect real discourse here with downvotes and popularity lol... They are like whinging children.

[@kys125]

The issue I think most people have is that his review isnt very genuine and he misrepresents some huge things about the game in this review. Sometimes you can just tell when people want to hate something and this review (from the bits I heard) reek of that. Tbh you talk about blind approval, this felt like blind disapproval.

[@SilverRath21]

​@@kys125gives me the impression that he doesn't like when games try a new style, look at sonic frontiers for example

[@raskolnikov6443]

@@kys125what a load of bs

[@Ephremjlm1]

​@@kys125from the bits you heard tells me you didn't even watch or listen the video. That's blind disapproval.

[@OsaculnenolajO]

I'm so mad I didn't watch this review before I got 20 hours in and learned it actually doesn't get better.

[@DavidCandelaMartinez]

I really really agree with you on this review and was very surprised that you liked the game on the preview you got to play or in other occasions you mentioned it. I guess you needed to see the final product in order to judge it as a whole. Thank you Ralph for giving us your honest opinion as you always do.

[@mvhess]

I'm maybe 5 hours into it and I'm enjoying the story and presentation, but I keep waiting for it to open up. Even in Sonys most linear games, there are explorable sections that reward your exploration. I keep trying to explore but it seems there's nothing to find. Anyway, I'm along for the ride story wise but I am concerned that there is no exploration and no worthwhile side quests.

[@PenguinsAreColdish]

the only good side quests are at the very end of the game, and exploration is dogshit the entire game

[@amysteriousviewer3772]

The game just feels incredibly dated in a lot of ways. God of War or Last of Us do the wide-linear level design much better because there was actually interesting stuff to find and the story and gameplay were intertwined. The gameplay in this game just seems like padding between cutscenes.

[@JTSuter]

If a game feels like a chore to play and you have to force yourself to try to like it (like this game), then it's a bad game.

[@Cund]

Or maybe you're not into the game...I mean, shit, you know how many people would say the same for persona 5 and even elden ring at certain times?

[@JTSuter]

@@Cund Well, that much is obvious that I'm not into the game. It’s hard to get into a bad game.

[@Cund]

@@JTSuter you're calling persona 5 and elden ring bad games?

[@JTSuter]

@@Cund No, those are some of my favorite games ever. I'm talking about Final Fantasy XVI

[@Cund]

@@JTSuter so why did you say "that much is obvious" and "it's hard to get into a bad game" as a response to me saying many people could say the same for elden ring and persona 5?

[@sanidhyadevgupta6452]

I got this game as a gift , and for that i enjoyed the story and combat but man the game comes to a screeching halts when it comes to exploration,questing, character building. Can't believe people touted it as a goty contender.