Final Fantasy vs Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy is an RPG game from Square (1987) while Final Fantasy XVI is an action-RPG JRPG game from Square Enix (2023).
Quick answer: Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XVI are too close, or too thinly reviewed, to separate on the numbers; the table below shows what each holds.
Final Fantasy
What each one is
Final Fantasy is filed under RPG. In contrast, Final Fantasy XVI under Action-RPG and JRPG.
Final Fantasy is a 1987 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series, created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. The story follows four youths called the Warriors of Light, who each carry one of their world's four elemental crystals which have been darkened by the four Elemental Fiends. Together, they quest to defeat these evil forces, restore light to the crystals, and save their world.
An epic dark fantasy where fates are decided by mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them. This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a tragic warrior who swears revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that leaves naught but calamity in its wake.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting Final Fantasy takes place in a fantasy world with three large continents. The elemental powers of this world are determined by the state of four crystals, each governing one of the four classical elements : earth, fire, water, and wind. The world of Final Fantasy is inhabited by numerous races, including humans, elves, dwarves, mermaids, dragons, and robots. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Final Fantasy has been well received by critics and commercially successful; the original Famicom (NES) version shipped 520,000 copies in Japan, grossing more than ¥3 billion or $21,000,000 (equivalent to $60,000,000 in 2025) at retail. According to Square's publicity department in 1994, the game had sold 600,000 copies in Japan. The NES release was more successful in North America, where it sold 700,000 copies, adding up to 1. (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting Final Fantasy XVI is set in the fictional world of Valisthea. Scattered throughout the two continents of Ash and Storm are colossal magical crystals, known as the Mothercrystals, which provide aether energy to the various populations and drive civilization with shards mined for commercial use. There are also humans that can use magic without crystals known as Bearers who are subject to prejudice and slavery, their overuse causing them to… (Wikipedia)
Characters
Main article: Characters of Final Fantasy XVI The game's protagonist is Clive Rosfield, firstborn son of Rosaria's ruling family who is passed over as successor when his younger brother Joshua becomes the Dominant of Phoenix; Clive can acquire and wield the power of multiple Eikons. A future companion of Clive's is his childhood friend Jill Warrick, the eventual Dominant of Shiva who spends much of her life as a political hostage. During his travels… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Critical reception Final Fantasy XVI received "generally favorable" reviews from critics, according to review aggregator website Metacritic . According to OpenCritic , 91% of 205 critics recommend the game. Regarding the story, Michael Higham of GameSpot praised the writing for its handling of darker themes and found the cast enjoyable, and IGN s Mitchell Saltzman was highly positive about the story and characters, and lauded the lead… (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Final Fantasy | Final Fantasy XVI | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 6.6/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Mostly Positive (78%, 33,368) |
| Critic aggregate | 67/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | Unknown | $49.99 |
| Install size | — | 170 GB |
| Steam Deck | Untested | unsupported |
| Released | 1987 | 2023 |
| Developer | Square | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy vs Final Fantasy XVI, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Final FantasyRPG gameFinal Fantasy XVIAction-RPG JRPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Final FantasyNo descriptive tagsFinal Fantasy XVIAction RPG, Spectacle fighter, Story RichThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Content and scale
Final Fantasy—Final Fantasy XVI33,368 reviews · 5 add-ons · 170 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Final FantasyUnknownFinal Fantasy XVI$49.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 0 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
Where they differ
Action RPGSpectacle fighterStory RichActionFantasyJRPG
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Final Fantasy is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Final Fantasy XVI is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Final Fantasy | Final Fantasy XVI | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | AMD Radeon™ RX 5700 / Intel® Arc™ A580 / NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 |
| Minimum CPU | — | AMD Ryzen™ 5 1600 / Intel® Core™ i5-8400 |
| Minimum RAM | — | 16 GB |
| Install size | — | 170 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Final Fantasy · Final Fantasy XVI.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Final Fantasy and 7 for Final Fantasy XVI. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XVI in scope?
Final Fantasy lists little scope data. Final Fantasy XVI has drawn 33,368 Steam reviews, ships 5 add-ons and installs in 170 GB.
Is Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy XVI better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy XVI?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy XVI?
Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy XVI are too close, or too thinly reviewed, to separate on the numbers; the table below shows what each holds. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.