Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn vs Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is an RPG game from Square Enix (2013) while Final Fantasy XVI is an action-RPG JRPG game from Square Enix (2023).
Quick answer: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 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 XIV: A Realm Reborn
What each one is
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is filed under RPG. In contrast, Final Fantasy XVI under Action-RPG and JRPG.
Final Fantasy XIV is a subscription-based massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix. Directed and produced by Naoki Yoshida and released worldwide for PlayStation 3 and Windows in August 2013, it replaced the failed 2010 version, with subsequent support for PlayStation 4 in April 2014, macOS in July 2015, PlayStation 5 in May 2021, Xbox Series X/S in March 2024, and Nintendo Switch 2 in August 2026. Final Fantasy XIV is set in the fantasy region of Eorzea, five years after the devastating Seventh Umbral Calamity which ended the original version. In the Calamity, the elder primal Bahamut escaped from his prison, an ancient space station called Dalamud, unleashing an apocalypse across Eorzea. Through temporal magic, the player character of the original version escaped, reappearing at the start of A Realm Reborn. As Eorzea cements its recovery, the player must fend off a reignited invasion from the Garlean Empire.
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 See also: Final Fantasy XIV (2010 video game) § Synopsis Final Fantasy XIV is set on Hydaelyn, a fictional world of diverse environments across multiple continents, focused on the region of Eorzea. Eorzea features four prominent city-states : Gridania, in the heavily forested Black Shroud; Ul'dah, a trade-centric sultanate in arid Thanalan; Limsa Lominsa, a thalassocracy on the island of Vylbrand; and Ishgard, an isolationist theocracy in snowy,… (Wikipedia)
Characters
The player character is an Eorzean adventurer during the Seventh Umbral Era who joins one of the Grand Companies: Gridania's Order of the Twin Adder, under Elder Seedseer Kan-E-Senna; Ul'dah's Immortal Flames, under Flame General Raubahn Aldynn; and the Maelstrom of Limsa Lominsa under Admiral Merlwyb Bloefhiswyn. Their allies include Minfilia and her Scions of the Seventh Dawn, a rebuilt Sixth Astral Era organization uniting Louisoix's Circle of Knowing… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception In contrast to the original version, Final Fantasy XIV has earned a generally positive reception and robust sales numbers. Prior to release, both the game's press and fans were surprised by its quality and level of polish. IGN s Charles Onyett cited many specific improvements over aspects of the initial game and recognized that "it seems like Square's doing the right things to fix the many mistakes made with Final Fantasy XIV' s original… (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 XIV: A Realm Reborn | Final Fantasy XVI | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 6.6/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Mostly Positive (78%, 33,368) |
| Critic aggregate | 83/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | Unknown | $49.99 |
| Install size | — | 170 GB |
| Steam Deck | Untested | unsupported |
| Released | 2013 | 2023 |
| Developer | Square Enix | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 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 Fantasy XIV: A Realm RebornRPG 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 Fantasy XIV: A Realm RebornNo 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 XIV: A Realm Reborn—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 Fantasy XIV: A Realm RebornUnknownFinal 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 XIV: A Realm Reborn is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Final Fantasy XVI is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn | 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 XIV: A Realm Reborn · Final Fantasy XVI.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 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 XIV: A Realm Reborn and Final Fantasy XVI in scope?
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 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 XIV: A Realm Reborn 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 XIV: A Realm Reborn 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 XIV: A Realm Reborn or Final Fantasy XVI?
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn 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.