FINAL FANTASY XIV Online vs Final Fantasy XVI
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is an action-RPG JRPG game from Square Enix (2014) while Final Fantasy XVI is an action-RPG JRPG game from Square Enix (2023).
Quick answer: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online rates higher, 7.9 to 6.6 on the GamingPickz Score, and FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is the cheaper at $19.99.
What each one is
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is filed under Action-RPG and JRPG. In contrast, Final Fantasy XVI under Action-RPG and JRPG.
Join over 30 million adventurers worldwide and take part in an epic and ever-changing FINAL FANTASY. Experience an unforgettable story, exhilarating battles, and a myriad of captivating environments to explore.
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
No Wikipedia detail on file.
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 Online | Final Fantasy XVI | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.9/10 | 6.6/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (87%, 85,571) | Mostly Positive (78%, 33,368) |
| Critic aggregate | 83/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | $19.99 | $49.99 |
| Install size | 140 GB | 170 GB |
| Steam Deck | playable | unsupported |
| Released | 2014 | 2023 |
| Developer | Square Enix | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online 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 OnlineAction-RPG JRPG 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 OnlineMMORPG, RPG, Massively MultiplayerFinal Fantasy XVIAction RPG, Spectacle fighter, Story RichThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online ✓Score 7.9 · 87% on Steam · 83 criticFinal Fantasy XVIScore 6.6 · 78% on SteamThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online85,571 reviews · 41 add-ons · 140 GBFinal 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 Online ✓$19.99Final Fantasy XVI$49.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online ✓PlayableFinal Fantasy XVIUnsupportedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online takes 3 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueFINAL FANTASY XIV Online and Final Fantasy XVI on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- PC
- PlayStation
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (GamingPickz Score 7.9)
- The cheaper right now: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online ($19.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (playable)
- Lighter on storage: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (140 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (85,571 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
RPGFantasyJRPGStory RichMagicThird PersonActionAtmospheric
Where they differ
MMORPGMassively MultiplayerCharacter CustomizationOpen WorldMultiplayerAdventure
Spectacle fighterDark FantasySingleplayerCinematic3DEmotional
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online 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 Online | Final Fantasy XVI | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 | AMD Radeon™ RX 5700 / Intel® Arc™ A580 / NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 1070 |
| Minimum CPU | Intel® Core™i5-8400 | AMD Ryzen™ 5 1600 / Intel® Core™ i5-8400 |
| Minimum RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB |
| Install size | 140 GB | 170 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online · Final Fantasy XVI.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 6 accessibility features for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online 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 Online and Final Fantasy XVI in scope?
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online has drawn 85,571 Steam reviews, ships 41 add-ons and installs in 140 GB. Final Fantasy XVI has drawn 33,368 Steam reviews, ships 5 add-ons and installs in 170 GB.
Is FINAL FANTASY XIV Online or Final Fantasy XVI better?
By the GamingPickz Score, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online rates higher (7.9 to 6.6). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online or Final Fantasy XVI?
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is cheaper right now at $19.99, against $49.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get FINAL FANTASY XIV Online or Final Fantasy XVI?
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online rates higher, 7.9 to 6.6 on the GamingPickz Score, and FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is the cheaper at $19.99. 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.