Final Fantasy XIV vs Final Fantasy XVI
Final Fantasy XIV is an RPG game from Square Enix (2010) while Final Fantasy XVI is an action-RPG JRPG game from Square Enix (2023).
Quick answer: Final Fantasy XIV 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
What each one is
Final Fantasy XIV is filed under RPG. In contrast, Final Fantasy XVI under Action-RPG and JRPG.
Final Fantasy XIV was a 2010 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Windows, developed and published by Square Enix. It was the original version of the fourteenth entry in the main Final Fantasy series and the second MMORPG in the series after Final Fantasy XI. Set in the fantasy realm of Eorzea, players take control of a customized avatar as they explore the land and are caught up in both an invasion by the hostile Garlean Empire and the threat of the primals, the deities of the land's beastmen tribes. Eventually, they are embroiled in a plot by a Garlean Legatus to destroy the primals by bringing one of the planet's moons down on Eorzea.
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 and characters The story of Final Fantasy XIV takes place in a high fantasy setting. The main location is Eorzea, a geopolitical region on the larger planet Hydaelyn: this contrasts Final Fantasy XI which uses one name to refer to the entire world and its regions. Eorzea is broken up into three main powers: the forest nation of Gridania; the desert-based Ul'dah sultanate; and the thalassocracy of Limsa Lominsa, Eorzea's dominant maritime power. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception During its debut week in Japan, the Collector's Edition reached #2 in the PC games charts behind Civilization 5 and ahead of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty . In the UK charts, the game debuted at #10 behind multiple other games including F1 2010 (#1), Halo: Reach (#2), Civilization 5 (#4) and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (#7). By November 2010, the game had sold 603,000 copies worldwide. (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 | Final Fantasy XVI | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 6.6/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Mostly Positive (78%, 33,368) |
| Critic aggregate | 49/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | Unknown | $49.99 |
| Install size | — | 170 GB |
| Steam Deck | Untested | unsupported |
| Released | 2010 | 2023 |
| Developer | Square Enix | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy XIV 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 XIVRPG 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 XIVNo 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—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 XIVUnknownFinal 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 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 | 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 · Final Fantasy XVI.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Final Fantasy XIV 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 and Final Fantasy XVI in scope?
Final Fantasy XIV 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 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 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 or Final Fantasy XVI?
Final Fantasy XIV 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.