Final Fantasy XVI Is Linear Like XIII

One of the biggest criticisms people had with Final Fantasy XIII was how linear it was because, for a large chunk of the game, you are being introduced to new game mechanics so it can feel like you are stuck in a tutorial for a long time. There isn’t the ability to explore the areas much as it’s all just literal corridors designed to make you keep going straight. I am someone who enjoys Final Fantasy XIII a lot but I don’t think the linearity is the issue with that game, I believe the storytelling is. It relies a lot on the data log to fill in the blanks because the cutscenes don’t do a good job of explaining the story. Then again I am biased because I prefer games with linear, well-done stories rather than games that have a lot of breadth but all too often don’t have much depth. Even if they do have a lot of depth, chances are due to the volume of content most players won’t see it so I question the need for it other than for marketing purposes. That being said I do understand the need for these games sometimes because not everyone can buy lots of games and so buying one huge game that lasts a long time has value to people. I know it did to me in earlier parts of my life. Final Fantasy XIII isn’t the only linear game in the series either, a lot of the games are. Final Fantasy VII is based solely in the city of Midgar for the first 5 or so hours of the game and it’s largely just moving between story beats, so much so that the remake was also largely linear too. It’s an amazing feeling when the world opens in the original game once you leave Midgar. <a href="https://pixelparables.medium.com/final-fantasy-xvi-is-linear-like-xiii-22717a80821f">Learn More</a>