FFXVI Fan Warns Players Are Missing Some of the Game's Best Content

Final Fantasy 16 is finally available via PS5 and it's one of this year's biggest and best games. So far, the game has sold over three million copies and earned an impressive 88 on Metacritic. These are two great returns for Square Enix. That said, while most playing the latest Final Fantasy game are enjoying it, there have been some that have been very critical of not just aspects of the game, but the game as a complete package. One of the bigger talking points that has divided some fans are the side quests, largely because the gameplay is a step down from the main part of the game. However, one fan has argued that those that are skipping this content are missing some of the best content in the game.

[raWfodog]

I’m the type of completionist player that would normally take the time to complete all side quests anyway so I’m looking forward to experiencing these stories for myself. The Witcher 3 had some great side quest stories.

[blackblades]

I try to do most as i can cause it's that how it suppose be done and played. Except hollow knight path of pain optional path. That's way to hard I'm sure I can do it with in 1,000 tries but its called path of pain for a reason.

[Sonic1881]

The Witcher 3 had the best side quest and I still consider it the best Western RPG out there

[Rocketisleague]

Witcher 3 is leagues above all ffs for side quests though. Unfortunately including this new one. These are a cut above 'flag collecting' style quests but not much

[--Onilink--]

They are a bit hit and miss on this game, some that evolve over the course of the game’s story are pretty good overall, but they do feel a bit repetitive by the end (especially AT the end because in typical RPG fashion they drop like 14-15 at once right before the last mission)

My biggest issue is that if you do like to do all the side quests and want to get some of those cool stories in the 3rd act, it does significantly drag down the pacing of the main story.

They didn’t quite nail the balance, but overall they are mostly good. A bit fetch questy but simple in the beginning, better stories in the end but slowing down the story. Still miles better than the side quests in FF7R, those were atrocious

[Flawlessmic]

Iv said that a few time son here, the act of the doing the actual side quests suck, but the story and world building g behind 90% of them is fantastic.

If your digging the world and story I would defs do them or a good portion of them atleast.

[shinoff2183]

Ff16 nails it on the story and world for sure

[Bobertt]

What do you not like about doing the side quests? I think they are decent compared to other games. I never felt bored or that they were a chore. They aren't repetitive like other games and they don't take too long.

[Adrian_v01]

They are repetitive, most of them follow the same structure. Talk to npc - go to a location - defeat some monsters - pick up items - return to npc. It's a bit disappointing to be honest after the hype they did about side quests pre release.

[-Foxtrot]

The side quests are such a slog to get through, like I don’t know if it’s the travelling to them (lack of a dedicated sprint button sucks and not being to do it in villages/towns suck harder), having to fight along the way where battle repetition starts to grate on you or if the side quest just sucks in general

The world building and lore is great in them but I’d rather they have halved the side quests to create more complex ones. They had the same issue in the ViI remake where it felt it was quantity over quality.

The game is so weird because it’s like for every pro to the game there’s a straight up con, that leads to a pro…which leads to a con and so on. I’ve never been so conflicted. I suppose the final say for me will rest on the story and how it ends.

[Eonjay]

For the side quests I fully maximize the fast travel. I save an incredible amount of time that way. The quest themselves are sometimes boring but sometimes 100% essential. Sometimes they are incredibly dark. Also, I have tons of Gil from doing the quests and I have attained much better gear.

[MrNinosan]

I didn't even have gil for everything after my first playthrough.
Did all sidequests and hunts etc, and still I couldn't manage to buy every single accessory and Music Tome, even thou I never spent money on Weapons, Armlet or Necklace.

The Gil flow, is really low, but I like that 😊

[Sonic1881]

"lack of a dedicated sprint button sucks"

Just ride Chocobo. He's always with you

[-Foxtrot]

Yeah but you can’t ride them through certain areas and the little animation to get on / off is only a few seconds I kno but gets annoying after a while because you are constantly on and off it.

Just give us a dedicated sprint button and let him go a little faster

Even if they reworked his Phoenix Shift to allow you to dash or something

[SullysCigar]

Not everyone has the time to do al the side quests, even if they'd like to. Would be handy to know which were the best ones, so people could make sure they catch them on their playthrough.

[luckytrouble]

XVI's side quest system isn't as straight forward as "just do these ones". The entire game from the main story, to side quests, to even what a random NPC might be saying is all interconnected to build the full view of the world and people, and you could probably make a fairly interesting flow chart on how side quests chain together throughout the game.

[AnotherGamer]

They're gonna be miss able as the story goes on though.

[SullysCigar]

Yeah, it's the sort of thing you'd need to follow along to, rather than just head straight to.

[P_Bomb]

I quite liked the ones in the village before the first point of no return. I knew something was off when the music hit. Soon enough, I stumbled upon a couple dark stories related to bearers and slavery.

[rayford15]

The back half the side quest are some of if not the best I’ve ever played and experienced

[S2Killinit]

I tend to get majority of side quests done in any game that inspires me. This one will be one such game.

[MrNinosan]

I agree with this fan.
The side content are telling such a deep story about the people and the world, that I didn't find a single one mundane.

Even on my second playthrough, on Final Fantasy Mode, I did all those side quests again.

Spent over 10 hours at Harpocrates, and another 2 hours at Vivian, just to be more emerged in the lore this gave give us who wants it.

[AnotherGamer]

People are skipping the side quests in this game? Oh boy, they do NOT know what they are missing.

[jznrpg]

Early quests aren’t much but second half quests have some great backstory and you should definitely do them.

I am doing everything as I can so I don’t miss anything I am getting close to the end but I don’t want it to end .

[victorMaje]

I’m about 60% in & besides some issues I have with some gameplay systems 1 thing I noticed about this game is the main story as well as the side quests keep getting better & build upon each other. Harpocrates & Vivian are a very interesting & welcome addition too (never played 15 so not sure if there was smthg similar there too).

I’ve always liked FF turn-based gameplay & though the demo was enough for me to jump in, it’s a fact there’s less strategy involved here, but it’s still good & some battle moments are downright amazing.

I’m not particularly crazy about some open-areas aesthetics & traversal, sometimes feels annoying getting to where I need to go so I find myself fast-travelling a lot.
Having said that, what’s definitely keeping me going is the world building & the stories. Also the voice acting of some of the main characters is really really good.
I always finish side quests before moving on with the main story & if it follows the same pattern it looks like it’s going to keep getting better which is great.

[DefaultComment]

So that's a diplomatic way to say "I beg you guys, buy our game, it's good, you'll see!"

[nommers]

The gameplay isn’t any different outside of quests. It’s just that nobody likes the idea of going back and forth between points to solve an issue. The hunts at least require you to pay attention to area names and you can even run across hunts without having to look at the board.

[Weallgame]

Listen im all for side quest but trust me ff16s are the worst i ever seen lord to even compare to witcher 3 is laughable. 90 percent off sidequest in ff16 turn clive into door dash period skip em trust me all accept ones with plus sign on em they actually move parts story forward, still awfull side quest but

[franwex]

I’m not done with the game yet-but I find the side quests to be kinda boring. Go here press X to get an item, go back and deliver it. Or instead of getting an item kill a few low level monsters. So I’m guessing they get better?

[StarkR3ality]

I only ever do the side quests that have a plus, they tend to be the only ones worth doing, the rest are pretty standard fetch quests. Weakest part of the game tbh.