The post is a the latest iteration of the Xbox Excellence Awards, which was created last year to celebrate how players engaged with various releases on Xbox. The Store Rating category lists 2025 games with the best ratings on the Microsoft Store, with an added requirement of the title having at least 500 ratings. Player Engagements is about the average number of hours spent on a game by each player within the first six weeks of a game’s release. Daily Active Users celebrates titles, expansions or updates with the highest single-day active users throughout the year. And finally Units Sold is fairly self-explanatory.

Going down the lists, you’ll find many of the biggest releases of the year, from ARC Raiders and Battlefield 6, as well as award-winning RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. Indie titles have also been well-represented, with games like Crime Scene Cleaner and Satisfactory making it into the lists. There also doesn’t seem to have been a singular genre to dominate the lists, since everything from sports games like EA Sports Madden NFL 26, to fantasy adventure life sims like Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time, and even fighting games like Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics are well represented.

Curiously, none of the games was present in all four of the categories. At most, we got to see titles like Borderlands 4 being able to make it on to three of them: Player Engagement, Daily Active Users and Units Sold. Even ARC Raiders, which has seen quite a bit of success, is only on the Units Sold and Daily Active Users lists.

Microsoft has also emphasized that the lists represent a diverse collection of games developed by studios of varying sizes. All in all, it represents 48 unique developers based out of 13 countries, with 24 publishers having had a hand in their release. 19 of the games were self-published. “Taken as a whole, it’s an encapsulation of development on Xbox – we want gaming to reach you wherever you are, and for the teams making those games to find you from wherever they are,” wrote the company.

Full list of games:

Store Rating:

• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
• Crime Scene Cleaner
• Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles 2
• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Dreamcore
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Final Fantasy XVI
• Lies of P: Overture
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
• Little Nightmares III
• Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics
• Minami Lane
• Mullet MadJack
• Poppy Playtime Chapter 4
• Satisfactory
• Silent Hill 2
• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds
• The First Berserker: Khazan

Player Engagement:

• Borderlands 4
• Digimon Story: Time Stranger
• Dynasty Warriors: Origins
• EA Sports College Football 26
• EA Sports FC 26
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Fantasy Life i: The Girl Who Steals Time
• Farm Together 2
• Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles
• Helldivers 2
• Inazuma Eleven: Victory Road
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii
• MLB The Show 25
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• NBA 2K26
• NHL 26
• Rust
• Satisfactory
• The First Berserker: Khazan

Daily Active Users:

• Arc Raiders
• Avowed
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• DOOM: The Dark Ages
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Fortnite
• Forza Horizon 5
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Grounded 2
• Helldivers 2
• Marvel Rivals
• Minecraft
• NBA 2K26
• Rematch
• Roblox
• Rocket League
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six Siege

Units Sold:

• Arc Raiders
• Assassin’s Creed Shadows
• Battlefield 6
• Borderlands 4
• Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
• EA Sports Madden NFL 26
• EA Sports College Football 26
• EA Sports FC 26
• Elden Ring Nightreign
• Grand Theft Auto V
• Helldivers 2
• Hollow Knight: Silksong
• Kingdom Come: Deliverance II
• MLB The Show 25
• Monster Hunter Wilds
• NBA 2K26
• PGA Tour 2K25
• Ready or Not
• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered
• WWE 2K25

15. Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2

Sure, the opening title crawl may be pretty standard and expected, but dang does it execute on the cinematic front. The bone-chilling music and slow letterbox transition to Tyranid hordes landing on the planet Kataku is just perfect and that classic green font just oozes grimdark from a mile away. After the cinematic sequence, you’re immediately met with waves of Tyranids and a handy Chainsword to mow them down with. The prologue isn’t a one-off either. The entire game continues that cinematic action fusion all the way to the end.

14. Forza Horizon 5

The Forza Horizon series has always been consistent about jumping right into the good stuff, and in Horizon 5’s case that includes supercars falling out of the sky, apparently. New and familiar players alike get something nice out of the prologue, whether it’s an early taste of hypercar speed or just a quick sampling of the controls and Mexican terrain you’ll be encountering. There’s no gritty plot being used as an excuse for the festive racing either. The Horizon series focuses solely on celebrating cars, and this opener succeeds brilliantly at that.

13. Star Wars: Jedi Survivor

The opening of Jedi Survivor immediately captures Star Wars fans’ attention because it takes place within the capital of the galaxy: the seedy underbelly of Coruscant itself. Not only is there oodles of environmental worldbuilding and ambience, but the level design is supurb from the get-go. Cal is a more experienced Jedi at this point, so wall running, force pushing billboards, and chopping up baddies comes quick and often in the opening hours. The thrilling escape from Coruscant highlights some of the best cinematography I’ve seen from any Star Wars media in a while too.

12. Batman: Arkham Knight

What better way to begin an Arkham game than with Scarecrow and his fear toxin? Your first moments are spent casually ordering food in a Gotham diner. You’re given an ordinary glimpse into Gotham when villains aren’t wrecking the place; well, until Scarecrow’s fear toxin twists everything into a horror show. What follows is the Bat-Signal transitioning to you gliding around the Gotham skyline in search of Scarecrow, touring the best-realized version of Gotham we’ve ever seen in a game.

11. Resident Evil Village

Here’s another game with a subversive opener. Your first foray into Resident Evil Village is met with a Tim Burton-esque fairy tale animation, a very well-done one at that. You’re then placed in the perspective of a mother finishing telling the tale to her child, which dovetails beautifully into a first-person exploration segment around the family home. It’s a necessary little sequence that motivates the main characters and sets the stakes. Besides introducing exploration and controls, this clever opening sets the twisted fairy tale horror tone that Resident Evil Village executes so frighteningly well.

10. Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater

It may be a full-on remake, but MGS Delta: Snake Eater follows the original to a tee, and what a beauty it is. That cinematic shot of the USAF aircraft flying over Soviet territory, followed by the rising sun shimmering off Snake’s goggles as he parachutes down is simply stunning in its remade form. And the Virtuous Mission itself is so well paced and filled with character-driven tutorials that it gets us excited to play through the classic with a new lens. It’s a tone-setting prologue that does its job perfectly, and it’s never looked better.

9. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End

There are few games that establish a character’s friendship and revenge as well as Uncharted 4. You play through a series of high-octane flashback sequences—one with Drake and Sam drifting through bullets on a motorboat, and another with young Drake and Sam on an adventure through town. The flash-forward to an older Drake with a Sam-sized chip on his shoulder sets the impetus for the rest of the game. And the high-action moments and twists that follow match that rollercoaster of an opener.

8. Final Fantasy 16

Like Uncharted 4, Final Fantasy 16 opens with a flashback; one of the most intense and electric flashbacks we’ve seen in a game. Two God-like Eikons battle it out in an almost Lord of the Rings-esque sequence, with you controlling the fire-breathing Phoenix. This battle transitions forward in time to when the main characters are much older, yet Eikons still shake the foundations of the world. This is perhaps the most mature and gritty Final Fantasy yet and the prologue quickly demonstrates that. It’s also in the prologue where you go through Clive’s childhood and see the formation of the tale to come. Even though you don’t get full access to your  DMC-like combat repertoire until much later in the game, the prologue does a good job giving a taste of power with that initial Eikon battle.

7. Ghost of Yotei

I may be getting fatigued by Sony’s obsession with revenge stories, but Ghost of Yotei introduces its particular revenge story in such a simple and gameplay-centric way that I can overlook it this time. The mercenary protagonist, Atzu, gets left for dead by a gang called the Yotei Six. A flashforward to an older Atzu sees her finally exacting revenge on one of the six as she rides to him for a one-on-one duel. I love the video gamey concept of outlining all the bad guys right from the get-go and Ghost of Yotei establishes as clear as a katani slice right in the intro. You can’t help but want to go for immediately to each one, when you’re not distracted by the wealth of side content and beautiful vistas, that is.

6. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth

Purists and progressives alike get the royal treatment with Rebirth’s top-notch prologue. Rebirth tries (and largely succeeds) to follow the main plot faithfully while also reimagining elements of it. This is immediately made clear with Zack Fair’s placement in the narrative at the start. But OG fans also get the most faithful and thorough portrayal of Cloud’s Nibelheim flashback right after. These two distinct sequences feature plenty of the freshly iterated hybrid ATB combat to top things off. It’s here in the opening where we finally get to control Sephiroth at the height of his SOLDIER career. Pulling off his synergy skills (new to Rebirth) with Cloud is an awesome treat.

5. Silent Hill f

Mystery and suspense? Check. Eerie and haunted atmosphere? Check. Bizarre mutated monsters? Double check. Silent Hill f’s opener establishes everything a Silent Hill game should. You explore a quiet, fog-laden village for answers and only get deeper into the haunted nightmare rabbit hole the further you go. The village is suddenly populated by spider lilies and mask-wearing monstrosities despite hanging out with friends and arguing with family mere moments ago. It may not be set in the traditional location we’re used to, and it may not be numbered, but Silent Hill f still captures all the tension and uneasiness the series has been known for.

4. Hogwarts Legacy

Anyone wishing to virtually attend Hogwarts owes it to themselves to play Hogwarts Legacy at some point. The opener has all the staples from the films—magical flying coaches, Portkey teleportation, the Sorting Hat ceremony, and more. You can even choose which of the four houses to join, each with distinct characters and arcs that reflect your decision. The opener doesn’t start slow either, rushing you off to the Scottish Hylands in an encounter with some nasty cave goblins and a dragon before getting enrolled at Hogwarts proper. It’s the perfect prologue for the aspiring wizard.

3. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2

This sequel does what surprisingly few entries on this list do: recap the previous game. I can’t fault it for doing a straightforward recap of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Miles Morales though because it’s so well voiced and captured. This recap immediately cuts to a Venom foreshadow, and who wouldn’t be excited about that? Peter and Miles’ relationship also gets some good screen time here as they go after the notorious Sandman for an awesome boss fight.

2. Dead Space (Remake)

There’s still hardly any game better at capturing classic Aliens-style horror than Dead Space. You’re just one man with a plasma cutter exploring a derelict ship out in space. With quarantine broken, the monstrous Necromorphs stalk the many hallways of the dark ship. But it’s the diagetic HUD displays that particularly stand out when you first walk around. The dark and brooding atmosphere is amplified tenfold since every display and menu is shown via holo projection on Isaac’s own suit and arm.  The creaking Ishimura ship and its Necromorph monstrosities need to be experienced by every horror fan at least once, and the remake is the best way to do that today.

1. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Breath of the Wild starts off with an anime cliche. Link awakes with amnesia with no idea of where he is or what he was doing. But it’s okay because the rest of the prologue, and game by extension, was as revolutionary as it comes. You’re left to explore the huge starting zone at your leisure, playing around with all of the systems and objects in front of you. What’s remarkable is that The Great Plateau is just the tutorial of the game. Considering how much content and freedom you have at your disposal in the first handful of hours, it’s probably the greatest tutorial ever conceived for a video game.

“That’s an interesting question,” he said. “As you mentioned, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Final Fantasy 16 are both action-based RPG designs. Essentially, for the Final Fantasy numbered series, the game design is based on the director’s decision himself. For the new title, whether it’s action or turn-based, that’s not pre-determined yet.”

“If you would ask me, is [my next game] going to be an RPG, yes, there is definitely a possibility. But is it going to be a turn-based RPG? We’re taking this aside from the fact that Expedition 33 was received well, we received a lot of ‘JRPGs are back’ comments. For me, I’m thinking about what game experience fans will enjoy. That’s the most important point.”

Hamaguchi had previously spoken about the third part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, including the fact that the 1997 original was split into three games for the remake because the developers didn’t want to cut anything out of the game.

“Final Fantasy 7 is a game with a truly huge fanbase,” said Hamaguchi on stage. “We could have cut some parts and turned it into one game, but the fans of the original would never have forgiven us. If we want to tell this story using new technology, it’s not possible to do so in a single title. That’s why we made the difficult decision to split it into three parts.”

He also said that the ending to the trilogy will be satisfactory for new fans who only started with the Remake trilogy, as well as long-time fans of the original Final Fantasy 7. Ultimately, Hamaguchi believes that the completion of the trilogy “will be loved by everyone.”

“Of course, I already have a clear idea of ​​the ending for Final Fantasy 7 Remake Part 3,” he said. “I think this conclusion will appeal to both those who loved the original and those who became fans of Final Fantasy 7 thanks to the Remake series. I’m confident this new game will be loved by everyone.”

In the meantime, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade is making its way to Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch 2 on January 22, 2026, Along with this, Square Enix has also said that it will bring all Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth and Part 3 of the trilogy to all platforms.

The third-party line-up is even more jam-packed with Borderlands 4, EA Sports FC 26, Onimusha: Way of the Sword, Cronos: The New Dawn, Metal Gear Solid Delta: Snake Eater, Aniimo, There Are No Ghosts at the Grand, PowerWash Simulator 2, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade, Invincible VS, Super Meat Boy 3D, Cronos: The New Dawn and Mistfall Hunter also playable. You can even go hands-on with Final Fantasy 16, which has been out for months on Xbox Series X/S.

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle’s The Order of Giants DLC will also receive new details, though only the base game is seemingly playable on the show floor. Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 is also due to debut a new city update and aircraft. Other existing titles that attendees can experience include Age of Mythology: Retold and Age of Empires.

For those who can’t attend, Xbox is hosting its Gamescom 2025 broadcast on August 20th and 21st at 6 AM PT. The former includes the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, Grounded 2, Keeper, Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 (which will have a reveal at Opening Night Live), and more. The latter will feature Ninja Gaiden 4, Overwatch 2, and The Outer Worlds 2, among other titles.

In the interview, Yoshida said that the decision to make Final Fantasy 16 to feature real-time action combat didn’t come about because of some attempt at trend-chasing by Square Enix’s leadership. Rather, the decision was made by the people actually working on the game. He also spoke about how the gameplay for any game tends to be more than just its combat system.

“With this question of turn-based versus action, it tends to isolate the gameplay to just the battle system,” Yoshida said. “That doesn’t take into account what kind of game the creators want to deliver to players.”

He explained that new Final Fantasy games are typically made to hit a new level of graphical quality. In the interview, he said that they are “based on a certain graphical quality we want to present to our players, or the narrative we want to deliver to our players”. Gameplay elements themselves are often left up to the game’s developers.

“It’s not a clear-cut answer, whether it will become all turn-based, or if it’s going to become more action-based,” he explained.

As for what we can expect from Final Fantasy 17 or 18, Yoshida also mentioned that he wouldn’t be helming the titles this time around. When it comes to gameplay, the company also doesn’t want to put any limits or hard requirements about what kind of combat will be featured in the next games.

“We also don’t want to obstruct or limit our future director or whoever will be producing the games like 17 or even 18. We don’t want to put them on a rail,” said Yoshida.

Final Fantasy 15 and 16 were considered big departures for the mainline series thanks to their real-time combat systems. Traditionally, the Final Fantasy franchise has either featured turn-based combat, or a twist on the turn-based formula which adds in a hint of real-time combat to it, dubbed the Active Time Battle system.

The success of Sandfall Interactive’s own turn-based RPG, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, had also recently prompted Square Enix shareholders to question the company’s leadership about the direction of the Final Fantasy series. When asked about this, president Takashi Kiryu spoke about how Square Enix still acknowledges the popularity of turn-based RPGs, and has plans to make and release more of them down the line.

Currently, when it comes to the Final Fantasy series, Square Enix has the third game of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy under development. It is worth noting that this trilogy also features real-time combat, albeit with some elements of the classic Active-Time Battle system.

Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles is also coming out at the end of September on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

Kiryu reportedly acknowledged the popularity of turn-based RPGs, and seemingly plans to have Square Enix develop and release more of them down the line. However, it is worth noting that no announcements or confirmations were made about whether we would see Final Fantasy return to its turn-based roots with Final Fantasy 17. In fact, the company is likely busy with the franchise in terms of several upcoming games, including the third part of the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, as well as the upcoming Final Fantasy Tactics – The Ivalice Chronicles.

The latter – a remaster of the seminal Final Fantasy Tactics released for the original PlayStation – was announced earlier this month. The game is slated for release on September 30, and will be coming to PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.

When it comes to the deeper aspects of the remaster, The Ivalice Chronicles will include Enhanced and Classic versions of the game. It will make use of the translation from the War of the Lions version that was originally released on PlayStation Portable. The Ivalice Chronicles will also include more modern visuals as well as some quality-of-life features.

As for the Final Fantasy 7 Remake trilogy, Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade recently got announced for release on Xbox Series X/S. While no release date has been given, the title will be coming to Xbox in Winter 2025. This likely also means that the second title in the trilogy – Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth – might end up coming to the platform some time next year.

Final Fantasy 16, on the other hand, recently made its way on to Xbox Series X/S. You can check out more details about the game in our review.

Back in March, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 game producer and Sandfall Interactive co-founder François Meurisse spoke about how the RPG was inspired by classic Final Fantasy games as well as more modern action games like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice.

“Those are big childhood games for Guillaume [Broche], our game director,” Meurisse said, talking about Final Fantasy 7, 8, 9, and 10. “He wanted to have like kind of feeling that he imagined would have remained in modern Final Fantasy-like games, if they had kept doing turn-based stuff. But he mixed also lots of different inspirations. Definitely Final Fantasy and JRPGs are the preeminent gameplay heritage we have. The defense system is more inspired by Sekiro and From Software games. It has this kind of rhythm element and a more real-time component in it. More skill-based.”

Meurisse also spoke about other inspirations, including card games like Slay the Spire that allow players to make use of unique mechanics through different combinations of cards.

“There are also lots of different smaller inspirations,” said Meurisse. “For example, the idea of having action points for skills in the battles is more inspired by deckbuilding games than having the usual like magic points scores or mana in RPGs.”

It proved to have a deep, rich setting powered by cinematic visuals and standout performances across the main cast, complemented by a masterful character action gameplay system that encourages experimentation, rewards precision, and provides spectacular feedback. Now, two years on from launch, Final Fantasy XVI finally makes the transition to Xbox after a shadow drop at the Xbox Games Showcase, and while the game itself is largely unchanged in its transition, coming to a new platform just means that more people can now play a genre-defining character action game.

"Two years on from launch, Final Fantasy XVI finally makes the transition to Xbox after a shadow drop at the Xbox Games Showcase."

In keeping with the genre’s tradition, Final Fantasy XVI’s main campaign is a grand fantasy epic with many thematic parallels to real-world issues. Here, in the kingdom of Valisthea, magic is supplied by towering mothercrystals and harnessed by so-called Bearers, who have largely been enslaved across the kingdom to use their magic for political purposes.

As the mothercrystals’ power dwindles, causing Blight to grow across Valisthea, a kingdom-wide battle for power, magic, and freedom ensues. Valisthea and its regions, shine thanks to its different leaders, and conflicts. Rulers make brash and questionable decisions rooted in their own flaws, and you are exposed to countless of this world’s most powerful people and get to experience why they make their decisions and how they reckon with them as they watch the consequences unfold.

Complicating the setting further is the existence of Eikons, massive magical beings that harness standard elemental powers, including Eikons of Fire, Wind, Lightning, and so on. These Eikons live inside of individual people, known as Dominants, who can summon these Eikons and harness their power for their own sake.

Many political or royal leaders in this world are Dominants, and the game begins on the night of the death of the Phoenix, the Eikon of Fire whose dominant, Joshua Rosfield, is the son of royalty in the country of Rosaria and the brother of the playable character, Clive Rosfield, as played by Ben Starr. Clive, who is originally only a Bearer, is enslaved after this incident until finding freedom 13 years later, where he discovers another Eikon of Fire and his ability to harness the power of multiple Eikons.

"Rarely does Final Fantasy XVI feel like it’s dragging out its runtime."

Thematically, the game covers issues like systemic oppression, racism, and power imbalances, and while it isn’t always the most subversive or tactful on the more difficult topics, the sheer ambition of its scale and the consistency in its performances make it one of the most impressive video game settings in recent memory. It constantly hits you with gut punches of revelations or major new events, and it somehow makes everything feel approachable and understandable.

Rarely does Final Fantasy XVI feel like it’s dragging out its runtime, because even when you are on smaller, lower-stakes main missions, you’re finding new opportunities to meet interesting characters, like Cid or Jill, or explore beautiful and often-decrepit landscapes. And when things do start to ramp up, the game finds ways to consistently raise the stakes visually, which culminates in an incredibly memorable third act that contains some of the most stunning gaming moments in recent memory.  

Even if a bit long-winded, the setting is well-paced and well-told, and it gives you ample resources to understand the lore and plot in this world. Its main innovation is Active Time Lore, which allows you to pause the game at almost any point in the world or in cutscenes to learn about the main characters or settings in the scene.

Additionally, when you go back to the Hideaway that acts as your home base, you can see fully-detailed descriptions of past events before and during the game to either fill in your understanding of the lore or get back up to speed if you missed something. It’s a small but revelatory addition that games have already started to mirror in the years since and still should serve as the model for how games can recount their lore. If you do want more than the main campaign, too, you can also explore around Valisthea and take on side quests or bounties in ways similar to other games, though with less freedom than in, say, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. While these give you a chance to continue exploring or battling, these often come across as relatively run-of-the-mill, with content that usually doesn’t amount to more than fetch quests or bounties that feel like they were relegated away from the main campaign.

"The most effective part of Final Fantasy XVI’s battle system is how it rewards you for finding new ways to string together attacks or other moves to ensure there’s never a dull moment."

Where Final Fantasy XVI foundationally differs from its counterparts is in its combat, basically its impressive real-time character action system. As Clive, you have traditional sword attacks and ranged magic attacks, but your ability to harness multiple Eikons allows you to equip special abilities from up to three Eikons at a time, giving you an arsenal of powerful attacks that can focus on one enemy or take down groups of them at a time.

The most effective part of Final Fantasy XVI’s battle system is how it rewards you for finding new ways to string together attacks or other moves to ensure there’s never a dull moment. More so than many other games with class- or job-based gameplay systems, I found myself looking actively for ways to make my Eikon abilities better interact with each other, finding the most optimal combinations of abilities to make sure I’m maximizing damage and not having to wait for too many abilities to cool down at once. You can also power up your standard attacks, dodge, or use one of a handful of movement abilities that allow you to keep moving and acting even while your attacks are cooling down or you’re waiting for the best moment to strike.

Empowering this is the stagger mechanic, which XVI brings over from past games in the genre. Staggered enemies are susceptible to all-out attacks from you and your allies, and a multiplier builds to increase the damage of any attacks on enemies until they get back up. Getting enemies into this state is inevitable and vital, so it naturally encourages you to master your arsenal and know the correct sequencing of attacks to maximize damage. Over the course of 40 hours, not only does it never get old to learn new attacks and figure out your favorites, but it becomes an almost musical experience when you execute everything perfectly.

While Final Fantasy XVI’s combat may lack the depth seen in some other games, it makes up for it with stunning visuals and satisfying feedback that set it apart from similar titles. Every attack, from the swing of a sword to the most powerful Eikon attack, feels incredibly satisfying to hit, with beautiful visual flair and surprisingly effective controller feedback.

When you reach the latter half of the game and the stakes truly ramp up, the visuals only further amplify how fun and effective the combat feels, especially as you reach some of the major boss battles that are the stars of the show. Without spoiling anything, boss battles are often brilliant and epic at massive physical scale, and the game does a phenomenal job at keeping you aware of what’s going on and engaged in the conflict. It doesn’t step in for scripted moments too frequently, and even when it does, I can usually forgive the QTEs for how slick and stylish they look.

"The best part about Final Fantasy XVI being on Xbox is that more people can now play a genre-defining character action game."

The only real drawback of the transition to a character action system is that combat can sometimes be too easy on standard difficulty. Once you get the hang of it, it’s not overly difficult to perform precision dodges, which negate all damage, and there are a few moments where the game takes over to emphasize the spectacle. Additionally, the fact that your potions and consumables fully replenish at each respawn means that death often feels like a reward, and it meant that I rarely had to fight a boss more than twice. Of course, higher difficulties and New Game + are available for those who want it, though, and they offer new reasons to come back and play through the game again.               

The best part about Final Fantasy XVI being on Xbox is that more people can now play a genre-defining character action game. While it differs from its counterparts in its gameplay, it brings a masterful character action system to the table that creates remarkably enjoyable and satisfying gameplay that encourages you to keep trying new things and ensure there’s never a dull moment.

Its setting, too, is an ambitious, thoughtful tale about human rights and systemic societal issues that gives players a huge slate of dark fantasy lore and world-building and sprinkles in some of the genre’s idiosyncrasies on top. It’s all pulled together by an incredible visual spectacle that constantly engages you and continues to one-up itself at every turn and amplifies every moment. Whether you’re a fan of the genre or of action games in general, Final Fantasy XVI embodies the best of its influences and remains a strong recommendation as one of the best action games of the generation.

This game was reviewed on Xbox Series X.

At the recent Xbox Games Showcase, Square Enix announced that Final Fantasy 7 Remake is finally coming to Xbox, with Final Fantasy 7 Remake Intergrade officially due out for Xbox Series X/S sometime this Winter. A specific release date has yet to be announced.

At the same time, Square Enix has also announced that 2023’s Final Fantasy 16 is now available on Xbox Series X/S. The action title is purchasable on Microsoft’s console today, with both of its expansions also available. Check out both of their Xbox announcement trailers below.

What does that mean for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth’s Xbox release? Leaks have claimed that the action RPG will release for Microsoft’s platform sometime in 2026. Read more on that through here.

30. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden

Don’t Nod’s second major action RPG, Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was released early last year, and it turned out to be a way better experience than Vampyr. Banishers: Ghosts of New Eden was an excellent action role playing game with plenty to do with story being its main focus. Throughout the game’s narrative, players would have to make tough decisions which can result in any of the five endings.

That’s per prominent leaker NateTheHate, who has claimed on ResetEra that Square Enix will soon be announcing Final Fantasy 16 for Xbox Series X/S. A release is apparently scheduled for some time “around Spring”, or the “mid-first half” of the year. The leaker says the port might be announced alongside the rumoured upcoming ports of Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Rebirth.

The latter two are rumoured to be coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 as well. According to NateTheHate, however, a Final Fantasy 16 release isn’t currently planned for the Switch 2, with Square Enix instead having decided to prioritize the Remake and Rebirth ports.

Final Fantasy 16 is currently available on PS5 and PC. Check out our review for the recently released PC version.