The past two months have seen at least four games worthy of a GOTY nomination later this year at The Game Awards. But, when it all comes down to it, exclusives almost always get a leg-up over their competition. It's usually because of how much more polished they usually are. In that case, one of the slots has The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom written all over it. Meanwhile, another should go to Final Fantasy 16, especially now that the review embargo has lifted and critics have had a chance to air their thoughts about the latest entry in the award-winning series.

With a legacy spanning three decades, the Final Fantasy franchise is an icon and a cornerstone of its genre. After a seven-year hiatus since the release of the last mainline installment, the heavily anticipated Final Fantasy 16 is finally here. Released exclusively for PlayStation 5 by the renowned Japanese gaming company, Square Enix, Final Fantasy 16 has already earned resounding accolades from critics, with an impressive score of 88 on Metacritic and 90 on OpenCritic, both of which are, at the very least, well-deserving of a GOTY nod.

Throughout the game's development, Square Enix whetted fans' appetites with engrossing trailers and a tantalizing demo, leading to heightened expectations for this new addition to the Final Fantasy series. Hopes were high that Final Fantasy 16 would achieve the coveted perfect score from Famitsu, a feat recently accomplished by The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. However, the game narrowly missed out, scoring an impressive 39/40.

Still, between the initial hype the demo generated, that marketing stunt over at the Tower of London, and now, the glowing reviews, the only thing missing from Final Fantasy 16 now is to get it to everyone.

But, if you insist on checking out what kind of scores Final Fantasy 16 is getting, you may check our round-up below:

• GameRant - 5/5
• Dexerto - 5/5
• GamesRadar+ - 4.5/5
• PlayStation Universe - 9.5/10
• Push Square - 9/10
• GamingBible - 9/10
• DualShockers - 9/10
• IGN - 9/10
• GameSpot - 9/10
• Inverse - 9/10
• Press Start Australia - 9/10
• Game Informer - 8.5/10

The previous mainline Final Fantasy title, released in 2016, received mixed reviews from fans and critics, leaving many fans to feel that the game was incomplete. This led to the release of DLC episodes and a canceled expansion, which resulted in a literal storybook ending for the story albeit not in a good way.

Since then, only Final Fantasy spin-offs and remasters have come out, with Final Fantasy 7 Remake receiving massive critical acclaim.

With the release of Final Fantasy 16, Square Enix aims to set a new tone for the series, carrying the burden of propping up PlayStation's quarter.

Perhaps learning from Final Fantasy 15's mistake, Square Enix doesn't seem concerned about releasing post-launch DLC as well as expansions at all. The development team has said many times over that the focus is on launching it in the best state possible, even promising to roll the game out without a Day One patch although this was later changed due to a much-needed but relatively minor update.

For what it's worth, Creative Business Unit III's best efforts appear to have worked. FF16 is now the seventh-highest-rated PS5 game of all time, sitting just behind Street Fighter 6 and Resident Evil 4 Remake for PS5 games released this year.

Despite varying scores on Metacritic and OpenCritic, FF16 has consistently ranked higher compared to FF7 Remake. The only barometer left here is the sales, which is already out of Square Enix's hands.

Ultimately, the clear winner here is Sony and the PlayStation 5, which will enjoy a fruitful opening quarter this fiscal year, bookended by the release of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth earlier next year.