If the game doesn’t gel with you that just might be how it is. FF16 is very much Game of Thrones meets Dragon Ball Z, so you probably need to vibe with at least one of those aesthetics for this to grab you.
I will say though:
1) FF games always do edgelord characters better than any other series. The narratives always revolve around the personal arcs and growth of the protagonists in a way that few other series achieve. Their edginess is always an obstacle they need to overcome. It’s not just for the sake of being cool.
Also, if you play to the end of the first half of the demo, Clive’s attitude is shown to be completely justified. He starts the flashback section as a respectful, thoughtful, well-mannered 15 year old who absolutely adores his younger brother despite being passed over for the throne. Then shit gets Ned Stark bad and you totally see why he is the way he is when he is 28.
2) The environmental design of the game becomes absolutely gorgeous from what they show in the trailers. That’s always been a strong suit of Square, even in the games I hate (FF15, FF13).
3) The combat is spammy only in the beginning of the tutorial because it’s giving you space to learn the controls. If you button mash in the second half you get wrecked hard. There is a reason the combat designer for Devil May Cry 5 called this game his masterpiece. It’s technically deep. I don’t even like DMC, Bayonetta style games, but I can’t stop playing this demo. It’s easy to pick up but there is so much to learn.
So that’s my 2 cents. As with anything, your subjectives tastes are your own, of course.
