LogFAQs > #978782056

What's unfortunate is that by the end of the game the sidequests are some of the best parts of the world but they're just so mundane in the first half. If you do all of them, though, 16 is easily the most dynamic, lived-in world in the mainline franchise. Towns and cities have their own goals and struggles which evolve with the world state, you actually get to know your blacksmith, shopkeep, etc and hear about their own history. In no other Final Fantasy (outside of the MMOs) do side characters and old locations get so much care and attention and by the end it really makes you appreciate everyone who has helped up until that point.