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Final Fantasy XV was perhaps the most anticipated game to be released last year. Originally announced in 2006 as Final Fantasy versus XIII, the game seemed to be doomed to fail. Surely, with a ten-year development cycle and a shift between console generations, something catastrophic had happened. Surely it couldn’t possibly live up to expectations.
The World
FFXV takes place in the open world of Eos, a setting fairly similar to our own world. The lore of this world is rich and deep. The in-game mythos tells of six Gods that have a bond with the royal families of Eos, as well the long history between the world’s two warring nations, Lucis and Niflheim. Eos’ history is fleshed out in separate media, such as a film and a cartoon miniseries. The game offers a short guide to its lore as part of the tutorial which will reward those interested with a slightly enhanced experience, though it is not essential for those who aren’t. The modern setting gives those new to Final Fantasy an opportunity to get lost in the world. Little touches here and there (radio stations, overhearing conversations, readable tourist information boards) all make the world feel just that bit more believable.
Final Hallway XIII All Over Again.
The prospect of a western inspired, open world Final Fantasy had me intrigued, but what was delivered is simply not on par with some other existing RPG’s. The open world section, Lucis, is big. Really big. But much of it is empty landscape, populated by the occasional petrol station or fishing spot. From Chapter 9, the game is completely linear. The option is given to return to the open world to level up, but only as a backup in case your party is too weak for the final boss. I was hoping to see a Final Fantasy world with the density of Fallout 4 or the Witcher 3. The potential is there for an expansive world that feels alive, particularly with the amount of thought Square Enix has put into building the Final Fantasy XV Universe. The open world ultimately feels empty however, with not much to do outside of dungeons and hunts. Of course, with several pieces of DLC on the horizon, Lucis may some day be a more engaging setting.
The Story
Characters – If It Ain’t Broke Don’t Fix It.
The game follows Noctis, a reluctant prince on his journey across the world to marry his childhood sweetheart. Accompanied by his longtime friends Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus, the four travel in their car, The Regalia, which is a character in and of itself. The player can customise the car in order to truly make it their own.
The main characters are by far the best aspect of the story. While they do fit certain archetypes (Noctis – the reluctant protagonist, Prompto – the quirky best friend, Ignis – the brains, Gladiolus – the Muscle), the formula works. The chemistry between these characters is brought to life by exceptional voice actors. I somehow found myself beginning to care about characters that could have easily been an annoying boy band.
Noctis and his friends bond over the course of their journey in surprising ways. The trials and tribulations of their journey strengthen their friendship. As the player advances, they begin to learn parts of each character’s backstory, their family, their personality, even their favourite foods. Prompto takes candid photographs throughout each game day which the player can save. All this adds to the sense of camaraderie between the four friends.
Lost in Translation
Believable as the main characters are, the story is held back at times by padding, needless difficulty and poor localization. Chapter 13 is needlessly frustrating and detracts from a crucial point in the story. Square Enix has even announced that they’re working on a patch to make it more player friendly.
This being a JRPG, there are bound to be some cheesy lines, but some would not be out of place in a low budget primary school play. It was disappointing to see some emotional scenes lost in translation. Indeed, some were so cringe-inducing, I found it unbelievable that the writer looked at their script and thought “yeah, that’s how people speak”. While the Cringe Factor is undoubtedly characteristic of the Final Fantasy series, I felt that the game could have benefited from better localisation.
Sound and Graphics
The world of Eos is absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. Occasionally, a game comes along that is so visually impressive, the “screenshot” button becomes irresistible. FFXV’s desert highways, wooded forests and fantastical rock formations left me in awe and reaching for the share button. Though there are some noticeable frame dips, the game generally runs smooth at 30FPS on PS4 at 1080p and is due to receive a 60FPS patch in the near future for PS4 Pro.
Final Fantasy has an impressive catalogue of some of the most memorable scores in gaming, and FFXV only adds to it. The game is scored by Yoko Shimomura, the composer behind Kingdom Hearts. Noctis has a catchy and atmospheric theme, which I caught myself singing in my head at times. For old-school fans, the player can purchase soundtracks from past Final Fantasy games to play while travelling, making the occasionally lengthy car rides more entertaining. Square Enix knows the importance of score to Final Fantasy fans, and they have certainly delivered in this instance.
Mechanics
The player will spend most of their time fighting, driving or hunting. On paper this should be tedious, but the introduction of some new and interesting mechanics makes exploration enjoyable in the end.
Kingdom Come
FFXV represents a departure from traditional Final Fantasy gameplay. Initially under the guidance of Kingdom Hearts director Tetsuya Nomura, the game moved from turn-based to real time combat. For the most part, it worked out well. Fans of Kingdom Hearts will feel instantly familiar with the controls, while Final Fantasy veterans will feel more at home using the Wait Mode system as a means to scan enemies for weakness.
However, the use of magic takes a back seat as compared to previous instalments. This may come as a disappointment to long-time fans, but personally I felt that the game’s focus on physical combat was ultimately beneficial, letting me spend more time hacking and slashing Demons and less time fiddling around crafting spells. The Warp Strike mechanic is also introduced and is very satisfying to use, allowing the player to quickly teleport to an enemy and deliver a devastating blow. Combined with a unique levelling system, combat is fluid and rewarding. It draws on the best of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy, and is only occasionally let down by an awkward camera angle.
Git Gud, Skrub
One feature I really appreciated was the inclusion of a “beginner’s mode”. Those who had played the Platinum Demo for FFXV (myself included) were greeted in the tutorial by Carbuncle, a cat-like character who would revive Noctis in difficult battles should the player wish. FFXV offers a challenge for seasoned players but an accessible experience for newcomers.
Love/Hate
The side quests are unquestionably lackluster. Most are a variation on fetch-quests that have you go to an area, kill enemies, retrieve a an object, and repeat. This is another area where other RPG’s outshine Square Enix’s latest creation. That said, I keep coming back to the game mainly for the Hunts.
Hunts are side quests that reward the player with a bounty for killing enemies in a certain area. The harder the enemy, the bigger the reward. This system even gives access to some secret boss fights, which can be immensely satisfying when tackled correctly.
Final Verdict
Something about Final Fantasy has always put me off the series. I’ve never been a fan of the deep lore, grinding out experience for hours on end, or the otherworldly setting. I’ve tried out FFVII and FFXIII and could not bring myself to become immersed in their worlds. But Final Fantasy XV is accessible in a way that no other entry in the series is. The well-crafted world, the modern yet fantastical setting, the satisfying mechanics and gripping story all come together to make Final Fantasy XV a game that I won’t soon forget.
When the game starts up, a statement of the development team’s creative vision appears before the title screen:“A Final Fantasy for fans and first timers” FFXV certainly lived up to this vision, and thwarted all expectations of failure.
