Final Fantasy XV is a beautiful game that gets almost everything right. Though the plot glosses over some important pieces of lore, Final Fantasy XV‘s overall narrative is epic and engrossing, its gameplay is deep but accessible, and its main characters are some of the strongest in the series.
Final Fantasy XV
Developer: Square Enix
Price: $59.99
Platforms: PS4 (reviewed), Xbox One
Final Fantasy is a special series to me. Its characters, worlds, and narratives are a part of my very core as a gamer. I’ve been waiting for Final Fantasy XV since its announcement as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, going through phases of excitement, apathy, and optimism throughout its development cycle. As Final Fantasy XV‘s release date finally approached, I felt as excited as I did way back when. After this long wait, my expectations were understandably high, and though it’s not perfect, I can say with full confidence that it was well worth the wait.
As you start the game, you assume the role of Prince Noctis Lucius Caelum, a young royal who’s due to marry his kingdom’s opposing nation’s Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Noctis and his four friends, each of varying rank to the kingdom of Lucius, set out on a road-trip to the wedding, with the hopes of securing peace and freedom between the two nations. Things quickly take a turn for the worst as Noctis’s father is killed in the treaty signing, while Noctis and friends are stalked by an uncomfortably pleasant man named Ardyn. Determined to find Luna and to save their kingdoms, Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus set out to battle the sinister Empire, find the six gods, and confront the increasingly dangerous Ardyn.
The tone of Final Fantasy XV‘s story is often Shakespearean, presenting moments of great tragedy in cinematic, but powerful ways. While many of the powerful scenes have a great deal of symbolism, presented in fantastical and surreal ways, the most moving moment in the entire game simply takes place as the main party is gathered around a campfire. Final Fantasy XV‘s ability to create these powerful scenarios while avoiding an overdose of melodrama is one of its greatest strengths, as it keeps the otherworldly story grounded, or as grounded as this type of story could be.
The most poignant moments in Final Fantasy XV revolve around the characters and their interactions, due to the genuine bond between the four main characters. Never before have I seen a game capture the essence of a deep friendship so well, and with such emotional weight. Noctis, Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus interact like true friends, poking fun at each other, calling one another by their own unique nicknames, and even playing video games together. While the group has its own dynamic, each character also shares their own unique bond with each individual member. Ignis is something of a mentor to Noctis, while he’s more of a mature equal to Gladio. Prompto is clearly Noctis’s old school friend, while he’s more of an immature kid to Gladio. These bonds form the heart of Final Fantasy XV, as they make you genuinely care about the well-being of the group.
“Never before have I seen a game capture the essence of a deep friendship so well, and with such emotional weight.”
The story’s greatest issue is that it isn’t as clear as it should be. The world and backstory of Final Fantasy XV heavily leans on political drama and intrigue, a risky move for the best pieces of media. While Final Fantasy XV pulls this off better than Final Fantasy XII did, it doesn’t quite give you enough information to follow these events cohesively. The companion pieces to Final Fantasy XV, the short anime series Brotherhood and the movie Kingsglaive, are essential to understanding the world and hierarchy of the characters of Final Fantasy XV. While it’s great that there is supplementary material out there for people who love the game, these outside pieces of media shouldn’t be necessary to understand the plot of the game itself. Certain characters even disappear or die seemingly randomly partway through the game. While Square Enix has said that this will be largely fixed in future updates, it’s off-putting to see such a sudden change in the story come out of nowhere.
Final Fantasy XV shines in its gameplay, a truly unique type of action-based RPG combat. Using a number of different weapons, you slash, stab, and shoot enemies in real-time. Noctis can instantly switch between four weapons, chosen by the player. While Prompto, Gladiolus, and Ignis have their own designated weapon types, Noctis is able to use anything. Swords, lances, guns, and daggers are all available at any time, as well as special weapons found in tombs throughout the game. Each weapon is used in entirely different ways, which is reflected in the feeling of weight and power that comes from the usage of each type.
After locking on to an enemy, you slash away at an enemy using combos and warps in a way not unlike the Kingdom Hearts series. Using your tech bar, you can also do team attacks, called Link Combos, which show off your teammates’ skills. You can also use magic, which you craft in the Elemancy menu out of Fire energy, Ice energy, and Lightning energy. Magic is stunning in Final Fantasy XV, but the range of its strikes can be frustrating. Magic will often hit teammates because of its friendly-fire, and your party members are rarely smart enough to get out of the way in time. That’s the only issue I had with combat, as it was otherwise incredibly satisfying.
There’s also an alternate “Wait Mode” for combat, where you can freeze combat to plan and execute your next move. This mode is functional, and makes combat easier, but it’s overall just a convenience for people who aren’t fond of the faster pace that Final Fantasy XV has.
Outside of combat you’ll roam around the open world, doing side-quests, camping out, riding Chocobos, and more. The world of Final Fantasy XV is enormous, with different climates of every type spread across the map. While running around the world is fine, your car, the Regalia, is the best way to travel. While you can’t go off the roads, the Regalia is still infinitely faster than walking, and can be driven by both the player, and by the AI through Ignis. Soundtracks from previous Final Fantasies can be bought throughout the world, which is a nice touch of nostalgia for series regulars. The smallest features of Final Fantasy XV are immensely satisfying. Finding new recipes for Ignis to cook, saving Prompto’s funniest photos, or trying to catch an enormous fish all prove to be addictive, and incredibly gratifying.
Final Fantasy XV‘s abundance of side-quests is fantastic, though most of them are fairly simple fetch missions or hunts. These missions still add to the world and the story in minute ways, while normally adding upgrades and enhancements to your weapons, car, or items. There’s an especially robust amount of endgame content as well, with huge new hunts, secret dungeons, secret weapons, and a fantastic car upgrade that can be found. Players won’t run out of content for some time after the credits roll, which is a plus for any long-form RPG.
“Finding new recipes for Ignis to cook, saving Prompto’s funniest photos, or trying to catch an enormous fish all prove to be addictive, and incredibly gratifying.”
Final Fantasy XV‘s visuals are gorgeous, and some of the best I’ve seen this generation. While the characters all look amazing, the locations, monsters, and particle effects stand out. Towns and stretches of land are full of small details and effects that make them feel alive, while monsters all move in different ways that fit their creature type. The Adamantoise is especially impressive, as it is literally the size of a mountain. Magic is stunning as well, with the results of each lightning strike, ice flash, and fire burst remaining evident after their usage. Ashes float through the air, sparks emanate from enemies, and snow blows around off of frosted ground, making the world feel fallible and always-changing.
Final Fantasy XV‘s soundtrack, composed by Yoko Shimomura of Kingdom Hearts fame, is as epic and grand-scale as the world it compliments. Towns and roads have relaxing music that’s memorable while remaining non-intrusive, while battles have tracks that burst with energy. The orchestral tones make each song feel more gorgeous than the last, especially towards the end of the game. Major bosses and events have music that is, frankly, awe-inspiring, giving you extra drive in performing fantastic combos to destroy the numerous enemies you face. The sound effects are crisp and and satisfying, with the crack of lightning or the slash of a sword fitting their actions perfectly.
The Final Word
Final Fantasy XV is game full of beauty, weight, and most of all, fantastic characters. The gameplay is fun and fluent, the visuals and sound are epic, and the characters and story are deep and moving. While certain storylines need to be better fleshed out, Final Fantasy XV still excels at the top of its genre, making it well worth the wait.
-MonsterVine Review Score: 4.5 out of 5 – Great
