Final Fantasy 15 Review Roundup

After years in development--and a recent delay--Final Fantasy XV is finally here, releasing November 29. As such, reviews for Square Enix's much-anticipated RPG have started to appear online.

Conan O'Brien may have called it an "epic waste of time," but most critics seem to disagree. A selection of opinions are collated below, while a wider view can be found at GameSpot sister site Metacritic. For more, check out GameSpot's own Final Fantasy XV review.

• Game: Final Fantasy XV
• Developer: Square Enix
• Platforms: PS4, Xbox One
• Release: November 29
• Price: $60

GameSpot -- 8/10

"While it's safe to assume fans and outsiders will find some aspect of Final Fantasy XV disappointing--be it the shallow story or finnicky Astrals--it would be hard for anyone to deny that Final Fantasy XV is a fascinating game after giving it a chance. Where its characters fail to impress, Final Fantasy XV's beautiful world and exciting challenges save the day." -- Peter Brown [Full review]

IGN -- 8.2/10

"When I'm riding chocobos across the beach at dusk with my three friends and hunting iconic Final Fantasy monsters in a huge, picturesque open world, Final Fantasy XV feels like nearly everything I could want from a modern Final Fantasy. But when it funnels me into linear scenarios and drab, constricted spaces that plunge the simplistic combat into chaos, my blood boils a bit. There is so much good here, so much heart -- especially in the relationships between Noctis and his sworn brothers. It just comes with some changes and compromises that were, at times, difficult for this longtime Final Fantasy fan to come to grips with." -- Vince Ingenito [Full review]

Polygon -- 9.0/10

"Final Fantasy XV's own opening text describes it as 'a Final Fantasy for fans and newcomers alike.' The game contains pieces sure to disappoint players in both camps, but it also provides a refreshingly human take on the classic RPG journey that I hope will inspire future games in the franchise. Final Fantasy XV can be baffling in some of its questionable choices, but across the board, it hits more than it misses. It hums with an energy and compassion that I loved, a sense of camaraderie, friendship and adventure that fills an old and struggling formula with new relevance." -- Philip Kollar [Full review]

Eurogamer -- No score

"For a series universally known and loved for its emphasis on storytelling, can I recommend a Final Fantasy game despite its unsatisfying story? Instinctively I'd say no, but even as someone who prized the narratives of previous games I still found myself going back to XV's early stages to seek out new challenges after I'd concluded the main campaign. And it's clear that Final Fantasy XV benefits from a vision, one that emboldened its developers to try new things and reinvent a series while reclaiming the scale that its most ardent fans are used to. In chasing that scale the bigger picture can sometimes get a little obscured, but importantly Final Fantasy XV retains that love of smaller stories, the ones that often prove to be so much more memorable." -- Aoife Wilson [Full review]

Game Informer -- 8.5/10

"Final Fantasy XV is unlike any RPG or open-world experience I've played before. It succeeds and struggles in finding its unique stance, but a few problematic designs don't hold it back from being a hell of a journey. Just days after playing it, I find myself reflecting on it fondly. The thoughts of that damn car are recessed and blanketed by Noctis' journey and some of the stunning moments that unfolded within it. I wasn't a fan of Final Fantasy XIII's sequels, but I hope Square returns with another XV or a similarly designed sequel to iron out the rough spots. There's a solid foundation here that begs to be explored further." -- Andrew Reiner [Full review]