Final Fantasy XV was a long time coming, after 10 years of development many had wondered and worried that it’d suffer the ‘Duke Nukem Forever’ syndrome where it’d be a trainwreck because of the switch in platforms and developers and a change in the overall vision from Versus XIII. I am glad to say that is not the case. What we get, while not up to probably the expectations that were set out it makes Final Fantasy relevant again and it’s a great game for both fans and newcomers to the series.
The story is by far the worst part about the game. That doesn’t mean it’s terrible but it’s a missed opportunity. The game pretty much requires you to do your homework. I highly recommend you watch Kingsglaive and Brotherhood before you play this. This is disappointing because every other FF game besides the direct sequels were standalone affairs. The storyline was self-contained in each game and you didn’t have to have any other knowledge to enjoy them. That doesn’t mean the plot is bad. The story is pretty interesting once you get that out of the way but it seems to lack direction. Another major issue is that all the important elements occur off screen. This doesn’t really work too well considering the scope of the plot. Then the last act it almost becomes a Quentin Tarantino-inspired script, while I personally liked the change, one of the chapters pretty much unloads a lot about the lore in a short amount of time. Though one good thing about the story is that it has arguably the best ending in the series and one that took me by surprise. It’s really well done and has the right amount of ambiguity but gives a solid conclusion.
While the plot isn’t great, one thing that is is the writing. The dialog is well written and the overall characterization is excellent. I thought I wasn’t going to care for the cast but it’s a very strong cast. It’s a small cast yes but each character was very important and the guest characters that join you are very well done too. My only complaint is that you can’t have more of these guest characters. I’m hoping a DLC fixes that, considering there is one female dragoon styled character that I wish could be a permanent party member and I know I’m not alone on this. With the cast being excellent it also gives us one of the best villains in the series. The main antagonist is wonderful, has great motivations, clear goals and is deadly. The main villain, whom I will not spoil who it is has a serious foreboding about themselves. He feels like a merge between Kefka, Sephiroth and Kuja and it works very well. Not the best villain in the series but he’s up there.
All the complaints about the story are nearly overshadowed by the gameplay. It’s real time but it does offer an interesting wait mode. I didn’t use it much but it’s a nice touch for those who just don’t like or aren’t good at action RPG’s. It’s fast, fluid, exciting and chaotic. The gameplay is very simple too, with only one major button but that doesn’t mean it’s boring. By far, I feel this is the best gameplay of the series. It just works well. The game also has tons of content but most of the side quests are filler MMO styled quests but there are a few interesting ones in there. I did get bored with most of the side quests but for those who want the most bang for your buck, it gives you plenty to work with.
If you just do the main story, it’s short. Only about 20-25 hours. If you do everything this game has to offer to expect at least 50+ hours of content. My first playthrough took me about 30 hours and me just barely touched the side content. The shortness of the main story is a disappointment considering how rushed the last act felt. The last act is also very linear. It felt like a missed opportunity and I feel the game should have focused more on the main story and less on things like the fetch quests that it has. With that being said, it’s fun, fluid and exciting. Even if the plot has issues the set pieces of the main story are clearly the best part about it and the locations you visit in the main story is exciting.
The 2/3rds of the game is very open and the environments are lush. It feels a bit empty but it’s understandable with the scope of this game. If you want to explore everything it will take you awhile. Thankfully the car while not the best driving in a game and is mostly on rails is a nice way to go. The Chocobo's though are the best iteration in the series. They have weight and speed and it’s awesome.
There is no new game + or co-op but Square has confirmed that both will be getting an implementation via DLC very soon. Keep that in mind it’s not out yet, though.
My only complaint about the gameplay is the magic. It’s very limiting. Only a handful of spells and they’re consumable items. You have to craft them. It’s a huge missed opportunity but when you do use magic it’s great because it affects everything including your own party but it would have been nice to have more magic, including an actual cure spell [without the use of consumables]. The MP bar almost feels like a missed opportunity. The gameplay does take everything wrong with the story and makes it enjoyable. It’s a feat. I played on the PS4 slim and the only performance issues I had was the game crashed once and sometimes it takes a little longer to save manually from time to time.
The graphics are beautiful. There is some random pop in but it’s not that much to detract from the experience. The NPC’s all behave realistically and sometimes I just glanced at them and watched their behavior. The environments are also beautiful. Some low texture areas for some reason, including the final location but everything else looked great. Not the best graphics of this generation but everything does look nice.
The sound design is great. The voice acting is superb and the music is one of the best OST’s in the game. Considering you can purchase every FF mainline soundtrack to listen in your car in the game with in-game money is terrific. It doesn’t have every song but it’s pretty much an ‘FF greatest hits’ album to speak. It really adds value. It also has options for both English and Japanese voice-overs for those who can’t stand the English VO’s but I felt they were all perfect and I have no complaints there.
All and all, it’s a great RPG. A great Final Fantasy. It’s not perfect. Has issues with the plot and at times, even with 10 years in development, the ‘rush to the end’ felt rushed. Could it of been the best in the series? Yes, it could have. Is it? No, it’s not but it’s my third favorite in the series and for good reason.
If you’re a fan of Final Fantasy and open to changes, give it a go. You’ll probably find something to love. If you’re a purist who hasn’t liked a single FF after IX then it might not be your thing but I suggest to rent it, you may fall in love with it. If you’re looking for a great action RPG and don’t mind some inconsistencies with the main story, you can not go wrong with Final Fantasy XV.
Graphics: 8/10
Story: 6/10
Gameplay: 8/10
Sound: 10/10
Final Score: 8/10