Final Fantasy XV came out on November 29th last year, after ten long years in development. I have yet to own a copy, but I had the pleasure of playing the opening chapters… after the not-so-pleasure of having the story completely spoiled for me. Couldn’t be avoided; November was ages ago.
The game is brilliant. In my opinion, the gameplay is nearly as rich as that of FFVII, the characters are more compelling and relatable than those of FFIX, the story is more intriguing than that of FFX, and it is thematically more thought-provoking than FFXII. In short, it is the best entry in the series, as far as I’m concerned.
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| One of the working titles was Goth Swordsmen in a Convertible. |
However, it is also obviously incomplete. This is a common occurrence in the video game industry these days: a game is in development, consuming resources for the corporate overlords who want a swift return on investment, so they set a release date developers must meet at all costs. This sucks, because not only do they have to cut content, but also, the publishers get to double-dip: if a gamer were to acquire all the patches and DLC as they come out, he or she typically would end up shelling out twice or thrice the amount a complete game usually costs.
Those of us wise to the practice have chosen to always wait at least a year before acquiring new games. Usually by then, an “Ultimate Edition” or a “Definitive Edition” or a “Game of the Year” edition has hit the shelves at normal cost, with all extra content available. The price: I now have premature, intimate knowledge of the plot of a game I do not own yet.
The cut content and rushed release date have undeniable consequences on the plot. The game offers a great story where six more months of development could have meant an amazing one. As things stand, there are many loose ends and unanswered questions.
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| If you only knew what she's looking at... |
Lunafreya should have been made a guest party member in Accordo, possibly exploring the isles with Noctis on a few quests to wake the Hydraean. Originally conceived as a foil for Noctis (note the contrast in character design), she is more than just his love interest: she is the Oracle of Eos, a mantle heavy with meaning and responsibility in the story especially as pertains to the journey of the prophesied king of light. Her journey is almost worth a game of its own, and the cost to her body and psyche is definitely worth exploring in more detail than a few short cut-scenes. I mean, we are supposed to care for her, but the story gives us little reason to, and because so much of her content was cut, she is reduced to yet another stoic woman whose actions and tragic fate serve only as motivation for Noctis. I mean, we could have had another character like Oerba Yun Fang: someone with her own motivation, a distinct personality, charisma, and so on. They did her wrong. So wrong...
The same holds true for Ravus, Lunafreya's older brother and perhaps the most regrettably underdeveloped secondary villain in the history of video games. His heel-face turn could have used a heavy dose of foreshadowing, preferably via a series of escalating confrontations with Noctis, and through exploring his relationships with Luna and Niflheim officials like Iedolaus, Verstael, Aranea and Ardyn.
And oh, Ardyn... Would that we had known more about the origin of his curse, and of his assumed identity. For this is the kind of Final Fantasy villain that I love: Kefka's madness, Sephiroth's poise, Vayne's cunning, Seymour's nihilism, all rolled into one. All he misses is a proper backstory.
But, as stated before, this story is great nonetheless. And coupled with a very clever gameplay and the most stunning visuals in the history of the series, Final Fantasy XV is a tremendously satisfying experience. The set pieces are of such breathtaking scale and beauty that just remembering them makes me feel a part of that world. Nothing quite prepares your jaw, for instance, for the vertiginous drop it experiences the first time each Astral lends you a hand in battle.
And don't let me get started on the music. All pieces of the score fit their allotted scenes, each note has its place, and the grandeur of the composition sets this soundtrack head and shoulder above the rest, without even factoring in the incredible rendition of Stand By Me by Florence + The Machine.
I will be waiting a while longer to sink my teeth into this title. The one-year mark is only a few months off, and even if a complete edition is not released, I can at least hope for a slightly lower purchase price. Then I can truly lose myself into this saga and the hundreds of hours of deliciously entertaining content it offers, like any Final Fantasy entry worth its salt should. I really look forward to it.
Note: All images property of Square-Enix
