So Final Fantasy XV has been out for a while now, almost a full year. Now makes be a excellent time to review it after spending so much hands on time with the game. This is an exceptional period for newcomers to come into the game since it's easy to obtain a used copy, and a lot of DLC is on the way. Episode Prompto just released last week or so and it's already getting some attention. With out further wait, here is my review and thoughts of Final Fantasy XV.
(Okay I lied, just a little more wait. This should go without saying but, Viewer beware! This is minor spoiler territory! Also from now on I will be referring to the title as FFXV to save my fingers some presses.)
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The World
Since much of the game is focused on exploring the world, I will say I was underwhelmed by the size of it at first. When the map was revealed I was sort of shocked about how small it seemed. It looked like I could run around the entire world in about a day and, in all honesty, you would need about a day to do just that. This however is if you just run past everything and don't stop to admire the beauty of it. What it lacks in size it makes up for in depth and detail. Everything about the world is absolutely beautiful. From the sky box to the details in the grass and rocks. It looks like a living breathing world. It amazes me to see just how much time was put into this part of the game.
Noctis and his group of friends also get their fair share of details. When it rains, they get thoroughly soaked to the core. If you are running around in dirty areas they get muddy and collect dirt over time. When the sky goes dark, they make remarks about setting up camp or going to a hotel. They feel like real people, and more importantly like actual friends. This is a huge part of the game and makes it 10 times more enjoyable. It's nice to feel like you always have three people playing alongside you. The world is best explored and admired from the comfort of your car. While you can't control all of it's movement, and you are restricted to main roads, (if you are just starting the game) driving by the hills and absorbing the view is always fun to do. It never feels like you are wasting your time even if half your game will be spent sitting there.
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The Music
Once more the talented Yoko Shimomura makes her way onto one of my reviews. It seems the more she works, the more she manages to shock you with impressive and exceedingly powerful pieces. While not all of the songs are amazing, most of them are by far above average for game music. There are times when you hear a song during a scene and it blows you away from the sheer beauty. Twice in this game it happened where Noctis faced seemingly impossible enemies. The music kicks it up to a solid 15 and you feel like you've come close to the level of fighting titans. Music alone in this game makes up half of what it is and drives scenes forward. Without it, the story would be much duller than it is.
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The Gameplay
Music and beauty is all well and good, but what is a game if the gameplay is horrible? FFXV steps away from the classic turn based combat to something that matches it's beautiful world. The game is all about real time fights and flashy attacks. During combat your comrades are able to fight beside you and offer help by way of linking attacks with you, healing you, or being at your command to do special strikes. They are vital in your survival as you often go against enemies far above your level. Since the game is completely open most of the time, you are able to stride into dungeons way above your recommended level accidentally. Normally if you get knocked to 0 HP (Health Points) you would get a game over screen, but what FFXV allows you do to is interesting. If you get to that critical point, your partners have a short time frame to come and revive you. If they don't get to you in time then you get a game over, but in my play time I've seen very few thanks to them.
This goes the same way for you being able to help them. If you fail to heal them, they become unusable for the remainder of a fight. There is also a nice variety in enemies throughout the game. I rarely find myself bored of grinding through the same mobs repeatedly. The game has a nice way of mixing things up and spawning random enemies through out your travels. They are also very detailed and all have their own behavior. Most of the normal day time enemies can be avoided for a lengthy amount of time unless you provoke them. This means you wont be forced to enter combat over and over again. It is also quite easy to run away from a fight if you aren't doing to well or are in a hurry.
Combos can become repetitive if you don't learn how to mix and match them up. Each of your party members is assigned with a specific weapon group and they cannot leave that tier. Noctis on the other hand has free use to all of them ranging from guns, to swords and shields. This allows you to use different move sets and lets you switch between categories on the fly during combat. There is a notable lack in weapon changing though as you always find yourself going for the strongest one. Weapons don't really have that big of an ability usually and it's pretty much always better to just go for higher damage. Spells on the other hand are extremely fun to craft and take time to learn. Depending on how you like to play, you may find yourself trying all sorts of combinations.
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The Story
While the game seems pretty much positive in all ways each game has their weaknesses. For FFXV the story is sadly the biggest one. The game starts out at a decent pace, but then towards the middle it seems to turn into a jumbled mess. It's almost like they knew what direction they wanted to take the game, but lost it in the middle. It is also extremely short for my tastes and can be completed with little trouble in under 10 hours if you ignore side quests. It looks like at a lot of points in the gamethere were things that got cut. Cut scenes seem lacking and they feel incomplete most times. Even Noctis's love is shunned and given very little screen time. It's so bad that while you know she's supposed to be a main character, she feels like a glorified filler of sorts.
Luckily Square Enix has heard the fans complaints and is now dropping DLC to fill in those gaps. They want to fix their game and I respect them for putting the time into it. They could have easily left it as is and ignored it so I'm slightly impressed. While the DLC isn't free, it isn't wallet breaking either. You should be able to afford them if you choose to buy it. With this said, the story may feel rushed but they are at least fixing it. The end game wasn't half bad itself, the villain just lacked screen time as well. However it isn't nearly as bad as Noctis's lover. All in all, for such a huge title the story could be a lot better.
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Conclusion
Final Fantasy XV is a wonderful game for new and old fans. It has engaging action, and characters that feel real. The music is some of the best I've heard yet in games and some scenes are extremely powerful. Sadly it also lacks in some of those areas in big ways as well though. They made a world that feels real, but some important characters feel like space holders. The game feels like it wasn't fully ready for a release in all honesty. Beautiful worlds and diverse monster can't fully make up for a game that lacks basic story. This being said Square Enix is fixing that problem and soon we will have a full story worth all of your time. I would say absolutely buy this game used. It isn't worth your full $60 at this point, and the saved cash will help you with buying the DLC. In total I give this game a good 7.9/10 because it just barely falls before an 8.
Thanks to the wonderful companies and workers who put countless hours into these games! The effort you put into them to entertain us is astounding and really touching. Thank you for reading this post of mine! If you liked my post please up-vote, resteem, and follow me for future content! I really appreciate the support.
