Final Fantasy XV Review (Xbox One, PS4) (Rated Teen)
This review may have a tinge of bias, Final Fantasy will always hold a very special place in my soul; I am sure many share that sentiment. Final Fantasy XV is a hugely ambitious title in the JRPG landscape, I have never played a game that was remotely similar to the grand scale and serene sense of joy that encompasses this hypnotic experience. You play as Noctis prince of Lucis off to save the realm from total darkness, But you're not alone on this epic quest as you're joined by three of your closet friends who are also your royal guard; Gladious a brave warrior, Ingnis a brilliant tactician and my personal favorite smart ass Prompto. Many games have wonderfully written companions, although XV takes things to a scarily natural level. While questing through the world alongside your friends, they will not only have plot related conversations; but, also point out the sights, make a joke, tell a story or hum the victory fanfare. You will spend a great deal of time on foot, but also in your customizable pimp mobile... I mean the Regalia, your sweet ass ride that will take you through this incredible new world.
Trekking through Lucis will have you visiting many small settlements, but also huge expansive city's that are simply awe inspiring. The main story line has what may seem to be a cliched plot at first, but upon greater inspection you discover that was very intentional. The main quest will at the least last sixty hours, which is a long time to string a complex plot along. Let's be honest if the plot was uber complex, you would have lost the millions of threads by the half way mark... Square wisely choose to focus on crafting a vividly realized world and characters that are both memorable, and relatable even within the melodramatic frame work Final Fantasy is known for. The plot is simple but effective due to the excellent world building on display, but more than that; it manages to be one of the best stores in the series, due to it's superbly written characters. The story is classic Final Fantasy, an epic tale of good vs evil that will never be original; but if your solely looking for originality, you will miss out on all the ways XV forge's it's own identity regardless of the individual parts.
As far as gameplay is concerned this is the first major overhaul the series has seen in over thirty years. While nearly all games in the series have used a passive or turn based combat system, Final Fantasy XV finally dips into Kingdom Hearts territory for active combat. Though the comparisons really end with the fact that both games have an active combat system, the way they work is totally different. XV in fact has combat that plays unlike any other action game on the market, you hold down the attack button and use the left analog stick to dance around your foes as you cleave them in twain; it is effective, visceral and damn satisfying. It takes guts to reinvent the wheel in such a tremendous way; this is not button mashing twitch based action, this is a dance of death with a sense of finesse and tranquility never seen in an action oriented game before. It also has far more depth than many will realize at first. You can equip four different types of weapons and conjure them on the fly mid attack, and each weapon is equally useful against the varied enemy types you will encounter as you cruise through Lucis.
Driving through Lucis is unlike other open world games with cars and driving mechanics, it is part automated and part manually controled; though you can have Ignis chauffeur you around town. This is not about racing through tight streets, this is about a cinematic journey through a gorgeous, spell binding world. While most games have a preconceived notion that it's even more fun if it's hard and frustrating as hell, Final Fantasy XV rebukes this trend. More than anything else regarding this game's innovation, it is that XV is not afraid to be a game that is about having fun and feeling a sense of utter joy. Their are of course a plethora of side quests; including but not limited to monster hunts, chocobo races and classic dungeon raids. This is where the game's challenge comes in, the side content features a greater challenge than the main quest line; yet as is true for the entire game it never becomes stressful. This is due to the challenge refusing to stem from success or failure, but from how fly you look while your doing it. Battles are always fun no matter if it is a flashy and fluid ballet of team work, or a constant back and forth full of "strife"... Yes I am too proud of that, yes I know it did not fit exactly as it should; but hey your mom enjoy's a tight fit.
Last but not least, is the legendary musical score that no Final Fantasy would be complete without. While I am unsure how the masses will respond to the game's original score that is featured as your on foot or in cut scenes; it is my personal favorite of the entire series. You have never heard Final Fantasy like this before; this is Final Fantasy by way of The Cure, and it is glorious. We are living in an age where it seems rather pointless to access how stunning a big budget game looks; yet XV is worthy because unlike other games that are content to look realistic with their lighting and effects, which XV does better than most; where it truly knocked it's visuals out of the park was with it's original and bold artistic vision. Like all games XV will not appeal to everyone, those with a cynical world view will likely despise it. But, if you give this cerebral experience a chance; you will inevitably fall in love with the breathtaking journey, through a stunning work of art.
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