Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsThe best since X, and a bold step in the right direction for the franchise
Reviewed in the United States on December 9, 2016
NOTE: This is a long review, so I'm putting in sections in all caps. The INTRO is just a summary of my personal waiting period for the game and I've included it to give the reader perspective of where I was coming from when I first put the game into my PS4. The REVIEW section has all of the details you'd expect from a review. Should also be noted that this is a review of the 1.02 version of the game (Day 1 patch) and I played this on its dynamic 900-1080p resolution on a standard PS4. The director has promised more details to come, with further story clarification via free DLC, among other upcoming features, both free and paid, so this review isn't guaranteed to stand the test of time.
INTRO: I was at home, looking over a friend's copy of Game Informer when I saw the news ten years ago. Final Fantasy XIII was getting paired with another game, and one that seemed to be against what XIII was, to the point that it even had "Versus XIII" in the title, like it was gunning for a fight. The trailer was just as violent as the title seemed to imply, with our hero coldly and stoically warping from soldier to soldier, killing them all with a kind of lazy ease. He was cool, if a bit edgy for my taste, and I wanted to fly around in the same fashion once I learned the game was going for action rather than the turn based format traditionally in tune with the franchise.
As the months and eventual years went by I started seeing less and less of Versus XIII and more of XIII, and when the news trickled down into rumor territory, I took it as a quiet cancellation of Versus XIII. It made sense that they'd drop something, considering their risky Fabula Nova Crystallis direction (which I never liked) so I wasn't entirely surprised. XIII eventually came out, and 480 hallways, less than stellar characters, and a gigantic circle that was supposed to be an open world later, I left impressed only with the visuals and moved on. XIII-2 and 3 arrived without much reaction from me, and Final Fantasy just kind of faded into great memories I had from the first ten games, and hope for the fourteenth (and when that turned out to be a second online game, fifteenth) installment for the franchise.
Then E3 2016 happened and, around nine years after I thought I'd forgotten it, I saw that same black clad hero, warping from one enemy to another, fighting Titan, looking up at Leviathan, summoning Ramuh, running around in a huge open world with three friends who I recognized years before, with the freedom that XIII seemed to have abandoned. Somehow it came back under my nose. It was undeniably different, sure, but the changes didn't feel unwelcome, or even all that numerous. I got a Playstation 4 partially for that gameplay demo, and started following the now titled Final Fantasy XV again. It was a long 5 to 6 month wait, and the anime and tie-in film, while enjoyable, did little to shorten it. When it did come out I was relieved, to say the least. The wait was finally over, and I was as ready as it got.
REVIEW:
But was it worth the wait? I wasn't too sure at first. Its tone is very lighthearted at the early stages, and it does have some technical shortcomings, but now that I've really savored the contents of this game, and completed its story, I'd say yes. It was worth the wait. In fact I'd say it's the best Final Fantasy we've had since X was released fifteen years ago.
GRAPHICS: This game is genuinely beautiful, though like its predecessors, it tends to prioritize certain visuals in favor of others. NPCs, for example, won't look as good as the main characters and background food stands won't be full of the photorealistic dishes Ignis provides the party. That said, where the graphics shine, they really shine. Water dripping down the side of your car in the rain. Realistic and varied clouds floating through the sky. Detailed and well designed enemies. Great lip syncing during story cutscenes. Dynamic effects such as snow on your clothes after casting Blizzard. Truly magnificent, even godlike, summons. Gorgeous and extravagant setpieces The most appetizing in game food to ever grace a video game.
In contrast there is the occasional ugly NPC and low quality texture, with priority on what the team really wanted you to see and what they expected you to see often. A similar tact to the difference between Auron in a higher quality cutscene next to a generic NPC in FFX.
STORY: To be clear, Final Fantasy XV's main narrative is the shortest since Final Fantasy 1, and it took me around 25 hours to finish. Some characters also did feel left behind as the party moved onto the next destination, and it was clear that the director wanted total focus on its main characters and the game's primary antagonist. You'll find some development among some secondary characters, but they definitely took a backseat to the title characters.
That said, it is steeped in character development and struggle from its main cast, is very subtly and atmospherically told, and it ends on a very satisfactory and emotionally impactful note.
I strongly recommend to watch the feature film, Kingsglaive (included with the Deluxe edition or sold separately) to fully understand parts of the narrative, as the post-patch cutscenes cover a very barebones version of events preceding the game. I'd also suggest watching Brotherhood, but only because it's free and decent in its own right. It bears far less to the main story than Kingsglaive, which I'd argue is vital to XV's narrative. That said Brotherhood does get alluded to in the game, especially regarding one of the main characters. I also suggest you pay attention to everything. This story doesn't always jump out at you and is instead woven into the world. This is a kind of natural storytelling that really appealed to me, but it's easy to miss.
GAMEPLAY: The Active Cross battle system introduced in the final release is one of the coolest mutations of the Kingdom Hearts system I've ever played. Aside from some foliage based camera issues in which leaves and trees can block your view, the combat is fluid, fun, very timing-based, and demands situational awareness on many fronts in order to be played well. While overlevelling in the story can definitely happen, luckily this issue is being addressed via an upcoming level cap patch along with a new hard difficulty setting. I can't say anything about Wait Mode, as I had neither desire nor inclination to use it. The Ascension system was basically just a skill tree, but added plenty of spice to the combat, and the equipment variety made for an enjoyable experience. The magic system and its experimental nature was fun to play with and beautiful to look at.
The dungeon designs in XV are some of the best since Final Fantasy IX, at times surpassing even the best FF titles in their intricacy. You can tell that this is where the game really sought to stand out over Final Fantasy XIII, with its many straight corridors. No two dungeons in XV are alike, and are filled with traps, secrets, and unique features, like climbing a steep hill while trying not to slide to the bottom, or pushing through a maze of cubes while running into opposition on the way. On two occasions I got legitimately lost due to their labyrinthine and layered structures. In a game full of little highlights, the dungeons are by far the most impressive, and I'd love to see this dungeon designer work again and more often in the future.
The fishing minigame was a pleasant surprise thanks to the inclusion of limited line health that adds intensity and challenge, especially when dealing with larger fish. The randomly occuring camping minigames were also enjoyable, and sparring turned out to be a bigger challenge than I expected. Other games like Chocobo racing, Justice Monsters Five, monster fight betting, and small one-off games dotted here and there were all fun little distractions that reminded me of the PSX titles in a good way. Quests range from common fetch quests to many many monster hunts; on the generic side, but the gameplay and dungeons make up for them.
After around 50 hours of playing and not yet at 100% I still haven't found this game boring, with the dungeons still throwing me unexpected curveballs.
MUSIC: Yoko Shimomura's captivating and atmospheric compositions were a great fit for the game and its dual theme. Her score was brilliant. The inclusion of various tracks from many Final Fantasy titles of the past was also a great touch, and a very welcome addition while driving from place to place.
TECHNICAL PERFORMANCE: Unfortunately this game does have its share of minor bugs, but from my experience they've all been both minor and brief thus far. The framerate on a standard PS4 also dips in small places, though this happened rarely. The fact is that despite all of the updates there are still flaws here and there, but nothing compared to earlier prerelease demonstrations.
IN CONCLUSION: Final Fantasy XV is a labor of love, and I did feel that over the course of the game. The story was beautiful and rewarding, albeit shorter and more quietly told than its predecessors. The gameplay is fun and exciting, with exceptionally designed dungeons and memorable bosses. The atmosphere is all consuming and incredibly comfy. The tonal shift between the two halves of the game was expertly crafted and emotionally compelling.
This is a game that I can gladly put in my collection, and it is fantastic that Square has finally placed its crosshairs in the right direction after all these years.
