In Defense of Final Fantasy XV

With the series' sixteenth main instalment announced alongside the next generation of home consoles, fans were salivating at the opportunity to return to a medieval-like setting as the series aims to recapture the magic of the PS1 era of JRPG's. The Final Fantasy fanbase is one of the most devoted in video games, and with high praise of previous titles comes high scrutiny when the series (quite often) struggles to find its footing. 

Dating back to 1987, the seasoned franchise has seen a multitude of main-series games and a smattering of spin-offs to boot, selling over 142 million units in it's 32 year reign as the most influential Japanese Role Playing Game franchise of all time. Despite each game --for the most part-- being completely stand-alone, the franchise is historically difficult for newcomers to jump on board. However, the most recent game in the series, Final Fantasy XV, has managed to introduce first-time players to the world of Final Fantasy without scaring them off by way of endless side-activities, complex (and often confusing) storytelling and puzzling gameplay elements.

As a big fan of the genre, the fact that I had never seen a Final Fantasy game through to it's conclusion (I've put a fair amount of time into VI and IX but nothing significant) has been a thorn in my side for years. Despite my adoration of Atlus' Persona series and my insistence that Level 5's Ni No Kuni II is deserving of far more critical and commercial praise, it was always in the back of my mind that I must be an illegitimate JPRG fan since I'd never hopped onto a Chocobo, summoned Leviathan or played Triple Triad. However, when scanning the PlayStation Store searching for a game to sink my time into after playing my fair share of Smash Bros Ultimate, I came across Final Fantasy XV. I'd heard from review outlets and friends that this entry in the series was worthy of a look so I nervously forked out the £10 it cost me for the privilege (this did mean that my diet would have to consist of ramen noodles and Tesco pizza, being a student and all).
So I got home, inserted the disc into my dusty launch PS4 and got to work.

Final Fantasy XV is a shining example of  the fusion between traditional, ain't-broke-don't-fix JRPG mechanics and the epic scale of western efforts. You'll still be popping potions during intense combat encounters and jumping from point to point on a sprawling world map, but the real-time action battles and scores of side-quests will be familiar to the average Fallout vault dweller.

It's easy to criticise cheesy dialogue and convenient plot devices when looking at a 21st century title through an objective lens, but while iconic JPRG's of yesteryear are often far more prone to such flaws (Cloud's cross-dressing antics in Final Fantasy VII, anyone?), we glance at it through a barrage of nostalgia.

Aesthetically, Final Fantasy XV is a game that's constantly at odds with itself, as the series' inching away from high-fantasy settings has piqued in the land of Eos. Flitting between modern, even futuristic technology and medieval weaponry, social hierarchies and world-building. However, while the aesthetics feel inherently contrasting, the presentation isn't a million miles away from what we've come to expect from the franchise. We haven't really seen atmospheric harmony between games since Final Fantasy IX at the turn of the millennium, so inconsistent has really become the new consistent.

Hopping into a seemingly-new, drop-top luxury car after bending the knee to the king of the realm on your way to battle monsters using ancient weaponry should make the presentation feel disjointed and jarring, but like its predecessors, it doesn't feel out of place at all.


The overarching narrative is, to many, the most significant flaw of Final Fantasy XV. Criticised for its convoluted plot, inconsistent voice acting, unimaginative villains and incomplete story, naysayers believe that Noctis' journey stumbles at the hurdle that the series usually sails over so effortlessly. 

It's true that XV doesn't have the gutpunch of Aerith's death in VII, or the iconic opera scene to carry its emotional weight. The story falls behind character development this time around, and catering to four, unique and interesting party characters (that are with you throughout) means its their personal journeys that fuel the game's main narrative.

Instead of distinctive plot points raising the curiosities of people who crave a good story, Final Fantasy XV instead appeals to emotion, but does it through epic set pieces and a mesmerising original music score. The narrative is lacking if you haven't dived into the anime, film or anything else, but the scope of some of the scenes coupled with a jaw-dropping score made my bottom lip curl on more than one occasion. Unlike titles like Telltale's The Walking Dead, Naughty Dog's The Last of Us or Ubisoft Montpellier's Valiant Hearts which make you emotional through conventional storytelling, Final Fantasy XV packs an emotional punch not through the story but the way in which it is delivered. The music is epic, the cutscenes are mesmerising and the sound design is simply incredible.

Final Fantasy XV's glitzy gameplay drew mixed reactions from fans and critics alike, with the mesmerising graphics that coincided with the combat skyrocketing expectations. The reality of the battle mechanics were deceptively simple, with limited button combinations needed to slash through a barrage of bad guys. Yet, with the volume of enemy encounters littered across its expansive open world, anything more complex would have made each confrontation a chore. It's mindless enjoyment, and with the narrative weight pushing the player to continue on, the change from strategic turn-based combat to streamlined hack-and-slash gameplay compliments the other components of the game, and maintains the pace that's so well crafted.

In hindsight, the combat presented in Final Fantasy VII Remake is the best possible development upon the action-heavy mechanics of XV, and the latter feels decidedly lacking as a result. While this could be perceived as a knock on XV (and my fanboy-ish nature is desperately justifying every negative), instead it feels far more like a critical learning curve to get to the paradise that we're spoiled by now. The combat in XV is by no means a great system, and the lack of control the player has is noticeable some 6 years after its release, but it allows for the hefty slog of most JRPG's to be significantly eased this time around.

The decision to return to a more comfortable, high-fantasy setting akin to Game of Thrones or Arthurian legend in the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI may very well be a result of poor critical reception of XV. The overwhelming belief by fans is that it's the right response, but this being a mart choice doesn't mean that XV wasn't still a step in the right direction. 

There have been precious few entries in the Final Fantasy series since the PS1 era that are looked at fondly. XI was woeful, XII mediocre and XIII (all three of them) boring. XIV's focus on massive multiplayer doesn't stop it from being a truly exceptional game, yet when it's the only beloved game since 2000 in a series that used to be nothing but, it's hard for fans of XV to not voice their frustration.

Final Fantasy XV sits alongside the rest as a delightful, heart-felt and revitalising instalment in the aging series. Noctis, Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis are truly great Final Fantasy characters, and though their adventure has a few bumps in the road it's paved with something special.