After the release of the high-definition CG movie Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV (2016), animation Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV (2016), and the video game Final Fantasy XV (2016), the value of the FFXV IP and fans’ endearment to the series prompted Square Enix to spend two year creating a pocket version of FFXV. Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition is now available for the Universal Windows Platform and now playable on PC, laptops, and Surface tablets. The first chapter of the game is free to play, and the remaining chapters (from 2 to 10) are available for purchase individually or as bundle. Not only is it on PC for the first time, but it’s also available on Apple Store and Google Play Store.
The pocket edition strays from the original FFXV style to a chibi cartoon style, where the character’s head is between one-third of the character’s height. Besides retelling the story and reproducing the battles, the game retains all the fun elements of Final Fantasy XV such as the car chasing, hunting, cooking, etc., with tidier game interface and enhanced battle interactivity.
The user interface is simplistically designed into a tidy on-screen buttons layout. Regarding the map navigation and character orientation, Square Enix does not use the cross button design like most mobile games, but it instead uses point-and-click movements. Since the simple layout doesn’t block the game screen, and with the point-and-click interactivity, the game becomes conducive for players to watch the game scenes, orient the map navigation, and dodge attacks during battles.
What shines in the battle system of the pocket version is that sensational flourishes occur during attacks, counterattacks, dodges, and boss cast motions, as opposed to the battle system from the original. All the action and cutscenes of boss stages from the original FFXV, including Titans, Elementalists, and Dragon Knights, are portrayed in the pocket version in its cartoon style. Narratively, there are no changes to the main story between the pocket version and the original one. All the cutscenes and the character dialogues are the same; however, there are hidden subplot quests in every chapter that are waiting for gamers to explore.
This pocket edition presents a stunning visual benchmark of the current Unity3D game engine generation with its high render quality and motion imitation. Square Enix proves its years of proficient game design experience in Unity3D with FFXV Pocket Edition, and it honors the reputation they have received for the Final Fantasy series. Funnily enough, the name of Final Fantasy was given by its studio because they thought it was their last game before the dissolution. Luckily, we know the rest of the story after they achieved huge success with FFI, and the games of the Final Fantasy series, even when delayed into oblivion, don’t seem to want to slow down anytime soon.