It’s been a long road to Final Fantasy XV which is fitting considering that is how the game ended up, at least that’s what the professional critics are saying. That doesn’t mean that it’s a bad thing. The game has been in active development for over ten years, Polygon says, back when the game was called Final Fantasy 13 Versus.
Players take control of Prince Noctis as he journies across the planet of Eos with his friends as he makes his way to his wedding. The wedding itself is an arranged ordeal to help prevent war between kingdoms.
After reading over Kotaku, Game Informer, Polygon, and Destructoid‘s reviews a common theme is that while there is a crazy amount of traveling in your fancy car with your bros. The world itself is very large with little to see in it, according to Andrew Reiner over at Game Informer, but when there is action it’s top notch. The monsters are colossal and the combat is satisfying, which is good considering it’s such a departure from previous entries.
The Final Fantasy series has long been a turn-based game, with twists on the mechanic in later entries, but in FF15 the combat is more real-time with players taking a more active role in their attacks.
Where the game shines is the story. Without getting into the details, it sounds like the story is quite an emotional journey. Kotaku’s Jason Schreier said it best,
You’re at your parents’ house for Thanksgiving, and you’ve just gotten a review copy of one of the most anticipated video games in modern history. You’re much older now; you have a life, a job, a relationship, responsibilities. You can feel yourself getting jaded…Then you start playing. And playing. When you finish the game, thirsty and bleary-eyed, you feel like you just got punched in the gut. What an ending.
If you are someone who’s just in it for the scores here’s a quick rundown.
Destructoid – 9
Polygon – 9
Game Informer – 8.5
Metacritic – 85
Final Fantasy XV will be out tomorrow for Xbox One and PS4.