Okay yes this has been out since November of 2016, and YES it is 7 months since the release but I really wanted to get this game completed (or at least the main story and most of the side quests) before I give this one a review.
Final Fantasy is my overall favourite series of games, it is pretty much the only game I will buy of the day of the release and have done for many many years. Even the side games Like World of Final Fantasy (which I will be reviewing once I finish playing through) and Tactics are some of my favourite games to play, but with the last few main series games being total flops, You had to wonder if Final Fantasy XV could make its way back to the top to the days of Final Fantasy IV, VII and IX.
The story, for those who have not played the game, is about prince Noctis and his three friends Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis as they make their way to Noctis' live long friend, a love, Lady Lunafreya, who Noctis is set to marry. But a series of events lead to Noctis and his friends becoming wanted men, his kingdom destroyed and his father dead. With Lunafreya's life in danger the boys take on the empire, and a crap ton of sidequests as Noctis aims to take his rightful place of the throne and save the world.
What Final Fantasy XV is basically a road trip between four life long friends, it is not so much the story you experience, but the bond between these four very well flesh out characters. You will spend 90% of your time on Side Quests, all ranging from collect this or that and Monsters Hunts, and you will spend 10% of the rest completing the main story, and this is fine! You don't feel like you have to rush into the next portion of the game, and in all honesty if you went straight into the main story it would be over pretty quickly as the actually story isn't that long. What you find is that you will enjoy the interactions with all the minor characters, you will get lost in fishing and chocobo racing and you will rather spend your time hunting for frogs for a scientist than going to save Lunafreya from the empire.
Visually this game is gorgeous! the whole backdrop for the game is beautiful to view, the monster designs are brilliant and to be honest there is not much i can complain about. There is a few problems however, and while they are small they are still a bug bare for me. Firstly, while i dis initially enjoy the random car journeys and the choose an option mission that pop up it did get a little tedious after time and I found myself fast travelling more and more as the game progressed. The lack of an overall well expanded soundtrack was also a shame, especially as the Final Fantasy series is so well known for the soundtrack. Instead we get all the other soundtracks from every Final Fantasy game released (more or less). I am also disappointed in the lack of different costume designs and weapons, the fun of the series is the various different weapon designs, it is a damn shame.
Overall however Final Fantasy XV is bloody stunning, well thought out and it has a well rounded team of characters who you feel for more and more as the story progresses. I love the open world feel, and even though it feels like we have been cheat a bit on the original soundtrack front, I do love the old soundtracks on the stereo. Also with all the extras being added, for example the timed quests, the more powerful ring of Lucis, and the DLC, this game has so much content you will just keep going back for more.
One of my top 5 final fantasy games of all time.
Final Fantasy is my overall favourite series of games, it is pretty much the only game I will buy of the day of the release and have done for many many years. Even the side games Like World of Final Fantasy (which I will be reviewing once I finish playing through) and Tactics are some of my favourite games to play, but with the last few main series games being total flops, You had to wonder if Final Fantasy XV could make its way back to the top to the days of Final Fantasy IV, VII and IX.
The story, for those who have not played the game, is about prince Noctis and his three friends Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis as they make their way to Noctis' live long friend, a love, Lady Lunafreya, who Noctis is set to marry. But a series of events lead to Noctis and his friends becoming wanted men, his kingdom destroyed and his father dead. With Lunafreya's life in danger the boys take on the empire, and a crap ton of sidequests as Noctis aims to take his rightful place of the throne and save the world.
What Final Fantasy XV is basically a road trip between four life long friends, it is not so much the story you experience, but the bond between these four very well flesh out characters. You will spend 90% of your time on Side Quests, all ranging from collect this or that and Monsters Hunts, and you will spend 10% of the rest completing the main story, and this is fine! You don't feel like you have to rush into the next portion of the game, and in all honesty if you went straight into the main story it would be over pretty quickly as the actually story isn't that long. What you find is that you will enjoy the interactions with all the minor characters, you will get lost in fishing and chocobo racing and you will rather spend your time hunting for frogs for a scientist than going to save Lunafreya from the empire.
Visually this game is gorgeous! the whole backdrop for the game is beautiful to view, the monster designs are brilliant and to be honest there is not much i can complain about. There is a few problems however, and while they are small they are still a bug bare for me. Firstly, while i dis initially enjoy the random car journeys and the choose an option mission that pop up it did get a little tedious after time and I found myself fast travelling more and more as the game progressed. The lack of an overall well expanded soundtrack was also a shame, especially as the Final Fantasy series is so well known for the soundtrack. Instead we get all the other soundtracks from every Final Fantasy game released (more or less). I am also disappointed in the lack of different costume designs and weapons, the fun of the series is the various different weapon designs, it is a damn shame.
Overall however Final Fantasy XV is bloody stunning, well thought out and it has a well rounded team of characters who you feel for more and more as the story progresses. I love the open world feel, and even though it feels like we have been cheat a bit on the original soundtrack front, I do love the old soundtracks on the stereo. Also with all the extras being added, for example the timed quests, the more powerful ring of Lucis, and the DLC, this game has so much content you will just keep going back for more.
One of my top 5 final fantasy games of all time.