Final Fantasy XV

 PlayStation 4
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5428 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 3,797 out of 5428
  2. Mixed: 821 out of 5428
  3. Negative: 810 out of 5428
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  1. mestriner1
    Jan 30, 2017
    4
    Pela primeira vez jogando um jogo da serie, achei os downloads demorados demais e muito tempo indo de um lugar ao outro no mapa, e as batalhas se perdem na posição da camera e voce fica perdido muitas vezes. Muita expectativa para um jogo bem mediano.
  2. peropify
    Jan 29, 2017
    6
    I gave this game a 10 before to offset the horrible ratings I thought the game didn't deserve. But the more I played the game, the more disappointed I got. After a certain point, you can tell the development team either didn't care about the game/story - basically anything other than it looking cool. It was to be expected with the bumps and hurdles it had to go over during its decade longI gave this game a 10 before to offset the horrible ratings I thought the game didn't deserve. But the more I played the game, the more disappointed I got. After a certain point, you can tell the development team either didn't care about the game/story - basically anything other than it looking cool. It was to be expected with the bumps and hurdles it had to go over during its decade long development, but other than the pretty visuals and the sheer number of things available to do - things just aren't done very well. Some parts of the game just feel empty.… Expand
  3. Fran0995
    Jan 29, 2017
    7
    I must confess, I never played a Final Fantasy Before.

    Therefore, I didn't expect anything for this game when it was released. After playing for around 60 hours and watching all the movies and the anime of this game i can came with a conclusion. Final Fantasy XV is a good game, but not the greatest. It's has some pretty nice graphics and a fluent (yet easy) combat. If you never    I must confess, I never played a Final Fantasy Before.

    Therefore, I didn't expect anything for this game when it was released. After playing for around 60 hours and watching all the movies and the anime of this game i can came with a conclusion.

    Final Fantasy XV is a good game, but not the greatest. It's has some pretty nice graphics and a fluent (yet easy) combat. If you never played any final fantasy before and you ask the question: Is it worth 60 dollars? The simple answer would be no. If you want to buy it, i recommend you to buy the deluxe version, because it has the promise of a better future yet it's present it's not so great.

    The story, is a has huge plot holes that makes you question what was the real intention of it. Many aspects are a disaster yet i find the ending of the game very heart-touching.

    Final Fantasy XV:
    Score 7

    Buying price recommended: 30$ (normal version) 40$(deluxe version)

    Pros:
    +Great mechanics
    +Tons of secondary missions
    +AI Companions are somewhat likeable

    Cons
    -The story is full of plotholes (even with the movies and the anime)
    -The Driving mechanic of the Regalia
    -Combats depends more on Smashing buttons that on tactical
    -Tons of features hidden in the options menu as secondary( This is not necessary a con but i found it after 30 hours of gameplay and made my combat experience so much different)
    -Depends too much on the upcoming dlcs to save the plotholes of the story    … Expand
  4. speedofsound
    Jan 28, 2017
    9
    combat system is in depth and entertaining. I do not like however that the attack button and the run button are the same because if you are under-leveled you can waste magic you may need to win. world feels massive because the car you are given rides on rails only going left and right and on a set path. story is not the best in a final fantasy but its cute eccentricities like having to paycombat system is in depth and entertaining. I do not like however that the attack button and the run button are the same because if you are under-leveled you can waste magic you may need to win. world feels massive because the car you are given rides on rails only going left and right and on a set path. story is not the best in a final fantasy but its cute eccentricities like having to pay your way because you don't have enough money to pay the auto mechanic are neat. A cute southern girl mechanic who seems to be from an era completely out of time is a cute concept. It's easy to get immersed because the source material is the real world.… Expand
  5. dharma
    Jan 28, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Final Fantasy XV is the best FF in recent years, and the most controversial. It's also a mish-mash of older projects, namely FF Versus 13 melded with new narratives that changes the game in a radical way. It starts of too slow, yet strangely you'll get used to the grinding, traveling, camping and dining that makes up its Open World. That changes after Mission 9, where the game became this super linear affair, reminiscent of the Uncharted series more than anything else. It changes tone again on Mission 13 to what is akin to an interpretation of survival horror (?). Before ending again in a glorious final boss(es), filled with screen filling effect and QTE galore. There's too many hands on deck for sure during its decade long production, and it shows...yet the quest of Noctis and co are so enganging at times, so beautifully presented that you'll want to stay for a very long time in this world.… Expand
  6. Cloud9000
    Jan 28, 2017
    0
    To be Honest this is Really not good.
    Reviews have to be at least 150 Characters so Let me fill in the blank.
    BADDDDD GAME DONT WASTE YOUR Money unless u like **** games
  7. FFFiend
    Jan 28, 2017
    0
    For a one word answer - Disappointing.
    1. Battle is literally 1 button to win
    2. weakest story ever with less than 20hrs to beat the game 3. side quests are weak back forth npc chat or delivery item quests 4. only 3 useable spells all with cool downtimers that can kill your allies 5. only 4 useable summons - not counting carbuncle only useable in easy mode 6. maybe the shortest cast    For a one word answer - Disappointing.
    1. Battle is literally 1 button to win
    2. weakest story ever with less than 20hrs to beat the game
    3. side quests are weak back forth npc chat or delivery item quests
    4. only 3 useable spells all with cool downtimers that can kill your allies
    5. only 4 useable summons - not counting carbuncle only useable in easy mode
    6. maybe the shortest cast of characters in an jrpg game and they r all MEN sucks
    7. seems like u care more for your GUY friends than your father or the girl he "likes"
    8. Story skips 3 majors parts that arent playable unless buy the DLC that arent even available yet.
    9. Completely rushed, you'll see lots of unfinished content not even including the 3 DLCs that part of story
    10. Not really open world from Chapter 8 til the end of the game is more linear than FF13's beginning.
    11. Cuz of you people buying and supporting this game they will continue to make more half ass'd games

    absolutely no strategy, just spam potions all day.
    Summons - huge let down, you can never call them out when you want to.
    besides that there is only 4 useable ones. man you cant even use Bahamut (just once at the end)
    If you like this game, the graphics is the only thing you care for than. I actually think FF13 is better.
    If you thought FF13 was Linear, Ha! your in for a surprise when u get half way in the game, FF15 is Worst    … Expand
  8. djangojazz
    Jan 26, 2017
    8
    So basically the graphics are top notch and the combat is very well done. In fact I liked the combat system so much that I don't get why others gripe. You basically are combing an adventure game with role playing in that you move real time and do things like an action game, but you still have magic, abilities and a strategy to how to do things. You can update your abilities as youSo basically the graphics are top notch and the combat is very well done. In fact I liked the combat system so much that I don't get why others gripe. You basically are combing an adventure game with role playing in that you move real time and do things like an action game, but you still have magic, abilities and a strategy to how to do things. You can update your abilities as you progress and need to think with certain enemies how to beat them. It is not button mashing but tweaking abilities. I really liked the world and traveling around. Now for the bad... There are ridiculous amounts of times you get caught up by an inch high cliff and the surrounding where you cannot get through something or you cannot see something. The other issue is how SLOW you drive. I mean you have a car that looks like a Bugatti that is almost a character in and of itself and yet it goes 55 everywhere? Lame. That and a lot of 'loading....' were a reason I did not like this game enough to dock it two grades. It seemed well worth the weight in depth, what you could do, exploration, difficulty keeping you entertained. But the loading and bad getting stuck was lame at times. But maybe on the PC it loads faster, on the PS4 it was slow at times. Near playing 30 plus hours on it I was starting to be like: "Come on load!" when doing fast traveling. Overall the game is worth playing and the good story, good characters and actual fun of fighting enemies makes it feel like a return to form. I would not rate it as high as FF7, FF8, FF6, or FF12 but it definitely is light years better than FF13 and I would say it is in the middle of the pack overall of FF games for fun.… Expand
  9. The_BlueRose
    Jan 26, 2017
    8
    After +100 hours and almost completed the 100% of the game I feel prepared to talk in depth about the Game.

    - Story: The story itsef is interesting but unfortunately bad developed, the game assumes that you have already seen the movie Kingsglaive and the anime Brotherhood, if you have not, you won´t understand part of the inicial moments and the link with the main characters wil be    After +100 hours and almost completed the 100% of the game I feel prepared to talk in depth about the Game.

    - Story: The story itsef is interesting but unfortunately bad developed, the game assumes that you have already seen the movie Kingsglaive and the anime Brotherhood, if you have not, you won´t understand part of the inicial moments and the link with the main characters wil be poor.
    The first half of the story is quite slow and focuses on finding the Royal arms and the Astrals to make Noctis stronger, the second is linear and focuses on recovering the cristal, being the last chapter IMO the best interting of all and the ending quite impresive and spectacular.

    -Characters: 4 main characters. Noctis, Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto, being Noctis the prince of Lucis and the key character.
    The rest of the caracters, even the important ones with the exception of Ardyn, are badly developed. Luna has no enough strenght and her story in poor, as well as most of the Niflheim.

    - Combat: easy, fun and very visual. The tag actions give meaning to having a group of friends.

    - Weaponry: a wide variety but not excesive. Unfortunately having only 4 weapons active on the battles limits the flowing on using all your warfare, the Royal Arms are unuseful on combat, except Arminger, and the camera can be improved.

    - Openworld: Beauty but empty, the side quest are repetitive and only gives supplies and XP, huntings are right but only a source for earning money.

    - Enemies: great designed, good variety, the big ones are really impresive.

    - Soundtrack: Magnificent soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura, one of the greatest.

    - Endgame: A bit repetitive, high level enemies are good but the reward are only better items. The dungeons are all similar and take a long time to complete, the rewards a good but not excellent.    … Expand
  10. vindiexel
    Jan 25, 2017
    1
    So sad... Still trying to find a Final Fantasy game inside Final Fantasy XV. Still playing the game, saying to myself: "the problem is you. You have grown older". But deep inside I know is decieving myself. Goodbye my loved final fantasy.
  11. JohnKramer
    Jan 25, 2017
    9
    Excelente recuperación para saga. Un juego muy fresco para Final Fantasy con unas mecánicas de jugabilidad muy innovadoras y que se adaptan a todo tipo de jugador. La historia es muy buena como siempre, y la música, sencillamente hermosa. El único punto malo es el desarrollo del juego a nivel jugable, pues a medida que avanza la historia, pierde posibilidad de juego. Otra cosa mala de esteExcelente recuperación para saga. Un juego muy fresco para Final Fantasy con unas mecánicas de jugabilidad muy innovadoras y que se adaptan a todo tipo de jugador. La historia es muy buena como siempre, y la música, sencillamente hermosa. El único punto malo es el desarrollo del juego a nivel jugable, pues a medida que avanza la historia, pierde posibilidad de juego. Otra cosa mala de este juego, es el nombre. No tiene nada que ver con otros juegos de Final Fantasy, aunque sea algo fresco en la saga.… Expand
  12. sjwilkin
    Jan 25, 2017
    7
    It is very fair to suggest that this game is unfinished and clearly rushed. For the most part the game works as an open world hack n slash however it all falls away and apart around the half way point
    Whilst I loved the open world, it did feel very empty and soulless. Only a handful of pit stops with the same cut and paste layout are spaced out sparingly across the map.
    Story wise, it is    It is very fair to suggest that this game is unfinished and clearly rushed. For the most part the game works as an open world hack n slash however it all falls away and apart around the half way point
    Whilst I loved the open world, it did feel very empty and soulless. Only a handful of pit stops with the same cut and paste layout are spaced out sparingly across the map.
    Story wise, it is a mess.... I couldn't make head nor tails of it. Horror show, nearly laughable.
    It is fun to play and admittedly I did put over 40 hours in but it lacks serious direction and purpose.
    Here is hoping the DLC fills in the blanks and eventually becomes a complete game.    … Expand
  13. Archangl508
    Jan 24, 2017
    4
    I wanted to like this game, but I struggled with whether I should give it a 5 or even rank it lower. I've been a huge fan of the Final Fantasy games since the first one on the NES, but the quality in recent installments has gone down dramatically from the heyday of the series, especially gameplay/story. So, let's get into some more details:

    Graphics - 9/10 : It goes without saying    I wanted to like this game, but I struggled with whether I should give it a 5 or even rank it lower. I've been a huge fan of the Final Fantasy games since the first one on the NES, but the quality in recent installments has gone down dramatically from the heyday of the series, especially gameplay/story. So, let's get into some more details:

    Graphics - 9/10 :

    It goes without saying that an A-list title should really have pretty amazing graphics and I think Final Fantasy delivers on that. The cutscene graphics are great. The overall character/enemy design is great and the graphics of the action scenes look really fluid. The world looks beautiful and well designed graphically. There really aren't any complaints that you could make about the graphics.

    Open world - 6/10 :

    Decent open world environment. Two main factors contribute to the reduced score here. First, the open world is very empty. You can run (or drive) a LONG way without actually contacting any enemies. Thankfully the game doesn't really require grinding or this would be an even bigger detractor. Second, there isn't a huge difference in environments. You eventually end up in some caves (like the ice cave) or swamps, but in general the vast majority of the open world area is very similar and consistent geographically and design wise. It's beautiful, but just isn't very exciting.

    Character development/story - 2/10:

    It's hard to believe that the same company that put out amazing stories like Final Fantasy 2, 3 (SNES versions), 7, 8, 9, 10, and 12 can't manage to put together a decent story with decent characters. Even Final Fantasy 13, which had a difficult to understand story, was light years ahead of this game in regards to character development and overall story arc. I know many people have noted the "boy band" quality of the 4 main characters and it is true, although I think boy bands actually have better characterization. You never really learn much about those 4 characters apart from the main character. They are all just kind of there, with the main character having slightly more characterization. You don't really care about their pasts or their motivations. They are just bland. If you expand out to other characters, you learn even less. There are characters that should be important to the main story that you only see in fleeting moments then never see again. The lack of diversity among the characters is also pretty clear, spending most of the game with 4 guys, never really spending much time with anyone else. Would have been wonderful to have a non-human character or even just a female character that you got to play as or be a part of your team for at least a little while. Overall, it felt like a major lost opportunity in the game.

    The story is pretty unintelligible and confusing. Perhaps if I had watched the Kingsglaive movie it would have made more sense, but I don't think that you should have to watch a prequel movie to be able to enjoy the story of the game. I never played a single Witcher game, but easily followed along with Witcher 3's story and characters, clearly being able to understand and figure out relationships and feelings between the different characters, really caring what happened to them. I just didn't care about any of these characters, even when the big "shock" moments occurred. They just didn't seem to feel like they needed to make an exciting or interesting story.

    Gameplay/Combat - 4/10 :

    Hope you like driving a car on an empty road (or just having it autodrive for you) for long periods of time. I don't think I ever played a game that contained so much waiting to go from place to place. Perhaps if there was more to do along the way it would be more exciting. The main quests are pretty straightforward and move reasonably quickly, especially once you get out of the open world. The side quests are pretty much MMO like. You goto point A, collect item B, and return to questgiver - rinse and repeat - over and over. Not much story for the sidequests either, especially compared to a game like Witcher 3..

    Combat, like the story, just didn't seem to matter. It's basically pressing or holding 1-2 buttons over and over again. Magic is mostly useless because you'll hurt your own teammates whom you can't really get out of the way as you have little to no control over them. For a game that wants to be an "action" RPG, it just never felt like you had to do much. Contrast that with Witcher 3 where you had multiple options and ways to play. The leveling/advancement system really never seemed to matter much and many of the options required far too many AP to be worthwhile.

    Overall, a disappointing game, failing to live up to any of the Final Fantasy games that went before it. If you're a fan, maybe you might find it worth playing. I won't say I hated the game, I just wish they had called it something other than Final Fantasy, because this wasn't a Final Fantasy game.    … Expand
  14. LokinDetonados
    Jan 24, 2017
    8
    Final Fantasy XV is really a "Final Fantasy for new and old fans", as it says, more or less, the first screen we see, as soon as the game opens. All 10 years of production seem to have been worth enough against the product we found. Noctis is a charismatic character, as well as his story, friends and the lessons that the game gives us. The fighting is fierce and interesting and theFinal Fantasy XV is really a "Final Fantasy for new and old fans", as it says, more or less, the first screen we see, as soon as the game opens. All 10 years of production seem to have been worth enough against the product we found. Noctis is a charismatic character, as well as his story, friends and the lessons that the game gives us. The fighting is fierce and interesting and the graphics show that this is a legitimate Final Fantasy that has come to stay and should dictate the course of the series for years to come.… Expand
  15. Sans-24
    Jan 24, 2017
    9
    Excelente recuperación de la saga. Un juego muy fresco para Final Fantasy con unas mecánicas de jugabilidad muy innovadoras y que se adaptan a todo tipo de jugador. La historia es muy buena como siempre, y la música hermosa. El único punto malo es el desarrollo del juego a nivel jugable.
  16. Joko
    Jan 24, 2017
    0
    "A Final Fantasy for fans and for first timers." This, because only diehard fans will play this crap, and only first timers will be stupid enough to buy it. Right from the very beginning this game was terrible. I have no clue why this took them 10 years to make, it's complete trash. Not only trash compared to other jrpg's, but it's the worst FF game in the series. Mystic Quest was more"A Final Fantasy for fans and for first timers." This, because only diehard fans will play this crap, and only first timers will be stupid enough to buy it. Right from the very beginning this game was terrible. I have no clue why this took them 10 years to make, it's complete trash. Not only trash compared to other jrpg's, but it's the worst FF game in the series. Mystic Quest was more fun. The world is empty. The characters are the worst characters ever to be seen in an FF game. And the gameplay isn't that great either. This game has nothing going for it.… Expand
  17. Truthhurts
    Jan 24, 2017
    0
    Bad combat with little to no input (hold down circle and do nothing else) besides throw a "grenade" spell every now and then, story makes no sense and is incomplete unless you watch animes and movies that cost money (that are terrible btw)

    This is what 10+ years of constant reimagining of a rpg will do, give you a inconsistent broken mess that pleases no one except the fanatical    Bad combat with little to no input (hold down circle and do nothing else) besides throw a "grenade" spell every now and then, story makes no sense and is incomplete unless you watch animes and movies that cost money (that are terrible btw)

    This is what 10+ years of constant reimagining of a rpg will do, give you a inconsistent broken mess that pleases no one except the fanatical fanboy (but what doesnt please weird people like that?)

    As a real FF fan who grew up with the Final Fantasy series stay far away or rent the game if you are curious just how low this legendary franchise has fallen thanks to the industries obsession with trying to reimagine franchises and fix things that are not broken, 1 extra point for the cringe worthy banter that is only their to distract you from how bad the gameplay is    … Expand
  18. Fulle
    Jan 23, 2017
    3
    FF15 is half a good game. I'd probably rate the first half at around an 8. Sure, it's flawed, but there's enough neat things going on that it's overall a slightly above average experience. The second half of the game, however, is just lazy, rushed, terrible gameplay with no redeeming qualities. You basically run through dark hallways constantly re-using the same textures and enemies byFF15 is half a good game. I'd probably rate the first half at around an 8. Sure, it's flawed, but there's enough neat things going on that it's overall a slightly above average experience. The second half of the game, however, is just lazy, rushed, terrible gameplay with no redeeming qualities. You basically run through dark hallways constantly re-using the same textures and enemies by yourself, because the MC Noctis got separated from his bros. It's not fun.

    For the half of the game that is fun, it's not great, just good. You have an illusion of a big world to explore, but if you go off the beaten path for even a moment you will run into invisible walls and such. You are not meant to explore this world, but stick to the main paths. The combat, honestly, is pretty bad in comparison to some rival RPGs, so that wouldn't be a big draw to keep me interested in the game. The fishing minigame is not very well done... it just kinda... blah in most of the things it attempts to do. For instance, there's this big emphasis on the car. Is it fun to drive the car? Nope. It pretty much drives itself. SO WHY? It's my opinion that the best games have a gameplay first mindset, but this game just makes how things look the priority.

    Why can't I jump on top of the hood of a car? There's an invisible wall there. Plastic lawn chairs are like cemented down, and can't be moved. The day to night cycle is so fast you can't do much before nightfall.

    You know what? Actually it's not half a "good" game, it's half a mediocre one. That makes it about a 3/10 by my math. Don't buy this thing for full price.    … Expand
  19. mathios
    Jan 23, 2017
    0
    The game is not finished!!
    The story is an underdeveloped mess where the important characters barely get any screen time or character development. Characters are introduced in one scene only to never be seen again in the whole game. Very important events plays off off-screen and plot devices either don't get explained properly or not at all. Main characters leave your party without    The game is not finished!!
    The story is an underdeveloped mess where the important characters barely get any screen time or character development. Characters are introduced in one scene only to never be seen again in the whole game. Very important events plays off off-screen and plot devices either don't get explained properly or not at all. Main characters leave your party without explaination only for this to be explained in DLC that players must pay for. This is dishonest and unacceptable as players payed full price for this game.

    The first part of the game have a big world to explore. The problem is that most of the world is empty and barren. There are barely any enemies roaming the fields even less any npcs. The side-quests are either very repetetive or depthless all together. Tough some of the optional dungeons where pretty fun. The game also does all it can to make all tasks take more time than necessary. For instance, you can only take on hunt-mission at a time. This leads to constant travels between monsters and tipsters which becomes irritating very fast.

    Half-way through the game it really shows that this is a rushed product. The game has a identity crisis as it suddenly turns into a FFXIII-like game that is very linear and restricting. The next moment the game even changes genres and turns into a horror-game. The already non-existent story totally falls apart and gets nonsensical beyond words.
    I don't have problem with the more action-focused battle system but I really dislike not being able to control other characters besides Noctis. It is even worse that I can't even tell my non-controllable characters how to act during battle as the AI is very stupid. This is extra hard for me as a longtime fan of Final Fantasy as the series have always been known as a full-cast series where you can control multiple characters during battles. Also the camera can be very problematic during battles.

    The story is so incomplete that Squareenix has even promised fans to patch in new cutscenes in the future.
    This is just a big mess.    … Expand
  20. Sprill
    Jan 23, 2017
    4
    Overall this game is a disappointment. After excitingly waiting for this game for over a decade I was ready to love it. I watched all of it's trailers over the years upon release and got more and more hyped after each. I had a few things that I worried about but I didn't think the game would have been this bad. I was wrong though.

    the game when you first load in is beautiful...    Overall this game is a disappointment. After excitingly waiting for this game for over a decade I was ready to love it. I watched all of it's trailers over the years upon release and got more and more hyped after each. I had a few things that I worried about but I didn't think the game would have been this bad. I was wrong though.

    the game when you first load in is beautiful... beautifully empty. It's full of vast planes with nothing in them besides rocks and a handful of different creatures. Dungeons are good but also lack monster variety and missed a lot of potential to use warp strikes in them. Characters start off great but nothing really builds from the beginning plot points that should be emotional aren't and ones that shouldn't be are badly forced into trying to be. The game has obvious plot points that were ripped from the game due to time restraints and therefore ruins any story that it could have had.

    the combat system was really fun when I first started playing it but after about 50 hours into it I realized i wasn't really doing anything when i fought besides holding down the square button and doing the super easy parries. Boss battles had no strategy and bigger ones like the summon battles were insultingly bad... I'd rather not have them in the game at all.

    I know they're apparently supposed to be patching a lot of the problems I have with the game but that is too little to late for me. I don't find it acceptable to release something not finished and missing core elements just to add it to the game months after release... I've already beat the game and spent over 250 hours trying to find things to love that weren't there. I'm not going to play it again no matter how good it might be in a year from now.    … Expand
  21. smw119
    Jan 23, 2017
    7
    This game makes it into my list of good games simply on the virtue of it's breathtaking art and design. So much care was given to making this a truly immersive experience. It's unfortunate that some stilted design choices ripped me clear out of the finely crafted experience. Namely, the quirks of the second half left me speechlessly baffled as the game went from totally open world toThis game makes it into my list of good games simply on the virtue of it's breathtaking art and design. So much care was given to making this a truly immersive experience. It's unfortunate that some stilted design choices ripped me clear out of the finely crafted experience. Namely, the quirks of the second half left me speechlessly baffled as the game went from totally open world to FFXIII level linear without communicating this to the player. It wouldn't be an issue if that wasn't, literally, the rest of the game and doesn't stop until you fully complete the story. Not a design choice I object to, just one that left me trying to beat my way through it so I could get back to the open world again not knowing I could go back at multiple points. Little did I know that that was what Umbra was for. The time travelling umbra mechanic was so poorly explained that it left me utterly confused as I hacked my way through increasingly frustrating sections where my character became more and more under leveled with each passing minute. This got so bad in fact that I got stranded in the second half while under leveled and wasn't near somewhere to call umbra. This led to a very, VERY tough boss battle that I had to beat while under leveled and under gunned. All of this tainted my first experience of what is, otherwise a very well crafted story. For how amazing everything else is in this game, the lack of a proper explanation of how to manage the second half of the game seems downright amateurish. Overall though, if that aspect were better explained to allow better flow to the narrative, this experience would still be one of the most cinematic and highly polished experiences in recent memory. I'm looking forward to a second play through now that I better understand the way the game is organized. But, if I weren't a video game enthusiast, I likely would be pretty turned off by this game.… Expand
  22. consolfreak1982
    Jan 23, 2017
    9
    As a huge Fan of the Final Fantasy Series (ranked as followed: 8, 7, 4, 6, 10, 12, 9, 13) its an Understatement to say that I was lookin Forward to 15. And after seing "Brotherhood" and "Kingsglaive" my Hype got beyond any measure.
    So I locked myself up with the game along with the official Piggyback Guide (man I love those!).
    And since i gave this game the highest score there is on here    As a huge Fan of the Final Fantasy Series (ranked as followed: 8, 7, 4, 6, 10, 12, 9, 13) its an Understatement to say that I was lookin Forward to 15. And after seing "Brotherhood" and "Kingsglaive" my Hype got beyond any measure.
    So I locked myself up with the game along with the official Piggyback Guide (man I love those!).
    And since i gave this game the highest score there is on here you can already guess what I think about it.
    FF15 is outstanding.
    And sure not without its flaws.
    Yes, the ending chapters leave some to be desired (Ive seen worse though lol).
    The Magic and Summon System is Overall completely unneccessary (for the main Story Content it is).
    There are no real Towns or Cities to explore, those that are in the game leave too much to be desired (no chatting with random People, no exploring townspeople houses).
    "Safe Areas" where you can Rest, fuel the Car or shop items all look the same which leaves a copy/paste Feeling.
    Side Quests are mostly fetch quests, lots of running here and there.
    No direct commands for Team Mates. Overall difficulty (Main Story) way too easy, especially with plenty of items at Hand.
    The loading times are insanely Long and there are way too much of them especially when you fast travel.
    The camera is hectic and disturbed and even at its best moments it leaves some to be desired still since I often had a Feeling I dont really have all the control of things that I would Need.

    So, after reading all of this you may think why the hell i even thought of giving this game anything more than a 6 or 7. And to be honest, I do too after reading it lol (just kidding).
    But despite all those flaws (some of them to get patched still in future updates) FF15 is a masterpiece.
    The characters are extremely well done and I really cared for them. The Story is evolving and gripping, the overall game world is just a sight to behold and full of mystery - it begs to be explored.
    The fighting in General is also exceptionally addictive and the gameworld is breathtakingly beautiful and Exploring it gets rewarded. Theres Content to Keep you playin for about 200hours if you are that dedicated.
    The combat feels just great. Switching between Weapons/Fighting Styles makes up for plenty of great Encounters, some post game Content (Mob Hunts, Menace Dungeons) will test even the skilled FF Veterans.
    FF15 has so much charme and aesthetics, its production values Show in almost every aspect of the game.
    It has its flaws, and I can somewhat understand all Fans that are disappointed, as there are many parts of the game that leave more than just one Thing to be desired still.
    My heart screams 10/10, but I leave it at a 9, simply because that there are many things that could have been way better. Its been promised to be updated constantly, with some paid DLCs as well as free ones, along to some Major Changes in the game itself (so theres hope that at least the technical flaws like the camera and loading times will get patched) - so FF15 will also be big in 2017 still.
    It may not be the best of the series (but judging this is beyond any human measure lol), but for me as a die hard FF Fan I was captivated as much like no other RPG could in the last years - a Thing that only FF does to me, and this makes FF so magical and Special to me.    … Expand
  23. 123456
    Jan 22, 2017
    5
    The first 2 thirds of this game are really fun.

    The graphics are great, the world looks really good. It is probably too big if anything, you spend a lot of time driving around (on autopilot) and the rest of the time running or riding chocobos, but the world lacks interaction. Where once random encounters with the screen shattering or warping where annoying, now you hardly see any    The first 2 thirds of this game are really fun.

    The graphics are great, the world looks really good. It is probably too big if anything, you spend a lot of time driving around (on autopilot) and the rest of the time running or riding chocobos, but the world lacks interaction. Where once random encounters with the screen shattering or warping where annoying, now you hardly see any enemies at all.

    So the first two thirds you explore this world and do some storyline and some monster hunts which are generally fun. But the side quests are unimaginative to say the least. You are an errand boy doing things even the quest writers in vanilla WoW would have thought twice about giving level 1's. And you are the Prince of a kingdom who can teleport around the battlefield.

    Speaking of battlefield, the combat is OK. If you get in an area with bushes or trees though, prepare to be frustrated by not being able to see anything at all. You control one guy and whilst you can do combo's with your 3 friends, kind of like old limit breaks, at least two of them only seem to be there to get killed.

    So all this is OK, pretty fun really. Then the whole game crashes into a wall, air bags fail, the story line rolls out of the wreckage and staggers across the finishing line. Without spoiling it too much, the open world element completely disappears and never returns, unless you count a ludicrous time travel gimmick.

    After you finish the game you are offered the chance to continue, but to me this felt completely hollow after the terrible final third. The ending attempts desperately to add some kind of depth or anguish to the nonsense that preceded it but it is just the terrible tasting, odd looking cherry on top. A total mess, almost as bad as Mass Effect 3, and to the point where a second playthrough, which I would normally do with a game like this, is completely ruined.    … Expand
  24. Critic_Says
    Jan 22, 2017
    2
    Final Fantasy continues to lose any magic it ever had with the latest entry. "A FF for first timers and fans alike" interpreted means, "Not a game for FF fans". IMO, FF lost what made it FF when Squaresoft became SE, and FF15 is a continuation of this. It has a bland, empty, illogical world that mixes 1950s automobiles, blues music, camper trailers, and gas stations with antique gasFinal Fantasy continues to lose any magic it ever had with the latest entry. "A FF for first timers and fans alike" interpreted means, "Not a game for FF fans". IMO, FF lost what made it FF when Squaresoft became SE, and FF15 is a continuation of this. It has a bland, empty, illogical world that mixes 1950s automobiles, blues music, camper trailers, and gas stations with antique gas pumps (all things associated with this world not a fantasy world) with space age technology. This, among a multitude of other examples, makes no sense. For an "open world" game, it has a hauntingly linear feel to it. The "dungeons" are mostly linear hallways with a "go from point A to point B" design in them. There is nothing about them that is outstanding, creative, or pulls the player into a mesmerizing world. The voice acting is obnoxious and horrible. From stereotyping Southern accents and dumb phrases like, "varmints", to cringe worthy Italian stereotypes like, "you'se guys" and "bada bing- bada boom", etc. it is a chore to sit through. What's more, like in the case of the teenage kid with blond hair and blue eyes who has the voice of a middle aged Italian guy, it isn't even remotely believable or accurate. We also have a "crystal crashed into the middle of the world" thing going on again. Because we didn't get enough of that with 3 FF titles that were arguably the worst of all FF games. Rinse and repeat theme and boring. The world environment is not impressive graphically at all. Compare to a game like MGS5, or even FF14, and it is bland and basic.

    While I love the classic characters associated with FF (behemoths, iron giants, bombs, etc.) the constant, cookie cutter recycling of these enemies, and their being the majority of the bestiary, is a sign of creative deficiency. At least give a creative twist on these enemies that binds them to a unique story world, makes them slightly different, and make them a minority if they are to be constantly included.

    The battle system is horrible. It's very dumbed down from the classic turn based FF even with wait mode. Magic is a constant chore to obtain, create, equip, and use. The camera and lock on features are obnoxious and burdensome. At least in FF12 with the gambit system there was control over the whole party and you could switch characters depending on the scenario. In this one, constant pause for menu re-arranging and equip changes are needed to respond to enemy weaknesses.

    I fail to see years worth of creative design and fine tuning in any way with this title. I've had to save and reload several times because I was unable to get the "X" (PS4 interact button) to function properly. And no, I'm not talking about the constant "X" for "pick up" or "quest" that inevitably turns into "jump in place" 3 or 4 times before he actually picks something up or initiates a quest. I'm talking about a pure glitch that required a restart and wait for the super long re-load time. Also, who at SE was under the impression that sitting in a car waiting to arrive somewhere is fun? Or pumping gas? It is not. Who was under the impression that being constantly nagged by an NPC to pose for, or take, screen shots of game play was fun? It is not. What about having to sit through constant mini cut scenes just to apply experience points? Or being forced as much as possible to be dependent on constant food recipes? Again, not fun.

    I could go on but will say that I'm grateful my memory goes far enough back to appreciate the amazing FF games such as FF6 and other great Squaresoft titles like Secret of Mana and Chronotrigger. SE games have borrowed from the legacy of these gems but fails to deliver anything more than an occasional honorable mention at best, and FF15 does not even merit an honorable mention in the series.    … Expand
  25. rodericrinehart
    Jan 21, 2017
    5
    This game is clearly flawed, but there was also a lot of fun to be had for the 50-hour playthrough. Ultimately, it is about the bonding and friendship of the 4 guys, and that is developed very well. The story is a mess, the world is empty, the facial animate is dated, the camera controls are mediocre, and yes, chapter 13 is just as bad as everyone says. The second half takes just a fewThis game is clearly flawed, but there was also a lot of fun to be had for the 50-hour playthrough. Ultimately, it is about the bonding and friendship of the 4 guys, and that is developed very well. The story is a mess, the world is empty, the facial animate is dated, the camera controls are mediocre, and yes, chapter 13 is just as bad as everyone says. The second half takes just a few hours because they clearly rushed it out the door. It needed another year or two of development and some polish as well.… Expand
  26. qfettes
    Jan 21, 2017
    10
    Realistically, I rate this game an 8.5/10, but I wanted to offset the trolls and "real Final Fantasy Fans."

    In short: Graphics: 9/10 Characters: 11/10 Story: 10/10 Storytelling: 5/10 Gameplay: 8/10 Soundtrack 9/10 As a long-time fan of the series, who has taken the time to beat every game in the mainline series, I can say that without a doubt this entry falls into my top 5; in    Realistically, I rate this game an 8.5/10, but I wanted to offset the trolls and "real Final Fantasy Fans."

    In short:
    Graphics: 9/10
    Characters: 11/10
    Story: 10/10
    Storytelling: 5/10
    Gameplay: 8/10
    Soundtrack 9/10

    As a long-time fan of the series, who has taken the time to beat every game in the mainline series, I can say that without a doubt this entry falls into my top 5; in fact, if the DLC and updates go well, it could even end up in my top 3. Much in the way FFIX tried to pay tribute to its predecessors, this game is filled with nods to the storied series.

    This game is about brotherhood, the bond between friends, and the duty to one's purpose. No different than a good book, keep the genre(brotherhood) of this game fresh in your mind as you play. Take every little nuance of the relationship between the main cast as you play, and I promise you the character will quickly rise as some of your favorites in the series. The only thing that remained constant in the 10 year development period was the relationship between the main cast, and oh my, the polish is there.

    Other highlights of the game are top tier console graphics, an amazing soundtrack by yoko, and flashy combat. However, I have to acknowlege the shortcomings of the game: storytelling. The content is there, but too much was saved for DLC or rushed. I think after all content is released, the gaming community will look fondly on the completed story; however, I think as it stands right now the DLC model stomped on it.

    PLAY THIS GAME

    The journey is the destination    … Expand
  27. HTGamer
    Jan 21, 2017
    8
    Final Fantasy XV is a great game and an unforgettable experience, but it's let down a bit by some poor design choices and a lack of development time.

    Final Fantasy XV features a simple yet understandable story, seemingly lacking compared to epics such as past Final Fantasy games, but is presented as a massive road trip, which leaves a lasting impression to the player. You traverse the    Final Fantasy XV is a great game and an unforgettable experience, but it's let down a bit by some poor design choices and a lack of development time.

    Final Fantasy XV features a simple yet understandable story, seemingly lacking compared to epics such as past Final Fantasy games, but is presented as a massive road trip, which leaves a lasting impression to the player. You traverse the game's world with Prince Noctis and his friends Gladiolus (bodyguard), Ignis (butler, driver, cook) and Prompto (photographer) riding the Regalia, the King's personal luxury car. Along the way comical relief Prompto takes photos of the whole band in various circumstances, which can be seen at the end of the day and saved in a photo album if the player wants to. The boys have to rest at night so they can cash-in their earned XP, and they can rest either at hotels/motels (with bonus XP) or camp out in the wild (where you cook food and get buffs). The combat system is simple and the action is real-time, not turn-based like other JRPGs. The soundtrack is truly epic and regal, matching the game's themes. The story is simple. Young Prince Noctis has lost his father King Regis from enemy assassination and his Kingdom of Lucis has been invaded by the evil empire of Niflheim, so Noctis has to take it back and save the world from the beasts ravaging it.

    The game is primarily set in an open world in the Kingdom of Lucis with beautiful and varied terrain, but initially there is not much of story backdrop or story progression, which is a strange choice because the average player won't care about the game as much. In the open world you can perform a few story missions, many side quests or many more beast hunts. Later on the game becomes more linear and is set in other regions to drive the plot to its conclusion, and the player is given the ability to go back and forth between the open world and the other regions. After the story ends there is post-game content, comprising of more side quests and high level beast hunts. There is also a New Game Plus mode, too.

    At this point I have to warn players that unfortunately Final Fantasy XV feels somewhat incomplete and rushed, because the story is minimal, some important characters are killed off-screen with no explanation, many unanswered questions remain, while some of the later regions are over too soon. The true enemy of Noctis is not the one we all initially thought, a surprising twist I didn't see coming, but still it was underwhelming. If you want to learn more of the Final Fantasy XV backstory you 'd better watch the Kingsglaive movie and the Brotherhood anime mini-series on Youtube. Thankfully the developers have added some scenes from the Kingsglaive movie via free DLC to flesh out the story. Game producer Hajime Tabata has promised to keep updating the game for many more months with free and paid DLC, but I doubt the team are going to do anything major as rewriting the story.

    All in all, Final Fantasy XV is a rushed game that should have been terrific, and needed more development time in order to address its problems. It still is a great experience, though. I wholeheartedly enjoyed the game as it is, and I think any RPG fan should play this game.    … Expand
  28. pikby
    Jan 21, 2017
    8
    It sort of falls apart in the second half, but final fantasy 15 is the most fun I've had with a final fantasy game since final fantasy 10........

    80%
  29. moonman1994
    Jan 20, 2017
    9
    Overall Final Fantasy XV is a pretty good game here's a breakdown of my rating:

    Battle System 9.5/10: The battle system is really fun. It's easy to control and it gives you much more control over your character than previous final fantasy games. It's also an improvement on the battle systems of Final Fantasy Type-0 or FFVII Crisis Core which also diverged from the typical turn-based    Overall Final Fantasy XV is a pretty good game here's a breakdown of my rating:

    Battle System 9.5/10: The battle system is really fun. It's easy to control and it gives you much more control over your character than previous final fantasy games. It's also an improvement on the battle systems of Final Fantasy Type-0 or FFVII Crisis Core which also diverged from the typical turn-based system. That being said in certain areas inanimate objects can block the camera which is really frustrating and can make the combat difficult to control.

    Graphics: 9/10 They're really solid graphics. They're not the best the ps4 could offer but they're solid. And when you consider the amount of time the game spent in development it's amazing that they're as good as they are.

    Characters: 8.5/10 The main characters are interesting and after spending time doing side quests with them you get attached. The major downfall character wise is that your main party is set from the beginning and doesn't change other than the addition of three guest characters. The three guest characters are all intriguing so it's a true shame that they don't join your party or that you don't at least get to see more of them.

    Soundtrack: 8/10 It's good but nothing special. The radio with all the classic FF tunes in the car is a plus.

    Side Quests/Bonus Material: 8.5/10 They're fun and really help you flesh out the world. They also provide an extra challenge (in my opinion the story quests weren't that difficult.) After a while they do unfortunately get repetitive but once they do you can space them out with the main story or with different types of side quests which cuts down on monotony.

    Story: 7/10 The story is intriguing but it unfortunately feels disjointed from the rest of the game. The urgency of moving on with the story is really interrupted by the freedom of the open world and the numerous side quests. The final few chapters feel much more linear (but still allow for an escape to do side quests if you wish) but unfortunately by that point it's a little too late. You're able to bond with the characters due to the dialogue they have as you run around the world but you don't really bond with them too much through the story which is a minus. Also the villain is (in my opinion) instantly identifiable.

    Misc: The open world is quite beautiful and fun to explore. Driving in the car is somewhat enjoyable due to the old final fantasy soundtracks and the simple design of the world. Luckily there's fast travel in the game which is a plus because without it the long car rides would get old.

    Summary: The game play is really fun, the world is beautiful and the characters are fun to meet. The odd thing about the game is that it's weak point is the story (which final fantasy games usually excel at) but everything else is so good that you're overall impression isn't tainted by the fact that the story is only pretty good. Overall Score: 8.5/10    … Expand
  30. Mannar
    Jan 20, 2017
    2
    Well I thought it is really a good game from beginning. Then there was driving around, which was major let down for me, but I thought - alright I will deal with it. After chapter 8 it goes so wrong and especially chapter 13 is WTF?!?! What am I playing???
  31. Chocoferu
    Jan 20, 2017
    10
    Awesome experience! 10 years were worth waiting, and it looks gorgeous for a 3 years of development game!

    Since they had problems in the making since PS2, SE had to rush it a bit and make DLCs in order to release it before 2017, but it's impressive how they reached that level of detail, awesome gameplay, story and additional content. Been playing for 130h, and in a few days we'll get    Awesome experience! 10 years were worth waiting, and it looks gorgeous for a 3 years of development game!

    Since they had problems in the making since PS2, SE had to rush it a bit and make DLCs in order to release it before 2017, but it's impressive how they reached that level of detail, awesome gameplay, story and additional content.

    Been playing for 130h, and in a few days we'll get a free special event and they'll keep expanding the world for free!

    Giving a 10/10 to support this saga :D    … Expand
  32. thedaarkbatty
    Jan 20, 2017
    0
    The combat system is incomprehensible to me, everything happens too fast and feels overly chaotic. I don't feel like I am making choices or that i have any ability to control the combat. I don't see how the game has as good a score as it does. It irks me to no end that I have to manually control the camera.
  33. Akuma75
    Jan 20, 2017
    0
    Waited 10 years throughout highschool and college for this.
    Completely false advertisement Nothing in the trailers are actually in the game.
    The 20 mins of content in this video has more story than what's in the game, too bad none of it is in the game. https://youtu.be/JkVYVpxNarU This game has got to be the worst rpg I have ever played. Only 4 useable summons that u can't summoned    Waited 10 years throughout highschool and college for this.
    Completely false advertisement Nothing in the trailers are actually in the game.
    The 20 mins of content in this video has more story than what's in the game, too bad none of it is in the game.

    https://youtu.be/JkVYVpxNarU
    This game has got to be the worst rpg I have ever played.
    Only 4 useable summons that u can't summoned when u want.
    Only 3 spells with horrible cool down timers u will problaby never use them, plus using them can kill your teammates.
    Combat is so bad and boring. you have to be fooled by graphics to enjoy this crap your just spamming 1 button and spamming potions to win. Absolutely no depth in combat and story is complete trash.
    sign this petition if you agree

    https://www.change.org/p/square-enix-reboot-final-fantasy-versus?source_location=minibar

    Story - 0.3
    Combat - 1.3
    Sidequests - 1.5
    Graphics - 9.5

    Honest trailer:
    https://youtu.be/KmLUXoK1I8o

    Fans:
    https://youtu.be/3TMaxetlQ38    … Expand
  34. VsAssassin
    Jan 18, 2017
    8
    Oh, Final Fantasy XV. I really wanted to give you a 9, but the glaring issue in one of the most important aspects of the Final Fantasy franchise, aka story, is something that I cannot ignore. Ok, enough second person talk. Let me be blunt here for second. Final Fantasy is still a great game--the vast open world and the surprisingly good (non turn-based) combat system are very wellOh, Final Fantasy XV. I really wanted to give you a 9, but the glaring issue in one of the most important aspects of the Final Fantasy franchise, aka story, is something that I cannot ignore. Ok, enough second person talk. Let me be blunt here for second. Final Fantasy is still a great game--the vast open world and the surprisingly good (non turn-based) combat system are very well executed. Sadly, I cannot say the same for the story, which is dampened by plot holes, lack of expositions and missed opportunities. Speaking of missed opportunities, it can be traced back to poor characterization, which also adds to the story's plot holes and poor execution.

    It's still a solid entry to the series, but its numerous failings in aspects where a Final Fantasy is expected to excel makes it a game that longs for greatness yet under-delivers.

    That said, if you value open-world exploration and undertaking sidequests, by all means get this game. Just don't expect a masterfully crafted tale, because there's little to speak of in this game.    … Expand
  35. IgnitionWeb
    Jan 18, 2017
    3
    I am saddened, I loved the FF but this title is even more of a tarnish on the series than XIII was. I like the combat system and the open world. But the story is so thin and empty and the sidequest are useless filler.
  36. tonnu
    Jan 18, 2017
    0
    the game is a **** mess. i can't believe people actually test played this game. there is no story. everything happens without any reason. "epic" cut scenes are nonsensical. when the professional reviewers say the stories are "weak" it's a gross misunderstatement.

    everything you know and love about the series is good. magic system is crap. party system is crap (only gladios can withstand    the game is a **** mess. i can't believe people actually test played this game. there is no story. everything happens without any reason. "epic" cut scenes are nonsensical. when the professional reviewers say the stories are "weak" it's a gross misunderstatement.

    everything you know and love about the series is good. magic system is crap. party system is crap (only gladios can withstand abuse, the other two will die constantly). there is no equipment system. there are no summons. skill tree is mostly meaningless.

    combat is OK but not enough to save the game. it is clumsy and requires little to no skill. what's worse is that there's very little combat in this game. mega bosses are QTEs and / or gimmicky boss. in one boss encounter you are basically given super powers and you just hold circle to defeat it--like seriously, not exaggerating one bit.

    as other reviewers have remarked after the half way point, the game abandons its open world for a more story-focused linear development. this occurs around chapter 9 or something. what people fails to mention is that actually after chapter 9, each chapter consists of like ONE battle. with like trash mobs. and then some nonsensical cut scenes. and then the chapter ends. W T F.

    seriously, this is a failure on so many levels i really question whether the **** at sqenix even played the game or not.

    this post is not an exaggeration. this game SUCKS.    … Expand
  37. Jafenhar
    Jan 17, 2017
    6
    It's not FFXIII bad, but it's also not far behind it. This, this is just not a good FF title. It's as if it's a FF game developed by a Western developer studio. The story feels rushed and is weak, the combat is atrocious and nothing like what you expect from a FF game (spells are consumables, really Square?), and the characters lack any depth whatsoever. It's a game that, even though itIt's not FFXIII bad, but it's also not far behind it. This, this is just not a good FF title. It's as if it's a FF game developed by a Western developer studio. The story feels rushed and is weak, the combat is atrocious and nothing like what you expect from a FF game (spells are consumables, really Square?), and the characters lack any depth whatsoever. It's a game that, even though it had a nearly 10 year development cycle, still feels very rushed. Square would have been better off postponing it another year to fine tune everything and finish the story. I'll stick to FFXIV and the PS1 FFVII port on my PS4 for my FF fixes. This game is a pass at full price, but worth it if you can find it for $30 or so.… Expand
  38. BoundingSuccubi
    Jan 17, 2017
    0
    Another wasted opportunity for Square. Very little depth. Another story along the lines of FFXIII. No reason for anything, just thrown together. Character customization and party mechanics are awful. Square has lost their ability to tell a captivating story and create characters who have real personality and draw you in and this is just the latest example. I have played every FFAnother wasted opportunity for Square. Very little depth. Another story along the lines of FFXIII. No reason for anything, just thrown together. Character customization and party mechanics are awful. Square has lost their ability to tell a captivating story and create characters who have real personality and draw you in and this is just the latest example. I have played every FF since 1 including Gameboy and I have been let down every title since 12. Square - there is reason you make the online games with jobs and classes and magic and story. Why can't you do that with an offline title? Your fans want it. And now you suck at it. Go back to the basics.… Expand
  39. jsands7
    Jan 17, 2017
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. TL:DR All of the bad things people are saying about the game are true, some of us are just weighting things differently; I am going to give it a 7.

    I played the game for 60 hours and enjoyed my time and may have even shed a tear or two at the end; that being said, there are some absolutely weird things in this game.

    Plot/Story: I kept waiting and waiting for plot holes to get solved but more and more just opened up. Literally nothing important happened in my game for the first 45 hours (through chapter 8 or so?), and then 10 hours later the whole game was over. I even watched Kingsglaive to make sure I knew the backstory. I mean, an evil empire is on the warpath for 150 years... and then a month after they capture their biggest target, the entire empire just dissolves and is a footnote in the story? Cor tells us we need to gather all of the old kings weapons because we need their power but then you never hear about that again. Multiple characters go back and forth between evil and friendly without much explanation (Aranea... Ravus?...) Prompto has the big revelation about being born a magitek soldier, and they basically say "Ok fine" and move on. They try to force some love subplot with Iris (which they keep pronounce e-ris instead of eye-ris), but then you just never see her again. Yet, with all of these major story plot holes... the game takes the time to have Ignis wake my character up so I can help him stir soup in the morning after camping. Huh???

    I tried to do the basic side quests it kept giving me but then I ended up 30 levels higher than suggested for the climactic battles.

    I played the game on Active combat mode which was fine, but the targeting was off most of the time, especially if you could attack multiple points on a mob. I never figured out how to consistently target a mob's weak point. Having to stop what you're doing to craft a spell and then equip it like a piece of gear is clunky, there is no way around that.

    The summon animation is cool, but you hardly ever use the summons. I might have had 5 summons the entire game? And that is with a couple that happen right at the end.

    I fished a bunch, I guess that was fine. The Coleman camping gear ads every time I had a fishing cutscene with the npc were cringeworthy.

    My wife watched Kingsglaive with me and then the start of the game with me, she made it not 5 minutes before you meet the scantily-clad gas-station hooker whose chest is so large she is falling out of her shirt. I had built up the game to my wife on how they had spent 10 years crafting this amazing universe and then when that happened I had no defense. It is embarrassing. Aranea too. Just unnecessary. I expect that sort of thing in a campy game like Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball... not in Final Fantasy.

    I guess they knew the music was bad and that you would be riding in cars and/or walking around for LONG periods of time, so they let you buy better music from their past games and listen to that instead. I probably spent 5+ hours either riding from one place to another in the car or walking through empty fields trying to do the fetch quests/'hunts'

    Obviously the game has a lot of issues, but at the end of the day, I had an enjoyable experience. Even if the combat targeting didn't work great, I got to where I enjoyed the combat teleporting around and calling for Gladio to hit some Downhammers when we had the tech points for it. Many parts of the game look pretty good, I enjoyed the scenery. The photo taking aspect of it was nice, and I liked how they worked that into the story at the ending etc.

    I was rating this game an 8 when I started this review, but now that I've typed all that out, I've decided to go with a 7. I will not be playing any DLCs, I assume they are stuff that should have been in the main game to flesh the story out but the devs wanted to make some extra money so they left them out of the primary game.    … Expand
  40. vizzle311
    Jan 16, 2017
    9
    Great game overall that nails the charm of Final Fantasy while giving you an open world. This is the first game I tried on my PS4 Pro and it is INSANELY detailed and the world is so fascinating to look at.

    The combat took me 5-10 hours to figure out but once you know what is actually going on, it makes sense for the most part. It's maddening when your view gets blocked by trees, I    Great game overall that nails the charm of Final Fantasy while giving you an open world. This is the first game I tried on my PS4 Pro and it is INSANELY detailed and the world is so fascinating to look at.

    The combat took me 5-10 hours to figure out but once you know what is actually going on, it makes sense for the most part. It's maddening when your view gets blocked by trees, I hope they patch this soon.

    My only real complaint is the baffling holes in the story and how entire parts of it just seem to be missing. No idea how this happened but it is a really glaring issue in an otherwise delightful RPG game.

    If people think it's not a Final Fantasy game at its core, I beg to differ when I'm riding into battle against a huge Bandersnatch on my custom red chocobo named Hatebeak, 15 foot long magic sword in hand    … Expand
  41. tsakiym
    Jan 16, 2017
    8
    not the final fantasy (turn based) that i used to but better than 13. 110 hours of game play and keep going

    i think the story was just a classic Japanese story, nothing to be amazed and nothing to complaint. Summons and magic cant fit right on the game and that was disappointing. Game-play, graphics, atmosphere, world are stunning. the only thing that I was disgusted with are:    not the final fantasy (turn based) that i used to but better than 13. 110 hours of game play and keep going

    i think the story was just a classic Japanese story, nothing to be amazed and nothing to complaint.
    Summons and magic cant fit right on the game and that was disappointing.

    Game-play, graphics, atmosphere, world are stunning.

    the only thing that I was disgusted with are: first the camera and second the turtle-mountain battle. just a long boring battle between my potions and a giant turtle that u can hit only when you are on air    … Expand
  42. AstralMirage
    Jan 16, 2017
    8
    I'm going to make this a short intro. Fan of Final Fantasy since 1, Etc Etc.

    I want to clarify a few things for people here who may be on the uninformed. For one, you need to watch the 15 Movie Kingsglaive to understand the preface to this. Its a decent little Advent Story style movie, fit with Action and a small lead up to the world, so you can understand what kind of world your    I'm going to make this a short intro. Fan of Final Fantasy since 1, Etc Etc.

    I want to clarify a few things for people here who may be on the uninformed. For one, you need to watch the 15 Movie Kingsglaive to understand the preface to this. Its a decent little Advent Story style movie, fit with Action and a small lead up to the world, so you can understand what kind of world your living in.

    The game's graphic are well done, and the soundtrack isn't the level of previous final fantasy's but I think nostalgia is to blame for that one. The open world is a nice touch, and the car for the life of me, I can't understand why people are dogging on it. when final fantasy has had everything from robots, airships, motorcycles, cars and beasts to ride on since its birth.

    The Sphere grid I'm a little mixed on. always have been since 10 but, its not terrible.

    The Magic system is what it is, because of the world your in. Yes Final fantasy has traditionally been about dungeons and dragons quality wizards an sorcery but this is a timeline where the King controls most of the Magic and is part of the entire reason it exists for those in the world. Magic is scarce and set to only the chosen and those, the chosen share to.

    Combat system is fairly well done, with the exception of holding the button down to win.. This should have been fixed with perhaps a difficulty setting where new comers that want to just see story and not worry about combat perchance get to speed through it like other games. (Kingdom hearts has an easy mode as well) All in all the pace is well done, and the action reminds me of Dirge of Cerberus more so then anything else.

    No female characters? That's fine, sure this is a bromance game of Noctis and his 3 Guardians, but hating on it because it lacks a strong female protagonist is silly.

    Storyline could have been more fleshed out and the world could have had more to do in it, but all in all its about what would be expected from a video game of today's standards.

    I'm going to clarify something that most fans seem to miss.. Your not fan of the final fantasy series, your a fan of Hironobu Sakaguchi who hasn't made a final fantasy since X. Which would explain why 12, 13 and 15 are so mediocre compared to the rest. Your not dealing with the Mastermind who created Final Fantasy, but his successor that tried to salvage the name.

    As a final fantasy? Its lacking, but the name died over 10 years ago so that is a moot point. As a Video game, its rather entertaining, and I have no golden pedestal to put it on because the name is a misnomer for a Title long expired.

    All in All I would rate this higher then the last trashy titles I've played in the last 5 years. I can't name but a few RPG titles that even peaked my interest including the Tales Series (Last game being terrible) and the Trails of Cold Steel/In the Sky Series.

    Take the game for what it is, and don't put labels on it that it doesn't deserve or rate it from a standpoint that is fallible.    … Expand
  43. BACON-A-TER
    Jan 16, 2017
    8
    Overall Final Fantasy XV is a great game, however a flawed one at that. Like 2015's MGS V (a phenomenal title) FFXV has a noticeably 'patch-work' storyline which can be very jarring at times, as whole segments are skipped over or diluted in some way. Moreover, the transition from open-world to linearity, by the end of the game, is slightly disappointing as (following from chapter 8) manyOverall Final Fantasy XV is a great game, however a flawed one at that. Like 2015's MGS V (a phenomenal title) FFXV has a noticeably 'patch-work' storyline which can be very jarring at times, as whole segments are skipped over or diluted in some way. Moreover, the transition from open-world to linearity, by the end of the game, is slightly disappointing as (following from chapter 8) many areas that could've been opened up to free exploration, were relegated to a 'corridor-esque' experience (especially chapter 13, a significant low point during the course of the plot). A few other negatives would include: the majority of sidequests being bland, uninteresting, and uninspired fetchquests; the villain (although intriguing and enigmatic-if somewhat obvious-at first) being made a typical, maniacal bad-guy; and issue of the camera being hard to negotiate whilst in combat (especially in tight spaces, such as dungeons).
    Moving on from the negatives, FFXV boasts great dungeon design (for the most part), beautiful visuals and stunning vistas, very human interactions between the main characters (in spite of their archetypal natures and average voice acting, they develop into very likeable characters), fun and engaging combat and levelling systems, and ultimately a satisfactory ending despite it all.
    In conclusion, FFXV holds up to be a fundamentally good and fun game in spite of its tumultuous development cycle and its most glaring flaws. I can recommend this game to anyone who has a passion for RPGs in general, as I was drawn in by its core gameplay, charm and music alone having only played one JRPG in my life and having otherwise coming away from its story a little disgruntled.    … Expand
  44. bcj919
    Jan 15, 2017
    6
    Like others said - incomplete & rushed.

    The fighting system was a blast, but I wish there were more spells / techniques & opportunities to summon. They did a horrible job with tutorials, & pretty much expected you to sit at the camp sights and learn for yourself. My friend & I each discovered several key gameplay elements 50+ hours in. The story made absolutely no sense til the    Like others said - incomplete & rushed.

    The fighting system was a blast, but I wish there were more spells / techniques & opportunities to summon.

    They did a horrible job with tutorials, & pretty much expected you to sit at the camp sights and learn for yourself. My friend & I each discovered several key gameplay elements 50+ hours in.

    The story made absolutely no sense til the very end...I had to push myself to care to finish it.

    Creature designs were great, & I loved the sense of scale in battle, but there seemed to be only a handful of them

    All the negative posts aside, I had a genuinely fun time playing it, & I hope they build on this for the next entry    … Expand
  45. KentaTakashi
    Jan 15, 2017
    6
    In some senses square enix has delivered on a game that was better than its most recent predecessor in FFXIII and it's many iterations, (XIII-2 and Lightning Returns). Yet it has failed horribly I feel in the ways that matter most to a diehard Final Fantasy fan. I'm going to break down this review like I have done for many others I did in the past not on this site. STORY, GRAPHICS, SOUND,In some senses square enix has delivered on a game that was better than its most recent predecessor in FFXIII and it's many iterations, (XIII-2 and Lightning Returns). Yet it has failed horribly I feel in the ways that matter most to a diehard Final Fantasy fan. I'm going to break down this review like I have done for many others I did in the past not on this site. STORY, GRAPHICS, SOUND, and GAMEPLAY/REPLAY. Also in lite of the season pass and it's upcoming DLC's this review does not take those into account and is just a review of the base game.

    STORY: This is probably the most insulting story next to FFXIII for fans of the series. The story's main cast of characters (your 3 friends) is likable but utterly bland. They have their motivations and driving forces but none of them is properly fleshed out with either back up lore or clever small interactions within the game.

    The story has no emotional bonding and throughout the many FF series this has been one of the driving factors behind it's longevity and success. You felt for each character as you deeply bonded with them in your travels. This game has some of that but it's lost in a jumble of messy and incomplete storytelling. One instance you're doing something and the next something completely unrelated happens that just derails the transition from one scene into the next. Not to mention you barely experience the story 15 hours into the game slogged down by side quests that dilutes the bare bones story even further. I should have cried when certain character died but I was just like MEH and moved on.

    Past games have achieved unity between side quests and main story by tying them indirectly into the game with lore. (ie the al bhed dictionary in FF10, and the gathering quests in FF7 for Aerith). This does none of that, sure hunting monsters is enjoyable at first but you don't really know why you're doing it other than for hunter progression and or new gear. That alone isn't really enough.

    (SEMI SPOILER) To top it off the ending while fine on its own only really tell an incomplete picture and Square Enix have taken it upon themselves to add insult to injury on starting a NG+ in hope of achieving a better ending (like have been done in past games) by not actually including one.

    Oh and while kingslaive did give plenty of prelude up to the game it doesn't fill in the massive plot holes left during parts of the story.

    STORY receives a bitter 3/10

    GRAPHICS: What can I say I'm more spoiled by computers than I was in GLORY DAYS past for SQUARE.

    While textures look muddy up close on the PS4 I still enjoyed the larger back drop scenery and the beautiful decorum. Especialy the the Throne room of the LUCII they took to creating this vast open world. This is actually one of the saving graces of this entry. Sure it's not as fantasy driven as past games. But that in and of itself is fine the world actually functions well together and you feel like it's all tied to the overarching feel of the title.

    They also did well transitioning the more pixel art/ cartoony monsters of past games into respectable and fearsome creatures. THE GIANT WORLD BOSSES are SUPER impressive although certain areas are bogged down by massive and inconsistent frame drops as a result of the post-rendering.

    GRAPHICS receives a solid and acceptable score of 8/10

    SOUND: GIVE ME MORE... I genuinely enjoyed the sound track as I do almost every FF game this one being no exception SUNSET WALTZ is my To Zanarkand all over again :).

    Sound effects and overall sound design in the game is outstanding. WEAPONS are given the appropriate sound effects to match their size and weight and meaningful attacks and chains click well together and aren't muddled.

    VOICE ACTING in the western version could use some help at times (dear god dave with a southern accent) but was actually fairly acceptable and downright pleasant to listen to at times. Still suffering from TIDUS's cringe laughing in the western port. JP Voice acting was solid although some of the subtitle translations could use some work in my opinion.

    SOUNDS gets a 8/10 ( GODDAMIT DAVE)

    GAMEPLAY:
    Probably the most love hate relationship you'll encounter in more recent games. I genuinely enjoyed the combat while not perfect was acceptable and it told the story properly. Square still has too much of a love affair with QTE events ever since they made them more prominent in FF13 but is still fairly acceptable in this game. Most combat QTE is limited to the small O button interaction as a result and leaves for a weird mix between Kingdom Hearts free chaining combined with some weird strategy factors from past FF games.

    REPLAY: There is none aside from maybe upcoming DLC or if you're into monster hunting. With a lack of a possible better ending there's really no reason to replay the game since it doesn't actually get harder with NG+

    GAMEPLAY/REPLAY gets a 7/10

    OVERALL SCORE IS 6.5/10.    … Expand
  46. tkepe168
    Jan 15, 2017
    10
    Just finished the game through, Amazing graphics and one of the best Final Fantasy stories. The comradery between the 4 just plays off the animated YouTube series well, as the game goes on. Combat takes a bit to get used to, but still good.
  47. Figaro79
    Jan 14, 2017
    0
    Выпустив Final Fantasy XV Square Enix орекла себя на несмываемый позор. Да, FF XIII была убожеством, но хотя бы работала, в отличие от Final Fantasy XV, которая жутко сбоит, плохо оптимизирована и это помимо скучного сюжета и его подачи, картонных персонажей, неработающей боёвки - что персонажи, что монстры ведут себя как сумасшедшие слепые недотёпы. Скучнейшие и жутко однообразныеВыпустив Final Fantasy XV Square Enix орекла себя на несмываемый позор. Да, FF XIII была убожеством, но хотя бы работала, в отличие от Final Fantasy XV, которая жутко сбоит, плохо оптимизирована и это помимо скучного сюжета и его подачи, картонных персонажей, неработающей боёвки - что персонажи, что монстры ведут себя как сумасшедшие слепые недотёпы. Скучнейшие и жутко однообразные побочные задания. Заторможенные chocobos с которых из за критичного сбоя иногда нельзя слезть. Боевая система сбоит как только начинается бой более чем с тремя противниками; кривая анимация, персонажи промахиваются, монстры убегают за пределы поля боя и их там нельзя атаковать пока они не вернуться, а они могут вообще не вернуться в круг боя. Совершенно алогичные уязвимости к стихиям. Однозначно Final Fantasy XV очередная разрекламированная поделка. Сумбурная, недоделанная, как технически так и сюжетно где то на уровне плохих игр из 2000х. Плюс задания иногда нельзя выполнить из за того что сюжетный предмет нельзя подобрать - не срабатывает триггер или что там. Предмет подсвечивается, но не подбирается.
    Вердикт - 0/10 это позор японцам, это провал. Веры SquareEnix больше нет.    … Expand
  48. treestand
    Jan 14, 2017
    8
    I was skeptical of Final Fantasy XV due to all the nightmarish production rumors but in the end I caved and went for it, thankfully. FFXV was the most addictive game I've played in a long time, far exceeding my expectations, but at the same time continually falling short of perfection. The saddest part of this game is knowing what it could have been given the time it deserved. Every aspectI was skeptical of Final Fantasy XV due to all the nightmarish production rumors but in the end I caved and went for it, thankfully. FFXV was the most addictive game I've played in a long time, far exceeding my expectations, but at the same time continually falling short of perfection. The saddest part of this game is knowing what it could have been given the time it deserved. Every aspect of this game is beautiful yet unfinished. You are continually led along intricately detailed pathways that lead to dead ends or seem to head in one direction before awkwardly diverting down a different and underwhelming route. You can literally see the seams where portions of the game were cut apart and pasted together to make a 2016 release deadline, and its sad, because you are continuously aware of the team's hope for there to have been so much more. The most noticeable seams being where they hacked apart the narrative leaving a story both incomplete and unintelligible. Despite this, the core characters are reasonably well written and it is their journey that keeps this hodgepodge collage of a video game glued together in a way that amazingly still works so well. Positives for me: Cooking, Camping/Hotels/, Monsters/Bosses, Photography, Dungeons, World Design. Let Downs: All villains besides Ardyn, npc design/animation and general programming/ All characters besides main four are ankle deep or shallower, cities are barely explorable, Side quests are repetitive and poorly written. Narrative makes zero sense unless you spend hours researching online. It's easy to gripe about how a game could have been better, and I was spoiled by playing the Witcher III just before this, but even so, a very positive experience.… Expand
  49. radovasq
    Jan 14, 2017
    9
    [Review in SPANISH]

    El juego pudo haber sido el mejor de la saga Final Fantasy, pero se nota demasiado el desarrollo tormentoso al que fue sometido. Hay muchas lagunas argumentales y elementos que pudieron haber sido pulidos de mejor manera si hubiesen tenido más tiempo (fue sin ánimo de ser irónico...). Aún así se disfruta bastante. El sistema de combate es frenético, rápido, y    [Review in SPANISH]

    El juego pudo haber sido el mejor de la saga Final Fantasy, pero se nota demasiado el desarrollo tormentoso al que fue sometido. Hay muchas lagunas argumentales y elementos que pudieron haber sido pulidos de mejor manera si hubiesen tenido más tiempo (fue sin ánimo de ser irónico...).

    Aún así se disfruta bastante. El sistema de combate es frenético, rápido, y ahorra todo el tedio del combate por turnos de los Final Fantasy clásicos. Quizás esto también explica el por qué el juego dura menos que sus predecesores: unas 30 hrs vs unas 45-50 hrs que podría tomar el FFVI por ejemplo.

    Pero lo mejor es la historia. A mi modo de ver, rompe todos los esquemas a los que estamos acostumbrados. Debo mencionar que eso no es algo que se note en las primeras horas de juego. Más bien uno sospecha que algo raro pasa a medida que el juego corre, y recién 2 episodios antes del final todo se aclara. La batalla contra el jefe final está cargada de simbolismo y emociones fuertes, pero lamentablemente para muchos llega a ser un trámite, que es donde se concentran las quejas de muchas personas.

    Y es en lo último donde me quiero detener un poco. El juego requiere de nos detengamos a pensar un poco las cosas antes de seguir avanzando. Muchos hechos de la historia ocurren tras bambalinas, donde de no ser por la película Kinglslave o la wiki de Final Fantasy (que hay que leer con cuidado para no ser devorado por los spoilers), ni nos enteramos de cómo ocurrieron. Además, el lenguaje corporal es un elemento muy importante al momento de narrar la historia. El enemigo final (y en menor medida otros personajes) dice mucho no sólo con sus palabras, sino también con sus gestos y sus muecas. Uno debe abrir bien los ojos mientras se encuentra con las cinemáticas del juego para entender mejor qué es lo que nos quiere decir.

    Al fin de al cabo, y para resurmir, la saga siempre ha tratado de emociones, y éste juego las tiene. Por ello es que lo recomiendo fuertemente. Si aún no lo han comprado, ¡vayan!    … Expand
  50. NotMyFinalForm
    Jan 14, 2017
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Battle system is mostly braindead button mashing, no skill or strategy required. The story is rushed and unfinished. The world is basically empty. The sidequests are either a fetch-quest or killing something a hundred times each. The loading screens are constant and all over the place. The driving is boring and it takes a lot of time. The dungeons are intriguing at first but then you realize they are all actually extremely dull an uninteresting.

    So what exactly is good about this game? I have no idea. Maybe the graphics... Although there was a cut-scene near the end of the game were we see some aeons battling it out and it was pretty good. That was the one and only highlight of the story, if you can call this unfinished rubbish with plotholes everywhere a story at all.

    I wish I was joking but I am not. This game needed like 1 or more years in the oven to be honest. It had potential but in its current state the game's simply unfinished.    … Expand
  51. Talhante
    Jan 12, 2017
    2
    This Final Fantasy is not a good one. It is incomplete, it is shallow, it is incoherent. It's a disappointment.
    The gameplay is bad, the story is horrible, the world is poorly developed. It's a disappointment
    It is an involution in relation to the other games of the franchise. It's a disappointment. It is not a good final fantasy game.. it is not a good game. Everything about this game    This Final Fantasy is not a good one. It is incomplete, it is shallow, it is incoherent. It's a disappointment.
    The gameplay is bad, the story is horrible, the world is poorly developed. It's a disappointment
    It is an involution in relation to the other games of the franchise. It's a disappointment.
    It is not a good final fantasy game.. it is not a good game. Everything about this game is shallow and disappointing    … Expand
  52. Celebrochan
    Jan 12, 2017
    1
    The combat system is incomprehensible to me, everything happens too fast and feels overly chaotic. I don't feel like I am making choices or that i have any ability to control the combat. I don't see how the game has as good a score as it does. It irks me to no end that I have to manually control the camera.

    I loved the early final fantasy games. I hoped to get back into them with this    The combat system is incomprehensible to me, everything happens too fast and feels overly chaotic. I don't feel like I am making choices or that i have any ability to control the combat. I don't see how the game has as good a score as it does. It irks me to no end that I have to manually control the camera.

    I loved the early final fantasy games. I hoped to get back into them with this title... that didn't happen.

    P.S. I am amazed to see it included on many of the best games of 2016 lists and laugh to see No Man's Sky included on all the same lists.    … Expand
  53. SOLIDSNAKEN64
    Jan 12, 2017
    6
    Finished the game in about 40 hours at lvl 48 on normal. first half of the game is fun open world experience with very little story. Second half of the game is a boring linear experience with a lot of story. FF15 is a fun game but becomes repetitive, side quest are dull and boring, usually in a FF game side quest have story elements behind them but in FF15 they are simple fetch quests.Finished the game in about 40 hours at lvl 48 on normal. first half of the game is fun open world experience with very little story. Second half of the game is a boring linear experience with a lot of story. FF15 is a fun game but becomes repetitive, side quest are dull and boring, usually in a FF game side quest have story elements behind them but in FF15 they are simple fetch quests. I did enjoy the main characters and their story/adventure but that is about it the rest of the world doesn't really have rememberable NPC's. The worst part of this game for me is the Camera. To many times during battle was ruined by **** camera angles usually my view was from behind a bush or rock. The battle system was cool at first but becomes very easy once you figure out you basically attack and parry by mashing two buttons. Graphics at times are beautiful and other time I feel like I'm looking at ps3 graphics. Driving is slow and monotonous, once you get the parking fast travels it becomes a little easier but annoying trying to find your parking destination in a list full of them. The open world could have used more to do in it, but I admit crossing planes riding chocobos is a good time. Weapons are cool but so few of them to choose from left me wanting more. I feel after a 10 year development FF should have been a more polished game, definitely could of been on Witcher 3 level. If you are a FF fan pick it up when its on sale, which shouldn't be difficult to find right now.… Expand
  54. Nidave
    Jan 12, 2017
    7
    A good game that should of been great.

    I find myself enjoying the game for the most part and I can see why people are upset with the game, but rather than putting it up on the stake I'll talk about the positives of the game. I find the game play to be the best in the series by far and the world isn't just some empty wasteland with nothing to do. I enjoyed the side quests and monster    A good game that should of been great.

    I find myself enjoying the game for the most part and I can see why people are upset with the game, but rather than putting it up on the stake I'll talk about the positives of the game. I find the game play to be the best in the series by far and the world isn't just some empty wasteland with nothing to do. I enjoyed the side quests and monster hunts across the game.    … Expand
  55. Jonnyboi123
    Jan 11, 2017
    3
    this game is dull. the lack of atmosphere due to the dull surroundings lacks any motivation to explore. Graphics are bad and it takes forever to get anywhere. Driving the car is so dull that its a snoze fest. The fighting is ok but its hard to keep track of enemies. The side missions are fetch quests which are awefull. Avoid this game
  56. Thilus
    Jan 11, 2017
    5
    TL;DR: Well below average for a Final Fantasy. It lacks the charm of FF IX, an engaging story of FF VII or memorable characters of FF X. Personally, I would rate it even below the lackluster FF XIII, which - obviously - is a bad sign.

    Pros: + Big and pretty open world, which you can explore quite freely + Good visuals, both in terms of textures and animations Cons: - Dreadful    TL;DR: Well below average for a Final Fantasy. It lacks the charm of FF IX, an engaging story of FF VII or memorable characters of FF X. Personally, I would rate it even below the lackluster FF XIII, which - obviously - is a bad sign.

    Pros:
    + Big and pretty open world, which you can explore quite freely
    + Good visuals, both in terms of textures and animations

    Cons:
    - Dreadful combat system. You basically hold one button (circle) to attack and another (square) to dodge. Many times I found myself just holding the circle and watching as my character blew away its opposition. There is no finesse in all that. I understand that this FF was supposed to be "for the fans and for the first-time players", but this... This is just dumbed-down to the point of absurdity.
    - Too many meaningless quests. Have you ever played Witcher 3? There's a ton of sidequests in Witcher 3. Some of them are fetch quests, sure, but ALL of them (and I mean ALL) are somehow memorable. Here, it's mostly, well... Bring me this, fetch me that. Booooring.
    - Riding the car. At first I was pretty excited to use the Regalia (that's the name of the car), but after a while driving it (or rather riding it) became a nightmare. Sometimes it takes five minutes for the car to reach its destination. Five minutes when you can do nothing but sightsee. Or make yourself a tea. Go to the toilet. Do something else. Anything. Otherwise you'll just waste your time.
    - No plot. Seriously. I was halfway through the game (maybe even a little further than that), and the number of exciting events equaled exactly zero. The game has no drive whatsoever. What, you mean that trying to regain the throne for an unlikable, spoiled brat is supposed to keep me in front of a TV for 40-50 hours.
    - Boring characters. That's pretty much self-explanatory.

    All in all this was a huge disappointment. I waited for this game since it was announced in... I dunno. 2006? Maybe back then it could be considered good. Ten years later it's average at best.    … Expand
  57. heaberlin2010
    Jan 11, 2017
    9
    I personally believe its a good game. Its the only FF game that has interested me since X.

    The battle system has its kinks but what battle system doesn't. I personally hated FFXIII's battle system with a passion and was hoping for something like the battle system the game has but keeping with the old stuff. I personally love warping around. It takes alittle getting used to at first but    I personally believe its a good game. Its the only FF game that has interested me since X.

    The battle system has its kinks but what battle system doesn't. I personally hated FFXIII's battle system with a passion and was hoping for something like the battle system the game has but keeping with the old stuff. I personally love warping around. It takes alittle getting used to at first but once you get it you'll enjoy it. I like it way better than FFXIII's battle system. It's not frustrating and its very fluid to me and that's what I enjoy. I don't like the magic system but I never have been much for magic in RPG's at all. It really takes skill to use that one correctly. The only one I use magic in is Dark Souls

    The graphics are amazing as per a 2016 game. It should look great and be a beaut to view. Don't got much more to say than that.

    You need to watch Kingsglaive and Brotherhood if you want to have a full understanding of the preplot to the game or just go look up what happens. One or the other. The story telling isn't bad at all. Its intense at times as it should be. I love Noctis because he reminds me alot of myself. I won't reveal many spoilers but I think its a good story.

    The open world is good but it doesn't go to its full potential. However, for the westernized JRPG that keeps with its old roots, I think it was done very well. It doesnt compare to some of the triple A titles who have been working on Westernized Open World RPG's for years like Bethesda and others have.

    However, this should be obvious since they are trying to blend the two together. We have to remember that this is 2016 for the old FF folk that are annoyed. This is a generation of open world and very sandboxy games. I didn't mind the fetch quests. I've played Maple Story for almost 11 years and I'm used to it. If you are annoyed by fetch quests you'll be annoyed! I personally do not like the "stumble upon secondary quests" attitude. I can deal with it if it was the prominent use of secondary quests in this game. Yes there is alot of time spent in the car, that's what you have fast travel for. Be thankful, they could've made you walk the entire game.

    Finally, do not go into this game expecting a savior. Final Fantasy 15 is not a savior. It is the foundation of something they really can build off of. We all know the JRPG's are struggling and the reality is they need to blend JRPG's and Westernized stuff together or they will continue to struggle. Some people may think this is an insane comment. I do not believe it is. I believe that if they polish up alot of the stuff in this game they truly could revive the series. Likewise, do not come in overhyping it or you will be disappointed. I was skeptical of the game when I first played it but once I settled in I personally enjoyed it. So go into the game and enjoy the game. Do not nit pick at everything you see because you'll find yourself rating it a 5 and say you wasted your money and whine like a baby. Its definitely a 7-8 game but because I love the series and am hopeful that this is the beginning of something good I gave it a higher rating. I'm glad I bought the game and its definitely been a fun time enjoying it and taking it slow.    … Expand
  58. Progressive-T
    Jan 11, 2017
    7
    I’ve been a fan of Final Fantasy since part VII on the PSOne, but because of the abysmal FF XIII, my trust in the series had been severely damaged.
    I went back for FF XV, but even though they had made some improvements over the disastrous piece of crap they shat out last time (of course I didn’t even bother with the two sequels), it’s still a far cry from the days when Hironobu Sakaguchi    I’ve been a fan of Final Fantasy since part VII on the PSOne, but because of the abysmal FF XIII, my trust in the series had been severely damaged.
    I went back for FF XV, but even though they had made some improvements over the disastrous piece of crap they shat out last time (of course I didn’t even bother with the two sequels), it’s still a far cry from the days when Hironobu Sakaguchi was at the helm.
    I wouldn’t say FF XV is a bad game, but it certainly is not up to the standards that made me a fan in the first place.

    STORY: the thing that struck me the most while playing this game was the almost complete lack of a storyline. In previous games there was always this epic story and you controlled a group of characters that were adequately fleshed out for us to be able to feel an emotional connection to.
    We get none to very little of that here. In fact, you are given a few bits of story and before you even realize it, you are guided towards the conclusion, to fight an antagonist of whom we know too little.
    The story feels rushed, it’s much too short and at the end of it I simply didn’t care, no matter how many violins they throw against it. It’s amateur time when compared to previous installments.

    FIGHT SYSTEM: it’s kind of a mess to be honest. The biggest problem I have with it is that the camera jumps all over the place which creates confusion and this is especially a problem when you are fighting in tight areas or when surrounded by bushes for instance. The battle music gets me pumped up, but the awful camera is a source of annoyance. When they decide to do away with a turn based system, a system that had proven its value in the past, in favor of a new action oriented one, they had better make sure the new fight system kicks ass and it just doesn’t. It's an improvement over FF XIII, but it's not satisfactory yet.

    SIDE QUESTS: this comes down to hunts and mainly fetch quests. Whereas the hunts do a standard job of adding playtime to a game in a way that is enjoyable, unfortunately the same cannot be said of the latter. It’s just all very uninspired and downright lazy on the part of the developers. More could have been done here, but again you get the feeling that things have been rushed, a pity after 10 years of development.

    WORLD MAP: I’m glad there is a world again in which you can travel freely instead of having to select your destination from a menu, but perhaps they spent a little too much time on making an open world and not enough effort was put into actually filling this world with enough interesting stuff to do.
    You have a car, the Regalia, but many would criticize the fact that it’s mainly an on-rails experience, but it didn’t really bother me. I often took the opportunity to roll a cigarette or get something from the kitchen or whatnot. However, the flying Regalia does not get my approval. The controls are too clunky and if you don’t manage to land on a road, it’s crash and game over. An airship that can land anywhere like in the old days was too much to ask. Your car is restricted to the roads and so when you land it has to be on a road.
    Then there are also chocobos to ride and luckily all goes well there. When you’re off-road, chocobo is a good way to go, unless you like long treks on foot.

    CONCLUSION: for a game that has been in development for 10 years it can feel pretty empty at times.
    You can almost feel how they cut corners here and there. The story is almost non-existing, unforgiveable for a Final Fantasy game and RPGs in general and this damages the immersion and emotional connection players can have.
    But having said all this, the game is not all bad and fun can be had with it. It’s just a mediocre RPG and a watered down Final Fantasy. 6 out of 10 would be too low and it doesn't deserve an 8.    … Expand
  59. dr9188
    Jan 10, 2017
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Not without its flaws... But ultimately the most fun, and emotional, Final Fantasy experience I have experienced... And the most fun I've had playing a game for years.

    Myself and Final Fantasy have had a troubled relationship over the past decade. Ever since the PS1 era, I have felt they have never quite matched the quality I had known from the series. With FFX it was the awful voice acting (all I'll say is: HA-HA-HA). With FFXII it was the fact it didn't feel like Final Fantasy as much as Star Wars combined with Dungeons and Dragons (although being an amazing game with a brilliant cast in its own right). And Final Fantasy XIII felt like the ultimate minimal input, beautiful port of ProgressQuest... With convoluted, ultimately unrelatable story (but amazing mythos), forgettable stereotypes for characters and almost literally corridors with minimal exploration for 80% of the story.

    So Final Fantasy XV landed with my patience pushed to the limits. Although XIII-2 and Lightning Returns were much better, they still lacked that feeling I had from the past. And I will start off saying this: If your heyday of Final Fantasy was back in the days of PS1, you will probably love this game as much as I did.

    You are almost straight away plonked into the open world, which both encouraged and wowed me. The world of Eos (Final Fantasy XV's world) is a beautiful, beautiful place; For the first time it feels like they have been able to fully match the graphical quality of cut-scenes of FF8 and 9. Noctis and his retinue realise the huge difference between the modern Crown City and the 50s-style world we can actually explore. It reminds me of the disparity and rustic beauty of Cuba in comparison to the rest of the world.

    So you travel through this beautiful world... A world you can get lost in (something missing from the series for a long time)... Sometimes pushing the story along, sometimes taking part in side quests... Broken up by camps each night, which act almost like the beating heart of the game; giving your characters the chance to level up and have one of Ignis' fabulous, status-boosting meals. They sometimes act as an opportunity to take part in optional side quests with one of your party (although sadly this happens less than the Episode Duscae demo made me think it would).

    Things take a turn for the worst for our crew in the second half of the game, when tragedy hits nearly everyone. The game takes a much-criticised linear route from Chapter 9. A route which, personally, I absolutely loved. Even though you get the feeling it is (literally) a whistle-stop tour of the remaining assets they were able to complete for the game, it hits all the right narrative beats. You straight away feel the more sombre tone from the death of Luna and the loss of Ignis' sight, and our tour completes in the very Midgar-styled city of Gralea.

    This is one of my favourite parts; Darin De Paul's brilliant portrayal of antagonist Ardyn makes up for probably the best villain of the entire series. He leads you condescendingly down the dark corridors and eventual horrors you learn in the city. "Bah, I knew you'd go that way" he says as you explore the room to your left instead of your goal in front of you. "You're such a tease".

    Everything from the end of this chapter onwards is a beautifully directed feels train of reminiscence, nostalgia and regret, and almost a metaphor for a world 10 years on from the very first trailer for the then-titled Final Fantasy Versus XIII. I can personally say it made me very reflective. I remember having just left home and starting university when I first saw that trailer, thinking I knew everything about life. 10 years down the line, and the biggest lesson I've learned is I still barely know a thing about life... None of us do... We all just make it up as we go along.

    Underscoring these moments is the beautiful soundtrack, and I wish to commend Yoko Shimomura on creating the best Final Fantasy score I have heard. It manages to evoke feelings of the old games without feeling like it is trying to copy Uematsu's style from them, something which I have felt the series has struggled with since his departure. There are around 6 main themes which run throughout the game, and these evolve for their respective characters/institutions as the game progresses. The best example of this is the epic Magna Insomnia; the final boss theme which also acts as a combination of Somnus and Ardyn's Theme. The chorus of Somnus teases throughout the song before being fully realised as you battle Ardyn above Insomnia's Citadel; and has a chilling choral conclusion as Ardyn finally shows his true rage in telling you "10 years is nothing... I have been in darkness for ages!".

    The game isn't without its faults. But I have already spent 200+ hours on it... Every battle is a joy to play, feeling more interactive and fun than FFXIII.. Making it take much longer to complete quests than you would think. Worth every penny    … Expand
  60. cdyrhjohn
    Jan 10, 2017
    9
    Although the main story has some problems, I believe SE will finish the story via update patches. Apart from the main story, the game system, mini-games and mazes are extremely interesting! I've played more than 110 hours on this game.
  61. cabbages
    Jan 10, 2017
    0
    This game is a disgusting excuse of a game, you do nothing is this game, all you do is walk around, seriously you spend 5 minutes walking to a place or driving to a place, to pick a mission just to walk another 5 minute to the mission location, to do a 10 sec battle and walk back. This really is every single side mission, some mission requires about 15 minutes of walking, seriously justThis game is a disgusting excuse of a game, you do nothing is this game, all you do is walk around, seriously you spend 5 minutes walking to a place or driving to a place, to pick a mission just to walk another 5 minute to the mission location, to do a 10 sec battle and walk back. This really is every single side mission, some mission requires about 15 minutes of walking, seriously just walking around. Theres no fast travel, unless your in the car and you have to walk to the car, and you cant travel at night by car, you always get stop by a demon.

    this game is so bad, I can't express how much walking you have to do, its like 95% of the game is just walking, nothing else.    … Expand
  62. lukvit
    Jan 10, 2017
    3
    The only reason I bought ps4 is the release of FFXV, I have been waiting for 9 years since the trailer of FF versus XIII. The trailer before showed a girl named Stella will has to fight against Noctis (a magic master vs a weapons master) where the story seem like very attractive and remarkable. However, now they changed and made the story very poor, rushed, incomprehensible and short. ThisThe only reason I bought ps4 is the release of FFXV, I have been waiting for 9 years since the trailer of FF versus XIII. The trailer before showed a girl named Stella will has to fight against Noctis (a magic master vs a weapons master) where the story seem like very attractive and remarkable. However, now they changed and made the story very poor, rushed, incomprehensible and short. This is very disappointing me and most of the FF fans.

    Amongst the FF series game, I love FF type-0 the most as it has excellent story, free style combat system, including 14 playable characters with different weapons, tons of magic can be used, summons that can be controlled in battle, chocobo and flying ship available to be used to explore the open world, same level sadness of ending compared to FFXV. So tell me with a better console, why FFXV can't has the same (or better) contains?    … Expand
  63. SocioStache
    Jan 10, 2017
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Before I begin, let me tell you how much I PERSONALLY love this game. It is one of my favorite games of the year, if not all time. However, that does not mean that I can give it a high score. In fact, my favorite subtitle for this game is "The Flawed Masterpiece".

    Let me begin by stating everything good about the game. The world looks very nice; they did a good job on the aesthetic appeal of the world. The attention to detail is pretty good (you can see your characters get dirty or wet depending on the area). The voice acting in English and Japanese are pretty good, and most of the characters themselves are fairly likeable. The combat is AMAZING! It's no Dark Souls, Dragon's Dogma, or Witcher 3; but it's well done and feels amazing and fluent, aside from some unresponsive controls at times. Ardyn is one of my personal favorite Final Fantasy villains, even if there was very little character development for him (or anyone else for that matter). And finally, the second half of the story is pretty good. Not great, just pretty good.

    Alright, now here's the fun part...

    This game took a LOOONG time to make; the development was restarted on two separate occasions. Naturally, that means that a lot of content was cut. After Tetsuya Nomura's departure from the development team in 2015, the rest of the crew had to scramble to finish a game without their creative expert. This lead to the gameplay being DRASTICALLY downgraded (look at the 2014 trailers for proof), the world being cut down by almost 90% (the original world map is nonexistent, and most of the original 785 square-miles is condensed into a smaller, 24-ish square-mile map), the story being rewritten, and entire chunks of the game being cut. Originally, the game would be around 3 acts long. The first act would be around 1/6 of the length of the game. It focused on Noctis's childhood, his relationship with his father, and the early lives of his future boy-bandmates. The second chunk was going to be much shorter, and told the part of the story where the tension built between Niflheim and Lucis, eventually leading to the events of Kingsglaive (the movie). The third act is the only part we got to play, and is the game itself. So sadly, rather than getting 50-75 hours of story gameplay that we were PROMISED a couple of years ago, we got a 20-25 hour game, a mediocre movie, and a five-episode anime. While the extra multimedia is not BAD, per se, it certainly doesn't get any points, considering it's basically the developers' laziness to create more game.

    The world, as I said, was supposed to be around 10-15 times the size of Grand Theft Auto V, and would be fully explorable. It would be empty in a lot of areas, but since one of the focuses of the game was "road trip", much of it would be glanced over as you drove past it anyway. Niflheim, Insomnia, Altissia, and Tenebrae were going to be completely open, as well as some other kingdoms now under Niflheim rule. Sadly, near the last six months of development, the team got overwhelmed by the sheer amount of area they still needed to make. They decided to cut out most of the world and condense the main parts, which resulted in the game being delayed by two months.

    The gameplay was originally going to incorporate more cover elements and even some free-running like the Assassin's Creed or Uncharted franchises. While the gameplay we got is still great, it's painful to see all the cut content that they showed just two E3s ago.

    The story is mostly trash. Like previously stated, the story was going to be wider in scope originally, focusing more on the relationship between Noctis, a boy who can foresee the deaths of others due to a near-death accident in his childhood, and his friends, family, and fiancé. As he grew to adulthood, the burden of his responsibilities as prince became too much to bear, and he grew defiant, refusing to accept his place in the world. As the tension between Noctis and his father grew, so did the tension between Niflheim and Lucis, the two largest kingdoms in Eos. Under the stress, King Regis began to crack and lose control of his power, kingdom, and his only son. As a last effort to restore peace, he arranged for Noctis and Lunafreya to be married ahead of schedule, which will hopefully bring peace to the two nations. After Noctis's departure, though, full-scale war broke out against Niflheim (not that skirmish they had in the movie), and Regis was killed. Over Noctis's whole lifetime, however, scientists noticed the length of the days slowly shortening, as well as the mysterious arrival of creatures dubbed "daemons". And as the war began, Niflheim apparently learned to harness these monsters. The mysterious chancellor of Niflheim, Ardyn, was also supposed to have more development up to the reveal in chapter 13 in-game. Almost all of this was cut.

    There are some pathetic nitpicks, like the "airship" you get; but all in all: Final Fantasy XV is not the VII-killer we were promised.    … Expand
  64. minamoto
    Jan 9, 2017
    0
    Easy battle, boring story, and empty world.
    SE and the director give us unethical and dishonesty trailer to increase its sales.
    You will find to many messy story and plot from these game, and it took only 15H to complete the game
    The worst Final Fantasy Franchise ever!! Thank you.
  65. Jb18
    Jan 9, 2017
    9
    Do not believe the haters this game is almost everything a final fantasy fan could wish for after the heartbreak of ffxiii! As a long time fan of the series (played every entry since 7, my favourite game of all time), I was extremely disappointed (understatement - hated it, hated IGN for giving it an 8.something) with 13 and worried the series had lost its way. I was sceptical of this gameDo not believe the haters this game is almost everything a final fantasy fan could wish for after the heartbreak of ffxiii! As a long time fan of the series (played every entry since 7, my favourite game of all time), I was extremely disappointed (understatement - hated it, hated IGN for giving it an 8.something) with 13 and worried the series had lost its way. I was sceptical of this game for that reason but, bar some jarring design choices toward the end (you're literally on rails?! Come on square) and a lack of supporting character progression/story being fleshed out on screen this game delivers in every respect. Graphics are a 10, battle system for once did not leave me pining for the turn based systems of old and the gameplay is super addictive. Despite some repetitive side quests I put 60 hours in and am sad to be putting it down! The story is fantastic if you're prepared to do some reading around. Never quite reaches the dizzying heights of 7 but is my favourite game in the series since 10. Buy it now!… Expand
  66. NathanDrake2000
    Jan 9, 2017
    9
    This game is far better then Final Fantasy XIII. It may not be the perfect game but I believe that Final Fantasy XV played its part to move the franchise in the right direction.
  67. rexicola
    Jan 8, 2017
    8
    I agree that there is a obvious problem with the story focus, sometimes i felt like i was playing a game i didn't understand. But for me it's a PS4 problem. The creators focus too much on technicality but no more on the storyline ( the division , metal gear solid for example).
    Being said even with that pb i found the overall experience very enjoyable.
  68. GrayMaverick
    Jan 8, 2017
    8
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First off let me just say that anyone who has given this title a score of 5 or worse, deserves to be flayed in a human sized cast iron skillet while being pissed on and while their closest sibling or pet watches, I'm kidding, but seriously. Final Fantasy XV may at times( but very rarely), seem cliche in dialogue and there may be somethings to nitpick; but at its heart it is a very warm and delightful fun loving game that should(in most people) fill every sense, vein, and emotion in your body with a sort of summerset like joy, as if you too were sitting alongside your best pals doing wacky **** things and just mostly trying to enjoy your time. The love is all there, in the NPC's, main characters, and especially the music, if there were to be one thing I would waterboard someone, then sew their lips for, it would be for giving a negative criticism for this games beautiful soundtrack. The soundtrack gives the game a lot of its life and charm; it fills each fight with a burning intensity, each cutscene with cinematic emotion, and is overall just a true to Final Fantasy's everlasting great sense of musical direction. The combat in this game is definitely a step up to not only the most recent of Final Fantasy titles but also(dare I say) most Final Fantasy titles. The game gives you two types of combat options, the first being the classic Final Fantasy turn based wait mode combat, the second is a more teamwork based action, hand to hand combat composed option, one that I'd say is a more riveting playstyle, the combat is a big factor in why I fell in love with this game, the only simple minded fool who would even say the combat is lackluster, or "press square to win" either A. Has not played it, B. Is lying, C. Grinded a crapload, or D. Didnt make it past chapter 3. Whatever it is, the combat is definitely fun, satisfying as hell, and not that simple. If you are to read any of these reviews here, please just dont read, or at the very least take anything here with a score of 5 or worse seriously, because I will tell you... It is all **** crafted by either whiny "the old final fantasy games were better" heathens, or just cranky babies who want to complain. Listen this game does have its problems alright, it is not perfect, the driving aspect can be a bit annoying, sometimes the loading times are sorta long, and sometimes the characters say someting kinda stupid, I wont be biased and I dont want to silence anyone's opinions here, or come off as some disgusting video game dictator, but I just want to save you from reading a **** waste of time review here from some person who knows nothing about the pros and cons of this game.… Expand
  69. satur9dreamer
    Jan 8, 2017
    10
    I am a die hard-core FF fan. It's just the way of things. I was around 19 when i saw the first screenshots of Noctis...i am now a 30 year old little man...i don't need your symptathy though. I give it 10 stars because I, as an extremely ardent fan of the franchise, cannot help but love it for all that it is and all that it could have been, as it is with most things. it's a 10! But thatI am a die hard-core FF fan. It's just the way of things. I was around 19 when i saw the first screenshots of Noctis...i am now a 30 year old little man...i don't need your symptathy though. I give it 10 stars because I, as an extremely ardent fan of the franchise, cannot help but love it for all that it is and all that it could have been, as it is with most things. it's a 10! But that does not mean that i do not feel let down, because i do. The story is disjointed and full of holes. many important characters are only given screentime for about 3 seconds...there is a severe lack of cutscenes and no amount of decent cinematography. Everything we ever saw in any of the trailers are false. what i mean by that is, nothing that we see in those clips ever appear in the game. so i was waiting for things to happen that i had seen, to no avail. that is very good marketing yes, but it is also false marketing. So i naturally feel let down. also, there are 4 summons. you cannot control when they appear, which is actually kind of cool, because it works, it makes every appearance all the more special, but there are only 4...you get another legendary summon which makes 5, but it only appears during an obligatory cutscene. summons have always been one of the greatest and breathtaking aspects of the series, and to see it reduced to almost nothing is sad. though i have to say, those few that do appear in the game, are beyond awesome. absolutely gorgeous! so all is probably good. i just wish they had spent less time making a huge CGI action film with AAA names attatched to it, 2 independent games for android, a 5 episode animation series and a bunch of other crap in order to tell more of the worlds story...damnit, tell the damn story in the god damn game! at the beginning of the announcements last year, when we learned that all of these meta things were incoming, i screamed like a little girl who had just touched a hot stove! But it was only later that i realized that they obviously had to take away from the actualy game in order to make all of this other crap. so no, i do not condone this kind of meta philosophy. they should have cut the movie, cut the two android games, justice monsters five and kings knight, and the anime series and all the other **** and just focus all of their attention on the only thing that actually mattered in the first place. the god. damned. GAME. YES, i do love it, but i do feel betrayed, to an extent. the game feels unfinished, not so much in terms of mechanics, but in terms of interesting quests and storytelling and involvement of character. i understand why they may have made some different choices, and i am all for that evolution of the series, but i am NOT for the sacrifice of time spent on making the actualy product in order to make a bunch of lesser products to accompany the main product. obviously that obstructs resources and time that should have been focused into the main game and only the game. but it is still breathtakingly beautifully made. the combat is super fun, the music is powerful and there are a lot of good things to experience.… Expand
  70. Prkurprkur
    Jan 8, 2017
    7
    It's a mystery to me how FFXV can seem simultaneously dated AND unfinished.Some are saying that this game doesn't reflect 10 years of development and TBH I disagree. You can see the 10 years, just not in any positive capacity. The development of this title started in 2006 and it's obvious that they completely shifted direction partway through. Clearly, the focus turned to targeting andIt's a mystery to me how FFXV can seem simultaneously dated AND unfinished.Some are saying that this game doesn't reflect 10 years of development and TBH I disagree. You can see the 10 years, just not in any positive capacity. The development of this title started in 2006 and it's obvious that they completely shifted direction partway through. Clearly, the focus turned to targeting and drawing in new FF players rather than satisfying former fans of the franchise.

    The glitzy GTA style car, the overtly western setting, and the completely male party are testaments to this direction change. I wouldn't mind these changes if they'd at least committed to them. If you're gonna give us a car, make the world truly open. If you're making the cast all-male then you'd better give us some top tier character designs and interactions to bring the ensemble together. Unfortunately, with FFXV we get none of this. The world is Semi-open but bland, the driving is pointless, characters look out of place and embarrassingly dated and most of all, their development is all but non-existent. As others have mentioned, the expansive world feels lonely with few monsters and NPCs to interact with.

    In these times of extremely plot driven games, a lackluster story is frankly unacceptable. While I realize that there are other supporting media meant to supplement the story, I'm just not interested. I'm sure this would have flown a decade ago, but these days no one has the time nor the desire to trudge through an incomprehensible, piecemeal story concerning characters you don't care about.

    With all that said I gave this title a 7.The gameplay itself was painless and honestly, I had fun wasting a few hours mindlessly running around the forest.    … Expand
  71. Nel
    Jan 7, 2017
    9
    The game is intoxicating as it will be hard to stop playing it after you start your journey. There is tons of content, and lots of sidequest to do. The story is great if you put yourself into to it and read all the side information. The sidequest are generally good, but can be overwhelming and quite frustrating after a while. The game has great has a great characters and it is hard toThe game is intoxicating as it will be hard to stop playing it after you start your journey. There is tons of content, and lots of sidequest to do. The story is great if you put yourself into to it and read all the side information. The sidequest are generally good, but can be overwhelming and quite frustrating after a while. The game has great has a great characters and it is hard to resist the reality and easy to get gulped up in the world of fantasy. Overall a really great game, sidequest keeps it from getting a 10.… Expand
  72. Jonet
    Jan 7, 2017
    5
    XV, XV, Final Fantasy XV. I don't know where to start with you. I think things went wrong back when you were first thought up in Tetsuya Nomura's head sometime around 2006. You should have never been born. Fabula Nova Crystallis should have never been born. I don't hate you, I don't. It's not your fault. I don't know what could've made you a better game, but we will never know that answer.XV, XV, Final Fantasy XV. I don't know where to start with you. I think things went wrong back when you were first thought up in Tetsuya Nomura's head sometime around 2006. You should have never been born. Fabula Nova Crystallis should have never been born. I don't hate you, I don't. It's not your fault. I don't know what could've made you a better game, but we will never know that answer. From the zillion fetchquests that make up the majority of your substance, the bugs that litter your world, preventing certain quests from being completed, or glitches that force people out of a 2+ hour long fight that they will have to start all over from the beginning. Characters revealed in trailers that showed so much promise then failed to deliver (looking at you Ravus and Aranea). To heroines promoted as "strong woman" whose screentime is probably 5 minutes total. Characters with no background, no personality. Who is Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis? Why are these people fighting with you? No info given unless you look outside the game, and if you have to look outside the game, then you know the writer for said game has failed at their job.

    Boss battles with QTEs, that will have you fighting against both a giant monster, as well as the camera, making you want to pull your hair out. Camera and Party AI is the worst I have seen in any game. Makes Tales of Zestiria look like game of the year in comparison. Party members standing around, watching as you get mauled and pummeled by enemies. Some "comrades". Still, the battle system is the best part about the game, and to me, it's the only good part. Without the battle system, XV has nothing else going for it. Music is a disappointment, doesn't stand out at all. Hard to believe it's the same composer who worked on Kingdom Hearts. I knew she'd be no good on this game. So much melodrama, scenes I supposed were meant to get a tear out of me? But how can I cry when I don't care about these characters. They have no personality, no background, why should I care what happens to them.

    Then part 2 arrives, and I'd heard things get bad around this part (Chapter 9), but I thought it was all exaggerations. "It can't be that bad". Ho, ho, boy, was I wrong. Chapter 13. I can understand why Square Enix is going to patch you. At this point, the game doesn't even know what it wants to be anymore. It loses itself. It turns into Metal Gear and Resident Evil with sneaking around, looking for passcodes to unlock doors, complete with jumpscares, so much bullcrap. How long was this chapter? 2 hours? It felt like an eternity. I don't like stealth, I don't like jumpscares. I DO NOT WANT METAL GEAR AND RESIDENT EVIL IN MY FINAL FANTASY. And oh, yeah, Chapters. They go by so quick. Like one cutscene and the chapter is over. Game is littered with flashbacks, yet I feel they were all pointless. They did not convey the information they should have. Why are Noctis and Luna getting married? They have not even seen each other in 10 years, for crying out loud. The flashbacks do not show much strong bond between Luna and Noctis at all. Why include them?

    Story was super simple although there are many confusing parts, and things left vague. Very predictable, everything you expect to happen, does, especially if you've been keeping up with the trailers. Characters leave the party then return, all to make way for DLC episodes that have already been announced as part of the Season Pass. The story, simply put, is an absolute trainwreck. Let's skip ahead to the ending. Oh man. Dudes just enter Super Saiyan mode, flying through the air, teleporting, just straight up becomes Dragon Ball Z or the Matrix or something. Now, I don't actually hate this part, it was actually pretty cool, but man. I really feel this game does not deserve to be a mainline Final Fantasy. It feels the least like an FF imo. It tried too hard to be a WRPG with the huge world, and zillion sidequests, and in doing so, it lost sight of its true self, what it should have been. A Final Fantasy. The ending was also kinda predictable, at least if you know Hajime Tabata's history with video games... At least now the game is out, Square Enix can finally move on completely to FF7 Remake, Kingdom Hearts 3, and, God willing, a FF16. So if you like beautiful, buggy games, lots of fetchquests to do, boring characters who you at least won't hate, a predictable plot, with a really good battle system, but poor camera and party AI, that can be beaten in under 30 hours, with an ending that will leave you scratching your head for days, then Final Fantasy XV is for you. Again, I don't hate this game... I give it a 5/10. Better luck next time, Square. coughgladIgotitusedcough.    … Expand
  73. rmndjsdz
    Jan 7, 2017
    9
    He jugado 40 horas, puedo decir que es un muy buen Juego, el sistema de combates es sobresaliente considerando el genero, el apartado técnico y artístico casi llega a la excelencia, la música sublime. Peca en profundidad en la historia (pareciera que se guardan para dlc´s) tampoco se pudo implementar bien el mundo abierto al como contar una buena historia, pero me parece que la decisiónHe jugado 40 horas, puedo decir que es un muy buen Juego, el sistema de combates es sobresaliente considerando el genero, el apartado técnico y artístico casi llega a la excelencia, la música sublime. Peca en profundidad en la historia (pareciera que se guardan para dlc´s) tampoco se pudo implementar bien el mundo abierto al como contar una buena historia, pero me parece que la decisión fue por abarcar un mayor número de jugadores y por lo tanto mayores ventas. Las misiones secundarias son flojas.
    Finalmente como seguidor de la saga es alentador considerando el XIII.    … Expand
  74. RubberTubing
    Jan 7, 2017
    9
    All I can say is a lot of these low reviews are from people who have been tracking the game for 10 years, if it isn't blatantly obvious. Personally, I loved the game's story, characters and combat. I would have loved it more if they gave more explanation of characters and expanded more on the story, but as a kingdom hearts fan, I'm used to going to the internet to fill in the gaps so I hadAll I can say is a lot of these low reviews are from people who have been tracking the game for 10 years, if it isn't blatantly obvious. Personally, I loved the game's story, characters and combat. I would have loved it more if they gave more explanation of characters and expanded more on the story, but as a kingdom hearts fan, I'm used to going to the internet to fill in the gaps so I had no issue with it. If you like games with stories where they hold your hand the entire time, like COD, maybe this isn't for you, but the story is actually pretty good and can only get better with the DLCs.… Expand
  75. Ardwood
    Jan 6, 2017
    9
    Haven't felt this immersed in a game in years. I was glued to the PS4 for about a week and it really recaptured the magic of gaming for me. I was thoroughly entertained and even cried a couple of times. The gameplay, art direction, music were all top notch. The story was also great, though you had to assemble it using some pieces of media (e.g. the Brotherhood anime and Kingsglaive) to getHaven't felt this immersed in a game in years. I was glued to the PS4 for about a week and it really recaptured the magic of gaming for me. I was thoroughly entertained and even cried a couple of times. The gameplay, art direction, music were all top notch. The story was also great, though you had to assemble it using some pieces of media (e.g. the Brotherhood anime and Kingsglaive) to get it. I take off one point because there was clearly a lot of content cut due to the "before 2017" deadline. But overall this was an exceptional game.… Expand
  76. guyza123
    Jan 6, 2017
    0
    Hello! I am 26 now, and started with Final Fantasy 8 as a kid, fell in love with it, got to the end of the third disk and could never find Rinoa. Lvled up 3 characters to 100.
    Next was beating Final Fantasy 9, pretty good, if unmemorable.
    Lastly was FF10, absolutely loved that game, bet it 3 times and consider it a masterpiece. I skipped past the next few (10-2 sucked btw) and got FF15    Hello! I am 26 now, and started with Final Fantasy 8 as a kid, fell in love with it, got to the end of the third disk and could never find Rinoa. Lvled up 3 characters to 100.
    Next was beating Final Fantasy 9, pretty good, if unmemorable.
    Lastly was FF10, absolutely loved that game, bet it 3 times and consider it a masterpiece.
    I skipped past the next few (10-2 sucked btw) and got FF15 a month ago.

    After 20 hours gametime, I have gotten to the end of the main storyline in FF15. I have one bit to go but can't be bothered lvling up to beat it.

    It's a real shame. I really wanted to like this game but it is a trainwreck. You start by getting thrown into the middle of a story where everyone knows each other. You're expected to jump into it, with the main character being engaged to some chick across the continent. You're a prince and your guardians are mates already, no idea why. Half an hour in, your father dies and it's meant to be sad, except I don't give a **** because I never got to see any decent character interaction. That sums up the story. It's all tragic but it's impossible to care because the storytelling is rushed and garbage. It's also super predictable and unimaginative.

    The gameplay is also **** Much of the game revolves around walking, riding a chocobo or driving a car around a world that is way to freaking big. And the world is filled with nothing interesting to do. You can catch frogs or fish. You can take photos. The problem with this game is that it tries too hard to emulate real life. Real life is boring as hell and I don't play final FANTASY to relive that ****.

    The open world does not suit this game. I wanted to do the main questline, even though the story sucks, just to be done with it. Sadly a bit of side questing is necessary and it's South American based, with full yee-haw accents. Good job Square-Enix, you have photorealistic outback environments with accurate voiceovers, too bad I don't care. The quests are all uninspired fetch quests.

    Okay, onto the combat. Enemies are out in the field, and they have a circle of influence. If you enter the circle (some 50 yards usually) you are in combat, which is usually a **** The idea is okay, hit circle to attack, square to dodge and triangle to warp around. Now have 4 characters, 10+ enemies, rockets flying everywhere, snipers, poision spray and other **** Combine that with a spastic camera. Combat is usually a frantic pain in the ass.

    Using items feels cheap, as unlike the old turn based FF's, it doesn't waste your time. So if I have 90 potions and 10 elixirs, good luck ever killing me. I can just use them whenever in the middle of battle and boom - instant hp. And it is necessary, as some fights are just **** with no control. At one point I encountered 3 separate monster packs together, and it was harder than any boss battle.

    Another thing is the random level jumps in enemies. There will be a lvl 20 and a lvl 40 in the same area, and it makes you wonder what lvl the area is aimed at.

    Overall, the only highlights of FF15 are the graphics. The music has its moments too. The overall experience sucks ass and reeks of a team that was too big, with no unified vision. I can tell the frustration in the team just through playing the game. It is a disjointed mess, and a sad waste of effort for whoever modelled and animated it, because they worked their ass off. I just can't bring myself to care about the game, it just feels like a chore to play.    … Expand
  77. CraigEchols
    Jan 5, 2017
    7
    The game really starts to finally hit its stride around Chpt 8. Aside from a quick story set up, the first set of hours feel like a waste of time. The visuals in this game are stunning and honestly the N'Sync band of characters do mesh well especially in battle, however, the battle camera is infuriating.

    I think the biggest issue I have with the game is...its called Final Fantasy.    The game really starts to finally hit its stride around Chpt 8. Aside from a quick story set up, the first set of hours feel like a waste of time. The visuals in this game are stunning and honestly the N'Sync band of characters do mesh well especially in battle, however, the battle camera is infuriating.

    I think the biggest issue I have with the game is...its called Final Fantasy. FANTASY. Where are the talking animals? The humanoid robots? Magically created characters? Where are the mages? Why am I driving in a car? In this expansive world...why is everything only 3 miles worth of driving distance? Where's my Fire, Fira, Firaga?

    Now that I'm done complaining, the game is really good. Even FF fans have to say so. I've beaten 8 of the Final Fantasys and this one is among the good one's. As mentioned the landscapes are beautiful, the character development isn't bad, the action sequences are pretty cool as are the real time battles and boss fights (honestly the battle with Leviathan was freaking awesome), and Ardyn goes into my top 5 of Final Fantasy bad guys. He's like a subtle version of Kefka's sadistic personality mixed with Vayne Solidor's bravado and style.

    The game could have been better, but it could have been worse. The story was sub-par and the driving in the car was unnecessary. It seems like the side quests tried to borrow from Elder Scrolls style of filler with fetch quests. But the battle system is fun, the ascension system isn't bad, the characters are pretty pretty to relate to, and the modernization of it works to a point.    … Expand
  78. governadorma
    Jan 5, 2017
    4
    Para um jogo que está há mais de 10 anos em produção é uma vergonha, ainda mais quando se trata de uma empresa renomada, tal como a Square. São tantos problemas em um único game que citarei apenas alguns: missões secundárias repetitivas e desmotivadoras, que se resumem no defasado sistema de leva e traz de determinado item de um ponto A ao B; ausência de magias e summoners; falso "mundoPara um jogo que está há mais de 10 anos em produção é uma vergonha, ainda mais quando se trata de uma empresa renomada, tal como a Square. São tantos problemas em um único game que citarei apenas alguns: missões secundárias repetitivas e desmotivadoras, que se resumem no defasado sistema de leva e traz de determinado item de um ponto A ao B; ausência de magias e summoners; falso "mundo aberto" (os personagens não trafegam livremente por todo ele, por exemplo: você não consegue atravessar um córrego, tem de contorná-lo até encontrar uma ponte parte para fazer a travessia; você não tem total liberdade para controlar o Regalia (automóvel utilizado para longas distância - vai tudo no automático) e a versão melhorada dele que o transforma em "avião" consegue ser mais absurda ainda; narrativa confusa; árvore de habilidades desinteressante; jogo de pescaria monótono... ...ah, cansei...… Expand
  79. Affinity-X
    Jan 5, 2017
    9
    FFXV is definitely worth the wait. Good gameplay, vast world, beautiful environment, interesting quests, good story, and insane graphics! A must played game. Keep it up!
  80. BladeWorthy
    Jan 5, 2017
    10
    This game is incredible!! It's honestly unlike anything i've ever played. The characters develop so well and all the finer details are so flushed out. The open world fells right and the combat is a welcome addition. The music is just incredible and though the story is all over the place, it comes together in the final hours and you see the why it was told in that way. Though chapter 13 wasThis game is incredible!! It's honestly unlike anything i've ever played. The characters develop so well and all the finer details are so flushed out. The open world fells right and the combat is a welcome addition. The music is just incredible and though the story is all over the place, it comes together in the final hours and you see the why it was told in that way. Though chapter 13 was slow, i saw why it was necessary and was an interesting changer of pace. It's an incredible game that gives you feels of the PS2 days with similar menus and amazing boss battles. And don't even get me started on the games incredible ending that brought on tears!! A Final Fantasy for fans and first-timers. 10/10… Expand
  81. squid_icarus
    Jan 5, 2017
    7
    Let me start off by saying there are a lot of things this game does right. character design is on point for a post ff7 final fantasy character, Lovable main cast of characters, and a great world. There is just something about this world that drew me in. It felt almost real, like this place could exist somewhere. I was enthralled most of the time I was traveling in the regalia (your car)Let me start off by saying there are a lot of things this game does right. character design is on point for a post ff7 final fantasy character, Lovable main cast of characters, and a great world. There is just something about this world that drew me in. It felt almost real, like this place could exist somewhere. I was enthralled most of the time I was traveling in the regalia (your car) and overall enjoyed seeing the world that the developers had created, but as you can see based on my score it had some problems that nag at me the more i think about them.

    Before I start focusing on only the bad parts of the game let me say that I enjoyed my initial play through of the game, and I have played damn near all the final fantasy games to completion aside from 13. lets get these problems broken down.

    Story: I don't really know what to say the story is different, and by different i really mean confusing as hell. I ended up watching KingsGlaive just to hopefully get a better understanding of the story, but alas i was still lost. Nothing is explained in this game and if it is i must have missed it because i ended up doing internet searches to try and understand character motivations. Its amazing how much hate FF8 got for its plot and this game is getting 9's and 10's. the developers loved FF6 i know that much after finishing the game, but a game with this long of a development cycle should have had a coherent plot, but i should have know we were in trouble when crystals came back into the fray. The villain is awesome one of the best written we've had in a long time. why he's the villain i don't know, but man he's good at it.

    Game play: to be honest it gets boring. the combat system works, and the witcher esque side quests function as intended, but it gets boring really boring. I finished in the neighborhood of around 50 or so hours and i didn't come close to completing all the side content, mainly because i lost interest and had renting the game so i needed to wrap it up, but even as a purchase i still would have lost interest and just moved forward so i could see the ending that while cool was lost on me as i didn't understand most of plot leading up to it. OK this is a personal gripe but you get the ability to "travel back in time" or go back to older content after you've passed it so you can complete side missions you missed or in my case ignored. well some of this content doesn't unlock till you finish the game. This includes ultimate weapons. now you don't need these to beat the story of the game, but whats the point in getting them if the game is already complete. imagine in FF7 if after you beat sephiroth you unlocked the ability to get the final limit breaks and ultimate weapons. whats the point? the game is complete. this is just hoping that the completionist in me will go hunt them down, but i was too irritated to bother. I'm not hunting down final weapons to use so i can go get some carrots for a lazy farmer for the 1000th time.

    Visuals: honestly i don't have too much to add here. the game looks great. the only complaint is this camera hates you almost as much as a souls games camera thankfully its fairly easy so the camera wont kill you.

    Final thoughts: despite the complaints i have you should at the very least play this game. I personally do not think its worth a purchase, but its certainly worth playing through. And besides, you'll need the practice with the combat system to prepare you for the FF7 remake from the looks of it.    … Expand
  82. Decrata
    Jan 4, 2017
    5
    Final fantasy games have always drawn me because of several elements (in no particular order), compelling story, strategic combat, innovative graphics, endearing/relatable characters and unique gameplay. I always give Square credit for reinventing the numbered installments of Final Fantasy from the ground up, and at best, they are some of the greatest RPGs ever (7 and 10) and at worst,Final fantasy games have always drawn me because of several elements (in no particular order), compelling story, strategic combat, innovative graphics, endearing/relatable characters and unique gameplay. I always give Square credit for reinventing the numbered installments of Final Fantasy from the ground up, and at best, they are some of the greatest RPGs ever (7 and 10) and at worst, are serviceable (FF13). Final Fantasy 15 fails at every level of what I find enjoyable about a Final Fantasy.

    Let’s start with positives, the graphics are insanely good. It’s not QUITE up there with Uncharted 4, though it’s damned close, and the entire world is interactive. It is nothing short of fantastic that you can see clear across an entire valley, and see monsters roaming around by the base of a mountain, which you can then engage in combat.

    Combat starts out strong, then fades quite quickly. If you’ve played Kingdom Hearts, you will feel right at home with the combat system. Dodging and jumping through the air to attack is a lot of fun, and some of the graphical elements lead to some interesting encounters, that left me breathless at the end, proud of my skills. From a strategic side of things, each battle has a ‘rinse-and-repeat’ feel, as upon engaging enemies, you simply scan, change weapons and magic accordingly, and hold circle for the win. The game never really offers a unique approach to combat, nor does it make me think. Combat more of a hack-n-slash endeavor, rather than a thoughtful approach to besting a tough enemy. There are plenty of games that do a better job of this, and sometimes I felt FF 15 drew too much from God of War.

    I found the characters to be absolutely bland, unrelatable and more of a bane than a band of brothers. At no point is there any interesting dialogue between them, never do we learn more about them in a meaningful way and throughout the game the same quips and phrases are used ad nauseam. There are moments during the camping sequences (which are completely optional for whatever reason), where we might learn a nugget or two about the characters and their pasts, and it still seems like candy coating to an empty shell. Usually, each character represents something specific and brings a certain personality to the table, here it feels as if the characters are supposed to be different sides of the main protagonist’s personality. While I do not condemn this approach, empty characters usually lead to an empty story.

    There is nothing interesting about the story up to the completion of chapter 9 (of 15). We haven’t learned about any motives, where people came from, why they are who they are, why we give a crap about the people in the game or why we should continue playing. None of the side quests give any additional depth of vision into the characters. The argument is “quests in jRPGs are usually completely unrelated to story” which I can buy. In Xenoblade, much like FF 15, it was fetch quest after fetch quest as well as protection quest on top of protection quest. My comeback is in every previous installment of FF I’ve played, the side quests give depth and fill in blanks for character development. Jecht spheres, the submarine quests in FF7, even getting ultimate weapons shed light on characters. As one of my friends put it, ‘If any of the main characters were to die and be replaced, I wouldn’t notice’, and the characters feel more like extras as opposed to major players in a grand quest.

    Lastly, the gameplay has some MAJOR “quality of life” issues. Simply getting around is a chore. I will again refer to Xenoblade in that you are exploring a beautiful open-world in a sweeping setting. However in Xenoblade, you are running around at Mach 5 and can jump 25 feet high, experiencing no fall damage even when plummeting hundreds of feet. In FF 15, I truly feel as if I am running, and when something is .25 miles away, it can take well over a minute or 2 to get there. Some respite is provided when riding a chocobo, which can be cumbersome as well. Exploration is just not done well. When I see something shiny off in the distance, I have to measure the pros and cons. It COULD be this ultimately useful item and it will PROBABLY be a potion, and it will NEVER been a compelling optional quest. In all cases, it will be a 5-minute round trip or more. Navigation, is sub-par to say the least.

    Bottom line, as a longtime fan of the series, I can’t recommend this game. If you want open world jRPG play something else (like Xenoblade!) If you want to do lots of quests with infinite depth, play Witcher 3! If you want to play FF, play a previous installment, or wait for the FF7 Remake. The final slap in the face is at the boot up every time you play Final Fantasy 15 the game says that it is a Final Fantasy for new players and longtime fans, when nothing could be further from the truth. Avoid this game, and expect more next time...    … Expand
  83. Soflasurfr
    Jan 3, 2017
    9
    Had to create an account to review this game, just because of how awesome the game is. I've never played a FF game before but the open world and theme park aspect of this pulled me in. I love it. It really fun combat, lots of small quests that are actually fun to complete, and tons of mini games. There are a few things that as a westerner you take for granted, like good voice acting, butHad to create an account to review this game, just because of how awesome the game is. I've never played a FF game before but the open world and theme park aspect of this pulled me in. I love it. It really fun combat, lots of small quests that are actually fun to complete, and tons of mini games. There are a few things that as a westerner you take for granted, like good voice acting, but otherwise it would get a perfect score.… Expand
  84. sudderandomuser
    Jan 3, 2017
    3
    I'm going to review this as both a standalone title, comparing it to other RPGs, and as a Final Fantasy title. I've played every mainline FF title except for I and XI, but recognize some titles may have been better received if they were not under the Final Fantasy title.

    Regardless of how you look at XV, this game is a mess. There are parts that work. The dungeons are fun to explore,    I'm going to review this as both a standalone title, comparing it to other RPGs, and as a Final Fantasy title. I've played every mainline FF title except for I and XI, but recognize some titles may have been better received if they were not under the Final Fantasy title.

    Regardless of how you look at XV, this game is a mess.

    There are parts that work. The dungeons are fun to explore, the music is better than average, the banter livened up some areas, and there are short sections of the game plot which are a nice touch. It provided an amazing amount of laughter at times, but that was not intentional on behalf of the game. The trees and rocks were impressive.

    Sadly, even the positives have negatives attached. Most of the dungeons have no lore or reason for existing, the vast majority of the music is simplistic and wasn't made to fit specific circumstances (i.e. you'll have no You're Not Alone, The Truth Revealed, or Fallen Angel), the banter is largely not related to the plot and offers no insight beyond "bugs are icky" or "Cindy needs to take out a restraining order towards Prompto," and the sections which don't work outnumber those that do. The trees and rocks WERE impressive though.

    There are some aspects which were okay, but too botched to be good. I would say this would be a good first step for an open world FF game, but even Lightning Returns had a more memorable, albeit smaller, open world. This whole world is massive, which I'm sure took some amazing graphic work, but it's so empty in that most of it is just scenery you're meant to drive by and there's not much to discover other than random items in the field. On top of it, the areas aren't built up to have different cultures or heart. To compare it beyond FF, it fares even worse in comparison to anything open world Bethesda makes, and even the world of Dragon Age Inquisition - which filled its world with many fetch quests - since that open world understood the importance of lore and allowing player to discover things when exploring.

    Speaking of boring fetch quests, that's exactly the method this game takes up for its sidequests. There are a couple I'd willingly do that were a bit different, but they by and large just felt pointless. This lack of purpose made even worse by how the open world is abandoned in the second half of the game, as it pulls a reverse FFXIII and becomes linear.

    The worst part of the game happens during this linear part. There's a city that we hear of repeatedly, but when we arrive, we're limited to a small patch of grass. To top it off, I've rarely been as miserable playing a game as I was when I was playing Chapter 13, which dragged on, didn't have the right game mechanics to pull off, and offered nothing rewarding.

    Most of the characters get no development or background, a lot of vital plot points happen off screen, and the plot itself pulls off something I would have thought impossible: Being very simple while also being as disjointed as possible. The plot is told in chunks, flashbacks, or in extra material the game assumes you've seen. I had watched the anime, movie, and played the platinum demo, and even then the latter half of the game had few answers. To avoid going into later spoilers, even the first quest you get opens up a ton of questions: Why would a prince leave without money to the point he has to slay monsters to pay his car bill? If he doesn't have the currency of that area, why didn't the more cautious Ignis think to convert it beforehand? Why does an area still in their Kingdom even use different currency? And that is nothing in comparison to the lack of logic later.

    Even the central theme of friendship is something that doesn't make sense beyond their movements in battle. Prompto, Ignis, and Gladiolus have no relationship to each other and are only there because of Noctis. One of them ends up yelling at Noctis more than acting anything like a friend, another comes across as more of a highly paid servant, and the final member can act like a friend, but then Noctis can be horrible to him in return, completely destroying any sense of that "brotherhood." It does not help that we don't even know much about even their motivations for being there, particularly Gladiolus and Ignis. There were characters in FFII that I knew more about in terms of motives and background.

    I'm fine with trying new things, but it has to be engaging. Most of the battle system was pressing O and occasionally warping while the camera focuses on the wrong place. I would've preferred something more similar to the tactics screen + pause and switch between party members method of Dragon Age games to add a more tactical edge to it.

    Yes, there are sections which work and it might be an "okay" action game by a company without deep pockets, but given how RPGs rely more on story, there's no way this can get a high score when the writing is such a mess and the last half of the game feels unfinished.    … Expand
  85. Tryium
    Jan 3, 2017
    6
    Oh boy, where to start... Almost a very good game, but a bad Final Fantasy.

    It's been a long time (not 10 years, but...) that i've been waiting for this game. The promises of an open world final fantasy was good. The story was looking good at that time, mysterious, with a lot of cutscene, implication between Noctis and his father, good combat ect. The combat are very nervous, but    Oh boy, where to start... Almost a very good game, but a bad Final Fantasy.

    It's been a long time (not 10 years, but...) that i've been waiting for this game. The promises of an open world final fantasy was good. The story was looking good at that time, mysterious, with a lot of cutscene, implication between Noctis and his father, good combat ect.

    The combat are very nervous, but took a long time to master it perfectly. It's not casual friendly so it's hard to master. The summons are few, but still massively impressive to watch and a pleasure for the eye every time they appear.

    The graphics are just... beautiful. The artistic direction have never been this close to perfection in a Final Fantasy as i remember. The world feel like everything that surround you is alive, the landscape are beautiful and so on.

    The music, oh god the music, they are candy for the ear. Perfect.

    BUT. the story is... confuse, not good, not well taled, well not a final fantasy story after all... Too many scenes have been cut from what you can see in the trailer. You're not attached AT ALL to any characters, except your band mates, the bad guy isnt really one, his motivations unclear and the final battle is laughable in any way (i dint get how to fight to be honest). The conclusion is... not that interesting and the final chapter try to bring some good but again, fail to tell a story.

    The side quest are basic, but we were hoping for more "story telled" side quest, instead of boring fetch quest, and not quiet rewarding after all.

    In conclusion,it's a good way to start the final fantasy franchise, the game IS good and the story is better than FFXIII, but god, never again, please, stop screwing the final fantasy stories...    … Expand
  86. alan666
    Jan 3, 2017
    8
    Where are all the images shown in the previous trailers and marketing efforts? Where are all the backstories and explanations on what happen overall?
    I'm happy I have a Final Fantasy fanatic close to me, otherwise I would be 100% lost in the game.
    Despite these flaws, the game is very fun to play. The battle system is super cool even when the camera gets clumsy. Overall the game looks    Where are all the images shown in the previous trailers and marketing efforts? Where are all the backstories and explanations on what happen overall?
    I'm happy I have a Final Fantasy fanatic close to me, otherwise I would be 100% lost in the game.
    Despite these flaws, the game is very fun to play. The battle system is super cool even when the camera gets clumsy.
    Overall the game looks very good. I have played it for almost 50 hours and definitely recommend the buy.    … Expand
  87. alexaxa
    Jan 3, 2017
    7
    I just finished the game and i recommend to other reviewer that you finish it also if it's not done yet since the second half of the game is totally different and feels incomplete. This game is good but failed to deliver as a final fantasy game.

    Here's the pros and cons : + Graphics + Addictive + Some boss/hunt/quest encounter are really good + There are a few impressive    I just finished the game and i recommend to other reviewer that you finish it also if it's not done yet since the second half of the game is totally different and feels incomplete. This game is good but failed to deliver as a final fantasy game.

    Here's the pros and cons :

    + Graphics
    + Addictive
    + Some boss/hunt/quest encounter are really good
    + There are a few impressive moments...

    - The few impressive moments are often combined with really bad control
    - The control. Who decided to puts the action and the jump button on the same button ? I didn't count the number of time i jump in front of a door or a NPC
    - Having to rely on a car that go so slow for movement. You even have to buy gas for that car !
    - The game have no identity, it tries to copy other game that are far better in their respective region (Witcher, Metal Gear, Resident Evil...) but fails to deliver in those segments
    - The open world is mostly empty
    - Chapter 13 should not exist and is the most boring things i've played in a videogame lately.
    - The story is a mess. It's look like they took already-developped mission from a story hat and decided that those mission should be part of the main story even if the connection is under-developed and makes no sense.
    - There are also a lot of gap in the story. Some events appears off-screen instead of going cutscene or full CGI to actually make us care. And after the character are all chilling out about it, no drama or anything involved. There's also a lot of missed opportunity but i can't go into details to not spoil anything.
    - Some glitches like Hunt / story element not spawning
    - Only one playable character

    And i'm probably forgetting some. Overall, it's a little better than FFXIII but that's about it.    … Expand
  88. tysonkcantrell
    Jan 2, 2017
    10
    Absolutely gorgeous.

    The world is breathtaking. The music is stunning. And the gameplay exciting. I understand grievances with the story, which at times felt rushed, but I found them all forgivable. Especially with the ending. It still haunts me. Poetic. Ambiguous. Beautiful. I haven't felt this moved by a video game since Final Fantasy VII. I felt like a ten-year old again playing    Absolutely gorgeous.

    The world is breathtaking. The music is stunning. And the gameplay exciting. I understand grievances with the story, which at times felt rushed, but I found them all forgivable. Especially with the ending. It still haunts me. Poetic. Ambiguous. Beautiful. I haven't felt this moved by a video game since Final Fantasy VII.

    I felt like a ten-year old again playing this game. The wait was worth it. Square Enix has reclaimed its throne.    … Expand
  89. boy_number_8
    Jan 2, 2017
    5
    Personally i feel people are scoring this game highly by solely comparing it to the disappointment that was Final Fantasy 13. Yes this game is a lot better, but that doesn't mean this game is good, in fact it is just average.
    The main story of FF15 is passable and kept my interest and the development of Prince Notics and his compainions was well done, but FF15 includes some of the laziest    Personally i feel people are scoring this game highly by solely comparing it to the disappointment that was Final Fantasy 13. Yes this game is a lot better, but that doesn't mean this game is good, in fact it is just average.
    The main story of FF15 is passable and kept my interest and the development of Prince Notics and his compainions was well done, but FF15 includes some of the laziest side quests i have ever played and they feel so out of place, "quests" such as find me some ingredient, take a picture for me and help me pick up some frogs are all recycled and repeated through the first half of the game which add little to no excitement and end up feeling like a chore. Multiple times i found myself thinking" why am i doing this?" and "why are they asking their prince to do such trivial tasks?"
    My main complain about this game is the combat system. It reminds me very much of Dragon Age 2, lock on and spam one button. There is no skill, no tactics and most of the time it becomes so frantic. This doesn't help with the terrible camera which doesn't follow the character and most of the time you've left wondering where you are and whats going on.
    Id also argue if this is even an RPG at all ( the second half of the game definitely isnt) You only control one character, the other three will fight on their own and will always get hit whenever you use the limited magic you can use since you cant command them to move away before use. I ended up not using magic at all since it just became a hindrance.
    The world is also dead, their is no excitement,nothing going on, NPCs you dont care about and most of the time is spent looking at the lifeless scenery while sitting in a car you dont really control.

    Overall the game does have some good moments but they are too and far between and for a game that took so long to make, everything just seems so rushed and not thought through.    … Expand
  90. PaulCharles
    Jan 2, 2017
    1
    I'll give this game a 1 simply because it provides you with 30+ hours of content. Unfortunately, the content is awful and it's a chore to play through. I don't want to go into detail as there are already great posts talking about the game, but I wouldn't recommend the game to anyone. Second worse FF game next to FFXIII.
  91. Fivluih
    Dec 31, 2016
    5
    If you love listening to emo guys sigh and complain while you endlessly run back and forth on fetch quests, than this is the game for you! This game is an absolutely beautiful piece of **** Amazing to look at, boring and not that fun to play. New levelling, camp element and modding weapons is a cool addition, but in the end the clunky combat system and overall boring gameplay really killsIf you love listening to emo guys sigh and complain while you endlessly run back and forth on fetch quests, than this is the game for you! This game is an absolutely beautiful piece of **** Amazing to look at, boring and not that fun to play. New levelling, camp element and modding weapons is a cool addition, but in the end the clunky combat system and overall boring gameplay really kills the game for me. I would not buy another Final Fantasy game like this. If you're on the fence about this game at all, wait until it's super cheap or give it a pass!… Expand
  92. Ebtehal
    Dec 31, 2016
    2
    After seeing the ratings for this game i now know for certain that reviewers get bought and there is no integrity in humanity anymore. because this game is one of the worst RPG games i have ever played .
    i mean the game in a nutshell is: bad messy story + holding one button to fight+sitting in a car for long hours + doing repetitive boring side quests over and over again. so you can    After seeing the ratings for this game i now know for certain that reviewers get bought and there is no integrity in humanity anymore. because this game is one of the worst RPG games i have ever played .
    i mean the game in a nutshell is: bad messy story + holding one button to fight+sitting in a car for long hours + doing repetitive boring side quests over and over again. so you can imagine what does that equal    … Expand
  93. skillzmcfly
    Dec 31, 2016
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. We all know the best Final Fantasy is [insert the first Final Fantasy you ever played]. Now, this rendition is somewhat of a letdown to me. I have played most Final Fantasys and liked them mostly. Part 15 is among my least favorite. Now, I will try to present my criticism in order.
    Positives: The graphics are gorgeous. The fights are dynamic. And you can ride a chocobo. Sadly, that is about it.
    Negatives: You only get direct control of one of the characters. The fights are confusing and it is hard to stay on one target. The magic system is shallow and I soon started to avoid using magic. Talking about things being shallow: the characters and the story. SPOILER: You are led into a trap for most of the game in what isn't even a real twist. The characters react predictably - you don't get a choice. You get to ride around in a cool car - which takes virtually forever to get anywhere. And you have to do it again and again.
    Throughout the game characters get removed from your party, which I always feel is poor gameplay pacing by producers. At one point all of the weapons you collected get taken away and you have to walk through areas that are made to be a survival horror game. Totally not what I wanted to buy.
    It might be the same case as with FF8 where I only got the hang and the basics of gameplay on my second try, but thus far FF15 is a gorgeous turd. I am almost through - only sidequesting before the endgame - and because I waited so long this game is a major letdown. Boo on you Square.    … Expand
  94. Andyo
    Dec 30, 2016
    3
    I don't normally bother writing reviews for games however, after having played and completed Final Fantasy XV I feel compelled to share my opinion with others in the hopes that this rubbish game doesn't ruin such a great franchise.

    Now don't get me wrong, I bought this game with much excitement and anticipation. I didn't expect this game to be the best game I have ever played, I didn't    I don't normally bother writing reviews for games however, after having played and completed Final Fantasy XV I feel compelled to share my opinion with others in the hopes that this rubbish game doesn't ruin such a great franchise.

    Now don't get me wrong, I bought this game with much excitement and anticipation. I didn't expect this game to be the best game I have ever played, I didn't really have any major expectations. I didn't play any of the tech demos and stayed away from previews etc. In fact, I knew very little about the game prior to playing the full release version.

    I'm not going to bother going into the pros and cons of the game, but let me just say that I gave this game a good 15 hours or so playtime before I could admit to myself that the game was bad. I really wanted to love and enjoy this game, and tried so hard to get into it. But unfortunately I couldn't and each time I played it seemed more like a chore than anything else.

    I feel as though any fan of FInal Fantasy will be going through the 5 stages of grief after playing XV. The first stage being denial, which is likely to account for most positive reviews that weren't paid for by SE.

    If you have yet to play FFXV, save your money and wait for a price drop. If you want to play a fantastic open world RPG then play Witcher 3.    … Expand
  95. WagyuMeatloaf
    Dec 30, 2016
    4
    I've put 40 hours into the game so I haven't seen everything but more than enough for an educated opinion. My feelings for FFXV are so strong that I actually signed up just to review it. I don't think it's a good Final Fantasy and it's also not a good open world RPG. I got my hopes up after reading good publication reviews but wound up disappointed that it continues to drift further fromI've put 40 hours into the game so I haven't seen everything but more than enough for an educated opinion. My feelings for FFXV are so strong that I actually signed up just to review it. I don't think it's a good Final Fantasy and it's also not a good open world RPG. I got my hopes up after reading good publication reviews but wound up disappointed that it continues to drift further from what I enjoyed from its 90s entries. X was really the last one I enjoyed and I guess this is their version of a modern Western RPG but, even then, it's not as nearly good as their peers. There's some good aspects but, ultimately, too much is shallow and half-baked. I work in the non-gaming software industry and it's very obvious that the product suffered greatly from its multiple reboots and changing of hands. FFXV is not a keeper for me and I'm definitely selling this one back.

    + Graphics are among the best on PS4
    + Open world in the first half of the game is fun to discover, works well enough, and gave me hope for a good game
    + Leveling grid is good. At any point, you can save up points to buy big perks or spend them on lots of smaller ones.

    - Closed world in the second half of the game is where it completely falls apart. There are a couple of sections where all you do is walk through a train and pick up items. After that, the game weaves mechanics into the storyline to physically slow you down. I just wound up being annoyed and frustrated from literally stumbling around corridors for hours. Chapter 13 is so egregiously bad that it took me a week to beat it because I could only stand it for 20 minutes a day.
    - Side quests: A precious few are ok but too many are simply people asking you to go fetch this at a random location, go search a field for that, or go take a picture of something. Why you do this to me? It's not fun. Please have real storylines for side missions.
    - Sometimes you have to ride 5 minutes in the car until you unlock the fast travel point. I just fired up Youtube on my computer to pass the time.
    - Combat: I guess button mashing fighting is the RPG norm now but most fights are mindlessly holding down R2 and circle to spam attacks. Use Protect for a weaker member? Nope. Shell or Wall for defensive buffs? Nope. Link attacks are a good concept but bad camera angles and controls makes it and everything else about combat super clunky and it's not worth the struggle. Status effects are an afterthought. Warping is the best new wrinkle but not enough to make up for everything else. It's all just so shallow and I'm probably the exception but I'd much rather have the complexity afforded by the old menu battle system.
    - Magic: Not necessary and extremely shallow. You'd barely even know it's there.
    - Summons: I heard they exist but I have no idea how to use it.
    - Items: The usual restorative items are essential (potions, elixirs, and phoenix downs) but
    - Story: Rushed and underdeveloped and I actually kind of dislike the main character.
    - Controls: X is the non-combat interaction button to pick up an item, get in the car, mount a Chocobo, etc. It's also the jump button which is a huge problem because it often doesn't realize you want to interact with the environment and so you irritatingly wind up randomly jumping around like an idiot.
    - Party: You can't control the other members and the roles are poorly differentiated so they're all generic to me. They're all melee characters except one gets guns and has much lower health. One guy can take photos and another can give boosts through cooking.
    - I think sometimes the lips were not completely in sync with the dialog. Minor nitpicking but it's a little jarring when I notice it.    … Expand
  96. DarthNihilus
    Dec 30, 2016
    4
    JWhere do I even begin...... This game has so many flaws its beyond ridiculous. I've seen quite a few perfect or high scores and I can't help but think that SE paid people to review this game. I'll list my pros and cons to give you an accurate picture of the mess called Final Fantasy XV:

    PROS: Battle System The battle system has been streamlined to make it easier for newer players    JWhere do I even begin...... This game has so many flaws its beyond ridiculous. I've seen quite a few perfect or high scores and I can't help but think that SE paid people to review this game. I'll list my pros and cons to give you an accurate picture of the mess called Final Fantasy XV:

    PROS:

    Battle System

    The battle system has been streamlined to make it easier for newer players to get used to. As a long time fan of the series I was somewhat disappointed that the battle system was not turn based as we have all become used to seeing. The battles are fast paced and I like that you can change gear mid battle. There is no hard thinking required whatsoever

    Graphics/Scale

    The world is pretty big and the environments look beautiful. I'm glad they invested time in making a large scale world that feels vibrant.

    CONS:

    Story

    This game has one of the worst and most confusing stories in the entire series. You spend half the game not even knowing what's going on. The first 8 chapters will bore you to death and the last few chapters are each less than an hour. Chapter 14 is nearly unbearable to play through. This is not what I was expecting from a FF game. Narrative is nonexistent, you basically had to watch the Kingsglaive movie to learn anything about the world you inhabit.

    Characters

    You play as the lead singer of an emo Jpop band. The 4 main characters are so cliché its pathetic. There is absolutely NO character development for anyone not named Noctis. You spend the entire game traveling with companions that you know nothing about. Even the villains fall flat. Most characters are poorly designed and have terrible voice acting. The majority of characters that you meet suddenly disappear and are nowhere to be found later on in the game with no explanation of what happened to them.

    Battle System

    The battle system is basically a button mashing system with one button. You can hold down the attack button and basically win every battle you fight. There is no strategy involved which is very big disappointment. The old FF games had large scale battles that actually felt like accomplishments when you beat them after multiple tries. This battle system has absolutely no soul. Its almost too easy. The magic system is such a chore and you can't even really die. They made it nearly impossible to die which takes the fun and challenge out of the battles. You spend long battles to acquire Astrals that the game gives you no information on how to use so they're basically useless.

    Car

    I was expecting a fast travel system/airship that all fans have become accustomed to. What we're stuck with is a car that is a pain in the ass. You can manually operate a car on rails or have one of your companions drive. You can't skip the driving part, you'll spend long spans of time just watching the characters drive from quest to quest. The loading times are ridiculous for the so called fast travel system.

    World

    For such an open world concept I was shocked at how empty it is. FF is usually filled with memorable locations that are truly a sight to behold. There is no such thing in this game. You'll spend a lot of time camping and at outposts that all look exactly the same.

    Music

    FF is usually blessed with some of the best music of any RPG. This game's music is pretty much forgettable. Not a single track worth replaying. Most of the music doesn't even feel like it belongs in a FF game.

    Conclusion

    This game feels like it was rushed. It feels unfinished. There is so much missing from it that I can't believe they released it. I'm sorely disappointed. If you were expecting a true FF game you'll be sadly mistaken. The hype surrounding this game was massive. The trailers all contained content that was not in the game at all. Classic Bait & Switch. You've been warned!    … Expand
  97. Swisscakie
    Dec 30, 2016
    5
    + Open world environment ,
    + The beginning few chapters of the game,
    + Chocobos ,

    -/+ Combat system ,

    - Chapter 13 ,
    - Most of the Side quests that made u travel across the map and back to quest giver,
    -- Story of the game
  98. JermJoe
    Dec 29, 2016
    9
    I don’t get why people are giving this game such a low rating when in reality it's actually a pretty good game. To be honest from 1 to 10, I'll give it at 8.7. The game is all about the relationship of the 4 characters and their bond throughout their Adventure. People are complaining about driving on the road for so long but that's the whole point... it's a road trip! The you’ll drive isI don’t get why people are giving this game such a low rating when in reality it's actually a pretty good game. To be honest from 1 to 10, I'll give it at 8.7. The game is all about the relationship of the 4 characters and their bond throughout their Adventure. People are complaining about driving on the road for so long but that's the whole point... it's a road trip! The you’ll drive is 10 minutes. (btw you also have to fill up gas and repair the car sometimes(I love that immersion))The fighting mechanics are very fun and for a newcomer to the Final Fantasy series this is the perfect game. The quests are also very fun. All although a good number of them are fetch quest I personally enjoy them. The music is fantastic is does hit the heart with emotion and heroism when you're in the middle of a battle The graphics are glorious as also the atmosphere. Boss battle are intense as hell. The dialogue between the characters are realistic and gives you that bond between them. You can go from talking about each other's experiences during car rides or asking noctis about certain things to talking about problems on top of a motel ceiling. The experience you’ll have in this game are memorable and the relationship between the characters are on point. You truly feel that “bromance” when you're playing this game. The only problem I have with the game is that the driving mechanic is a little linear. You can’t go off road or really crash into anything but I understand because it wouldn’t make sense in the game if you were able to do that. After chapter 8, the game gets more linear so it can prep the player up for the ending. People are expecting the perfect game because it was announced in 2006 but in reality it wasn’t in development for 10 years lol. I really enjoy the new combat style from turn based to live action. People perceive it as a hack-n-slash but its not becuase it you do try to hack and slash you just get your butt whooped lol. The combos and team attacks just make the combat more enthusiastic. Final Fantasy XV is for sure a masterpiece that people will enjoy. Don’t listen to the people who gave it a bad rating because they are just rating it on nostalgia. LISTEN TO ME. FFXV IS A GREAT GAME!… Expand
  99. Adorabro
    Dec 29, 2016
    7
    Final Fantasy 15 is an interesting take on the whole series, especially with it's focus on drawing in newcomers. I have to give Square Enix credit for trying a different approach by introducing a wonderfully beautiful and large world that you can explore by running around, driving your car and even riding Chocobos. The environments are somewhat varied for this open world as it made me seemFinal Fantasy 15 is an interesting take on the whole series, especially with it's focus on drawing in newcomers. I have to give Square Enix credit for trying a different approach by introducing a wonderfully beautiful and large world that you can explore by running around, driving your car and even riding Chocobos. The environments are somewhat varied for this open world as it made me seem like I was in certain areas of mid-western United States.

    However, this becomes rather moot when the world is mostly empty. There are occasions when enemies fade in or appear from the sky, but interaction with anything outside of towns and gas stations is minimal. There is incredibly little variety to side quests. Most of what you'll be doing are repetitive hunts with recolored monsters or mindless fetch quests, and neither add much, if anything, to the world of this game. Even endgame dungeons are extremely repetitive with recolored monsters; there's simply very little variety to the content. There's also the fact that most of the "towns" in this game are not really towns. Most of them are the equivalent of gas stations with diners that you'll pick some your hunts from and maybe a NPC nearby that gives you a fetch or hunt-like quest, and that's it. There are two town-like areas and while the first does it somewhat well, the second feels largely incomplete and doesn't have much to do. Even the story pushes you out of this second area after spending roughly 30 or so minutes in it.

    Unfortunately, the story is its weakest point, and that is a massive problem considering Final Fantasy has been known as a series for being story focused. The story is an incomplete mess and while it does get you from start to finish, it's the content in between those two points that is missing. The first half of the story has a few problems with pacing and it's plot progression, but the second half completely falls apart with its pacing even more by going Sonic the Hedgehog levels. A lot of the important events are brushed aside and/or happen off screen. To get a better understanding of some of these events, you would have to watch a movie, anime and even read an official guide since the game doesn't even tell you of some information. If you haven't done any of those, you will likely be confused and annoyed at some of the events and characters. It's as if Square Enix originally had a 300 page book but decided to rip out 200 pages of important plot development, character development, world and lore building material and gave it to us.

    The game does focus well on establishing the bondship between the main 4 characters; it establishes their friendship really well, and you definitely get a roadtrip vibe going on with it. However, there is a notable lack of context with these characters. While the game develops their friendship well, their characters as individuals are incredibly underdeveloped. Brotherhood, which is the anime, develops their characters decently enough, but the game does not. The game never shows us how or why they have the motivations they have, and there are moments where they completely disappear from the game for a period of time and come back with no to little questions asked. Their backstories are either brushed aside with little development or not covered at all and even Noctis, himself, suffers from these problems in certain areas of his development.

    The combat system feels great, and you have control over your character and what you can do with him. However, the combat system is very simplistic, and this may draw away some people if they're looking for depth. While magic is useful, it's not necessarily and it's very situational. There's also the fact that you're only restricted to Noctis, and the others are restricted to their AI behavior. If a boss is about to do a massive AOE attack, you will movie away while your party members will still be in its face and get 1-shotted. There's also a horrible unbalance with your 3 party members, and you'll find that one of them will likely be dying more than everyone else combined.

    I have to give credit to Square Enix for trying something very new for Final Fantasy, and this game does exceed in some areas that probably will help future games if they stick with them and develop them even further, but it fails in a lot of other areas. It could have been an absolutely amazing experience if Square was able to achieve what they had wanted to and was given the time to achieve it, but as it is now, it ultimately falls flat. While Square Enix has provided a road map of patches and DLC to address some of the issues, I'm not confident that they will fix the major problems that the game has. It would need an massive rehaul to do this. While it's not a "bad" game, I don't consider it a "good" game either. I had fun with it, but I was frustrated with how unfinished the game turned out to be, and it's a shame it had to be like that.    … Expand
  100. achillesares
    Dec 29, 2016
    8
    I really enjoyed playing this game and I found it to be a lot of fun and I love the fighting style. The game is beautiful and unique although when I think of a Final Fantasy game I think of a great intriguing story. This came close but it could have been so much better. The first 3/4 of the game are leveling up and the real story isn't until the last 1/4 if even that. It could easily beI really enjoyed playing this game and I found it to be a lot of fun and I love the fighting style. The game is beautiful and unique although when I think of a Final Fantasy game I think of a great intriguing story. This came close but it could have been so much better. The first 3/4 of the game are leveling up and the real story isn't until the last 1/4 if even that. It could easily be only the last 2 hours really.

    Also the worst part of this game is how easy it is. With a game such as Final Fantasy I remember a true challenge but this didn't cut it. I think they made it easy to engage all ages but I was only a kid when I played FFVII and it was such an accomplishment to beat but with this game I felt empty after defeating the final boss. Hope they have a DLC like to witcher 3 for leveling.

    I will play it again when all DLCs are out.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Best PS4 Game of 2016
3
#3 Most Discussed PS4 Game of 2016
6
#6 Most Shared PS4 Game of 2016

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
81

Generally favorable reviews - based on 109 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 89 out of 109
  2. Mixed: 20 out of 109
  3. Negative: 0 out of 109
  1. BaziCenter
    Feb 14, 2017
    70
    After so many years of development, Final Fantasy XV is not what I expected it to be. The universe is immense and beautiful and the characters are just fine. But the story is short and disappointing and the gameplay suffers from lack of depth. FFXV is a good game, but it can never bring the former glories back to the series.
    Read full review
  2. Edge Magazine
    Feb 14, 2017
    70
    Even as you reflect on the rarity of a blockbuster that's willing to take real risks, you'll be left with the uncomfortable realisation that ten years wasn't quite long enough, after all. Those jagged edges are, in the end, just a little too sharp. [Feb 2017, p.110]
  3. New Game Network
    Feb 7, 2017
    83
    Despite a divided feel, torn between what it was and what it plans to be, Final Fantasy XV has a lot to offer. If you're a diehard JRPG fan, then it's a positive sign that the series can cross over to a new format. And if you're just looking for an open world adventure, Final Fantasy XV certainly has that in spades, while doing just enough things differently to separate it from the likes of Dragon Age and Elder Scrolls.
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