Final Fantasy XV Reviews
Final Fantasy fans should play this game immediately. It's not perfect, but it has many of the franchise's traditional strengths. If you're new to the series, you may want to try the classics first, or wait for a sale.
As a game, Final Fantasy XV inhabits that special place that titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt; Fallout 3, New Vegas, and 4; and the Elder Scrolls games do. While you're playing it, you're an inhabitant of its world, and it's a place that can be almost as vivid as reality at times, with its own history, lore, and culture. As a Final Fantasy, FFXV returns the series to the wonderment that Final Fantasy VII inspired in a generation of gamers.
"Final Fantasy XV" is at its best when treated as an act of tourism. It's gratingly intrusive when it tries to keep you busy, and transcendentally comforting when it settles for just keeping you company.
Final Fantasy XV is a unique offering, both for the franchise and RPGs in general. Placing the onus on the relationships of your party, rather than the narrative, has meant that this is a game that strikes not just an emotional chord, but a personal one. While Final Fantasy stalwarts will likely balk at the action-heavy combat, the spirit of the franchise remains, and is better served here than it has been in many years.
What Final Fantasy XV succeeds at more than anything is providing an unpredictable and memorable adventure. Captivating story and characters were sacrificed along the way, but more than anything this game needed to prove that Final Fantasy can still execute greatness while taking risks.
Destined to be as divisive as all modern Final Fantasy games, but it's the story and characters that disappoint more than the capable combat and exploration.
As I'm typing this up now, I'm seeing a future where people buy Final Fantasy XV due to some of the more positive assessments (like this one), and walk away disappointed. Because if you loathe JRPGs, XV is not going to make you a believer. In a way it's silly that Square spent 10 years making this, and it feels like a really shiny version of something it would have actually made 10 years ago. While a complete overhaul of the genre would certainly suit someone's needs, XV suits mine just fine.
Square Enix has taken quite a few risks with Final Fantasy XV to make it different from past installments or even JRPGs overall. Despite some graphical issues, they have pulled off an amazing experience, and it's one that veterans and newcomers alike can immensely enjoy. This road trip has been well worth the wait.
Flawed but fun, Final Fantasy has made a mostly triumphant return
Final Fantasy XV, despite significant and glaring problems, is still a lovely time that managed to make me like Final Fantasy again. It's a character piece, and the characters we spend our time with are fully realized and play off each other so well. It's a lighter journey that nonetheless knows when to get serious, spurred by a charismatic nemesis and a quartet of lovable, beautiful boys. And good God is it weird.
Final Fantasy XV had quite a lot to live up to after so many years, and while it may have taken a decade to get here, the journey was worth the wait with this phenomenal entry in the series.
Final Fantasy XV is a game about a journey between friends and for a journey, it's a fine one. The game has got issues ranging from poor character development to dull combat and generic side quests, but it's also something special thanks to memorable friends and amazing music. The developer wanted to make a game for fans and newcomers alike and they made many changes to the typical Final Fantasy formula. The result is a game that is not like what you would expect, but for those who want to find something to love here, there's something to find.
Enthralling and slick, but problems lie beneath
The glimpses of brilliance all stay in the early parts of the game, with the latter portions of the main story being incredibly weak, and shows signs that even after years of development, that Final Fantasy XV still wasn't quite finished.
Not without it's flaws, but Final Fantasy XV is a fantastic comeback for the series and a beautiful love letter to the fans of the series. With a mix of open world, hectic combat and engaging characters – this is the Final Fantasy we have been waiting for.
Review in Swedish | Read full review
Final Fantasy XV is a game of lost opportunities which, once again, proves that Square Enix had to change something a long time ago. Neither of the project elements, except the music, is completely processed, and the game is released raw and incomplete, what is particularly seen after the ninth chapter. If you are ready to stop your progress at the tenth episode, suffering monotonous tasks in a beautiful open world and if you like a simplified clone of Monster Hunter then you can add one score to the total. But if you go further then there are all the chances to be disappointed. Unfortunately, the further we went the more we learnt about all the rawness and incompleteness of Final Fantasy XV. It becomes even more disappointing after watching gorgeous trailers of Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It's too bad we certailny won't see that game ever.
Review in Russian | Read full review
Final Fantasy XV is a strange, patchwork beast that's made up of countless different components. Having been in development for so long, things could have gone far, far worse for Noctis and the gang, but as it stands, this is an engrossing journey that delivers a unique experience – and that's something that can rarely be said about today's open world games. When its at its very worst, Final Fantasy XV is mind-bogglingly misguided, but thankfully, those moments are very few and far between, and are soon forgotten when you're running off on adventures with such an endearing band of brothers. As a whole, Final Fantasy will likely never recapture its former glory, but Final Fantasy XV fills us with hope that the series can still carve out its own path, even after all these years.
Final Fantasy XV is a true return to form for the series. The main story of the game is passable, but surpassed by the fantastic tale of Noctis and his three friends, Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis. The world they live in, the interconnectivity and just how alive it feels makes for a great game, warts and all.
With such a lengthy and troubled development cycle, it was really anyone's guess how FFXV would turn out in the end. Even though I'm relatively pleased with the outcome as the four friends carry the moment to moment gameplay with grace, the disjointed and lackluster storyline leaves an indelible mark on what is otherwise an incredibly well crafted RPG well worth experiencing.
A strong-willed effort to update the series, Final Fantasy XV rises above its myriad flaws to deliver an odd, beautiful adventure that harnesses the power of friendship to maximum effect. A pleasing return to form for a much beloved series.