Sure thing.
There aren’t many cons to FFXV, so I’ll start with the pros:
First, the gameplay.
Contrary to the popular “open-world is empty” notion that never holds any weight in regards to any game it ever gets used upon due to the vague unsubstantiated nature of the argument, FFXV’s world is very much filled to the brim with things that make it feel real and alive. An example of this is found in the side-quest pertaining to Deadeye and how the Chocobos are initially unavailable due to the Behemoth preying on them in the forest. It emphasises the dynamics found within its inhabitants and uses this to build upon the world. Newscasts report on your hunts in specific and dynamic ways, making you feel like you're a part of the world and that your achievements are earned. As exemplified by Deadeye, FFXV boasts an unparalleled beastiary. Just comparing the enemy variety in FFXV to something like Zelda BoTW makes that game look downright anaemic. FFXV’s attention to detail is also unparalleled. You could be driving to your next main quest objective and get side-tacked as you come across a gargantuan flying airship on its way to establish an imperial base, which you could then choose to demolish and partake in this epic four-man army battle against the full force of the empire. You could go on camp quests with your bros which help flesh out their relationships and give some much needed break time from all the action and chaos. One of Gladio’s camp quests has you picking up flowers for Iris and much to my surprise later in the game; by talking to her in Cape Caem, you actually initiate a sweet little cutscene of Noct giving her the flowers which further adds to their relationship and makes even your smallest actions have a tangible and natural impact on the world. On your way back to the tent, you can often find the other bros playing around with cards or just wrestling, but if you look inside the tent in Chapter 10, you can see that it’s completely empty with no sign of the cards or junk food that signified their fun times in the earlier chapters. It’s this type of attention to narrative context that makes FFXV’s story so great (as we’ll get to later). The amount of unique event-specific dialogue and animations, and the quality of the animations themselves are unrivalled. Aranea sometimes drops in from her Red airship to help you battle daemons in completely random and unscripted events. Animals and wildlife have routines of their own, sometimes crossing the roads obstructing you and the other civilians from driving or just fighting/hunting other animals in the world. Noctis’ eyes turn purple during Summons. The Summons themselves are visual marvels and the fact that they are completely random is a genius way of incorporating them into the game as oppose to previous Final Fantasy games where you had the choice of using/picking them (which could be argued as examples of ludonarrative dissonance. Any game that gives you control over “gods” of their world is doing it wrong). The ‘ghost girl’ Gentiana sometimes appears in photos where she wasn’t even present, emphasising her omniscience in the world. There’s even detail in the sound design; from the clanks of hitting metal robots versus the thuds of hitting the Behemoth, to the Chocobo theme changing to an underplayed version whenever you’re swimming across water – reflecting the serene atmosphere. This is why FFXV has one of the most immersive open-worlds of any JRPG. The only problems with the open-world are some of the inconveniences in its design; invisible walls and barriers sometimes make hunts a chore to travel to because of how unnecessarily long it takes to reach what would otherwise be an easy destination in a competently designed open-world like Zelda BoTW, but other design choices such as the placement of each individual side-quest and how one directly leads to another is well done. I won’t be talking much about the graphics and presentation since Final Fantasy as a series has always been special in that regard, so I’ll just get that out of the way now in terms of what makes FFXV specifically special: the art-direction and visual iconography. FFXV strikes that balance between the modern sci-fi, conventional gothic and traditional high fantasy look that FFVII got right so many years ago and none of the others ever even came close to replicating. Some of the directing, framing and “cinematography” is very clearly inspired by Tetsuya Nomura’s visual masterpiece: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Take for example; the addition of the extreme close-up on Noct’s wide open eyes at the end of Chapter 1 when he hears over the phone that his father had passed away – a visual indication that Noct’s realisation and epiphany lasted longer from his perspective than in real time. Graphically speaking; FFXV is quite evidently one of the most technically impressive video games made to date, but that speaks for itself, so let’s talk about something more meaty…
FFXV's combat mechanics, in a refreshing change from the anachronistic turn-based trite of the previous games, now revolve around a skill-based System that requires more skill from the player in order to execute moves that are more effective against specific types of enemies. This is an extremely in-depth system with copious skill and strategy seamlessly intertwined to create a fast-paced, thrilling and rewarding experience. This amalgamation of skill and strategy is blatantly obvious with the use of blindside attacks: flanking enemies to gain the upper hand in battle, and how instead of holding circle; you can mash it to stop the automation with every move - thus making it more likely to get a link-strike since you’re executing more blindside attacks. Furthermore; this becomes more in-depth due to the permutations with certain enemies, (monsters who can fly for example), which incentivises you to utilise other mechanics of the combat system over link-strikes such as Character Swap (using Prompto’s guns or Ignis’ total clarity for projectile attacks), Air-steps which require precise timing and control in order to gain defensive and manoeuvring advantages, last-second use of phases to recover MPs (which means it rewards a player based on this skill over a player who just holds the phase button; depleting their MP) etc. The different weapon types switch up entire play styles. Daggers are faster and more close-range so you’re more susceptible to getting hit, but they’re balanced by having more mobility and you can get around enemy attacks easier compared to the greatswords which are slower and longer ranged. Each weapon type in FFXV even has their own unique link-strike with each individual member. Then there’s even more variation because each different weapon type have their own unique combos. The greatsword’s down combo charges up into a more powerful attack – further emphasising a more offensive approach to combat instead of the other weapon types’ down combo that backflips into air-steps for a defensive approach. In FFXV, you have actual control over the combat. You can target specific areas on enemies to break appendages and make them vulnerable, you can use warp-points if battles get too hectic with too many enemies, you can use magic grenades that directly affect the battlefield, e.g; Freeze to make enemy movements slower, but what’s great about this substantiative control is that it’s actually surprisingly well-balanced. You can’t just exploit warp-points seeing as it depletes stamina, nor can you exploit magic or any other special ability. This is how the game incentivises awareness of environmental factors such as covering behind blocks to recover HP/MP or strategically positioning yourself whenever you’re using magic to avoid hitting any of your allies (though the lack of AI control for your party does pose a problem in that it diminishes the magic system’s further strategic potential). FFXV’s animations are so meticulously and masterfully crafted that even if all this depth in the combat system wasn’t present, it would still feel great because of how well choreographed and seamless the combat looks. On the other hand, this game is in desperate need of a hard mode. There isn’t as much challenge now (due to the addition of the multi-hunt system that nets you way more eXP) as there was when the game first came out. Also, some of the DLC weapons such as Ragnarok are too over-powered and potions/Phoenix Downs need to be much more costly/scarce.
Now, in regards to the progression system: depending on where you rest, you can gain up to 3X the Exp which adds a whole other dynamic to the game not found in most other RPGs. It encourages you to rest and pick out certain hotels/rest-spots that require more Gil - so it’s more incentive to hunt and do side activities in order to gain more money. These nuances make the progression system feel rewarding because you are progressing across a myriad of gameplay mechanics, not just one in one instance. So it feels like all of your work actually pays off. In fact, the Ascension Grid in FFXV is a lot more convenient and works a whole lot better than the sphere grids found in most JRPGs. You don’t have to start from the centre and work your way all around to get to what you want to upgrade, instead there are tabs for each specific aspect of gameplay like exploration, teamwork etc. They all overlap as well for each of the 4 bros which makes it feel even more rewarding.
FFXV’s dungeons are absolutely magnificent and versatile with different methods of progression. How you progress through the Rock of Ravatogh, for instance, is different from Steyliff Grove. Rock of Ravatogh has you climbing the mountain; carefully manoeuvring the slope to reach the top. It is straightforward and revolves around your skills in precision through controlling Noctis around the edges without falling back down. Now contrast this with Steyliff Grove where progression is more maze-like; locations you’ve already visited change and open up new paths, and it’s all about trial and error with these labyrinthine structures breaking and rebuilding on their own. It doesn’t rely on your skills as much as it does your intuition in having a clear visual of the map in your head. One has a tangible sense of being grounded in reality. The other has this aura of mystique about it. FFXV constantly keeps things refreshing with varied thematic elements and gameplay mechanics. This is further exemplified with Pitioss Ruins. Just the act of travelling to this dungeon is exciting as it relies on the flying car, a completely separate mode of travel only introduced at New Game Plus, to reach it and the way the quest itself is initiated builds on the world itself as you have to listen in randomly on a resident’s house in Lestallum.
Now, arguably the most important aspect of any RPG is the story. To understand why Final Fantasy XV actually has a really good story, you don’t have to look far.
We can start with some of the very first pieces of dialogue:
Gladio: “We’ll take the prince to Altissia if it’s the last thing we do.”
Prompto: “Yeah...what he said!”
Right away - we establish Gladio’s confidence and intentions as a loyal friend and a headstrong bodyguard.
This is directly juxtaposed to Prompto’s nonchalant response which emphasises his insecurity, naivety and that he doesn’t fully grasp the reality of his situation. This also sets up his character progression later on when he becomes more confident and independent.
This immediately establishes a bond because you can already infer that these characters rely on each other based on these strengths and weakness - they fill up gaps of qualities that they themselves do not have. The opening car sequence is iconic (referenced in animes like Pop Team Epic, and in the gaming community) for good reason: it establishes a genius loci. It is quite possibly the most competent and appropriate opening to a game I’ve ever seen.
Gladio: “Let’s just hope this isn’t some bad omen...
Prompto: “Look...these things happen!”
Right away we establish Gladio’s pessimism, and Prompto’s strength gets highlighted due to his contrasting optimism. We understand their place and dynamic within the group: with Gladio as the one who the others depend on physically, and their dependence on Prompto for emotional support thanks to his optimism being contrasted against Gladio’s pessimism.
Ignis: “Save some breath for pushing, please...”
Instantly we have an idea of Ignis being the strategist in the group - thinking methodically instead of getting into the emotional debacle between the rest of the group. He is seen as the guide for the group - this is showcased symbolically with him literally being behind the wheel and others pushing the car, but also it is a genius way of foreshadowing when Ignis loses his eyesight and loses his purpose, as in; he becomes a weight for the other members to carry. Little things like calling Ignis “Iggy” instantly establishes a bond and comraderie between the bros and makes them more endearing. The fact that the scene was accompanied by Stand By Me was the cherry-on-top. Not only does it perfectly reflect the brotherhood and roadtrip motifs but it is also a nod to the fans who have waited for the game for 10 years.
In FFXV, the creator made the deliberate and conscious choice to change the focus of the narrative from a plot-driven ensemble cast (as has been the case for every single Final Fantasy game preceding XV) to a character-driven one with the sole focus on the protagonist in order to immerse the player into the story. They wanted the player to relate to the main character specifically instead of engaging in the now-stereotypical cliché JRPG anime sagas with these extensive backstories, lores and the final bosses that have 10 different monster forms and incessant god imagery. It's a stylistic choice that simply changes the way the user relates to the game and the game world.
They put great effort into making each have their own distinct personalities with their own character arcs. The only one who's lacking in this is Gladio, who doesn't have as much progression as, say, Noctis' journey from naive boy to a grown man with strong convictions shaped by the tribulations brought upon him due to his birthright. But Gladio is still a well-developed character, regardless of lacking character progression, because you get to know everything about him from strengths, weaknesses, ambitions, hobbies, to his damn favourite food. You can't say that about most JRPG characters. The Four-Temperament Ensemble works really well here.
Regis' death has far more implications than just being the death of a parent. For Noct, it represents the moment he becomes trapped in this self-fulfilling prophecy, the moment he realises the severity of his calling (though I'd argue the simple emotional weight behind the event is just as easily justifiable to have it transpire because the opening scene where Regis keeps pulling Noctis back after saying his goodbyes is absolutely brilliant and instantly establishes a father-son connection.) He’s doing what literally EVERYONE is asking him to. That’s kinda where the whole ‘sick and tired’ attitude of his comes from for half the game. It’s expressed every time the Bros were in danger. The weight of Noctis’ duty becomes so much for him to the point where literally just the act of putting on Luna’s ring is too heavy for him. They were constantly showing the inner conflict within Noct and his resolve. At the beginning of the game, when given the notice that he might not be able to return to the citadel, his response was “you think I would?” This was his way of becoming untethered from that way of life which is the perfect set-up for when he gets chained to it shortly after.
Direct quote from the base game – Chapter 10:
Noctis: “You think I like having people sacrifice themselves for me?”
This emphasised how much Noctis was questioning the whole notion of sacrificing oneself for the sake of the world and ultimately sets up his character progression in Chapter 13 where he gets separated from his friends at the end, and in a moment of desperation, chooses to fuse with the Crystal in order to save his friends and make sure their sacrifices weren’t in vain.
You don’t need the DLC to understand that Gladio and Noct’s relationship develops because Noct is continuously inspired from the examples set by Gladio that emphasise his decision to accept his role and duty in protecting the king with his life. There’s a great scene in Chapter 4 that showcases their bond. It’s right before you fight the Titan and Noct is complaining about the heat and Gladio has to scold him. This is a tangible bond because we understand why Noctis looks up to Gladio, since he yearns to be accustomed to that path of life, and why Gladio relates to Noctis; because he sees his former inexperienced self in him.
The CGI cutscenes are used sparingly and methodically to punctuate each act.
Noctis' character arc; coming to terms with one's role and predetermined destiny is far more developed and identifiable than any previous Final Fantasy game (with the exception of FFVII).
FFXV isn't a love story, it was a road-trip. The story is as simple as it gets, and all the better for it. The romance is just one of the many aspects of the plot and unfortunately it wasn't done well, but it really doesn't matter when they got the main leitmotif right.
The very last scene of the game before the end credits is the campfire scene. They chose that part for a reason. That is what FFXV is all about.
Prompto’s entire character arc revolves around not feeling like he belongs in the group. Throughout the game, he naturally progresses to become more confident, independent and secure not only because he gets the reassurance from his teammates, but because he realises that he’s constantly putting his life on the line for his group. So in other words, he realises that he’s giving it his all and that’s all that matters. This is expressed in the Motel sequence where Prompto gets personal about his insecurities to Noctis. They established how Prompto had his insecurities about not fitting in, so the ultimate resolution was the confirmation from his friends and them shrugging it off as if it doesn’t even matter. He fits in so much that even with his background of literally being part of the enemy group doesn’t matter to them because they just trust him that much. Cindy’s barely developed, but she is still a functional character used as a springboard for Prompto’s character progression because it is another example of Prompto doing something by himself. This contrasts the start of the game when he has to rely on Noctis to accompany him to try to get with Cindy, showing clear character progression from Chapter 1 to 14. This is yet another instance of conscious attention to storytelling in the game.
Now I will expand upon Ignis’ characterisation:
One of the first things we learn about is Ignis is that he is a precisian and an expert strategist. This is emphasised ingeniously not only by his character design (his buttoned up suit contrasts the wild and messy look of Noctis and co) but also through aspects of ludonarrative consistency throughout the game; stopping you from driving around at night, analysing enemies, cooking etc.
“Iggy likes his world to be crystal clear.” - he wears glasses even though his vision is passable without them. This builds tangible weight, meaning and foundation behind his design and is a direct set-up for his character progression.
He takes pride in his observational skills. This is pointed out by Noctis and co every time Ignis comes up with an in-depth strategy to defeat an opponent; “keep it short this time.” He also takes pride in his cooking skills. This is showcased when he takes offence to Prompto’s excitement over eating Iris’ food instead.
The game is brimming with these moments of character development. This is so you understand why Chapter 10 poses a tangible and complex dilemma for Ignis and why it is a great facilitator for his character progression.
His permutations with the group effectively show that he is fully devoted to his duty as the guide for Noctis, to the point where it’s almost obsessive. That’s why he takes pride in the attributes he’s been accustomed to develop. (This is also another instance of ludonarrative consistency where Ignis is the one who insists on driving you to each location.)
So when Ignis sacrifices his eyes for Noctis, that is basically Ignis giving away his life’s purpose for Noct. This is why we now have a complex dilemma. The roles have officially been reversed. It is the now the group who have to permanently guide Ignis. The perfectionist in Ignis says leave Noct and not become a detriment to the group. However, as a friend of Noct - he casts away what gave him meaning and kept him tethered to the world; his over-obsessive nature and perfectionist ideals, to stand with Noctis as a loyal friend to the very end. That’s why the reunion scene in Chapter 14 works so well. Noctis asking about his bros during the ride with Talcott as his voice breaks; (great English voice work all around btw) “Ignis...never got his vision back, huh...” - showing that he understands the weight of what his friends sacrificed for him is very emotional, and it’s accentuated by his gesture of patting Ignis on the shoulder with the dialogue exchange:
Ignis: “Well well...you kept us waiting.”
Noctis: “Not like I wanted to...”
This all works to instantly reestablish their bond.
So as we’ve assessed; FFXV uses indirect characterisation and physiognomy to establish distinctions. You can infer a character’s backstory, their behaviour, introspective development etc, through the way they look, talk; cadence, or external dialogue.
Ardyn is a great villain. They keep him mysterious. His power is immense but we only see hints of it. Terror and torment are ingredients of his dominion. 'Reclaim Your Throne' was the main slogan for the game and it ingeniously refers to both the protagonist AND the antagonist. The final mission is called "Cure for Insomnia"; as in a cure for Ardyn's immortality since he never got to rest.
There seems to be this contingency fallacy on miscellaneous settings such as Insomnia or characters like Jared or Regis not getting the “proper” development you expect being a detriment to the story. The game never demands you to mourn for Regis. The thing that spurs the main character into action is the realisation of how firmly and inextricably tied he is to this newfound way of life. It is the implications of Regis’ death that affects the story. Not Regis or the Kingdom. Knowing more about the Kingdom, Regis etc. wouldn’t change the story’s effectiveness in any way, shape or form. That kind of exposition is exactly the way old Final Fantasy games used to rope players in but it’s an incredibly tripe and archaic form of storytelling. Final Fantasy fans confuse this lack of history in XV with lack of context and use that to suggest that the story is bad. Context is the circumstances that form the setting for an event or a concept, the terms of which it can be understood. History is the study of those things, going in-depth. We don’t need history in order to understand character dilemmas or motivations, what we need is characterisation and a narrative flow - of which FFXV objectively has because it makes advancements of the personal motivations and dilemmas of the characters, rather than their historical connections. This makes the world much more immersive than its contemporaries and encourages you to engage with the story because there is verisimilitude with your main character.
Final Fantasy games have always had these great, but convoluted storylines because they cater to an anachronistic form of storytelling that intentionally evokes the distancing effect. A famous example of this is in Cloud Strife - your typical edgelord badass who literally doesn’t care about anything until like 20 hours into the game. This could make his character feel boring and unsubstantiated because he is completely unrelatable for a large portion of the game. He shows no emotion. There aren’t many instances where he expresses any thoughts on any given matter. For most of the game, he is a complete robot. It isn’t until he hands the black Materia to Sephiroth where we finally get our first line of emotional expression from him: “I’m afraid.” That’s literally the 3rd act of the game. Obviously later on, he develops into becoming one of the greatest protagonists in gaming history, but the journey to get there is intentionally left emotionless.
Contrast this with Noctis who expresses emotions such as
excitement of venturing out into the open-world and leaving his home behind early in the game - with this later turning into
guilt of not accepting his responsibilities and being detached from his family, to finally
pride when he accepts his role after witnessing the damage it was causing getting closer and closer to the people he cares about, and that incredible line: “Off my chair Jester, the king sits there.”
Final Fantasy XV is the first game in the series that displays a more natural level of writing; with layers and evolutions to the characters emphasised through a wide emotional spectrum that makes these characters more likeable and relatable.
FFXV’s biggest achievement, however, is something quite unexpected. We all know that Yoko Shimomura is one of the greatest video game composers in the modern era, considering her outstanding work on the Kingdom Hearts series, but…Final Fantasy XV’s Soundtrack is something quite ethereal. It is out of this world. Motifs soar back and forth, mesh and clash whenever appropriate, and exude a level of sophistication beyond the medium’s very best musicians. Magna Insomnia, the game’s Final Boss Theme, is a combination of Somnus (Noctis’ Theme) and Ardyn’s Theme. As the characters are battling for the fate of the world, so do their themes. Hellfire, being the stand-out piece in the OST and the track that made it win Soundtrack of The Year, is irrefutably the greatest boss battle theme of all time. It just builds, and builds, and builds; returning cues and melodies from other major pieces in the soundtrack get more and more emphasis, and it all culminates in a beautiful triumphant masterpiece accompanying the reunion of Noctis, Ignis, Gladio and Prompto after 10 years for one final battle against the once-merciful and benevolent Fire God who began the very age of humans. Yoko Shimomura, in a stroke of pure genius, recomposes the brotherhood leitmotif, accentuating the humanity of these characters, in juxtaposition to the godlike omniscience of the choir. A battle between man and god.
TLDR;
PROS:
- Great Story
- BY FAR has the Best Characters in the entire series
- Very fun, fast-paced gameplay
- Jaw dropping animations
- Open-world feels alive
- Best soundtrack in the entire series
- Best dungeon/level-design in the entire series
- Most robust beastiary in the entire series
- Emphasises gameplay over story
CONS:
- Few weird open-world design elements and narrative choices here and there
- Boss battle level-scaling isn’t the best
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