It’s been over a month now since I finished the main storyline of Final Fantasy XV. Boy oh boy was that ending a doozy. As per usual, my entire playthrough was such an emotional experience — so much that the week that followed after I finished the game was filled with a lot of post-video game blues, emotional trauma, bittersweet nostalgia, and crying.
Lots and lots and lots of crying. Nothing new with me, it seems.
FFXV tells the tale of Prince Noctis Lucis Caelum — a.k.a. Noct, a.k.a. my precious darling SON WHO MUST BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS — as he travels across the nation with his three buddies: Prompto (my sweet sunshine of a Chocobae), Ignis (resident Cooking Mama and all-around housewife), and Gladiolus (Papa Lion Daddy who does not need to keep his shirt on, thank you very much). Collectively, the fandom (myself included) refers to these four as the beloved Chocobros.
So the Chocobros are making their way to Altissia because Noct is set to marry his childhood friend, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret (former princess of Tenebrae and is also the ~*~Oracle~*~), as part of the negotiations regarding a peace treaty between Noct’s homeland, Lucis, and its nemesis, Niflheim.
Long story short, FFXV is all a glorified road trip about a bunch of bros and you think it’s all fun and games until the story progresses and all the feels start to come out and so when it all ends your soul is just ripped out from your body and-
A n y w a y, let’s talk about some of the pros and cons of FFXV, because there’s just so much I need to get off my chest before I finally combust from all the feelings and frustrations and everything in between.
The Open World Map
One of the game’s greatest strengths is most definitely how vast the expanse is. Main story quests are what progress the story, but you’re free to neglect them for as long as you’d like in lieu of exploring the landscape or even pursuing other side quests. Lemme tell you, I probably spent way too much time in Chapter 3 alone just exploring what the game had to offer. Somehow, I managed to level up to around Level 30 while I was still in Chapter 3, and that was just from going around and doing side quests. I wasn’t intentionally grinding or anything!
Whereas Final Fantasy XIII was criticized for being much too linear, FFXV really makes sure that the whole open world concept is addressed — and rather generously, at that. There was so much to explore that traversing the map reminded me so much of Grand Theft Auto V.
Unlike GTA V, however, you can’t really steal any vehicles in FFXV. Not that you need to, since you’re supplied with a sweet ride c/o the Regalia. Your royal steed can be upgraded by doing side quests; you can take the car off-road with the Regalia Type-D, and later on, you can even take it to the skies with the Regalia Type-F. The car can also be customized with different interior and exterior color combinations, as well as with stickers that you can purchase from stores scattered around the world.
You can opt to either drive the Regalia manually, or have Iggy drive you instead. Car rides can range from either a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on how far your destination is. One of the best things about these car rides — at least for me — is the amount of BOPS. Whereas GTA V has its own selection of radio stations, FFXV allows you to listen to different soundtracks from several FF games. Soundtracks can be purchased yet again for a small amount of gil, though the game supplies you with some FFXV soundtracks (music from Kingsglaive, the DLCs, etc.) right off the bat. Naturally, I gravitated towards the FFXIII soundtrack, though it was nice getting to listen to some Dissidia music again.
Music
Speaking of soundtracks, FFXV’s OST is… actually, I’m not really sure what to say about it. I’m clearly biased towards it since it’s Yoko Shimomura so it obviously has a lot of Kingdom Hearts vibes. I remember immediately thinking of KH when I heard the first battle theme during my very first time playing. I mean, even the music from the early trailers (and we’re talking Versus XIII levels of early) immediately gave me KH vibes.
That isn’t to say that FFXV doesn’t have its own musical identity, because I think it does. Its main theme, Somnus, really sets the mood for what’s in store not just for our Chocobros, but for you as the player as well. Somnus plays in the game’s title screen and ultimately serves as a somber reminder that, despite all the good times of the journey, there’s still an end goal that needs to be fulfilled — regardless of all the consequences and sacrifices along the way.
(Also, let’s not kid ourselves here: Somnus still makes me cry to this day.)
Another interesting bit about the game’s OST is not just the participation of a western artist (Florence + The Machine!!!!), but also the covering a popular track as one of its theme songs as well. Florence + The Machine covered Stand By Me for FFXV; the song plays during the game’s prelude and end credits. I think this was an interesting approach, considering previous FF games have featured their own theme songs (Eyes on Me for FFVIII, Suteki da ne for FFX, etc.) in the past. Plus, the last time they got a “western” artist/English/more """contemporary""" song was with FFXIII-2. (Though Jake Zyrus — known as Charice Pempengco at the time — is Asian, so that isn’t really western, but you get it.)
Initially, Stand By Me felt like an odd song choice for me, especially when I first heard it in the game. However, after finishing the story, Stand By Me felt all the more impactful as it played during the end credits, as the song symbolizes the friendship shared between the Chocobros. (Read: it made everything all the more emotional.)
Graphics
I wasn’t really sure what to expect with the graphics. In fact, I don’t think I even went into the game with any expectations on the graphics whatsoever. However, what struck me as odd was the fact that FFXV’s graphics didn’t blow me away the way FFXIII did back in the day. This felt kinda strange, considering FFXIII was released in 2009 (though I didn’t get to play it until 2012) for the PS3, so naturally, its quality is most definitely behind FFXV’s.
Don’t get me wrong, FFXV is b e a u t i f u l. It was my first game for the PS4, and I regret nothing about this decision in the slightest. I just find it weird that I didn’t think much of the graphics, considering the technological advancements that have been made since my last current-gen console.
Regardless, these days I find myself stopping in the middle of nowhere while playing to just look at how majestic the game really is, especially when it comes to details. While I stop to enjoy viewing the skies (at sundown! during nighttime at Galdin Quay!!!) in particular, I find it really impressive how the game gives so much detail to characters’ faces. I’ve seen screenshots that show closeups of the Chocobros, and there are just so many details that make these characters feel all the more real. Prompto’s freckles are a given, but then there’s this mole near Noct’s mouth, light spots on Iggy’s face, Gladio’s luscious lashes… just so many minuscule things that make them feel so much more human. I imagine that such fine details might not have been as distinct had the game met its original PS3 release as Versus XIII.
Gameplay
My favorite thing about FFXV, specifically in combat, is the fact that it’s hack-n-slash!!! Y’ALL KNOW THIS IS MY BREAD AND BUTTER. Finally, a Final Fantasy game that plays like Kingdom Hearts. Sure, early trailers already suggested this, but to actually experience this kind of battle system was SUCH a joy. You can even switch between weapons mid-combat, which makes for an interesting combination of attacks. Switching between weapons is also really fluid, so you can swap out one weapon for another based on your foe’s weakness fairly seamlessly.
There’s also this thing called Wait Mode, which activates whenever you’re stationary in the middle of battles. Wait Mode allows you to gather your wits and form a strategy, though this is of course temporary. You can also use Libra to scan your opponents for their weaknesses here, which is how I typically use Wait Mode. Wait Mode can also be toggled on and off depending on your preferences; I blatantly refused it at first because it made fighting feel a little clunky whenever I stopped moving, but it really is helpful for using Libra.
Levelling up doesn’t take place the moment you gain experience. Instead, you can rack up all your experience points and watch the Chocobros gain level after level whenever you rest at a haven (campsite, caravan, motel, or hotel — staying at any of these options requires varying degrees of fees, with the campsite being the cheapest option: free). Watching your characters jump from one level to another in one fell swoop is so satisfying, and the gratification is doubled whenever you make use of the experience multiplier that some havens have.
Also, let’s talk about food. At campsites, Iggy can whip up a dish for the Chocobros to enjoy. Each dish provides different benefits, such as raised stats and immunities to certain status ailments. But honestly, all the food he makes look so mouthwatering. The hunger is real when you play this game.
One gripe I had about gameplay very early on was a slight lack of accessibility to magic. Unlike other FF/Squeenix games, MP isn’t consumed when you use magic. For FFXV, MP is used up whenever you make use of Warping/Warp Strikes, which is Noct’s ability to warp to wherever he throws his weapon (which is basically in front of him, and only at a certain distance).
Instead, magic attacks are created by using elemental energies that are obtained from elemental deposits. The deposits are scattered across the game, though they’re typically found around campsites. That said, the energy you can extract from deposits is limited (though this can be upgraded later on with the Ascension — more on that in a bit), so the amount of magic attacks you can whip up at a time is limited as well. This is especially if you use up all the energy you have for one elemental attack so as to raise its potency.
Initially, I found it a bit annoying that I had to pull up the menu, forge a new Fire/Ice/Thunder attack (unless I already had some stashed away), and equip said attack before resuming battle. I guess it bothered me the same way Wait Mode did at first; having to pause and do something else while in the middle of attacks just really takes away from the momentum. I eventually got over this minor complaint of mine. In fact, these days I find myself on a shortage of elemental energy because I keep using magic attacks.
To my knowledge, the only magic attacks that you can use as Noct are elemental ones (though elemental attacks can also reap certain boosts depending on what item you include in the forging), so there aren’t really any Cure spells to utilize. HP replenishment can be done with curatives — like Potions and Elixirs — but there’s also the option to have your allies help you as well.
When any of the Chocobros reach zero HP, there’s a window of time to pull them out of danger and have a portion of their health replenished. Failure to do so leads to a K.O., though this can be remedied with a Phoenix Down as per usual. I used to rely on this tactic a lot — especially when I was just starting out and had a very limited amount of curatives and gil — but then it became a bit aggravating when the A.I. of the Chocobros took too long to come and heal me. Still, it’s an interesting feature, and ultimately it adds to the camaraderie theme that the game carries out.
FFXV also features the Ascension, which is basically where you can use Ability Points (AP) to unlock new Abilities, Techniques, battle moves, and certain tweaks to gameplay (such as gaining experience and AP during long car rides, lessening the amount of MP needed when Warping, all that jazz). As I mentioned earlier, this is also where you can increase the amount of energy that you can extract from energy deposits, as well as increase the potency of elemental attacks when creating them.
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| Sphere Grid, anyone? |
Ascension is basically FFXV’s version of the Sphere Grid from FFX. Though unlike the Sphere Grid — or the Crystarium from FFXIII — the Ascension doesn’t have any set number of stat boosts per ‘sphere’ unlocked. Like, let’s say with the Crystarium, your HP can go up by 100 when you unlock a certain ‘sphere,’ right? There aren’t any specifics like that with the Ascension. It’s because of this that what you can unlock in the Ascension may seem like a lot less than what you can obtain from a Sphere Grid or Crystarium.
I also enjoyed how the game actually gives you dialogue choices during certain events throughout the story. It’s a little reminiscent how Mass Effect works, and depending on the event, certain responses reap different rewards. I found that this was a nice addition to the game as it was something relatively different for a Final Fantasy entry.
FFXV also has some Quick Time Events, though I’m pretty indifferent about them. I’m not sure if I appreciate them being central in some boss fights though, especially in the game’s final boss battle. The QTEs kinda take away from the challenge of boss fights, though I’ve also got to mention that a lot of the main story boss battles were… I wouldn’t say easy, per se, but they were fairly doable. Perhaps it was because I always had Phoenix Downs in stock? Or did I end up being a little too over levelled for some of them? Anyway, I found that the more difficult boss battles are actually found post-game, which is great, because at least there’s the promise of more challenges that await you after beating the game.
(Also, at least FFXV is actually beatable! Unlike another Squeenix game I know... ahemLightning Returnscough)
Summons
Minigames
Chocobo racing comes as no surprise here, especially with Prom’s love for these giant birds. (Also, in classic FF fashion, Chocobo racing is still extremely aggravating, and it’s no different in FFXV haha..ahaha….) You can also play this arcade game called Justice Monsters V, which is FFXV’s version of a retro pinball game. I also just found out that you can gain items from playing JuMon, but I don’t remember if I ever got anything because I only played it once, and it was just to get the PSN trophy for it.
My favorite minigame, however, is fishing. While Iggy’s skill lies in cooking, Prom’s in photography, and Gladio’s in exploration (basically foraging items — in other words: FREE STUFF), Noct’s skill is fishing. Gear for fishing can be obtained from either shops or fulfilling fishing quests. I dunno about you, but I’ve been spending a lot of time just wasting away at fishing spots. The fish you reel in can be used for Iggy’s dishes, but for the most part, I just fish for the fun of it. (I also just love seeing My Son™ Noct being happy and excited okay? FITE ME)
(P.S. Aside from Prom taking pictures, you can manually photograph things on your own! And you can share all your pictures on social media! TECHNOLOGY IS GREAT!)
There’s also this monster stadium thing found at Altissia. There, you can place bets on monsters that fight each other. If your bet emerges victorious, you gain tokens, and tokens can be exchanged for prizes. It’s… essentially the gambling minigame of FFXV. As was the case when I played minigames at the Casino in Danganronpa V3, I kinda got sucked in again with placing bets and acquiring all those tokens. Mostly just to get a nice reel for fishing. Mostly.
The Chocobros
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| I just love my boys SO MUCH ok |
One of the best things about the game, at least for me, is the friendship between the Chocobros. Every now and then you’ll hear some playful banter amongst themselves. This occurs while exploring, in the middle or after battles, and even during car rides. I absolutely LOVE all the dialogue that goes on, and many a time I found myself laughing by myself at how funny some of the exchanges were. It’s a nice bit of lightheartedness that really makes the friendship between the Chocobros all the more believable.
You actually witness such banter at the beginning of the game when the Chocobros are stranded on the road due to the Regalia breaking down. As you push the car to get to Hammerhead, there’s already a bunch of teasing amongst the characters. It really sets the mood (DESPITE HOW ABSOLUTELY R E K T THE ENDING WILL LEAVE YOU, but I digress) and made for a somewhat more cinematic — albeit casual — approach to the game’s title being shown while Stand By Me plays in the background.
The Story
!!!RED ALERT RED ALERT THIS IS WHERE ALL THE SPOILERS BEGIN YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!
Despite all its strengths, especially in its characters and their relationships, I think FFXV’s greatest weakness actually lies in its narrative — or lack thereof. Though there are 15 chapters overall (technically 14 just for the story, since 15 is the endgame chapter that allows you travel Eos again after beating the game), they all go by incredibly quickly. I finished the story at 52 hours, though that was with a lot of side quests done in between. I feel like the game’s story could be finished at a fraction of that amount of time… but then again, that might pose a challenge if you end up being under levelled from simply focusing on just the main quests.
Although the game features 15 chapters, it’s clear that the number was only meant to match that of the title’s. It was the same with FFXIII having 13 chapters as well. With how fast the story progresses, I feel like the number of chapters could’ve been cut down to maybe 10 or even less. Once I started Chapter 8, I pretty much plowed through the remainder of the story until the very end — and that was in one sitting. It was mostly because I was at the point in the game where I really needed to know how the story was going to play out, but the progression went by too fast even for me. Before I knew it, I was already in Chapter 9, and then Chapter 10, 11, 12…
But really, that isn’t even much of a flaw next to how the game lacks world-building. FFXV pulls you into its world in a way that it seemingly expects you to have already seen all the other supplementary media in its universe, i.e. the Kingsglaive film and the Brotherhood anime. Having caught Kingsglaive when it first came out in cinemas, I at least had an idea as to why the Chocobros were going on their road trip in the first place. (Granted, the details were vague to me because it was over a year after Kingsglaive did I finally get to play FFXV.)
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| Nyx and Drautos from Kingsglaive |
Watching Kingsglaive prior to playing also informed me that Ardyn was bad news. When he made his first appearance in the game, I pretty much NOPED right outta there. On the other hand, I only watched Brotherhood after I finished FFXV, and honestly, the anime just hit me harder with feels after consuming FFXV’s story. Some would recommend watching Brotherhood before playing the game, but for me, you can do without the anime until after finishing FFXV. The game has some instances where it refers to some events shown in Brotherhood — such as one random event where Prompto and Noct recall their high school days — but it didn’t leave me clueless or anything. I think it’s just one of those things where you can enjoy the game more if you watch the anime first, but in my case, it also works the other way around. Having established so much emotional investment in the characters with FFXV, Brotherhood was all the more sentimental for me when I finally got around to watching it.
Now, with Kingsglaive, it’s a little more tricky. When I first watched it at the cinema, I was pretty much lost for half of the film. I wasn’t sure what was going on or why this and that happened. Timeline-wise, Kingsglaive takes place before FFXV and overlaps a bit into the events of the game. I understand how the game depends on Kingsglaive for more world-building, but the thing is, the Kingsglaive film itself is also heavily reliant on the game in order to make some sense. The movie is a bit difficult to understand if you haven’t played the game yet.
So, my suggestion is to do what I did: watch Kingsglaive first, finish FFXV, then go back and re-watch Kingsglaive again. Maybe watch Brotherhood somewhere in between all that. I know, it’s a mess. You have to go in blind for either media. The perk of watching Kingsglaive pre-game, at least, is that some things will already be explained to you once shit hits the fan in FFXV. You’ll know how the fall of Insomnia occurs, why Luna is on the run (and how she even survives Insomnia’s fall), who the hell Drautos is, how Regis dies (R.I.P. dad), and why Ravus has a Magitek arm.
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| i luv my dad WAAAAHHHH |
The lore of FFXV was a bit foggy to me as well. I dunno if it was because I just wasn’t paying enough attention, but I still don’t understand the entirety of the Astral War. Also, when exactly was it prophesized that Noct would be the Chosen King? Luna seems to know of it, Regis was adamant to send Noct away from Insomnia because of this prophecy, but I don’t really know when this was established. Based on some old trailer I saw, I assume it was prophesized sometime when Noct was a kid, but I don’t think he really understood the gravity of such a prophecy (or what it really meant) until much later in his adulthood.
I’m also questioning why Noct had to be absorbed into the Crystal in the first place. Was it really necessary? What does it do for the story, other than to pull Noct out of the picture for a decade? And on that note, why 10 years exactly? Does it state anywhere in the prophecy that Noct had to be inside the Crystal for 10 years? Could it have been a smaller or bigger amount of time? Did he actually gain any additional powers or abilities while in the Crystal? I HAVE SO MANY QUESTIONS.
I mean, I know there are gaps in some points in the story, but some of them were meant to pave a way for the DLCs (Episode Gladiolus, Episode Prompto, and Episode Ignis). Having already known about the DLCs, I didn’t question some of those gaps (such as: where does Gladio go when he breaks away from the group, what happens to Prom after he falls off the train, how exactly does Iggy lose his eyesight anyway). But I feel like there are still so many things that I need to have explained to me. I’m not sure if Tabata did this on purpose so as to have opportunities to make more DLCs (I heard they’ll continue to roll out more content in 2019, and there’s still that Episode Ardyn that has yet to be released), but it was a bit aggravating that I couldn’t follow the story as much as I would have liked.
Sometimes I still wonder what FFXV would have been like had Nomura remained onboard as director to the very end. What would the game be like if it stuck to its original Versus XIII concept? Would there be less holes in the plot? Would we hAVE GOTTEN A HUMAN!UMBRA AFTER ALL???? The questions remain.
The Ending
HOOOO BOY THAT ENDING. THAT E N D I N G. FFXV’s ending was so rough. FFXIII’s ending made me cry like a baby, and that conclusion was so tame compared to FFXV’s. So… you can just imagine how absolutely DESTROYED I was once I finished FFXV.
FFXV’s ending was so painful, and as much as it hurts me and makes me sob my life away, I accept it. It makes sense, and I find that it’s a really fitting ending that ties everything together. For one, so many people lost their lives to keep the Lucis line intact (MY HERO NYX INCLUDED RIP IN PIECES), and even Noct himself was upset that his dad sent him away just to stay alive while Insomnia burns to the ground. The fact that Noct comes back from his 10-year absence all ready to sacrifice himself just really rips my heart out because it shows how much this prince has grown into finally accepting his role as king.
Before Noct is completely absorbed into the Crystal, Bahamut tells him that it’s his turn to sacrifice himself for everyone after so many people gave their lives for him. Somehow that really resonated with me. Sure, I’d want nothing more than to have Noct survive and live out his life with the Chocobros, but what Bahamut said just made so much sense.
It’s not that I think Noct and the Lucis line have to be punished or anything. I just think that everything all comes full circle with Noct stepping up to the plate and giving his life for the rest of the world. It… it just sucks that it has to be him, especially after emotionally investing myself in the story after all this time. (In a perfect world, I have an AU where Noct survives and everyone is happy YEHEY THE END)
Interestingly, the ending apparently felt ambiguous to many fans when the game first came out. From what I’ve read, several fans actually thought that Gladio, Prom, and Iggy also died with Noct during the final battle against Ardyn. Tabata has since clarified that the other three actually survived in the end, with Noct being their biggest loss.
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| Everyone sure did age gracefully despite not getting any sun for 10 years. |
I can understand why some people thought that everyone died, though. Even I panicked for a hot second and thought I lost all of my Chocoboys. After all, when Noct is seen fighting Ardyn one last time in the afterlife, Gladio, Prom, and Iggy were there with him — along with Regis and Luna as well. Having such a scene only seems to suggest that the aforementioned three did die, even if that technically wasn’t the case after all. The only reason I was confident that they survived was thanks to the amount of fanfiction I read prior to, and during, my playthrough hahahaaaaa Fanfiction is Life amirite!!!!!
The credits bring in more of the emotions with Stand By Me playing as the pictures you’ve accumulated are displayed onscreen. So basically, the game recaps your journey right after killing off the protagonist. Nice™ BUT! BOYYYY this isn’t even the worst of it.
A little after the credits roll, the game plays out a scene that takes place just before the Chocobros head to Insomnia for the final showdown. The scene shows the guys at camp after Noct details what needs to happen (a.k.a. his death) in order to end the Starscourge. He admits that while he has made his peace with his mission, getting to see his friends again after all this time is still a little too much to handle. CUE THE WATERWORKS FROM ME! FROM NOCT! FROM GLADIO! FROM PROM! AND EVEN FROM IGGY IN EPISODE IGNIS! WATERWORKS FOR EVERYONE!!!!!!!
That scene was what really killed me. I thought I knew what sobbing was when the game ended, but I was brought to another REALM of crying with that scene. (Am I crying while writing this as I think back on that moment? Who knows. Spoiler alert: I am.) It’s one of the reasons why I don’t think I’ll ever be able to watch the FFXV finale ever again. It’s much too overwhelming.
The very, very last scene shows Noct and Luna in the afterlife. They’re at the throne in the Citadel while Regis’ voice seems to be narrating a letter to both of them. Luna is notably donning her wedding dress (Vivienne Westwood!!!! Wow), so it seems like the engagement pushed through in the end. Noct seals the deal with a kiss.
OK BUT THE THING IS: I DON’T SHIP LUNA AND NOCT AT ALL. It’s really nothing against Luna. I just don’t believe their love story. I can believe that they love each other, but the very idea that they share a romantic love for one another isn’t all that convincing to me. Prior to the events of the game, the two last saw each other when they were just kids. Sure, they exchanged notes via a journal that went back and forth between them c/o Umbra/Pryna, but there’s only so much that can be expressed in that form of communication. When did romantic feelings develop? Was Noct so resigned to honoring his royal responsibilities that he completely accepted his engagement to Luna for the sake of ending the war? (This is probably it.) But when did the romantic love begin?
Funny enough, I find that Luna has much more chemistry with Nyx in Kingsglaive. In fact, when I first watched Kingsglaive, I actually thought they were going to develop some inkling of a romance — and this was just in one film. I didn’t feel much of that chemistry between Luna and Noct in the entirety of the FFXV game.
In any case, I really like how the game ties in the ending with its title screen. Upon finishing the game, the logo transforms to show not just Luna, but Noct as well. As a reflection of the Starscourge’s end, the title screen also features the sky at daybreak — a contrast to the game’s previous display of the night sky. This might just be a minor detail, but I love how much it symbolizes the game all the way up to its ending.
Ardyn
Ardyn is one of the more interesting antagonists to me. He’s slimy, he’s suave, and the plot twist that he’s actually a Lucis Caelum was… lost to me. It was one of those things that I needed to have explained to me; his motive felt very unclear, and I think it was mostly because he was sharing it to Noct in the form of an anecdote. It didn’t help that he was divulging such information just as Noct was being consumed by the Crystal, so I was more focused on my boy disappearing than what Ardyn was actually saying.
Somehow I feel kind of bad for Ardyn, though. Listen, he absorbed all the daemons and crap from the Starscourge not because he wanted power, but because he wanted to save the people, right? And yet the Astrals reject him as being the Chosen King because all those daemons made him ~*~impure~*~??? That felt kinda unfair. He gave his life away for the people (I mean, immortality is both a blessing and a curse), and yet, the Astrals give the throne to his brother instead? GOOD GOING ASTRALS. Y’ALL DID THIS TO EOS.
Although Ardyn was exterminated once and for all, he kinda did manage to get away with what he wanted to do, didn't he? Ardyn knew that his immortality wouldn’t let him die and that only Noct had the power to kill him. Check. Ardyn also wanted to end the Lucis line with Noct. Also check. So technically, although the rest of the world is safe, the “““bad guy””” managed to achieve his goals in the end.
Post-Game
Upon finishing the game, you unlock Chapter 15, which is basically life after beating FFXV. Like most games, this chapter — in terms of plot — is set just before the final boss. By choosing Chapter 15, you get to explore the game’s open world again. This means that you can travel back to Past Lucis, Past Altissia, or return to the ‘present,’ which is 10 years later in Insomnia.
Chapter 15 unlocks a bunch of new side quests to partake in, including the classic Adamantoise hunt. As of the most current update for FFXV, choosing Chapter 15 also resets all of your hunt and quest progress, as well as haven/outpost points on the map, so you’re pretty much back to square one in that regard. I wish I knew that before choosing Chapter 15, because all the progress I made in side quests was pretty much wiped clean.
The good thing about this is that you can get doubles of items you’ve previously collected from side quests, so at least there’s that. Chapter 15 almost feels like a New Game+ file, though I’m not sure exactly what is transferred over when you actually do go for NG+.
FFXV’s story may fly by fairly quickly, but there’s definitely so much to do post-game. I suppose this makes up for the fast-paced storytelling to a certain degree, because at least all these quests and unlockables give you so many more hours of gameplay.
I’ve actually managed to push through my post-game blues with FFXV, which is quite the personal achievement if I do say so myself. As some of you may know, typical Ina fashion usually involves me being unable to pick up a game after finishing the story due to being too emotionally crippled to delve back into the game’s universe. (Shoutout to FFXIII, which took me approximately two years before I was okay enough to play again after finishing the story.) Although it took me a week or two after finishing the game before I could play FFXV once more, I’m now back on that level of itching-to-play-the-game-whenever-I’m-out-of-the-house kind of hype, which is great.
The upcoming Royal Pack (coming March 6!!! Along with the Royal Edition!!!! and Windows Edition!!!! FFXV for ebribadi!!!!!!) is only reviving more of that hype. New bosses? Nice. A new dungeon? Cool. But the option to drive around a boat? AMAZING. (Is it irrational to be excited about getting to drive a flippin’ boat in FFXV? Oh well.)
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| Welcome to the best and worst game of your life. |
It’s funny how I was telling myself that I wasn’t going to pick up FFXV until I finished Lightning Returns. Look where I am now: stuck in FFXV hell and still nowhere close to finishing LR. Regardless, it’s amazing to see how far this project has come. I’ve waited so long to finally experience FFXV (I mean, wow, remember the year 2006?), and the whole journey has been so worth it. Even after all the crying……………..
My number one tip when going into FFXV is to not be emotionally invested in the characters and story. However, I feel like this is nearly impossible, because how can you not invest yourself in the Chocobros? Good luck, and may the blessed cursed Astrals be with you.
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