Final Fantasy XV is a 2016 action role-playing game created and released by Square Enix. It is the fifteenth main game in the Final Fantasy series. The game was first released for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2016, for Windows in March 2018, and as a launch game for Stadia in November 2019. The game includes an open world setting and a battle system that focuses on action, such as quickly switching weapons, using elemental magic, and features like traveling by vehicle and setting up camp. Additional content was later added through downloadable content (DLC), which included new storylines, playable characters, and multiplayer options.
The story takes place on the fictional world of Eos. The empire of Niflheim controls most of Eos, except for Insomnia, the capital of Lucis, which is protected by the magical Crystal. Niflheim attacks Insomnia and steals the Crystal. Noctis Lucis Caelum, the heir to the Lucian throne, begins a journey to recover the Crystal and defeat Niflheim. He later discovers his role as the "True King," meant to use the Crystal's power to save Eos from darkness. The game is connected to the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy subseries, which includes Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0.
Development of the game began in 2006 as a PlayStation 3 game called Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Tetsuya Nomura was the original director and character designer. In 2012, the project was changed to the next mainline Final Fantasy game, and Hajime Tabata became the new director. The game was moved to newer platforms, which required rewriting parts of the story and adjusting some scenes and characters. The setting of Final Fantasy XV was inspired by real-world locations and creatures.
To support the game, Square Enix created a multimedia project called "Final Fantasy XV Universe," which includes spin-off games, an anime series, and a movie. Additional story and gameplay content was released between 2017 and 2019. Critics praised the game's gameplay, visuals, and soundtrack, but opinions on the story and presentation were mixed. As of May 2022, the game has sold ten million copies worldwide, making it one of the most successful Final Fantasy games ever.
Gameplay
Final Fantasy XV is a game where players control Noctis Lucis Caelum as he travels across the world of Eos. Noctis is joined by three companions: Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto. Only Noctis is directly controlled by the player. He can move, jump over small obstacles, sprint for a short time, and perform actions like hiding behind objects. The world of Lucis is a large area that players can explore on foot, by driving the party’s car called "Regalia," or by riding chocobos, which are birds from the Final Fantasy series. Players can customize both the Regalia and their chosen chocobos. Chocobos can help in battles if their bond with the characters is strong. Chocobos are controlled manually, while the Regalia can be driven manually or automatically. Players can also fast-travel to areas marked on the world map. The Regalia needs to be refueled at gas stations. In towns, players can stay at inns or hotels, buy items and equipment with in-game money called gil, and talk to NPCs who give information about quests. Some quests are given by individual NPCs in towns. During certain parts of the story, players can choose how Noctis responds to dialogue, which affects how NPCs react. The game has two difficulty settings, and players can switch between them at any time.
The game uses a real-time battle system called the Active Cross Battle system. Instead of using a menu, players choose actions like "Attack," "Defend," or "Item" by pressing buttons on the controller. Battles happen in the environment where the action takes place, such as open fields or inside buildings. A bar at the top of the screen shows how close the party is to enemies. When the party attacks or is spotted, the battle starts. In normal battles, running away ends the fight. Each character has health points (HP), and Noctis also has magic points (MP). HP decreases when a character is attacked, while Noctis’s MP slowly increases when not in battle or using abilities like warping. If a character’s HP reaches zero, they enter Danger Mode, where their maximum HP decreases over time. If all of their HP is lost, the character is defeated. Some enemies, like Daemons, can lower HP limits. If Noctis is defeated, players must use a revival item quickly, or the game ends.
Noctis can perform four actions in battle: attack, defend (to block and parry), warp (to move to a different spot), or use items. There is a "Wait Mode" where players can pause the battle if they stop moving, allowing them to choose new targets or actions within a time limit. In Wait Mode, Noctis and Ignis can use "Libra," an ability that shows an enemy’s health and weaknesses. Noctis can find and equip many weapons, including swords, axes, shields, guns, and Royal Arms. Weapons appear during battles and can be changed manually. The type of weapon affects how fast Noctis attacks and how much damage he deals. Some attacks, like "Side Strike" or "Blindside," do more damage based on Noctis’s position. Enemies’ attacks can be blocked, and if blocked well, Noctis can counterattack. If Noctis uses a shield, a good block can stagger enemies. Noctis can use a powerful attack called "Armiger" with Royal Arms when a special meter fills during battle. Royal Arms are strong but cost HP each time they are used. Noctis can also use two types of firearms: Guns, like pistols and rifles, and Machinery, which have special effects like shockwaves or high damage.
Noctis’s companions are controlled by the game’s AI and can perform actions based on the situation. If Noctis parries an attack or uses a special move, he and his companions can perform Link-strikes, which are team attacks. During battles, a "Tech Bar" fills. When full, Noctis can command his companions to use Techniques: Gladiolus swings his sword in a wide arc, Ignis marks enemies for Noctis to warp strike, and Prompto fires a powerful shot. After each Technique, Noctis can follow up with another attack. Noctis can also use "Armiger Chain," where he shares his Royal Arms with his companions before attacking together.
Magic is divided into two types: Elemancy and Arcana. Elemancy includes Fire, Ice, and Lightning. Players collect elemental energy from special spots on the map, store it in flasks, and make bombs to use on enemies. Elemancy can also be combined with items to create effects like healing allies while hurting enemies. Both Noctis and his companions can use Elemancy. Arcana is a type of magic Noctis can use after obtaining a special item called the Ring of the Lucii. Arcana includes powerful abilities like "Death," which drains an enemy’s health. Later in the game, Noctis can summon monsters called Astrals, like Titan, Ramuh, Leviathan, and Shiva, to help the party. The type of attack or whether they help depends on the environment, such as Leviathan needing water nearby to be summoned. At certain points, guest characters join the party and have their own special attacks.
After battles, characters earn experience points (EXP), but they only level up when resting at safe places called "Havens," such as inns or campsites. When resting at night, characters gain levels based on their EXP. If defeated in battle, all EXP earned since the last level is lost. Players earn Ability Points (AP) by exploring the world. AP is used to upgrade skills in the "Ascension Grid," which is divided into sections called "Astralspheres." Each Astralsphere focuses on magic, combat, or passive abilities. Spending AP unlocks new skills.
Noctis’s companions have skills that improve with use and affect equipment. Noctis’s fishing ability gets better with more fishing and better items, which improves his gear. Gladiolus’s Survival skills improve based on how far the party travels in a day, which increases the quality of their equipment.
Plot
Final Fantasy XV takes place on the Earth-like world of Eos, which is divided into four countries: Lucis, Accordo, Tenebrae, and Niflheim. Lucis, which covers an entire landmass, has a magical object called the Crystal. This artifact was given to the ruling Caelum family by the world’s gods long ago and is accessed through a special ring passed down in the Lucii family. Accordo is an island nation in the southern part of Eos, formed by a group of cities that trade freely. The western continent is home to Niflheim, a technologically advanced empire, and Tenebrae, a country ruled by the Oracle. The Oracle is a priestess who communicates with the gods and has the main duty of curing the Starscourge, a disease that takes away all natural light and turns infected people into nocturnal monsters called Daemons.
The story of Eos includes the Astrals, six divine beings who protect the natural world and are based on summoned monsters from the Final Fantasy series. The True King is a legendary figure predicted to appear when the Starscourge threatens to bring eternal darkness to Eos. A major event in Eos’s history is the Great War of Old, a conflict that began when the ancient human civilization of Solheim turned against the Astrals, one of whom was Solheim’s patron, Ifrit. Ifrit tried to destroy humanity, breaking the Astrals’ duty to protect Eos. This forced their leader, Bahamut, to kill Ifrit. This war is thought to have caused the spread of the Starscourge, leading to the fall of Solheim.
For many years, Lucis has been at war with Niflheim, which wants to copy Solheim’s power. Niflheim has taken control of most of Eos, including Accordo and Tenebrae. Tenebrae keeps some political freedom because of the Oracle’s influence. Only Lucis’s capital, Insomnia, remains unconquered because the Crystal’s power protects it. However, the Crystal is slowly taking the life of Lucis’s current king. At the start of the game, a temporary peace is declared between Lucis and Niflheim due to the king’s poor health. As part of the agreement, Niflheim will control all Lucian lands outside Insomnia, and a marriage is planned between the heirs of Lucis and Tenebrae.
The game’s main character is Noctis Lucis Caelum, the prince of Lucis, who loses his father during a Niflheim attack. Noctis is joined on his journey by three friends: Gladiolus Amicitia, a member of a family sworn to protect Noctis’s family; Ignis Scientia, a skilled military tactician and Noctis’s assistant; and Prompto Argentum, a childhood friend from a lower social class. Other important characters include Cor Leonis, a legendary warrior who guides Noctis’s group; Iris Amicitia, Gladiolus’s sister; and Aranea Highwind, a mercenary in service to Niflheim. Key figures also include Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, the current Oracle and former princess of Tenebrae who is betrothed to Noctis; Regis Lucis Caelum CXI, Noctis’s father and king of Lucis; and Gentiana, Lunafreya’s attendant. The empire of Niflheim is ruled by Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt, whose main advisors include Ardyn Izunia, the imperial chancellor and main antagonist; Ravus Nox Fleuret, Lunafreya’s brother and Niflheim’s high commander; and Verstael Besithia, the empire’s head researcher.
Noctis and his friends begin their journey to Altissia, the capital of Accordo, where Noctis’s wedding to Lunafreya will take place. When local boat services stop, they learn that Niflheim has attacked Insomnia and stolen the Crystal. King Regis has been killed, and both Noctis and Lunafreya are declared dead. After meeting Cor, Noctis is told to retrieve the Royal Arms—magical weapons used by past Lucian kings—to save the Crystal and reclaim his throne. While staying in Lestallum with Iris, Noctis is contacted by the Astral Titan. Encouraged by Ardyn, Noctis completes Titan’s trial and gains its power, learning that Lunafreya is ahead of him to awaken the Astrals. The group continues to collect the Royal Arms, meets the Astral Ramuh with help from Gentiana, and faces challenges from Ravus, Aranea, and Ardyn. They eventually repair Regis’s old yacht to travel to Altissia.
In Altissia, Lunafreya finds safety. She awakens the Astral Leviathan so Noctis can gain her power, but Leviathan attacks when Niflheim strikes. Ardyn wounds Lunafreya, disrupting the ritual, but she helps Noctis unlock his powers to defeat Leviathan. While unconscious, Noctis is visited by Lunafreya’s spirit, who gives him the Ring of the Lucii. Noctis wakes to find Lunafreya dead, Altissia in chaos, and Ignis blinded during the battle. The group travels by train to Niflheim’s capital, Gralea. Tension grows between Noctis and Gladiolus because of Ignis’s blindness and Noctis’s grief. It is also revealed that nights are getting longer, causing more Daemons to appear. Ardyn tricks Noctis into pushing Prompto off the train and captures Prompto and the Crystal in Gralea’s fortress, Zegnautus Keep, where Niflheim creates Daemons using cybernetic robots. Noctis learns that the Crystal’s power can destroy Daemons.
Noctis travels to Tenebrae, where Arane
Development
Final Fantasy XV was mainly developed by Square Enix's Business Division 2. Other studios that helped with development included HexaDrive, XPEC Entertainment, Plusmile, and Streamline Studios. Key staff members included director Hajime Tabata; producer Shinji Hashimoto; main writer Saori Itamuro, who wrote the story based on the original draft by Kazushige Nojima; and art directors Tomohiro Hasegawa, Yusuke Naora, and Isamu Kamikokuryo. Character designs were created by Tetsuya Nomura and Roberto Ferrari, with later changes made by Naora. The main characters' clothing was designed by Hiromu Takahara, a lead designer for Japanese fashion house Roen. The soundtrack was composed mainly by Yoko Shimomura. Real-time and CGI cutscenes were directed by Takeshi Nozue of Visual Works, Square Enix's in-house CGI production studio. The logo was illustrated by regular series artist Yoshitaka Amano.
Development began in 2006 as a spin-off for the PlayStation 3 called Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It was part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy, a group of games connected by a shared story. The game used Square Enix's Crystal Tools engine. The team behind the Kingdom Hearts series worked on it, and it was intended to be darker than other Final Fantasy games. Tetsuya Nomura was the original director, designer, and creator of the initial concept and story. The project faced delays and challenges, with only partial progress made over six years. By 2007, the project's size led to discussions about rebranding it as a mainline game. After the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One were introduced, the game was rebranded as a mainline entry, and the planned PlayStation 3 version was canceled due to technical issues. The game's engine was changed to Square Enix's new Luminous Engine. In 2012, when the game was rebranded and moved to next-generation consoles, it was about 20-25% complete, and Hajime Tabata said the project had not fully taken shape.
When Tabata took over from Nomura, the development team was reorganized, and work started over. Tabata worked as a co-director with Nomura until late 2013 to keep the project close to its original vision. Changes included removing the original story's opening and replacing the heroine Stella Nox Fleuret with Lunafreya. The connection to Fabula Nova Crystallis was reduced, with some story-specific terms removed to help with marketing. Thematic and design elements were kept because they were central to the world and backstory. The main idea behind Final Fantasy XV was "a fantasy based on reality," with a world similar to Earth and fantasy elements slowly appearing in a normal setting. Locations in the game's world, Eos, were inspired by real places like Tokyo, Venice, and the Bahamas.
Because of the game's story size and Tabata's goal to release one game instead of a series like Final Fantasy XIII, parts of the planned story were adapted into other media projects called the "Final Fantasy XV Universe." These projects included media for wider audiences and additional game-related content like ports and DLC. The project was first announced in March 2016 at an event called "Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV." Tabata later said that players who only played the game might miss context from other related media.
The two main parts of the "Final Fantasy XV Universe" are the movie Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and the anime series Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV. Brotherhood was made by anime studio A-1 Pictures under Square Enix's supervision and focused on the backstories of Noctis and his companions. It was released online between March and September 2016. Kingsglaive, which had a limited theater release in 2016, was a collaboration between Visual Works and Western studios like Digic Pictures and Image Engine. Its story focused on original characters and reused parts of the cut opening from Final Fantasy XV.
Other projects included Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy XV, a demo about an event from Noctis's childhood; Justice Monsters Five, a mobile game based on a minigame from the main game; A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV, a promotional beat-'em-up game featuring Regis; Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, a VR game for PlayStation VR; and Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire, a multiplayer strategy game released in 2017.
The game was first announced in 2006 with Final Fantasy XIII and Type-0. It was publicly rebranded at E3 2013, with updates on the title starting the next year. A demo called Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae was released in March 2015 as part of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. The game's localization was handled by Dan Inoue, who used different accents for characters to show their origins. The game was translated into English, Japanese, European languages, Latin American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese, the first time Final Fantasy titles were translated into these languages.
The game's initial worldwide release was planned for September 30, announced at the "Uncovered" event. However, more work delayed the release to November 29. A Day One patch with fixes was released with the game. The game was published in multiple editions: "Day One," "Deluxe," and "Ultimate Collector's Edition." The "Deluxe" edition included a Blu-ray version of Kingsglaive, while the "Ultimate Collector's Edition" added a version of Brotherhood with extra footage about Luna. In 2018, a version called Royal Edition was released, including all DLC, additional story and gameplay content, and technical improvements.
A Windows version was released on March 6, 2018. Square Enix and Nvidia developed the port using an upgraded version of the Luminous Studio engine, with graphical improvements and all DLC. These changes were also included in the console-exclusive Royal Edition. The game was also released on Stadia, a streaming platform, on November 19, 2019, as a launch title. A mobile version called Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition was released in February 2018 for iOS and Android. It was co-developed by Square Enix, SummerTimeStudio, and XPEC Entertainment. Development began in 2015 after the release of Episode Duscae; Kosei Ito, who worked on Tabata's first major Square Enix title, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII, was the producer.
Downloadable content (DLC) was created by a smaller team from the main development staff, supervised by Tabata and led by new producer Haruyoshi Sawatari. The DLC included story additions to address player feedback and expand on the journeys of Noctis's friends during their absence in the main game. These DLC episodes—Episode Gladiolus, Episode Prompto, and Episode Ignis—were released
Reception
Final Fantasy XV received "generally favorable" reviews from critics across all versions, according to Metacritic, a website that collects reviews. Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu gave both versions of the game a score of 38 points out of 40. Several game designers named Final Fantasy XV as their favorite game of 2016, including Hironobu Sakaguchi, the creator of the Final Fantasy series, and other developers from companies like Atlus, Koei Tecmo, and Sony Interactive Entertainment.
Opinions about the game's story were mixed, but the main cast was praised for working well together. Andrew Reiner of Game Informer said the simple plot was a welcome change from the complex story of Final Fantasy XIII. Peter Brown of GameSpot and Philip Kollar of Polygon praised the everyday activities and interactions between characters, with Kollar calling the group of characters who accompany the main character "the beating heart" of the game. However, Jonathan Leack of Game Revolution said the characters were not interesting early in the game, and Adam Beck of Hardcore Gamer called the main story a "monumental disappointment," even though he liked the main cast. Critics also often criticized the limited roles of supporting characters. David Roberts of GamesRadar, Mollie L. Patterson of Electronic Gaming Monthly, and Chris Carter of Destructoid noted that the game's expanded media, such as movies and books, helped explain the main story better.
The game's visuals and realistic style were praised. Vince Ingenito of IGN enjoyed the realistic details used in the towns and environments. Roberts, Brown, Leack, Beck, and Kollar all praised the open world design, its level of detail, and its size, which was similar to open worlds in Western games. Beck said the game's special scenes were visually beautiful, even though the story and gameplay were sometimes confusing. Leack said the main cast's designs were eye-catching and helped keep players interested early in the game. Critics also praised the music composed by Masayoshi Yamane.
The gameplay was praised for being fast-paced and fun to play, even though it had less depth compared to other action games. Some reviewers compared it to Kingdom Hearts. Mollie L. Patterson said the battles were similar to the cutscene-only battles in older Square Enix games, while Leack called the combat system "Kingdom Hearts meets Dissidia" and praised its balance and ease of use. Kirk McKeand of Digital Spy said the main character's companions fought well and were helpful in battle. However, the second half of the game, which was more linear, received criticism, with Roberts saying it would be one of the most divisive parts of the game. Some critics said the game's summoned creatures were impressive but had little impact on gameplay or were too hard to use. Others noted that the in-game camera sometimes acted unpredictably.
In Japan, the PS4 version of the game topped the gaming charts, selling 690,471 units. The Xbox One version sold nearly 3,800 units. Total sales of both versions reached 694,262 units, with the PS4 version boosting console sales by over 42,000 units compared to the previous week. Sales dropped to 79,792 units in the second week, which was 88% less than the first week, causing the game to fall to fifth place. In January of the following year, Japanese sales were reported to be between 900,000 and one million copies. In the United Kingdom, Final Fantasy XV was the second-largest launch for the series after Final Fantasy XIII. According to NPD Group data, Final Fantasy XV was the second-best-selling game in December behind Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. It also became the best-selling PS4 title that month and marked the franchise's best console launch month ever.
Within the first 24 hours of release, Square Enix reported that the game had sold five million units worldwide, including physical copies and digital sales. This amount allowed the game to "break even" on development costs. The game had the biggest launch in the franchise's history, the most first-day digital sales in Japan for any game at the time, and set records for physical shipments and downloads in mainland Asia. Tabata, a Square Enix executive, said the strong sales helped save the Final Fantasy franchise, which had struggled commercially in recent years. By January 2017, worldwide shipments had reached over six million units. In May 2017, the game and Rise of the Tomb Raider helped increase sales and profits for the 2016-2017 fiscal year. By May 2022, the game had sold ten million units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling Final Fantasy games of all time.
Final Fantasy XV won many awards from gaming publications. It received "Game of the Year" from RPG Site and RPGFan, and "Best RPG (People's Choice)" from IGN. PlayStation Blog awarded the game for "Best PS4 Game," "Best Use of Pro," "Best Soundtrack," and "Best Visuals." Game Informer honored it for "Best Post-Launch Support" in its 2017 RPG of the Year Awards. At the 2017 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, the game won awards for Game, Franchise Role Playing, and Song, Original or Adapted. It was also nominated for "Best Original Soundtrack Album" and "Best Original Instrumental" ("Valse di Fantastica") at the 15th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards. In 2017, the game was nominated for "Best Visual Design" at the Golden Joystick Awards and for "Best Role-Playing Game" at The Game Awards 2017, but lost to Cuphead and Persona 5, respectively. The Comrades DLC was nominated for "Best Add-on" at the Gamescom 2017 Awards. The game was also nominated for "Evolving Game" at the 14th British Academy Games Awards. At the 2017 Japan Game Awards, Final Fantasy XV was one of eleven games to receive the "Award for Excellence."
In 2019, NHK, a Japanese public broadcasting organization, conducted a poll about Final Fantasy games with over 468,000 voters, including 51% men and 49% women. Final Fantasy XV was voted the tenth best game in the series, with over 71% of its votes coming from female audiences, a higher percentage than any other Final Fantasy title.