King Noctis

It seems like no matter who you ask, everyone’s favorite Final Fantasy game will be VII, an for good reasons to. Mainly being,

No, than probably just mines. Besides that, the storyline with VII is so compelling that it’s considered a masterpiece.

VII Rating

XV rating

So it goes without saying which game is superior fan base wise. But that doesn’t say XV doesn’t enlighten us to new story with both old an new controversy. Although I’m a raging Square Enix fan, from Just Cause to Tomb Raider. This company just can’t do wrong to me. Though some games are extremely rushed, you can tell this company cares about the actual story, an plot vs just hacking an slashing like you average Dynasty Warriors. (Which 9 sucks) You can get it for about 15 bucks now.

Join Prince Noctis, an his 3 companions (Gladio, Ignis, Prompto) as you set off to save nothing. Yes nothing. Whatever it is he was trying to save, he fails in every aspect. Sorta like Subaru, without the constant dying.

Don’t believe me, than watch Kingsglaive, an watch how fast the Kingdom falls. Speaking of Kingsglaive, if you have not seen it, lore wise I highly recommend it. Lucis literally fell overnight to the Kingdom, this overpowering entity, which makes you wonder, where was this kingdom in the game. Game wise we saw a battered Kingdom by demons, while Noctis is shipped away so he doesn’t become victim. He gets to watch his father, lover, citizens, country, the neighbor country, an even his life slips beyond his grasp without ever fully obtaining it. Yes, there are side stories with good ends, but the main story isn’t a happy end. Even if you win the final battle, when you realize what you sacrifice to get there, you lost the war.

Storyline

XV set you off at the ending of the conflict as you struggle against Ifrit.

It took me a few days to 100% complete the game, but the main story can be finished with less than a day. Final Fantasy showed glimpse of the real time combat experience in XIII, but it was still limited a turn base mechanic, with us still being force to take blunt attacks. XV do away with all that, adding the feel to do combat with your ai controlled friends, who actually participate in battle. Hopefully you focus on building them up, or your stuck constantly healing them with potions, an warping in an out of battle. Being able to teleport virtually anywhere doesn’t hurt neither. After the second halve of the game, you can kindly kiss the open road adventure bye-bye. As the main story force you to quest that meets it’s agenda. Especially in chapter XIII, which was considered the Dreaded, Loathed, Chapter. For good reasons, this chapter was so bad that Square Enix was forced to redesign it. I personally didn’t mind having a OP death Ring that made everything explode.

Noctis adventure honestly is as dark as it get for a Final Fantasy character. You spend a good majority of your time trying to save your beloved Luna, to make it to a wedding that sort of just get forgotten about. An when you reunite with her finally, it was just meh. So when the leviathan fight took place, you would assume that they would share a heart to heart moment, only for this to happen.

I honestly couldn’t make heads or tails on rather Ardyn was friend or foe, XV does a terrible job at explaining. I can tell you what Gladiolus favorite burger was, but couldn’t tell you what the hell was going on with Ardyn. Even after a beautiful city is submerged under water, it wasn’t until I saw this was when I decided, I’m going to kill this prick.

The scene itself was beautiful, but the usefulness of Noctis was once again staggered. Throughout the story, only thing that he was able to maintain was his bromance. Because Lucis was definitely not on that list. Honestly the story itself is a clusterfuck of WHAT!!!!?!!??? I waited 10 years for this. Just going on about the consistent plot holes, I’m pretty impressed about how many there are. Actually here go a few.

• Clarus

How many people knew Gladio, an Iris father played in Kingsglaive. He was actually a fellow companion to King Regis. Yet, despite how important he is, they were more concerned about the servant. Let’s hope a XV-2 comes out an he’s more prominent.

• Cor

If my memory is right, Cor was supposed to be a more highlighted character. Who slays demons, with a main enemy in Loki, in fact what the hell happened to Loki. Anyone who knows please comment. It all just get ignored. He even trained Iris to fight demons, thankfully in the DLC we can witness it. But the core game is left without. Which is probably why it’s $10 now. While after your first base conquer, it’s stated that he was supposed to re join you in the final battle. Spoiler alert: He Doesn’t.

• Inconsistencies

Although in the revamp version of the game some things come to light. For the most part these characters background makes absolutely no sense. In fact Glauca who actually fought 2 wearers of the ring was never mentioned again. Anyone knows why Aranea went AWOL an joined us. When you first played the game, did you even know she joined us. Or why the Kingdom went from trying to subdue Lucis, to uh the Astrals. We can assume Arydn, but that’s just taking a guess. Even Ravus who clearly has a disdain for Regis, has a change of heart. Like yeah, let me hate you my whole life, than wake up the next morning wanting to help you. But again, thanks to the DLC that you can pay extra for, flesh out many of these inconsistencies. So let’s pay $60 for a incomplete game at the time. Only to pay another $60, for another version of the same game.

Combat

You get a huge taste in combat during the boss fight when you fight Aranea.

If you utilize the parry an warping mechanics, the fight takes you airborne with her. Which is truly a sight to behold. After watching several YouTube videos, I realize no one really realize what you can really do in combat. Which is why I enjoy Square Enix games, they drop easter egg combos everywhere. Like when fighting Adamantoise.

This boss fight takes literally days to complete, if you have an outside life. Thankfully this behemoth does little damage, but so does you. To his endless supply, your a tick trying to draw enough blood to kill a Dinosaur.

If you utilize the parry, warping skill you can unleash hidden team attacks.

An marvel at the beauty of the scenery at the same time. Each boss has it hidden easter egg attack, rather it’s a team attack or a single pile drive from midair, it become highly addicting an non repetitive. Unlike it’s predecessors for the new gen folks. But, like it’s predecessors, XV keeps the summons with a even more graphic feeling. Seriously, the 4k graphics looks astonishing.

Make me feel like I can summon Ramuh myself. And if you didn’t get goosebumps summoning Bahamut, than please reevaluate your life choices, an seek counseling. In XV you focus less on summons, an magic unfortunately, an more on actual combat skills. Which makes sense, Noctis isn’t a magician, he’s a knight. So XV does a decent job at keep up with Relevancy. Where the game lacks in linear story progression patched with DLC’s an constant updates, it makes up for it through combat.

Final Verdict (3/5)  Shop Below

Although the game itself is enjoyable, you can’t ignore the fact that storyline wise the game was a hot mess. When it comes to video games, I need a consistent plot, or I’m just button mashing. Which is why I love anime, you get to enjoy a story behind intense fight you can’t get with movies. How many movie’s can replicate the Obito vs Kakashi fight. The meaning behind the fight is what makes it desirable. Without the patch the game left no real meaning behind your endless combat, an tiresome car rides. But let’s be honest the flying car look sick.

Thankfully unlike most games, this is pretty obtainable, that even I was able to quickly get it, and I suck at puzzles. This wouldn’t be my first recommended Final Fantasy game to newcomers. But it is one I would suggest trying out. Especially now since most of the things I ranted about was patched. Square Enix, a company that cares. With the review coming to a end here are 3 of my favorite Games + Anime of the week. (Not subjected to new releases.)

• Just Cause 3

With the release of 4, which I haven’t fully completed yet, this game still is my favorite. Like if GTA, and Saints Row had a kid. That kid would be Just Cause. With nothing but explosions, gliding, an leading the resistance to victory. Just Cause 3 is as addicting as it comes. Obtain the Eden Spark, an control the world. Which the entire map is insanely massive, from land, air, an even sea. The war never ends.

• Monster Hunter

Want to know what type of games are my favorite, just play Monster Hunter an find out. As you cut down an endless beast amount of beast. It’s just something about building my own character an making the impossible possible that excites me. Even better that this game price is dropping constantly.

• Re: Creators

Ever wrote a story, an wondered how the characters in your story actually felt. I don’t mean felt as in how you made them feel, I’m talking actually free will feel. In your stories you are God, an as a God, we tend to get pretty violent in our stories. We get vengeful, wrathful, an as a writer myself, with my personality, I tend to make my characters go through some deep torment. Now imagine what them characters would say to you if they met their God. What would you say if you got to meet your God. Re: Creators takes a jab at that situation, as a world of God’s have their stories come to life. Join the Mc, as a mysterious vengeful women, brings authors creation to life’s.

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