Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: entertainment, Final Fantasy, final fantasy 15, Final Fantasy XV, games, Square Enix, video games

Despite Never Playing The Series I'm Excited To Dive Into Final Fantasy XV

Disclaimer: This article is part of a promotion in conjunction with Final Fantasy XV.
I would however note, this is a sentiment I've held for sometime if you've been following my coverage of the game.

Final Fantasy has never really been 'my thing'. This isn't so much to do with any perceived quality of the games, but literally a question of availability. Many people's love of the series, starts with Final Fantasy VII, but it was a title that as a seven year old boy, even if I knew about, I'd have had no access to. I was an N64 lad you see, so a lot of the early PlayStation classics passed me by. By the time I was at the point of having expendable income and time in my teens, I'd already had 'my games' I was into and the idea of going back to play very old games didn't really grab me. Thus the series fell by the wayside. Now, as someone who has dedicated a ton of their personal and professional life to gaming, it is weird still have no real cultural reference for one of the biggest brands in the medium.

With the game coming up very soon though, I find myself in a position of getting ready to jump into the franchise for the first time with Final Fantasy XV. This isn't just because it's my job to play it either (though it helps). Rather I'm genuinely excited to take my first steps in the world, and I've alluded to that for neigh on a year. So, as a newcomer, why am I excited to jump in?

Firstly, and one of the few things I do know about the Final Fantasy franchise, is that the series refreshes with each new number. While Final Fantasy X-2 is a sequel to Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XI has no story links to the X releases (That makes sense, right?). This is relieving as I know I'm not going to be 14 games down on established lore. While mechanical and minor elements from others in the series might come through, such as the massive chicken ostriches which a quick Google search tells me are called a 'chocobo', I'm not going to be worrying about a side plot involving someone from a game that came out in 1997. I think for any person in the same position as me, that is a huge relief.

Of course, this isn't the reason I'm excited to play the game, but rather a nice caveat. The true reason I'm ready to break the seal is entirely to do with what I've seen of the game's content. There are of course huge parts that look to be very Final Fantasy with big castles, royalty disputes, monsters and lots of JRPG stylings showing a reluctant hero coming to terms with their destiny, but it's not what has me eager. That stuff all looks lovely, as you'd expect, but what has really caught my attention thus far has been the micro side of things. From the materials available, there is a lot focusing on lead Noctis and his three friend's journey. This is partially a road trip between best buds, all sitting in their car and travelling around the massive, beautiful world. While the big picture stuff looks epic and stunning, playing a game that can put that to the side from time to time to just spend time in a car, travelling with a group of characters, that is the kind of thing I'm hoping holds together the experience.

In film, pacing is important. Usually that's achieved by a push and pull, peaks and troughs, good and bad times. Final Fantasy XV seems to be playing with a similar idea here, but perhaps more with scale than dramatic moments. Worrying about attacks on a Royal capital and peace treaties could be really helped by much slower, calmer, smaller moments. Much like how walking around talking to the characters of Mass Effect on the Normandy is just as important as its big actions scenes. This seems like a recognition that too much muchness might be… well, too much. As a player who isn't that close to these kinds of tropes, it feels inviting to know there will likely be time for me to just explore the world without the density of the story becoming a problem.

So yes, come November 29th, I'll be excited to be jumping into the franchise for the first time. With some two decades of gaming behind me, that might seem weird to some, but this really looks like a very friendly entry to be jumping into. I know, if you are like me or especially if you are a seasoned veteran of series, this release if going to be a huge part of your gaming zeitgeist when it lands. I for one am looking forward to not having to beat them, but rather join them this time.

Oh, and of course, it looks like there are some massive, massive monsters, and I'm always down for massive, massive monsters. That helps too.

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