PC & console game reviews
WE REVIEW THE LATEST BIG-RELEASE AND INDIE GAMES ON PC AND CONSOLES, STARTING WITH MUCH-DELAYED ROAD TRIP FINAL FANTASY XV.
Final Fantasy XV BUCKLE UP FOR A BEAST-BATTLING BRO TRIP. $79 | PS4, XO | www.finalfantasyxv.com
WE’RE INTRODUCED TO Prince Noctis and his black-clad entourage of friends and sworn royal protectors as they struggle to push the Regalia, the crown’s convertible car, along the road after it breaks down. FFXV is a story where a trip away from home teaches a group of four boys about friendship, responsibility, loyalty and sacrifice. This game excels in its personal moments.There’s a doomsday plot here too, but unfortunately, the main story thread is mostly a forgettable mess.
First announced as a FFXIII spin-off, XV has endured shifts in personnel and management, a switch in platforms and a change of name during the decade since it was first announced. This troubled journey is visible in the story, where seemingly important characters are introduced and suddenly dropped, and many influential events happen off-screen. You often have no idea why you’re doing something.
Despite all this, it’s still enjoyable because of its solid backbone. The game becomes more linear and focused as the main quests roll on. The first half is mostly spent dicking around in the open world, being distracted by pinball minigames, monster hunts, dungeon delves, optional bosses and fetch quests.
Every time you boot up the game, a message informs you this Final Fantasy “is for fans and first-timers”, and it certainly rings true.
Combat is hyperactive, cathartic fun that has you zipping between enemies with teleport dashes, stringing combos together, switching between different weapons, dodging, rolling, parrying and countering, all in real-time. Magic is drawn from sources FFVIII- style and you have to craft and combine them with items to create different spells and effects. In combat, these magical attacks impress with their power, fire leaves the battlefield scarred with crackling embers, while ice leaves it blanketed in a frozen shimmer.
Moving around the world is far less thrilling, however. During long drives, all you need to do is hold down a trigger while the car sticks in its lane and turns automatically. You can see why Square Enix decided to do this, as it means players can’t just tear over the wilderness in the Regalia — so chocobos have a purpose and you can’t bypass every monster encounter — but it’s still a shame this compromise was needed.
XV has issues, but it still ends up being one of the most enjoyable JRPG experiences of recent times, mostly thanks to how likeable the boys are, how entertaining the combat is, how well designed dungeons are and how gorgeous its lush fantasy world is. Even though the story blunders to its conclusion, the human element still makes the ending impactful. It’s a bumpy old ride, but it’s well worth seeing this road trip all the way through to its final destination.