Operation Backlog Completion 2026

New Story Content Coming to Final Fantasy XV

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Sep 222017
 

At the Tokyo Game Show 2017, Square Enix revealed the “Final Fantasy XV: Universe” trailer.

This trailer takes a look at the overall Final Fantasy XV universe, including both products already released and those coming soon.

It shows:

  • Brotherhood (the anime)
  • Kingsglaive (the movie)
  • Episode Gladiolus
  • Episode Prompto
  • Episode Ignis (coming in December)
  • the Comrades multiplayer expansion (October 31)
  • Monster of the Deep (the VR fishing game, November 21)
  • the Final Fantasy XV PC version (early 2018)
  • Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition (chibi mobile version, autumn 2017)
  • King’s Knight: Wrath of the Dark Dragon (vaguely part of the FFXV universe as an in-universe mobile game)
  • a free update that increases your hunt capacity and adds additional story content.

Episode Ignis might be interesting and looks like it will expand Ravus’s role, and it will certainly be nice to take on more than one hunt, but the free story content is the stand-out announcement here.

This is a very small part of the trailer, starting at 2:16.

In this part, we see Ifrit, Shiva, and scenes between Luna and Gentiana.

While we don’t know how extensive this story content will be, it sounds perfect. Ifrit’s lore is incredibly vague in the game, which means he seems to show up for no apparent reason. A clearer understanding of his motivations and the backstory of him and Shiva should greatly help Final Fantasy XV’s story.

Luna’s role in the game was also lacking, so a greater look at her journey will also be helpful.

All we need now is more information about Ardyn… although it seems like we’ll have to wait for a new product for that.

Really, Ifrit’s backstory alone would be a fantastic addition to Final Fantasy XV, so adding Shiva and Luna content on top of that makes this sound like an excellent update. What do you want to see in the new story update for Final Fantasy XV?

Square Enix Might Make an Ardyn Game

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Aug 282017
 

Back in March, I was excited to learn that Tabata planned to give fans a better look at Ardyn Izunia’s past, because that was one of the areas where I found Final Fantasy XV’s story lacking.

While it wasn’t clear what he meant, I was hoping for Ardyn DLC.

Later, in May, Final Fantasy XV was updated to include a survey about what fans wanted to see from future content, including Ardyn’s backstory.

That option was a big favorite. At a recent fan event in Cologne, members of the Square Enix staff answered questions about Final Fantasy XV. When asked about the survey, they said:

It was Ardyn’s backstory that the majority voted for – so we clearly got the message he’s the person fans want to know more about. We’re not sure as of yet how we’ll do it though – it’s a lot of story, and telling a character’s story is always the most difficult and detailed part of a game. So, we don’t know yet whether we’ll make it another game, no DLC though, it would be a full game, or a movie, comic, etc. We really want to tell his story, though. Second in the survey was Luna’s story, by the way.”

I have mixed feelings about this.

On one hand, great! More Ardyn. Ardyn’s backstory. That’s what I wanted!

On the other hand, it won’t be future Final Fantasy XV content, but its own separate thing? It still feels like something that should have been stronger in the game itself. If it’s just something small like a comic, that’s not quite what I hoped for.

But who am I kidding? If they announce an Ardyn prequel game, I’d play it.

This is no guarantee, and Square Enix might decide that this isn’t in its best interests. However, this shows us what the Final Fantasy XV team is thinking about when it comes to Ardyn’s past.

How would you feel about a prequel game focused on Ardyn?

Episode Prompto is a Worthy Addition to FFXV’s Story

 Reviews, Video games  1 Response »  Tagged with: , ,
Jul 052017
 

While I never became interested enough in Episode Gladiolus to buy it, Episode Prompto caught my attention.

Prompto isn’t my favorite of the party members (that would be Ignis), but he has one of the more interesting stories. Final Fantasy XV also left him with gaping plot holes thanks to its bizarre handling of a certain revelation.

His DLC episode fills in those holes, while also letting the Empire’s mad scientist take a stronger role in the story. One of the things that disappointed me the most in Final Fantasy XV was that Verstael only had a single scene. Why give a villain one scene and never show him again?

I still think Verstael’s role and the explanations surrounding Prompto should have been in the game to start with, but at least Episode Prompto finally brings them into the light.

Since Prompto fights with guns, Episode Prompto feels somewhat like a third-person shooter rather than an RPG… which is interesting, if a little odd. You also get a snowmobile to zoom around in during certain sections. It’s largely linear, but still allows for a little exploration.

I’m in it for the story, though, and that aspect satisfied me. In addition to cutscenes, the story is also told through optional documents and logs you find in the facility. I love that kind of storytelling, and I wish Final Fantasy XV used that more to flesh out its world.

Plus, Verstael. Mad science. Good stuff.

Prompto’s internal conflict and development are also handled well. If you’ve played Final Fantasy XV, you probably can guess when this DLC takes place, because it’s when Prompto gets separated from the group. And if you’ve watched the anime episode about Prompto, you might remember that he had some self-esteem issues (and still does).

These elements come together in a satisfactory way that resonated with me, and I was invested in Prompto’s journey–always a good sign for storytelling.

Episode Prompto only lasts a couple hours, but it adds welcome information to Final Fantasy XV’s scattered storytelling. Here’s hoping Episode Ignis does the same… and I’m patiently waiting for Ardyn DLC to be announced.

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