If Final Fantasy is known for anything, it’s that it’s one of the most iconic Japanese RPGs that have ever met mainstream success in Western markets. Throughout the years, the developers of the series have utilized a ton of creative influence from Japanese art schools, popular culture, and animation.
This difference is arguably one of the main things that has caused it to charm Western audiences, as a new player going into their first Final Fantasy game instantly gets transported into a video game world that’s completely separated from more common Western games they may have played. This Eastern style is evident to anybody who has played a Final Fantasy game at some point over the past two to three decades, but the latest addition to the series has gotten a lot of fans talking since it looks like the series is making a pretty serious change.
Final Fantasy XV
Final Fantasy XV is using a ton of Western hallmarks in their game, such as Italian style architecture, European looking convertibles, and much more. In addition to that, the game play elements themselves have a distinctly Western feel to them, as the FFXV world will be very open and sandbox oriented like popular American titles like the Grand Theft Auto series and Saints Row. Don’t be mistaken: the developers aren’t making a ‘Western’ or a ‘Japanese’ game; they’re fusing the strengths of both genres into their latest addition to the series.
Architecture
There’s a blending of a lot of styles in XV, as gamers will have no doubt seen some of the beautiful artwork that’s come out for the series already. Many of the main city’s architecture is heavily based on Venice, in that there are tons of canals for boats, large marble columns, beautifully stylized domes, and an overall very Classical style of architecture that covers a large majority of the city. This isn’t the only style they’re using though, as the developers of Final Fantasy are masters at combining different schools of art.
In addition to this Italian style, there will also be a ton of influence from Japan, such as making an almost exact replica of the famous Shuto Expressway from the real world country. There are also a ton of skyscrapers, convenience stores, and much more that will really have players feel like this open world has come to life.
Open World
Japanese RPGs have for a long time been known for their narrative focus rather than their freedom of movement. Final Fantasy is no different. The games have often been focused on creating an experience similar to a movie, where the story goes from one major plot point to the next in one large narrative arc.
This game is moving away from the closed style of previous titles and into a more open world like the kinds that have been popularized by Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto series and THQ’s Saint Row collection. There are other examples as well, but it looks as though those two series in particular have been studied rather carefully by the Final Fantasy XV development team, as there are a ton of similarities, such as the freedom to drive around in a car, to fight enemies in the open, and the ability to just pick a direction and go explore the world at the player’s own leisure.
While both GTA and Saints Row are both known for their over the top violence, it appears that Final Fantasy XV will be sticking to its more family friendly roots. There will be a ton of fighting and action, but nothing that’s too overtly gory or sadistic, which is a common thing to see in Final Fantasy titles. Let’s take a closer look at the combat and action styles that XV is going to have.
Real Time Combat
Turn based combat is an iconic feature of the Final Fantasy series. It’s been the foundation of combat in the series for just about every title that’s been released, save for a few of the MMORPGs. When the developers of Final Fantasy XV announced that they were going back to a single player experience but not including the iconic turned based combat that many fans have come to expect, it caused a lot of gamers to start talking.
Rather than taking turns attacking, the combat system will be in real time and action oriented. It’ll allow players to make a ton of decisions on the fly and really keep them closely engaged in combat throughout the entire duration. There will be lean and cover mechanics like in the popular Gears of War series and in depth group fighting tactics that’ll give players the tools they need to really push their skills to the limit. This move towards real time combat is a step towards a more realistic and engaging experience for gamers.
Simulated Reality
One of the most amazing things about Final Fantasy XV is that it’s taking advantage of all of the latest developments in video game technology. The game wasn’t originally going to be number 15, but just an offshoot of an existing game until the developers realized just how much stuff they had going into it. As mentioned before, the game will be an open world experience that’ll allow players to explore to their hearts content and really get to know the society and people they’re fighting for and feel the impact of their decisions and what the plot is doing.
Players will have the opportunity to send the characters on long camping trips, gather items at local supply vendors, and even stop in at gas stations to get them where they need to go. There will be a number of unique characters that each have their own well developed back stories, motivations, moral hang ups, strengths, and weaknesses, each of which are shaping up to be a worthy continuation in a series that’s almost always been known for its strong characterization and development.
Overall, Final Fantasy XV will really transport players into a breathing, living world that’s really close to our own.
