I love old-school turn-based RPGs as much as the next person (more, probably), but cleaving to an aging formula wasn’t going to revitalize the Final Fantasy series’ diminished standing in the industry. But that’s also the brilliance of it Square Enix took risks with Final Fantasy XV, and the experience is better for its willingness to defy expectations. It has real-time combat, a bizarre mix of linear and open-world structures, and only four main characters.
These improvements made a great game even better over time, and I don’t think Final Fantasy XV gets enough credit for everything it ultimately accomplished.įinal Fantasy XV was my favorite game of 2016, but I know it isn’t perfect, and it doesn’t align with what many fans love about Final Fantasy’s glory days on SNES and PlayStation. That kind of prolonged attention is something we expect from service games like Overwatch and Fortnite – not from single-player JRPGs. The game originally released in November 2016 (read our review), and over the last two-plus years, it received a variety of new features, events, and content. With the launch of the Episode Ardyn DLC this week, Final Fantasy XV finally reached the last stop of its long road trip.
