Final Fantasy XV was the 15th main entry in the historic series from Square Enix. It was initially released to favorable critical reviews and has had a few different additions to the universe in the years following. The car from Final Fantasy XV that the main group of characters drive in the game was given to players in a recent rereleased event.
Final Fantasy XV has become a game that shows the staying power that a video game can have even when it is said to have a messy story. Staying power can mean different things to different people. It could be replayability, game mechanics, new content being added, or just the story itself.
I wanted to take a closer look at the impact the game has had on players. Final Fantasy XV has stayed power because of its characters, found family themes, and even an active player community that is still going to this day. These elements create a lovely sense of family in the game and in the community, that I and others have experienced through playing, talking, and sharing our love of Final Fantasy XV together.
The Final Fantasy is for the fans.
The opening screen of Final Fantasy XV shows you a lot. It makes me happy to see it when I load the game. A Final Fantasy game for fans and first-timers is a simple lead-in that feels like it was created for both fans of the series and new players.
The story tells the story of Noctis and his friends as they deal with beings and a prophecy that sets Noctis as the Chosen King within the game. Final Fantasy XV has done what any game should do: give players something to connect with.
Square Enix and Microsoft.
After completing the game for the first time, the main cast of characters had a strong connection with fan Jordynne Hatton.
After laying on the couch and crying for a few hours, I was hit with a very overwhelming feeling of losing a close friend. It was of grief. I watched the main cast develop and overcome things in their lives that were very similar to my own personal life at the time. It felt as if I was saying goodbye to all of them when I saw myself in each of them. They were ready to move on, like they had taught me.
I relate to the connection to the main characters of Final Fantasy XV. You spend the majority of the game with Noctis, Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto as they go on a road trip that feels all too familiar to taking long drives with my own friends. There is something about the familiar road trip situation that makes Final Fantasy XV such a joyful game to play, even five years on.
The small things like Prompto humming the Final Fantasy Victory fanfare after combat and a particular fight between Gladiolus and Noctis stand out to me because they show us all these nuances of the characters. The way the characters interact with each other in Final Fantasy XV has made my experience more special because I connect with each of them through the small moments that show how different they are.
Drea, a long time fan and player of Final Fantasy XV, said that the game's characters are an important part of her experience, and that the game's gameplay is just plain enjoyable.
Drea tells Digital Trends that the game is fun. There are a few quirks that can prove troublesome, but for the most part, exploring the open world, triggering the random events, or exploring the different dungeons can be a fun challenge.
Keeping the love alive.
Final Fantasy XV has a community that springs up around the game. The community is passionate. The fan community has done a lot to keep love for XV alive, even though it is not as active as it was in the past.
Since launch, I have been a part of the fandom on various platforms, and it has been great to see how the fandom has changed over the years. Drea says so. It is one of the most welcoming communities I have been a part of, and everyone I have met has been very nice and passionate about the game.
The PC version of Final Fantasy XV has a modding community that is healthy, thanks to a sense of kinship created by Final Fantasy fans. My own interactions with the community mirror that of both Drea and Hatton, as I have been following artists, attending conventions where the voice actors are guests, and meeting some great people within the XV community itself.
The idea of players being presented with a family through Prompto, Noctis, Gladiolus, and Ignis is reflected in the game. There is a sense of family in the community of players, as well as the characters relying on each other and growing together throughout the story.
The sense of community was a big part of why Hatton came back to Final Fantasy XV. The fans have taken the characters and ran with them, which is a huge part of the game for me. We did not get all the DLC we wanted. Who cares? People can draw and write scenarios for everyone. The community built from the games is similar to the characters.
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