Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV

a film

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV is a feature-length CGI film set during the events of Final Fantasy XV. It was officially revealed during the Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event and is 110 minutes long. According to developers, one can enjoy Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV without playing Final Fantasy XV, and vice versa. Experiencing both tales, however, ensures a deeper level of appreciation for them, as they are intended to complement one another.

Story
While Final Fantasy XV tells the story of Noctis's journey, Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV depicts the events that take place in Lucis during the prince's absence. The members of the eponymous Kingsglaive serve as the film's main characters; together, they comprise an elite team of royal guards tasked with protecting King Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII.

Twelve years prior to the main events of Kingsglaive, Niflheim attacked the kingdom of Tenebrae, an ally of Lucis. At that time, Regis was visiting Noctis as he was recuperating from a near-death experience. When the Queen of Tenebrae is killed by General Glauca, Regis attempts to flee with Lunafreya, either not hearing or unwilling to return for Lunafreya's brother Ravus as he kneels beside his mother's body. Lunafreya decides to stay with Ravus, and both become subjects under Niflheim's rule. In the present, both Niflheim and the forces of Tenebrae are allied against Lucis due to Tenebrae's apparent abandonment by their ally.

The Kingsglaive are in the midst of a battle to protect Lucis' borders from both monsters and the attacks of Niflheim. During one such operation, Nyx defies his orders to withdraw to rescue his friend Libertus from a Niflheim war machine. Regis, seeing that Niflheim will eventually overcome Lucis' defenses due to his declining power, accepts imperial chancellor Ardyn Izunia's offer of peace: the war will end on condition that Lucis surrender all territories beyond Insomnia to Niflheim. This causes dissention among the Kingsglaive, who feel Regis is abandoning their families. During this period, Lunafreya attempts to leave for Lucis incognito, but she is prevented by Ravus.

On the day the treaty is signed, Kingsglaive member Crowe is sent on a mission beyond Lucis and is killed by an unknown assassin. Her death enrages Libertus and he leaves the Kingsglaive to join a group of Lucian rebels. At a party dedicated to the signing of the peace treaty, attended by both Regis and Niflheim's emperor Iedolas Aldercapt, Lunafreya meets and forms a connection with Nyx, before being kidnapped in secret by Glauca. Nyx discovers this and finds that Niflheim has stationed their army outside Insomnia. Regis agrees to deploy the glaive, although their leader Titus Drautos has disappeared. While Nyx succeeds in rescuing Luna, many of the Kingsglaive turn on him, and all but Nyx, Luna and the rebel leader Lazarus are killed in the ensuing battle with an Ultros commanded by Niflheim. At the treaty signing, the Niflheim delegation springs a surprise attack, resulting in a battle where most of Regis' council are killed. Secret operatives within the city allow the Niflhiem army to enter by destroying the city's protective barrier.

As Lunafreya and Nyx head for the palace, Regis and his former protector Clarus Amicitia fight together against Glauca and the Magitek forces, only for Clarus to be killed by Glauca. Just as Lunafreya and Nyx arrive, Glauca attacks Regis, cutting the Ring of the Lucii&mdash;the hereditary ring worn by the Caelum dynasty&mdash;from his hand. Ravus, having wished for Lucis' downfall since his childhood, attempts to put on the Ring and access its power: the Ring violently rejects him, severely burning his arm before he can get it off. Taking the Ring, Lunafreya and Nyx lead the wounded Regis away with Glauca in pursuit. Without the Ring and his strength waning, the surviving members of the Kingsglaive and all those close to Regis lose their magical abilities, rendering them powerless against Niflheim's attack. Despite Nyx's anger at Regis for seemingly allowing the destruction of Insomnia, he agrees to get both Lunafreya and the Ring out of the capital. Lunafreya tries to bring Regis with them, but he commands them to leave without him. Staying behind, he struggles to defeat Glauca, holding him off with lightning magic before eventually being killed. At the same time, Iedolas and Ardyn successfully steal the Crystal from the royal palace, fleeing the besieged city with it in their possession.

Lunafreya and Nyx are summoned to the city plaza by a call from Drautos: once there, the two are cornered by Lazarus. Lazarus almost kills Nyx before being tricked by Lunafreya into putting on the Ring, which kills him. Drautos then appears, but he is attacked by a repentant Libertus, who learned of the rebels' role in Lucis' fall. It is revealed that Drautos is Glauca, and his indomitable strength means Nyx is powerless without access to magic. Glauca is about to kill the three when Nyx puts on the Ring; he finds himself in an otherworldly realm, where he is greeted by three spirits. They initially denounce him as unworthy of bearing the Ring's power, only to relent when they realize that Niflheim will otherwise capture the Ring just as they did the Crystal. Nyx is thus granted use of its power, the cost being his life.

His power restored, Nyx fends off Glauca. He returns the ring to Lunafreya, entrusting her to Libertus and telling them to flee. Nyx and Glauca then engage in a titanic battle outside the walls of Insomnia, with both the city's statues animated by the Ring's power and the Niflheim war machines clashing around them. The fight ends with the severely wounded Glauca plunging into a chasm, while Nyx collapses and dies. Libertus, now the sole survivor of the Kingsglaive, decides to stay behind while Lunafreya leaves with the ring to find Noctis. The movie ends with a scene of Noctis and his companions heading for Altissia to meet Lunafreya as their car breaks down.

Characters

 * Nyx Ulric - The main protagonist.
 * Lunafreya Nox Fleuret - The former princess of Tenebrae.
 * Regis Lucis Caelum CXIII - The reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Lucis.
 * Luche Lazarus - A member of the Kingsglaive who considers himself to be the group's leader.
 * Libertus Ostium - A cheerful member of the Kingsglaive and Nyx Ulric's best friend.
 * Titus Drautos - The commander of the Kingsglaive.
 * Crowe Altius - The Kingsglaive's sole female member.
 * Ravus Nox Fleuret - The brother of Lunafreya, and now a Niflheim staff officer.
 * Sonitus Bellum - Master of weapons in the Kingsglaive who values discipline.
 * Axis Arra - A member of the Kingsglaive who is reserved and quiet.
 * Tredd Furia - A member of the Kingsglaive who is considered top in his class thanks to his extensive training.
 * Pelna Khara - One of the intelligent and perceptive members of the Kingsglaive.
 * General Glauca - The main antagonist. Head of the Niflheim military who is sent to kill King Regis and retrieve the Ring of the Lucii.

Music
Composer John R. Graham has written the original music for the upcoming film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV. The soundtrack also features the main theme, written by Yoko Shimomura, who composed the music for the upcoming game Final Fantasy XV.

The soundtrack will be out digitally in the US on August 30 2016, digitally worldwide September 7 2016. A CD release is forthcoming on October 26 2016.

Development
At the Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event, Aaron Paul, Nyx's voice actor, revealed Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV had been in development for at least three years before its announcement. The first trailer for the film premiered at the event, as well.

When the developers of Final Fantasy XV first sat down to re-plan the project from Final Fantasy Versus XIII, they evaluated which elements they should use to create a kind of gameplay experience they wouldn't get anywhere else. They felt because the theme they were trying to handle was so massive, they couldn't fit all of that into the game. Because the Niflheim invasion of Lucis episode is something that would take up so much effort and time, rather than force it into the game, the team started up its own separate project: Kingsglaive.

With Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, Square Enix aimed to create a film of the highest quality, for it was not limited by the capabilities of a game console. The movie and Final Fantasy XV were meant to share voice casts, but scheduling conflicts and high costs prevented this from coming to fruition. Real actors inspired the designs of some of the characters in Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV; the appearance of King Regis was changed because of the film, and this transformation was carried over to Final Fantasy XV for consistency's sake.

The cast was chosen based on its acting ability, and to give viewers a truly cinematic experience, developers hired a professional screenwriter and other Hollywood staff. Square Enix's internal team of approximately 50 members cooperated with various other production teams from around the world; other studios who worked on Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV include Digic Pictures, which is known for its work on Assassin's Creed, and Image Engine, which is known for its contributions to major Hollywood productions like Jurassic World and Game of Thrones. According to Takeshi Nozue, the Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV project never slept: the Los Angeles team worked on the film during Japanese mornings, while the European team worked on it during Japanese nights.

When the creator of the Final Fantasy series, Hironobu Sakaguchi, saw Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, he stated King Regis's eyes seemed too immaculate, clear, and child-like; they did not suit someone who had a lifetime of experience. Sakaguchi also claimed Regis's eyes prevented viewers from becoming immersed in the monarch's world; despite the lifelike visuals of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, the eyes of the film's characters gave away their true, CG nature. Takeshi Nozue took this feedback into consideration, and his team decided to further polish the film.

Themes
The core theme of Final Fantasy XV is "the bond between parent and child." Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV details the parent's side of this relationship: Regis acts as a link between the stories of both Final Fantasy XV and the film.

Release
For marketing purposes, Square Enix decided to release Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV before Final Fantasy XV. Aniplex is in charge of the film's distribution to Japanese theaters; screenings begin on July 9. Pre-orders for tickets to these screenings went on sale on April 23.

On June 13, 2016, it was revealed Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV would be viewable in select theaters across the United States on August 19. Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV will be downloadable on August 27, 2016 for $17.99, according to streaming service VUDU.

On June 24, 2016, at San Diego Comic Con, it was announced that Kingsglaive would receive a release on streaming and digital download channels on August 30th with the physical release on Blu-Ray and DVD happening on October 4th.

Le Grand Rex will show the French premier on the 15th of September, 2016.

Receptions
The movie was rated "9% rotten" by ten out of eleven critics on RottenTomatoes, lower than both Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within (44% rotten) and Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children (33% rotten). However, it was rated 8.3 out of 10 by 407 voters on IMDB.