Final Fantasy XV

Final Fantasy XV, originally known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, is the fifteenth installment in the main Final Fantasy series. It was introduced as another installment of the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series alongside the Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0 games, though that connection has been reduced to a thematic base upon which original lore has been built.

The game was released worldwide on November 29, 2016 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The game supports PlayStation 4 Pro, but is optimized for the standard version.

The story centers around Noctis Lucis Caelum, Crown Prince and protector of Lucis, the kingdom in the world with control over the Crystal. The game's focus is to examine the characters' humanity and distinguish it from the fantasy setting in other titles in the series. The story focuses on friendship, destiny and legacy.

The chapters go from 0 to 15. The first part of the game is more open, where the player can do various quests and minigames and explore the world. After the player leaves the open world, the objectives become specific, and the player is led down a linear path like in conventional Final Fantasy games.

The game is related to companion projects under the Final Fantasy XV Universe label. It includes the prequel anime series Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV, the film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, the pinball minigame Justice Monsters Five that also exists separately as a mobile game, the mobile game King's Knight -Wrath of the Dark Dragon-—which while not playable in Final Fantasy XV also exists as a separate title—and the downloadable action game A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV.

Gameplay
The game uses an open world structure in which the nation of Lucis is one large landmass that can be freely explored, though certain regions are blocked off until enough story progress has been made to open up the full map. The player party's car, the Regalia, can be either driven automatically, in which the player selects a destination and driving takes place without need of further input, or manually. Walking or riding a chocobo are also options.

The game's world features a day-night cycle. Enemies that appear at night are significantly more powerful than standard daytime enemies. When the party camps, the time of day will jump ahead to the next morning.

Monsters wander throughout the field and sometimes hostile ones suddenly appear to ambush the player. The battles are real time action with the player directly controlling Noctis. The other party members are controlled by the AI, with the player able to issue commands for them to use specific battle skills. The party's attributes increase as they level up, and their repertoire of skills and special abilities increases as AP is spent to unlock nodes on the Ascension board. During the story, the party will also play host to guest members. Guest party members have battle skills that the player can trigger, but their equipment and abilities are static and they cannot level up.

It is possible to continue playing Final Fantasy XV after the conclusion of the story. Post-game content comes in the form of new quests, challenges, and equipment that cannot otherwise be encountered or obtained. These challenges are also geared toward player parties that are of a recommended level significantly higher than that for the endgame chapters.

The game supports social media functions of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One such as sharing screenshots and video clips. It is also possible to play the PS4 version on the PlayStation Vita through remote play, in which game data is streamed from the console to the handheld.

Battle system
The battle system is called Active X Battle (AXB). Battles are seamless with no load times, taking place in real-time environments using all regions of the field from up-high buildings to down-low streets. Battles can take place in areas with great differences in height, and players have to fight using the full environment. This means fighting what's both in front of the player and above and below (vertical battles). A "Wait Mode" is also available, which allows players to freeze time during battles and pick targets at their leisure. When the player keeps running and fighting the game flows the same as in active mode, but as soon as one ceases input it pauses. The day one patch adds further enhancements to Wait Mode: the player can receive information via Libra faster, Wait Gauge recovers when defeating the enemy, when warp-striking to an enemy that isn't targeting Noctis, it's made easy to destroy the targeted part, and when warp-striking to an enemy that has less than half its HP, the damage multiplier increases.

Battles against huge enemies are carried out in the same fashion as standard battles, but enable exclusive party co-op actions. Yuji Kenichiro, lead game designer and combat planner, has stated players can debilitate enemies by destroying parts of their anatomy, and that it plays an important role in battle. It is possible to make these kinds of attacks against specific areas on gigantic monsters by either striking them directly using the warp ability, or by positioning by the enemy’s vulnerable spots using parrying actions against their attacks.

Players can jump during battles. Smaller enemies are easier to aggravate, but the bigger ones have "aggro radius", meaning one can approach them within reason without them immediately attacking. Even within the same monster species, the creatures come in different physical sizes, and can have different move sets. What monsters spawn depends on the time of day. Monsters fought at night are tougher, and the battle music is different in the dark as well.

A red encounter gauge appears when enemies are close along with an audio cue. When the encounter gauge fills, battle starts, but the player can run before the enemies engage. Even if a battle begins, the player can still run. Depending on the time and area setting, stealth maneuvering, including performing one-hit-kill sneak attacks, and hiding in the dark, can be performed, allowing players to avoid potentially large scale or one-sided battles.

HP naturally regenerates over time. Party members have an upper limit to which their HP can be healed through regeneration. When a party member falls to 0 HP they enter a "danger" status, are unable to attack or use abilities, and their regeneration limit constantly lowers, with taking damage lowering the limit faster. Party members are Knocked Out when hit with an attack that reduces their regeneration limit to 0. A character can rescue another character from danger status by interacting with them, with the regeneration limit being increased to 25% if it has fallen below that point. If all party members fall to 0 HP, the party can only run away to recover, and Noctis will recover from danger status after a certain amount of time. If Noctis is knocked out, the player has a short amount of time to revive him before he dies, ending the game. The party's HP and MP regenerate faster when behind cover, and MP also regenerates by attacking enemies. The regeneration limit will restore very slowly when the party is not in battle or a dungeon, making it much faster to heal by use of certain items and abilities, or by resting. The day one patch adds a red filter when in low HP.

A "monster whistle" is implemented in the day one patch , which calls out monsters for the player to fight when used.

Maneuvers
The combat system uses three buttons: an attack button, a defense button, and an interactive button for abilities and interactions between different party members. Using abilities expends MP. Abilities are tied to equipped weapons. Defending also uses MP, so keeping track of MP use is important. The longer the battle draws, the more chances there are that other enemies will join the fray, and the more damage the party deals to some enemies, the more their bodies fall apart.

Players can continuously dodge while holding down the block button, and auto-attack by holding the attack button, or perform combos by tapping the attack button. A manual warp dodge is also available, as well as a roll-dodge that takes no MP to use. Both styles have their pros and cons, e.g. timing the button presses allows the party to insert parries and co-op moves. Holding a button to continuously guard or evade drains the user's MP, and thus the player won't be able to do that indefinitely, and not all attacks can be evaded.

Players can move around while defending. Holding the attack button will invoke the standard combo and the player can change the actions by using it in coordination with the directional buttons. The actions depend on the circumstances—such as when guarding, there might be a chance to counterattack, or whether other party members are close by; it is said this combat feature is easy to pull off as long as Noctis has allies nearby.

If the enemy flashes the following attack is going to be an extra strong one. This is a chance to counter or defend. After parrying, "partner attacks" can kick in automatically. The counter feature lets the player turn some enemy attacks back on their originators if timed correctly. Each counter is unique depending on the foe and the type of reversal. For some enemies the nature of the counterattack is decided by which ally is nearby.

As the party grows closer, new partner moves are unlocked while they are talking at camp. The player can switch position quickly with another character for strategic gameplay, and players can take cover to avoid attacks and recover before returning to the battle. The player can take cover behind large objects, or by teleporting Noctis somewhere so high up enemies cannot reach him.

The party members have their own skill trees and learn new abilities the player can invoke at will, such as having Ignis mark an enemy with a warp point for Noctis, or for Prompto to use a flare that lights up the battle area and may stun some enemies sensitive to light. By pressing the LB/L1, the UI at the bottom left—which is usually the player's weapons—will change to select abilities from Noctis's comrades, and the player can manually select which ability they want each member to carry out. There's a cool-down timer for these commands.

All team members will have different approaches and specialties in battle unique to them. There will be situations where the party will perform co-op attack. Party members will automatically react to situations differently according to the circumstances, but certain abilities, equipment and weapons may encourage the characters to cooperate more likely when the circumstances are right. The co-op moves can be pulled off continuously and although invoking them is automatic, the player must aim their mark. For example, to connect a co-op move while avoiding an enemy attack, the player must keep an eye out for an indication when to invoke it. Party member behavior during battle will be affected by the weapons the player has equipped and the abilities they have at that time. To learn and remember what kind of link attacks are possible is part of the strategy, and until the player learns them, they will experience various changes as they fight.

According to director Hajime Tabata, the combat is not about simply pressing a button once for a single action to happen, but a continuous flow of movements associated with the buttons, and building upon them for actions through the combat system. The gameplay is less about focusing on menus and more about navigating 3D spaces with predetermined moves, similar to the gambit system of Final Fantasy XII. There are few menu commands in combat. The game controls like an action game where players switch between offense and defense. The player can give orders to other party members and swap weapons on the fly. The game will include a growth system where the player can spend ability points on weapon skills, Noctis, the party, bonuses, among others.

Weapons
Weapon types includes: swords, daggers, lances, greatswords, firearms, shields, royal arms, spells, and machinery. There is a total of 109 Weapons overall. Noctis has a number of different weapons with different methods of attack, and some will be usable as shields. Weapons can be improved and forged from materials the player can collect in the game. Some weapons can have status effects attached to them. There are seven types of standard weapon categories, and each category has a variety of weapons. Combined with the Armiger, there are even more categories within itself.

Guns will not have combos similar to regular weapons, but they will have rapid fire shots, and will require reloads. Noctis will not be able to equip Secondary Arms, but other party members can. For example, Gladiolus can equip a shield. Players can rotate through various weapons, but party members will switch through their sub-weapons.

Depending on the environment, external weaponry, such as heavy arsenal turrets, will be available for Noctis.

Techniques and Armiger
Besides the basic attack button, the player can invoke techniques with the technique button. The player can cycle through the available techniques with the left and right d-pad buttons. Combos are automatically formulated based on which weapon is currently being utilized out of the ones equipped. Abilities locked to weapon categories exist, as do weapons with no abilities. Rare weapons acquired from dungeons will have unique properties, some examples being those with hack-and-slash aspects. The player can allocate different weapons to different positions in a combo chain to suit their play style, enabling one to prioritize speed, damage or range based on the player's preferences and the current foes.

Armiger Arsenal is Noctis's "Limit Break." During Armiger all abilities cost 0 MP and Noctis's damage output is increased, but it drains MP until it reaches 0, and Armiger ends. When Noctis unleashes his power, swords will fly around the area attacking enemies and guarding against the damage Noctis takes. In that state his Attack rises greatly and, on top of automatically guarding enemy attacks, he can move at high speed. There will be a powered-up state even beyond that. The phantom swords used during Armiger are different from the normal weapons, and give different abilities Noctis can use when Armiger is active.

Noctis can warp around the field and throw his sword and warp to that location. Noctis can warp to a short distance in front of himself, but he can only teleport over longer distances to certain locations marked by glowing icon denoting a warp spot, and also to all enemies. Warping, along with special moves and dodging, requires MP to perform, but the Warp command will be exclusive to Noctis. While using Armiger Arsenal, Noctis can get special warp-related abilities. The warp ability that lets the player teleport to high up locations is a vital part of the battle system. The ability to use multiple warp points in a strategic manner is prevalent in the game's large scale battles over urban terrain. The ability can also be used in aerial battles with flying foes and against gigantic bosses.

Magic
Magic is available and is divided into two types: elemental magic and ring magic. The two magics have different functions, and while elemental magic is available from the very start of the game, ring magic is a gameplay feature that is not acquired until late in the story.

Elemental magic doesn't cost MP. Instead, it is treated as a weapon with limited ammunition and can be equipped by party members other than Noctis. The player must equip a spell to one of Noctis's weapon slots in order to use it. To restock on magic, the player must collect elemental energy (fire, ice, or lightning) through gathering points and then craft spells in the Elemancy menu. Using Elemancy, players can take the magical energies they've gathered and create mixes that put twists on standard spells. More electricity in a standard Fire spell can allow it to chain the attack to hit other nearby enemies, for example, while other boosts add team healing and slow-down effects to attacks. The Elemancy system allows the player to create powerful magic relatively early in the game.

All elemental spells are area of effect attacks that not only hurt enemies but are capable of inflicting friendly fire damage on the party, as well. Weather and the environment also have a tactical impact on battle conditions, with different types of magic having varying effects depending on weather patterns. For example, using fire spells on a clear day not only hurts monsters, but also ignites the surrounding area; monsters afraid of fire will be sent fleeing, but it can hurt party members as well. Additionally, fire magic will extinguish quickly if it's raining, but thunder magic is augmented during this time. Though magic can damage the environment, this effect isn't permanent and the environment eventually restores itself.

The second form of magic, ring magic, is only available to Noctis once he dons the Ring of the Lucii. Unlike elemental magic, ring magic costs MP each time it's used. The Ring of Lucii must be equipped and selected as the active weapon in order to make use of it.

Ring magic offers three abilities; it can drain enemies of their HP and heal Noctis, allow Noctis to deal damage to an enemy while performing a properly-timed dodge, or at the cost of all of Noctis's MP, defeat all attacking enemies.

Summons
Summons are called Astrals. Astrals are a symbol of the power of the stars and only Noctis can summon them. Some Astrals must be defeated in battle to obtain them as summons.

When the chance to summon appears the player can call forth the Astral by holding the summon button. White specks glimmer in the air when the chance to summon activates. When the player calls forth a summon they won't always do the same thing, but their actions depend on the situation. For example, Titan sometimes will run up and melee hit an enemy, sometimes he will throw boulders at the enemy, and it's possible he will even give up and leave.

Ascension Grid


Similar to the Sphere Grid from Final Fantasy X and the Crystarium system from Final Fantasy XIII, players can unlock a number of skills. Each character has their own skill tree with the pool of AP to be split between them. The final version of the grid is divided into nine parts: Armiger, Magic, Recovery, Techniques, Combat, Teamwork, Stats, Exploration, and Wait Mode.

Difficulty modes
The player can switch between different battle modes. The developers' aim is to make it so that both players who like action-oriented, technical gameplay, and those who want to fight at a slower, more relaxed pace, can all enjoy the combat. The switching system was decided to be introduced based on the feedback received from the Episode Duscae demo.

Final Fantasy XV has a standard difficulty and easy mode. The player can change difficulty at any time. The easy mode is made so that one can generally win by just button mashing.

Field
The world of Final Fantasy XV, Eos, is similar to the real world with modern technology, such as cars and highways, but also contains countries with medieval elements, such as castles and armored soldiers. Many of the game's locations are based on real world places.

The game is seamless open world with vast fields able to be explored as far as the eye can reach, although important scenes will likely require some loading. The player can drive and even fly the party's car seamlessly across the map. The player can also rent chocobos and call them with a whistle and even camp with them. With the day one patch, the player can even warp on the field even without being in a battle, and the player can use the "music player" outside the car.

Depending on the terrain, characters' walking and running animations change and running long distances sees party members tire and catch their breath. Some developers even climbed a mountain to make the game's mountain portions more realistic. At lakes or rivers the party can fish, and in the woods the party can find sheds where NPCs live. Objects and terrain are said to be destructible.

Sometimes the player can find hints in the environment on where to find bosses, such as large footprints. Party members point things out, and say they want to go to certain places to let the player discover optional stuff organically. The player can set their destination marker, making it easier to navigate. Items found on the field appear as blue shiny things and some items can be traded for cash. Even if the player is free to explore far and wide and possibly stumble upon optional content, such as dungeons, the objectives are laid out clearly so players won't get lost in the vastness of available area. The player can earn gil by taking quests. The player can make branching decisions similar to older games' dialogue choices.

The day and night cycles and cloud formations are done by physical calculations, the lighting and the shadows changing as the day goes on. At night towns are lit up, with people turning the lights on in their homes. It was decided to be made this way to have a smooth change between the cycles and to have a more dynamic lighting system, reflecting the mood of a certain region/place. One in-game day lasts a real-life hour with 40 to 45 minutes being daytime, and the rest being night time. This bit is currently in development, and is subject to change. There will be events where the party must fight for days at a time. Because of the "Plague of the Stars", as the days go by, the nights lengthen. The long nights will affect game play and advancing in the story has the nights get longer.

Camping
Camps are safe havens, making them ideal headquarters when setting out to explore new areas. Camps can be set up at any time of the day, but can only be set up on safe areas marked on the map. Using a camp to rest progresses the time to the next day and when a day is over, accrued experience is calculated to give players an idea of how much they've accomplished over that stretch of time. If the party forgoes sleeping the boosts obtained from food will lose effect.

Players can eat meals at camp for status buffs and obtain ingredients to cook at camp from monsters and shops. The party's "Cooking Level" determines what dishes they can cook. In the Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae demo Ignis cooks independently, but in the final game the player can pick which meal to make. Different meals boost different stats. The "Victory Fanfare" plays when the party levels up as the stat boosts kick in and the dawn arrives.

By properly sleeping, the party will maintain the buffs obtained this way, such as bonus multipliers applied to EXP gain. The party needs to take a break to level up as experience points earned in battle are converted towards level progression whenever the party sleeps. Not sleeping makes it possible to to attempt low-level challenge runs. If the player is knocked out in battle, they lose the accrued EXP. The party can go three days without sleep, but beyond that the party will lose the status buffs. Camps also function as fast travel, as the player can return to the last camp they rested at.

After camping party members sometimes suggest for Noctis to go on a tour with special objectives. Tours are sidequests and the main quest cannot be progressed during them. Tours will have an active role in developing Noctis's relationship with Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus. The strength of their bond will depend on doing activities together, which will in turn affect the strength of combo attacks Noctis can execute with his companions.

Monsters in dungeons wander above ground during night, adding extra impetus to camp. The party can camp out in the open, or stay at a hotel while in town, or in a caravan at different outposts. Staying at a caravan or hotel doesn't allow the party to cook, but EXP is earned in an expedited rate.

Minigames and sidequests
Fishing and chocobo riding will be included. The player will be able to fish in predetermined spots with various baits and catch different fish depending on skill, time of day and location. The fish can then be cooked at camp. There may also be optional missions to take on Niflheim bases.

The game is said to have four quest types: for fun (minigames: fishing/chocobo race/Justice Monster 5), main story, monster hunts, and regional quests. There will be over 200 quests. However, the quest log is said to not be bloated by "insignificant or uninteresting tasks", but rather to inspire a feeling similar to pre-PS2 Final Fantasies that had huge overworld maps.

Each party member has a "special talent" that improves with use. For example, Prompto will ask the crew to take pit stops where everyone gets out and Prompto will take photographs that can be shared on social media. The more the player does it the better his pictures will be. Prompto's "talent" is photography, Noctis's is fishing, Ignis's is cooking, and Gladiolus's is "survival instincts".

New Game Plus
The 1.03 update to Final Fantasy XV added a New Game Plus mode. If the player begins a New Game Plus using an existing clear save file, the player begins with all levels, ascension board progress, weapons (including the Armiger Arsenal), items, recipes, and gil that they possessed in the clear save, with a few exceptions. The clear save used to begin the New Game Plus is overwritten when the game is started.

VR
Final Fantasy XV will include a virtual reality experience where the player can play as Prompto for the PlayStation VR headset. Square Enix is not thinking of it as a separate product, and VR is part of the whole game, something extra to be enjoyed by the people who purchase the game.

The feature was revealed at E3 2016, where the trailer emphasized the ability to target enemy weak points similar to Prompto's abilities in early development for Final Fantasy Versus XIII.

Setting
Noctis Lucis Caelum, scion of a lineage of kings and the heir apparent to the throne, hails from the kingdom of Lucis that holds the world's Crystal, beneficial to his country's military, political, and economic standing. Because of its increasingly apparent industrialization in contrast to neighboring nations and the ensuing political tensions, Lucis has isolated itself from the rest of the world behind a magic barrier maintained by the king.

A cold war has gone on between Lucis and the Empire of Niflheim that seeks a power to match that of Lucis, leading to the rise of magitek technology. In the wake of the new reign, a recent peace treaty with Lucis was proposed to finally diffuse the situation.

The gods known as astrals are regarded as the protectors of their environment and the manifestation of the powers of the stars onto the planet. The Astrals themselves are mostly indifferent to the affairs of humans, but legends tell of them forging covenants with the kings of Lucis.

A global phenomenon known as the Starscourge envelops the world into lengthened nights. The Oracles have long protected the world from the plague, and their nation of Tenebrae bears a wider degree of political autonomy in the wake of Niflheim's dominance due to their vital historical and religious influence. The current Oracle, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, is the youngest Oracle in history, and carries on the task of preventing the world from plunging into complete darkness with her powers.

Characters

 * Main Characters
 * Noctis Lucis Caelum - The sole playable character and main protagonist of Final Fantasy XV. A childhood affliction endowed Noctis, heir apparent to the throne of Lucis, with the mystical power to see a heavenly light, through which he can sense others' deaths. Noctis rejects rigid royal conventions and acts as somewhat of a renegade, much to the dismay of those who tend to him. Yet while "Noct" may act brash at times, he does so in defense of those loyal to him.
 * Ignis Scientia - Ever the unwavering voice of reason, Ignis was weaned on shrewd logic and a classical education from boyhood so that he might one day counsel the would-be king, Noctis. He applies the deep mutual understanding and trust they have built over time to help smooth over Noctis's brusqueness with others.
 * Gladiolus Amicitia - As lord of the noble House Amicitia, Gladiolus continues a line sworn to protect the crown. "Gladio" shares a friendship with Noctis that transcends birth and title, and his loyalty to his liege is born not of duty, but of brotherhood.
 * Prompto Argentum - The puckish playboy Prompto befriended Noctis in his school days. He wears a chip on his shoulder as an outsider to the royal circle, but remains eager to do all he can for the cause.
 * Lunafreya Nox Fleuret - Luna made many fond memories with Noct in their childhood, but their days of innocence ended abruptly when the empire overtook her home of Tenebrae. Through adversity, she became the youngest Oracle in history. Adored and respected the world over, she now travels in search of communion with the gods to aid Noct on his journey.
 * Regis Lucis Caelum - The reigning monarch of the Kingdom of Lucis, Regis raised his son, Prince Noctis, on his own. For long years, he has sustained the Wall, a magical barrier that encases the Crown City, protecting it from invasion. However, tragedy would befall him at the treaty signing with Niflheim, during which he was reportedly slain.


 * Guests
 * Cor Leonis - A living legend of Lucian lore, Lord Commander Cor Leonis's devotion to the art of war is surpassed only by that to his king. Little love is lost between the ill-starred stalwart and Noctis's retinue, yet honor binds him to keep watch over the group all the same.
 * Iris Amicitia - Gladio's little sister and long-time friend of Noctis and the others. She fled the Crown City during the empire's attack and has taken refuge in Lestallum.
 * Aranea Highwind - Imperial airborne division commodore known for captaining a distinct red aircraft as well as a squad of mercenaries. Even in hand-to-hand combat, Aranea is most at home in the skies, wielding a magitek lance in dragoon-style aerial attacks.

Story
After a years-long war between Lucis and Niflheim, a peace treaty is agreed upon to end the conflict. As part of the treaty, Lucis's crown prince, Noctis Lucis Caelum, is to marry Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, an Oracle from the Imperial province of Tenebrae. After Noctis sets out on a journey to meet with Lunafreya in Altissia, the truth is revealed: the treaty is a ruse engineered by Niflheim's ruler, Iedolas Aldercapt, to bring down Insomnia's magic barrier so his army can seize control of the city's Crystal. The Crystal holds the soul of the world of Eos, and its essence is that of the power of light. It lends its power to the Lucian kings who can combine their powers even from beyond the grave via the bonding of the souls.

Niflheim's forces lay waste to the crown city, and King Regis, his son Noctis and Lunafreya are all reported to have perished. After the attack Lunafreya wanders the streets of Insomnia with the late king's Ring of the Lucii in her possession, and eventually makes her way to Altissia.

The report that Noctis has been killed is false. Noctis and his vassals—his royal advisor, Ignis; his bodyguard, Gladiolus; and his friend from high school, Prompto—flee across the country on a road trip towards Altissia to rendezvous with Lunafreya. Noctis needs the power of his ancestors to gain power enough to reclaim the throne, and seeks out the Royal Tombs scattered around Eos whose crystalline weapons only he can wield. Luna is an Oracle with the power to fight the powers of darkness that manifest as the Starscourge, a plague that lengthens nights and summons daemons into the world during its darkest hours. She is Noctis's childhood friend, and has kept in contact with him over the years by having a magical dog named Umbra deliver messages between them. At her beckoning one of the gods of Eos, Titan the Archaean, calls out to Noctis.

Noctis is being followed by the chancellor of Niflheim, Ardyn Izunia. Ardyn helps the prince who remains suspicious of the chancellor's true motives. Noctis seeks Titan out at the Disc of Cauthess and learns Luna is seeking to awaken the Six for Noctis to forge covenants with the astrals, although he is unaware he gods require a blood price for her work and Luna's health is failing. Niflheim, meanwhile, is out to stop him by trying to kill the gods. The effort is led by Ardyn and Luna's brother Ravus who doesn't believe Noctis will be the Chosen King of legend and Luna is throwing her life away in helping him. Noctis finds passage to Altissia on King Regis's boat he discovers from a secret harbor, but finds Luna is being held by the local government with pressure from Niflheim to release her to them.

Luna addresses the people of Eos and reveals her intention to rouse the Leviathan. She does so and asks for the sea goddess to give her blessing to Noctis, but the serpent rejects her. As Niflheim attacks, Noctis is forced to fight Leviathan and is unable to help Luna when she is stabbed by Ardyn. As Noctis proves his worth to the gods he gains Leviathan's blessing, but as he awakens days after his battle he learns Luna has died and Ignis lost his vision in the battles around Altissia.

Luna was able to pass the Ring of the Lucii to Noctis before her death. The Ring holds the power of the Lucian kings and lets one call upon the powers of the Crystal at the cost of the wielder's own life-force. Noctis is overtaken by grief and doesn't wield the Ring. Nevertheless, he continues his toward the Imperial capital where the Empire is said to be holding the Crystal. Without Luna's powers as the Oracle holding the darkness at bay, daylight is vanishing from the world and daemons begin to spawn even during daylight hours. As the Crystal had always kept the crown city safe from daemons, Noctis is desperate to seek it out and use its powers to save the world.

When they reach the capital they find it dark and overrun with daemons. Noctis discovers the Empire has been ravaged by a disease that turns humans into daemons, and that the Empire has been manufacturing daemons and made them into their magitek infantry. The Empire has lost control and the forces of the dark run rampant, as even the Emperor himself has turned into a daemon. Noctis, now wielding the Ring of the Lucii, finds the Crystal and calls upon its powers, but to his surprise he is absorbed inside it. Ardyn gloats over the sight, revealing his identity as Noctis's ancestor who used to travel the world to protect it from daemons and heal those corrupted by the darkness. Ardyn had become corrupted himself, and thus rejected by the Crystal. Having become immortal as the afterlife expels him due to his corrupted soul, Ardyn has been scheming for generations while in waiting for the True King, to finally have his revenge on the Caelum dynasty and the Crystal.

Noctis enters an otherworldly dimension that exists on the inside of the Crystal, and meets the astral god Bahamut who explains everything to him. The Crystal's calling is to "crown the King of Light", the one the prophecy speaks of as the king who will banish darkness from the world. After the kings of Lucis die their powers accumulate in the Ring of the Lucii. Once the Ring wields all of the Crystal's power, the next Lucian king will be the True King who can bring light back to the world at the cost of his own life. Bahamut explains Noctis is the True King.

After Noctis disappears the sun doesn't rise again and Eos is overtaken by daemons. Noctis's friends return to what is left of Lucis, and await for his return as per the prophecy. Ten years later, Noctis awakens and returns to his homeland to find it shrouded in perpetual darkness and inhabited by hordes of daemons. He rendezvouses with his friends and returns to the ruins of Insomnia to where Ardyn has taken the Crystal. He defeats the astral Ifrit that Ardyn calls forth to stop his passage to the palace. Ifrit is the astral known as The Betrayer who despises mankind and is the origin of Starscourge and the daemons. Noctis overpowers Ifrit with the help of the other astrals and bends him to his will. He faces Ardyn and the two duel both wielding the power of kings, but Noctis emerges victorious and Ardyn asks him to see him "on the other side."

Noctis sits on the Lucian throne and calls upon the powers of the Ring of the Lucii. The spirits of past Lucian kings attack him and as his soul departs and is taken by the Ring. Noctis finds Ardyn's spirit in the afterlife. With the help of the spirits of his father and Luna and the past Lucian kings, and the memories of his friends, Noctis erases Ardyn's soul. The Ring of the Lucii breaks and the sun finally rises.

Themes
Final Fantasy XV was announced in 2006 as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. The "Versus XIII" name comes into play in juxtaposition to Final Fantasy XIII and its sequels that take place in fantastical worlds that are literally and culturally disconnected (Cocoon and Gran Pulse in Final Fantasy XIII; the different eras and timelines in Final Fantasy XIII-2; and Nova Chrysalia and the new world in Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.). For Versus XIII Square wanted the world to be different from the original Final Fantasy XIII by presenting one whole, connected world. In further juxtaposition to Final Fantasy XIII and its white overall color scheme, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and thus Final Fantasy XV, had the theme of black, shown in the cast's clothes, the Kingdom of Lucis, and even the name of the original game engine, "Ebony" (the original name for the engine for Final Fantasy XIII was "White Engine").

The game is thematically centered on war. As stated in a tagline in the "Uncovered" trailer from the March event, another theme is defying the will of divine beings.

According to Hajime Tabata, the gameplay revolves around three themes: Journey, Companions, and Car.

Music
The soundtrack of Final Fantasy XV is mainly composed by Yoko Shimomura, who is known primarily for her work in the Kingdom Hearts series. Shimomura is in charge of 80-90% of the game’s soundtrack, the rest being variations of her works or themes handled by others. Shimomura is also contributing the theme song for Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV which features original music written by composer John R. Graham. Some of the themes in Final Fantasy XV aim to encompass "friendship" and "filial bonds."

Shimomura has worked on the score ever since the game was known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Because the project wasn't originally a main series Final Fantasy game, she initially felt there was not so much pressure to follow in the footsteps of other Final Fantasy composers. When the game became Final Fantasy XV Shimomura had already worked on the project for a while and had a clear idea of the concept and direction making it easier to continue on that path. New music needed to be added specifically when the game became Final Fantasy XV when new things that needed to be supported by music were added to the game.

"Somnus" is the main theme of Final Fantasy XV, performed by Aundréa L. Hopkins. The title refers to the, who is often depicted as a sleeping, male youth; this matches the artwork used in the Final Fantasy XV logo.

"Omnis Lacrima" (Latin for "every tear") is the boss theme in Final Fantasy XV. It was the second piece from the game's soundtrack to be publicly released; it was a bonus track on Yoko Shimomura's 2014 compilation album, memoria: The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura. Prior to the release of "Omnis Lacrima," the piece was used in three trailers for Final Fantasy XV: the DKΣ3713 trailer released in 2008, the Square Enix 1st Production Department Premier trailer released in 2011, and the gameplay trailer released at E3 2013.

A new piece from the soundtrack of Final Fantasy XV was used in a trailer for the game that premiered at Tokyo Gameshow 2014. It was a collaboration between Yoko Shimomura and the Video Game Orchestra, which previously collaborated with Masashi Hamauzu during the production of the soundtrack of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

At the Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event held on March 30, 2016, it was revealed that a cover of "Stand By Me", performed by Florence + the Machine, would serve as the theme song of Final Fantasy XV. A new single was released 12th August 2016, titled Songs from Final Fantasy XV, that features "Stand By Me", alongside two new songs named "Too Much Is Never Enough" and "I Will Be".

On September 7, 2016, an hour-long concert Final Fantasy XV Live at Abbey Road Studios was live-streamed via YouTube and Twitch.

Final Fantasy XV Original Soundtrack, is due out on December 21 and available in several flavors. First up, the base soundtrack on CD is listed for 3800 yen (approximately $36 USD) and includes 80 tracks across four discs with music composed by Yoko Shimomura. For a little more (5000 yen, or $47 USD), you can own the entire thing on Blu-ray disc – which includes both music and movie data along with active Internet support.

Development
Development for the game started as Final Fantasy Versus XIII to be directed by Tetsuya Nomura for the PlayStation 3 as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis series. The game eventually transitioned into Final Fantasy XV with a new director and reorganized development team, now for a new generation of consoles. With the change of name and platform, and thus the game engine, and Hajime Tabata taking the reins, it would no longer be the exact same game as some things had to be re-evaluated to fit the change of circumstances. When the change from Versus XIII to XV happened, the team looked at the elements that were intended to be in the former and the plan for that game, and how they would fit into the new plan as Final Fantasy XV trying to preserve as much as possible. When Final Fantasy Versus XIII became Final Fantasy XV, it was around 25% complete.

Final Fantasy XV uses Square Enix's Luminous Studio game engine. The modernistic art direction derives inspiration from real world locations, as opposed to the more fantasy-futuristic feel of Final Fantasy XIII. The cars driven in the game resemble modern cars rather than the various fantasy vehicles utilized in Final Fantasy XIII, and the main characters' clothes are designed by the clothing brand Roen rather than being designed by Tetsuya Nomura. In its strive for a more corporeal-looking world, the style is somewhat reminiscent of Final Fantasy VIII, although darker and more monochromatic. While the beginning of the game takes place in a more contemporary setting, as the story progresses the player will find various fantasy environments and atmospheres similar to what past titles like Final Fantasy VII did.

The team went on trips in small groups, undertaking activities like mountain climbing, cave exploring and visiting a zoo, to get practical references to draw upon. The challenge of Final Fantasy XV has been said to lie with setting the fantasy within the boundaries of reality as the team wants the world to feel simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar. The towns are designed to walk a balance between delivering a culture shock while still being rooted in familiar culture; the depiction of 2015 in Back to the Future II has been mentioned as inspiration for this style. This goal required a lot of resources that had to be allocated, or even outsourced. A lot of the game's architecture and feel was inspired by the area surrounding Square Enix's old office in Kyoto.

Kazushige Nojima wrote the original Final Fantasy Versus XIII scenario and the plot developed during the Versus era served as the basis for the Final Fantasy XV story whose theme is said to be "a road trip" and adventure focusing on brotherhood.

Square Enix is aiming for a multi-regional game and revealed on 23rd March 2016 that for the first time in Final Fantasy history Final Fantasy XV would be localized into Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese text. German and French versions were also announced to have their respective voice overs, players able to switch between German/French, English and Japanese audio.

On March 30 2016 Square Enix held a big promotional event called Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV, where the game's release date was officially unveiled, among the unveiling of Kingsglaive -Final Fantasy XV- movie and the Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV anime series. Ultimately, the team was unable to meet the release date and the release was pushed back a further two months.

The game is primarily being developed for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, but after the game is out, the team will consider a PC port. At Comic Fiesta 2015, director Hajime Tabata said that a PC version is not being developed concurrent with the console versions. In October 2016 Tabata said a PC port would need to be better than the console versions, and that it would take over a year to develop one because they would have to adapt the engine.

Sequels
During E3 2013 it was talked how Final Fantasy XV would likely have sequels.

However, in a later interview at Japan Expo 2013 Nomura was more cautious when talking of sequels.

The Final Fantasy XV Universe sub-franchise was revealed at the Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event in March 2016 to expand the story and world of Final Fantasy XV to other media, such as anime, movies and mobile gaming. This expansion of the narrative was designed to negate the necessity of releasing Final Fantasy XV as a series of games, something the team had firmly decided against. In the Game Informer story focusing on Final Fantasy XV that went live April 5 2015, Hajime Tabata said they have no plans to create sequels for Final Fantasy XV.

Release
The game will release worldwide 29 November 2016 after being delayed from the original release date of 30 September 2016. During Gamescom 2015 it was revealed the game would release "before 2017" and that the release date would be given during an event in March 2016. This materialized as Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV, although the date had been leaked weeks earlier by Gematsu and hours earlier (by accident) by Gamespot. Hajime Tabata has claimed the original release date, September 30 2016, was settled for as soon as he became the project's director in December 2013. The street date was broken on November 17 when retailers in Peru began selling the game twelve days early.

For $59.99, the "Day One Edition" will include a copy of the game and Masamune weapon DLC. Xbox Store Pre-order incentives are two Xbox One Avatars including Noctis Special Outfit and Carbuncle pet. PlayStation Store pre-order incentive is a dynamic theme for PlayStation 4. The $89.99 "Deluxe Edition" includes a copy of the game, a SteelBook featuring artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, Kingsglaive -Final Fantasy XV- on Blu-ray, Royal Raiment DLC outfit, Masamune DLC weapon, and Platinum Leviathan car recolor for Regalia.

A $269.99, 30,000-unit limited run, Square Enix Online Store-exclusive "Ultimate Collector's Edition" will include a copy of the game, SteelBook, Kingsglaive -Final Fantasy XV on Blu-ray, Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV on Blu-ray, special soundtrack, exclusive Play Arts Kai Noctis, hardcover 192-page art book, "Royal Raiment" DLC outfit, "Masamune" DLC weapon, and "Platinum Leviathan" car recolor, as well as in-game item packs: Travel Pack, Camera Kit, Angler Set, and Gourmand Set. More copies were eventually made available, and Square Enix restricted buyers for only one copy per person after controversy of them appearing on eBay scalped at inflated prices right after they were sold out.

American Express has product placement in the game. Those who obtain a new American Express Gold Card or Business Gold Card in Japan before August 31st, will receive Final Fantasy XV, and the first hundred will also get a Play Arts Kai Noctis figure. Those who spend over 150,000 yen within three months will also be rewarded with a 10,000 yen gift card featuring one of five Final Fantasy XV designs displaying the game's characters.

The special edition PlayStation 4 Slim for Final Fantasy XV has a moon decal on the surface. There are currently no plans to do a collaboration model PlayStation 4 Pro, but the game will support PlayStation 4 Pro at launch and be played in 4K resolution on a 4K TV.

PlayStation 4 Pro support
Square Enix is preparing two modes for the upcoming PlayStation 4 Pro for Final Fantasy XV. The base one will target an upscaled 4K resolution and 30 frames per second. The second mode will target 1080p and up to 60 frames per second. Currently, the development team has the game running between 40 and 50 FPS at 1080p with further plans to update it with a patch sometime in December.

Downloadable content
Final Fantasy XV has a Season Pass that grants access to additional downloadable content. The Gourmand Set is instantly given to anyone who purchases the Season Pass, and there are 6 other planned pieces of DLC that will release at a later date.


 * "Holiday Pack"
 * "Booster Pack"
 * "Episode Gladiolus"
 * "Episode Ignis"
 * "Episode Prompto"
 * "Multiplayer Expansion: Comrades"
 * "Gourmand Set"

The game will have two free DLC: the "Holiday Pack" and "Booster Pack." The Holiday Pack released on December 22 and contains several items, a Mog Choco T-Shirt outfit for Noctis, and a pack of carnival tickets that can be used during a special event in January. Season Pass holders receive the Holiday Pack+, which features additional items and an exclusive Carnival Style outfit for Noctis. All items are automatically placed in the player's inventory after the pack is installed, except for the outfits which will be unlocked during the January event.

Patches
The "day one patch", dubbed "Crown Update", adds camera improvements to make it easier to track action going on in narrow areas, an ability tree for Wait Mode for more in-depth strategic elements, a "Monster Whistle" that calls out monsters, new event scenes from Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and Omen trailer, recipes and fish varieties and a gallery for them, as well as a social network function allowing players to upload Prompto's photos to Facebook and Twitter.

Noctis has couple new actions added that he can perform inspired by the Omen trailer. The Wait Mode improvements include a faster Libra, Wait Gauge replenished by defeating the enemy, warping to enemies not targeting Noctis and enemies on low HP being more effective. The patch enables the player to warp on the field even when not in a battle, to open the menu while on auto-pilot in the car with a shop functionality also added, and to use the music player outside the car. The patch adds a red filter to the screen when the player is in low HP. The patch also adds bugfixes, slight changes to town and the open world, improves menu functionality, adjusts sidequest balance and adds new fish and fishing spots. The Leviathan boss battle is said to been improved as well.

On December 21, the game's 1.03 patch was released, adding a New Game Plus feature, frames for photos, functionality for the Holiday Pack bonus content, and various bug fixes. This patch fixes the game display area problems some had been experiencing of the game extending beyond the borders of one's TV display.

Future planned updates for the game include tweaks to the gameplay involving the Ring of the Lucii in Chapter 13, as well as the addition of new optional bosses. There are also plans to create new story cinematics to improve the storytelling in the game's second half.

Critical reception
Final Fantasy XV scored 82 out of 100 from professional critics according to Metacritic.

Commercial performance
Speaking with European press following the Uncovered: Final Fantasy event, director Hajime Tabata said Final Fantasy XV needs to sell upwards of 10 million units over its lifetime. In a statement issued to Famitsu, Tabata clarified the 10 million figure is but a goal for the team. He said the number is probably exaggerated, but was put out to demonstrate the team's ambitions.

The 30,000-unit limited edition of the game sold out within 30 minutes of the pre-orders going live. Only 30,000 Ultimate Collector's Editions were produced because only 30,000 Noctis Play Arts Kai figures could be made. The figures have to be shipped to various regions, and it takes three months for them to arrive in Europe. Square Enix said they would look into what they can do about the edition being sold out so quickly. On 21st April Square Enix tweeted more Ultimate Editions would be produced worldwide, although they may not be able to make them all available on September 30th. In the day's Active Time Report it was revealed they'd be producing 10,000 new copies. The second batch went on sale 23rd May 2016 with North America and France going to people who missed the first round on a waiting list, and the rest of Europe being able to pre-order from the Square Enix Store; the European batch sold out immediately.

During the 21st April 2016 Active Time Report it was said the game's Japanese pre-orders were doing better than expected. In May 2016, Square Enix's financial briefing outline had a comment by CEO Yosuke Matsuda saying the company expects Final Fantasy XV to be their biggest FY2017/3 title, having already racked up an impressive volume of pre-orders worldwide.

Two days after the game's official release Square Enix announced that the game had topped five million in worldwide shipment and digital sales. It broke the record for most first-day digital sales in Japan and saw a new record for the total of release date shipment and downloads in Asian regions excluding Japan. Retail and digital sales continued to perform favorably in all regions. The game debuted in Japan with almost 700,000 copies sold (excluding digital sales). Director Hajime Tabata commented that the ration of sales between the Japan and overseas was "as expected", with sales in Japan being "pretty good" considering the situation of the local market, referring to the small hardware installed base in Japan. The game sold 800,000 copies in the United States during its first week.

Packaging artwork
Final Fantasy XV will have a reversible cover with just the logo art on the reverse side, and the picture cover on the other.

The western cover was previewed during E3 2016 and was changed slightly for the final version. The creation of the covers for Final Fantasy XV is the first instance of packaging artwork being created from scratch outside of the development team, although the Business Division 2 Art Team provided feedback after seeing the draft. While E3 was taking place, Mat Kishimoto, the Senior Product Marketing Manager at Square Enix America, sent the work-in-progress files to the art team, and artist Yusaku Nakaaki and art director Yusuke Naora began making tweaks and recommendations. Even Takeshi Nozue, director of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, offered advice.

Demos
A live demo called Final Fantasy XV: The Overture was featured during the Tokyo Game Show 2014.

A demo of Final Fantasy XV came bundled as a downloadable code for players who purchased Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. The demo is known as Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae, named after a location, which shows off the early stages of the game. The demo is available for a limited time, offered with the first print editions of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. The demo was available on the day Type-0 HD released in all regions, and has dual audio and various language options. A 2.0 version of the demo was released months after the initial version with tweaked gameplay mechanics and other changes reflecting feedback received.

Square Enix planned a free demo set in the same location as "The Overture" tech demo. During Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV the new Platinum Demo – Final Fantasy XV was revealed that showcases the game's engine as well as the updated battle system since Episode Duscae, the player taking the role of young Noctis. The availability of the demo was extended till the end of 2016 due to fan demand.

Square Enix prepared other opportunities for users around the world to sample the full version of the game, but there are no plans for another downloadable demo. The opportunities to try the full game will start summer 2016 and include the game making one last stop at Tokyo Game Show just 15 days before release.

At E3 2016 the demo Trial of Titan was playable, showing a battle against the Astral Titan.

During Active Time Report in November 10 2016, a new demo was announced for Japan players titled Final Fantasy XV Judgment Disc available on November 11th. The demo’s contents span from the beginning to half way through Chapter 1 of the game. Expected total playtime for this new demo will be around an hour and a half. While players won’t be able to carry their save from this demo over into the final game, players who complete the demo will be rewarded with a “special” video. Players soon discovered bugs in the demo, but director Hajime Tabata assured via Twitter they were being fixed and the company would be releasing patches.

Voice cast
Originally, it was meant for both the film and the game to share the same cast, but due to conflicts in scheduling and costs Square Enix were unable to use the movie cast for the game.

Allusions
Final Fantasy XV has references to the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos and the numbers 13 and 15, due to its origins as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. It also has references to other Final Fantasy games, real world locations and products and popular culture.

Trivia

 * The game is said to have many small details, such as Noctis drinking his coffee "properly" because he is a prince, compared to the way his companions do it.
 * A "Link Form" command was seen in use during the E3 2013 material, which allowed Noctis to grapple with a soldier and slam the enemy into the side of a car, and climb up a Behemoth's horns to reach a more favorable position.
 * Although the game was switched from left to part way through development, arrows on the turning circle outside the palace still show it to be running in a clockwise direction on the game's opening FMV. When the team return here later in the game, however, the arrows have been removed and the directions reversed.
 * This is the first game in the main series since Final Fantasy IX in which the player's party is composed of four members, rather than three.
 * With its release, Final Fantasy XV essentially marks the closure of the Fabula Nova Crystallis saga, and the last major title released for the series. This is because its development began as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, which was intended to be a sister title to the then recent Final Fantasy XIII, alongside Final Fantasy Agito XIII. However, each title became a series on their own, with the XIII trilogy known as the "Lightning Saga", Agito XIII becoming Type-0 and part of the "Type" series, and Versus XIII re-branded to XV as part of the Final Fantasy XV Universe. While the former two share the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythos and themes, XV reduced it to minor, yet visual background element.
 * Because of the release of the game occurring around the same time, the for Supergirl, The Flash, Green Arrow, and Legends of the Future featured an exclusive trailer for Final Fantasy XV during the commercial breaks of each episode in the arc.