Final Fantasy XV

Final Fantasy XV is the fifteenth main installment in the main Final Fantasy series. The game was released worldwide on November 29, 2016 for the PlayStation 4 (supporting PlayStation 4 Pro, but optimized for the standard version ) and Xbox One, with other release platforms announced. It was directed by Hajime Tabata, but began development under Tetsuya Nomura, who provided character designs for the main cast, with the soundtrack composed by Yoko Shimomura. Final Fantasy XV is the first action role-playing game in the main series, and the first single-player Final Fantasy game to be released with the "games as a service" model, receiving numerous free updates as well as paid DLC and seasonal events.

The story is told over the course of 15 chapters. It focuses on Noctis Lucis Caelum, a prince from the kingdom of Lucis who fights to reclaim his throne and must go on to fulfill a greater destiny. Final Fantasy XV aims to examine its characters' humanity and place them in a more realistic setting than most Final Fantasy games. Its prominent themes are friendship, destiny, and legacy.

The gameplay features an open world environment and makes use of the Active X Battle system, a real time battle system. The first half of Final Fantasy XV is open world, traversable with the Regalia and chocobos, and enables players to take on a variety of quests, explore, and play minigames. Objectives later become more specific, in accordance with other Final Fantasy titles. In the original release, only Noctis was playable, though patches have allowed players to switch between controlling any of the four main characters while in battle in the open world.

Final Fantasy XV was originally developed as Final Fantasy Versus XIII as part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis project, but the extent to which it involved lore from Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0 has been reduced after its rebranding. It now features its own lore as part of the Final Fantasy XV Universe sub-franchise. It takes place parallel to the feature film Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, and has a prequel anime series Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV. The game is also connected to A King's Tale: Final Fantasy XV, Justice Monsters Five, and King's Knight -Wrath of the Dark Dragon-. Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition, a new version of the game for mobile platforms, was announced at Gamescom 2017, and was scheduled to release in Winter 2017 for iOS, Android, and Windows 10. A PC version was announced at Gamescom 2017 and will release on March 6, 2018 for Steam, Origin, and the Windows 10 Store. Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition releases on the same day for consoles that includes the additions to the PC version.

Gameplay
Final Fantasy XV is an open world, action role-playing game in which players assume control of Noctis Lucis Caelum, a prince who can perform a variety of actions related to both field exploration and combat.

The kingdom of Lucis is a single, connected landmass that is explored primarily in the party's car, the Regalia. Locations can also be investigated on foot and by riding on chocobos. Open world locations visited in the past can be fast-traveled to.

Players can use gil to purchase items and equipment and accept sidequests from the NPCs they encounter. These offer additional rewards and allow for gameplay experiences that are separate from the main story. During some cutscenes, players can choose how Noctis interacts with other characters.

It is possible to continue playing Final Fantasy XV after its story concludes. Post-game content includes new quests and challenges that cannot be unlocked otherwise. New equipment also becomes available. This additional material is intended for parties that are of a higher level than that required for the story's final chapters. New Game Plus feature was added in a patch.

Final Fantasy XV supports the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One's social media functions allowing players to share screenshots and video clips. One can also access the PlayStation 4 version on the PlayStation Vita, which uses data streamed from the console version.

Battle system
The battle system is called "Active X Battle," or "AXB." Combat is seamless and takes place in real-time environments that incorporate all regions of the surrounding landscape. The "Wait Mode" freezes time when the player is not moving so the player can select targets and actions at their leisure. This was enhanced with the implementation of the Crown Update, which enables players to obtain information from Libra at a faster pace, as well as replenish the Wait Gauge by defeating enemies.

Players can destroy parts of some foes' bodies, temporarily debilitating them. Monsters come in many sizes and use different attacks, even if they are of the same species. Combat begins as soon as Noctis and friends are approached by an enemy, attack an enemy, or get too close to it. A red "encounter gauge" appears at the top of the screen when one is near a hostile unit; players usually have the option to flee at any time.

The party's HP is restored over time. If the members lose all their HP they enter the "Danger" status and are unable to attack or use abilities until they are rescued or use an item. Party members in Danger status continuously lose max HP. Once their max HP becomes 0, they get Knocked Out. Knocked out party members can still be saved with a revival item, and there is a window to revive the player character if he becomes KO'd. If the player remains KO for too long, it is Game Over. As a result of the day one patch, the screen now flashes red when Noctis is low on HP. HP lost from the max HP gauge slowly recovers over time, but much more inefficiently than the regular HP. The player can use recovery items like Elixirs to heal the whole HP gauge.

The player can respawn enemies by blowing a special whistle included in the Final Fantasy XV day one patch.

Maneuvers
There are three available button layouts. Combat relies primarily upon three buttons.

The attack button has the player attack enemies. When held, the player character will continuously attack with his selected weapon, and when out of range he will approach his target to attack them. Pressing the attack button in combination with directional buttons can execute different versions of the attack. Attack prompts can appear when allies perform Techniques and after parrying enemy attacks. The player can perform aerial attacks by jumping before using the attack button, or by warp-striking to airborne targets when playing as Noctis. When Noctis learns Airstep from the Ascension grid, he can stay airborne when attacking, although this will consume MP. Attacking while mid-air can have Noctis perform different attacks than usual, such as descending upon enemies from above with a spear.

The defense button has Noctis phase through enemy attacks when held and dodge roll (when tapped). When playing as the other characters, they dodge without phasing. Phasing through enemy attacks consumes MP, although this can mitigated by unlocking nodes in the Ascension Grid. Holding the defense button next to suitable cover has the player character grouch and restore his HP and MP more rapidly than usual. Dodge rolling does not make one invincible for the duration of the roll, and is often used for positioning during battle. The defense button is used to parry certain enemy attacks with a well-timed button press when prompted. Successful parries can usually be followed with a counterattack.

The warp button allows Noctis to point-warp to out-of-the-way locations (when held), or warp-strike to targeted enemies when pressed in combination with the lock-on button. Tapping the warp button has Noctis warp forward, and can be done on the field. Warping consumes MP. Warp-striking enemies deals more damage the further away from Noctis warps. Point-warping fully restores Noctis's MP, and if he is left hanging from a high altitude, it is considered a form of cover and his HP restores faster. Some enemy attacks send Noctis falling through the air, and the player can avoid fall damage by warping mid-fall when the button prompt appears.

If one's allies are nearby, they can team to perform link-strikes, powerful combo finishers that are performed automatically if one is in the proper situation. Noctis and friends can also blindside enemies if they strike from behind.

Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto were made playable for their DLC episodes, and later were made playable in the open world portion of the main game at will. The player must unlock this from the Ascension grid. The trio plays identically to how they play in their episodes, and thus Ignis mainly fights with daggers and Prompto with firearms even if they can equip spears and machinery as sub-arms when they are controlled by the AI, and they can't use Elemancy. When the player uses character swap to play as one of Noctis's allies, Noctis becomes AI-controlled. When AI-controlled, he doesn't lose HP from wielding royal arms.

Equipment
The player can equip weapons and accessories. Magic is also equipped to a weapon slot. Accessories boost stats and provide elemental and status protection, and some are specific to certain party members.

The game has a total of 109 melee weapons. Noctis can equip all weapons and some types are exclusive to him, whereas party members can equip two types of weapons as primary and secondary arms, as well as Elemancy magic. Different weapon types deal different type of damage, and when an enemy is weak to the player's attacks the damage numbers appear orange. When an enemy resists the player's damage, the damage numbers appear purple.

Noctis can have up to four weapons equipped and his fighting style changes depending on which of his equipped weapons is active. The player can freely cycle between them via the d-pad. Some weapons can be upgraded by Cid Sophiar; these are designated by a yellow "+" in the Gear menu. Others boost their wielders' stats when equipped. The royal arms drain Noctis's HP when attacked with (unless he is AI-controlled), but are often especially strong against daemons.

When Noctis uses firearms, he is unable to string combos together, but he automatically reloads the weapons after enough shots have been fired. Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto use their Secondary Arms (Lances, Shields, and Machinery, respectively) situationally.

In imperial bases, Noctis can use heavy arsenal turrets to damage enemies from a distance.

Techniques and the Armiger
During combat, a tech bar comprised of three segments gradually fills. The player can issue commands to Noctis's allies, as well as any guest characters present. If the party member's Technique is offensive it can usually be followed up with an attack from Noctis if the player presses the attack button at the right time. When using character swap, only Prompto can prompt the use of an ally Technique when Aranea Highwind is in the party.

Noctis unlocks Armiger when he has collected three royal arms. After a circular gauge fills through a combination of offense and defense, the player can activate Armiger to boost his attacks and summon all of his collected arms to his side. These shield Noctis from enemy attacks and make all of his moves warps. While in Armiger, maneuvers don't expend HP or MP. While Armiger is active, Noctis can perform an Armiger Chain, a powerful technique that allows the entire party to damage foes several times in rapid succession. Armiger ends when the gauge is depleted.

Magic
There are two types of magic: elemental magic and ring magic. Elemental magic is available from the start, and ring magic is unlocked in the thirteenth chapter.

Elemental magic does not cost MP. Instead, it must be equipped like a weapon. Spells in this class can be used a certain number of times before the spell will be depleted, and they can also be equipped by Noctis's allies, who will use them when controlled by the AI. Players can craft new spells through the art of Elemancy. The player can restock the necessary elemental energy by absorbing it from special spots on the field. By adding treasures, ingredients, or items to a spell during crafting, players can create magic that has a variety of different effects. For example, some debilitate enemies, while others heal their caster. Elemancy allows players to obtain powerful spells early on.

Elemental spells are area-of-effect attacks that harm both enemies and the party. Weather affects a spell's effectiveness; casting Fire on a clear day chars the surrounding landscape and causes monsters that fear flames to flee. Conversely, Fire spells are quickly extinguished when it is raining, but Thunder spells are enhanced. Damage the environment sustains from magic is not permanent.

Ring magic is exclusive to Noctis and is accessed when the Ring of the Lucii is set as his active weapon. Called "arcana," spells accessed through the ring consume MP. They either consume an enemy's life-force to heal Noctis, damage foes through a well-timed dodge, or eradicate all foes in the area.

Summons
Summons are called "Astrals." They behave situationally and can only be summoned by Noctis. They are acquired through story events.

The chance to summon comes up randomly when in battle after the player has forged a covenant with an Astral as part of the story. The game does a "summon roll" every ten seconds, determining whether a summoning chance will activate or not. Different summons have different conditions for being summoned. For example, Titan has a chance of being summoned if Noctis's allies are in KO or Danger state. When the summoning chance activates, the screen turns red, small crystal lights float in the air, and the battle music changes. The player can then call an Astral by holding the necessary button. If Noctis is killed the summon is cancelled, or the player can ignore the summon chance and it will eventually dissipate.

The summons are the strongest attacks the player can perform, and deal damage to all enemies in battle. The player can summon once per battle.

Ascension
By spending ability points (AP), players can unlock abilities and stat boosts for Noctis and his comrades. Accumulated AP is shared between party members. The Ascension doesn't only affect combat, but can also be used to extend buffs obtained from food cooked at camp, make Noctis sprint longer, expedite AP gain, among various other effects.

There are nine skill trees:
 * Armiger
 * Magic
 * Recovery
 * Techniques
 * Combat
 * Teamwork
 * Stats
 * Exploration
 * Wait Mode

Difficulty modes
Final Fantasy XV has two difficulties: Easy and Normal. These can be switched between freely. The ability to change difficulty levels was decided upon based on feedback developers received on Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae. Carbuncle can appear to save the player in the Easy Mode.

The field
The world of Final Fantasy XV is seamless and initially open. The player is free to drive or fly the Regalia without hindrance. Noctis and friends can call chocobos to their side by blowing a whistle, and as of the day one patch, Noctis can warp outside of battle and use the car's "music player" while exploring.

Noctis can fish at designated locations, and he can find non-player characters some of whom give him quests. Noctis's friends occasionally point things out to him, and the conversations they have with him often allow the player to discover optional material organically. Players can see their destination on the world map by looking for or ; this aids navigation and prevents one from getting lost. Items can be procured from the field and glow before they are picked up; many of them can be exchanged for gil, a currency that can also be earned for completing sidequests. During some cutscenes, players are given the option to choose how Noctis will respond.

Final Fantasy XV features a day and night cycle, which affects which enemies spawn and which fish are around fishing spots. Daemons only spawn at night, and if the battle draws for so long the sun comes up they will take damage from the sunlight. Initially, the Regalia cannot be driven on auto-pilot during the night, but the option for it unlocks at after level 30. The player can still fast-travel with the car. The Starscourge gradually lengthens nights and thus the party will wake up later in the later chapters, and the sun begins to go down earlier.

Camping, lodging and restaurants
Camps are safe havens at which the accumulated Experience Points of Noctis and his friends are tallied. They are also where the party eats meals to gain status boosts. Camp can be made at any time of day, but only in designated areas. If Noctis and friends do not rest they do not level up, and their status boosts gradually disappear.

At camp, the player selects which meal Ignis cooks determined from the list of ingredients the party has obtained from shops, procurement points and monsters. Each meal has a different effect, and some meals are different party members' favorites.

When camping in certain locations, Noctis is invited by his friends to accompany them on tours, sidequests with special objectives. During a tour time does not progress until it is completed and the player cannot stray from the area near the camp.

Increased monster activity at night is an incentive for players to camp. The party can camp out in the open or stay in hotels or other facilities at outposts. Using these adds a multiplier to the party's accumulated experience, but it does not allow status-boosting meals to be eaten.

Another way to eat outside camp is by visiting restaurants. The dishes cost gil but provide buffs that last longer than the initial buff duration for camp food. At restaurants the player can also talk to the local tipster to unveil icons on the map and do hunts.

Mini-games and sidequests
Players can enjoy fishing, chocobo racing, and the pinball game Justice Monsters Five. Players can also take on over 200 sidequests that promote exploration and offer several bonuses.

New Game Plus
New Game Plus was added in version 1.03. This enables the player to re-experience Final Fantasy XV after clearing it while retaining the following from their previous playthrough:
 * Character levels
 * Ascension grid progress
 * Collected weapons
 * Collected items
 * Obtained recipes
 * Gil earned

In New Game Plus, Noctis's Engine Blade returns to its most basic form; any upgrades to it are not carried over. Players also cannot maintain the Regalia Type-F.

Chapter Select was later added as a feature. It is similar to New Game Plus but lets the player start from a chapter of their selection.

DLC and VR


Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto have their own downloadable episodes, wherein players can take control of them and experience their unique playstyles. The ability to play as them in the main game was added as of Episode Ignis's release.

At E3 2016, it was announced that Final Fantasy XV would include a virtual reality experience in which players control Prompto Argentum. It was to feature first-person shooter gameplay and a scene where the player could sit in the passenger's seat while Cindy Aurum drives the Regalia around Lucis. This project eventually evolved into Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, a standalone PlayStation VR exclusive fishing game announced at E3 2017. The team decided to shift focus towards fishing, as it offers a more immersive experience than the original prototype shooting demo. It released on November 21, 2017. Monster of the Deep is the first part of the VR games; Business Division 2 has plans to further develop a Part 2 using their newfound experience with Part 1.

Setting
The world of Eos is comprised of three continents: Lucis, Accordo, and Niflheim. The northeastern land of Lucis possesses a powerful Crystal, which was gifted by the gods in antiquity to the reigning Caelum dynasty. Accordo, located in the south, is made up of islands and has been annexed by the Niflheim Empire, which lies to the west and benefits from its advanced magitek technology. The province of Tenebrae is under Niflheim's control, but maintains some autonomy due to the presence of the Oracle, a priestess who has the power to fight the Starscourge, a plague that lengthens nights and turns people and animals into vicious daemons. Watching over Eos are the Astrals, divine beings that can appear in the mortal realm, usually as colossal and powerful beings.

For hundreds of years Lucis and Niflheim have been at war. While many lands have been lost to the empire, the Lucian capital of Insomnia remains untouched due to the Wall, a transparent magic barrier maintained by the king and the Crystal's magic. Peace talks have begun in hopes of bringing an end to the conflict, one of the conditions being a marriage of Prince Noctis and Lady Lunafreya, the Oracle.

Characters

 * Playable character
 * Noctis Lucis Caelum - The main protagonist and sole playable character. A Lucian prince who must fulfill a great destiny.


 * Party members
 * Ignis Scientia - Noctis's royal adviser and longtime friend. A tactician and strategist who drives and cooks for his friends.
 * Gladiolus Amicitia - Noctis's bodyguard and longtime friend. A man sworn to protect the king at all costs.
 * Prompto Argentum - Noctis's best friend from high school. A man of common birth determined to prove his worth.


 * Guests
 * Cor Leonis - A member of the Crownsguard who fought alongside King Regis long ago.
 * Iris Amicitia - Gladiolus's younger sister. She befriended Noctis in her youth.
 * Aranea Highwind - A mercenary hired by the empire. She is a commodore within the imperial military.

Story
Noctis Lucis Caelum travels to Altissia, the capital city of Accordo, where he is to wed his childhood friend, Lady Lunafreya, as part of the terms of a peace treaty introduced by Niflheim. En route, Noctis learns the empire has attacked his home, the Crown City of Insomnia, killed his father and stolen Lucis's Crystal. Together with his friends—Ignis Scientia, Gladiolus Amicitia, and Prompto Argentum—Noctis seeks out Cor Leonis, a member of the Crownsguard who tasks him with retrieving the weapons of his ancestors, which will grant the power necessary for reclaiming the throne. Noctis meets the suspicious chancellor of Niflheim, Ardyn Izunia, and visits the Disc of Cauthess, the resting place of the Astral Titan. After completing Titan's trial, Noctis learns the Archaean was encouraged to forge a covenant with him by Lunafreya, who is an Oracle able to talk to the gods.

In Duscae, Noctis is aided by Gentiana, a High Messenger of the gods onto mankind, to make a pact with Ramuh. As their journey continues, Noctis and his friends notice the nights get longer and daemons appear more frequently. This is because of the Starscourge, a plague that brings forth darkness.

When Noctis reaches Altissia, Lunafreya rouses Leviathan, who goes on a rampage. Ardyn disrupts the rite by stabbing Lunafreya, but she still empowers Noctis by calling upon the past kings of Lucis who lend Noctis their power, enabling him to defeat the Hydraean. In a dream he has while unconscious, Noctis is visited by Lunafreya's spirit who gives him the Ring of the Lucii. The ring is a royal heirloom said to be of divine provenance that houses the spirits of the past kings of Lucis that lends the old kings' power to the current king. When Noctis awakens, a blinded Ignis confirms Lunafreya has died. The two reunite with Gladiolus and Prompto, and board a train bound for Gralea, the capital of Niflheim, in hopes of reclaiming the stolen Crystal. Noctis's mission evolves from simply reclaiming Lucis, to saving the world from the darkness of the Starscourge, as without Lunafreya's powers as the Oracle the world is being plunged into an endless night. Noctis hopes to use the light of the Crystal to combat it.

On his way to Tenebrae, the home of the Oracles' bloodline, Noctis is tricked by Ardyn into pushing Prompto off the train. Noctis learns Lunafreya's contact with the Astrals was slowly killing her, and he receives Shiva's blessing from Gentiana, who reveals herself to be the Glacian in human form. In Gralea, Noctis is separated from Ignis and Gladiolus, and infiltrates Zegnautus Keep alone with the Ring of the Lucii as his only weapon. Noctis is haunted by Ardyn's disembodied voice as he reunites with his allies and rescues Prompto. The foursome comes face-to-face with Emperor Aldercapt, who has been turned into a daemon. Noctis reluctantly leaves his allies behind to approach the Crystal, believing it has the power to destroy daemons. He is absorbed inside it, and transported to the Astral Realm where he learns from Bahamut he is the prophesied True King. He could end the Starscourge by eliminating Ardyn, a Lucian healer from 2,000 years ago who became corrupted and made immortal by daemonic influence.

Noctis returns to the mortal realm a decade later, and joins with Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto to confront Ardyn in the ruins of Insomnia. Noctis defeats Ardyn in a climatic duel, ascends the throne, and gives his life to end the eternal night that has consumed Eos by channeling the power of the past kings and the Crystal's light. Returning to the Astral Realm, Noctis teams up with Lunafreya and his ancestors to destroy Ardyn's spirit. The True King and the Ring of the Lucii fade away as peace is restored to the world. The sun rises, daemons disappear, and the spirits of Noctis and Lunafreya fall asleep on the Lucian throne.

Themes
The story of Final Fantasy XV focuses on war. It also touches upon one's defiance of the will of divine beings. When asked about the themes of Final Fantasy XV, Hajime Tabata stated the following:

Final Fantasy XV was announced in 2006 as Final Fantasy Versus XIII: the title was intended to show its standing as an opposite of Final Fantasy XIII, along with representing some of its themes. During its transition, Final Fantasy XV became "disconnected" from the mythos: while it exists as a base, specific terminology was removed, and its role was reduced to a low-key thematic connection around which original lore was created. 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. For "Versus XIII" Square Enix wanted the world to be different from the original Final Fantasy XIII by presenting one whole, connected world. This theme has carried over to Final Fantasy XV in the form of a seamless open world.

In further juxtaposition to Final Fantasy XIII and its white overall color scheme, Final Fantasy Versus XIII, and thus Final Fantasy XV, have 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"). In continuation, one of the main themes of Final Fantasy XV is brotherhood, which can be seen as juxtaposition to the theme of sisterhood in Final Fantasy XIII (Lightning and Serah, as well as Fang and Vanille).

If Final Fantasy XIII is a deconstruction of the crystal mythology, Final Fantasy XV is a realistic affirmation of it in many ways. Whereas the role of the Warrior of Light in Final Fantasy XIII (l'Cie) was to reject their calling to the crystal (fal'Cie) to express their own free will as humans, the Warrior of Light character in Final Fantasy XV (the kings of Lucis and the True King in particular) follows the calling of the Crystal to save the world. Final Fantasy XV has many callbacks to the early series with the theme of an antagonist empire capturing the crystals of the world, the Crystal choosing a person to save the world, and the theme of light and darkness.

Whereas prior installments, such as Final Fantasy X, Fabula Nova Crystallis, and the Ivalice Alliance, explore the concepts of defying established religions, the choice of one's destiny and fate, and emphasize the power of mankind, Final Fantasy XV explores more classic elements of fantasy regarding the spiritual and theological. These include the communion of the gods and mankind, and their affairs within their world, the maturation of a royal youth into their birthright as ruler, the rise of a hero who becomes a messianic figure, and the concept of inescapable fate.

Playing on the dualism theme, Noctis Lucis Caelum and Lunafreya Nox Fleuret (dressed in black and white respectively), hail from the kingdoms of Lucis ("Light") and Tenebrae ("Darkness"). Luna, whose name means "moon" in Latin, is an Oracle who keeps the darkness of the Starscourge at bay with her powers, stopping the world from being swallowed in an eternal night, similar to how the moon offers a point of illumination in an otherwise dark night. Noctis's name on the other hand is the genitive singular form of the Latin word nox meaning "night".

The darkness and light theme appears to extend to the concepts of life and death. The past kings lend their powers to their ancestors, and the royal tombs are places opened for the current king to receive this blessing from the dead. In juxtaposition, Niflheim also gains power from death in the form of daemons, but this is a dark power that at least in Ardyn Izunia's case prevents one's ascend to the afterlife. The Ring of the Lucii, a Lucian royal heirloom, gains power through death as the Crystal's power is transferred into it when the ring-bearing king dies. The True King can restore light to the world by sacrificing his own life.

The powers of light and dark, and life and death, are represented as the Crystal and the daemons and the plague that plunges the world into perpetual darkness: Starscourge. The Crystal is said to hold the soul of the world of Eos, the world's name itself referring to the theme of light and dark: in Greek mythology, Eos is a Titaness and the goddess of the dawn. The Oracle uses their powers to extend the life of the world and its people by keeping the Starscourge at bay, while the King of Lucis must use their own life force to wield the Ring of the Lucii.

The high-ranking Niflheim officials dress in white, whereas Lucians dress in black. Ardyn Izunia's attire uses both colors, and in many ways exists as juxtaposition to Noctis. When Ardyn uses powers similar to Noctis's, he glows red as opposed to Noctis's blue. He represents the forces of darkness where as Noctis is the King of Light. Ardyn is unable to truly die and enter the afterlife, whereas Noctis must sacrifice himself to free the world of Ardyn's influence.

Music
The soundtrack of Final Fantasy XV is primarily composed by Yoko Shimomura, who is known for her contributions to the Kingdom Hearts series. Shimomura's pieces encompass themes of "friendship" and "filial bonds."

Yoko Shimomura has been a part of the Final Fantasy XV staff since the days of Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Since she was initially hired to work on a spin-off title, Shimomura did not feel pressured to follow in the footsteps of other Final Fantasy composers. She had a clear concept for her music, thus she was not affected by the transition into Final Fantasy XV. The transition did mean new music had to be composed, however.

The main theme of Final Fantasy XV, "Somnus," is performed by Aundréa L. Hopkins. . The piece's title refers to Hypnos, the Roman god of sleep, in accordance with the logo.

"Omnis Lacrima" (which means "every tear" in Latin) is the boss theme for monsters encountered on the open world. It is the second piece from the game's soundtrack to have been released to the public, and it is a bonus track on Yoko Shimomura's compilation album, memoria: The Very Best of Yoko Shimomura, which was released in 2014. "Omnis Lacrima" is featured in three trailers: the DKΣ3713 trailer released in 2008, the Square Enix 1st Production Department Premier trailer released in 2011, and the trailer released at E3 2013.

A new piece from the soundtrack served as background music for the game's trailer from Tokyo Gameshow 2014. It was a collaboration between Yoko Shimomura and the Video Game Orchestra, a group that previously worked with Masashi Hamauzu during the production of the soundtrack of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII.

At Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV, it was revealed a cover of "Stand By Me" by Florence + the Machine would serve as the theme song. On August 12, 2016, a new single was released titled "Songs from Final Fantasy XV." It features "Stand By Me" and two new songs: "Too Much Is Never Enough" and "I Will Be."

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

The Final Fantasy XV: Original Soundtrack was released on December 21, 2016. It can be purchased for ¥3,800, and it features 80 pieces that span four discs. For ¥5,000 the soundtrack can be obtained on Blu-ray.

Other composers for this game include Afrojack, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Tetsuya Shibata, Shota Nakama and Yoshino Aoki. The game also includes tracks that were arranged from Nobuo Uematsu compositions.

The music in the game was arranged by Yoko Shimomura, Afrojack, Kaoru Wada, Yoshitaka Suzuki, John Graham, Tetsuya Shibata, Shota Nakama, Mitsuhiro Ohta, Naoki Masumoto, Sachiko Miyano, Yoshino Aoki and Nicolas Alvarez.

Final Fantasy XV Original Soundtrack Volume 2 will be released March 21, 2018.The blu-ray runs 6,300 yen +tax and the CD runs 4,300 yen + tax. This soundtrack comes in both CD and Blu-ray format, and will include songs from Final Fantasy XV’s downloadable content, such as Episode Prompto and Comrades. The blu-ray version will also include a video recording of the live Final Fantasy XV piano performance in Osaka from 2017. The music in the game was Composed by by Yoko Shimomura, Keiichi Okabe, Naoshi Mizuta, Nobuo Uematsu, Yasunori Mitsuda, Tetsuya Shibata, Yoshino Aoki, Yoshitaka Suzuki, Tadayoshi Makino, Tsutomu Narita, Tomomichi Takeoka and Tai Tomisawa and Arranged by Takuro Iga and Mariam Abounnasr.

Development
Final Fantasy XV was originally titled "Final Fantasy Versus XIII." The game was directed by Tetsuya Nomura, part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series, and intended to be playable on the PlayStation 3. When Final Fantasy Versus XIII was rebranded, its development team was reorganized. At E3 2013, it was announced the game, now called Final Fantasy XV, would be for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It operated on a new engine, and Hajime Tabata became its director. When these changes took effect, Final Fantasy Versus XIII was approximately 25% complete. Given its new title, Square Enix had to decide how to preserve as many elements of the game as possible.

Final Fantasy XV operates using Square Enix's Luminous Studio engine. The game is meant to be a "fantasy based on reality," thus its look is derived primarily from present-day Earth. To design a more corporeal world, Square Enix looked to Final Fantasy VIII for inspiration; it added more fantastical elements to the conclusion of Final Fantasy XV in a similar fashion to Final Fantasy VII. During the development Square Enix staff went on trips in small groups. They explored caves, visited a zoo, and climbed mountains for research purposes. Creating a realistic fantasy proved challenging for developers, but they were able to get further inspiration from the depiction of 2015 from the film Back to the Future II. This enabled staff to create locations that were both familiar and unfamiliar. Many of Square Enix's resources had to be allocated or outsourced; the company allowed the architecture surrounding its office in Kyoto to influence that which appears in Final Fantasy XV.

The original scenario of Final Fantasy XV was written by Kazushige Nojima back when the game was still known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. This served as the basis of its new story, which is a "road trip adventure" focusing on brotherhood.

Square Enix aimed for Final Fantasy XV to be multi-regional; it was revealed on March 23, 2016 that the game would be the first in Final Fantasy history to be localized into Latin American Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese. In addition to the standard Japanese and English, Final Fantasy XV was also dubbed in German and French.

On March 30, 2016, Square Enix hosted a promotional event called Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV where the company revealed the Final Fantasy XV Universe sub-franchise, as well as the initial release date of Final Fantasy XV: September 30, 2016. The game was later delayed until November 29.

Square Enix had been considering a PC port of Final Fantasy XV since before the game launched for consoles. In October, 2016, Hajime Tabata stated this would need to be better than the console versions of Final Fantasy XV, and it would take over a year to develop because Square Enix must adapt the game's engine. At Gamescom 2017, it was announced that the game would be coming to PC as Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition in early 2018.

Sequels
At E3 2013, Tetsuya Nomura discussed the possibility of Final Fantasy XV having sequels:

In a later interview at Japan Expo 2013, Nomura was more cautious when asked about this subject:

In an issue of Game Informer released on April 5, 2015 that focused on Final Fantasy XV, Hajime Tabata stated there are no plans to create sequels to the game.

In March, 2016 at Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV, the Final Fantasy XV Universe sub-franchise was revealed. Square Enix has stated its purpose is to "expand the story and world of Final Fantasy XV to other media," as well as to eliminate the necessity for sequels.

Original
Final Fantasy XV was originally slated for release on September 30, 2016, but was delayed until November 29. The original date was leaked before Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV, at which it was subsequently revealed by Square Enix. According to Hajime Tabata, September 30 was chosen as the initial release date of Final Fantasy XV when he became the game's director in December, 2013. On November 17, 2016, retailers in Peru began selling Final Fantasy XV twelve days in advance.

For $59.99, players could purchase the "Day One Edition" of Final Fantasy XV, which included the downloadable weapon "Masamune." Pre-order incentives for Xbox One users included the Noctis Special Outfit and a Carbuncle pet for the Xbox's avatar feature. Those with a PlayStation 4 could obtain a dynamic theme. The digital version of the "Day One Edition" was available for purchase until January 9, 2017.

For $89.99, players can purchase the "Deluxe Edition" of Final Fantasy XV, which includes Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV on Blu-ray and is packaged in a steelbook decorated with artwork by Yoshitaka Amano. Those who buy this version of Final Fantasy XV can also obtain the "Royal Raiment" costume for Noctis, "Masamune," and the Regalia's "Platinum Leviathan" skin.

30,000 players were able to purchase the "Ultimate Collector's Edition" of Final Fantasy XV for $269.99; this was exclusive to the Square Enix Online Store and included Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV and Brotherhood Final Fantasy XV on Blu-ray, a special soundtrack, a Play Arts Kai Noctis figurine, a 192-page art book, "Royal Raiment," "Masamune," and "Platinum Leviathan." Those who bought this version of Final Fantasy XV also received the "Travel Pack," "Camera Kit," "Angler Set," and "Gourmand Set." Given the demand for these units, Square Enix made an additional 10,000 units available, but restricted them to one copy per person.

American Express appears in Final Fantasy XV as a form of product placement. Those in Japan who obtained a new American Express Gold card or Business Gold Card before August 31, 2016 were able to receive a copy of Final Fantasy XV; the first 100 of these customers were also given a Play Arts Kai Noctis figurine. People who spent over ¥150,000 within three months were rewarded with a ¥10,000 gift card that featured one of five Final Fantasy XV-related designs.

A special PlayStation 4 Slim has been released in honor of Final Fantasy XV. It depicts the moon. Currently, there are no plans to do this with the PlayStation 4 Pro.

PlayStation 4 Pro support
As of version 1.05, the game supports the PlayStation 4 Pro. It features two new settings named "Lite Mode", which increases the frame rate to 60FPS, and "High Mode", which upscales the visuals to ultra HD 4K resolution.

Downloadable content
By purchasing a Season Pass, players can access downloadable content. Anyone who purchases this obtains the Gourmand Set, as well as guaranteed access to the following:
 * "Holiday Pack" (Free version available)
 * "Booster Pack" (Free version available)
 * "Episode Gladiolus"
 * "Episode Prompto"
 * "Episode Ignis"
 * "Multiplayer Expansion: Comrades"

The Holiday Pack was released on December 22, 2016. It contains a new outfit for Noctis, "Mog Choco T-Shirt," and carnival tickets that allow access to a special event held between January 24 and February 20, 2017. The Season Pass grants access to the Holiday Pack+, which features exclusive items and a second outfit for Noctis, "Carnival Style." All downloaded items are automatically added to the player's inventory upon installation, but the outfits can only be obtained during the event.

On January 24, 2017, all of the game's pre-order DLC was made available for purchase via the PlayStation Store and Xbox Live.

The Booster Pack was available on February 6, 2017, along with a Booster Pack+ version for players who purchased the Season Pass. Episode Gladiolus released on March 28, 2017, Episode Prompto released in June 27, 2017, and Episode Ignis was released on December 13, 2017.

Patches
Final Fantasy XV has been updated with various patches since its release, adding new weapons, DLC and story scenes, as well as various quality of life improvements and bug fixes.

Royal Edition
A release date for Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition with features was announced January 15, 2018, to be released on March 6, 2018, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, on the same date as Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition. Owners of the original release will be able to purchase a Final Fantasy XV Royal Pack to also access these features. The announced features are:


 * Insomnia City Ruins – A new dungeon based on the city of Insomnia with new sidequests featuring enemies such as Cerberus, Omega and the Rulers of Yore.
 * Fully controllable Royal Vessel boat - The boat can be fully controlled to allow players to explore the area between Cape Caem and Altissia, and players can also fish aboard the boat and discover new fishes and dishes.
 * Armiger Unleashed - A new accessory that can activate the Armiger Unleashed ability, which allows players to unleash powerful attacks when Armiger is summoned. Players can access the accessory in an unidentified part of the world once all royal arms are found.
 * First-person camera mode.
 * All previously available downloadable content from the season pass, and more than a dozen pieces of downloadable content including weapons, Regalia car skins, and item sets
 * Archive - players can review the "Cosmogony" stories scattered throughout the world. Additional local myths and legends will also be placed in many new locations, allowing players to obtain learn more about the world.
 * Regalia Type-D - Quests to obtain and upgrade the truck form of the Regalia.
 * New achievements and trophies.

Windows Edition
Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition is due for release in March 6, 2018. It started development in 2017. Alongside all content from the Royal Edition, and support for 4K resolution and HDR, Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition supports up to 8K resolution, Dolby Atmos sound, and a laundry list of Nvidia's GameWorks enhancements, including Nvidia Flow for dynamic fluids, fire, and smoke; HairWorks for more realistic hair, and fur; Nvidia ShadowWorks, a combination of soft shadows and ambient occlusion for more realistic shadows; Nvidia Turf Effects for dynamic grass and vegetation; and Nvidia VXAO, another form of ambient occlusion that assists with lighting.

The Final Fantasy XV team considers the libraries Nvidia provides with that for GeForce the best fit for creating the visuals and realize the vision of what they want for Final Fantasy XV. Thus, Square Enix approached Nvidia and asked them to help out on the PC version, and Nvidia adapted their tools and systems for them.

Square Enix will be allowing user-generated content and will provide a level editor so players can create their own quests. As far as other mods go, the team will look at how the PC audience reacts to the Windows Edition with these and how many of them actually engage with it. Depending on that, the team might start thinking about what to contribute or what other tool sets to provide. The team has some concerns at how "extreme people might take the mods" and hope people would take advantage of it in good taste.

The Windows Edition will feature a first-person mode, as Director Hajime Tabata is hoping to broaden the game's appeal beyond its typical RPG audience. In October 2017, the team has reached about 50 per cent completion on this mode, but it's been well-received among those in the development team. In providing this mode, the team needed to make large adjustments, like the player character's VFX, displayed animations and camera movement.

According to Tabata developing a PC version has been easy compared to the console release, which required reconstruction from the start for both the game and the engine. In a global PC market, games need to be played on a wide range of specs, but as of October 2017, Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition is at the high end of these settings. The team is in the process of pushing things out on a lower spec. Because PC represents the smallest of the game platforms in Japan, the team doesn't expect to see a similar performance to the console version.

System requirements
A DVD-ROM Drive (one-sided 1 layer / 2 layer) is required. The game is compatible with gamepad but is not required.

Nintendo Switch
Square Enix is looking to port Final Fantasy XV to Nintendo Switch. Technical tests to see if the same native engine used on other console versions would work on the Switch were unsatisfactory, and the team is looking at customizing the engine. Square Enix is talking to Epic (who own the Unreal environment) about a possible partnership.

Critical reception
Final Fantasy XV received generally positive reviews, though its review scores were lower than usual for main series entries. The game was praised for the portrayal of the friendship between the main characters, expansive open world, with criticism directed to its storytelling and to the second half of the story that felt flawed.

A key point of praise was the relationship between the four main characters. Polygon described them as the "most well-drawn, fully-developed characters in Final Fantasy history", while Game Informer credited the "smart (and often funny) dialogue" as well as for their interests being sewn into the gameplay and story. IGN also praised how the game turns every aspect of the travel through its open world "into an opportunity to showcase their personalities". However, GameSpot found it disappointing to see them "relegated to cliched, unbending roles" given that a group of supporting characters in Final Fantasy games "typically has diverse backgrounds and curious personalities".

Many critics praised the open world and the gameplay. IGN posited the game is "constantly and thoroughly beautiful", and never compromises in "scale or detail", while Polygon felt that the "world of Lucis is so interesting, so detailed and begging to be explored" that excuses to travel were "welcomed". GameSpot claimed that the combat system made for "a satisfying juggling act once you understand the game's demanding pace and the extent of your abilities", while IGN felt that the mechanics of battle were "sadly quite thin".

Critics criticized the story, particularly for the second, linear act. Polygon felt it was as if "developers had to scale back the size of the open world and the scope of the game's plot, and squeeze everything into half the time intended". It concluded that with regards to the side characters and pacing, the game "doesn't have all the time it needs to get things done" despite being a "60-plus hour game". IGN claimed that the game felt like two games, "one for seasoned adventurers with wanderlust in their heart, and another for people who want tight levels and scripted action scenes", calling it a "shame" that the story "washes its hands of the open world for most of its second half". GameSpot called the story "shallow", and stated that the endgame gameplay moments would be remembered best when the game "runs its course".

The development team is aware of the feedback of the game feeling unfinished, and this has been said to be the biggest issue for them. Though there was not enough time to include everything the developers had wanted to, and though they would have preferred to put these things in the main story, the team plans to keep including the parts that have been left out via updates and DLCs. Because it takes time and money, the team will prioritize the things with strong demand.

Director Hajime Tabata has lamented that the main game has certain aspects that lack explanation. He denied the scattered nature of the final story had to with salvaging the Final Fantasy Versus XIII project, and instead simply said that creating a grand adventure on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One is a hard task to accomplish, and that the team may have lacked the strength, or abilities and skills to perfectly complete the game. He stressed he and his team don't consider the end result a low achievement, and are proud of the game regardless. One of the goals through downloadable content—which will continue for an indeterminate time to come—is to patch plot holes and give players a better understanding of the game's story.

Accolades
PlayStation Blog awarded Final Fantasy XV for Best PS4 Game, Best Use of Pro, Best Soundtrack, and Best Visuals.

Final Fantasy XV won Game of the Year from GameFAQs, Best RPG and Best Soundtrack from IGN, and Best Cast from Game Informer.

At the 2017 National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers Awards, the game won "Game, Franchise Role Playing" and "Song, Original or Adapted", while being nominated for "Art Direction, Fantasy", "Camera Direction In A Game Engine" and "Performance In A Drama, Supporting" (for Amy Shiels as Lunafreya).

Commercial performance
Speaking with European press after Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV, Hajime Tabata stated Final Fantasy XV should sell 10,000,000 copies "to be a success". He then clarified to Famitsu this being merely his team's ultimate goal, and not the point where the game turns a profit. As of January 2018, the game has sold over seven million copies and is considered a "huge success".

A half-hour after they were made available for pre-order, the 30,000 copies of Final Fantasy XV Ultimate Collector's Edition were sold out. 10,000 more copies were produced, and they went on sale May 23, 2016. When the next batch of Final Fantasy XV Ultimate Collector's Editions was made available in Europe, they were immediately sold out.

During an Active Time Report on April 21, 2016, it was announced Final Fantasy XV pre-orders were doing better in Japan than expected. The next month, Square Enix CEO Yosuke Matsuda stated his company expected Final Fantasy XV to be its biggest FY2017/3 title, as it had already racked up an impressive amount 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. The game recouped its development costs in the first 24 hours of its release.

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. Final Fantasy XV had the best console launch month in the US for the franchise. It was the best-selling title on PlayStation 4 for the month and the second best selling title for December overall. On 10th January 2017 Square Enix publicized the game had shipped and sold digitally over six million units. In September 2017, Tabata said they had sold over 6.5 million units. In January 2018, president of Famitsu Hirokazu Hamamura mentioned that he had heard the game had sold seven million copies, which he considered a "huge success".

Packaging artwork
Physical copies of Final Fantasy XV have reversible covers. One side features the game's logo on a plain background, while the other hosts a picture. The Royal Edition cover is reversible in the EU region, with Noctis's face on the regular cover and the Yoshitaka Amano artwork on the other side.

At E3 2016, the cover for North American versions of Final Fantasy XV was revealed. This was changed slightly upon release, and it was revealed Mat Kishimoto, the Senior Product Marketing Manager at Square Enix America, sent over 50 concepts for the cover artwork to the Business Division 2 art team for feedback before the final design was chosen. Takeshi Nozue, the director of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, also gave advice during this process.

Demos
A live demo titled Final Fantasy XV: The Overture was featured at Tokyo Game Show in 2014. Another demo, Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae, was made available to those who purchased Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. This was available for a limited time and upgraded a short time later to Final Fantasy XV Episode Duscae 2.0.

Square Enix had planned a free version of Final Fantasy XV: The Overture. It later revealed Platinum Demo – Final Fantasy XV at the Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event in March, 2016. This featured an updated battle system, and it was made available until March 31, 2017 due to fan demand.

Throughout 2016, fans had other opportunities to try Final Fantasy XV. That summer at E3, they were able to battle the Astral Titan in the exclusive Trial of Titan demo. During an Active Time Report on November 10, 2016, Final Fantasy XV Judgment Disc was announced. Set for release on November 11, this demo allowed players to experience a portion of the first chapter of Final Fantasy XV. It was promised bugs found in Final Fantasy XV Judgment Disc would be fixed.

Voice cast
Scheduling conflicts and costs prevented the cast of Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV from reprising its roles in Final Fantasy XV.

Allusions
Final Fantasy XV has many allusions to the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series, the numbers 13 and 15, other Final Fantasy games, real-world locations and products, popular culture and folklore and mythologies.

Trivia

 * Final Fantasy XV is the first main-series Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy IX to feature a party comprised of four characters.
 * Final Fantasy XV was released around the same time as the CW Invasion crossover arc. As a result, commercials for the game aired between episodes of Supergirl, The Flash, Arrow, and Legends of Tomorrow.