Prima Game of the Week | Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition

Why You Should Play

• Lengthy single-player campaign.
• Action-oriented combat in a Final Fantasy setting.
• A plethora of side quests and activities to take on.
• New first-person mode for a unique Final Fantasy experience.

Final Fantasy XV is not a new game. In fact, it first started development over a decade ago as Final Fantasy Versus XIII. However, when it released in late 2016 it quickly became one of the best selling games in the entire Final Fantasy franchise. While some people yearn for Square Enix to release another turn-based main line Final Fantasy game, the company is instead looking forward and providing gamers with a more action-oriented take on the franchise. Final Fantasy XV becoming a massive success seems to indicate Square was on the right track, and with the recent PC release and Royal Edition, there’s no telling when Final Fantasy XV fever will end.

Gameplay

Taking an additional step away from turn-based gameplay, Final Fantasy XV is essentially an action game set in the Final Fantasy world. While it’s possible to slow things down briefly, this feature acts more like a limited Active Time Battle system than anything close to turn-based. Luckily, that’s what modern day gamers want, with Noctis and his crew flying all over the screen, taking down enemies in epic battles that look closer to something out of Nier: Automata than a classic RPG.

The Royal Edition update adds the ability to play Final Fantasy XV with a first-person viewpoint. While it’s rare to find RPGs in first-person these days, it adds a unique experience to Final Fantasy XV. Walking around the world of Final Fantasy XV and interacting with Noctis’ buddies and various NPCs takes on a whole new level of realism and fun when you’re doing it in first-person mode. Even walking around dungeons becomes a new, sometimes terrifying experience, as bosses now look massive from a first-person perspective.

Visuals and Performance

Final Fantasy XV may have started development over a decade ago, but it’s easily one of the best looking games in the series. Very little can come close to how good Final Fantasy XV looks. Classic monsters of the Final Fantasy series come to life as huge, highly detailed enemies in Final Fantasy XV. In addition, the weapon effects when Noctis attacks are always flashy and impressive, whether you’re a combat expert or don’t know what you’re doing.

Performance on the PC version is solid, although it does require a decent gaming PC to run well. This should be no surprise given how good the game looks, but the game runs very well on the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X as well as the standard versions of these consoles. Square has discussed a potential Nintendo Switch version and has been actively trying to make the game work on the new hardware. This means the engine is at least somewhat scalable, and it shows with the new PC version.

Game of the Week

As one of the best selling games in the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy XV is a sight to behold. While the full departure from a turn-based system may have some fans yearning for the days of old, modern gamers are extremely happy with the action-oriented combat Square Enix has on display here. With the added first-person mode in the Royal Edition, and the recent PC release, Final Fantasy XV is here to stay and one of the better entries in the long-running series. That’s why Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition is our Prima Game of the Week!

If you’re just now getting around to Final Fantasy XV or picking up the PC version for a fresh play through, check out our Final Fantasy XV game hub for a ton of content to get you through some of the more arduous portions of the game!