Tomorrow is kind of a big deal for me.
A tiny, insignificant game by the name of Final Fantasy XV launches for Playstation 4 and Xbox One. This game has been in development for 10 years. 10 YEARS. Wrap your brain substance around that reality. That’s a decade of uncertain waiting. 10 years of “Is this game cancelled or not?” and “I hope they don’t break my childhood dreams.” A lot has changed since 2006. I could go into all the details, but I won’t bore you. Instead, let’s jump into what Final Fantasy means to me and what I hope to get out of this game.
Mood: Boy band member.
Fantasee What I Did There?
You’re laughing now…
My first game in the series was Final Fantasy X. I had known about Final Fantasy for years, but never got around to playing any of them. I knew the music was amazing and that they were critically acclaimed, but what really made these games so special? So I dove into FFX like a glutton into a pool of dark chocolate. I found that there was more than just chocolate. There were all types of candy in this metaphorical pool of diabetes. It was so good, I came back to the “meal” several years later and did it all again. Everything about FFX captivated me. The story was emotional; the characters were quirky; the game had full voice acting; I fell in love with Nobuo Uematsu’s compositions; the game was just fun. I decided to take a backwards journey into Final Fantasy’s past.
A Taste of History
They’ve still got Chocobos in XV.
I tried out Final Fantasy I, III, VI, and VII and didn’t beat any of them (still working on VI). What did I learn? I don’t know if I learned anything necessarily useful, but I did come to realize why people loved Final Fantasy so deeply. Everything about the games was meaningfully crafted. My biggest takeaway was that these games were art. These games made me feel like humans could do some good once in a while. Then Final Fantasy XIII launched and let’s just forget I even mentioned that game. Cool? Cool.
Then There Were XV
Those graphics tho.
I’ve seen and read enough about FFXV to know that I’m going to enjoy the game. I just don’t know if it’s going to be worth the wait that I was put through so cruelly. Few things could justify a 10-year waiting period. The game may not live up to the amount of hype that’s been built up for it, but that’s okay. I think. It seems to be doing quite well with the critics, but is that really what matters? What I really want is to finally toss this game into my console and immerse myself in fantastical Japanese-meets-western-mania. I just want to play a Final Fantasy that is special in its own right. At the same time, give me Chocobos or give me death. Preferably Chocobos. Lots of Chocobos.
Nathanael Hueso 