Final Fantasy XV

I just noticed something watching both trailers again for the 2nd time, wonder if anyone else did and if so what do you think about it?


In the first video you're watching the developers play as Noctis, running through the halls and hiding behind the corner taking cover.

In the second video you're watching the developers play as Prompto, hiding behind a cabinet.

Now, the UI doesn't change for either character, the party list is still the same order, the weapon slots don't change. Everything is the same except you have two separate point of views in each trailer.

What does this suggest? Possible story Co-op with a friend? Or you can choose who to play in the mission? I'd like to hear what everyone else thinks.

Final Fantasy XV's director on art, the modern setting and crazy hair
by Devin ColdeweyJune 13, 2013

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The surprise announcement of "Final Fantasy XV" at Monday's Sony press conference at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles showed a somber tone, a modern-world setting and a huge break from the franchise's trademark turn-based combat. We sat down with the game's director and character designer, Tetsuya Nomura, to hear all about Square-Enix's next big role-playing game. A translator helped during the interview.


Question: Some say that the "Final Fantasy" games are getting too modern for a game with "fantasy" in its name — but of course, tech and magic have always been at odds in the series. How do you see it?

Tetsuya Nomura: I don't like the extreme cases of tech or magic. If I choose, I choose a modern setting — but that's not a good setting for a game. So if you look at "FFXV," it starts in a very modern world similar to Shinjuku (in downtown Tokyo), but when the story starts, you go to the medieval world — but the weapons they are using are high tech-weapons; that kind of combo is what I like.


In all "FF" titles in the past, there were no titles in extreme high or low fantasy, they always had a mixture. There was some weight on one side or the other, but it was always mixed. Personally, when I play games, I cannot be emotionally involved if the game starts in an imaginary fantasy world — so I want to start in the modern world and branch out into the fantasy.


Question: Does character design have a big effect on gameplay, or is it the other way around? Do level designers say "We need an ice monster" and you comply, or can you also say "This character I've made should definitely use a spear"?

Tetsuya Nomura: When I design the "silhouette" (i.e. general outline) I make suggestions such as "this character should carry something long on his back." Before, I used to design weapons as well, but now I only design characters. It was until "FFX" that I was doing weapons — if you remember the Buster Sword and Gunsword, those were suggested back to the developer teams and they used them in gameplay.

It was until "FF8" that I designed monsters. If you look at the trailer for "FFXV," the behemoth and giants were originally designed for "FF7" and "FF8" by me; they were redesigned for "XV."


Question: Where does character inspiration come from? Modern fashion, history books or does it just spring into your head?

Tetsuya Nomura: It's not like I'm always thinking about character design. When I receive orders, I start imagining things. The image of that character, the "silhouette," comes into my mind, and from that I start thinking of details. In the past I would probably flip through the pages of fashion magazines, now I look through the Web pages of my favorite brands.



Question: On that note, and this might sound a little silly, but hair has always appeared to be a big part of your character design. Has that become more important as technology enables it?

Tetsuya Nomura: If you look at the real world, you don't see too many extreme hairstyles. That's why characters in games should have unique hairstyles. It's just one way to showcase each character's personality. We do have to deform some realistic hairstyles to more game-appropriate styles.

Sometimes I wish we had the easiness Western FPS (first-person shooters) have, to make everyone bald. We're a company that's known for unique hairstyles, but in a way we're running out of ideas.


Question: Are there any artists or games in particular that have inspired you or that fans should check out?


Tetsuya Nomura: The reason I joined Square was because I loved Amano-san's art (Yoshitaka Amano, who has done "FF" logos and design since the beginning). When I was in high school, my art teacher told me about Amano-san. I really only joined because of him; I wasn't interested in the gaming world at all. In a way, it was him who hired me, and whom I respect the most.

I was going to get a PS4 no matter what, but FF15 makes me want one right now.

Epic trailers

Lymle from Star Ocean was worse than Sarah (not by much tho..)

kay?

My thoughts are that you can switch between different characters on the fly, much like FFXII. You pick a party leader at first, set up the rest of your party members' behaviors and then if you need to do something manually from one of the other characters in your party you can switch to them with the click of a button and do what you need to do.

Was just as bad in Japanese @.@

dont have the international version to test that theory out. So only going on the NA release

I don't understand why everyone hated Sarah and Lymle so much. I personally liked them both, and they never annoyed me. In fact, I could say I liked Edge less than them sometimes, like for example, after the story part about a certain planet, he became real annoying, and emo as hell for a while. But I still liked him other than that.

Overall I thought Star Ocean: The last Hope was an awesome game. Being a big fan of The second Story, and Till the End of Time, I was glad to see them bring back some of the magic from those games. My only gripes I had with the game was the shortness of the main story, and the way Edge moved on the map, ugh, so annoying.

‘Final Fantasy XV’ PS4 and Xbox One online multiplayer mode hinted
by SHUI TAJune 14, 2013

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Tetsuya Nomura has hinted that the upcoming PS4 and Xbox One video game, “Final Fantasy XV,” will come with some sort of online multiplayer mode. According to a report from Siliconera on June 12, the game director mentioned that online features are needed to extend the playtime of the action role-playing title. Adding multiplayer will also “keep the story and anticipation going.” As a result, he revealed that they are currently looking at several options.

Opinion:
Final Fantasy XV and Change
by Trent SeelyJune 18, 2013

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I want you to stop for a second and think about your favourite entry in the Final Fantasy franchise. Why exactly did you like that game? Sure, you likely enjoyed the gameplay mechanics (or at least tolerated them), but what made the experience feel truly engrossing for you? Most people don't play Final Fantasy games because they have the best battle systems or gameplay mechanics. In fact, I find that many more conversation regarding an entry's quality are focused more on their narratives, main characters, themes, music, and overall presentation. I'd argue that very few of us come back exclusively for the gameplay. Because of this, I'd also argue that Final Fantasy XV could still be a strong series entry even if it doesn't feature command selection and other RPG elements.

When Final Fantasy XV was revealed, a number of gamers were surprised. It was apparent that many individuals had written Final Fantasy Versus XIII off as vapourware, and didn't expect the long-in-development title to ever see the light of day — certainly not as a main series entry. The news brought with it a tremendous amount of internet hype, as all major announcements do, and several notable industry spectators were quick to take the edge off this news for several of the practical reasons I listed in my previous editorial: a tremendously long development cycle, the perception of Versus XIII as being a "spin-off" or "gaiden," and a pre-existing disappointment with the Fabula Nova Crystallis chronicles. However, it was clear after the hype dust had settled that the larger story was the new action-oriented approach. I can honestly say that issues stemming from Final Fantasy XV's action-oriented approach never crossed my mind. Mostly because they're not rational.

Of the many complaints which can be levied against this yet-unreleased title, "It looks like the genre has changed to that of an Action RPG or Action title, which means that all future Final Fantasy entries will probably be as well" holds the least ground. To begin, how much footage of Final Fantasy XV have any of us seen, really? As of the posting of this editorial, there has been a 4:14 minute announcement trailer and another video featuring 3:48 minutes worth of "suggested gameplay" (which likely means that gameplay is subject to change and/or that we haven't seen all gameplay mechanics). Not even ten whole minutes of Final Fantasy XV have been shown and the many denizens of the internet have already decided that Final Fantasy XV (a) is an Action game and therefore any RPG elements will be downplayed, if present at all, and (b) will set a precedent for the rest of the Final Fantasy series. It's possible that these people will be correct on both assertions, but it's simply too early to say for certain. Not only is Final Fantasy XV clearly still in development, but it's kind of hard to make any statement on exactly what the game will be like and what kind of impact it will have before Final Fantasy XV is actually released.

But let's posit for a second that Final Fantasy XV is in fact an Action RPG or even an Action title with only a handful of RPG elements. How would that kind of change affect the entirety of this beloved RPG franchise?

Well, it's not as though this is the first time an entry has come under scrutiny for gameplay design. Final Fantasy XII had a number of detractors upon initial release for being too "MMO-like." Much like the knee-jerk response to Final Fantasy XV's announcement, people saw this gameplay shift, along with the release of Final Fantasy XI, as being a major determinant of where the franchise was "going." Interestingly enough, Final Fantasy XIII featured a return to isolated battle sequences, a lack of open-world roaming, and story-driven pacing, which then prompted numerous complaints of how the series was "going backwards." When it comes to the Final Fantasy series, there seemingly is no way to please everyone. For the most part, this can be attributed to its roots.

Change is and has always been a constant of the franchise. Any series veteran will tell you that no matter how similar a few of the games may look on the outside, each of them sport a number of variances on the inside. The distinctions are clearer in the modern entries, but the series has been subject to formulaic alterations since the beginning. In terms of presentation, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy II, and Final Fantasy III appear to be almost identical. However, Final Fantasy II abandons the traditional character level progression for a use-based system and Final Fantasy III focused more on a diverse job system than it did actual characters or a central narrative. The Super Nintendo Entertainment System releases also seem very similar on the outside, but each feature their own unique flavour on the inside. Final Fantasy IV was a medieval opera, Final Fantasy V focused on a more advanced job system to save the fate of two worlds, and Final Fantasy VI was an ensemble piece set in eras modern, medieval, and post-apocalyptic. The argument that a change in gameplay genre for Final Fantasy XV means a new precedent for further series entries is somewhat nonsensical, considering that Final Fantasy's main selling point is that there is no precedent.

Including direct sequels and spin-offs, the Final Fantasy franchise spans well over thirty titles. There is no way the franchise could have continued for as long as it has or become as massively popular without trying new things. Maybe you'll like those new things when you actually play Final Fantasy XV. Maybe you won't. Only time will tell. While not every new franchise entry can be made to better suit your RPG tastes, the important thing to remember is that some of them already do — and you can enjoy those fantasies whenever you wish.

That Umbrella Guy Looks Awesome, but Is Final Fantasy XV Something New, or Just More of the Same?
by Ethan GachJune 18, 2013

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At this year’s E3, Square Enix announced that what had previously been Final Fantasy Versus XIII was being transformed into the franchise’s next numbered installment: Final Fantasy XV. The trailer Tetsuya Nomura showed off to introduce the new game left many longtime fans of the series, including us, speechless. In what follows Adam Harshberger, Tom Auxier, and I discuss our reactions to the announcement and both of the new trailers Square Enix debuted at the conference.


Ethan: For a few moments last night I actually felt like a kid again, as if watching the trailers of Final Fantasy VII and VIII for the first time. Let’s not beat around the bush: Final Fantasy XIII hurt a lot. The original Playstation gave us three Final Fantasy titles while it’s most recent successor only gave us one, and a tragically tortured one at that. So I’ve been in Final Fantasy withdraw for–the greater part of a decade now?

Square Enix’s three-plus minute trailer filled that void just enough though to remind me how empty it’d felt before. A beautiful combination of cinematic CGI and actual gameplay, Final Fantasy XV looked so real and tangible I wanted to reach out through my computer screen and grab it while laughing maniacally. Adam and Tom, before we go deeper into everything we saw in the trailer I want to leave you with my favorite moment and the one that’s inspired and won me back: the umbrella man. It’s dark and weird and ominously ridiculous–Kuja crossed with Kefka if he were born in Midgard.


Adam: It’s funny you said that, Ethan – I felt the same exact way. I planned on opening my first response by talking about that. And I’m still going to.

Man, did that feel good. I had some friends over for the presentation last night; we played Dominion, drink beers, sat around, and watched what Sony had to say. It was my turn in Dominion when the Final Fantasy XV trailer came on, and as soon as it started I knew I had to put my cards down and watch. I was enraptured. I was saying the most hopelessly fanboy-ish things in my head the whole time, and when they showed the combat – that crazy, spastic combat – I about ***myself.

The entire feel of the trailer – huge, sprawling, but decidedly morose and grim – has me excited. The game looks to have a mood and a tone, which I always thought the PS1-era Final Fantasy games (and FFVI, of course) were very good at. It’s a welcome break from the sleek, overly-immaculate sterility of FFXIII.

“Also the old man sticks his tongue out and it’s very sentimental and nice, though also kinda weird and creepy. Exactly what you want from Final Fantasy.”

It reminded me of how it felt to have Square Enix capture my imagination again. I was a kid looking at his first Final Fantasy IX screens on the internet and being overwhelmed with wonder. And Ethan! That umbrella guy! You’re right. Something about him was so sinister, in a distinctly Final Fantasy way. He seems like a villain it’d be fun to go up against and hate – like Kefka or Sephiroth. An iconic, memorable enemy that has personality beyond just wanting to end you and everything else.

I’m assuming he’s the villain, by the way, though honestly I have no *** clue.



Here’s two things that I thought were really interesting that I’d love to hear you thoughts on, Tom.

1. There’s a scene at at minute into the trailer which got me excited beyond just blind FF fanboyism. A young boy and a middle-aged man are sitting at a dinner table, alone. It’s a very grandiose setting, but everything seems very sad, and it’s a curious scene for an E3 AAA trailer: no guns, no gruff philosophizing on war, no death, no nothing. The boy talks about the soup – he doesn’t like it – but the man tells him not to say anything, or he’ll get the chef fired. You can tell, from the setting, these are too important, ruling-class-type people. It’s a quick and very sad reflection on positions of power and the unseen responsibilities that accompany them. That’s like … a topic. That’s a thing you can say stuff about. I was very happy to see it, a portent of something like depth, in that trailer.

Also the old man sticks his tongue out and it’s very sentimental and nice, though also kinda weird and creepy. Exactly what you want from Final Fantasy.

2. Around 1:51, in the midst of the combat footage. I have absolutely zero reservations about SE going the action route. It looks like all the hallmarks are there, regardless – but what really got me was this moment were you see one of your party members (or allies, whatever) in battle. He yells something at the main character. There’s something about this that’s very visceral, I think: imagine seeing Barrett or Zell absolutely kicking *** in a gloriously high-fidelity battle. Imagine them yelling out to you. Imagine how that’d feel. That little sequence screams Final Fantasy to me – that it’s you and your team against an insurmountable evil. I’m happy to see the idea of conserving a “party” throughout the action combat is important to SE. It wouldn’t feel like Final Fantasy if you flew it alone.


Tom: You’re right to think I’d zoom in on the soup scene. The soup scene was what I love about Japanese games.

I mean, look at what it’s surrounded with. Videogames are full of violent people grandstanding. This trailer, everything else in it, definitely fit that. Final Fantasy XIII had that in spades, too. It had its occasional quiet moments, but they felt aggro. They felt like Square telling us holy ***, look, these two are in love and flying around in fireworks, or goddamn Lightning is really sad, but here she comes again. She’s gonna kick ***.


Final Fantasy XV will contain a scene where its protagonist eats soup, and it’s bad soup, and that’ great.

I’ve been writing a piece for a while now about how Japanese RPGs and platformers are so similar. In short: they’re lo-fi ways of expressing huge issues. You can’t make a realistic platformer, because the concept is just so alien to reality. It’s the same with Japanese RPGs: if you’re teleporting away from reality to fight battles every so often, it’s not really real, is it? It’s just videogames.


And the thing about the Final Fantasy’s of our youth is, it’s that they felt real. They felt genuine. We filled in the blanks the games left us. Then, sometime, the blanks went away. They were left with awkward scenes–Tidus laughing, Vaan pouting, Lightning crashing–we couldn’t reconcile with reality. Final Fantasy XV seems to take out the concept of our battles being different from our reality, and that’d be a great thing. Maybe it’s not a Japanese Role Playing Game anymore, but maybe it’s something better.

Here’s another thing: the people in XIII looked like cartoon characters. These guys look like dudes I could know. I mean, sure, dude has an umbrella, but he’s stylized, not obviously a cartoon. He’s acting like he exists in a world that exists outside of the bounds of the game, which is what we need. I got that sense in the hugely underrated XIII-2, which felt like a real *** videogame. It was silly–I mean, you eventually meet Snow in the far future where he’s fighting a war against a sentient evil plant–but it felt believable. And I want them to sell me my absurd, insane reality, and not force me to buy it wholesale.

Then again, I can talk myself into any Final Fantasy game.

Ethan: Guess we’re on a different wave length when it comes to Soup! It was cute, sort of endearing, but felt to me like XV’s analog to this glorious moment from X.

I definitely agree with what you said Adam about the gritty feel to the mood on screen. something in the mix of medieval and punk made the game seem whimsical and foreboding. It’s got classically influenced airships but also mud crusted jackboots left behind at the Salvation Army and technology crossed with magical crystals.

Somehow the older Final Fantasies made these seemingly incongruous styles work well together–something that was lost when the franchise made the jump onto the Playstation 2 with Final Fantasy X I think. After a series of pop-influenced sequels like X-2, XIII, XIII-2, and XIII-3 though, it looks like Square Enix rediscovered some of that Je ne sais quoi that made older titles feel both distinct and familiar.


I’ll be honest, as much as people Love Final Fantasy IX and IV, the game’s original take on D&D roleplaying never did a whole lot for me. While I liked going to the underworld to swap Adamantium with the dwarves, and Alexandria may be my favorite Final Fantasy city to date, the naturalistic romanticism (old-school knights, princesses, and magical forest) of those titles left me underwhelmed.

Instead, my Golden Age begins with VI and ends with VIII. That trio of entries forced together elements of punk, dystopic futurism, and militaristic, industrialized knighthood that still blows me away to this day. The juxtaposition in the trailer between the upper and lower classes, what’s up in the sky with who’s down on the ground, and the colorful baroque interiors with the muted costumes of the main characters just knocks me off my feet–and I barely have any idea what the game is even about yet!

Many will chide Square Enix for losing Versus XIII somewhere back in development hell, but you know what? I couldn’t care less now. That trailer was awesome and I’m psyched now to see what they ultimately deliver.


Adam: I’m gonna zone in on what Tom said – that maybe this is the moment where Final Fantasy stops being a JRPG.


Is that alright? Are we cool with that? I should start by saying that I love ATB combat engines more than anything on this Earth. I love the little drama of it, seeing if your character’s bar will fill up before the boss kills her, the split decision making (Do I go for the kill? Or play it safe and heal this turn?), and somewhere there’s an argument in me that music plays a huge role in turn-based JRPG combat – making it fit the story – and I love that. Some of the most passionate, I’m-gonna-murder-this-*** videogame battles of my life have been within the ATB system, in no small part because Square Enix is brilliant about setting them up as payoffs. If you’ve ever felt your stomach drop as you’re “sucked into a major boss battle, you know what I mean.

But I don’t care if Square Enix needs to ditch that ***to move forward.

First of all, it doesn’t make any sense. Not that most videogames do. But if you’re Trying to Do Some Serious ***In A Modern Videogame, ATBs are not going to help anything. Tom Bissell ain’t gonna do a write-up on Grantland of a turn-based combat game. The bro-shooter crowd ain’t gonna respond to that, either. The blogosphere, I imagine, won’t fall in love with a turn-based game. I hate this term with a passion (I, in fact, hate most terms) but it’s hard to avoid a choking amount of ludonarrative dissonance when your characters fight important battles like they’re a boy scout ceremony.

But more importantly, no one plays Final Fantasy for the combat engine. There’s magic in those old games, and I think a lot of people would agree with that, but most of it isn’t when you’re watching combat happen. Final Fantasy is about the setting, characters, world, plot, that kind of stuff… in a very distinctly videogame way. You aren’t compelled through Final Fantasy games by the hunt for a new level or bigger sword, you’re compelled through the games because you want to see more of this crazy stuff the developers made for you. Final Fantasy XIII, I’d argue, is the one game where the combat was actually more interesting than the story – and it failed utterly because of that. As long FFXV keeps the focus on what we care about, and keeps the combat as a pleasant distraction and a means for emotional payoff, I think we’ll be fine. I don’t want to be fighting constantly – I want to be drinking in the overblown glory of Final Fantasy. I hope Square Enix remembers that.

Tom: Adam, you may have forgotten recent turn based hero simulator X-Com, which everyone loves and whose closest cousin is Final Fantasy Tactics, but I’ll forgive that.

The thing is, turn based games tend to be abstractions, and Final Fantasy after X is pretty much the least abstract game in existence. Final Fantasy VI fought the way it did because it couldn’t do anything more graphically intense while still being as complex as it needed to be. XIII, however, showed us they could render pretty much anything, and they chose to do, basically, a watered down “action” version of the old system.


Why not just do action? Why not be an action game where I can pick statistics? That seems like where they’re going, and I am beyond okay with it. I love classical styled RPGs, too, probably more than you do, Adam, but they’ve had an awkward life after the original Playstation. Final Fantasy X succeeded on nostalgia and a surprisingly competent story. Everything else had a battle system where you punched dudes in the face.


I’m really heartened, watching the gameplay video that came out between the beginning of this talk and now. It looks like the middle point between Kingdom Hearts and the Souls games. Cinematic, but with a weight and purpose behind your actions. It looks less like a battle system and more like *** dudes up, and that’s a marked change. Nobody uses the words “battle system” any more.

So I’m glad they ditched it, and I’m glad they kept the rest. Because–as harsh as I am on FFXIII–I really thought the insane background story had potential. It’s why the soup scene gives me hope, Ethan: XIII had the problem where it was always on. XV might have tonal differences. It might have people being happy, or at least not always maddeningly intense. They might play Blitzball, or Triple Triad, or some other batshit minigame I can obsess over (not Tetra Master). Maybe they’ve remembered how to pace a videogame.

tl;dr: I hope this is Kingdom Hearts minus the silly Disney characters and plus Umbrella Fedora (I hope that’s his name!) and Actual Japanese Police Cars. Because that sounds pretty sweet.


Ethan: Interestingly enough Tom, the shift from “battle systems” to “*** dudes up,” is one of the few things that actually worries me about the upcoming game.


One of the defenses first erected by the creators to shield Final Fantasy XIII from criticism was that it was more akin to a linear FPS than a traditional JRPG. Which was totally correct, and totally logical, seeing how that was and remains the most beloved genre, but also totally resulted in a complete mess.

Watching the E3 gameplay trailer for XV what strikes me is that it’s all about combat. It’s as if the only thing that counts as action and gameplay anymore is “*** dudes up.” Being a badass is great–but being a badass all the time is not. I understand the trailer has to be big and explosive and fast-paced, but I would have liked to see just a few moments of one of the characters walking around a town, or field, or house, maybe buying some items, or hell even riding a chocobo.

XIII didn’t have those things, which was to its detriment. Not because aimlessly wandering around villages and forests necessarily makes everything better, but because building up relationships between the player and the characters and the world takes time, it requires space, and can’t simply survive on cutscenes and behemoth-bashing alone.

The best looking RPG at this E3 was Witcher 3, a game that’s quasi-open world, uses a real-time battle system, and fleshes out it’s story, characters, and worlds through quests and conversations. While I don’t think FFXV should simply try to ape what the West’s been doing (Skyrim, Mass Effect, Witcher, etc.), I do think that there are plenty of examples of how traditional RPG elements can be successfully tweaked and updated.

I’m already in love with the quirky magical realism that XV seems to be born from, now I just need to know that creators won’t try to go any further down the rabbit hole into making Final Fantasy the hack’n slash equivalent of Halo.

Here’s hoping Final Fantasy XV is the phoenix down that puts the series back on its feet again.

Tetsuya Nomura Talks about Final Fantasy XV PC Version, Console Differences, Online, PS Vita Integration
by Giuseppe NelvaJune 19, 2013

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Issue 1281 of the Japanese magazine Weekly Famitsu included an interview with Tetsuya Nomura in which he talked at length about Final Fantasy XV, sharing some juicy bits of information.
First of all, he specified that a PC version of the game is possible but still undecided. The team and the publisher are waiting to see if there will be a demand to play the game with full detail, because at the moment the game requires very expensive top-of-the-line hardware to run.

The game is developed directly on DirectX 11, so it can be implemented directly into each hardware, losing the concept of lead platforms. It isn’t tailored to one console. Since both consoles now use Blu-Ray, and optimization still hasn’t been done, it’s still too early to say if there’ll be any difference in performance.
(Editor’s Note: I wonder if the Blu-Ray bit is an implicit admission that the lack of Blu-Ray on Xbox 360 did influence the development of Finanl Fantasy XIII as many argued.)

Nomura-san also shared that the team is considering a variety of online features. He thinks that online gameplay is necessary to keep players playing for a long time. PS Vita integration is also possible, alongside smartphones and tablets, but more information about this will be shared at a later time.

At the end of the interview Nomura-san said that he predicts the quality of the game to increase further from what we saw at E3, and we’ll see more at Tokyo Game Show. He promised that, while Japanese development lagged behind during the current generation, he’ll show the world that this won’t be the case with the next.

FFXV PC Undecided, Off-Screen Features Likely
by Tony GarsowJune 19, 2013

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Final Fantasy Versus XIII was re-revealed as Final Fantasy XV just over a week ago, and the fallout from the brand-new series number is just beginning to settle. Originally, the game was intended to be on PlayStation 3 alone, but now slated for next-generation consoles, the game will be coming to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. The team cites “several reasons” for the generational leap in this week’s Famitsu. Director Tetsuya Nomura was available, as well as Visual Field Director Takeshi Nozue and co-director Hajime Tabata (Final Fantasy Type-0, Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII).

During his on-air E3 Square Enix Presents interview, director Tetsuya Nomura commented that the game was being developed in a PC environment, and that platforms that best support DirectX 11 will be likely candidates for the game’s appearance. While this may rule out a WiiU debut, it has led some PC fans to wonder if Square Enix will throw a bone their way.

Yoshihisa Hashimoto, Square Enix’s Chief Technology Officer, has lead the charge into the next-generation for the company with the Luminous Engine that will host games such as Final Fantasy XV. A PC version is currently undecided, but “collaborations” with Luminous Studio are planned for the future. The game, as per the team, will require a top of the line (expensive) machine to run. It’s because of this point that they want to see what the “demand” will be from the PC audience (which is your cue to let them know that you want it).

Previously, Final Fantasy games were developed on a “lead console” and ported to other systems such as Final Fantasy XIII. Final Fantasy XI was originally designed to fit within the capabilities of the PlayStation 2 and its hard disk drive, though support outside Japan was dropped when the console’s production eventually ceased. Such is the case with a Final Fantasy XV Xbox One version.

While Sony has touted PlayStation Vita will support Cross-Platform Play with PlayStation 4, Square Enix is considering the handheld for use with Final Fantasy XV. In addition to Vita, tablets and smartphones are on the table for various features.

Combat in Final Fantasy XV is taking a turn for more action as the above gameplay video illustrates. The team has taken a directional shift away from turn-based or time-based (ATB) combat for an entirely new direction. The team commented that one feature being added to the game is the ability to climb onto monsters in battle. A concept similar to this could be seen in the Final Fantasy Versus XIII 2011 trailer when Noctis was able to use combat vehicles (tanks, magitek). Noctis uses a behemoth’s horns to launch himself in the air in the newest gameplay trailer above.

You’ll also be able to switch between the three characters in your party at any time. Noctis, Gladiolus, and Prompto have been featured in footage thusfar, but we have yet to see the return of Ignis in combat or the newly-revealed Cor.

Final Fantasy executive producer Shinji Hashimoto hopes that traditional Final Fantasy fans won’t be disappointed and will embrace the shift away from Active Time Battle (a 22-year old convention) and Square Enix is looking forward to hearing feedback about the action-oriented combat. He also assures us that we will be hearing more about the game soon, and that the “dishonest” days of withholding information about games in development for months is at an end.

Pc version pl0x!

I have to say one of my major concerns atm, so far, is the quality of the english voice actors.

I don't think their voices will match the character designs at all. The more elaborate you get the more they can sound off in english.

This is what I'm most afraid of. Allowing dual audio won't work either since they always sync the lips to either English or Japanese.

And there arent even alot of proper english voice actors anymore. There are "the usual suspects" and even now,some of them have slipped and are becoming "one voice wonders"

Sadly the one I like the least (from his own projections) as a person is still the one with the biggest range,and probably the best voice actor of them all anymore.

On the flip side,if they try go AAA and get famous movie actors,it can backfire equally as bad.

We need to go back to the old school way. Get new,unknown voice talent. Looking at old school disney!

Meh, after reading that interview, I'm worried about the combat system. I don't want a generic hack-n-slash, or anything similar.

Nice jobs posting all the updates on FF15!! I found another thread, an hour long on Kingdom Hearts and FF15

http://kotaku.com/60-minutes-of-tetsuya-nomura-talkin-bout-final-fantas-580172155

Final Fantasy XV official bios including new character
by dFUSEJune 26, 2013

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Final Fantasy XV tells the story of a young king sworn to defend the last crystal in the world from the “hectic order” outside of his kingdom. Here are the main characters bios and story outline.

Story

The only crystal left to the world lies in the Kingdom of Lucis. Upon striking a peace with the garrison state of Niflheim, Lucis rejoices in having at last brought the cold war to a close. Their celebrations, however, are premature. Under the guise of amity, Niflheim dispels the anti-armament runewall and launches a full-scale invasion of the kingdom. The peaceful lives Crown Prince Noctis and his entourage once knew are consumed by the flames of war as they struggle to mount a resistance.

Bios

• Noctis Lucis Caelum: A childhood affliction endowed Noctis, heir apparent to the throne of Lucis, with the mystical power to see a heavenly light, through which he could 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.
  
  

• 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.

Final Fantasy 15 The Characters
by Denis AdvicJune 24, 2013

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After an impressive showcase at E3 2013, now renamed Final Fantasy 15 has many characters that have a lot of mystery behind them. The trailer at E3 displayed not only stunning visuals but very impressive character designs. As of right now all of the characters are a mystery, so we have taken the liberty of doing some research and explaining who each character is, their role, and their choice of weapons.





Name: Noctis Lucis Caelum

Eye Color: Blue, but changes depending on mood.

Hair Color: Dark Brown, changes depending on mood as well.

Weapon: Various Weapons

Personality: Shy, but hides it by acting cool




Noctis Lucis Caelum - Noctis is the main protagonist in Final Fantasy 15 and is the Crown Prince of the Lucis kingdom. Noctis is the son of Regis Lucis Caelum, the king of a mafia like royal family that has protected the crystals for many, many generations. Due to an accident that Noctis suffered during his childhood, he can see the light from the heavens which foreshadows a person’s death, in other words he can foresee a person’s death ( poor Noctis ). Noctis dislikes the strict rules of the kingdom and so he acts as he pleases, causing troubles for himself and his peers. Not an outspoken person, Noctis conceals his shyness with his body language. It is known that he protects his friends no matter what, a true friend he is advertised to be. Noctis has short spiky hair and blue eyes. Although, according to Tetsuya Nomura, his hair and eye color changes depending on his mood and actions in battle. As mentioned earlier, Noctis is shy but conceals it by trying to act cool. Nomura stated that Noctis is not like any other character in the Final Fantasy series, it is one of the characters he wanted to try and use for several years now.




Name: Regis Lucis Caelum

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Gray, but in flashback scenes he has black hair as its his natural hair color.

Weapon: Falchion, unknown other than that.

Personality: Unknown



Regis Lucis Caelum - Regis is the father of Noctis and is the ruler of the last kingdom to control a crystal. Like Noctis his primary weapon is the falchion with an engine attached to its hilt and has the power to manipulate weapons. There is not much known about Regis other than that he is the king and father of Noctis.




Name: Guradiorasu Amishitia

Eye Color: Amber

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Weapon: Bare fisted fighting technique, but he can summon a great sword

Personality: Very Cheerful




Guradiorasu Amishitia - Guradiorasu is like a brother to Noctis, son and heir to a family that has guarded Lucis’ royalties for generations and generations. He is a very powerful man, he stands above everyone else with his superior height, he wears black leather trousers with a small side chain, an open black shirt with nothing but a pendant underneath, a small arm sleeve over his left wrist, and black shoes with red soles. Of course like mentioned above he has amber eyes and a huge scar over his left eye, how he got that scar is not yet revealed. His arms are covered with tattoos, he sports a jaw beard and has long hair that is shaved off along the sides. He is a very cheerful person as he appears to be in the trailers, in the latest trailer he appears to be the group’s senior commander. In the 1st Production Department Premiere trailer, he is heard urging the group to escape from the soldiers invading the city. Guradiorasu is a bare fist fighter but can summon a greatsword to aid him in battle, not somebody I would want to mess with.



Name: Stella Nox Fleuret

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Blonde

Weapon: Stella wields a rapier and upon brandishing it, a large, winged crest forms behind her, she can potentially summon different types of weapons like Noctis.

Personality: Extremely wealthy, honest and very polite.



Stella Nox Fleuret - Stella hails from the Fleuret family from the Kingdom of Tenebrae, she is the only confirmed enemy in Final Fantasy 15. Unlike other female villains Stella is not somebody to be messed with, Stella wields a rapier and upon brandishing it, a large, winged crest forms behind her, similar to how Noctis summons his weapons. It is speculated she can also summon different types of weapons, similar to Noctis. It is speculated that Stella, like Noctis has a special power from a near a death experience when she was younger. Little is known about Stella other than that she meets Noctis at a party, and they share some sort of connection. Nomura said that they do not wish to fight each other but because of some results and unfortunate circumstances in the game, they will be forced to. In the trailer you can clearly see Stella has blonde hair and bright blue eyes, stella wears silver stud earrings, an open short-sleeved white cardigan over a black corset-like top with a frilled black skirt and black knee-high boots. Nomura revealed that Stella is not like any other female character in any of Final Fantasy games, he said Stella will ” stand out “. I’m getting a feeling that Stella is more a kill first then ask questions type of girl, clearly from reading what her weapon is you can tell that she means business.




Name: Ignis Stupeo Scientia

Eye Color: Green

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Weapon: Katana or Nodachi, can toss knives at enemies.

Personality: Composed, serious, and a cool personality.




Ignis Stupeo Scientia - Is a playable character in Final Fantasy 15, he is a close childhood friend of Noctis and Gladilous. He is the acting strategist for the royal family as he is very smart and witty. In the trailers Ignis can be seen driving Noctis around, sort of as a bodyguard to protect him outside of the kingdom. Ignis follows a similar fashion style to Noctis, wearing black leather jackets. He wears glasses and has short, dark brown hair swept up. Ignis received a special education for gifted children to work as a staff officer for Noctis and acts as the understanding consultant for him. In battle, Ignis is the type of fighter that does multiple damage to an enemy and if there are multiple of enemies, he does multiple damage to each enemy. He also has the ability to throw knives at enemies very accurately. His main weapon of choice though, is the Katana. Probably one of my favorite character so far, he is displayed not only as a true friend but he cares for the kingdom and the lives of people who live in it.




Name: Prompto Argentum

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: unruly blond hair

Weapon: Prompto can use variety of firearms including handguns and shotguns. As an expert marksman, he’s the only character in the game who can manually aim firearms and attack enemy weak points.

Personality: Playful


Prompto Argentum - Prompto isn’t the biggest, he’s not the tallest or smartest, but he is one hell of a marksmen. He wears two bands on his right arm, black gloves, a dark green shirt and a sleeveless black vest with a dark red flannel shirt attached underneath. He wears black pants and black boots with red soles and lined with white fur. He is described as a ” skirt chaser ” and a bad influence on Noctis since his school days. Prompto is reckless and always in a playful mood, could he be a liability to Noctis? We do know that Prompto is a manual gunner, meaning he can aim and penetrate large monsters weak spots. I’m not sure about Prompto, I can see him getting someone killed.




Name: Cor Leonis

Eye Color: Light blue eyes

Hair Color: Brown

Weapon: Unknown

Personality: Stubborn




Cor Leonis - Is one of the top three commanding officers of the elite imperial guards. He is very strict when it comes to Noctis and his friends, one thing that is certain is that he is an honorable man has sworn his allegiance to the king and country. Cor is said to be a playable character in Final Fantasy 15. Cor is said to be one of the three best fighters in the entire kingdom, so whatever his weapon is, its pretty big time. Not a lot is known about him as of right now, but the little we do know is that he’s loyal to his kingdom.




Name: Unknown ( Nickname around the net is ” White Robe ”

Eye Color: Green

Hair Color: Gray

Weapon: Gun ( Is seen pointing a gun at Regis )

Personality: Unknown




White Robe - Not a lot is known about him, we do know that he is after the Kingdom’s crystal and is seen in a standoff, pointing a gun at Regis Lucis Caelum. Nomura did confirm that there are two different white robed men, info about the other one is unknown yet.


Unknown Characters:

Final Fantasy XV All-Star Development Team Revealed
by ManPacJune 27, 2013

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Square Enix has confirmed that the widely respected First Production Department developing Final Fantasy XV (formerly known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII) includes many famous creators. Shinji Hashimoto (producer), Tetsuya Nomura (director and character designer), Hajime Tabata (co-director) and Takeshi Nozue (lead art director) are all on board for the development of Final Fantasy XV, as is Yoko Shimomura, the famed composer who is best known for her work in the Kingdom Hearts series.

The only crystal left to the world lies in the Kingdom of Lucis. Upon striking a peace with the garrison state of Niflheim, Lucis rejoices in having at last brought the cold war to a close. Their celebrations, however, are premature. Under the guise of amity, Niflheim dispels the anti-armament runewall and launches a full-scale invasion of the kingdom. The peaceful lives Crown Prince Noctis and his entourage once knew are consumed by the flames of war as they struggle to mount a resistance.

Square Enix Wanted to Remove UI, Hit Counters and Switching Characters
by Ravi SinhaJune 26, 2013

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In a recent interview, Final Fantasy XV director Tetsuya Nomura addressed issues of the game being an out-and-out action title without being an RPG. “It is being presented as ‘a Final Fantasy action game,’ but I wasn’t thinking of it like that.”

Surprisingly, there was the intention to make Final Fantasy XV a pure action title. “True, we did want to get rid of the UI, remove hit counters, restrict the playable character to Noct and so on. But if we did all it that it would become just another action game like all the others. The team is saying, ‘don’t forget this is Final Fantasy before it is an action game.’”

Understandably, there’s no confirmation on whether it’s an RPG at all, so when asked how he would describe Final Fantasy, Nomura stated that, “I think it is thinking about the numbers while fighting in a party. ‘FF’ is different to existing action games and FPSes, you can see the quantity of damage you’re taking and inflicting, and how much you are healing. Managing those numbers is the ‘thinking about the numbers’ part.

“And in FFXV you can switch freely between 3 characters, so it is also about party combat. There are lots of combos and you need to be aware of characters outside the party.”

Opinion Post:
E3 2013: Final Fantasy XV: Where is the RPG?
There's still plenty of reason to be worried about Square Enix, despite their recent reveal of Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III
by Ari MargoJune 27, 2013

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Just before the start of E3 2013 I told the rest of the crew of Gamer Horizon that I was really hoping Square Enix would show up at one of the press conferences and wow us with Final Fantasy XV, Kingdom Hearts III or SOMETHING. Their last appearance at the PlayStation 4 reveal event was less than spectacular; all they showed then was a video that we had already seen before. “Please be excited,” eh? I don’t think so. But then, they did exactly what I wanted them to do, and announced both Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III! Why then am I filled with a growing sense of dread instead of excitement? To be honest, I’m even more worried about Square Enix now than I was before the games were revealed.

It probably has a little to do with the games Square Enix has been releasing lately. Despite having actually enjoyed Final Fantasy XIII and it’s spinoff sequel Final Fantasy XIII-2, I’d still place them towards the bottom of a “best to worst” list of Final Fantasy titles. And while Final Fantasy XII was a great game, the last Final Fantasy I really loved was Final Fantasy X. Though some may argue this point by naming games like Dragon Quest IX and The World Ends With You, I feel as though Square Enix—the company formed by the merging of the two best RPG developers of my childhood—has forgotten how to make RPGs.

It seems their focus has shifted from role playing to action. I won’t hold this against Kingdom Hearts III, which should be an action RPG according to its roots.

When the trailer finally gets to the gameplay we see the main character taking cover, avoiding gunfire, and fighting enemies while moving around in real time. If this trailer is a representation of the majority of the gameplay in Final Fantasy XV, it’s safe to say that it is an action game through and through. Beyond that, our hero is seen climbing up walls and fighting on the side of a building. It would not be an exaggeration to say that the trailer is more reminiscent of Devil May Cry, God or War, Assassin’s Creed and Uncharted than Final Fantasy—at least in terms of gameplay. If it weren’t for a brief mention of crystals, some awesome CGI, a few magic spells and airships flying through the skies, it would be difficult to find the “Final Fantasy” in this trailer at all.

Of course, unlike the persistently traditional Dragon Quest series, Final Fantasy is known—especially in recent years—for radically reimagining itself with every installment. For example (aside from Final Fantasy X-2), we haven’t seen the Active Time Battle system since Final Fantasy IX, and every game since has had a unique battle engine. But no matter how the series evolved, one thing remained consistent: Final Fantasy games are always RPGs.

I am really struggling to find the “RPG” in Final Fantasy XV.

There are hints of an RPG here and there throughout the trailer. We can see numbers that presumably represent the hit points of the characters in a party of 3, and we can assume that there is a leveling mechanic that determines how the characters grow. It’s also clear that there is still a heavy focus on storytelling. But aside from that, we don’t see many RPG mechanics in the trailer at all.

Perhaps they shouldn’t have changed the name. As a spinoff, Final Fantasy Versus XIII had every right to be an action game. But as the fifteenth numbered Final Fantasy game, it seems disappointing. Who knows? Maybe it will be a great game. Despite the concerned tone of this article, I am looking forward to Final Fantasy XV. I just feel like Square Enix decided to rename the game because three years since the release of Final Fantasy XIII (and disregarding spinoffs and Final Fantasy XIV because it’s an MMORPG), they had nothing else to show to the diehard Final Fantasy fans at E3 this year.

Beyond that, did you know Final Fantasy Versus XIII was originally announced in May of 2006? That’s 7 years of development already! What’s going on? In only 4 years between 1997 and 2000, Square Enix (and Squaresoft) managed to release Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy IX. Yet Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII and Final Fantasy XIII came out over the course of 10 years from 2001 to 2010. With Final Fantasy XV likely to be released in 2014 it seems we can now only expect a main series single player Final Fantasy game once every four or five years. I know game design has become much more expensive and time consuming as technology has developed, but it still seems ridiculous that after 7 years of development, all we’re getting from Final Fantasy XV is a renamed spinoff.

Still, I can’t help but to wonder if there was or is another Final Fantasy XV in development. If so, it’s probably safe to assume it has been renamed Final Fantasy XVI, but I get the feeling we won’t see or hear a peep about that until E3 2015, and we’ll be lucky to see it released by the end of the decade (we’ll probably get Final Fantasy XV-2 or something of the sort between now and then though). I just hope when Final Fantasy XVI is revealed that it’s an RPG.

So yes, I got what I wanted from Square Enix at E3 2013. Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV are coming. But can you blame me for being worried about the future of what was once my favorite RPG developer?

Director Nomura Talks Similarities Between Final Fantasy XV And Kingdom Hearts
by SatoJune 28, 2013

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We recently got a look at a couple internal interviews conducted by Square Enix, where director Tetsuya Nomura revealed that Final Fantasy XV will be considered for hardware that uses DirectX 11 and how they had to recreate graphics after losing the data for the original Kingdom Hearts.

In a new Famitsu interview, Nomura shares new information regarding Final Fantasy XV, along with some comparisons to the Kingdom Hearts series.

In Final Fantasy XV’s gameplay trailer from E3, we got a good look at the action portion of the game, that showed Noctis warping around while using different weapons to take on Iron Giants and a Behemoth. According to Nomura, the scene was that of a very high leveled Noctis, who makes use of various weapons and his warping ability. In the early stages of the game, it won’t be quite the same.


Famitsu points out that the trailer seems to show a lot of cooperative actions between Noctis and his allies. They also mention how some people may be concerned about whether these actions will make the gameplay a little too complicated to control.

“The starting point will have a sense of control that is similar to that of Kingdom Hearts’ ‘easy and refreshing action,’ so it won’t be difficult,” says Nomura. “Most of it will come pretty naturally to you. We’re currently testing out different operational methods with each hardware. Regarding allies, in addition to cooperative attacks, there will also be situational actions, which will be part of various scenarios in battles.”


In Final Fantasy XV, you’ll get to ride on Behemoths and pull off other extravagant actions against enemies. Nomura also mentions that the free-run aspect doesn’t only apply to the map, but also monsters. For example, you’ll also get to climb onto monsters and aim for specific parts of their bodies.


Nomura reiterates, “There’s a battle where Leviathan is causing a waterspout. There’s a scene that shows a fight inside the tornado while jumping between the debris of collapsed buildings. I believe that boss fights will feature such particular flashy situations.”


Speaking of sea monsters, Nomura also revealed some information regarding the nation that appears to have an abundant supply of water. According to Nomura, the nation of Accordo (pictured above) is heavily inspired by the city of Venice, Italy. Nomura visited Venice visited back in 2004 and 2005. In addition to Accordo, Lucis, Solheim and Tenebrae are the four great nations that were originally entrusted to protect the four crystals. However, the Kingdom of Lucis remains to be the only one that’s been able to protect it up until now. There will also be several cities and towns in the world of Final Fantasy XV.


Some fans have been curious about the bottom-left part of the screen that appears to indicate a variety of weapons. According to Nomura, it was originally set in a way where weapons would automatically switch according to the combo structures. This has since then been changed, allowing players to have the option to select their own weapons at all times. In regards to other commands and gauges, Nomura will be revealing more in the near future.

We’ve seen the speed that Noctis is capable of in the gameplay trailer from E3. Nomura, who says they’re focusing greatly on the sense of speed, compares it to the Kingdom Hearts series in that players can get a grasp of the character’s movements, but a person who is simply watching might not understand what’s going on.

The two upcoming titles may have some similarities, but they’re not quite the same, according to Nomura. Famitsu asks about the difference they have planned between Final Fantasy XV compared to Kingdom Hearts.

“While Final Fantasy XV focuses on the realistic side of things, Kingdom Hearts is more about the ‘bold action,’” says Nomura in regards to the comparison. “In short, it’s about having movements that wouldn’t be possible, but making it look real instead of unnatural. In a way, it connects it to Kingdom Hearts’ fresh characteristics.”


Famitsu also expressed their curiosity toward the two characters who appear to be villains (pictured above). One is an older man with white hair and sharp eyes, while the other appears to be a peculiar redhead.

“These two are are hostile characters who are against Noctis, and there will be plenty of other villains” says Nomura. “The red-haired character is voiced by Keiji Fujiwara, so we decided to give him red hair. Mr. Fujiwara voiced the roles of Reno from Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children and Axel from the Kingdom Hearts series, so we decided to go with red hair to keep the same flow.”

Finally, Famitsu points out that there appears to be an overwhelming amount of male characters. Nomura jokingly responds, “At the end of the trailer in the part with the aligned faces, there’s one new female character… Okay, it’s full of guys (laughs).”

Nomura-san gets interviewed at Japan Expo
speaks about KH3 and FFXV
by Humad Ali ShahJuly 07, 2013

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Tetsuya Nomura, the director of Kingdom Hearts III and Final Fantasy XV showed up at the Japan Expo in France and was interviewed by Finaland and Final Fantasy Dream about his two upcoming games.


The complete interview is as follows:

Finaland & FFDream: Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD ReMIX includes Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, which was released exclusively in Japan. How then will the new cutscenes be localized for the Western version? Will it be dubbed in French?

Tetsuya Nomura :Unfortunately we didn’t have any opportunity to put the french voice over in this 1.5 version so it’s going to be french subtitles only.

Finaland & FFDream : How did you come to split the development team into two teams? How far are you involved in the development of Kingdom Hearts III?

TN : For this HD version of Kingdom Hearts 1.5, the main programmers never actually worked in the Kingdom Hearts series before and they did all the remastering, all the processing, all the actual work by themselves and for Kingdom Hearts III the other staff is doing all the testing, deciding which kind of elements we want to put in the game and everything.

So there’s one team doing HD 1.5 and another one doing KH3, that’s how we’ve been working for the last couple years.

Regarding my personal involvement in Kingdom Hearts III, I always have been heavily involved in this project compared to the other games i’m actually producing or directing.

The team creating Kingdom Hearts III is in the studios in Osaka, and as you guys know Osaka and Tokyo are a little bit far away from each other but we meet enough with meetings quite often and we’re doing telephone conferences too. So we communicate all the time as I am quite heavily involved on this project.

Finaland & FFDream : With the acquisition of Marvel and Lucas Arts by Disney, could you imagine adding some kind of stuff from these licenses in the game ?

TN : (laughs) Of course it would be great if we could add those licenses as well. But there are lots of rules and restrictions by disney so we can’t actually put everything people want, so it’s a quite difficult decision but we’re gonna prepare some surprises for you so, just wait for the informations.

Finaland & FFDream : Because you know that Kitase-san (Yoshinori Kitase) is a big fan of Star Wars ! So you have to do that !

TN : (laughs) We’re not going to decide it whether Kitase-san likes Star Wars or not but we’ve been talking about Star Wars itself since it became Disney’s content recently. When I eared the news I was like “Wow ! Wow !”. Yeah obviously it’s gonna be great if we could add it, but like I said there are a lot of restrictions and rules by Disney so we don’t know what’s gonna happen but yeah, we’ll see.

Finaland & FFDream : Can we expect a multiplayer cooperative mode with many playables characters in KHIII ?

TN : The Kingdom Hearts series always had Sora as the main character, so we want to make the most of Sora, playable Sora of course. But again, Kingdom Hearts III is going to be the last chapter of the Kingdom Hearts main numbering title series, so lots of fans actually want to play as their favorite characters in Kingdom Hearts III so we will consider that, we will listen to what fans wants but hopefully we could give you some surprises in the future announcements.

Finaland & FFDream : You watch a lot of movies, how does that inspire you ? Do you pick some ideas in the movies you watch ?

TN : I watch movies a lot, I mean A LOT (laughs), normally like two, three films a day, it’s my pace. I watch quite a lot so I don’t always remember the names or titles even. So I watch and then I get a bit of inspirations from films and stuff, I can’t name the actual titles of the movies that actually inspired me to create games but when I’m watching movies sometimes I feel like “ Oh ! That’s nice !” or “That’s good!”, something like that.

Finaland & FFDream : Nomura-san, your character outfits are more and more detailed. When we saw Cloud for the first time in 1997 and now Noctis in 2013, there’s a lot of greatness in them. Have you received some fashion lessons or do you just follow fashion ?

TN : Obviously I always think about the current kind of trend and fashion and everything when I create the characters but this time for XV and Noctis and all the main characters that have been revealed, this time we actually asked for a professional brand to create the characters outfits, we also have the actual clothes in the office so our CG team and all the teams can actually see the clothes with their own eyes to create exactly the same image in the game. And that’s really easier because previously when I created the characters, all the CG team and all of our entire development team always asked me “Is this leather? Is this coton? Is this nylon? How many percentage ? Dadadada” That’s a lot of detailed questions so it’s always difficult to precise what kind of texture are the clothes made off and stuff like that, so that’s why this time we had the actual clothes made and then we take it from there and put it in the game.

Finaland & FFDream : Nomura-san, you work on a lot of project like Final Fantasy XV, the Kingdom Hearts Saga, The World Ends With You. How do you manage all the projects you have at the same time?

TN : Actually I am not very good at managing myself, especially at managing lots of different projects, but because of my staff and all the staffs are very very intelligent, very good and very capable I’m able to run all the different projects at the same time. And also the most important are the Co-Directors in each project, again they are very capable and skilled people, they are the people actually managing the actual everyday job on the ground. That’s why I’m here, they are supporting me all the time.

Finaland & FFDream : You’ve created a lot of characters for the Final Fantasy series. What’s your favorite character between all those you’ve created ?

TN : Hmm if I had to choose a favorite character, I would say Sora, and Noctis. Why them? Of course Sora, I’ve been together with him for more than ten years now, this is the first time i’ve been with a character for such a long time, so he’s very very special for me and he’s been adopted by Disney also, so he’s a very very good boy. More like a good son actually.

Also there is Noctis, he hasn’t been in front of you, I mean moving etc yet in a real gameplay but he will soon, in the future.

Do you know the name Sora mean the “sky”, in japanese and Noctis, his family name is Caelum which mean sky as well so basically, Noctis mean “night sky”, so they are kind of complete opposites to each other. There is a reason why I named these characters as opposites. Noctis is kind of like my latest boy, or latest son and I expect him to be more clever than Cloud.

Finaland & FFDream : Okay, one question Tetsuya Nomura, very important for us, and for Hideo Kojima because Hideo Kojima said he’d love a remake of Final Fantasy VII, but what about you ? Would you like to play a Metal Gear Solid 1 Remake ?

TN : To play ?

Finaland & FFDream : Yes, to play.

TN : Of course I’d like, if he were going to do a MGS remake.

Finaland & FFDream : And what do you think about the differences of the Fox Engine and your own Luminous Engine ?

TN : I think the Fox Engine and Luminous Engine are totally different engines because they each got different kind of abilities and skills and stuff that we could use in a game. One engine can do certain things the other engine can’t for example. It depends on what you want to do, but I think they totally are two different kind of engines.

Finaland & FFDream : A Final Fantasy XV question, what should we expect in terms of vehicles ? Can we pilot airships and explore the world of Final Fantasy XV and discover its secrets ?

TN : We don’t have any big plans for having different type of vehicles and stuff like that. There’s one you saw in the recent trailer of course.

Well two things you probably could use, first, the car, the car is gonna be the vehicle you’ll use probably the most in the game. The other one, the magitek armor, you can actually control and ride the magitek armor as well, in a future reveal you’ll probably find more.

Finaland & FFDream : A motorbike ?

TN : (laughs) In Final Fantasy XV you play as a party, you’re always with your friends so five guys riding a motorbike together, I’m not sure if this would works.

Finaland & FFDream : In a gang ! Like Kadaj, Loz and Yazoo.

TN : (laugh), yeah maybe it doesn’t look very good in a game.

Finaland & FFDream : Why did you change Stella’s design and made her look so much younger. Is it because of story development or because you made a survey with the audience ?

TN : There is no specific reason behind hit, but we didn’t want to make her look younger, we just wanted to make her a little bit prettier. That’s all.

Finaland & FFDream : But in 2007 she was very nice ! She’s very nice and still pretty but she’s still a little younger.

TN : When I created Stella, back in 2007, I actually created something that is not my type of character, but obviously time has past since then, about six years now, and then she actually became something that I quite like now.

Finaland & FFDream : In the trailer we could briefly see Noctis with red eyes. Will the red eyes give him some sort of special power during the battles ?

TN : In the last promotion trailer, Noctis got red eyes because he got the ability of teleportation, so that’s why when he did that, his eyes got red. Actually Visual Works created the trailer back then in 2007.

When you actually play the game, you can’t really see and zoom in the face of the character anyway. And he moves very fast as well so… if the character’s face is actually seen in a zoomed-in on the screen, we probably could still make his eyes red but we haven’t decided whether we’re gonna need the red eyes or not.

Finaland & FFDream : The game looks very serious and fatalist. Have you planned to add some sort of fun moments or funny mini-games ?

TN : We are actually thinking to have some sort of fun elements in the game, but for the moment the priority is to create the main game itself. I will add or not add stuff like that depending on how the development of the main game goes , but yeah we are thinking about that.

Finaland & FFDream : About the artistic direction of the game. The appearance of the Kingdom of Lucis is much like the Shinjuku district in Tokyo and Accordo has the same feeling of Venice, in Italy. Can we hope to see some places inspired by the french regions perhaps ? Paris perhaps ?

TN : Well do you have any games actually based in Paris ?

Finaland & FFDream : Deling City from Final Fantasy VIII with the Arc de Triomphe.

TN : If we’ve used it before we might not want to use it in a new game (laughs). So i’m not sure about using Paris. In my opinion, in lot of RPG games there are many European motives, European things, cities and stuff where your characters live and play but you guys still think like you need more European things or French things?

Finaland & FFDream : We’d just love to see that in Final Fantasy, we are sure it would be very nice.

TN : Well we’ll thing about that, that’s all I can say.

Finaland & FFDream : Thank you very much !

We’ve seen a lot of male characters with Noctis and his friends. Is there going to be girls as playable characters as well ?

TN : I can’t say anything specific now but it would be… quite difficult, to have a girl playable.

Finaland & FFDream : Question about this place, we are in Japan Expo, there are more than two hundred thousand people there, loving japanese culture so much. We actually watch anime in original version and we watched Final Fantasy VII Advent Children Complete only in japanese.

Can we hope to get the original japanese voices for Final Fantasy XV in Europe.

TN : That all depends of the capacity of the disc. The two main reason are the disc space and also the lip sync, because if we’re making the game, with the characters speaking in english but with the voices in japanese, the lip sync would not match. Even though you’d prefer having the japanese voices?

Finaland & FFDream : Yes, actually, please, we have a solution for you, can you think of a limited edition with only japanese voices and french text, would it be possible to do that?

TN : You really want this that much?

Finaland & FFDream : YES YES YES we really want japanese voices.

TN : (laughs) You’ll have to say this YES YES YES to Square enix though for not to me. If you guys really want THAT kind of request very much from all the fans and all the community side and everything, it would probably be best to tell Square Enix France or Square Enix Europe to make that happen. Square Enix France of Europe could speak to Square Enix Japan and it probably could make it happen, but we’ll see.

Finaland & FFDream : Thank you !

Next question, is it Game Over if Noctis dies ?

TN : At some time I said that the game was gonna be over when Noctis died, when we were talking about Versus XIII, but now as Versus XIII became Final Fantasy XV we haven’t decided it actually so we can’t really say if it’s going to change or not, we’ll see.

Finaland & FFDream : Will we be able to customize weapons and equipments of our characters ?

TN : I’m sorry but we can’t say anything about that, yet.

Finaland & FFDream : What can you tell us about the future of Dissidia, on PSVita or PS4 maybe ? With the addition of Noctis ?

TN : I’m not that heavily involved in Dissidia project, but if director Takahashi want to include Noctis in the next Dissidia game, I would probably think about it then, but I can’t really say anything so far.

Finaland & FFDream : You made the two video presentations for E3 from Artnia the place for all your fans in Japan

The announcement was so exciting for us, how do you react to that and are you glad to be back?

TN : I was very very busy, I didn’t prepare enough to do that video message recording at all…

Finaland & FFDream : It was GOOD !

TN : (laughs) Actually that recording was, yes, happening in Artnia, recorded by the promo and publicity staffs. There was not even a microphone there, so it probably was quite difficult for you guys to listen to what I actually said. I was myself really surprised as well because Sony said they needed a video message so that’s why we did it, only a couple of days before flying for E3.

Finaland & FFDream : What will the addition of Hajime Tabata, the great producer of Final Fantasy Type-0 bring to the FFXV team ?

TN : The reason why we bringed Tabata-san into the team is because he always said to me that it wanted to join the Final Fantasy XV project. I asked him in the team, his vitality and mentality are always very motivated and very high. In the future campaign and until the game is out, Tabata-san himself will be going to speak in front of you guys more often so please ask him in details when he’s available.

Finaland & FFDream : Nomura-san can we imagine that you’ll work on Final Fantasy XV-2 just after finishing the first one?

TN : Obviously we haven’t decided yet. We don’t have any concrete plan for a future sequel of FFXV, it would be good if we could do that but we can’t announce it or say anything into detail for the moment so wait for future informations.

Finaland & FFDream : Last question, Nomura-san it’s the first time we saw you with the fan communities in France, we are very happy to see you. Do you think that you will come again next time ?

TN : Of course i’d love to come again, but other people working on my project obviously want to come to meet the fans and meet you guys as well, so we’re gonna decide depending on what kind of event or opportunity we’ll have in a future. You guys definitely want to see the same face every year so (laughs) we’ll see about that.

Finaland & FFDream : We always see Kitase-san and Toriyama-san. Hashimoto-san too. We saw them every year for XIII, XIII-2, Lightning Returns. I saw Shinji Hashimoto in 2010 and we talked about Versus XIII and we were talking about teleportation in the game and he said “Oh I don’t know if Nomura-san will do that” and now we actually see that in the game and it’s just amazing.

Thank you very much for your work and we all hope that you will succeed with this project.

TN : This time I came here to promote Kingdom Hearts 1.5 (laughs) so it’s a bit early for me to talk to you about the details of Final Fantasy XV, but when we’ll have to decide when to release, or for the campaign kick-off i’ll probably come back again, we’ll see, and thank you.

Final Fantasy 15 Won E3 According To Japanese Gamers, Followed By MGS5 & Kingdom Hearts 3
by Ravi SinhaJuly 07, 2013

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Popular Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu recently took a poll asking readers what games caught their attention most at this year’s E3. This was the year that saw several high profile announcements, along with a bunch of reveals for existing blockbusters.

Unsurprisingly however, it was the Japan-made games that got the most attention. The surveys indicated that Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 15, which formerly went by the name Final Fantasy Versus XIII, ranked first. This was followed by Kojima Productions’ Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain and the long awaited announcement of Kingdom Hearts 3.

Super Smash Bros. for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS came fourth, while the only non-Japanese title to make the top 5 was Ubisoft’s Watch_Dogs in fifth place.

Much was made about Metal Gear Solid 5 in particular with readers praising its graphics and open world gameplay. One reader stated that, “I felt this game offers something really powerful that only the next gen can produce, not just another case of the visuals getting better.”

The top three, however, are yet to receive release dates.

The Sounds of Yoko Shimomura
by Robert MangioneJuly 08, 2013

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Yoko Shimomura is a well-known game composer with prestigious credits like Kingdom Hearts and Street Fighter II to her name. With Mario and Luigi: Dream Team releasing in August and Kingdom Hearts III announced at this year’s E3, I thought it would be interesting to take a look at Shimomura’s work and examine her compositional style over the course of her career. Currently working freelance, Shimomura is probably best known for her work on the Kingdom Hearts series but has many more credits to her name.


One of Yoko Shimomura’s defining traits is capturing emotion in her work. In an interview Shimomura claimed that “anything that moves my emotion gives me inspiration.” She also cited Street Fighter II and Super Mario RPG as two of her most significant works. While she didn’t compose the entirety of SFII’s soundtrack, she did compose Ryu’s theme, which I consider to be one of the finest in the series. It’s an upbeat song that suggests the idea of strength and determination to me, perfectly capturing the spirit of a man on a journey with the pure intent of pushing his mastery of martial arts to the limit.

Shimomura’s later compositions take on an ethereal feel with an emphasis on chanting and piano. The surreal tone in games like Kingdom Hearts and Super Mario RPG wouldn’t be the same without the lower-pitched melodies of the games’ darker areas like Belome’s Temple or the Forest Maze. The use of chanting in music like Kingdom Hearts II’s boss theme also serves to make the piece sound more threatening. I’ve always felt that human sounds – like chanting – create dissonance by connecting organic sounds to an electronic medium. However, Shimomura is also talented enough to compose music that better serves lighthearted games like the Mario and Luigi RPG series by emphasizing instruments over voices.


On a personal note, I’ve always found the battle music in the Kingdom Hearts series to be some of its best. The songs do such a good job of capturing the spirit of the Disney movies they’re modeled after while staying true to Yoko Shimomura’s style of composition. In particular, the use of instruments similar to the ones used in the defining songs from movies the worlds are based on is a nice touch.

Shimomura will also be composing for the upcoming Final Fantasy XV. Kingdom Hearts is the closest she’s gotten to the Final Fantasy franchise, but she certainly has big shoes to fill given how former series composer Nobuo Uematsu’s presence still looms over the series long after his departure. Given the claim by Tetsuya Nomura that Final Fantasy XV is intended to go “deeper in terms of offering some crude reality in terms of human emotion or human behaviour,” Shimomura seems like a splendid choice.

oh hell the dude with purple hair would so rape any woman on a lifetime movie

Final Fantasy XV: Everything We Know
by Jason SchreierJuly 10, 2013

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The 15th Final Fantasy doesn't have a release date yet, nor does it even have a release year, but there's still plenty of information floating around about the next entry in Square Enix's titanic flagship series.

What used to be called Final Fantasy Versus XIII has been in development for over seven years now, and it will be out for Xbox One and PS4 at some indeterminate point in the future. Let's look at everything we know about the game so far. (We'll be updating this post every so often as we learn more about Final Fantasy XV, so stay tuned.)

The Trailers

Let's start things off with some video footage. First there was the Versus reveal in 2006:


A big Versus trailer came out in 2011:


Then there was the re-reveal: in 2013, Versus morphed into Final Fantasy XV, now slated for Xbox One and PS4.


Finally, here's some recent gameplay footage, also from 2013. Sure is pretty.


The Cast


There are five main party members in Final Fantasy XV, and if you think they look like a boy band, you're not alone. Here are their official descriptions, via Square Enix:


No women? We've seen a few appearances from a woman named Stella, who appears to play a pivotal role in the plot—like Noctis, she has a strange power related to the spirits of the dead—but Square Enix has stayed quiet about whether she, or any other women, will be playable in Final Fantasy XV.


We also know a little bit about a couple of the villains. There's this guy, who doesn't have a name but really wants to beat up Noctis's dad (and steal his crystal).


And then there's pink-haired umbrella man, who seems like one of those badass honorable villains that will eventually join and/or help out your party.


Oh, and there's hair. Lots of hair.


"Sometimes I wish we had the easiness Western FPS (first-person shooters) have, to make everyone bald," director Tetsuya Nomura told NBC. "We're a company that's known for unique hairstyles, but in a way we're running out of ideas."

The Story

Noctis n' crew have got some struggles to overcome. Here's Square's story synopsis:


Some other facts:

• This one is going to be darker than previous Final Fantasys. In a 2007 interview with Edge, Nomura specified: "In Versus XIII we want to elaborate more on the world and the human side of the characters, their way of thinking and how and why they behave like they do. This might take the game conception to a darker level than the other games in the FF series."
  

• We'll likely see at least one flashback to young Noctis—you can see him talking to his dad and eating nasty soup in the most recent trailer. No word yet whether we'll be able to control Flashback Noctis.
  

• That Noctis you see in the E3 trailers, by the way, is super high-leveled. You won't be able to use all those cool abilities from the getgo.
  

• Nomura: "I don't like the extreme cases of tech or magic. If I choose, I choose a modern setting — but that's not a good setting for a game. So if you look at "FFXV," it starts in a very modern world similar to Shinjuku (in downtown Tokyo), but when the story starts, you go to the medieval world — but the weapons they are using are high tech-weapons; that kind of combo is what I like."

The Combat

• Yes, it's all in real time. You dash around the battlefield and attack baddies instantly.
  

• According to Nomura, Noctis can use a lot of different weapons: small swords, big swords, axes, lances, guns, etc.
  

• Noctis can warp short distances, proving my theory that Blink makes everything better.
  

• So far we know that Noctis's buddies can join him in combat—and in the E3 gameplay trailer above, we see the main character's friends assisting him against a giant monster—but we don't know which of your party members' actions are plot-driven and which you'll get to control.
  

• Three people per party.
  

• Nomura: "The starting point will have a sense of control that is similar to that of Kingdom Hearts’ ‘easy and refreshing action,’ so it won’t be difficult. Most of it will come pretty naturally to you. We’re currently testing out different operational methods with each hardware. Regarding allies, in addition to cooperative attacks, there will also be situational actions, which will be part of various scenarios in battles."

The World

• There are five major cities: Accordo, Lucis, Solheim, Tenebrae, and Niflheim. Niflheim is the evil one. Lucis is inspired by Tokyo, and governed by Noctis's dad. Accordo is very much like Venice.
  

• Airships will return, according to Nomura. "You can fly across the world in an airship," he said in a 2010 interview. Seems like there's a world map!
  

• You can also control and ride a car and Magitek armor, a high-tech mech suit first introduced in Final Fantasy VI. Chocobos will be in at some point, too.
  

• In the E3 trailer, we see two familiar Final Fantasy monsters: the Iron Giant and the Behemoth. The summon Leviathan also makes an appearance.
  

• You'll have to defeat each summon monster before it joins your team, similar to many older Final Fantasy games.

Oh, and Nomura has already started talking about a potential sequel. He thinks it'll be tough to wrap up all of his vision for Final Fantasy XV in just one game.