Final Fantasy XV
The Final Fantasy series has been in a state of flux ever since the release of Final Fantasy X on PS2, with fans divided on each and every entry since. It may still be as divisive as the past few games, but Final Fantasy XV absolutely modernized the legendary role-playing series and ended up being something entirely new for the franchise, and even the genre, dropping the turn-based gameplay of the past for a full-on action one.
The most unique aspect about XV is its kind of “road trip” theme, taking Noctis and the gang through the world of Eos in their car, the Regalia. Seeing the sights and spending time with the bros was a distinctly different experience from most other JRPGs out there, and XV’s mix of modern aesthetics with fantasy gave the game a unique feel. At the same time, XV adopted a kind of “games as a service” style adding on a ton of DLC, changes, and additional content, including a multiplayer mode. There are certain issues raised by fans of the game feeling incomplete at launch, but you can’t short the Final Fantasy XV team for the diligent job they’ve done to improve the game over the last two years.
Quite a few reports came out after the game’s release stating that FFXV was, in a way, Square Enix’s “last chance” for the series. To date, it’s become the fastest-selling Final Fantasy game with over 7.7 million copies in two years. Combine that fact with the 81 percent the game has on Metacritic for PS4, and the 85 it has on PC, and it’s fair to say FFXV has been a success.
