Final Fantasy XV Questions and Answers
Why the name change?
Discussions about changing Final Fantasy Versus XIII to Final Fantasy XV happened somewhere between one to two years ago after the game was announced at E3 2006 along with Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Agito XIII. Due to the ambitious nature of the project in terms of its scale and concept, the developers felt that it may be appropriate to change it into a main numbered title.Sometime in 2011, developers started to hear about next generation consoles and what they would be capable of. Around the time Final Fantasy Agito XIII saw its name change to Final Fantasy Type-0, the team decided to scrap the ‘Versus XIII’ title and turn it into Final Fantasy XV. Half way into 2012, it was officially decided to move current generation development (PlayStation 3) to next generation consoles.
Why the long wait?
Final Fantasy XV was set to be revealed back in 2012 due to next generation hardware announcements, but was delayed due to various reasons such as the life span of current generation (PlayStation 3) platforms. This decision was not made by Nomura but different departments as a whole.The good news is that the news hiatus is over and we’ll be hearing more about the game on a more consistent basis now.
Is Final Fantasy XV still part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology?
Yes. Final Fantasy XV is part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis mythology. The game is Tetsuya Nomura’s interpretation of the mythos so it does not take place in the same universe as Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0.Final Fantasy Agito XIII name changed to Final Fantasy Type-0 because the game started to disconnect from the original Final Fantasy XIII vision. The game started to focus more on Chinese mythology but is still part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis compilation because crystals are still important, even though they are not the focus. Nomura assures fans that the original story and concepts for Final Fantasy XV have not changed.
What is the main theme and keyword for Final Fantasy XV?
Final Fantasy XV has several keywords. One of them is ‘Versus’. In Latin, it means ‘to turn around’ and in English it means ‘against’. Both translations are important for this game. Another keyword is ‘misery’ and can be applied to all the main characters in the game.The main theme for Final Fantasy XV is “Bonds” and with life-like characters and a truly painful story, the development team wants to show how the characters relate to it.
What is the main theme song for Final Fantasy XV?
The main theme song for Final Fantasy XV is “Somnous” and it is composed by Yoko Shimomura.
Is Final Fantasy XV an Action-Based RPG?
Yes it is. Final Fantasy XV will be an action-based RPG. The game won’t have any turn-based style but we do see evidence of a command system. Nomura wants to keep the “feel” of Final Fantasy so he’s not trying to make it all action. However, if the IP were to become an action game, he believes that Final Fantasy XV would be a good example of what it would be like. To Nomura, it’s very important that Final Fantasy XV feels like Final Fantasy.The idea is that the focus of control is centered around Noctis and with a simple user interface. Since Final Fantasy battles are all about party members and numbers, these things are included as well. You’ll be able to switch between three party members during battle and perform chain actions with them. You will also still get to see how much damage you’re doing to enemies as well.Players will experience things that have never been seen before in previous Final Fantasy games. At the same time, the game will unite the nostalgia of the older Final Fantasy games. Luminous Engine and the power of the PlayStation 4 and XBox One will take things to a whole new leve
lWhy is Final Fantasy XV being made for PlayStation 4 and XBox One and not current generation consoles like PlayStation 3?
The development team was working on Final Fantasy XV for current-generation consoles in 2012. However, next generation consoles have better quality and that quality only increases as development continues on according to Nomura.The game is very ambitious and the development team wanted to do things on current generation (PlayStation 3) platforms but could not due to the low amounts of memory. Things like making the game seamless as possible, character data, huge maps and many types of enemies require large amounts memory and must be loaded into it.
Will Final Fantasy XV be available on other platforms?
When it comes to multi-platform titles, it used to be that a game would be made to fit one console’s specifications and then ported to other consoles. This has changed greatly.The new development method that the team is using now is a development tool called ‘Direct X 11’ to make the game. This is being used as a base and then being ported to different hardware that supports the tool.This will hopefully allow the team to maintain the original high quality of the game they’re making when ported to other platforms. Hardware that uses Direct X 11 will be kept in mind by the development team.A PC version depends on the need as the game right now would require a very expensive PC to play it. However, the development team is fully aware of the dedicated group of PC gamers who would play the game at its full quality.
Will we be able to play Final Fantasy XV on the PlayStation Vita?
Sony has mandated PlayStation Vita cross-platform play with PlayStation 4, so the chances are pretty good. The development team are also considering using tablets and smart phones for certain features as well.
Will there be sequels?
When Shinji Hashimoto was asked about Final Fantasy XV sequels, he said that the universe is quite large with many stories to be told and that more information will come. In the E3 2013 trailer, Nomura explains that “A world of the VERSUS epic” tagline refers to the possibility of turning the setting into a series of its own. The story in Final Fantasy XV will reach a climax but other stories can be told. Consider it as a conclusion of a single part of a larger epic poem. He also says that Final Fantasy XV has become a very huge project and is considering a compilation similar to that of Final Fantasy VII. After FFXV’s seven-year wait however, he doesn’t want to keep fans waiting long between entries.
Final Fantasy XV is an Action-RPG. Does it deserve to be a main numbered title?
Hashimoto says that each entry tends to be different so this time they decided to go forward with an action-based system. This does not however mean that future titles will be this way and could still end up being something a bit more traditional. He does believe that there is a future for both action-based and command-based RPG’s but the action style fits FFXV’s design best.
Will Final Fantasy XV have online multiplayer?
Right now, there are no plans but Nomura says he’s looking into it because large-scale console development projects need to keep people interested in the long term with online/multiplayer elements rather than just offer a short-term single player experience.
What kind of cut-scenes will there be?
Final Fantasy XV will have either pre-rendered or real-time event cut scenes. Players will be able to control the real-time cut scenes, as the development team doesn’t want to stop the player. These will have a more natural expression as opposed to game-like expression of previous titles. The cut scene ratio is 7(real time) and 3(pre-rendered) with Visual Works handling the pre-rendered ones.CGI movie scenes are present but there is not much of it due to the development team reaching their target renders for the world and characters. Most of them have been scrapped in favor of pre-rendered and real-time cut scenes. High and low quality models are the same with the exception to greater hair detail in the high quality versions.The goal is to make real time cut scenes look like pre-rendered movies. To accomplish this, Visual Works will create a pre-rendered movie first and then it will be ported to real-time by Luminous Studios. This technique is called “Look Development.”
Is Final Fantasy XV still using Crystal Tools?
No, it is not. The game is being developed on both Luminous Studio tools, as the game aims for photo-realism, and original tools as a middleware solution created by the development team. Eventually they want to move over to Luminous Engine completely but the engine is not complete yet and it would be too late to start the game anew if they waited. So instead, both the Final Fantasy XV and Luminous Engine teams are working together to make a game and engine at the same time.Luminous Studios is focusing on camera placement, scene flow and pre-rendered movies for Final Fantasy XV.
When did voice acting start?
Voice acting started back in 2011.
Will we see Yoshitaka Amano’s artwork in Final Fantasy XV?
You’ve already seen the painting he did of Etro and you’ll be seeing more paintings from him as well.
What does “about the fifteenth coming” mean in the E3 2013 trailer?
That line at the end of the trailer was nothing more than just a gag joke and will not be in the game.
When will Final Fantasy XV be released?
Nobody knows. Not even Nomura is able to comment on any sort of completion status or release date at this time. Please understand.
