Beginning its life as an entry in the Fabula Nova Crystallis subseries,Final Fantasy Versus 13was yet another story told in the same universe as Lightning’s many adventures inFinal Fantasy 13. Conceptually the brainchild ofKingdom Heartsseries director Tetsuya Nomura,Final Fantasy Versus 13would eventually evolve into the next mainline title:Final Fantasy 15. Nomura stepped off the project to work onFinal Fantasy 7 Remakeat some point around 2013, but that wasn’t before the re-branding toFinal Fantasy 15would be announced to fans around the world. Finally, after beginning initial development in 2006, the game was coming to PS4.
After patient fans waited almost a decade,Final Fantasy 15finally released on August 06, 2025. Billed as theFinal Fantasyadventure “for Fans and First-Timers,” the fifteenth mainline entry was Square Enix’s attempt to embark in a very different gameplay direction for the iconic, long-running franchise. Previous spin-offs had toyed with different iterations of ATB-based battle systems, but never hadFinal Fantasyutilized a fully action-based battle system akin to that ofKingdom Hearts. Even if the game wasn’t perfect, as it turns out,Final Fantasy 15has become a very formative entry for theFinal Fantasyfranchise’s near-future.
How The “Fantasy Based on Reality” Changed the Series
That marketing tagline forFinal Fantasy 15ended up being very true, asFinal Fantasy 15drew from its roots in many ways, but also diverged with its own ideas many times. Much of the narrative and lore ofFinal Fantasy 15is stooped in the games ofFinal Fantasy’s past: all-powerful magical crystals,a jester-like character (in this case Ardyn)who becomes the main antagonist, medieval-style warring empires, these were all the trappings of a traditionalFinal Fantasygame. However,Final Fantasy 15put even more effort into diverging from the usual formula in a lot of pivotal themes and gameplay designs.
Obviously the biggest change was fighting, and how the combat system had eschewed any semblance of turn-based combat in favor of a more engaged action experience. At the time (and to some extent now), turn-based combat had attained an antiquated perception among most gaming fans. Action-RPGs had simply become more popular for the majority gaming audience. As a result,Final Fantasy 15saw greater and more diverse adoptionfrom new players because it was easier to get into. Additionally, the usage of a static party with special team attacks meant players could easily get comfortable with their team’s strengths.
Bringing Final Fantasy to the Open World
Another huge but inevitable change wasFinal Fantasy 15transitioning to an open world design philosophy.Final Fantasy 13in particular saw widespread criticism for its “hallway” problem, so pretty early on,Final Fantasy 15teased an open world concept. Exploring the many plains, deserts, and mountainousregions of Eos was the most enjoyable portion ofFinal Fantasy 15at release. Even if it was never the focus of the main story, taking on the many hunting side quests from Hammerhead or Lestallum was a solid reason to explore the many diverse locales dotted throughout the world. Plus, in trueFinal Fantasyfashion, Eos' world design was beautiful.
Final Fantasy 15helped emphasize this desire to explore and appreciate its world with the Regalia as well. Noctis and team’s luxury land-yacht cruised across Eos at a brisk but exploratory pace, giving players the freedom to drive/ride and stop wherever they please. Plus, given the game’s abhorrent loading speeds on PS4, it was oftentimes more enjoyable experience to drive everywhere anyway. It was an ingenious, if a bit intended, way to get players to explore the world ofFinal Fantasy 15around them. The Regalia was also home to the many conversations andrelationship-building moments between Noctis and his crew. The “best buds on a roadtrip” character dynamic was another reason why the majority ofFinal Fantasy 15’s story is enjoyable.
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Final Fantasy 15’s Become a Formative Inspiration
It wasn’t perfect, especially in the story and pacing department, butFinal Fantasy 15’s narrative was best told in the open world. Noctis has to visit the former kings' tombs to gather strength and weapons to succeed his father and take down the oppressive Niflheim. It was only whenFinal Fantasy 15came to a close where the final few chapters really lagged behind the majority of the game’s open world. Not to mention many of the inciting incidents and backstory ofFinal Fantasy 15were relegated to an animated film and anime series instead of in-game. Plot holes aside, it wasnever a game-breaking issue forFinal Fantasy 15.
On its fourth anniversary, it’s never been more apparent how formativeFinal Fantasy 15would become until now.Final Fantasy 7 Remake’s first episode wouldn’t have been as much of a success as it was without Noctis' adventure as its predecessor.Remake’s combat system iterated and improvedFinal Fantasy 15’s action-based battles into the well-designed system seen in the game today. With the reveal ofFinal Fantasy 16and its similarly action-based combat system, it’s clearFinal Fantasy 15was an important effort that would help inspire and design the next entry as well.
Even if it wasn’t necessarily the most revolutionary title in the whole franchise,Final Fantasy 15’s impact has helped establish the future of the series in more ways than one.
Final Fantasy 15is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
