Final Fantasy XV: 10 Major Risks That Could Go Either Way
7. 'Realism'
This is a fantasy based on reality. This has been the games tagline since very early on, and its a reflection of the kind of story Tetsuya Nomura was trying to create. FFXV would make a conscious effort to be a realistic reflection of reality, both in terms of its world and the presentation the characters therein. This is why, despite the inclusion of Chocobos, magic powers and other Final Fantasy staples, the game takes place in what otherwise looks like modern day Japan, with cars, architecture and technology to match. As a realistic Final Fantasy hasnt really been attempted before, this could be really interesting, but the problem that comes with this approach is immersion-breaking juxtaposition. If a realistic setting is the goal, suddenly introducing wacky, eccentric elements could be really jarring. For example, if the rest of the game has shown a dedication to realistic combat wear for enemy soldiers, suddenly introducing a character with the outrageously stupid (yet awesome looking) costumes indicative of the series starts to feel really out of place. Think about it; if Cindy makes her living welding futuristic space cars and Gladio is a bodyguard to a guy who spends most of his time getting shot at, then why do they both wear clothing that exposes most of the torso? Why is the recently revealed Aranea wearing a cage on her head? Trying to be realistic is a valid design approach, but you have to stick to it. So, fun as cheesecake designs can be, they may just end up detracting from the characters overall.
