Final Fantasy XV: 9 Big Changes You Need To Know About

3. A Fantasy Based On Reality

Part of the allure of the Final Fantasy series has always been its gloriously-released worlds. From the mist-coated plains of FFIX to the sprawling invisible city of Esthar in FF8, every core game in the series has had an intresting world (admittedly filled with obligatory RPG cliches such as ice caverns or volcanic craters, naturally) that's based heavily on the imagination. In XV, Square Enix are doing something a bit different. At multiple times during the development cycle they've said this is a 'Fantasy based on reality", which is why it seems to be a bizarre hybrid mix of your local countryside mixed with dinosaurs and giant crystalline structures. This change might not be for everyone; the grounded, realistic feel of the world can feel distinctly non-Final Fantasy-ish. It's easy to draw comparisons with FF8 here; that title too focused on more human characters and a slightly more realistic aesthetic than other games such as VI and VII before it. This divided opinion too and FFIX saw a return to fantasy with black mages, mist, monkey boys and other eye-catchingly beautiful stuff. It remains to be seen whether this shift in aesthetic pays off in XV, but it's certainly different from what's been seen previously.