Today, details on the long-in-development Final Fantasy XV appeared under listings on the Sony and Microsoft’s Japanese webpages. The listings are not entirely new as Sony has had the game listed on the Japanese PSN since the PlayStation 4 launched in Japan in February. In fact, many of the details appear to be old, including an interview with Final Fantasy XV creator and long-standing Final Fantasy character designer Tetsuya Nomura. Still, there is plenty of new information to be had.
We took the liberty of translating the details for those that don’t speak Japanese or don’t want to grapple with ungainly machine translations. The following was found on the Sony site:
-The 15th Fantasy: The Legend of the Crystal:
The 15th tale in the world renowned Final Fantasy series is coming to PlayStation 4. The game is part of the “Fabula Nova Crystallis” project of which Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type Zero are also a part. The games share common lore but have their own distinct worlds [translator’s note’: “distinct” here can mean aesthetically distinct rather than actually being different worlds].
The game was originally announced as Final Fantasy Versus XIII for the PlayStation 3 but as of June 2013 the name and platform was changed. The game is attracting attention for its beautiful visuals and high-action battles which are being rendered by next-generation hardware.
-The Seed of War: The Last Remaining Crystal:
The Kingdom of Lucis, sole owners of the world’s last crystal, have long been at a cold war with the military dictatorship of Nifelheim. Now the two are putting aside their differences and working towards peace. However, celebrations are cut short as Nifelheim’s army launches an invasion on Lucis; crippling the kingdom’s Magic barriers. The protagonists who had lived their lives in peace, are drawn into the chaos of war between the two countries.
-Allies of the Kingdom of Lucis:
Notics Lucis Caelum
Next in line to the throne of Lucis, he is known as “Noct” by his friends. Prone to speaking his mind, he finds the decorum that characterizes his upbringing in the royal family to be stiffling. His attitude may come across as overconfident, but it is simply the outward expression of his desire to protect everyone.
Voice Actor: Tatsuhisa Suzuki
[Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn, Rai; Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Sandman]
Gladiolus Amicitia
The eldest child of the Amicitia family - a family with a long heritage of protecting the the House of Lucis. His family’s proximity to the royal family meant he was familiar with Noctis from a young age. In fact Gladiolus thinks of Noctis as a brother. For that reason his subservience to the royal family is more like a bond between close friends than a master-servant relationship.
Voice Actor: Kenta Miyake
[Street Fighter IV, Zangief; Halo, The Arbiter; Dead or Alive Dimensions; Bass Armstrong]
[Translator’s note: Kenta is well known for playing muscleheaded characters. This might give us some insight into Gladiolus’s character]
Ignis Scientia
The man pegged to be Noctis’s advisor in the future [presumably when Noctis is king]. As such he’s received special education from a young age. Being childhood friends with Noctis he understands him very well, acting as his confidant. He’s cool, collected and intelligent in contrast to Noctis who is bungling. As a result Ignis can often be found helping Noctis.
Voice Actor: Mamoru Miyano
[Steins; Gate, Rintaro Okabe; Kindgom Hearts series, Riku; Death Note; Light Yagami]
[Translator’s note: It would appear Miyano is often typecast as intelligent characters. Especially psychotically intelligent ones]
Prompto Argentum
A bad influence on Noctis since their student days. He’s frivolous and a womanizer. Unlike Noctis’s other companions, Prompto isn’t of noble birth or a childhood friend to Noctis. Secretly that bites at him, making him desperate to prove his worth.
Voice Actor: Tetsuya Kakihara
[Corpse Party series, Sakutaro Morishige; Trails of Zero: Evolution, Lloyd Bannings]
Cor Leonis
Often called “The Immortal General”, he is the captain of the House of Lucis’s Elite Guard. He swears unwavering fealty to king and country. A hardheaded military type who is considered one of the three toughest people around. His strict attitude towards Noctis and his friends earns him their dislike, but that hasn’t stopped him from joining their journey and keeping an eye out for them.
Voice Actor: Hiroki Tochi
[Resident Evil series, Chris Redfield; Star Ocean 3: Till The End of Time, Cius Warren; Final Fantasy XIII, Yaag Rosch]
-Immersive, Speedy Battles:
The battles in Final Fantasy XV are a marked shift for the series - playing out like an action game. Battles flow smoothly from field exploration. Battles change dizzyingly from second to second and play out out both speedily and immersively. You can even change character mid-battle or link party member attacks together into attacks that are dynamically animated [translator’s note: the term “dynamically” here is simply a buzz word, not a technical term].
Unfortunately, the Xbox site had considerably less to say about the game, only stating:
Final Fantasy XV is a departure for the series. It employs a high-action [battle] system that utilizes the specifications of next-generation hardware; players will be able to move all over the screen, into every nook and cranny. Party-oriented battles, a Final Fantasy staple, will be pushed even further; allowing players to enjoy even more strategic party-oriented battles by switching party members. The protagonists include “Noct”, heir to the throne of Lucis - the kindgom in control of the world’s last crystal. Noct and his friends are suddenly dragged into the chaos of war.
These updates come just days after Microsoft confirmed a September 26 release for the Xbox One in Japan. Final Fantasy XV however, still has no firm release date that was listed on either of the sites.
Shehzaan Abdulla
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