Support NeoGAF

[Golnei]

Also what's the starscourge? I think its the plague of darkness that turns people into daemons, but why is that a 'star' scourge?

I guess being released by an Astral kind of gives it a connection to stars?

 

[djSyndrome]

My biggest regret from this game was that I didn't explore a thing or fought even one enemy while Iris was in the party.

You missed out. Iris is GOAT.

 

[lt519]

Finished it last night, thought I'd come in here and read up to see if I actually missed anything. Nope, just an abysmal story that was unfinished and untapped. Someone nailed it above, Chapter 14 could have been half a game in itself, living and fighting in the "evil" world.

The train ride through 9-14 just screamed of incompleteness. You start by stopping off at a dungeon, cool OK, makes sense, maybe they didn't finish the open world at this spot. Then you stop again and it's "We were going to have an open world with a dungeon here, but ran out of time. So fuck it, Shiva is dead and here is her power after killing an unrelated Deathclaw on the side of the train tracks."

I could have waited two more years for the game to have been finished. That being said I'm still enjoying the open world, combat, and questing.

Can someone explain to me why Ravus was ready to fight me at the encampment the first time before Ardyn stopped him, but at the end he's fighting for/with me and Luna? Was he trying to stop me at first so Luna wouldn't die and then he flipped sides?

 

[Shahadan]

Anyone knows the name of the music playing after the final QTE ? When Noctis unleashes the knights of the round table against poor Ardyn

Btw watching this scene again it seems ardyn was trying to do something and Luna prevented him to do so. Could he have done something similar to get rid of noctis there?

 

[Inuhanyou]

The issue this game had in the past 3 years was obviously dev difficulties. All the changes tabata made from when Nomura was in charge were specifically in order to make the project more streamlined for the new staff and easier to mold into something they could easily ship on their own terms.

The fact that they could not even get that done, and still have huge amounts of cut content from even trailers shown early this year says to me that the development was pretty much a 'cut everything and ship it kind of deal', i doubt the devs themselves wanted the game to turn out in this kind of manner.

I can blame it on the publisher itself forcing the game out despite it only being half finished.

Nomura didn't got shit done.
Wait another 10 years edition.

Its pretty hard to get things done when you don't have people to make a game.

 

[Slater]

The issue this game had in the past 3 years was obviously dev difficulties. All the changes tabata made from when Nomura was in charge were specifically in order to make things more streamlined for the new staff and easier to mold into something they could easily ship on their own terms.

The fact that they could not even get that done, and still have huge amounts of cut content from even trailers shown early this year says to me that the development was pretty much a 'cut everything and ship it kind of deal', i doubt the devs themselves wanted the game to turn out in this kind of manner.

Seriously, Tabata has obvious weaknesses as a creator, but so much missing isn't him trying to be "mysterious" or anything like that it's obvious HUGE cuts were being made very late, there's close to a dozen trailer scenes from his era just gone

 

[minameissteve]

Anyone knows the name of the music playing after the final QTE ? When Noctis unleashes the knights of the round table against poor Ardyn

The official soundtrack releases in two weeks, so we'll find out then. That was one of the best scenes in the game, and the music was pretty amazing.

 

[Falk]

Anyone knows the name of the music playing after the final QTE ? When Noctis unleashes the knights of the round table against poor Ardyn

Btw watching this scene again it seems ardyn was trying to do something and Luna prevented him to do so. Could he have done something similar to get rid of noctis there?

In the floaty world? Can't help you on the 'name' perse till the soundtrack is out, but it's an arrangement of Somnus

edit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMBRBXe7Qro#t=1m17s

 

[EmeraldSwords]

Finished it last night.

Enjoyed the hell out of it, looking forward to keep playing this one for a while.
I also need that soundtrack!

 

[Shahadan]

Ah my bad then I thought the OST was out and some track names are already on youtube.

Will wait then.

 

[careksims]

You missed out. Iris is GOAT.

Praise it! I wish she was in my party all the time.

 

[Rising_Hei]

I enjoyed Crisis Core a lot more than this, for sure. Haven't played much Type-0.

Well, Crisis Core focused 100 % on its story so they could pull off something decent xD

 

[nOoblet16]

Fishing level 6 so closeee


*When you catch a small fish*
Gladio: Puny, just like yours

I did not expect that from a final fantasy game, which reminds me Noctis says Son of a bitch several times over campaign...I didn't expect that in FFXV either.

 

[Falk]

and some track names are already on youtube.

Will wait then.

Technically they are. However I can't comment on their accuracy, and a lot of tracks are uploaded from game rips that are wildly different from the actual soundtrack versions since a lot of it is dynamically morphed in-game. I believe most of the people attaching names to tracks are doing so going off the tracklisting on the official site.

w.r.t details including track names, I'm under NDA till the soundtrack comes out. ;p

 

[jb1234]

Anyone knows the name of the music playing after the final QTE ? When Noctis unleashes the knights of the round table against poor Ardyn

Based on the released track titles, it's called Somnus Ultima.

 

[Neiteio]

I'm not sure why they had the campfire scene as a post-credits bit. Also what's the starscourge? I think its the plague of darkness that turns people into daemons, but why is that a 'star' scourge? The Six don't really seem to give a shit about humanity (except perhaps Bahamut, but he was chilling in distorted time and Shiva, who spent her free time photobombing Prompto). Was Pyrna in the game outside of a hanging corpse?

I haven't finished the game yet, but I've seen and read enough to answer these.

RE: star-scourge: The plague of darkness that turns men into monsters is called the star-scourge because it comes from Ifrit, an Astral. Astral = astrology = stars. A divine curse.

RE: Astrals: In the cutscene right before the final battle, Ardyn specifically says that Ifrit doesn't care for mankind but Shiva does. Quote: "Ifrit, the Infernian. He doesn't share the Glacian's fondness for mankind. But you can expect a... warm welcome." We see Shiva intervene multiple times, too.

RE: Pryna: Pryna appears alongside Umbra in the first scene with Luna. They're messenger spirits that manifest as dogs (a loading screen tip says this, but it's pretty obvious they're not ordinary dogs). They helped Luna and Noctis maintain a written correspondence ever since they were kids. Luna and Noctis were separated because they lived in warring nations, but they still developed a strong friendship through their letters.

In the childhood flashback we see they bonded at a young age, a friendship formed in part because they resolved to meet their fated burden together (she as oracle, he as king). Neither could understand the full magnitude of their responsibility, but even then it was a burden they inherited, rather than chose. Luna was much stronger and more mature about accepting her duty, while Noctis took a while to reach that point (by his own admission, as he takes the throne at the end).

RE: Ardyn making Noctis stronger: Ardyn says that he would "derive scant satisfaction" from killing Noctis the man. He wishes only to kill Noctis the King, and everything he represents. His quarrel is with the line of Lucis, the throne he was denied eons ago.

So he helps Noctis ascend... just so he can break his spirit by destroying everything dear to him. It's purely out of spite. Ardyn's servitude to Ifrit allowed him to absorb demons during the 10-year time skip and become stronger; it also brought the star-scourge back into the world — another way to break Noctis' spirit and to take revenge not only on the line of Lucis, but on the world that denied Ardyn his throne.

In the end, Noctis kills Ardyn, but the curse remains since Ardyn's spirit still exists. To lift the curse and end the star-scourge, Noctis has to absorb the full power of the kings of old. This kills Noctis, but strengthens his spirit so that in the afterlife, Noctis and the line of Lucis are able to destroy Ardyn once and for all.

Then, before his spirit departs the world, Noctis makes peace with the spirits of Prompto, Ignis and Gladio, who sacrificed themselves so Noctis could commune with the kings of old and end the star-scourge. And he makes peace with Luna, finally together with her after years of separation... Well, together in eternal rest. ;_;

Beautiful ending. I'm thoroughly enjoying the ride there but couldn't help peeking. (It also helps that I don't get hung up on the way the game was marketed, and I don't convince myself which characters will have a major presence. I just let the game be itself.)

 

[Griss]

The problem is that, as we've pointed out, the most glaring issues with the narrative would have only required exposition. That we're constantly asking "Wait, what the fuck?" every single chapter doesn't mean that the game isn't salvageable, they just need to actually explain what's going on.

How to fix Jared: Add a quest where you stay the night at the inn and Jared speaks to you about his time in the Crownsguard (that's what he was, right? Some older Kingsglaive member?) and have the guys sit around listening to him. Hell, this would have been a perfect place to incorporate most of the Dawn trailer. "He was a good man, your father, he loved you." etc, blah blah blah.

How to fix the Summon macguffins: Allow the player to actually acquire that Cosmogony book that is randomly lying out in the open at various locations, have the bros talk about it, explain what a Covenant is, have them go "Luna must be speaking with them to get them on your side ahead of time" or whatever. Say something like "No one knows where Bahamut is" and "Legends say he Ifrit has grown to hate them, and mankind as well." Plant the seed. Make the player curious.

How to fix the Royal Arms macguffins: Simply state that you don't need to actually collect all of them. Make some reference that Lucian kings can be temporarily granted their powers without needing to permanently acquire the weapons in times of great need. Now suddenly finishing the game with only half of them makes a little more sense.

The narrative problems with this game aren't unsolvable. They just required better writers, and unfortunately, a better director.

Exactly. It wasn't difficult to fix this stuff, I just genuinely believe that they don't get it, and think the 'mysterious' method of storytelling is better.

'Plant the seed' is such a good phrase. That's exactly what they failed to do with each and every story beat. There were some flashbacks to Luna after she'd died where I was almost shouting at the screen "It's too late now! Where was this five hours ago!" They did everything in reverse, trying to harvest the wheat before they'd planted the seed.

Finished it last night, thought I'd come in here and read up to see if I actually missed anything. Nope, just an abysmal story that was unfinished and untapped. Someone nailed it above, Chapter 14 could have been half a game in itself, living and fighting in the "evil" world.

The train ride through 9-14 just screamed of incompleteness. You start by stopping off at a dungeon, cool OK, makes sense, maybe they didn't finish the open world at this spot. Then you stop again and it's "We were going to have an open world with a dungeon here, but ran out of time. So fuck it, Shiva is dead and here is her power after killing an unrelated Deathclaw on the side of the train tracks."

I could have waited two more years for the game to have been finished. That being said I'm still enjoying the open world, combat, and questing.

Can someone explain to me why Ravus was ready to fight me at the encampment the first time before Ardyn stopped him, but at the end he's fighting for/with me and Luna? Was he trying to stop me at first so Luna wouldn't die and then he flipped sides?

Oh man, Shiva. At that point I was like "well, the game has been shit, but when Shiva wakes up in the darkness and towers over me it'll be awesome". Instead the game said "Beat this deathclaw and fuck you, too." I coudn't believe it.

 

[Shahadan]

Based on the released track titles, it's called Somnus Ultima.

That was the final boss theme iirc, I was thinking about this part

Edit: dat moment of sudden fear when you are not 100% sure you're in the spoiler thread

 

[wvnative]

Indeed, very beautiful ending.

 

[Limality]

Ending was bittersweet...good thing I chose a happy group photo from Caem too instead of a pinup shot of Cidney...would've ruined the mood of the extra scene completely

 

[theofficefan99]

Pisses me off how I couldn't stop playing the game, then Chapter 4 and the beginning of Chapter 5 happened, and now I haven't played it since, and then I learned that the main story is basically of the same "quality" for the rest of the game. It is quite literally Type-0 1.5 and I don't care what anyone says, Type-0 is the most horrid FF game ever released. How it managed to get even a 72 on Metacritic is beyond me. I even enjoyed Lightning Returns and Dirge of Cerberus more.

 

[jb1234]

That was the final boss theme iirc, I was thinking about this part

Edit: dat moment of sudden fear when you are not 100% sure you're in the spoiler thread

Nah, that doesn't fit with the track titles as they're in chronological order.

90 Somnus (Insomnia Theme)
91 Hellfire (Ifrit)
92 Magna Insomnia (Final boss)
93 Dawn (Cutscene where Noctis dies)
94 Somnus Ultima (Cutscene where Ardyn gets spanked)
95 Dewdrops at Dawn (Cutscene of the deserted world at dawn)

 

[SkylineRKR]

Pisses me off how I couldn't stop playing the game, then Chapter 4 and the beginning of Chapter 5 happened, and now I haven't played it since, and then I learned that the main story is basically of the same "quality" for the rest of the game. It is quite literally Type-0 1.5 and I don't care what anyone says, Type-0 is the most horrid FF game ever released. How it managed to get even a 72 on Metacritic is beyond me. I even enjoyed Lightning Returns and Dirge of Cerberus more.

Type 0 is terrible, but I enjoy FFXV a lot. Just fuck around in the open world, slay big monsters.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

What was weird about the time skip to me was that outside of Noctis aging, I never got the impression that the rest of the group changed much. The grown-up boy said the three of them were going separate ways for most of the time, but when they reunited it felt like no time at all had passed since the last time they fought together.

I guess "true friendship lasts the test of time" was kind of the point of that, but they did a bad job getting the point across if so.

We call that concept of friendship remaning the same "parea" in Greek. But yes, the scene didn't communicate it all that well, again because it cuts itself short. Maybe some more scenes of them catching up or something in the diner could have been used.

Pisses me off how I couldn't stop playing the game, then Chapter 4 and the beginning of Chapter 5 happened, and now I haven't played it since, and then I learned that the main story is basically of the same "quality" for the rest of the game. It is quite literally Type-0 1.5 and I don't care what anyone says, Type-0 is the most horrid FF game ever released. How it managed to get even a 72 on Metacritic is beyond me. I even enjoyed Lightning Returns and Dirge of Cerberus more.

I enjoyed Type-0 more than XV if I'm being honest.

 

[Ydelnae]

"Umbra and Pryna are not just pets, they are similar beings to Gentiana" - Hajima Tabata, 2015.

One dog acts as walking Snapchat and the other is only shown sleeping on the background of a random flashback.

 

[Ruff]

Anyone knows the name of the music playing after the final QTE ? When Noctis unleashes the knights of the round table against poor Ardyn

I'd like to know that too. That scene gives me legit chills with it's musical crescendo perfectly timed like that.

 

[ShadowSoldier89]

I enjoyed Type-0 more than XV if I'm being honest.

Hello fellow crazy person

 

[Neiteio]

What was weird about the time skip to me was that outside of Noctis aging, I never got the impression that the rest of the group changed much. The grown-up boy said the three of them were going separate ways for most of the time, but when they reunited it felt like no time at all had passed since the last time they fought together.

I guess "true friendship lasts the test of time" was kind of the point of that, but they did a bad job getting the point across if so.

All the time you spent with them prior to the time skip is you all you need for background. I have friends in real life who I can go for years without seeing, but when we reconnect we pick up right where we left off. Our shared history is all we need. That's the idea here.

 

[Solid Sora]

That was the final boss theme iirc, I was thinking about this part

Edit: dat moment of sudden fear when you are not 100% sure you're in the spoiler thread

Final Boss theme called Magna Insomnia. The track you're asking about is Somnus Ultima.

 

[Darkstorne]

We call that concept of friendship remaning the same "parea" in Greek. But yes, the scene didn't communicate it all that well, again because it cuts itself short. Maybe some more scenes of them catching up or something in the diner could have been used.

I wonder if that's what the DLC will focus on? The season pass lists three "Episodes" each attributed to one of the party members with them being playable. Might suggest this is the time period that DLC will be set in.

 

[DiipuSurotu]

Isn't "star" the same word as "planet" in Japanese? The Starscourge is kinda similar to the "Star Scar Syndrome" from Advent Children (which was translated as Geostigma in the English version), at least in name.

 

[orthodoxy1095]

Hello fellow crazy person

 

[xxdoshiyarovexx]

The issue this game had in the past 3 years was obviously dev difficulties. All the changes tabata made from when Nomura was in charge were specifically in order to make the project more streamlined for the new staff and easier to mold into something they could easily ship on their own terms.

The fact that they could not even get that done, and still have huge amounts of cut content from even trailers shown early this year says to me that the development was pretty much a 'cut everything and ship it kind of deal', i doubt the devs themselves wanted the game to turn out in this kind of manner.

I can blame it on the publisher itself forcing the game out despite it only being half finished.



Its pretty hard to get things done when you don't have people to make a game.

Yeahhhhhh I agree 100% with this. Remember when they showed off that huge train station in development with the cats? Not even in??????????????????????? Wondering if it will be in the DLC, and the rest of the stuff :c

 

[orthodoxy1095]

"Umbra and Pryna are not just pets, they are similar beings to Gentiana" - Hajima Tabata, 2015.

One dog acts as walking Snapchat and the other is only shown sleeping on the background of a random flashback.

There's no way he really said that.

 

[theofficefan99]

People need to stop hoping that the 8000 cut areas and scenes will be included in the DLC.

 

[Burbeting]

My party is level 61-63, and I'm almost about to buy the node that raises strength based on levels. Am I strong enough for Costlemark Tower?

 

[Golnei]

People need to stop hoping that the 8000 cut areas and scenes will be included in the DLC.

To be fair, a reasonable amount of XIII's cut, unused or unfinished content did end up being repurposed in XIII-2. If they're really not planning on a direct sequel, it'd not be a massive leap to imagine that the DLC scenarios will make use of whatever they can.

 

[Com Truise]

Just finished the game.

Fantastic ending to a potentially good story that was told so extremely poorly, it just ruins everything.

Also, the aftertaste of the whole experience reminds me of MGS5. It bleeds the promise of greatness and ambition out of every pore, but it was just too much for the developers, they couldn't deliver the game this was supposed to be. It's just so goddamn frustrating, I will never see the vision of FFXV realized in its full glory and it feels like a fucking tragedy because they had something really special here.

Ardyn was a great villain btw. He too is a victim of the shit storytelling but his charisma and somewhat interesting motive consisting of pure spite make him a damn fine antagonist.

 

[Hystzen]

The multiplayer dlc is a waste of resources they should concentrate on other SP content to fill gaps just give me world of ruin even if just Leide section

 

[Neiteio]

The multiplayer dlc is a waste of resources they should concentrate on other SP content to fill gaps just give me world of ruin even if just Leide section

They're planning multiplayer DLC?

 

[Certinty]

My party is level 61-63, and I'm almost about to buy the node that raises strength based on levels. Am I strong enough for Costlemark Tower?

Take A LOT of health potions and you should be fine. Though if you

Spoiler

mess up in the maze

then you might be fucked no matter what level you are.

 

[Hystzen]

They're planning multiplayer DLC?

The leaflet for season pass in case mentions it

 

[SephiZack]

I finished the game and before the final boss I chose a picture of Iris as a joke.

I died laughing when Noctis showed that picture to Luna in the final scene.

I wish they showed Cor, Aranea, Iris and Cindy after the timeskip

I've just entered Costlemark Tower, the recommended level is 55 which is where I'm at. But I've heard so many horror stories about that dungeon. Should I level up some more or will I be fine at that level?

Edit: and can you camp inside that dungeon?

It might be late but before entering that dungeon I ate food that gave me immunity to Fire/Ice/Thunder and the thunder bombs made no damage to me when they exploded. I think it was from the restaurant in Altissia, I had actually eaten it for the exp boost as I didn't know there would be thunder bombs.

 

[Golnei]

They're planning multiplayer DLC?

There aren't many details yet, but the final "expansion pack" DLC after the character episodes is apparently going to involve some form of co-op.

 

[DarkLordMalik]

"Umbra and Pryna are not just pets, they are similar beings to Gentiana" - Hajima Tabata, 2015.

One dog acts as walking Snapchat and the other is only shown sleeping on the background of a random flashback.

So they are fragments of Shiva?

 

[Lights and Waves]

I haven't finished the game yet, but I've seen and read enough to answer these.

RE: star-scourge: The plague of darkness that turns men into monsters is called the star-scourge because it comes from Ifrit, an Astral. Astral = astrology = stars. A divine curse.

RE: Astrals: In the cutscene right before the final battle, Ardyn specifically says that Ifrit doesn't care for mankind but Shiva does. Quote: "Ifrit, the Infernian. He doesn't share the Glacian's fondness for mankind. But you can expect a... warm welcome." We see Shiva intervene multiple times, too.

RE: Pryna: Pryna appears alongside Umbra in the first scene with Luna. They're messenger spirits that manifest as dogs (a loading screen tip says this, but it's pretty obvious they're not ordinary dogs). They helped Luna and Noctis maintain a written correspondence ever since they were kids. Luna and Noctis were separated because they lived in warring nations, but they still developed a strong friendship through their letters.

In the childhood flashback we see they bonded at a young age, a friendship formed in part because they resolved to meet their fated burden together (she as oracle, he as king). Neither could understand the full magnitude of their responsibility, but even then it was a burden they inherited, rather than chose. Luna was much stronger and more mature about accepting her duty, while Noctis took a while to reach that point (by his own admission, as he takes the throne at the end).

RE: Ardyn making Noctis stronger: Ardyn says that he would "derive scant satisfaction" from killing Noctis the man. He wishes only to kill Noctis the King, and everything he represents. His quarrel is with the line of Lucis, the throne he was denied eons ago.

So he helps Noctis ascend... just so he can break his spirit by destroying everything dear to him. It's purely out of spite. Ardyn's servitude to Ifrit allowed him to absorb demons during the 10-year time skip and become stronger; it also brought the star-scourge back into the world — another way to break Noctis' spirit and to take revenge not only on the line of Lucis, but on the world that denied Ardyn his throne.

In the end, Noctis kills Ardyn, but the curse remains since Ardyn's spirit still exists. To lift the curse and end the star-scourge, Noctis has to absorb the full power of the kings of old. This kills Noctis, but strengthens his spirit so that in the afterlife, Noctis and the line of Lucis are able to destroy Ardyn once and for all.

Then, before his spirit departs the world, Noctis makes peace with the spirits of Prompto, Ignis and Gladio, who sacrificed themselves so Noctis could commune with the kings of old and end the star-scourge. And he makes peace with Luna, finally together with her after years of separation... Well, together in eternal rest. ;_;

Beautiful ending. I'm thoroughly enjoying the ride there but couldn't help peeking. (It also helps that I don't get hung up on the way the game was marketed, and I don't convince myself which characters will have a major presence. I just let the game be itself.)

Great explanation, but I absolutely disagree with the bolded. More signs point to them being alive than dead.

 

[Arkeband]

There aren't many details yet, but the final "expansion pack" DLC after the character episodes is apparently going to involve some form of co-op.

It'll be online matchmaking for co-op Justice Monsters V and darts, mark my words.

Maybe they'll even make a matching minigame with dishes and fishes.

 

[theofficefan99]

There aren't many details yet, but the final "expansion pack" DLC after the character episodes is apparently going to involve some form of co-op.

They should fix the unacceptable camera and lock-on first.

 

[Golnei]

So they are fragments of Shiva?

The Niflheim military campaign to kill Shiva was actually just Ardyn running over a dog.

 

[Hystzen]

The Niflheim military campaign to kill Shiva was actually just Ardyn running over a dog.

Ardyn is too lazy to do it himself plus would not want damage his car