Game Informer May Cover Reveal: Final Fantasy XV

Prompto getting of the crack and cleaning his act up since 2013.

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Prompt.jpg
 
Prompto getting of the crack and cleaning his act up since 2013.

2013 Prompto looked better.

Yeah, I always hated the boyband comments but I do feel like the newer Prompto render does embody the young, boyish, cute appearance that some would associate with that, whereas 2013 Prompto looks like an older Japanese delinquent with bleached hair.

I can understand how Prompto's character might fit the more youthful design, but I just prefer the look of his previous form. My "Thugged out, drugged out" jokes don't work anymore.
 
2013 obvious PS3 models were junk. The hair changed with the new models more than anything else, but they have to scale that with the fidelity.
 
2013 obvious PS3 models were junk. The hair changed with the new models more than anything else, but they have to scale that with the fidelity.

That didn't stop them from keeping Ardyn's hair the way it was. They didn't even change him for Kingsglaive where everyone looks more realistic.

He looked gross in 2013 and he looks gross now, in a slightly different way.

His face deviates from the usual FF fare which is why I like it. It's just that I prefer his 2013 hairstyle.
 
I just wanna see the main cast wear something besides jet black. I totally understand they wear black for story reasons.

It's just... the all black outfit is gonna get old....

But the cool DLC of Noctis wearing that jet black suit is very nice.
 
XV has the most Asian looking cast in FF, and you can really notice it when you see Cor standing next to anyone from the party. Which is why I hate the super caucasian looking Kingslaive cast, especially Luna and Red Hair Dude (forgot his name), consistency is important SE, please!
 
That didn't stop them from keeping Ardyn's hair the way it was. They didn't even change him for Kingsglaive where everyone looks more realistic.

His face deviates from the usual FF fare which is why I like it. It's just that I prefer his 2013 hairstyle.

Ardyn's works, Prompto's doesn't. It's a case-by-case thing.

XV has the most Asian looking cast in FF, and you can really notice it when you see Cor standing next to anyone from the party. Which is why I hate the super caucasian looking Kingslaive cast, especially Luna and Red Hair Dude (forgot his name), consistency is important SE, please!

Nah, that distinction definitely goes to FFX. XV's cast is a bunch of white people that look vaguely like there's some Asian in the gene pool because inevitably JP modelers are going to model a certain way. The only real Asian look on these characters is the fashion.
 
That didn't stop them from keeping Ardyn's hair the way it was. They didn't even change him for Kingsglaive where everyone looks more realistic.



His face deviates from the usual FF fare which is why I like it. It's just that I prefer his 2013 hairstyle.

He looks like he needs medicine and lots of it!
 
So he's basically the typical "act super positive to hide my depressing past" character.

Also the Luna/Noctis dynamic is something that's been in so many movies/anime/manga etc. I've read it so many times before and it's disappointing to see it here.

Considering Noctis' character archetype from the beginning...the dynamic doesn't seem that surprising. I guess he'll end up like Squall and be more open towards the end.
 
Well, some characters feel less promising than you may have imagined years ago when you find out more about them. It's not necessarily that they've gotten worse, but you just know more about them now.

If we're saying that some characters look/feel worse now, then we gotta talk about the perceived improvements. Noctis under Tabata actually comes across as a much more likeable, human protagonist than the overused broody type from Versus XIII. That matters a lot for me since he's the main protagonist.

Nah, that distinction definitely goes to FFX. XV's cast is a bunch of white people that look vaguely like there's some Asian in the gene pool because inevitably JP modelers are going to model a certain way. The only real Asian look on these characters is the fashion.

It depends how you look at it.


He shares a lot of Asian features in a few shots.
 
Well, some characters feel less promising than you may have imagined years ago when you find out more about them. It's not necessarily that they've gotten worse, but you just know more about them now.

If we're saying that some characters look/feel worse now, then we gotta talk about the improvements. Noctis under Tabata actually comes across as a much more likeable, human protagonist than the overused broody type from Versus XIII. That matters a lot for me since he's the main protagonist.

This post seems ironic to me lol. When it was still Versus XIII, Nomura said Noctis was not a broody type character. The fact that we actually hear him speaking now, as opposed to having next to no lines at all in the Versus XIII days, is why he's more likeable now.
 
This post seems ironic to me lol. When it was still Versus XIII, Nomura said Noctis was not a broody type character. The fact that we actually hear him speaking now, as opposed to having next to no lines at all in the Versus XIII days, is why he's more likeable now.

That's exactly the point I was making, actually. We just happen to know more about him now and he's more likeable.

Because we knew that side of his character, I'm ironically giving Tabata that credit. He just happened to be one of the characters we knew about. Nomura didn't talk much about Ignis, Prompto, Gladio, or Stella.
 
Not hearing enough about Cor and Gentiana.

W/ Luna relegated to a MacGuffin, and these two off-radar, they seem to be really doubling down on the core four-guy dynamic.

I don't mind that being a focus, but really hope we still get time w/ other developed characters.
 
Here's the differences as I see them. Though I feel in both cases this is just where they start and there would obviously be growth in both versions throughout the journey.

Old Noctis:
  • A renegade that rejects the royal conventions placed on him.
  • Brash and outspoken.
    (edgy)

New Noctis:
  • Has more complex feelings about his father and his future as king.
  • He's still brash and outspoken, but it seems like it's more directed at the situation he's found in rather than his rebellious nature(
    angst
    ).

I feel like the original Noctis did leave room for a lot of growth throughout the adventure, but the new Noctis feels like he's potentially more relatable and likeable as he isn't so black and white about things.
 
Here's the differences as I see them. Though I feel in both cases this is just where they start and there would obviously be growth in both versions throughout the journey.

Old Noctis:
  • A renegade that rejects the royal conventions placed on him.
  • Brash and outspoken.
    (edgy)

New Noctis:
  • Has more complex feelings about his father and his future as king.
  • He's still brash and outspoken, but it seems like it's more directed at the situation he's found in rather than his rebellious nature(
    angst
    ).

I feel like the original Noctis did leave room for a lot of growth throughout the adventure, but the new Noctis feels like he's potentially more relatable and likeable as he isn't so black and white about things.

I honestly feel like Noctis hasn't changed much. I was surprised to see the whole "he's shy with the ladies" trait that even Nomura spoke of years ago. My favorite trait of Prompto seems gone though which was "a fugitive on the run" which is why he uses the guns.
 
For some reason I always imagined Prompto having a Cockney accent before Episode Duscae. Just struck me as fitting his energetic, lower-class persona.
 
Here's the differences as I see them. Though I feel in both cases this is just where they start and there would obviously be growth in both versions throughout the journey.

Old Noctis:
  • A renegade that rejects the royal conventions placed on him.
  • Brash and outspoken.
    (edgy)

New Noctis:
  • Has more complex feelings about his father and his future as king.
  • He's still brash and outspoken, but it seems like it's more directed at the situation he's found in rather than his rebellious nature(
    angst
    ).

I feel like the original Noctis did leave room for a lot of growth throughout the adventure, but the new Noctis feels like he's potentially more relatable and likeable as he isn't so black and white about things.

I feel "new" Noctis (i think in the full game he'll have chances to act like he was originally intentended to be) is a perfect subject for the coming-of-age story they're going for.
 
Here's the differences as I see them. Though I feel in both cases this is just where they start and there would obviously be growth in both versions throughout the journey.

Old Noctis:
  • A renegade that rejects the royal conventions placed on him.
  • Brash and outspoken.
    (edgy)

New Noctis:
  • Has more complex feelings about his father and his future as king.
  • He's still brash and outspoken, but it seems like it's more directed at the situation he's found in rather than his rebellious nature(
    angst
    ).

I feel like the original Noctis did leave room for a lot of growth throughout the adventure, but the new Noctis feels like he's potentially more relatable and likeable as he isn't so black and white about things.


What's funny is that I didn't start to really see Noctis' personality until Uncovered.

He's a laid back and good-natured sleepy head.
 
Well, some characters feel less promising than you may have imagined years ago when you find out more about them. It's not necessarily that they've gotten worse, but you just know more about them now.

If we're saying that some characters look/feel worse now, then we gotta talk about the perceived improvements. Noctis under Tabata actually comes across as a much more likeable, human protagonist than the overused broody type from Versus XIII. That matters a lot for me since he's the main protagonist.



It depends how you look at it.



He shares a lot of Asian features in a few shots.

Square Enix released official character descriptions following E3 2013: http://www.novacrystallis.com/2013/...ast-officially-detailed-new-artwork-released/

Definitely some differences here already.
 
Square Enix released official character descriptions following E3 2013: http://www.novacrystallis.com/2013/...ast-officially-detailed-new-artwork-released/

Definitely some differences here already.

My theory is that under the original scenario, the Insomnia opening gave room for Noctis to be more brash/naive/free spirited. I think the game was originally going to be more of a slow burn opening inside Insomnia in which Noctis was a powerless and modern prince.

Under the new scenario it seems Noctis has his powers from the get go? Instead of inheriting them when perhaps Regis dies, he has them already as its been dictated by his birth. It also seems the game gets more serious a lot quicker now, similar to VI, VII, IX and XIII, opposed to VIII, X and XII which have slower starts.

The scenario changes probably plays the biggest role in the character changes.

VersusXIII/XV in 2013: Insomnia is attacked by Nifelheim whilst Noctis is in the city, they kill Regis and escape with the crystal. The base story is a road trip in which you try to reclaim the crystal and enact revenge.

XV: Insomnia is attacked by Nifelheim whilst Noctis is out of the city, they kill Regis and occupy the kingdom/crystal. The base story is a road trip in which you flee and also find a solution to reclaim the kingdom and enact revenge.

The original scenario definitely appealed to me a lot more, because I vastly prefer slow burns in all mediums, however, I think the road trip aspect still leaves plenty of room to develop/flesh out Noctis even if we don't get that at the beginning now.
 
Square Enix released official character descriptions following E3 2013: http://www.novacrystallis.com/2013/...ast-officially-detailed-new-artwork-released/

Definitely some differences here already.

Other than Noctis, all of the character descriptions are very similar to what they are in the Game Informer article.

Prompto looks edgier at E3 2013, but that doesn't mean he would have been. Right now his vibe is closer to his jokey Versus XIII design. His character description has never alluded to a darker side to his character. It was fan rumours that led to him being coined as the "foreign fugitive", when that's never been the case.

"Prompto Argentum: The puckish playboy Prompto befriended Noctis in his school days. He wears a chip on his shoulder as an outsider to the royal circle, but remains eager to do all he can for the cause."

What's curious is Noctis' sharingan that hasn't been described. There's still definitely some stuff that we don't know. I'm not saying that there haven't been changes, especially with the anime and now the movie, but there's stuff that SE didn't disclose since it's spoiler territory. There's also stuff that diehards of the game know that this article doesn't have.
 
My theory is that under the original scenario, the Insomnia opening gave room for Noctis to be more brash/naive/free spirited. I think the game was originally going to be more of a slow burn opening inside Insomnia in which Noctis was a powerless and modern prince.

Under the new scenario it seems Noctis has his powers from the get go? Instead of inheriting them when perhaps Regis dies, he has them already as its been dictated by his birth. It also seems the game gets more serious a lot quicker now, similar to VI, VII, IX and XIII, opposed to VIII, X and XII which have slower starts.

The scenario changes probably plays the biggest role in the character changes.

VersusXIII/XV in 2013: Insomnia is attacked by Nifelheim whilst Noctis is in the city, they kill Regis and escape with the crystal. The base story is a road trip in which you try to reclaim the crystal and enact revenge.

XV: Insomnia is attacked by Nifelheim whilst Noctis is out of the city, they kill Regis and occupy the kingdom/crystal. The base story is a road trip in which you flee and also find a solution to reclaim the kingdom and enact revenge.

The original scenario definitely appealed to me a lot more, because I vastly prefer slow burns in all mediums, however, I think the road trip aspect still leaves plenty of room to develop/flesh out Noctis even if we don't get that at the beginning now.

I know I'm not contributing much when I say this... but wow. Great comment. So well thought out. Really love the gaming conversations here.
 
Ignis interests me.

So he's basically the typical "act super positive to hide my depressing past" character.

Also the Luna/Noctis dynamic is something that's been in so many movies/anime/manga etc. I've read it so many times before and it's disappointing to see it here.

A common trope getting used isn't automatically a bad thing. Though I'm sure you've come across these more than I have.

Aaaaaand now I've inadvertently defended something about Prompto. I'm sticking with it but..... Goddammit. >:(
 
I'm sad at the level of presence Luna will have. She seems cool and I'd have liked to interact with her more. It's not that I'd want her in the party, but it sounds like she'll mostly appear in tiny cutscenes.

Though aside from Ignis and Luna, I can't say the character bio's do much for me.

The worst part is that there's no bio for Cor, who is clearly the best character.
 
What is Angler Set?
According to recent press each party member has their own skill that will he used for various things. Ignis can cook, one of them fishes, and I forgot the other skills and according party member. I assume the angler set will be marginally better than the starting fishing gear, and will provide some small boosts and bonuses to whatever fishing provides the player.

Edit: ^there ya go.
 
According to recent press each party member has their own skill that will he used for various things. Ignis can cook, one of them fishes, and I forgot the other skills and according party member. I assume the angler set will be marginally better than the starting fishing gear, and will provide some small boosts and bonuses to whatever fishing provides the player.
Ignis Cooks, Noctis Fishes, Prompto takes pictures and Glad is survival skills(Not sure how this works)...
 
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