A changed game for a changing world.
How Final Fantasy XV takes a hard look at gaming’s generation gap…
The generation gap is a lot like the cliffs inLooney Tunes.
Eventually, however, youre forced to look.
You start to notice things that somehow feel odd to you.
A new social data pipe appears that requires you to type your social security number to register.
Presidential debates are relayed solely through emojis.
Yet another childhood television show is being turned into a summer blockbuster.
It stares at the void of the generation gap harder than any game that has come before it.
Even with the audio turned down, the clash between the two is evident.
Noctis father stands in full armor with his old-world home behind him.
His world…his generation is one that weve known in previousFinal Fantasygames.
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His son is a complete contrast.
Clad in leather and insignia-branded apparel, Prince Noctis adventure features a stylish car and an open highway.
He is a child of the future and his world is the one that will only continue to expand.
This contrast is key to the plot ofFinal Fantasy XV.
Early into this quest, he radiates a feeling of reluctance that initially seems confusing.
Isnt such a journey the born duty of every classicFinal Fantasyhero?
Noctis isnt like the otherFinal Fantasyheroes, though.
When Noctis is at his happiest, hes cruising with his buddies.
Hes casting a fishing line and hoping for a bite.
He sees himself as more than just another tool to save the world, unlike his forbearers.
How ironic that his forbearers likely thought the same of those that came before them.
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There is an identity crisis in the design ofFinal Fantasy XVsimilar to the one that Noctis endures.
TheFinal Fantasythat was lingers throughout the game like a specter.
Perhaps thats why more modern elements of the game stick out like they do.
They are the features that have come to define the modern era of the medium.
They are the product of evolution.
In that sense, they are the future.
To even recognize the disparity between these two ways is to acknowledge the generation gap.
For some time now, gamers have been getting older without many people bothering to talk about it.
Its why nostalgia is such a powerful force.
There are plenty of games willing to cater to the older side of the gap.
Games really were better back when you were younger, these games boldly claim.
For a small price, they offer comfort and the assurance that you are right.
It would have been easy forFinal Fantasy XVto go this route.
Instead, the game tries to show that the old and the young can coexist.
Maybe in doing so, well find that the gap isnt as large as it seems.
The attempt is noble, but theresults are mixed.
It even features a brand new sports car.
Because of this, it will eventually find a way to endure.
With a little luck,Final Fantasy XVwill inspire everyone who plays it to take a similar look.
There is a new generation gap forming.
Its growing in society, and its growing in gaming.
As scary as it may be to acknowledge the gap, its even worse to pretend it doesnt exist.
Even if you fall, who will ever dare say that you didnt attempt to do something rather remarkable?
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer.
