The future of the Final Fantasy franchise isn’t clear, but it’s certainly bright.
Its a striking moment of sight and song marred by execution.
In short, its a snapshot of the best and worst ofFinal Fantasy XV.
Sadly, that is especially true of the new real-time combat system.
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Unfortunately,Final Fantasy XVs combat does sacrifice some of the series flavor.
Those double team attacks are by far the best part about the combat.
Summons, meanwhile, are arguably the most visually impressive combat element this series has ever known.
Then again, these fights make the flaws of the average encounter that much more pronounced.
Here,FFXVbreaks series tradition again.
WhenFF XVs story is at its best, it is barely telling a story at all.
The story doesnt rank among the franchises best.
The big problem is that the story often forces the game to come to a complete stop.
Final Fantasy XVs sound design is one of the games few untarnished elements of brilliance.
Less obvious, but no less spectacular, are the sound effects.
Is that enough, though?
Typically, we label games with subtle qualities and obvious flaws as cult classics.
Theyre a cult of personality.
Matthew Byrd is a staff writer.
Rating:
3.5 out of 5
