Final Fantasy XV

### Platform

Arcade, MSX, Android, BlackBerry OS, iOS, Windows Phone, NES, SNES, GC, GBA, Wii, DS, 3DS, Switch, Ouya, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5, PSP, PS Vita, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, WonderSwan

### Mode

Classic

***Final Fantasy*** is a Japanese anthology science fantasy media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games. The first game in the series was released in 1987, with 14 other main-numbered entries being released since then. The franchise has since branched into other video game genres such as tactical role-playing, action role-playing, massively multiplayer online role-playing, racing, third-person shooter, fighting, and rhythm, as well as branching into other media, including CGI films, anime, manga, and novels. *Final Fantasy* is one of the highest-grossing video game franchises of all time, having grossed $10.9 billion in lifetime revenue, as of 2019.

*Final Fantasy* installments are generally stand-alone stories or role playing games, each with different settings, plots and main characters, but the franchise is linked by several recurring elements, including game mechanics and recurring character names. Each plot centers on a particular group of heroes who are battling a great evil, but also explores the characters' internal struggles and relationships. Character names are frequently derived from the history, languages, pop culture, and mythologies of cultures worldwide. The mechanics of each game involve similar battle systems and maps.

The *Final Fantasy* video game series has been both critically and commercially successful, selling more than 154.5 million software units worldwide, making it one of the best-selling video game franchises of all time. The series is well known for its innovation, visuals, and music, such as the inclusion of full-motion videos (FMVs), photorealistic character models, and music by Nobuo Uematsu. It has popularized many features now common in role-playing games, also popularizing the genre as a whole in markets outside Japan.

## Plot

The central conflict in many *Final Fantasy* games focuses on a group of characters battling an evil, and sometimes ancient, antagonist that dominates the game's world. Stories frequently involve a sovereign state in rebellion, with the protagonists taking part in the rebellion. The heroes are often destined to defeat the evil, and occasionally gather as a direct result of the antagonist's malicious actions. Another staple of the series is the existence of two villains; the main villain is not always who it appears to be, as the primary antagonist may actually be subservient to another character or entity. The main antagonist introduced at the beginning of the game is not always the final enemy, and the characters must continue their quest beyond what appears to be the final fight.

## Gameplay

In *Final Fantasy* games, players command a party of characters as they progress through the game's story by exploring the game world and defeating opponents. Enemies are typically encountered randomly through exploring, a trend which changed in *Final Fantasy XI* and *Final Fantasy XII*. The player issues combat orders—like "Fight", "Magic", and "Item"—to individual characters via a menu-driven interface while engaging in battles. Throughout the series, the games have used different battle systems. Prior to *Final Fantasy XI*, battles were turn-based with the protagonists and antagonists on different sides of the battlefield. *Final Fantasy IV* introduced the "Active Time Battle" (ATB) system that augmented the turn-based nature with a perpetual time-keeping system. Designed by Hiroyuki Ito, it injected urgency and excitement into combat by requiring the player to act before an enemy attacks, and was used until *Final Fantasy X*, which implemented the "Conditional Turn-Based" (CTB) system. This new system returned to the previous turn-based system, but added nuances to offer players more challenge. *Final Fantasy XI* adopted a real-time battle system where characters continuously act depending on the issued command. *Final Fantasy XII* continued this gameplay with the "Active Dimension Battle" system. *Final Fantasy XIII*'s combat system, designed by the same man who worked on *X*, was meant to have an action-oriented feel, emulating the cinematic battles in *Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children*. The latest installment to the franchise, Final Fantasy XV, introduces a new "Open Combat" system. Unlike previous battle systems in the franchise, the "Open Combat" system (OCS) allows players to take on a fully active battle scenario, allowing for free range attacks and movement, giving a much more fluid feel of combat. This system also incorporates a "Tactical" Option during battle, which pauses active battle to allow use of items.