Finished the main story just a while ago, I've got to let it stew for a bit and I'm probably a bit late here and don't want to reiterate or pile on the same things so just a few random thoughts.
- I'm really not an "open world game" kind of person due to the sacrifices that almost always go along with it, and so initially I was pretty positive when it came out that the game would change from an open to linear style as things progressed. However my experience with the game was quite the opposite, as I enjoyed it the most when roaming about doing random things. Once I got on the boat and the game was then forced to rely on its narrative to carry it everything fell apart for me. Didn't help that as this was playing out I was going through a checklist of things I wanted to do or see that one by one didn't end up materializing or were underwhelming if the did.
- On the upside, for me and my experience with the series and what I have liked and look for in each game, only this one of those I have played since IX (so no XI, XIII-3, XIV) has moved the bar forward when it comes to realizing what IX and prior did as far as building a world that feels whole and global in scale. X~XIII always felt like steps back and compromises for me, but XV for me actually tried for the first time to take the old formula and advance it, as opposed to discarding it and trying something different. It isn't complete, obviously, and I'm not saying those aspects of the other games are horrible either but I really liked the effort in this area of XV, probably more than anything else about the game. If it had been fully realized it could have been amazing, but this is the limit I guess of what we can expect from a "GTA-sized" open world stretched to contain an epic story, with current tech and resources.
- Not to delve into the story too much as I don't think I really have anything new to bring to the table, but what really turned me off was how until almost the very end of the game, every interaction the protagonists have with a member of the empire that has a face - is an amicable one. This is completely bonkers to me knowing just the history of the war that has been going on for so long, what it has done to Lucis in general, and that isn't even including everything that goes down in the beginning of the game/Kingsglaive. That every interaction that happens with Ardyn, Revus, Aranea (pre "defection"), officials in Altissia, etc. isn't immediately started with weapons drawn or at the very least a timely insult after their home has been essentially burned to the ground families included is insane and bonkers to me. Even before they know of the invasion when they meet Ardyn the first time as if they don't know who he is, when he is of a position of power and they have been at war for so long is crazy.
So really mixed feelings. I really appreciate what the game aspired to (and of that, what it did accomplish) at least on a technical and theoretical level, but so much else of what is left is a disappointment. It's sitting in this weird MGSV~esque section of my head now.
- I'm really not an "open world game" kind of person due to the sacrifices that almost always go along with it, and so initially I was pretty positive when it came out that the game would change from an open to linear style as things progressed. However my experience with the game was quite the opposite, as I enjoyed it the most when roaming about doing random things. Once I got on the boat and the game was then forced to rely on its narrative to carry it everything fell apart for me. Didn't help that as this was playing out I was going through a checklist of things I wanted to do or see that one by one didn't end up materializing or were underwhelming if the did.
- On the upside, for me and my experience with the series and what I have liked and look for in each game, only this one of those I have played since IX (so no XI, XIII-3, XIV) has moved the bar forward when it comes to realizing what IX and prior did as far as building a world that feels whole and global in scale. X~XIII always felt like steps back and compromises for me, but XV for me actually tried for the first time to take the old formula and advance it, as opposed to discarding it and trying something different. It isn't complete, obviously, and I'm not saying those aspects of the other games are horrible either but I really liked the effort in this area of XV, probably more than anything else about the game. If it had been fully realized it could have been amazing, but this is the limit I guess of what we can expect from a "GTA-sized" open world stretched to contain an epic story, with current tech and resources.
- Not to delve into the story too much as I don't think I really have anything new to bring to the table, but what really turned me off was how until almost the very end of the game, every interaction the protagonists have with a member of the empire that has a face - is an amicable one. This is completely bonkers to me knowing just the history of the war that has been going on for so long, what it has done to Lucis in general, and that isn't even including everything that goes down in the beginning of the game/Kingsglaive. That every interaction that happens with Ardyn, Revus, Aranea (pre "defection"), officials in Altissia, etc. isn't immediately started with weapons drawn or at the very least a timely insult after their home has been essentially burned to the ground families included is insane and bonkers to me. Even before they know of the invasion when they meet Ardyn the first time as if they don't know who he is, when he is of a position of power and they have been at war for so long is crazy.
So really mixed feelings. I really appreciate what the game aspired to (and of that, what it did accomplish) at least on a technical and theoretical level, but so much else of what is left is a disappointment. It's sitting in this weird MGSV~esque section of my head now.
