Final Fantasy XV - General News Thread

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Bazztek

Keyblade Master
May 26, 2014
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Ikkin

Warrior of Light
Oct 30, 2016
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1,705
Interesting...

I like the uniform concept, though I'm not sure why they felt the need to change her hair, too. (The side-pony look always makes me think of FFXIII...)

Not sure how to feel about the weapon. The attacks portrayed look awesome, but I kind of feel like the point of Aranea is to be a dragoon with a spear who leaps in and out of the fray, and a bulky weapon like that doesn't seem designed for that kind of movement.

Closer look at some Episode Luna concept art.
I'm drawn to the costumes again, but for a different reason this time.

Now that it's clear that Ardyn's funeral isn't in the book and there is, therefore, no set costume for Luna to wear there, it seems very odd that Luna would be wearing different outfits in each of the two concepts. The one where she and Noct are holding hands still looks far more like a Versus/Nomura XV concept (with Stella in place of Luna) than something made for the DLC. The other one shows her in her outfit from Kingsglaive, which is also a strange choice if it was made for the DLC.

I'm inclined to think, therefore, that the Ardyn funeral concept isn't a DLC concept at all, but a concept that had been floated for the main game for a long time before being removed as inconsistent with the final product.

On a different note, it seems rather odd to me that Noct would have his father's sword used in a memorial to Ardyn. =/

The first art of Episode Luna with her looking at the light shining down she woke up from death reminds me of and looks/feels very similar to the light that was in the Versus 2011 trailer.
This, I agree with 100%. It seems like the same sort of callback as Ardyn driving in the car in the beginning of Episode Ardyn.

I love these two pieces of artwork so much. They're gorgeous, and I am totally inclined to take it as headcanon that Luna gave Noct piano lessons. <3

(Imagine post-game spirit!Luna and spirit!Noct making heavenly music together... =3 )
 

llazy77

Warrior of Light
May 27, 2014
1,149
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If they ever do a remake for FFXV someday, not any time soon as it's still 'new', this 'remake' should be more based on what Dawn of The Future was out to tell with the novel's story, with all of the prevous DLCs integrated in said 'remake', with Episode Ardyn serving as the 'remake's prologue, with all of the other Dawn of The Future content as part of the second half there. But I doubt any FFXV remake will come out any time soon, perhaps one day they'd do a FFXV remake, and I would buy it, especially if it was more based on Dawn of The Future.
Yeah They need to re-work the entire story, also kingsglaive should be put into the actual game, I am really curious though what nomura will do after FF7 remake.
 

Diari

Stiltzkin's Apprentice
Feb 24, 2018
10
8
30
Versus xv dlc's and Tabata quitting...
Maybe he was like ''so you made me direct this game and it was a true hell, and now you say my story / Saori Itamuro sucks and want to side with Nomura? ?![[*%*%#%%% you''
 
Feb 19, 2018
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Some more Episode Aranea concept art.

Closer look at some Episode Luna concept art.
The first art of Episode Luna with her looking at the light shining down she woke up from death reminds me of and looks/feels very similar to the light that was in the Versus 2011 trailer.


Noct and Luna art.
That beam of light from Episode Luna's concept art was actually brought back as a concept in Comrades. It's basically a sort of timer that signifies how much more time is left until Noct's return. It points directly at Angelgard and when it completely fades Noct returns, as shown in the final cutscenes of Comrades. Idk what significance it had back in the Versus days but it's definitely yet another visual that managed to find some sort of significance in XV again. Honestly it's actually kind of amazing how much of the key visuals from the old trailers and tech demos made a comeback in some form or another.
 

Ikkin

Warrior of Light
Oct 30, 2016
1,099
1,705
Here's the back of the Blu-Ray case for Episode Ardyn:



Ardyn stabbing the Sword of the Father into the throne makes me distinctly uncomfortable. =/

Especially because I bet this is meant to portray the moment when Ardyn takes Noct's place as the sacrifice so that he can go and fight Bahamut in the beyond. It kind of feels like the people who came up with the concept have about as much respect for the emotional climax of the game as Ardyn has for House Caelum. =(
 
Jun 3, 2018
53
118
I'm getting Big Bang vibes from the artwork. I am 100% convinced that the DLC was supposed to be part of the story, but the challenges of making an open world and time spent on Leviathan and demos harmed their ability to flesh out the game. It also lends ear to the belief that they are in fact using more of the Versus story.

It really bites. They called it an "alternate grand finale", but even Nomura said that the story is so dense, that cutting it would make it lose elements, and remarked that there will be more than one climax. This was way back in the day, and it appears as if the bulk of the story regarding the divine and gods was delegated to DLC as they realized only one fourth of the story, which was the road trip. Because they couldn't have the invasion, they couldn't have Niflheim as a true physical threat; because they couldn't have Luna, having the dream sequences wouldn't have made sense.

Because they couldn't have Ardyn's full story, he was turned into a purely mysterious man, and because Aranea's story was cut, we never got to see the fall of the Empire. We focused on one timeline, and merely the Point A to Point B part of the story. Even Ignis delved into it, appearing as if they were teasing the Versus for the Dawn of the Future. They knew more than we did and had plans, scripts, story and other stuff that we could only dream of and knew how to trim elements from the base game to make what was in the base game as strong as possible. Ergo, we got a bro trip. We lost out on the why of the Crystal, the gods, the "most important goddess", Luna as an ally and more. The old scripts that had more foreshadowing to Ardyn's true nature were changed because they couldn't have Ardyn's betrayal. Kingsglaive itself was made to feature the invasion but rather than give us Noctis which would make people feel cheated it wasn't in the game (which happened anyways), they tried to interject original characters. Some scenes with Nyx very much seem to be like they once belonged to Noctis, like when Noct is watching the Niff ships arriving in Versus while sitting in a car, which we see Nyx doing in his apartment in the movie (which helps us establish when exactly Noctis leaves the city in Kingsglaive).

There's so much to digest here, and people talk about how it's too different, this all seems very in line with the FNC lore established. I really want to do a big chart or maybe even a video on how the lore translated from Versus to now. The main game itself isn't even the main timeline, as that's merely Regis's ideal version of events (Noctis gathers arms, gods power, and he and Luna fulfill their calling), with Ignis's Verse 2 being another (my headcanon is that he's dreaming about what could have been after the events in Altissia, and wakes up having dreamed an ideal version of events) which Noctis sees in the cut Forest of Memories (where he is reflecting in his dreams).

Even the way Luna is changed after death, it's in the logo itself; Luna as goddess is very much not a far cry from how certain characters in XIII are treated, like Yeul. Like in XIII-2, Luna and Etro dying is what causes the Chaos/Starscourge to take over. The idea that the main plot of XV being canon yet still existing alongside this new alternate finale is like out of XIII-2, where they attempt to change the future multiple times, having different results until they get their ideal one. Lightning Returns had a big bang event where they made a new world free of the gods; does this not sound exactly like how the final battle was supposed to go? Insomnia being raised into the sky like the big bang artwork, which seemingly has the gods, daemons and other deities being whisked away to elsewhere while the humans forge a new world free from the gods?

FFXV's DLC was absolutely going to be the third sequel to Nomura's game. I'm of the opinion that Season Pass 1 and base XV made up Nomura's first two sequels, and the third game would have been the versus, and Tabata was merely seeing the task out himself. In the age of DLC and season passes, I can understand the logic that led to them refitting Nomura's sequel ideas into DLC, and wanting to build up a single game. FFXV may have been the largest Final Fantasy story that we'll never see. Let's hope one day we get a new artbook with all concept art.
 

Hey Everyone

Keyblade Master
Dec 30, 2016
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Yeah They need to re-work the entire story, also kingsglaive should be put into the actual game, I am really curious though what nomura will do after FF7 remake.
I have a better idea if your going to remake XV.
Use all the XV assets release it for PS5, Next-Gen Xbox, and PC.
Use Nomura's complete story this time with very few to no cuts.
Scrap Luna, don't bother using much of the DoTF stuff unless it's from Versus.
Call it Final Fantasy Versus XV release it after whatever the hell Verum Rex is
Seriously that unexplored project that is still unknown to the world, that burns within Nomura's heart better be seen as a game soon with Kingdom Hearts gameplay this time not whatever XV's gameplay was.
 
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Apr 23, 2018
62
128
I'm getting Big Bang vibes from the artwork. I am 100% convinced that the DLC was supposed to be part of the story, but the challenges of making an open world and time spent on Leviathan and demos harmed their ability to flesh out the game. It also lends ear to the belief that they are in fact using more of the Versus story.

It really bites. They called it an "alternate grand finale", but even Nomura said that the story is so dense, that cutting it would make it lose elements, and remarked that there will be more than one climax. This was way back in the day, and it appears as if the bulk of the story regarding the divine and gods was delegated to DLC as they realized only one fourth of the story, which was the road trip. Because they couldn't have the invasion, they couldn't have Niflheim as a true physical threat; because they couldn't have Luna, having the dream sequences wouldn't have made sense.

Because they couldn't have Ardyn's full story, he was turned into a purely mysterious man, and because Aranea's story was cut, we never got to see the fall of the Empire. We focused on one timeline, and merely the Point A to Point B part of the story. Even Ignis delved into it, appearing as if they were teasing the Versus for the Dawn of the Future. They knew more than we did and had plans, scripts, story and other stuff that we could only dream of and knew how to trim elements from the base game to make what was in the base game as strong as possible. Ergo, we got a bro trip. We lost out on the why of the Crystal, the gods, the "most important goddess", Luna as an ally and more. The old scripts that had more foreshadowing to Ardyn's true nature were changed because they couldn't have Ardyn's betrayal. Kingsglaive itself was made to feature the invasion but rather than give us Noctis which would make people feel cheated it wasn't in the game (which happened anyways), they tried to interject original characters. Some scenes with Nyx very much seem to be like they once belonged to Noctis, like when Noct is watching the Niff ships arriving in Versus while sitting in a car, which we see Nyx doing in his apartment in the movie (which helps us establish when exactly Noctis leaves the city in Kingsglaive).

There's so much to digest here, and people talk about how it's too different, this all seems very in line with the FNC lore established. I really want to do a big chart or maybe even a video on how the lore translated from Versus to now. The main game itself isn't even the main timeline, as that's merely Regis's ideal version of events (Noctis gathers arms, gods power, and he and Luna fulfill their calling), with Ignis's Verse 2 being another (my headcanon is that he's dreaming about what could have been after the events in Altissia, and wakes up having dreamed an ideal version of events) which Noctis sees in the cut Forest of Memories (where he is reflecting in his dreams).

Even the way Luna is changed after death, it's in the logo itself; Luna as goddess is very much not a far cry from how certain characters in XIII are treated, like Yeul. Like in XIII-2, Luna and Etro dying is what causes the Chaos/Starscourge to take over. The idea that the main plot of XV being canon yet still existing alongside this new alternate finale is like out of XIII-2, where they attempt to change the future multiple times, having different results until they get their ideal one. Lightning Returns had a big bang event where they made a new world free of the gods; does this not sound exactly like how the final battle was supposed to go? Insomnia being raised into the sky like the big bang artwork, which seemingly has the gods, daemons and other deities being whisked away to elsewhere while the humans forge a new world free from the gods?

FFXV's DLC was absolutely going to be the third sequel to Nomura's game. I'm of the opinion that Season Pass 1 and base XV made up Nomura's first two sequels, and the third game would have been the versus, and Tabata was merely seeing the task out himself. In the age of DLC and season passes, I can understand the logic that led to them refitting Nomura's sequel ideas into DLC, and wanting to build up a single game. FFXV may have been the largest Final Fantasy story that we'll never see. Let's hope one day we get a new artbook with all concept art.
It feels like a lot of loose ideas from Versus found their way into the XIII sequels, Caius and Yeul's roles feel like Ardyn split into several characters, the only thing both are lacking is his trollish personality. There's time travel and dream worlds, Etro suddenly became a bigger deal after barely getting a mention in first game, the last entry to the trilogy has you navigated the FNC equivalent of a world of ruin. There are a lot of similar beats. Right down to battling Bhunivelze who happens to share similarities to DotF's Bahamut now. Then there's Bahamut turning Luna into the Goddess of Darkness, which sounds a lot like Bhunivelze's plan to make Lightning the new Goddess of Death.

Nomura did say around 2010-ish that he had finished writing a scenario, we all know the story kept changing but there was a foundation of sorts, not sure if other directors ever got a peek at it but it's a funny coincidence the way these things align. If the story of XV was intended to be spread across more than one game initially, it would make a lot of sense.

Game 1 might've started with the Invasion, then the roadtrip across Lucis, with the showdown in Altissia and the possible death of Luna or Stella being the climax. Game 2 could've focused on reaching Niflheim, Ardyn's betrayal, dream stuff, followed by the world being overtaken with the Starscourge. Maybe the last game was entirely set in the world of ruin like how lightning returns was, Noctis might've tried to time travel, Luna resurrected or something. Showdown with Ardyn, Luna, Etro, even Bhunivelze? You can kind of imagine how it might've gone down. Nomura probably only had the framework though, nothing mega concrete sadly.
 

Hey Everyone

Keyblade Master
Dec 30, 2016
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26
Unknown, Unknown
It feels like a lot of loose ideas from Versus found their way into the XIII sequels, Caius and Yeul's roles feel like Ardyn split into several characters, the only thing both are lacking is his trollish personality. There's time travel and dream worlds, Etro suddenly became a bigger deal after barely getting a mention in first game, the last entry to the trilogy has you navigated the FNC equivalent of a world of ruin. There are a lot of similar beats. Right down to battling Bhunivelze who happens to share similarities to DotF's Bahamut now. Then there's Bahamut turning Luna into the Goddess of Darkness, which sounds a lot like Bhunivelze's plan to make Lightning the new Goddess of Death.

Nomura did say around 2010-ish that he had finished writing a scenario, we all know the story kept changing but there was a foundation of sorts, not sure if other directors ever got a peek at it but it's a funny coincidence the way these things align. If the story of XV was intended to be spread across more than one game initially, it would make a lot of sense.

Game 1 might've started with the Invasion, then the roadtrip across Lucis, with the showdown in Altissia and the possible death of Luna or Stella being the climax. Game 2 could've focused on reaching Niflheim, Ardyn's betrayal, dream stuff, followed by the world being overtaken with the Starscourge. Maybe the last game was entirely set in the world of ruin like how lightning returns was, Noctis might've tried to time travel, Luna resurrected or something. Showdown with Ardyn, Luna, Etro, even Bhunivelze? You can kind of imagine how it might've gone down. Nomura probably only had the framework though, nothing mega concrete sadly.
Hopefully Nomura gets his chance to tell the story he wanted to tell next time and it makes much more sense than what XV tried to do but failed.
I mean if Square were to make let's say a Versus XV happens I wouldn't mind something similar to the Episode Noctis sections but instead of bi-polar Bahamut we just get Bhunivelze(renamed or whatever), but I want Noctis to die at the end, Ardyn may work with Noctis sure but Noctis should die. The final battle should be with Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto against Bhunivelze.
Maybe Stella can have a similar role to Luna where she absorbs the scourge and becomes an Etro/goddess like figure a reincarnation of Etro for Bhunivelze to use and Ardyn gives her his scourge fading away into the ring or something.
I would also just ditch the 10 year timeskip it's unnecessary it can be months maybe or even days while the end of the world is happening.

Personally for Dawn of the Future I would have rather them just used the FNC gods renamed or not instead of retconning Bahamut into a straight up villain.
Bahamut always came off to me as someone that does what is necessary and what's good for Eos DOTF should just be an alternate timeline not an excuse to have their characters act out of character.
I'm also not a fan of the out right lore retcons it simply makes things more confusing which shouldn't be the case with DOTF there shouldn't be more questions than answers.

I'd say separate it into acts
Act 1 Insomnia Invasion, Lucis, all the way to Leviathan
Act 2 Tenebrae, Niflheim
Act 3 End of the world/dark world
This should be the story if they ever decide to make Nomura's game which DOTF seems to take some parts of.
 
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Vallen

Forest Owl
Mar 4, 2018
372
797
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In response to the Nomura hate, it's been 2.5 years and we're still here trying to figure out the gaps and missing parts of the story - what a 'complete' product Tabata put out. It's better to simply say this whole project was messy rather than picking individuals, as every person involved in it has an equal amount of input in making this story disjointed and never fully complete.
 

Bazztek

Keyblade Master
May 26, 2014
719
1,890
In response to the Nomura hate, it's been 2.5 years and we're still here trying to figure out the gaps and missing parts of the story - what a 'complete' product Tabata put out. It's better to simply say this whole project was messy rather than picking individuals, as every person involved in it has an equal amount of input in making this story disjointed and never fully complete.
Wanna point out where? What "gap" in the main story are people trying to figure out? The only stuff people are still speculating on the gaps for are leftover Versus shit and how they were repurposed, you know, because Versus was an actual unfinished "game" and XV repurposed stuff into it, or alt timeline stuff that isn't even the main game. People saying they wanted more stuff in the main game isn't them trying to figure out the main game "gaps" or that there is even really any more gaps to fill in, and on that note the XV DLC aren't even really filling in "gaps" because they happen parralel to things that happen in the main game while we are doing stuff with Noctis, Ep Gladio takes place while we Noctis is in Steyliff in Ch7, Ep Ignis takes place at the end of Ch9 when Noctis falls unconcious, Ep Prompto takes place during chapter 12-13 while Noctis is on the train, Comrades takes place between Ch13-Ch14 when Noctis is in the crystal and isn't that story focused at all, in the main game we see Noctis's side while in the DLC we see there side, that isn't really filling in a "gap" rather it's showing a side B to the side A we were already shown.

Nomura is known for releasing unfinished stories full of gaps and Versus was literally an unfinished story that was never solidified, like hell KH3 is literally releasing DLC just to explain how Xion came back, which is actual crucial main story content for KH3, unlike any of the DLC stuff for XV which were mainly side stories, and it's really petty of KH/Nomura fans such as yourself to try and take jabs at other games for being "unfinished" when KH3 literally ends on sequel bait without even explaining most of the stuff that happens in the game.

Should also mention that the article from 2010 that mentions that Versus script was "completed" also says that all the character designs were all completed too, that article was from June 2010, Ferrari designed Aranea in late 2010, designed Ardyn in December 2010/January 2011 and said he finished his character designs throughout 2011.
 
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Bazztek

Keyblade Master
May 26, 2014
719
1,890
lol wait
Just did some digging and looks like the only places from 2010 that mention that Versus had "completed" its script is an English forum post trying to translate an article from Dengeki Playstation Vol.474.

Sites like Nova Crystallis and Gematsu linked back to a post on FF-XIII.net which sources a post on its forums from an "Oji" who supposedly translated Nomura's comments from Dengeki Playstation Vol.474.


https://gematsu.com/2010/06/final-fantasy-versus-xiii-scenario-complete-confirms-dengeki
http://www.novacrystallis.com/2010/06/final-fantasy-versus-xiii-scenario-and-designs-complete/

Both of them source this
To add to the latest news of Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Nomura revealed to Dengeki Playstation a couple of other details about the game's development.


- Game Scenario is fully done at this point
- Character designs are definitive and will be shown in due time
- Clothes Design are done

Thanks to Oji for translating.
Dengeki Playstation Scan

Forum Discussion
Source:
Dengeki Playstation Vol.474
https://web.archive.org/web/2010070...le&article=Versus-in-Dengeki-Playstation--555

Which sources this forum post
Oji said:
Okay, new Versus XIII details from Dengeki Playstation Vol.474 featuring an article with Mr Tetsuya Nomura. He revealed some more detals about the game development. Guess Hashimoto will be mad more that.

This:

- Game Scenario is fully done at this point
- Character designs are definitive and will be shown in due time
- Clothes Design are Done
https://web.archive.org/web/2010070...-Fantasy-Versus-XIII-News&p=186370&viewfull=1


However ff-reunion.net has the full Dengeki Playstation Vol.474 Nomura interview about Versus and it says nothing about the scenario/story/script for Versus being complete at all.

http://www.ff-reunion.net/blog/2010/06/25/ffv13_dengeki_nomura_interview/
※電撃PS Vol.474号(6/25発売の記事です)
― 「FFヴェルサスXIII」の新たな3点のゲーム画面ですが、ものすごいクオリティに圧倒されます。
野村氏:周囲からはまだ出すなという意見もあったのですが、待ってくださる方も多いので、一応「FFヴェルサスXIII」もちゃんと制作しているという安心材料的に3点だけ。今年はE3の出展も飛ばしましたが、映像も写真も何も出さないのもどうかと思い、この時期に合わせてこういう形ではありますが、少しだけお見せすることにしました。発売の近いタイトルのリリースを優先しないといけませんしね。
― これらはすべて実機の写真ですか?
野村氏:そうです。これはイメージ画像ではなく、実機で操作して動いているものをそのままキャプチャーしたものです。1点はバトル写真で、残り2点は外のフィールド風景です。ただ、公開規制の関係で、ウインドウや仲間キャラをすべてはずしています。
― ベヒーモスと戦っている場所は新宿でしょうか?
野村氏:そうですね、新宿の街並みを意識しています。ノクトの剣から出ている光は、武器を出現させたときのエフェクトです。遠くに自動車が見えると思いますが、バトルではベヒーモスが路上の自動車を破壊したりもしますので。この画像はまさにバトルの真っ最中のものなのですが、初めて見た人はなかなか信じてくれないんですよね。
― フィールドの写真もすごく広大な感じが伝わります。
野村氏:見えるところまでどこまでも行けますよ。ノクトは自動車を持っているので、それに乗って移動することも地道に歩くことも可能です。空には雲が映っていると思いますが、この雲にも特別な物理演算を用いてもらっているところです。
― ガソリンスタンドのようにも見えるこの建物は?
野村氏:これは物語に絡む施設なので詳しくはまだ。外側に階段がついていますが、階段をのぼって上に行けます。あと「FFヴェルサスXIII」ではシームレスバトルなので、この画像では表示を消していますが、さまざまな場所にモンスターもいます。
― これだけのクオリティを見せ付けられると、時間がかかるのも納得いきますね。
野村氏:これまでお見せしているのはまだほんの一部ですからね。世界は広く、これ以外にも国が複数あったりして、すべての外観を高クオリティに保つにはやはり時間がかかります。でも、スタッフのやる気は十分でこれからさらにグラフィックのクオリティを上げようと奮闘しています。どうか長い目で見守っていてください。
 
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