The latest Final Fantasy game, finally on PC after 15 months of waiting.Expect to pay £35/$50Developer Square Enix Business Division 2Publisher Square EnixReviewed on i5 7400, 16GB DDR4, 6GB GTX 1060, played off SSDMultiplayer Comrades DLC onlyOfficial siteThe wait for Final Fantasy 15 on PC has been long, following lots of talk about optimisation, mod support and nicer-looking hair. If you've waited fifteen months to play this roadtrip-themed action RPG, though, it looks fantastic, and arrives in a more complete form than it did on consoles.Final Fantasy 15 represents a big transformation for the series. While previous entries are better-known for turn-based combat, or real-time with a complex strategic layer, this is a pure action RPG—and a pretty simple one, at that. Your character, Noctis, rides around in a car with his three friends for most of the game. You can take on sidequests, hunts for specific creatures and tackle dungeons that unlock new weapons. The second half of the game is more linear, which doesn't play to the game's strengths as much.

FF15 is at its best when it's focused on the idea of a road trip between four friends.As well as including all of the updates from consoles, the Windows Edition arrives with all of the DLC released so far (the three character-centric standalone episodes Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis, plus the multiplayer update Comrades) and many graphical upgrades. You also get a more embellished finale than the other platforms originally did, making what was a rushed closing chapter into a more satisfying (if still slightly incoherent) climax. When running Final Fantasy 15 off of an SSD, the game ran without problems, although when running off of a regular HDD, loading screens would sometimes take multiple minutes, and the game would occasionally stutter at the start of combat.Separately, the PC Gamer team UK has experienced some occasional framerate dips in hardware above minimum spec but below recommended. Tom Senior's 970-equipped home PC (i5-2500K 3.3GHZ, 16GB RAM), running the game at 1080p on average settings, hitches 'fairly often' in his words. Check out more details on the graphics settings with different specs.Settings: Model LOD, TRAM, Anisotropic filtering, Geomapping, Lighting, Shadows, Ambient occlusion, Anti-aliasing, Motion Blur, Filtering, Nvidia HairWorks, Nvidia-VXAO, Nvidia TurfEffects, Nvidia Shadowlibs, optional 4K texturesWhat Final Fantasy 15 is particularly good at is creating a spectacle. Fights feel grand and often earth-shattering, with battles against enormous creatures backed by operatic music that really heightens the sense of drama. Summons return to the series in their most extraordinary form yet—they're powerful giants that'll lay waste to most opponents in the game, even if you're not really in control of them.

The graphical upgrades for PC only accentuate this strength of the game, with improved visual details and resolution options.The world is gorgeous, and fun to explore. The four main characters do most of their travelling in the Regalia, their royal car. From the scenic and chilled out Galdin Quay, to the desert wastes of Hammerhead, or the the bustling town of Lestallum, the boys drive up and down across the map, chatting and admiring the scenery as they coast down the near-empty roads.Cruising around is one of the best parts of the game in terms of low-key characterisation and world building. Rather than being a segment where you'll want to alt-tab away—although there’s something to be said for alt-tabbing during a ten-minute-long drive to a sidequest destination—the journey is a crucial part of the experience, even if the actual driving part is guided and pretty hands-off (though you can take the Regalia off-road at a certain point). It allows you to see little animations and smaller interactions between the crew as they ride along.

They emphasise this feeling of a road trip, of a camaraderie between friends.That said, it remains the simplest Final Fantasy game there’s ever been, and a weak open world RPG compared to the likes of The Witcher 3. Sidequests rarely amount to more than ‘collect this item or kill this thing for me’, and pretty much all of the supporting characters are forgettable.The RPG part of Final Fantasy has been streamlined, here. Completing main quests gives you more than enough experience to keep up with the story’s level expectations.

‘Final Fantasy XV’ review Like a botched road trip, 'Final Fantasy XV' is as frustrating as it is fun. Final Fantasy XV's world is rife with monsters, magic, and relics to, so it is always worth your while to investigate the game world. NPCs in each outpost and town have quests for you to undertake.

And Takahama, T. New York: Dover, 1991.Kasahara, K. Tokyo: Japan Publications, 1987.Steinhaus, H. Tokyo: Japan Publications, p. 204,1988.Kasahara, K. §4.4.4 in New York: Springer-Verlag, p. 100,1998.Holden, A. Octahedron faces edges vertices.

The Ascension Grid, FF15's progression system, provides little more than simple upgrades. Grinding is a thing of the past thanks to these changes, but it means there’s little incentive to deviate from the major story quests when your other options aren't particularly interesting.Conversation choices don’t offer much aside from a little flavour, and there’s no real strategy in fights except stabbing enemies in their weak points and calling your buddies to do their special moves. It's not much of an RPG, really—not in the traditional sense.Final Fantasy 15 lacks the depth a turn-based system arguably allows, but the level of spectacle does compensate for this on some level. Characters will team up for chain attacks that are beautifully animated, and your party's special moves let the combat to change pace. It's usually the longer fights where the lack of depth is highlighted, and you're mashing the same buttons over and over again.There are just a couple of attack commands. While you can swap weapons out mid-fight for faster or slower attacks, the complex strategies you could pull off with status effects and the strengths of different party members in previous Final Fantasy games just aren’t here.

The game’s one primary attack button can, pretty much, be held down to constantly attack. You can get through most of the basic fights in the game this way.

There is Wait Mode, which pauses time if you stop moving, attacking, or doing anything, and acts as a way to assess a situation strategically, but it also breaks the flow of real-time combat unnecessarily.The magic (referred to as Elemancy) is just as simple. You have to absorb Fire, Ice, or Lightning elements found around the world, crafting spells with elements and special catalysts that can improve the effects. The limitations creep in when you run out of elements, though, and you’ve got to run across the map to find a new resource point to replenish stocks. They’re few and far between, meaning Elemancy isn’t a viable way to fight every battle. It’s nigh-on impossible to turn Noctis into a Black Mage.On a story level, at least, it feels more like a traditional Final Fantasy game—there's just not that much of it in the game. Noctis becoming a king and freeing the world from darkness take a distant second place to the relationship between him and his best friends. That friendship is conveyed in so many interesting and effective ways: through the high fives they perform after a successful battle, their in-game conversations or their commentary on the photos that document each in-game day. It's hard not to be won over by the earnestness of it.The visual improvements here show that the Windows Edition is the definitive version of Final Fantasy 15: it has never looked better, and mod support suggests an exciting future ahead for the game.

It's a shame that FF15 doesn't recapture the depth of the series’ past entries, and games like The Witcher 3 and Divinity: Original Sin 2 really highlight the weaknesses in the sidequests here. This road trip, though, is still well worth taking.

After ten long years of development, Final Fantasy XV is finally here. I remember watching the trailer for Final Fantasy Versus XIII while still in school (just for a bit of added context, I’m now 25), so it’s fair to say Final Fantasy XV has been on my radar for a pretty long time. Regardless of how long I’ve waited, and the reverence I have for the series, I was incredibly skeptical coming into XV, especially after XIII burned me. I’m happy to say that XV is (mostly) pretty damn excellent.

The story is your standard Final Fantasy fare, although instead of religion taking the centre stage like many other entries in the series, politics and aristocracy are the main focuses of the game. Politics may not seem that interesting, but it does add excellent depth to the conflict seen across the world of Eos. You play as Noctis, the son of the King Regis, and the prince of the Kingdom of Lucis The game begins with Noctis being sent on a diplomatic quest to marry his childhood sweetheart, Lunafreya.

The marriage is supposed to be a sign of peace between the Kingdom of Lucis (good guys) and the invading Niflheim (bad guys). There’s obviously a lot more to it than that, and those that really want to understand the plot should probably watch Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, the tie-in movie released earlier this year. It does a great job of setting the scene whilst also adding a lot of weight to Lunafreya and King Regis, and even though you don’t see a lot of Regis in Final Fantasy XV, the extra exposition goes a long way.

When booting up the game, all players are met with the message “A Final Fantasy game for fans of the series and new players alike”, the “new players” claim is largely down to the new combat system present in Final Fantasy XV. The game no longer uses a turn based battle system, instead it gives players a real-time system that is far more fluent. It borrows from the hack and slash genre whilst also taking aspects of Kingdom Heart’s battle system - albeit a bit more grown up and a lot flashier.

The combat consists of one button to attack and another to dodge, it may be somewhat simple but it works incredibly well. This is accompanied by special moves called Link Strikes, which involve your pals and often look awesome whilst making you feel unstoppable. There is a pretty awesome magic system included as well, players must draw from magic sources from around the world of Eos - it’s fairly similar to the draw system present in Final Fantasy VIII, a system that only lets you use as many spells as you can pick up. The magic can then be crafted together along with items to create a variety of modified spells. There’s a surprising level of depth to it, and spells can be crafted to your personal playstyle.

Another notable feature is the Warp Link, an ability exclusive to Noctis. Using the power of royal spirits, Noctis is able to zip about the battlefield, throwing his weapon to a specific point, and then warping to it. It can be used both defensively and in an attacking manner. It adds a nice bit of vertically to fights while nicely differentiating Noctis from everyone else on screen - really adding to the notion that he is heir to the King's throne.

The real highlight of the game is Noctis’s bodyguards, Ignis, Prompto and Gladiolus. They are tasked with protecting him throughout his journey to meet Lunafreya, but they are honestly the most enjoyable aspect of the game. Each one of them is incredibly well written, and manages to feel unique whilst still gelling together as friends. Watching their friendship develop throughout the game is genuinely one of the most enjoyable forms of character development I've ever experienced - also, Prompto is a massive cutie.

Each one of the characters has their own special skill, a skill that relates to their personality. Noctis likes to fishing, an activity that mimics his quiet and thoughtful persona. Gladiolus is brash and masculine, his skill lies in the world and survival. Ignis is intelligent, creative and calculated, he cooks for the gang as they travel around Eos. The best skill is easily the camera prompto carries around with him. As you travel around the world Prompto will photograph your experiences and show them to you at the end of each in game day. Some of these are pre-set photos, but they also include photos taken during battle. Going back through the experiences of each day really helps solidify the journey in your memory whilst adding an incredibly personal feel to your adventure. Each one of the skills can be levelled up and improved, making them even more effective.

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The open world they travel through is as huge as it is impressive. I remember being pretty overwhelmed at the starting area, but when the game takes the training wheels off and throws you into the main world the visible game world is overwhelmingly large. The map is divided into several regions all of which are opened as you complete story missions. Each of these regions have towns and petrol stations scattered throughout them, at which certain characters will dispense quests and knowledge about the area.

So how do you travel this massively large world? A lovely car called the Regalia. Yes, Final Fantasy XV is essentially like that film called Road Trip, but it isn’t a bit shit. Most of your time in Final Fantasy XV (unless you choose to fast travel everywhere) will be spent on the road with your companions. The road best traveled is one surrounded by friends, and the road travel really helps add gravitas to the friendships. Everything from small talk, to the way that each character interacts with the car helps build a bridge between player and characters.

The side quests are probably the weakest aspect of Final Fantasy XV. They often come down to fetch quests or hunter contracts. Fortunately, thanks to the stellar combat, the latter is incredibly enjoyable. Most of them are often just normal enemies that are a bit stronger, but occasionally the hunter quests chuck a big unique enemy at you; these often make for exciting fights that include character building exposition.

One big selling point for Final Fantasy games, and one of my favourite calling cards of the series, is just how much content there is to immerse yourself in. Final Fantasy XV is no different. The world might be huge, but there is a lot of depth, the term “a mile wide, but an inch thick” does not apply here. Each town and petrol station has a myriad of unique characters and conversations for you to listen in on. The world is also filled with radios, newspaper clippings, books and posters that help build the world of Eos into a tangible, believable world.

My favourite feature, by far, is the in-game radio. The radio features some songs that have been specially created for Final Fantasy XV, which is pretty awesome, but the real joy comes from in-game collectible CD’s. Each item shop you encounter on your journey will sell you a selection of songs from previous games. This enables players to listen to previous soundtracks in the series whilst travelling around Eos. It's a small touch that really adds to the experience for fans of the series . I often found myself driving along, reminiscing about my time in Balamb Garden during Final Fantasy VIII or my time spent wandering around in Final Fantasy X to Spira Unplugged. It’s a shame this feature is mostly wasted on new fans of the series, but it genuinely causes a pleasant catharsis that made my experience more enjoyable.

The pacing is a little odd in Final Fantasy XV, it pretty much follows the complete opposite path to Final Fantasy XIII. The game is incredibly open for about 70% of the game upon which it completely shuts you down and forces players to follow a linear route. While most might question it, I do understand the choice to speed the narrative up. The linearity creates a sense of urgency, whilst an open world map leaves players free to roam around. This creates a heightened level of drama with the end game events, rather than letting player muck about in the open world.

I’ve seen a lot of people complaining about chapter 13, a (near) end game chapter that limits the abilities of Noctis. Players must rely on the fairly weak stealth system in order to progress, whilst also using a fairly poor form of magic that makes the battles quite tedious. While the chapter was not as enjoyable as the rest of the game, it served a purpose. It highlights how important Ignis, Prompto and Gladiolus are, along with the power gifted to him through his bloodline. It also creates a lot of motivation for the last chapter and sets up Noctis as a hero, rather than the privileged young boy he’s been portrayed as throughout the game.

Final Fantasy XV is a return to form for Square Enix, a showcase of their willingness to adapt more Western approaches in their game development whilst also keeping what gave the series it’s charm, flair and personality. Final Fantasy still isn’t for everyone, but it is now far more attractive to a wider range of people, whilst still pleasing fans of the series. Final Fantasy XV isn’t just one of the best games released this year, it is also one of the best Final Fantasy games ever created.

Final Fantasy XV (Reviewed on PlayStation 4)

Excellent. Look out for this one.

Final Fantasy XV is a return to form for Square Enix, a showcase of their willingness to adapt more Western approaches in their game development whilst also keeping what gave the series it’s charm, flair and personality.