I used to think "you guys are the only reviewers I can trust" but after putting 60 hours in FFXV and finishing it. I CANNOT agree with the 4.5/5 rating. IMHO its a 2/5. Very Disappointing.
No cause the complaints and pros actually had explanation and backing, also cause ben moore has notably better tastes than the ign guy who has questionable consistency as a critic.
Char Aznable well for starters ben didnt review 13 and is actually really negative about 13 all the time(damiani is the only EA person who likes 13 non ironically), while as the questionable taste of ign's guy is still valid since he still praised mgs5 as a masterpiece despite being an incomplete mess as well as sang praises for evolve. At least at gametrailers they were quite vocal about how incomplete mgs 5 was, in fact they were the only one that i recall ever doing so. and again, no the reviews are terribly written, this one accurately sums up the pros and cons and how the pros outweigh the flaws. This conversation is retarded to claim its cause its got a higher score since ign and gamespot both rated XV a fantastic score anyway. This is why review scores are moronic and ruin the point of the actual review, people like you only focus on them as if its the only part of it that matters
Easy Allies' Reviews are SO WELL done; with their thoughts so well thought out and described, that by the time the closing statement is made, I can usually pinpoint the exact score that will be made for the game. Not many game journalists pull this sort of thing off so well. Love & Respect.
Best EZA review yet. When you guys review games you're not just providing consumer advice, you're creating a determination on where the game sits in the pantheon of media expression. Its a mode of thinking that can only come from people who truly appreciate video games at their best and most meaningful. Thank you allies.
I used to be a big fan of Angry Joe but over the years his reviews have grown somewhat tiresome to me. I don't want to say he's wrong in many of his opinions and I can understand why people still enjoy him, but for me his DOOM review was the last straw for me. He could never really articulate why he liked the game other than it was badass and the music was epic. While I'm not criticizing DOOM, it seems like a legitimately good game but his review for it just bothered me for some reason. There's also the fact that he refuses to review From Software games despite them being some of the best games in the industry at the moment.
guys we all love the Allies. we appreciate the best reviews in the biz, the hilarious podcasts and the uniquely talented and knowledgeable team. let's all go to www.patreon.com/EasyAllies and give them at least $1. they deserve it.
André Fischer I sure wish they would up their production quality a bit.. I'm sure it in the works but at 37K a month can't they afford at least a decent camera. Most podcast has 50% deadspace or is using a bad webcam for Hubert Syndrome. This might sound like I'm being picky here but it really not that much more work to make stuff look amazing for youtube. You just gotta know some simple workflow. This would help with mass appeal as well.
I agree. I love everything the Allies produce but sometimes it's extremely obvious the difference in stuff intended for TH-cam as opposed to Twitch. Now I don't mind as a continuation the GT-style stuff is the reason I've been a Patreon since day 1, but seeing how some very small streamers can make their stuff look amazing, and I'm sure there are people with all the skills necessary willing to help out for free among the 5400 patreons.
I remember back at GT, when they've made a video asking if the game should have stayed as Versus XIII or be rebranded as XV, and in the end I guess that I maintain my opinion: Versus XIII would probabily had been a better game. Not that XV is bad, but from everything I've seen and read, XV struggles with identity, and while the open world gameplay is arguably better, this whole boy band on a road trip really doesn't match well with the whole "kingdom in peril" storyline. Versus XIII looked, from the little we know, more interesting. Sure I'll play XV, sure it will be fun. But I play Final Fantasy games for deep story and interesting characters. Not camping, hacking and slashing, as much fun as those are.
omensoffate Granted, we saw very little. But what we didn't saw was a major focus on meaningless side-quests and the whole road trip theme. That makes me wonder if the game was more focused on the whole war between nations storyline than XV ended up being.
magaldi: Lol. Dude. Versus was meant to be sort of a roadtrip too, stated by Nomura a long time ago. And it was always going to be an action rpg. I agree with you on the "kingdom in peril" though. They should've toned down the road trip a little. One of Tabatas biggest mistakes though was the decision to remove the original opening aka: Noctis and his friends escaping from the invasion. To not have them there in the city was such a huge mistake it boggles my mind, and instead have them learn about via phone!? What were they thinking!? It removed so much of the drama and sense of tragedy that it's laughable really. And I'm a HUGE FAN OF VERSUS/XV so i'm not hating on the game just to be a troll. I just wanted it to be the best it could be and I will never understand how one could have made that decision. Kingsglaive was a failure for me for this reason. Noctis should've been there and he should've been the main character for the movie. The four mains would've meant so much more to us if we had seen them go through all that and barely made it out alive after noctis (like he should have) saw his father being killed. WHAT AN EMOTIONAL IMPACT AND A MOTIVATION A GREAT START FOR THE GAME! BUT NOOOO! Oh tabata.......I love you man, but.....pls reboot :P
Takaro Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not a hater either. I feel that nowadays you are either a fanboy or a hater. You can't criticise something without sounding like one of the other. I pre-orded XV and I will play, and I will most likely, well, like it! But I'm not a fan of this whole road trip thing. And, if you say so I can't really deny it, but as far as I remember, Versus XIII seemed to have a minor focus on the road trip, not to say that it didn't had at all. I also didn't cared much for Kingsglaive. I didn't cared about Nyx, about Crowe or any of the other characters. Even Luna. Which is ironic, cause she had a bigger role on Versus, and was downplayed in XV. I don't know exaclty what it is, but Versus looked and felt more grounded, more dark, more story focused, with the war and Luna's relationship with Noctis, and even Noctis himself. Now it all feels like a bland background for open world gameplay.
Dude...those final words combined with the music...fantastic editing, great review! I can not wait for christmas! Its going to be a good old time with my emo friends!
Been with you guys since game trailers and followed you to easy allies; and your works are still consistently the most articulate, intelligently compact and professionally delivered trustworthy reviews on video games on the internet. Bloody well done.
Anyone who liked 13 that cool It wasnt fro me as a long time fan it felt to constricting and the fact that the game didn't really open up until halfway through was one thing and the story was completely lack luster. The reason I like 12 so much even with its flaws is the sheer amount of content in that game is awesome I spent well over 100 hours on it when it came out.
my guess which i can honestly understand is denial and hype probably mostly denial . Fans waited along for this game and dont want to realize its not that great. its like history repeating itself with ff13 and many other games.
SufamiDan There are honestly countless reviews where people say "it should be higher or lower". And I get it, that's how you feel, but it's always a little sad when people get so hung up on it. There is no exact science when scoring something. But I'd like to think all of the effort we put in gives you enough to arrive at your own conclusion. That's what matters.
No offense but I sense fanboying here. This game has huge flaws such as a really poorly told story, bad camera, fetch quests etc... If you aren't 100% sold on this you should wait a few months for the dust to settle. Remember all the 9/10s for FFXIII....
I played and finished with all possible secrets all ff from 4 to 12 , i couldnt even stick to ff13 for 2hours man, i doubt ff15 is anywhere close on that lvl, even if it isnt greatest ff game it definitely wont be as bad as ff13 which was at best 6/10 even despite amazing graphics that to this day dont look bad. Reviewers in 2010 made heaps of stupid mistakes, Nier's metacritic score is 68 while ff13's is 83, those games came out same year and their scores should be reversed at the very least. FF13 got good scores coz of being final fantasy game, not coz of being good game.
It's harder to please gamers in this time and age than it was 10 years ago. The fact that ff15 got an average rating of 85% is a monumental achievement for a dying industry (in Japan).
Presanth Michael i think it wasnt even about pleasing games, but really biased reviewers, they give some games lots of goodwill/credit just coz publisher marketting push while some nishe games/hidden gems are often swept aside with lower scores they should get. Example: fallout4, compare review score 87 to user score 6,4. www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/fallout-4 to overall very good received by players game witcher3, both reviewers and users score is 92 in this case. www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt In this comparision ff15 looks better from fallout 4 but worse from w3 www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/final-fantasy-xv So still very solid amazing game xD
It's too bad this game isn't called Finale XV: Final Fantasia: Final Fanstasica Remix VOL 1: Final Fantasy 15: XV's Fantastic Funtasy If it was I would have totes bought it.
SPOILER This game makes sense after the ending and some reflexion, by now it must be more than one year that i finished the main game and it just hit me now. 80% of the gameplay is mundane tasks with your buddies so the first time you play the game you're like WTF it's boring. BUT. At the end your friends are taken from you, forever, and you make the ultimate sacrifice for Light to prevail. In depth what does it all mean ? This is an allegory of Life. Life is made of mundane tasks, there are some unforgettable moments, some hardships and before you realize you die ... . But there is a big lesson here: little things matter, friendship matters, helping others matters, being a role model matters, Life is short, Life is sometimes unfair, enjoy the good moments while they last and in the End - Walk tall my friends ! :)
I love their Easy Allies/Gametrailer reviews more than any other source of game reviews. There's just something about them, it might be because they take their time to explain every aspect while they are showing what they are talking about in game. Or how they give the review some breathing room and show the game for itself without critiquing. You all are awesome.
Corrections: 1. According to the day-one patch note, several scene from kingsglaive and omen trailer are added to the game now, so it won't be too confusing for player who haven't seen neither of those. 2. At 9:00, the composer is Yoko *Shimomura, not Yoko *Shinomura, lol
In regards to 1, you really need to see the implementation of the scenes. They actually manage to make it way worse via the way they're implemented (the Kingsglaive scenes are presented mixed like trailers, with their audio cut to play some bizarre generic music).
yeah i second this, while the one showing insomnia being destoryed when talking to iris worked fine, the one of the signing ceremony was horribly implemented, they should of just played the 5 minute scene outright.
The best review on youtube. It was fair, you brought up details even the smaller ones, both the positive and the negative, without being close minded or overly nitpicky unlike gamespot and IGN. The Easy A crew are still the best.
God damnit, Yoko Shimomura. THE MUSIC. THAT AMAZING MUSIC. Reminds me SO much of Kingdom Hearts (yes I know, same composer). WHERE IS MY KINGDOM HEARTS 3?!
See this is why I love Gametrailers/ Easy Allies reviews. The technical flaws are apparent and duly stated, but the efforts put into the game's expressiveness and thematic storytelling are also recognized. Although IGN still gave it a decent score they were heavily focused on technicalities rather than considering it as a holistic experience, giving it an apparent deduction. A lot of reviewers go for quick and easy critiques that pinpoint ultimately insignificant flaws, but not you guys. Easy Allies still recognizes video games as a form of art rather than mainly a source of entertainment. Keep it up guys!!
More than anything else, it's the little things I'll remember the most about this game; the little nuances that made the journey so incredibly special. Whether it was the sun bursting through rainy skies after a long drive with FFIX music reaching a crescendo at the perfect moment, Gladio complaining about his butt hurting from being in the car too long, or Ignis having an optional, poignant conversation with Noct at dawn... I think I'll be taking away more memories from this Final Fantasy than any other. For what little flaws it has, the bevy of positives more than make up for it. Man... what a game.
Yeah....I'm not falling for this again. you guys gave FF13 an 8.6 back in the day. I'll wait and play it if it ever lands on PC but I'm not gonna rush out and buy it or buy ti anytime soon. The only way this game could have gotten a bad score if it was very very broken and it seems most of the forum threads I've seen about the game either have trolls and haters or die hard fans circle jerking.
Iftekhar Ahmed You should actually try reading my comment, especially the parts about me buying the game at a later date and not saying anything bad about the game because I haven't played it. But yeah sure I 'don't like it'.
SaintAlia_of_the_Games I wouldn't blame you for thinking this way, as the way to experience a newly released Final Fantasy game is the play the game over a span of week, and then discuss the elements of the game on forums. That was how flaws in FF13 were discovered. I'd say, wait for a fan reaction/review if you think this review wasn't useful for you.
There's a lot to mention about this game, a lot of little things that change the overall quality of it. This is not only a rarity among games as large as this one, it's even rarer to hear anyone talk about them. I'm glad you did mention some of the little things, because they are important, and too often people forget how those little things can sway a review one way or another.
Alan R honestly an 8 is a good score in my book. I just didn't like the fact that they just glanced over a key aspect of the game....and honestly I my hype for this game ran out until I saw Kingsglave. And as a potential buyer I want to know what I'm getting. And yes I played both American demos but not the Japanese one because I didn't feel like making a whole new account to play it.
IGN and gamespot did atrocious reviews where they didnt formulate criticism, its not that they gave it a lower score which they didnt even do, an 8/10 is fantastic, the simple fact is the reviews were abysmal and explained little to nothing. This review which scored it a point higher explained the flaws far more accurately than ign and gamespot did with their vague accusations. Also ign's review in particular has the reviewer's credibility riding against him cause that guy has no consistency. More critical reviews do have value, but being poorly written will make any score null good or bad. Anyone can go around and pull a jim sterling and just overreact over superficial complaints, its called being contrarian its the simplest thing in the world and i believe everyone goes through a phase of it to boot, if people want an actually critical review of XV eurogamer is far better of a example than ign or gamespot's ass review.
Great job Ben on the review. I have been waiting for this game since 06 and remember buying a ps3 just for it. Would you guys be posting other individuals like Damiani's opinions about the game later on?
inrainbows0910 FrameTrap is probably where this will happen, it starts with everyone talking about what they've been playing and Ben is sure to bring FF15 to the panel
Ben, I really respect you as a reviewer, but felt you went a bit too easy on this one. Surprised you didn't spend more time critiquing some of the more questionable parts of the game, such as chapter 13. While the game is solid, characterization is well done and the combat is engaging, to me at times it tried very hard to emulate western games like the witcher and uncharted and failed when it did. The story, terrible lip syncing and overall poor production value of 90% of the cutscenes also disappointed. Compared to the witcher 3, FFXV does not stack up. I personally don't think this game will age well or be remembered as a series great and in my opinion is at most a 4/5 (especially given the very high quality of EZA 4.5's)
Brendan Leahy It's important to remember that *Witcher 3 is an exception, rather than a norm (at least for now)*, having a size/budget of a AAA game, yet having a polish of a much smaller game. This is just my opinion, but I don't think we should compare any RPG with Witcher 3 yet, at least not a Japanese RPG.
This is a great review all around and the first i have seen that mentioned the music, very few critics seem to understand the music importance in a Final Fantasy game, very classy.
Luna was originally suppose to have a story line that deals with her being abused. However, due to fans outraged, it was cut. Final Fantasy XV (versus XIII) was first revealed at E3 2006. Since then, the game has gone through tons of changes such as name, director and console generation. The all-male playable cast of Final Fantasy XV was influenced by Tetsuya Nomura's desire for the game to have a "road movie vibe" as well as personal experiences from when Nomura was young. This is the first Final Fantasy game to be composed by Yoko Shimomura. Robbie Daymond (Prompto) and Ray Chase (Noctis) Are both good friends in real life and are constantly vlogging together
I love this game still on chapter 3 and I have put in 37 hours into it this beautiful game and this is my first time playing a final fantasy game can't wait to see what happened in the story
Ban you really outdid yourself on this review, XV seems to be the most divisive FF in a long time, possibly ever. One person's highlight is another's con but i think you did what honestly is the most "objective" look at the game's pros and cons out of all the reviews for it I've read.
Substance2020 says the guy who obviously has no idea how TH-cam/patreon work. not all channels are pewds rich, and Easy Allies has like 6 or 8 guys involved in it.
Bloodworth!! glad to know you guys are still making Videos. Keep the dream going! I used to watch all Gametrailer's content religiously even more than i played the games!
Substance2020 patreon = $38,000/month minus expenses then split at least 6 ways, TH-cam estimates for them are between $220-3,700/month. How exactly does that equal "tons of money?" I'd guess that, at best, if they're doing equal splits they maybe each clear 50k for the year
Yup! The Gametrailers guys started a new venture called Easy Allies! Smaller than before, but they've been trying to build back up through Patreon. They're even doing stuff like Retrospectives and podcasts. I recommend checking it out if you are so inclined! :)
So you guys are the ones from GT. Welcome back! I can honestly say I'm very happy to see you guys back, I have missed your reviews immensely since they have always been very detailed, honest, and on point. Although I may not agree with your review on this particular game, I cannot deny that your review covered everything a gamer needs to know about the game to make an informed decision. Keep up the great work!
When you play this game after watching Kingsgalive then you see Nyx's lifeless body hanging in the throne room, it can get a little creepy. 😅 Really felt bad for Nyx though.
I know this game has been pretty polarizing. Which makes sense; it was pretty all over the place. I personally loved it, but I do acknowledge that it has several major flaws. But here's the one thing that really gets my goat, the only thing I'm really going to rant about (SPOILERS): *Deeeeeeep Breath* Where. *THE HELL*. Were all of those scenes from the trailers that weren't in the game!?!? - Remember Regis and Noctis eating at the table? - Remember the old general (who had a whopping one line NEVER appeared again) marching with all those soldiers? - Remember the shots of young Luna and Noctis running from soldiers? - Remember Ravus wearing a hood and saying some cryptic shit? - Remember Noctis possibly killing Luna and Regis talking to a demonic voice? - Remember Regis HOLDING HIS YOUNG SON AND CRYING OVER HIS FATE WHILE THE GODS LOOKED DOWN ON THEM!?!?!? Holy Christ, where were all of these brilliant scenes!? It's not like they were all from back when this was Versus XIII. These were after it was already being made as XV! Why in God's name would they not be included? What, were they JUST for the trailer? Like, we had to watch them to get the full context of everything? I sure hope not, because that is fucking asinine! I just don't understand it, guys. This game had me so completely hooked with it's story all these years. I was so ready to see where it was going. I cannot comprehend what would lead them to just GUT such an incredible story. You can still see parts of it in the final product; the scene of Luna's death is hauntingly beautiful, and the ending is absolutely PERFECT in its emotional weight. It's as if they had a complete and masterful plot, and then just stripped it down to its bare bones. Why? WHY!?!? Is is because of us? Did we demand it too quickly? Were all these years still not enough for them to realize their story, but they were forced to just shove it out before it was ready because they'd sunk too much money into it and the fans were all tired of waiting? Listen, I like this game. I really do. I like it a LOT. Even after all that I've said, I still think it was worth the wait. It's sheer scale and the way it improves upon the genre is awe-inspiring. It's one of the best games I've ever played, but because of that, it's also one of the most disappointing. Having such a grand game being nakedly unfinished is so saddening, and the developers LYING to their fans by showing us glimpses of a story that never comes to pass is practically insulting. This was a fun experience, but I can't deny that there's a sour taste left in my mouth when all is said and done, and for someone who was so patiently waiting for this for so many years, that is a truly saddening thing.
This guy has one of the best narration voices out there. You're like the David Attenborough of video games 😜 Glad you've got a new channel, used to love watching the retrospectives, hope they make a return.
I was waiting with bated breath for this review!!! Not disappointed in the least with the review, GREAT review. The game, however, is about as "good" as I thought it would be. At least it wasn't a disaster, or another FF13 botch. I still want to get it, on PC eventually... hopefully... but mostly for the amazing visuals and creatures, and those massive battles. From watching other reviews and a few limited playthroughs, the story, dialogue, and characters (and the weird English voiceovers) are yet again not very likeable or done well in my opinion. I have come to expect this from FF over the years; it seems like there are writers or directors or important people high up in Square that just don't "get it", and either aren't listening to those within Square who do "get it" (probably the younger folks who have little authority) or aren't being criticized properly. But that's just a theory.... and perhaps also simply my western bias showing. Then again, Nintendo "gets it" when it comes to making great games with soul, and it's a Japanese company. I wonder how the Japanese market is liking FF15. Since I love the art of 3d modeling and animation I can't not rub my eyeballs all over this game. There is too much glory and grandeur to pass up on it. The combat actually looks _kinda_ fun even. Good enough reasons to buy-- but this isn't quite "one of the greats" in my book. Still lacks a certain genuine jolliness, self-awareness, meaningful depth and variation of characters... too much surface level _sexy/cool/deep_ anime hamfistedness and stereotyping without an eye toward tactful restraint; that stuff bugs me a lot. Basically it needs more Donald Duck, figuratively speaking. Also literally. It _is_ a step in the right direction in a lot of ways though; even the anime bullcrap I just whined about is less egregious than it usually is-- and that's heartening. Because man what if Square could make a game that looks this gorgeous, is this massive, this grandiose, AND has great writing, use of subtlety, combat and characters/direction? Hot dang! Someday.
Emralled I highly recommend you watch videos by Dark Pixel Gaming on Final Fantasy XV's development (I think it's named dark history) Perhaps it'll answer some of your doubts.
Emralled As for why FF is the way it is, it's a very complicated question to answer, but a simple version is that Japanese developers makes games for Japanese audience first, and so their preferences are considered first. That's why it's all anime-ish and has things that people don't get it, or can't get translated into Non - Japanese sensibilities easily or properly.
Thanks for the recommendations! I think you're right, FF is made for a Japanese audience first, and there is nothing wrong with that. I do wonder however if the Japanese audience really likes this "anime bullcrap" (as I like to call it) as much as Westerners think they do, or if that's just what they get from their media companies and buy for a lack of anything better in their language to go to for their escapism. Kind of like how in the West, our media companies put out a lot of sub-par stuff that most people here don't regard as "good", yet is still popular. Like bad reality tv shows and long-running dumb sitcoms. For example, I've heard FF13 has a bad reputation in Japan much like it does in the West, despite initial sales numbers and professional reviewers in Japan making it sound well received. On top of that, other Japanese game companies seem to do better with story and characters, etc. Like Atlus (sometimes), Nintendo, Miyazaki films, a number of decent-to-good animes. So I think there may be something awry at Square in particular, but ehhh that's still just a theory.
Emralled I'm pretty sure making things "anime-ish" is what gets the most popularity/money, as with how Hollywood makes superhero movies "gritty". Just sayin'. So that means the latter part of your argument. (There's a wonderful anime called " Welcome To NHK", which is about Japanese 'losers' who didn't fit into society and lived on things like games and anime. It confronts a lot of uncomfortable truths) I just read some things about FF13, it does seems to have performed poorly in Japan as well (in terms of sales and fan reception) but with what scale? I don't know. It's priced dropped in 5-6 months, rarity for big name titles, and that SE didn't focus test the game for westerners at all, until the final moments of the game. Atlus games are a niche, meaning they will sell moderately well, but has an incredibly strong fanbase. So, they have worry about pleasing to fans more rather than gather a wide audience. As for Miyazaki films, they have a Pixar like reputation, and their movies sell like anything. They are very popular (although some movies without his involvement weren't received as well.)
Nice one, Ben! I screwed up and sent my copy to my buddy's house, but I extra especially can't wait to dig in now that I've seen this. Keep up the good work, fellas!
OMG I am so glad you guys are still around. I have been missing you since GT.com went offline :O Thanks for the review, the quality is great, as I expected :D
I like how this review mentions the kingslaive movie. I saw it too and some pretty important information can be found in the movie which i think can make the experience better for those who play this as well.
This was the first game review in my ten years of watching reviews that gave me serious goosebumps not only once, but three times. Terrific editing, Jones! Aargh, the music...
I agree with the sentiment that the final score surprised me, considering what was told in review. To be fair, I'm often surprised by Ben's scores. Maybe something to work on in the future.
I love the approach these guys come from with their reviews and is been that way every sense the g.t days. I always trust their reviews more any other. Good job!
Great review guys!!! I've only been able to play for three hours so far but I already love the music and combat although it will take me a while to master said combat. Im playing on XBOX and have had no issues thus far. This is the game I've waited ten years for. I do tend to be a FF apologist although I couldn't stand 13. I love this game and can see myself spending 100 hours playing it.
I was 13 when I first heard about this game. I was so worried that it wouldn't live up to expectations...I'm so, so happy that it's good. I absolutely adore it so far.
For everyone starting this game, get the command regroup asap , as the name implies the 4 bros will go to where Noctus is and heal for a lot. This is useful when everyone is hurt or to launch magic without the risk of hitting the bros
I think Witcher 3 has just ruined any chance of me playing open world games like this for awhile. I finding it really hard to convince myself in can play an over 30 hour game without a great story, side quests, and characters besides the main four. Clearly the game is great in many respects, but without those others things I can't see myself playing this anytime soon.
I always feel like you guys are the only reviewers I can trust
ACG "Angry Centaur Gaming" is legit as well.
TronPaul2012 Super Bunnyhop is great.
I love bunnyhop, but I find myself disagreeing with him a lot.
TronPaul2012 ACG is a very good reviewer too
I used to think "you guys are the only reviewers I can trust" but after putting 60 hours in FFXV and finishing it. I CANNOT agree with the 4.5/5 rating. IMHO its a 2/5. Very Disappointing.
Ben Moore is one of my Favorite reviewers since gametrailers.
can't wait for his persona 5 review.
Sebastian Zavala
Same here as well. I know that it was Delayed 4th on April.
Agreed, they are very well written and thought through.
Agreed
I couldn't have agreed more. This is way a better review than IGN and Gamespot's.
tonerton because it got a higher score ?
Alias Z50 No, because they actually analyzed the game way better than GS and IGN
Because it doesn't have a break out titled "why open world is better than linear," the simplest and dumbest of opinions.
No cause the complaints and pros actually had explanation and backing, also cause ben moore has notably better tastes than the ign guy who has questionable consistency as a critic.
Char Aznable well for starters ben didnt review 13 and is actually really negative about 13 all the time(damiani is the only EA person who likes 13 non ironically), while as the questionable taste of ign's guy is still valid since he still praised mgs5 as a masterpiece despite being an incomplete mess as well as sang praises for evolve. At least at gametrailers they were quite vocal about how incomplete mgs 5 was, in fact they were the only one that i recall ever doing so.
and again, no the reviews are terribly written, this one accurately sums up the pros and cons and how the pros outweigh the flaws. This conversation is retarded to claim its cause its got a higher score since ign and gamespot both rated XV a fantastic score anyway. This is why review scores are moronic and ruin the point of the actual review, people like you only focus on them as if its the only part of it that matters
Easy Allies' Reviews are SO WELL done; with their thoughts so well thought out and described, that by the time the closing statement is made, I can usually pinpoint the exact score that will be made for the game. Not many game journalists pull this sort of thing off so well.
Love & Respect.
Is this the gametrailers voice? I really like his reviews!
Awesome. Great to have you back!
Easy Allies SO HAPPY YOUR REVIEWS ARE BACK!! :) :) :)
Ben Moore, best reviewer in the biz. Great review!
RedVIII always feel pure joy each time he review a game.
no kidding.
He really outdid himself with this one. Superb!
*****
You are talking about Brandon Jones, who is awesome as well, but Ben Moore is the one who wrote the review.
Yes he is! My favorite duo in the GT/Easy crew! I could listen to Brandon Jones and Moore talk all day, no homo.
Yours is the only review I care Ben and the reason I am a patreon. Thanks
Best EZA review yet. When you guys review games you're not just providing consumer advice, you're creating a determination on where the game sits in the pantheon of media expression. Its a mode of thinking that can only come from people who truly appreciate video games at their best and most meaningful. Thank you allies.
Man I love you guys...You make the best and honest reviews.. you guys are still the best in the business
I could not care less if they didn't love it. It's just the fact that they're reviews are so well thought out and informative.
Woah this review is really well written and paced.
The only review site I fully trust.
I don't even trust Angeryjoe anymore.
matthew johnson why don't you trust AJ??
I used to be a big fan of Angry Joe but over the years his reviews have grown somewhat tiresome to me. I don't want to say he's wrong in many of his opinions and I can understand why people still enjoy him, but for me his DOOM review was the last straw for me. He could never really articulate why he liked the game other than it was badass and the music was epic. While I'm not criticizing DOOM, it seems like a legitimately good game but his review for it just bothered me for some reason. There's also the fact that he refuses to review From Software games despite them being some of the best games in the industry at the moment.
*****
Great answer, also, he does some weird "sponsored" content with an actress, it's cringy as fuck.
I just found ACG and like him a lot too.
He also suck at gaming. Anyone that suck at gaming should not be doing review.
guys we all love the Allies. we appreciate the best reviews in the biz, the hilarious podcasts and the uniquely talented and knowledgeable team. let's all go to www.patreon.com/EasyAllies and give them at least $1. they deserve it.
Ness Roman that's the way
André Fischer I sure wish they would up their production quality a bit.. I'm sure it in the works but at 37K a month can't they afford at least a decent camera.
Most podcast has 50% deadspace or is using a bad webcam for Hubert Syndrome.
This might sound like I'm being picky here but it really not that much more work to make stuff look amazing for youtube. You just gotta know some simple workflow. This would help with mass appeal as well.
I agree. I love everything the Allies produce but sometimes it's extremely obvious the difference in stuff intended for TH-cam as opposed to Twitch. Now I don't mind as a continuation the GT-style stuff is the reason I've been a Patreon since day 1, but seeing how some very small streamers can make their stuff look amazing, and I'm sure there are people with all the skills necessary willing to help out for free among the 5400 patreons.
I had no idea their patreon was so huge......40k per month daaaaaaamn!
Fuck yeah,subscribed! I miss Gametrailers! Best review site ever.
I am too damn excited for this game... Extremely happy to see that you (Ben) enjoyed it :D
I remember back at GT, when they've made a video asking if the game should have stayed as Versus XIII or be rebranded as XV, and in the end I guess that I maintain my opinion: Versus XIII would probabily had been a better game.
Not that XV is bad, but from everything I've seen and read, XV struggles with identity, and while the open world gameplay is arguably better, this whole boy band on a road trip really doesn't match well with the whole "kingdom in peril" storyline.
Versus XIII looked, from the little we know, more interesting. Sure I'll play XV, sure it will be fun. But I play Final Fantasy games for deep story and interesting characters. Not camping, hacking and slashing, as much fun as those are.
magaldi oh yeah the 4 mins you saw was so interesting. Also that battle trailer was kingdoms hearts and was unoriginal. Go back under the bridge
I'm glad they renamed it. I was never interested in it while it was called Versus XIII but once they announced it would be XV, I was on board
omensoffate Granted, we saw very little. But what we didn't saw was a major focus on meaningless side-quests and the whole road trip theme. That makes me wonder if the game was more focused on the whole war between nations storyline than XV ended up being.
magaldi: Lol. Dude. Versus was meant to be sort of a roadtrip too, stated by Nomura a long time ago. And it was always going to be an action rpg.
I agree with you on the "kingdom in peril" though. They should've toned down the road trip a little. One of Tabatas biggest mistakes though was the decision to remove the original opening aka: Noctis and his friends escaping from the invasion. To not have them there in the city was such a huge mistake it boggles my mind, and instead have them learn about via phone!? What were they thinking!? It removed so much of the drama and sense of tragedy that it's laughable really.
And I'm a HUGE FAN OF VERSUS/XV so i'm not hating on the game just to be a troll. I just wanted it to be the best it could be and I will never understand how one could have made that decision.
Kingsglaive was a failure for me for this reason. Noctis should've been there and he should've been the main character for the movie. The four mains would've meant so much more to us if we had seen them go through all that and barely made it out alive after noctis (like he should have) saw his father being killed. WHAT AN EMOTIONAL IMPACT AND A MOTIVATION A GREAT START FOR THE GAME! BUT NOOOO!
Oh tabata.......I love you man, but.....pls reboot :P
Takaro Oh, don't get me wrong, I'm not a hater either. I feel that nowadays you are either a fanboy or a hater. You can't criticise something without sounding like one of the other.
I pre-orded XV and I will play, and I will most likely, well, like it! But I'm not a fan of this whole road trip thing.
And, if you say so I can't really deny it, but as far as I remember, Versus XIII seemed to have a minor focus on the road trip, not to say that it didn't had at all.
I also didn't cared much for Kingsglaive. I didn't cared about Nyx, about Crowe or any of the other characters. Even Luna. Which is ironic, cause she had a bigger role on Versus, and was downplayed in XV.
I don't know exaclty what it is, but Versus looked and felt more grounded, more dark, more story focused, with the war and Luna's relationship with Noctis, and even Noctis himself.
Now it all feels like a bland background for open world gameplay.
Dude...those final words combined with the music...fantastic editing, great review! I can not wait for christmas! Its going to be a good old time with my emo friends!
Been with you guys since game trailers and followed you to easy allies; and your works are still consistently the most articulate, intelligently compact and professionally delivered trustworthy reviews on video games on the internet. Bloody well done.
Great review. I can't disagree with a single sentence. Loving FFXV so far.
Most fun Ive had with a Final Fantasy game since FF XII.
I don't care what anyone says, FF XII was one of the best that I've played.
Anyone who liked 13 that cool It wasnt fro me as a long time fan it felt to constricting and the fact that the game didn't really open up until halfway through was one thing and the story was completely lack luster. The reason I like 12 so much even with its flaws is the sheer amount of content in that game is awesome I spent well over 100 hours on it when it came out.
ayyee jouskeee
Matt skirble cant wait for 12 remaster to finally come out.^^
wow this games has tons of flaws you guys are sugar coating way to much.
I wonder why all major outlets are so easy on FFXV even though it has some huge crazy flaws.
my guess which i can honestly understand is denial and hype probably mostly denial . Fans waited along for this game and dont want to realize its not that great. its like history repeating itself with ff13 and many other games.
Just shut up and let us enjoy the game in peace. Go play something else.
"Kiddo"
Fuck off.
I'm 25 and have played every single Final Fantasy that has been released. This game is fun. You guys are losers.
Smell ya later!
ohh cant wait to play the game and found out. thanks for the info.
THIS IS THE BEST FF 15 REVIEW BY FAR ITS IS UNBELIEVABLE HOW REVIEWER WORDS ARE ACCURATE TO MY DESCRIPTION
4 and half? Genuinely surprised with that score based on what you said, Ben. Was expected a 3-4 ratio.
SufamiDan na it truly deserves a 4 and half
same, seemed like a lot of criticism for a 4.5 but I'm glad he enjoyed it!
winglessangelful that is cool. I was just saying, based on what he was saying during the review I was expecting a lower score.
SufamiDan There are honestly countless reviews where people say "it should be higher or lower". And I get it, that's how you feel, but it's always a little sad when people get so hung up on it. There is no exact science when scoring something. But I'd like to think all of the effort we put in gives you enough to arrive at your own conclusion. That's what matters.
its cuz the goods in this game are just done so well
No offense but I sense fanboying here. This game has huge flaws such as a really poorly told story, bad camera, fetch quests etc... If you aren't 100% sold on this you should wait a few months for the dust to settle. Remember all the 9/10s for FFXIII....
I played and finished with all possible secrets all ff from 4 to 12 , i couldnt even stick to ff13 for 2hours man, i doubt ff15 is anywhere close on that lvl, even if it isnt greatest ff game it definitely wont be as bad as ff13 which was at best 6/10 even despite amazing graphics that to this day dont look bad.
Reviewers in 2010 made heaps of stupid mistakes, Nier's metacritic score is 68 while ff13's is 83, those games came out same year and their scores should be reversed at the very least.
FF13 got good scores coz of being final fantasy game, not coz of being good game.
camera problem is easily solved by setting the camera option to "far"
egeaageaggageag set the camera to mid or far an its fixed. the fetch quest was normal .
It's harder to please gamers in this time and age than it was 10 years ago. The fact that ff15 got an average rating of 85% is a monumental achievement for a dying industry (in Japan).
Presanth Michael
i think it wasnt even about pleasing games, but really biased reviewers, they give some games lots of goodwill/credit just coz publisher marketting push while some nishe games/hidden gems are often swept aside with lower scores they should get.
Example: fallout4, compare review score 87 to user score 6,4.
www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/fallout-4
to overall very good received by players game witcher3, both reviewers and users score is 92 in this case.
www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt
In this comparision ff15 looks better from fallout 4 but worse from w3 www.metacritic.com/game/playstation-4/final-fantasy-xv
So still very solid amazing game xD
It's.. it's actually happening.
It's too bad this game isn't called Finale XV: Final Fantasia: Final Fanstasica Remix VOL 1: Final Fantasy 15: XV's Fantastic Funtasy
If it was I would have totes bought it.
SPOILER
This game makes sense after the ending and some reflexion, by now it must be more than one year that i finished the main game and it just hit me now. 80% of the gameplay is mundane tasks with your buddies so the first time you play the game you're like WTF it's boring. BUT. At the end your friends are taken from you, forever, and you make the ultimate sacrifice for Light to prevail.
In depth what does it all mean ? This is an allegory of Life. Life is made of mundane tasks, there are some unforgettable moments, some hardships and before you realize you die ... .
But there is a big lesson here: little things matter, friendship matters, helping others matters, being a role model matters, Life is short, Life is sometimes unfair, enjoy the good moments while they last and in the End - Walk tall my friends ! :)
I love their Easy Allies/Gametrailer reviews more than any other source of game reviews. There's just something about them, it might be because they take their time to explain every aspect while they are showing what they are talking about in game. Or how they give the review some breathing room and show the game for itself without critiquing. You all are awesome.
Such a beautiful review.there is just so much soul and heart in it
Well done Ben. Passionate and comprehensive! For real best in the biz
Im very impressed that you released this review on day 1
Corrections:
1. According to the day-one patch note, several scene from kingsglaive and omen trailer are added to the game now, so it won't be too confusing for player who haven't seen neither of those.
2. At 9:00, the composer is Yoko *Shimomura, not Yoko *Shinomura, lol
In regards to 1, you really need to see the implementation of the scenes. They actually manage to make it way worse via the way they're implemented (the Kingsglaive scenes are presented mixed like trailers, with their audio cut to play some bizarre generic music).
yeah i second this, while the one showing insomnia being destoryed when talking to iris worked fine, the one of the signing ceremony was horribly implemented, they should of just played the 5 minute scene outright.
The best review on youtube. It was fair, you brought up details even the smaller ones, both the positive and the negative, without being close minded or overly nitpicky unlike gamespot and IGN. The Easy A crew are still the best.
God damnit, Yoko Shimomura. THE MUSIC. THAT AMAZING MUSIC. Reminds me SO much of Kingdom Hearts (yes I know, same composer). WHERE IS MY KINGDOM HEARTS 3?!
Claus Grimhildr 7 years from now? Been 3 years since revealed Yeh?
boy I hope not though hopefully next year after the kh remasters are released. :)
The music is fantastic in the game, but its also kind of all over the place too.
Would you kindly not use God's Name in vain? People find it offensive. Thank you.
Nope, I will continue to use god's name in vain as I honestly do not care if you find it offensive. Sorry, Otter.
Weakest FF soundtrack to date though. Good but weak.
See this is why I love Gametrailers/ Easy Allies reviews. The technical flaws are apparent and duly stated, but the efforts put into the game's expressiveness and thematic storytelling are also recognized. Although IGN still gave it a decent score they were heavily focused on technicalities rather than considering it as a holistic experience, giving it an apparent deduction. A lot of reviewers go for quick and easy critiques that pinpoint ultimately insignificant flaws, but not you guys. Easy Allies still recognizes video games as a form of art rather than mainly a source of entertainment. Keep it up guys!!
No game release feels complete without the glorious Brandon Jones narrated review, still best in the biz after all these years.
L&R
EZA Reviews are by far the best in the business. There is no contest! Thank you guys for your amazing content
I remember watching the original trailer in 2006 on the gametrailers website. What a long time.
I like to see Ben burning those spiders with fire.
Looks like it really met Ben's hopes! Glad he liked it so much!
it is sooo good having you back. I wish the best for you and your company.
More than anything else, it's the little things I'll remember the most about this game; the little nuances that made the journey so incredibly special. Whether it was the sun bursting through rainy skies after a long drive with FFIX music reaching a crescendo at the perfect moment, Gladio complaining about his butt hurting from being in the car too long, or Ignis having an optional, poignant conversation with Noct at dawn... I think I'll be taking away more memories from this Final Fantasy than any other.
For what little flaws it has, the bevy of positives more than make up for it. Man... what a game.
Five years later, after looking back, this game defo has aged so much better. but i can't bring myself to play it again
Yeah....I'm not falling for this again. you guys gave FF13 an 8.6 back in the day. I'll wait and play it if it ever lands on PC but I'm not gonna rush out and buy it or buy ti anytime soon. The only way this game could have gotten a bad score if it was very very broken and it seems most of the forum threads I've seen about the game either have trolls and haters or die hard fans circle jerking.
SaintAlia_of_the_Games Or maybe, just maybe, you personally just don't like the game.
I agree I got burnt by FF13 . this seems better but the same
It is FFXIII all over again.
Iftekhar Ahmed You should actually try reading my comment, especially the parts about me buying the game at a later date and not saying anything bad about the game because I haven't played it.
But yeah sure I 'don't like it'.
SaintAlia_of_the_Games I wouldn't blame you for thinking this way, as the way to experience a newly released Final Fantasy game is the play the game over a span of week, and then discuss the elements of the game on forums.
That was how flaws in FF13 were discovered.
I'd say, wait for a fan reaction/review if you think this review wasn't useful for you.
There's a lot to mention about this game, a lot of little things that change the overall quality of it. This is not only a rarity among games as large as this one, it's even rarer to hear anyone talk about them. I'm glad you did mention some of the little things, because they are important, and too often people forget how those little things can sway a review one way or another.
My Final Fantasy XV Rating:
Storyline - 8.0/10
Characters - 9.0/10
Battle System - 10/10
Environment - 10/10
My Overall Rating - 9.0/10
FINALLY SOMEBODY went into detail on combat and not just saying yeaaa....just hold down a button.
or saying "yeaa...you can do magic or a summon....sometimes" cough...Gamespot/IGN....
Alan R honestly an 8 is a good score in my book. I just didn't like the fact that they just glanced over a key aspect of the game....and honestly I my hype for this game ran out until I saw Kingsglave. And as a potential buyer I want to know what I'm getting. And yes I played both American demos but not the Japanese one because I didn't feel like making a whole new account to play it.
IGN and gamespot did atrocious reviews where they didnt formulate criticism, its not that they gave it a lower score which they didnt even do, an 8/10 is fantastic, the simple fact is the reviews were abysmal and explained little to nothing. This review which scored it a point higher explained the flaws far more accurately than ign and gamespot did with their vague accusations. Also ign's review in particular has the reviewer's credibility riding against him cause that guy has no consistency.
More critical reviews do have value, but being poorly written will make any score null good or bad. Anyone can go around and pull a jim sterling and just overreact over superficial complaints, its called being contrarian its the simplest thing in the world and i believe everyone goes through a phase of it to boot, if people want an actually critical review of XV eurogamer is far better of a example than ign or gamespot's ass review.
Easy Allies easily does the best game reviews online.
Great job Ben on the review. I have been waiting for this game since 06 and remember buying a ps3 just for it. Would you guys be posting other individuals like Damiani's opinions about the game later on?
inrainbows0910 FrameTrap is probably where this will happen, it starts with everyone talking about what they've been playing and Ben is sure to bring FF15 to the panel
Ben, I really respect you as a reviewer, but felt you went a bit too easy on this one. Surprised you didn't spend more time critiquing some of the more questionable parts of the game, such as chapter 13. While the game is solid, characterization is well done and the combat is engaging, to me at times it tried very hard to emulate western games like the witcher and uncharted and failed when it did. The story, terrible lip syncing and overall poor production value of 90% of the cutscenes also disappointed. Compared to the witcher 3, FFXV does not stack up. I personally don't think this game will age well or be remembered as a series great and in my opinion is at most a 4/5 (especially given the very high quality of EZA 4.5's)
In a few years FFXV will be the new FFXIII, history repeats itself.
Brendan Leahy It's important to remember that *Witcher 3 is an exception, rather than a norm (at least for now)*, having a size/budget of a AAA game, yet having a polish of a much smaller game.
This is just my opinion, but I don't think we should compare any RPG with Witcher 3 yet, at least not a Japanese RPG.
"Compared to the witcher 3"
That's literally every single game in existence.
I´ve been waiting for this review for so long.
¨Written by Ben Moore¨...this gonna be gooood!
Thank you guys!
Your voice is like sweet whispers of a wind once forgotten. Solid review dude!
This is a great review all around and the first i have seen that mentioned the music, very few critics seem to understand the music importance in a Final Fantasy game, very classy.
Easy Allies the only XV review worth watching. Thanks Ben, and crew
Luna was originally suppose to have a story line that deals with her being abused. However, due to fans outraged, it was cut.
Final Fantasy XV (versus XIII) was first revealed at E3 2006. Since then, the game has gone through tons of changes such as name, director and console generation.
The all-male playable cast of Final Fantasy XV was influenced by Tetsuya Nomura's desire for the game to have a "road movie vibe" as well as personal experiences from when Nomura was young.
This is the first Final Fantasy game to be composed by Yoko Shimomura.
Robbie Daymond (Prompto) and Ray Chase (Noctis) Are both good friends in real life and are constantly vlogging together
You guys deserve way more subscribers.Please don't let the small numbers discourage you.
Wow just discovered EZA and it's GT! GT used to be my favorite place to visit gameplay and game reviews. Glad you guys are still around
I am glad I found you again Brandon Jones. My reviews aren't complete without your critique at helm.
I love this game still on chapter 3 and I have put in 37 hours into it this beautiful game and this is my first time playing a final fantasy game can't wait to see what happened in the story
This is the only channel I really trust for reviews!
God damn i love this game. The music is seriously one of the best parts of the game
Very thorough and well paced review, without ever going too much into the weeds. I can't (and don't want to) argue any of this review. Great job!
I appreciate the chunky review given the nature of the game and how long its dev cycle was.
Great review Ben.
Ban you really outdid yourself on this review, XV seems to be the most divisive FF in a long time, possibly ever. One person's highlight is another's con but i think you did what honestly is the most "objective" look at the game's pros and cons out of all the reviews for it I've read.
Damn, that song really takes me back to that reveal trailer back in 2006
Does subscribing help?
They have tons of money since launching and doing very little.
Substance2020 says the guy who obviously has no idea how TH-cam/patreon work. not all channels are pewds rich, and Easy Allies has like 6 or 8 guys involved in it.
Bloodworth!! glad to know you guys are still making Videos. Keep the dream going! I used to watch all Gametrailer's content religiously even more than i played the games!
Matt Brown Go on then explain to me how youtube and patreon works.
Substance2020 patreon = $38,000/month minus expenses then split at least 6 ways, TH-cam estimates for them are between $220-3,700/month. How exactly does that equal "tons of money?" I'd guess that, at best, if they're doing equal splits they maybe each clear 50k for the year
Oh my god, it's... here! I'm crying
I always loved this guys voice for reviews, been a fan since his GT days
There is that beautiful, majestic and most relaxing voice.... your voice get 5 stars out of 5 and final fantasy 15 does not lol
isn't this the guy from game trailers? Sweet!
Yup! The Gametrailers guys started a new venture called Easy Allies! Smaller than before, but they've been trying to build back up through Patreon. They're even doing stuff like Retrospectives and podcasts. I recommend checking it out if you are so inclined! :)
Best review of FFXV I've seen yet. Fantastic job Ben and allies!
I followed Brandon Jones' voice all the way from Game Trailers, waiting for this day that he and the crew would review this game.
So you guys are the ones from GT. Welcome back! I can honestly say I'm very happy to see you guys back, I have missed your reviews immensely since they have always been very detailed, honest, and on point. Although I may not agree with your review on this particular game, I cannot deny that your review covered everything a gamer needs to know about the game to make an informed decision. Keep up the great work!
Really glad I watched Brotherhood and Kingsglaive yesterday
send help. I'm stuck doing hunts in chapter 8 for 65+ hours
akiraguy Don't worry dude you're not alone. I'm standing right beside you doing the same.
When you play this game after watching Kingsgalive then you see Nyx's lifeless body hanging in the throne room, it can get a little creepy. 😅 Really felt bad for Nyx though.
Good freakin review, guys! Always appreciate your opinions.
Wow, the quality of this review is vastly greater than what IGN patched together.
Zac Mackey it's always the case. IGN reviews are usually mediocre.
I know this game has been pretty polarizing. Which makes sense; it was pretty all over the place. I personally loved it, but I do acknowledge that it has several major flaws. But here's the one thing that really gets my goat, the only thing I'm really going to rant about (SPOILERS):
*Deeeeeeep Breath*
Where. *THE HELL*. Were all of those scenes from the trailers that weren't in the game!?!?
- Remember Regis and Noctis eating at the table?
- Remember the old general (who had a whopping one line NEVER appeared again) marching with all those soldiers?
- Remember the shots of young Luna and Noctis running from soldiers?
- Remember Ravus wearing a hood and saying some cryptic shit?
- Remember Noctis possibly killing Luna and Regis talking to a demonic voice?
- Remember Regis HOLDING HIS YOUNG SON AND CRYING OVER HIS FATE WHILE THE GODS LOOKED DOWN ON THEM!?!?!?
Holy Christ, where were all of these brilliant scenes!? It's not like they were all from back when this was Versus XIII. These were after it was already being made as XV! Why in God's name would they not be included? What, were they JUST for the trailer? Like, we had to watch them to get the full context of everything? I sure hope not, because that is fucking asinine!
I just don't understand it, guys. This game had me so completely hooked with it's story all these years. I was so ready to see where it was going. I cannot comprehend what would lead them to just GUT such an incredible story. You can still see parts of it in the final product; the scene of Luna's death is hauntingly beautiful, and the ending is absolutely PERFECT in its emotional weight. It's as if they had a complete and masterful plot, and then just stripped it down to its bare bones. Why? WHY!?!? Is is because of us? Did we demand it too quickly? Were all these years still not enough for them to realize their story, but they were forced to just shove it out before it was ready because they'd sunk too much money into it and the fans were all tired of waiting?
Listen, I like this game. I really do. I like it a LOT. Even after all that I've said, I still think it was worth the wait. It's sheer scale and the way it improves upon the genre is awe-inspiring. It's one of the best games I've ever played, but because of that, it's also one of the most disappointing. Having such a grand game being nakedly unfinished is so saddening, and the developers LYING to their fans by showing us glimpses of a story that never comes to pass is practically insulting. This was a fun experience, but I can't deny that there's a sour taste left in my mouth when all is said and done, and for someone who was so patiently waiting for this for so many years, that is a truly saddening thing.
This guy has one of the best narration voices out there. You're like the David Attenborough of video games 😜 Glad you've got a new channel, used to love watching the retrospectives, hope they make a return.
Mitch Holmes they did a deus ex retrospective
This is it. This is the review I've been waiting for. Excellent review from my most trusted source.
Solid review, Ben. And great voice work, Brandon. Glad you guys are still reviewing because it was sorely missed.
I was waiting with bated breath for this review!!! Not disappointed in the least with the review, GREAT review. The game, however, is about as "good" as I thought it would be. At least it wasn't a disaster, or another FF13 botch. I still want to get it, on PC eventually... hopefully... but mostly for the amazing visuals and creatures, and those massive battles.
From watching other reviews and a few limited playthroughs, the story, dialogue, and characters (and the weird English voiceovers) are yet again not very likeable or done well in my opinion. I have come to expect this from FF over the years; it seems like there are writers or directors or important people high up in Square that just don't "get it", and either aren't listening to those within Square who do "get it" (probably the younger folks who have little authority) or aren't being criticized properly.
But that's just a theory.... and perhaps also simply my western bias showing. Then again, Nintendo "gets it" when it comes to making great games with soul, and it's a Japanese company. I wonder how the Japanese market is liking FF15.
Since I love the art of 3d modeling and animation I can't not rub my eyeballs all over this game. There is too much glory and grandeur to pass up on it. The combat actually looks _kinda_ fun even. Good enough reasons to buy-- but this isn't quite "one of the greats" in my book. Still lacks a certain genuine jolliness, self-awareness, meaningful depth and variation of characters... too much surface level _sexy/cool/deep_ anime hamfistedness and stereotyping without an eye toward tactful restraint; that stuff bugs me a lot. Basically it needs more Donald Duck, figuratively speaking. Also literally.
It _is_ a step in the right direction in a lot of ways though; even the anime bullcrap I just whined about is less egregious than it usually is-- and that's heartening. Because man what if Square could make a game that looks this gorgeous, is this massive, this grandiose, AND has great writing, use of subtlety, combat and characters/direction? Hot dang! Someday.
Emralled I highly recommend you watch videos by Dark Pixel Gaming on Final Fantasy XV's development (I think it's named dark history)
Perhaps it'll answer some of your doubts.
Emralled As for why FF is the way it is, it's a very complicated question to answer, but a simple version is that Japanese developers makes games for Japanese audience first, and so their preferences are considered first.
That's why it's all anime-ish and has things that people don't get it, or can't get translated into Non - Japanese sensibilities easily or properly.
Thanks for the recommendations! I think you're right, FF is made for a Japanese audience first, and there is nothing wrong with that. I do wonder however if the Japanese audience really likes this "anime bullcrap" (as I like to call it) as much as Westerners think they do, or if that's just what they get from their media companies and buy for a lack of anything better in their language to go to for their escapism.
Kind of like how in the West, our media companies put out a lot of sub-par stuff that most people here don't regard as "good", yet is still popular. Like bad reality tv shows and long-running dumb sitcoms.
For example, I've heard FF13 has a bad reputation in Japan much like it does in the West, despite initial sales numbers and professional reviewers in Japan making it sound well received. On top of that, other Japanese game companies seem to do better with story and characters, etc. Like Atlus (sometimes), Nintendo, Miyazaki films, a number of decent-to-good animes. So I think there may be something awry at Square in particular, but ehhh that's still just a theory.
Emralled I'm pretty sure making things "anime-ish" is what gets the most popularity/money, as with how Hollywood makes superhero movies "gritty". Just sayin'. So that means the latter part of your argument.
(There's a wonderful anime called " Welcome To NHK", which is about Japanese 'losers' who didn't fit into society and lived on things like games and anime. It confronts a lot of uncomfortable truths)
I just read some things about FF13, it does seems to have performed poorly in Japan as well (in terms of sales and fan reception) but with what scale? I don't know. It's priced dropped in 5-6 months, rarity for big name titles, and that SE didn't focus test the game for westerners at all, until the final moments of the game.
Atlus games are a niche, meaning they will sell moderately well, but has an incredibly strong fanbase. So, they have worry about pleasing to fans more rather than gather a wide audience.
As for Miyazaki films, they have a Pixar like reputation, and their movies sell like anything. They are very popular (although some movies without his involvement weren't received as well.)
Nice one, Ben! I screwed up and sent my copy to my buddy's house, but I extra especially can't wait to dig in now that I've seen this. Keep up the good work, fellas!
As soon as I saw the thumbnail I'm sitting here like "Oh boy! Let's see what Ben thought of it!".
OMG I am so glad you guys are still around. I have been missing you since GT.com went offline :O Thanks for the review, the quality is great, as I expected :D
I like how this review mentions the kingslaive movie. I saw it too and some pretty important information can be found in the movie which i think can make the experience better for those who play this as well.
The review we were waiting for
Brandon and Ben are back and man I am so happy
easily the best reviewers on youtube!!!! keep up the good work
This was the first game review in my ten years of watching reviews that gave me serious goosebumps not only once, but three times. Terrific editing, Jones! Aargh, the music...
I agree with the sentiment that the final score surprised me, considering what was told in review. To be fair, I'm often surprised by Ben's scores. Maybe something to work on in the future.
Great review as always. Keep up the good work.
I love the approach these guys come from with their reviews and is been that way every sense the g.t days. I always trust their reviews more any other. Good job!
I haven't played a Final Fantasy since X, but I am extremely interested in this newest entry. I'm thinking it will be on my Christmas list for sure.
Great review guys!!! I've only been able to play for three hours so far but I already love the music and combat although it will take me a while to master said combat. Im playing on XBOX and have had no issues thus far. This is the game I've waited ten years for. I do tend to be a FF apologist although I couldn't stand 13. I love this game and can see myself spending 100 hours playing it.
I was 13 when I first heard about this game. I was so worried that it wouldn't live up to expectations...I'm so, so happy that it's good. I absolutely adore it so far.
For everyone starting this game, get the command regroup asap , as the name implies the 4 bros will go to where Noctus is and heal for a lot. This is useful when everyone is hurt or to launch magic without the risk of hitting the bros
Holy crap! Brandon said "addictive" and not "addicting"! I think it's the first time I've ever heard him say it properly!
Way to go guys. Right on time and extremely well produced. You hit a home run with this.
I think Witcher 3 has just ruined any chance of me playing open world games like this for awhile. I finding it really hard to convince myself in can play an over 30 hour game without a great story, side quests, and characters besides the main four. Clearly the game is great in many respects, but without those others things I can't see myself playing this anytime soon.