Although details have been limited surrounding the possible release date of Final Fantasy XV, Square Enix shared a few details on what gamers can expect once the game is ready for public sale, including the fact that it will include an all-male roster.
According to a report from Martin Toney of GamingBolt, fans of the popular Dissidia Final Fantasy series may be happy to know that one of its characters, Noctis, could make an appearance in Final Fantasy XV. Even though nothing concrete has been laid out, Square Enix producer Ichiro Hazama, Koei Tecmo director Takeo Kujiraoka and Team Ninja Head Yosuke Hayashi spilled a few details on Noctis.
"We're thinking about it, of course. He would likely use something like his 'Phantom Swords,'" Kujiraroka said.
"There are even some among us that have been thinking about it, saying 'if Noctis will be in it, how will he perform those warps'?" Hayashi said.
Hazama indicated that any decision surrounding a possible appearance by Noctis would be made after Final Fantasy XV was released.
"This will have to be after Final Fantasy XV releases," Hazama said. "It would be a bit too much to play as a Final Fantasy XV character in arcades right after the demo."
Final Fantasy XV director Hajime Tabata spoke with Zorine Te of Gamespot about the decision to have a playable cast entirely composed of men. The main character, Noctis, is accompanied by companions Gladiolus, Ignis and Prompto.
"Speaking honestly, an all-male party feels almost more approachable for players," Tabata said. "Even the presence of one female in the group will change their behavior, so that they'll act differently. So to give the most natural feeling, to make them feel sincere and honest, having them all the same gender made sense in that way."
According to Gamespot, the theme of Final Fantasy XV largely focused on war and a part of the Fabula Nova Crystalis series. Tabata indicated that the game could take up a "boys will be boys" demeanor.
"It was the story we wanted to tell and what we wanted to show players," Tabata said. "The world might be ready to see the curtain lifted on what boys do when girls aren't around, when they come out of the tent all prim and proper. That's kind of the idea behind it."
Tabata added that regardless of who is playing the game, he hoped that players "will feel a certain connection and bond with the four characters."
Gamespot reported that Tabata announced back in February that development on Final Fantasy XV was 60 percent complete, although it's now likely closer to 80 percent. He indicated that the Episode Duscae demo represented the version of the game completed at 60 percent.
"To clarify on that 60 percent figure, it's the playable demo that represents the 60 percent, which is what [I] was referring to in February," Tabata said. "The main challenge right now is taking all the lessons we learned from making the demo and turning them into something positive to bring to the full game."
Tabata explained that he had in mind three pillars in the production of Final Fantasy XV.
"In the demo, we were able to focus on one of those pillars and really bring that across to players--you'll be able to see it," Tabata said. "But there still remain two pillars that players may not fully appreciate from the demo. As we head towards release of the full game, promotion wise, how we can show this to users what's coming up, and conveying that to our fans, is one of the challenges."
Tabata added that bringing the game to both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One would create an immersive experience.
"We really think that the feeling of the journey, adventure, and bonding that no other Final Fantasy has been able to do before, we'll be able to achieve that in Final Fantasy XV," Tabata said.
