For the longest time, people thought thatFinal Fantasy XVwould never be a reality. The game was announced all the way back in 2006 asFinal Fantasy Versus XIII, before shifting gears and turning into a fully-blown mainline title by the name ofFinal Fantasy XV. However, post this reveal,Final Fantasy XV’s development was anything but smooth sailing. From scrapped concepts to the change of directors itself, there were several issues that worried fans about the fate ofFinal Fantasy XV.
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Thankfully,Final Fantasy XVfinally hit shelves in 2016, and the response was surprisingly positive. While the developmental problems were definitely there for all to witness, there’s no denying that there were several facets of this title that were certainly excellent and made for a great experience.
With the massive history ofFinal Fantasy XV, it goes without saying that there are bound to be several things about the game that most fans have no idea about. Keeping this in mind, here are ten hidden things and lesser-known facts aboutFinal Fantasy XV.
10The Creator Of Final Fantasy Considers This Game To Be His Favorite Title Of 2016
Hironobu Sakaguchi might’ve parted ways withSquare Enixafter the disaster that wasFinal Fantasy: The Spirits Within, but there’s no denying the fact that he still holds his creation close to his heart.
This can be seen in the fact that SakaguchiconsidersFinal Fantasy XVto be his favorite game of 2016, which is pretty indicative of just how much he really treasures this franchise to this very day. Not that this would be a surprise, as anyone would be attached to a series they created that ended up being one of the greatest gaming franchises of all time.
9The Name Engine Blade Was Coined By A Fan
The Engine Blade is Noctis' iconic weapon that can transform into an Ultima Blade with enough upgrades. However, what most people might not know about this weapon is the background of its nomenclature.
The name “Engine Blade"was actually coined by fansafter its reveal in theFinal Fantasy Versus XIIItrailer. The developers liked this name so much that they made it the official moniker of this blade.
8Nomura Wanted To Make The Game A Musical At One Point
Tetsuya Nomura was the original director of the game at one point, and his out-of-the-box ideas certainly play a huge role in his vision for any project. However, in the case ofFinal Fantasy XV, there was one idea that was just a bit too eccentric for anyone’s liking.
After seeing the masterfulLes Miserables, Nomura was so deeply affected by this piece of art thathe pitched the idea ofFinal Fantasy XVbeing a musical. This was quickly shot down by the executives, who realized how ridiculous the idea was.
7There Was A Massive Info Dump About The Game Six Months Before Release
It seems that most people already had a basic idea of howFinal Fantasy XVwould play out well before its launch date. After all, a user on 4chan ended up revealingpretty much everything there was to knowabout the game six months before its release.
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It’s a massive indication of the turbulent development period of the title thatthe state of the game was incredibly unfinished just a short while before the release date, which was quite worrying indeed. Thankfully, while the game did have its fair share of problems, it was still quite a fun ride indeed.
6There’s A Slight Variation To The Ending That Is Caused By Unknown Reasons
One thing that most fans don’t know aboutFinal Fantasy XV’s ending is that there’s a small variation in this sequence. If certain conditions are met, thenLuna will shed a single tearbefore resting her head on Noctis' arm.
What’s puzzling about this variation is that no one really knows what these conditions are, since no specific trigger has been discovered as of yet and most speculations lack any concrete evidence. From replying to her journal entries properly to using the picture of the wedding dress as the final piece of memorabilia, there is no shortage of theories surrounding this alternate ending.
5A Discarded Concept For Final Fantasy VII
As per the words ofthen-director Tetsuya Nomura, the idea forFinal Fantasy XVactually came from a discarded concept forFinal Fantasy VIIthat ended up being fleshed out for the newest game in the franchise.
One can only wonderhow much this concept was changedafter Tabata took over the reins and switched up the concepts ofFinal Fantasy XVto fit better with his vision. Whatever the case might be, one can’t deny that the end product is quite a fascinating visual treat indeed.
4Ignis Was Originally Supposed To Use A Katana
InFinal Fantasy Versus XIII, Ignis' main weapon was a katana. However,this was changed over time, with throwing knives and daggers becoming his weapon of choice instead.
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Remnants ofFinal Fantasy Versus XIIIcan still be seen in the Armiger Chain, whereIgnis will use a katana to attack the enemy instead of his dual daggers.
3Luna’s Backstory Would’ve Involved Abuse, But This Was Thankfully Scrapped
One rather controversial aspect of the game’s development wasLunafreyaherself,who was apparently supposed to face abuseat some point in her life.
However, this was changed during development due to massive fan backlash, and rightfully so. The idea of Lunafreya facing abuse from soldiers time and time again would’ve been too much to handle in aFinal Fantasygame, after all.
2The Developers Clearly Loved Back To The Future
Back to the Futureis one of the most influential games of all time, and it seems that the developers ofFinal Fantasy XVcouldn’t escape its grasp either. For starters, Ignis quotes the famous “where we’re going, we don’t need roads” like when the Regalia Type-F takes flight for the first time.
Along with this, the design of various cities and landscapes inFinal Fantasy XVwas also inspired by the design and feel ofBack to the Future Part II.The idea was to make players feel the same level of shock and awe that Marty felt when he landed in the future.
1The Architecture Of Insomnia Was Inspired By Shinjuku
Insomnia is one of the more interesting locations inFinal Fantasy XV, and it’s a shame thatit took an enhanced release for fans to finally explore this city in its entirety, regardless of how ruined it may be.
The city was actuallyinspired by the design of Shinjuku, which is perhaps the most well-known district in Tokyo…and also the flashiest. Therefore, in a bid to make the biggest city in their game feel as fleshed out as can be, Insomnia ended up taking a ton of design inspirations from Shinjuku.
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