‘Final Fantasy XV’ dev explains core party concept and reactions to game delay

“Final Fantasy XV” has been touted as an innovation from previous FF titles. And from the looks of it, some of the points for this innovation lies in the game’s new mechanics, particularly in the way that the player starts out in the game.

Speaking with Vice, game director Hajime Tabata had revealed that thinking behind the decision to veer away from a party recruitment mechanic to the more camaraderie-centric approach of “Final Fantasy XV.”

At the get-go, it’s obvious that “Final Fantasy XV” is majorly different from the other FF games in terms of the starting party. Instead of going into the journey as a lone hero in need of a part, Noctis already has three comrades, Gladiolus, Prompto and Ignis.

When asked the idea behind the change, Tabata relayed it back to the whole concept of the storyline. The game is already focused on a central idea, which is to go on a journey with comrades. This is the reason why the team took out the mechanic of developing a team through recruitment.

Interestingly, he touched on more than just storyline. It even reflected Tabata’s own life journey in his early days.

“That direction, the journey with friends, does come from my own experiences, in my life,” said Tabata to Vice. “There are a lot of my personal experiences throughout the game, when I would go on road trips in my 20s.”

Considering how other mediums in the franchise—“Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV” and “Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV” come to mind—the story has a more seamless experience. Before even getting into “Final Fantasy XV’ as a game, players already have some background glimpse of how the characters relate to each other.

While the delay appears to be a minor thing, it’s undeniable that some fans felt annoyed by the two-month wait. As far as the negativity is concerned, Tabata revealed that he would much rather avoid forums where people can easily voice out hateful comments without taking responsibility.

Valuable information, for him, comws from speaking with fans face-to-face and with listening to journalists’ own thoughts. But the team is sticking to their guns with the delay.

“We want to make this experience right for everyone who plays it. Like I said, originally I thought a patch would be okay, but I heard some good information that a lot of people still play their games offline, even people who have the internet at home,” said Tabata. “When I heard that, it changed my thinking on it.’

“Final Fantasy XV” will be out on the PS4 and Xbox One on Nov. 29.