Final Fantasy XV has been a major success despite its initial flaws and it is now clear which path Square Enix plans on taking the franchise. Here are a few things they can learn from the game to further improve their upcoming installments.
User Technobliterator from Fandom shares some things that Square Enix can pick up from its latest installment. While the developers might have gotten some things wrong, they had also created some amazing things in the land of Eos. For this reason, there is a lot of things they can learn from their somewhat unfinished project.
To begin with, the combat system was a great transition from turn-based to something more action-oriented. Seeing how the company plans to progress with this type of mechanic, they can find ways to further improve the combat by possibly making it more challenging while still making it easy for newcomers to pick up.
Similarly, the open world was something that fans have been wanting for the franchise. While Final Fantasy XV might have brought this in, the world was somewhat barren with a lack of towns that were replaced with simple gas stations. Square Enix could start by making more kingdoms, towns or cities in its future games similar to the past titles that housed plenty of the said establishments.
One thing that the developers really need to focus on is proper worldbuilding and storytelling. The game contained plenty of quests, which almost did nothing in terms of fleshing out the story and were merely fetch missions. Most fans are aware that the underlying plot is hidden behind newspapers, radio broadcasts and questionable cutscenes but making the use of quests to expand the narrative is something that they could have done to compensate for the messy plot. In line with this, Final Fantasy XV has recently gotten its first DLC Episode, as per Kotaku. However, these types of missions could have been easily integrated into the game instead of sold as "bonus content" and tied in later.
Similarly, the franchise is known for having fleshed out characters with interesting backstories and boisterous personalities. This is another thing that Square Enix could work on, as Final Fantasy XV rarely focused on Noctis's companions. Tabata already noted that the main plot mainly focused on the prince but the traditional essence of the franchise usually revolves around the in-game cast as a whole.
Final Fantasy XV might be far from perfect but it goes to show just how far Square Enix is willing to go to try new things. There is no doubt that the series will continue to prosper if the studio manages to perfect its craft while introducing new elements. Those who want to play the latest installment can get a copy for the PS4 or Xbox One.
