'Final Fantasy XV' will address fans' story complaints with an update

By Gabe Gurwin December 7, 2016

Final Fantasy XV - Omen

Final Fantasy XV finally released in late November after nearly a decade of development time, but Square Enix isn’t done working on the game just because it has landed on store shelves. Director Hajima Tabata has planned an update that will not only add additional gameplay enhancements, but will look to address narrative complaints his team has received thus far.

The first changes coming to Final Fantasy XV will be gameplay-focused, including “gameplay enhancements for Chapter 13” and “buffing ring magic.”

Chapter 13 has come under considerable fire since the game released, with fans calling it “rushed” and reminiscent of the oft-maligned Final Fantasy XIII.

Following gameplay-specific changes, Square Enix will be expanding certain sections of the narrative, including “adding scenes that will give you insight into character motivations, such as why Ravus walked the path he did.” These changes will take more time due to voice acting and localization requirements, and Tabata promises more information once development times and details have become more finalized.

Square Enix is also planning a number of other changes and updates to Final Fantasy XV further down the road. Though not guaranteed, the team is considering implementing customizable avatars, making additional NPCs playable, adding a “new game plus” mode, and additional rewards for killing certain bosses. Smaller UI changes, such as “readability tweaks” to increase font sizes, are also being discussed.

“We want you to enjoy Final Fantasy XV for a long time to come,” Tabata said. We have been listening to your ideas on how to make the game experience ever better, and so in addition to the previously announced content, we’ll be providing free updates to the game throughout the coming year.”

It’s uncommon to see developers actually alter a game’s narrative after release, but it’s not unprecedented. After the negative fan reaction to Mass Effect 3‘s ending, developer BioWare released an “extended cut” to give more insight into the give more insight into particular characters’ fates.

Final Fantasy XV is out now on Xbox One and PlayStation 4.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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