Final Fantasy XV Breaks Sales Records; Pokemon Sun & Moon Sells Over 4 Million

ThisGenGaming says "Pokemon and Final Fantasy both had a great 2016, and the good news keeps on coming for both franchises."

[majiebeast]

Sad. Seems to be the end of Final Fantasy as we know it bring on the mediocre combat and open world crap fest. If you want a quality JRPG buy Persona 5 or Dragonquest XI, both will be far better then westernized fantasy.

[LAWSON72]

Gameplay is the most interesting aspect of the game, it is unique and different. Open world is the second best part, it is stunning and besides lacking unique questlines there are some awesome boss battles and experiences to be had in it. FFXV is a solid game on all fronts besides customization/unique unlocks and story

[JokerBoy422]

I haven't enjoyed a Final Fantasy game this much since Final Fantasy X first came out! I didn't think I would like the new battle system or the open world but I was very wrong and I'm very happy that I was. This game deserves all the love and praise it can get!

[Omnislashver36]

Solid game? I guess if you count an endless running, banter, and driving simulator a game... It seriously missed out on so much potential by focusing on fetchquests and ignoring lore respectively: Aranea and Cor being the OP characters didn't affect the story line Auron or Beatrix for their respective games. Luna got half a chapter, when more could have been done. Anemic on CG cutscenes. Cutscenes in general felt like the conversation was half over before they started, weak lore and storytelling. The Empire wasn't delved into like the enemies of any other FF. The Emporer and Ravus for instance didnt affect the story like Scarlette or Rufus in the Shinra Empire.

All in all I played 30% of a FF and was handed fetchquests and running/driver/banter simulation for the remaining 70℅ of the game. Seriously, like it wasn't obvious the map was made so needlessly large so that you'd spend more "game time" getting to a location rather than playing something contributing to the story. Yeah, like I really needed a 10 minute car ride to get more quality "game time". *Rolls eyes*

It was a 6/10 on a good day.

[bouzebbal]

it was hard for me to dive in the game and enjoy it from the very beginning to be honest because i was completly lost due to the change of direction, but the game became much more interesting when i understood some of its new mechanics.
Let's not forget FF15 was supposed to be a spin-off, and it excells in this by giving another angle to the series.
Of course, i expect FF16 to be more traditional, especially with FF7 remake is more action oriented.

[Sparta07]

What!? Final fantasy 15 is awesome!!! Had a blast playing.
I didn't think I was going to like it that much but is one of the best game I played last year.

[tyasia0]

I agree.

Final Fetch Quest 15

[ServerBOT]

Final Fantasy usually always had open world.

[Steveoreno1]

I agree majiebeast. Loved all previous ff except 13, but this was a horrible ff. I could go on forever about all the things I hated about 15. The only thing I liked was the creature designs. It's sad that the series that got me into turn based has sold its soul for first timers.

[IamTylerDurden1]

FFXV was the best FF in years and it has already sold a ton.

[CrimsonWing69]

Long time FF fan and I absolutely love FF15. Maybe it's time for you to let go of the series.

[-Foxtrot]

Bang goes a return to turn based

[DiceAndRice]

I think that's a good thing.

[-Foxtrot]

Not really.

Not saying the combat was shit in this but it's not like it was filled with as much strategy as turn base

Hell I got wait mode on in FFXV because it was better then the non stop action. I preferred thinking hard about my next move and what would be most effective on the enemy I was facing.

[DiceAndRice]

When you look at the results though it makes you think it was for the best (not for yourself however). Kind of like Resident Evil 4 in a way.

[Godmars290]

@DiceAndRice:
What's best for Square? Fans buying their product.

What good for fans, a decent if not good game with an engaging story, is as many state, is subjective.

For former fans like myself if not Foxtrot that Square can get away with selling games more on brand name than effort, just be fixated on appearance, that they can even put out unfinished work, is a very bad thing.

[Harkins1721]

This does not imply a no return to turn based gameplay.

[DiceAndRice]

There's no need to return to it. This version sells better, so why go back to it?

[-Foxtrot]

DiceAndRice

If the game is good it will sell regardless

At it's core FFXV was just alright. The game was unfinished, rushed and missing so many crucial parts for character development and even story. The only thing which really helps it is the same old "Well it's better then FFXIII" line. Yet it still sold well because it's Final Fantasy

If the game is good and has turn base it will sell

[JokerBoy422]

I'd love for -Foxtrot to explain how a game that was in development for a decade is a "rushed" game.

[Godmars290]

@JokerBoy422:
it was never in development for ten years. It was more off and on, largely because the original FF14 was the unfinished it was. Just like FF13 was the unfinished - with enough material for two other games - it was.

Are you seeing the pattern here?

[IamTylerDurden1]

The combat was terrific, there will be smaller turn FF themed games.

[Sunny_D]

I blame the millennial generation and their lack of focus on anything more than a few minutes.

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

To be fair, it's not like Turn Based FF games were hard to begin with.

[Godmars290]

I blame MMOs actually for presenting a story that's a few lines of text, fetch goals and a general atmosphere that has more in common with Office Space than anything fantasy related.

[Kenshin_BATT0USAI]

Not really. You may not see a return to turn based or ATB from FF in a long time, however, clearly SE still cares about it given all the games they have that have some form of it that they publish. I Am Setsuna an d Dragon Quest come to mind for instance.

[Godmars290]

Between this and Kingdom Hearts in general, goodbye any sense to narration.

[Irishguy95]

I guess they need to keep improving on the real time is all. Try and bring that strategy back, other A-RPGs have done it

[Godmars290]

Name one.

Jumping into a fight with fire based monster while using fire based weapons?

[Irishguy95]

It depends on what you consider strategy,

I would see dark souls as more strategic than any FF.

[ColonelHugh]

@godmars

Star Ocean 2 was a great action RPG that starts easy and gets methodical as the game goes on. Roughly 20 years ago by Enix.

[Harkins1721]

Okay now that they broke some records here's the chance to make it up to the fans by releasing the expansion with updated story, gameplay, and mechanics. If the Witcher 3 can do it so can XV.

[Elda]

Good for FFXV!!

[Derceto]

"Final Fantasy XV also sold 19% more physical units than Final Fantasy XIII in its launch month which is very impressive."

That's the record it broke? Let me know when it actually has something to brag about. Given that "gaming" has increased in popularity by a rather large magnitude since 2010, this is hardly anything to boast about. This game flopped, and hard. We're talking about a game where you can hold 2 buttons down, and it will play itself. Unreal.

[kingdomtriggers]

FF13 is the third best selling FF of all time, and held the previous record for best launch month sales for a FF game. Try again.

[NapalmSanctuary]

All that does is show how meaningless of a record that is.

[Irishguy95]

FFXIII sold amazingly well. Even for 2016.

In fact, FF13 sold well, then its sequels progressively sold worse and worse, FFXV is coming off FFXIII's failures as a game and still sold so much. Really is impressiVe.
Hope 2 buttons down and play itself - You definitely have not play it XD

[kowan]

Wow, your denial is laughable. Selling almost 1.6m physical copies in its first month is flopping "hard"? Not to mention selling even way more when digital sales are counted? You eat that crow. Enjoy it. Relish it good.

[Allsystemgamer]

Actually you can't just hold the buttons down. That's how you ENGAGE the combat. There the stick movement, positioning, buddy system, movement, warping all of which are required or you'll die.

Looks like someone hasn't bothered doing any research before trolling.

[Rakeshkhushwaha]

This does not imply a no return to turn based gameplay.

[Allsystemgamer]

The turn based will likely be the spin offs from now on. People are liking the combat system.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

idk why thats an issue theres more than enough alternatives if people want turn based so bad. the last true turn based FF was IX.

[PhoenixUp]

Awesome sales for an awesome game

[Tetsujin]

Am I the only one who is disappointed by 15? I do actively own it, and every time I want to play it, I find reasons to not want to play it (if that makes sense). I just can't see what I waited 10+ years for, and I'm not impressed at all with the game itself. There are positive technical standpoints, the story isn't too bad from what I've experienced, but I just can't get into the game at all. I almost feel like I wasted my money on something I shouldn't have.

The two demos I played weren't bad (the one with Type 0 and Platinum Demo), but I just can't get into the game. I'm a long time fan of the series dated back in the NES days with the first one, and after 13 I feel like the series is going down in quality overall. I did play 12, and if they fix the camera options I'll give it another try since it wasn't too bad.

[Godmars290]

I started having doubts with FF8 before it came out, if only because Square said they were scaling back on mini-games. Then the game came out with only noticeable holes in narration and pacing which skipped Nine, but immediately came back with Ten.

FF13, as I've before, was an unforgivable example of them no longer caring about story narration and even characters. Its all about appearance while relying on franchise lore.

[Tetsujin]

I actually like 8, but I do see where you're coming from with the holes in the narration. I remember the card game alone I'd spend hours on, almost as much as the main story itself because it was that fun (at least to me at the time). Nine I did play, and beat. Ten at the time was known as "voice acting in cut scenes" followed by all this hype regarding "you can now hear them talk!" which didn't appeal to me because at the time I was still playing Metal Gear Solid 2 heavily.

I did try 13, and I actually had more fun playing the jp demo than the full game itself, which is sad because the demo showed the game having promise, only to not deliver. I won't play 14 since it's online, and as I stated earlier 15 I just can't get into.

[Godmars290]

Its not really a question of good or bad, for all the complaining I like FF8 too, but rather what came after.

And after FF7, Square began booking more and more on cinematic gaming, separating game from story, than interactive storytelling. Making the gamer an active participant in the game they're suppose to be playing. Got lazy on top of that.

During FF7 you, the player of the game, are doing everything from barreling down a dark highway fighting off other bikers to organizing a defensive army to protect a Phoenix. But by FF13 you the player are *watching* the characters you supposedly control doing areal acrobatics, tooling around on vehicles and animals, being in dog fights, as you go down a linear path and *they* tell *you*, rather than all discovering and figuring out at the same time, what passes for a plot. One which they, if not you, are told several times how it will end with a twist they in no way earn.

FF10 I think was the real division between effort and presentation as Yuna, the main story character, was pushed into the background in favor of Tidus, the main game character and player POV. She was the most powerful character in the group but was constantly kidnapped, then the temple trails designed more for someone with physical strength rather than someone who summons elemental based spirits. Again, another game I like, but another example of thought going to the wrong things.

Just like FF15 was more about getting it out rather than ensuring that it's story was engaging.

[rainslacker]

Game isn't bad overall, but the story is kind of weak. I'm about halfway through, and I'm not sure why I should really care. The game play is good, and it's a beautiful world, but the characters have nothing that makes me care. I didn't watch the extra movies to learn more, and that shouldnt be necessary, although I get the jist of what's going on.

[Tetsujin]

If the movies add to the experience, they should at least provide them with the game itself.

[Godmars290]

@Tetsujin:
The movies were made in lue of having to add such content into the game. Was used to sell it.

[DEATHxTHExKIDx]

Thats great news. My only major gripe with FFXV is story issues other than that I'm more than satisfied with how it turned out.