If you make a purchase after following a link on our site, we may earn a small commission. Learn more.

The Best Aspect of the First Few Hours in Final Fantasy XV

ByJack Bampfield 21 March 2018

Bar a small amount of time in Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XV is my first proper foray into the franchise.

While there are a lot of things I like about the game so far, there’s one element that really stands out to me: the music. It takes a lot of work to not annoy a player with repetitive music, and some games do it better than others. With Final Fantasy XV I thought I’d find the same loop at Hammerhead quickly getting on my nerves, but an hour later I was still humming along with it. Then once I finally had access to the Regalia, I thought I’d customise it a bit — and I did, eventually, after I’d finished clicking my fingers and jiving along to the customisation menu music.

And then there’s actually driving around in the Regalia – ooofff! As someone who hasn’t played previous titles, having the ability to hear their soundtracks feels like something of an education on the beautiful music that’s spread across the entire franchise. I almost didn’t want to leave the Regalia behind, and once I had left I wanted to get straight back into it.

Outside of the game, my Spotify playlist filled with everything I like will undoubtedly collect some of Final Fantasy’s discography that dates back decades thanks to Final Fantasy XV. Believe me, I’m not complaining – as long as I can find them on Spotify, that is. Allowing all that music in the car gives players like myself an extra incentive to go and play the earlier titles – I’m more drawn to them than ever, just because of their soundtracks..

It led me to think of another title I’ve played recently that similarly achieves the goal of repetitive music that never gets annoying – Persona 5. Is this what I’ve been missing from JRPGs all along? I’m not usually one for them but have found myself playing a few in recent months, and excellent soundtracks seems to be a common theme.

I’m sure at some point I will go driving in the dark with the lads, with Smokey Robinson’s Cruisin’ blasting from the car stereo. I love it when we’re cruising together.

More Final Fantasy XV

Jack Bampfield

For Jack, it all started with the PS1. After years spent playing against AI, video games moved online, so Jack did too. As the industry grew, he followed, treating himself to a diverse array of genres. Now enjoying well-written RPGs the most, he looks for stories he can engross himself in. Unfortunately, they are hard to find in video games. Eventually his love/hate relationship with gaming drew him to write about the industry he is passionate about. When he's not gaming, you'll most likely find Jack watching films.