Final Fantasy 15's Altissia Is The Worst City I've Ever Seen In A JRPG

thegamer.com:

I’ve voiced my polarising view on Final Fantasy 15 a handful of times in the past. The JRPG remains an inherently flawed experience, one that was clearly pieced together from several disparate pieces as it was thrust into a launch window it wasn’t remotely ready for. Even today, it still only delivered on a fraction of its full potential.

Months were spent releasing updates that were intended to make the game more enjoyable while paving over its many cracks of mediocrity. It wasn’t enough, but was ultimately a success for both Square Enix and the millions of fans who fell in love with its cast of cute boys travelling the world in search of good food, good times, and a good war. Okay, maybe that last thing isn’t so good - but you can see where I’m coming from.

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I still adore many aspects of its whimsical road trip, sinking into the brilliance of these guys being dudes, because really what’s better than that? But the moment I’m forced to pay any amount of attention to the bigger picture I’m left flabbergasted. The writing is all over the place, its world design makes no real sense compared to other games in the series, and none of its mechanics feel fully formed. Battles are chaotic and the act of navigation is often hindered by a deliberately glacial pace that so often left me frustrated. I enjoyed the overall journey I was taking, yet so much of it is defined by baffling design decisions.

Final Fantasy 15 is strongest in its open world sections. An objective awaits at the end of the road, but Noctis and company can hop into the Regalia and go anywhere. I sunk hours into side missions and bounty hunts, often choosing to travel on foot instead of using