Final Fantasy XV

'FFXV' is frequently beautiful, with one of the prettiest game worlds I've seen in a long time and some incredibly expressive character models. The game's towns and cities are a joy to explore just to see what they look like, and the monster designs are some of the best in the franchise. There are some issues with jagged edges on a standard PS4, particularly on hair, and some environments just didn't seem to get as much attention as the rest of the game, but it's largely a gorgeous game.

The English voicework is largely great when it comes to major characters, though a lot of the world's inhabitants feel stiff and awkward, though for those who'd prefer the game voiced in other languages, the game allows for several dubs to be selected while still using English subtitles. Yoko Shimomura's score is both one of the best in the series and some of the best of her career, making each and every scene of the game more enjoyable. Battles feel significant even when they're tiny, the music playing at rest stops is catchy and fun, and certain story beats are dramatically enhanced by her work here. It's phenomenal stuff and easily one of the year's best soundtracks.

While it occasionally buckles under its own ambition and the game falters somewhat as the plot ramps up, overall 'Final Fantasy XV' is a beautiful, exciting game that I dearly loved. It may not be the best game I've played this year, but it is almost certainly my favorite, and Square Enix has built an incredible, extremely unique open-world. While I'm not sure I want 'FFXVI' to follow suit and be an open-world like this one, I'd absolutely love to see them expand upon some of the ideas presented here in future. A remarkable return to form for a franchise that many felt had lost its way.