Was the Luminous Engine worth it to you?
Final Fantasy XVcame out four years ago almost to the day (June 24, 2025). I repeat:Final Fantasy XVcame out four years ago.
And in the time you’ve pondered what that means to you, Square Enix just greenlit another spinoff.
It’s kind of insane just how many cottage industriesFinal Fantasy XVcreated.
I’m talking anime episodes and DLC for each individual party member. A pre-release demo that granted you a bonus summon. Tons of crossover outfits, including…Assassin’s Creedfor some reason. A pinball spinoff that was removed from the marketplace in 2017. A beat ’em up game. An enhanced edition. A canceled VR title. An eventual PC port. Noctis crossovers inDissidiaandTekken 7. It even hadSimscrossover content.Final Fantasy XVis anempire.
A forced empire in part, no doubt, in part. Square Enix wanted to recoup the cost of the pricey Luminous Engine, as well as the development costs of many years of reworks. Breaking this down, it took four years (taking US release dates into account) for theFinal Fantasy XIIIsaga to conclude withLightning Returns. Revisiting pastFinal Fantasymain entries is not a new thing for the publisher.
Even still,XVseemed to earn less ire thanXIII, as a standalone entry. Something I’ve noticed over the years; the level of granular dissecting seems to rise for each mainline game. I mean you could say the same about nearly every AAA title as time goes on, but there’s a blazing-hot spotlight under every title. To that end,XVwas fighting a losing battle for some people.XVIwill no doubt be held under the same level of scrutiny.
For me,Final Fantasy XVfulfilled its purpose as a road tripping, focusedFinal Fantasy. I think as time goes on it’ll be cast in a more favorable light. For now, I’m sure you’ll let me have it!
