Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition Xbox One X Review

After nearly 10 years of development and a name change, Final Fantasy XV released back in 2016 and the reception, while notoriously positive, left many feeling the game was unfinished. Now Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition provides a much more polished experienced thanks to the addition of episodic content that fills in the game's holes, a multiplayer expansion that plays a role within the campaign, and new content exclusive to the Royal Edition. Yes, more content is on the way but Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition provides enough new additions that easily overshadows the original game. Final Fantasy XV was a great game when it released in 2016 but now it's even better with the Royal Edition.

Much of Final Fantasy XV is the same here, with some big changes. First off, all the DLC content is available that includes Episodes Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis along with the Comrades multiplayer expansion, new dungeons, and boss battles. All this easily adds at least 20 hours of additional quality content that fills in the gaps within the game's original story.

Player's will experience what happened to Noctis' friends after they temporarily left the party and provide more insight into the personalities of each of his friends. Whether its Gladiolus' journey to become stronger, Prompto's hidden secrets, or where Ignis' gets all his fortitude from. Even the Comrades multiplayer expansion provides context for a large gap in the game's story. For those who loved Final Fantasy XV and never played these expansions, it's a must to get the entire story.

There is a multitude of new additions added to the game's core campaign as well. In addition to more bosses, hunts, and optional car upgrades the biggest is the chance to play as any of Noctis' friends. Included as part of Episode Ignis players can now switch between anyone during battle. There's also a first-person mode that allows players to experience the world from Noctis' head. It's amazing to see how richly detailed the world of Eos but it doesn't work well for combat situations as teleporting can be nauseous at times.

You'll still experience the same story from the original Final Fantasy XV. Traveling the world to obtain the Royal Arms to rescue the Crystal and reclaim the throne. All while repelling attacks from the Niflheim's army and surviving the trials of the gods. However, the new additions added by the Royal Edition provide another layer of challenge as players will have to contend with new bosses during the campaign.

Don't expect a large change from the original Final Fantasy XV, as you will experience many of the same issues from when it first released. For example, the camera will still get obscured by foliage when in large battles and constantly having to replenish your sprint while running is still vexing. You can equip an unlimited stamina accessory to avoid this but it means sacrificing an accessory slot.

Final Fantasy XV Royal Edition is the ultimate Final Fantasy XV experience. It gives those who played the original game more than enough content to return for a second playthrough. Most importantly those who've yet to play through Noctis' journey can now do so with many of original issues remedied thanks to new DLC content updates. If you missed out on Final Fantasy XV when it launched now is your chance to see why it's considered one of the best in the series.

Adam Siddiqui, NoobFeed
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