You ’ll find piles and load of Final Fantasy games on the App Store—18 of them , by my count — but nearly all of the ported classic from past console aretwo decades one-time or more , even if the graphics have been polished a mo . Meanwhile , the newer mobile - exclusive entry arewidely attain - or - miss in quality , with none as essential as the numbered classics .
Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition (iOS)
That ’s whyFinal Fantasy fifteen : Pocket Edition , out today , is such a surprise : it ’s an iOS and Android rendering of the latest , big - budget series ingress , which released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One just over a year ago . And it ’s the same Congress of Racial Equality game at inwardness : all of the character and key dialogue are intact , the same stiff vocalisation acting is here , and it follows the same narrative across 10 chapter of adventuring and fight .
It ’s the same Final Fantasy XV ( mostly ) , but in a brand raw format
At the same time , it ’s something novel . The Pocket Edition tag denotes not just a straight port of the lavishly - designed role - play epic , but rather a impertinent reimagining . While the console game opted for impressive realism with its character models and surroundings , the Pocket Edition reimagines the game in a more stylized , almost cartoonish esthetic .
That ’s probably a hardheaded decision more than anything : even an iPhone X would n’t be able to handle the vast , detailed man and invigoration of the console table experience , and those more lifelike characters might pop as well on the smaller sieve . But the young look has another benefit : it feels more like the classic , earlier Final Fantasy biz bring to aliveness in a 3D world , rather than the realistic designs seen in recent entries .
This is the cabinet version . No , Pocket Edition does n’t bet like this .
More critically , the plot has been smartly streamline for speck equipment . I fuel up the Pocket Edition on my iPhone X while also execute the PlayStation 4 adaptation on my tv set , and they match up almost perfectly at first : the same picture and camera angles , along with identical voice acting , although some of the music has changed . That say , the cartoonish look ( with non - moving mouths ) does take some of the emotional biff out of interactions .
Once you ’re in ascendance , the differences begin to come forth . Rather than present a bombastic , loose human race to search , the locations have been condensed : you wo n’t have to wander far to find the next somebody to let the cat out of the bag to or group of fiend to fight . And all that movement is treat with on - screen taps , too , or by holding your digit in a sure direction . There ’s less profundity to the overall public now and little pauperization for exploration , and the secret plan moves a bit quicker as a result . In other words , the Pocket Edition sticks to the critical track , rather than delivering the full surface area of the huge console experience .
That ’s true in combat , too , with the cab - and - slash team battles feel a snatch more automated than on PlayStation or Xbox . you’re able to tapdance foeman to have hero Noctis Lucis Caelum lash his sword or other bladed weapon system and slice them to bits , but there are still opportunity to anticipate or evade attacks . As elsewhere , it ’s simplified and well-to-do to affiance with on mobile , albeit without suffer the spirit of the full - full-blooded seed fabric .
Your whole gang battles together in genuine sentence , but you ’ll only command Noctis .
Thankfully , the plot line continue completely intact — and no , you do n’t have to experience a thing about the previous Final Fantasy game , as each numbered entry stands alone . net Fantasy XV follows prince Noctis of Lucis , who is set to we d the princess of a rival nation as part of an truce agreement . But struggle promptly return key , and Noctis and his crew must travel the state of Eos to retrieve ancient artifact and rid the earth of darkness .
In some ways , it ’s familiar New Final Fantasy fare , with a portion of nods to long - standing series conventions along the way . But it also shine a unique tone , from the playful interactions between Noctis and his ally to the road tripper - like spirit and fun element like cook up meal . And Final Fantasy XV : Pocket Edition pack in a lot more narrative deepness and polish than your fair mobile biz , making it a standout for role - playing fans .
Road trip ! Unfortunately , Noctis ’ pre - wedding jaunt is n’t a very smooth drive .
It is free to download , too , although that ’s not true of the complete experience . you may snag the first chapter ( of 10 ) without paying , and it lasts about two hours before the next chunk is required to continue your quest . From there , you may pay up $ 1 each for the next two chapters and $ 4 a pop for the last seven , or just shell out $ 20 for the entire pile at once .
That ’s in furrow with what Square Enix is charge for more late Final Fantasy ports on Io ( Final Fantasy IXis $ 21 ) , and if you dig the first chapter and imagine you might put a mates dozen hours into this pursuit over time , then it seems worthwhile . Final Fantasy XV : Pocket Edition feels like a real accomplishment for a mobile game , apply some measured shot and tuck to make an grand console table biz feel comfortable even on an iPhone .
