Final Fantasy 15 Videos Show Off Engine, World Building
By Cody Gravelle 12 October 2016
Square Enix releases a series of videos that showcase how Final Fantasy 15 was made, including a closer look at the upcoming JRPG’s Luminous Studio engine.
Final Fantasy 15 looks shockingly different from any Final Fantasy title that preceded it, but that isn’t just because one of the 2016 holiday season’s most anticipated games features a complete overhaul of the franchise’s combat mechanics. Final Fantasy 15, put simply, looks good – it’s the kind of game that will have players stopping to take screenshots of its world design, much the same way that The Witcher 3 inspired similar behavior last year.
In an industry that churns out dozens of AAA titles a year, however, it can be easy to forget just how much work goes in to making a game that looks like Final Fantasy 15. Final Fantasy 15‘s decade long story and development, coupled with the impressive Luminous Studio engine that powers it, has remained largely a mystery until the last year or two, creating a kind of mystic aura around how the game was made. Now, however, Square Enix is shedding more light on the development process, releasing several videos that detail Final Fantasy 15‘s engine as well as how the team built the world it powers.
The first video, shown above, demonstrates the power of the Luminous Studio engine while showing off a few behind the scenes looks at how the technology functions as well. There are a number of impressive graphical displays and art programming devices involved, although without a background in game design, the video can be a little hard to follow outside of creating appreciation for what went into the game well before Square Enix could ever show off Final Fantasy 15‘s gameplay on a big stage.
The second video, shown below, demonstrates a little bit more of Final Fantasy 15‘s environment, sans Noctis and friends. It’s a refreshing look at a diverse, enthralling environment that isn’t being immediately dominated by gameplay unveiling or story progression involving Final Fantasy 15‘s protagonists. On its own, the myriad number of environments and wildlife that are present in Final Fantasy 15 almost give the impression of a high-tech zoo, and if Final Fantasy 15 ever gets a PC port that might be one of the first mods to emerge on the platform.
Videos like those shown above make it clear how much talent is behind the release of Final Fantasy 15 – even if some of that talent, like long-time Square Enix veteran Yusuke Naora, has since moved on to other endeavors. While there isn’t much left that Square Enix can unveil except a proper physical launch of the game, the transparency of its development since director Hajime Tabata took over the reins has left fans confident Final Fantasy 15‘s release will live up to its lofty expectations.
Final Fantasy 15 will be available on November 29, 2016 for PS4 and Xbox One.
Source: YouTube (via Game Spot)
