Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn Of The Future

Final Fantasy XV: Dawn of The Future by Emi Nagashima is a tie in fantasy novel to the hit 2016 videogame Final Fantasy XV, that was released to the Playstation 4 by Square Enix. Final Fantasy XV: Dawn of The Future is the lastest and one of many videogame tie in novels from this author. The itself contains four stories that were supposed to be playable content but were scrapped and were turned into a book due to Hajime Tabata leaving the project with the means to start his own company.

In this story we don't just focus on one character, instead we focus four different characters at different points from the game. Ardyn during his events of Episode Ardyn, Aranea after the events of Altissia, Lady Lunafreya after the ten year time skip, and Noctis after the ten year time skip. These stories (aside from Ardyn who has a playable story) would've been known as Episode Luna, Episode Aranea, and Episode Noctis.

Ardyn Izunia, is the games main antagonist. He is cunning manipulative man who often pretends to be aiding Noctis and his friends, when in reality he's simply toying with them and trying to get Noctis and the Crystal all due to a grudge he has. Reading Episode Ardyn, the first thing you will notice if you played his DLC is that it's simply that just the written version. However there is some difference, and that it that there is some bits of the anime sprinkled in to. I will say that this version gives some insight on how Ardyn's powers work and we can see just how strong he is. Not to mention you get a glimpse of his thought process which I truly did appreciate.

Aranea Highwind is a mercenary and serves as a commadore in the Niflheim Imperial Army. Despite that title, she aides Noctis and his friends when they are a party member or having a rough battle with daemons (the games monsters). Making her a friend to the boys. Episode Aranea takes places immediately after the events of Noctis going up against the Tide Mother and Episode Ignis. We find her helping refugees and getting them to safety. However during that time she and her crew are attacked by a monster seen back in Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive, the movie that came out before the game was released. I can say that I had enjoyed reading her story. Had always been a cool character and like with Ardyn, it was cool seeing how she thought and acted on her own. Especially since she didn't appear much in the game not to mention seeing how her weapon operated was fun too. Not to mention we get to see sides of her that aren't in the game like herbackstory.

Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, the crown princess of Tenebrae, Oracle, and the bride to be of prince Noctis. We don't get to see much of Lunafreya in the game but know that had played a key of Prompto and Noctis' friendship. As Oracle she blessed with the ability to talk to the gods and heal people from injury or sickness. The last time we see Luna is laying next to Noct at the altar where the battle with the Tide Mother took place. In Episode Luna, we see Luna in the World of Darkness chapter of the game. Without spoiling anything, I will say that Luna teams up with a certain character that appears in this book. We also see that something just isn't right with her healing. Like Aranae, Lunafreya shows us another side to her that isn't there in the game. And seeing this side actually made me like her a bit as a character. She just seemed more alive than she did in the game. So that was nice to see.

And last but never least, Noctis Lucis Caelum. The prince turned king of Insomnia after losing his father. Noctis is a laid back, nap loving, fishing obsessed, vegetable hating young man. Who man come of as cold or rude, but is actually just a big dork who happens to be royalty. Noctis journey begins as a simple roadtrip to Tenebrae with his friends Ignis, Gladiolus, and Prompto. But soon turns into a journey on reclaiming his throne after learning that his father was killed by the enemy nation. Along the way we see Noctis grow and mature and we see just how close the four main boys are. We see them all grow and mature, and we see that when things happen to them they give realistic responses. In Episode Noctis, we pretty much get the same start as in the main game when Noctis enters the final chapter of the game, only difference being who drops Noctis off.

Like in the game bros reunite and it continues on like in the game, in this version the game doesn't follow the good ending like in Episode Ignis, so Iggy is still blind. Things do change when the four friends arrive at the Citadel. But at this point its all spoiler stuff so I'm going to leave it there. I will say that the ending is just as good and Noctis' episode is just as fun as the game, and I know many Final Fantasy XV fans will love the ending.

But the one negative thing about the book for me isn't that the book exists like many others seem to complain about. Nor is it that the DLCs got cancelled. I mentioned the bond between the boys: Noctis, Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto. The anime and game makes it not only a point and clear that they are close, but it shows in their banter. When their interacting with each other. Or just sitting around. These four and their bond feels real and it's what made the series so special. This book feels like it forgot that. The boys don't really interact that much and when they talk to each other it feels kind of shoehorned in.

Like an after thought. It's different from the game, where we see them talking and catching up. We see them get emotional. But in the book its nothing like that. The feel more like strangers than anything else.

As for a positive part, I love the last few pages where it has beautiful concept art for the DLCs. The pictures are breathtaking. There are also photos of the platemates and coasters from the Square Enix café back when it was celebrating the release of the game and its anniversaries. Not to mention the cover art is amazing as well. And underneath the paper cover is the same image but reversed.

I didn't just give this story a four star rating because it's a book about my favorite game, but because I reccommend this book to any Final Fantasy fan. It's a nice piece of merchandise to add to your collection. Not to mention it's a nice ending to a game that came out way back in 2016. I believe that this book also gives fans the ending that they really wanted too.

Overall I had fun reading this book and I will gladly read it again and again.