SHOUSETSU FINAL FANTASY XV: THE DAWN OF THE FUTURE

DESCRIPTION

CAST

CHAPTERS

MOVIE ActionKingsglaive Final Fantasy XV
ONA ActionBROTHERHOOD FINAL FANTASY XV
MANGA AdventureFinal Fantasy XV: Koushiki Comic Anthology

REVIEWS

• 

  GiovanniDQ

  100/100
  If you still managed to love FFXV, you can't skip this one.

  Firstly, I'd like to apologize for any spelling mistakes since english is not my first language, also it's my first review and I'm not a pro at it so I'll try to convey my feelings into it and also try to explain why this book is not only worth a read but should be mandatory for FFXV fans. It will contain some light spoilers of the book itself.

  My experience with FFXV was a weird one, since I came from utterly despising the game to absolutely loving the characters and the lore. Although this is a review for the book in itself, I feel I should address the fact that this book came to be because it is basically the novelization of the scrapped DLC the game itself should have had, and should be read with keeping that in mind.

  Now talking about the book itself, what I found extremely rewarding when reading it is the fact that the book kept track of the characters and the lore present in the entire FFXVverse and does not fall short of recalling it, explaining it anew when necessary and tying it to the information we should already know from the game. This book does not feel like just "a chore" written just to give something to FFXV fans since the DLCs got cancelled, it's actually a fantastic tale that highlitghts and celebrates the entire game and gives spotlights to characters which were not so fleshed out in the game in itself.

  Starting with the first chapter starring Ardyn, this is actually the only DLC of the infamous second batch that made it into the game so (as amazing as it is) it's technically nothing new, still the writers have decided to include it into the book to make the story flow in a more streamlined way, so I would still suggest reading it. One thing that should be mentioned is the fact that in the game version, a choice is given to the player at the end of the episode and I believe the writers have chosen the best outcome of the pair, giving that that choice was in my opinion the most pertaining to Ardyn's character, since I in fact also chose that one. The only major difference stands in the ending of this chapter, which anticipates events of the following chapters.

  The second chapter stars Aranea, and is the shortest chapter of the four. She was a secondary character in the game and although she had her moments in the Prompto DLC, this chapter is the one in which her character shines the most. We get to know her background, her feelings and her ideologies which contrast those of the Emperor of the Niflheim Empire. She is a MUCH more fleshed out character (although I already loved her in the Prompto DLC) and even her underlings Biggs and Wedge, who were no more than background characters in the game, are actually relevant and their relationship of trust with their commander Aranea is well written and outlined.

  The third chapter, which could arguably be the best of the bunch (I am not sure if it's this one or the last one) stars Lunafreya. This is a HUGE chapter in which our beloved heroine is the focus of the story. I want to start by saying that I do not have a problem with Lunafreya's role in the game in itself: I admit she has very little screentime, but what little is there is actually very well executed and left a strong impact on me. But all of that pales in comparison to her characterization in this chapter. She gets to know Solara, a brand new character (also the only one) introduced in the book, bonds with her and starts a deep companionship, and through this she will undergo a journey of self-discovery, where for the first time she will actually get to question her belief, realize her desires and fight for what she believes just and the people she cares about, which is something completely different from the sacred duty she was bestowed with. The description of her thought processes in the book does an outstanding job in making the reader/player realize how distorted and resigned to destiny Lunafreya's character was, and how rewarding is her gradual evolution. I cannot stress enough that if you believed her character from the game was severely lacking and stale, this is the book for you. On a side note, according to the book's commentary it seems that developers had intended to make Luna and Sol's journey as a "girls road trip", mirroring the "boys road trip" that is the game itself. I found this to be a very nice and interesting concept, and imagining this concept helped in fleshing out this chapter even more.

  Now for the fourth and final chapter of the game, the main character is the de facto protagonist of the game itself, Noctis. It is very hard to talk about this chapter in a "light spoilers territory" so I'll just say that this chapter managed to execute the "grand finale" that the book was building in each page, every character feels at the right place, every action is justified, each word and thought is filled with meaning and emotion, and the beautiful final "letter" that serves as the ending has given me a sense of satisfaction and has fulfilled me in ways that I could not convey in a simple review, and it also appeared to me as a beautiful and last send-off and "thank you" to readers and players, giving a new meaning to the mesmerizing cover artwork of the book itself.

  At the cost of repeating myself, this book has given me a final conclusion that will remain with me with years to come and I'm sure I'll be thinking about it fondly and lovingly.

  TLDR; if you loved the game or the game has managed to stuck with you even though all of its faults, you definitely HAVE to read this.

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