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New Story Details From Final Fantasy XV's Director
Square Enix just released a new Final Fantasy XV trailer that focused on the story elements, showing some of the events that lead up to the game's story. With a mysterious girl, a dog aimlessly wandering the streets, and a young Noctis being held by his father, the new tease brought just as many questions as it did excitement. Today at Gamescom, we sat down with director Hajime Tabata to get the lowdown on it all.
Up until this point, not much has been revealed about the narrative, making Tabata feel like now was a good time to devote an entire trailer to it. The trailer is set 15 years before the events of Final Fantasy XV, and Tabata said all the footage is in-game and real time.
While the story will certainly focus on Noctis and his friends' journey, Tabata says that a big pillar of the narrative will be the father and son dynamic, as showcased in the trailer. Interpersonal bonds is a main theme of the game and this is just one more way to showcase that. In the new art released (see below), you see Noctis' infamous black car in the background, and apparently it actually belongs to his dad. "That's sort of the metaphor representing the relationship between Noctis and his father through the car," Tabata explains.
As seen in the trailer, Tabata confirms you'll also find out more about Noctis' past in flashbacks. This extends to the dog and mysterious girl we saw in the trailer. The dog isn't just a stray, but it's also not someone's pet. The narrative covers a large portion of the main characters' lives and friendship, and this dog plays a key role in that. "That dog actually plays a really big part in the events that take place a little later in their lives - after the young-man phase," Tabata says.
As for the mysterious girl, Tabata confirmed that it's Luna (who replaced a previous character named Stella). Luna is one of Noctis' childhood friends, and while she may look similar to Stella, Tabata insists she's got a stronger personality. "She's a much stronger, more determined character," Tabata says. "She's got her own willpower and objectives that she acts upon. In some ways, Noctis is the weaker character. Maybe he's the one who's going to need protecting." Tabata made sure to bring out the vulnerability, but also the defiance in Luna's eyes when she gets pushed in the trailer to showcase this aspect of her.
Hopefully, some of this puts the latest trailer in perspective for you. You can see it for yourself below.
We'll be posting more from our Tabata interview in the coming days, so stay tuned.
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