The time has finally come for me personally to write a (spoiler-free) review about my hands down favorite game of all time at this point (Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition). I've just beat the game including DLC chapters and I must say... "Wow, what a journey it has been". The character bonding in this game is incredible. There haven't been many games that got me in its grip, but this definitely was one of them. The main story might seem a bit short, but there's plenty of side quests that keep you busy. They don't feel repetitive at all, even though they are. It feels like you're just goofing around with your friends. Final Fantasy XV Windows Edition is a JRPG, RPG, Action, Open World, and Fantasy game developed by Square Enix Business Division 2, published by Square Enix produced by Shinji Hashimoto, and directed by Hajime Tabata. Also, the way a plot ends can really make or break a game for me. The final part seemed a bit rushed (DLC makes up for it, trust me!), but it was a great ending nonetheless.

And now, for the full review.

The game is a Final Fantasy game for both fans and first-timers and it the latest installment in the franchise. The Windows Edition does not only include the base game but also all the major DLC's content added to it like a definitive edition. But the Windows Edition also adds a few new features besides the DLC's like the Gordon Freeman outfit with the crowbar, Mods, NVIDIA GameWorks features, NVIDIA Ansel Support, first-person mode, 4K Resolution Pack, Graphics Enhancements, a new ability called "Armiger Unleashed", a Royal Vessel to drive around and explore the waters, a more expanded version of the Insomnia Ruins with two new boss fights and future content that will arrive in 2018 / 2019.

For me personally, I think this game has an amazingly rich story that has both emotional and happy moments in it. This game is a standalone game and does not connect with any of the previous titles in the franchise. The game takes place on an earth called Eos and the story is about crown prince Noctis Lucis Caelum son to King Regis Lucis Caelum and his long-time friends Ignis Scientia, Prompto Argentum, and Gladiolus Amicitia. This game is not about the destination but about the journey and you can really feel the realistic bond between these four individuals and that's what's makes this game so unique. The games main protagonist Noctis who is the crown prince of the Kingdom of Lucis and has many different tasks to conquer. I think Noctis is a really good and strong main game protagonist full of emotional feelings.

The world in Final Fantasy XV is just simply amazing in my opinion and has a lot of things to explore. To be honest I never felt at any specific point where I felt bored because of the things you can do. It looks very beautiful and unique in its own cool way, especially when you and your four buddies drive around the open world in the beautiful Regalia. That's not the only way to get around in the world, you could also fly in the Regalia type F or drive off-road with the Regalia type D. There are multiple different activities that you can do around the world like and a few of them is cooking, photography, fishing, side quests, explore Dungeons, fly or drive the Regalia, collect all the accessories, participate in the Altissa Monster Arena, play Justice Monsters Five, accept monster hunts and of course ride Chocobo's, etc.

The real-time combat with new weapons, summons, skills, and magic in this game is really well made and I really find it a lot of fun and simplistic in a good way. The combat is not that difficult to understand so after you've played a while you will get into it and learn it pretty fast.

The game is very well optimized and runs fantastically smooth. I haven't met any types of issues like fps drops or stuttering or bugs. So, when it comes to the overall gameplay and mission structure I think Square Enix Business Division 2 did a very good job with it though I have to say that there can be a few side quests that can be a bit repetitive because you do the same thing over and over again, but other than that I would say that there is not that much grind in this game at all besides only a few side quests. And another little thing I found that was less good was that you can't save while in Dungeons but that might be because to make the game harder and more challenging.

The game looks very beautiful and the environment in this game looks amazing. This game is pretty demanding though if you have a low-end PC you can tweak either the game settings or maybe check any of the great performance guides in Steam to help you out.

I think FFXV's soundtrack is amazing and has one of the best soundtracks to a game that I've ever experienced. The game has also many different soundtracks from the previous titles in the franchise of Final Fantasy. Listening to older Final Fantasy game soundtracks through your car or the MP3 is just a blast while exploring.

The DLC's for this game is really good and there is four major DLC called Episode: Gladious, Prompto, Ignis, and then there is the Multiplayer Expansion: Comrades. The three episodes are told very well and it's cool to play as Gladious, Prompto, and Ignis in them. Comrades is also a lot of fun and I had a blast creating my own avatar and play with three other friends. In Comrades, both you and your team play as members of the Kingsglaive and your task is to fight epic battles and take on great quests. For me personally, I think the Ignis DLC is the best one so far because of the story and I can't wait to play the other episodes that will come in 2018/2019.

My Final Conclusion:

Pros:
+ Amazing rich story with likable main characters.
+ A large wonderful open world with beautiful graphics.
+ Perfect real-time combat system.
+ A game with a massive amount of content.
+ Amazing soundtrack.
+ Mod support.

Cons:
- A few repetitive side quests.
- Can't save while in Dungeons.

I'll give this game a strong 10/10 and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes JRPG, RPG, or Open World games. This game is one of a kind and has everything, in my opinion, a game should have, a good combat system, great gameplay, an amazing story, a lot of content worth your time, a great main protagonist, and a beautiful open world. So, "normal priced" game I would say it is definitely worth picking it up since you get a good game with so much content and even future content in 2018 / 2019.