Final Fantasy XV

Best: The Florence + The Machine songs

Final Fantasy XV defenders will likely point to some of the game’s good qualities, but when we say what is the “best” part of Noctis’ journey, it’s the songs indie rock band Florence + The Machine performed for its soundtrack. One of these is the soaring cover of Ben E. King’s “Stand By Me” that plays during an early car ride, but it was accompanied by two equally excellent songs that stand tall against the rest of the group’s discography. The anthemic “Too Much Is Never Enough” that plays during the credits is one of Florence Welsh’s best vocal showcases, and “I Will Be” is a lovely, mostly wordless piece that captures the wonder of Final Fantasy XV’s expansive world. All of these songs are available in a Songs From Final Fantasy XV EP, which is on all your favorite streaming platforms.

Worst: They did Lunafreya so dirty

I know Final Fantasy XV was trying to capture the vibe of a “boys road trip” with Noctics and his pals, but even if you, for whatever reason, think your story is best captured by excluding women, there was no need to do your female lead as dirty as Final Fantasy XV does Lunafreya. She’s the main character’s love interest, but she barely appears in the game.On top of that, Square decided the best course of action to make up for that was to fridge her at the midpoint to propel Noctis forward in his quest. Clownery. And the series didn’t learn its lesson after it, either, as Final Fantasy XVI deals with the same fuckery.