4 Lessons From FINAL FANTASY XV

What's this? Lessons from another video game? That's right, mates. But that's not all, it's another Square Enix game. Instead of Kingdom Hearts, I'm going to talk about an entry in their Final Fantasy series. 

Specifically, the long-awaited Final Fantasy XV. Or Final Fantasy 15 if you don't like Roman numerals. FFXV was released in 2016 after ten years since its teaser, and is the latest to date. It follows the four Chocobros - Noctis, Ignis, Prompto and Gladio - on a quest to save their kingdom. 

There's probably going to be spoilers in here, so I'll give a warning before and after them. That said, if you haven't already, I highly recommend you watch it. Like, right now. It's a beautiful story about the friendship between the bros. 

Here's the link I used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PMDFu9d83Y 

Psst, after watching the link above, you should also watch: Episode Gladio, Episode Prompto, Episode Ignis and Episode Ardryn. They're the extra story stuff that couldn't fit initially. 

Alright, enough talk. Let's get to!

 

1. Foreshadow in the little moments. 

No matter what genre you write in, you need foreshadowing. I've talked about it twice before, here and here. What I'm going to talk about is something that I've only mentioned once. It is foreshadowing in the little moments.

The "little moments" in question are times where the characters bond. The intimate moments where we see a character's other side. The seemingly insignificant moments. It can take the form of several things, like dialogue or actions. 

Because readers often write these times off as cool moments rather than notable moments, they won't really think about it. That makes it perfect to sneak in some foreshadowing. The little moments place little emphasis on the hint. If you want to foreshadow something big, it might be a good idea to foreshadow it in many little moments. 

This is a great way to keep dragging readers back in the story, even after they've finished reading. Especially with big reveals, readers will naturally want to go back and find the crumbs you left behind. A careful reader will find the foreshadowing in these little moments. And what does this do? It adds so much more depth to the story. More emotion. More fans sharing this information to other fans and possibly new readers.

In FFXV, one of the gameplay features involves travelling, whether it be by their car (the Regalia), Chocobos, boat or walking. Apart from its stunning visuals, one of the ways the game keeps players entertained is through the character's dialogue. There's one moment in particular that I want to focus on.

 

Prompto: Hey Iggy. Can your glasses take the heat? 

Ignis: Well, I don't see why they shouldn't.

Noct: Even if they couldn't, he'd still be alright.

Gladio: Yeah, Iggy's eyes aren't that bad.

Prompto: Oh really?

Ignis: My vision is passable without corrective lenses.

Prompto: Then why don't you take them off sometimes?

Ignis: Well...

Noct: You don't get it, huh. 

Gladio: Ignis likes his world to be crystal clear. 

Ignis: Indeed, I've never been one for ambiguity. 

The first part of the conversation sets up what they're talking about, but it also is arguably mundane talk. By the time they get to the second part where Prompto asks why Ignis doesn't take his glasses off, the viewer has already subconsciously decided whatever they're talking about is a nice moment, but not one to mull over.

*spoilers* About halfway through the story, Ignis goes blind. Suddenly, this little moment catapults into pure pain. We know why Ignis's vision is important to him and, like the viewers, never thought it might be taken away. When it is, it becomes a crushing realisation. *end spoilers*

2. Let events have lasting consequences.   

For every action is a consequence. That's something you'll hear by your grandparents, your parents, and me, apparently. Whatever you do will lead to something else happening as a result - a cause and effect situation. 

The consequence isn't necessarily bad. It may be a good thing. What the consequence is depends on logic and karma. I have a future blog post planned on this topic, so stay tuned! 

Many authors are fine with having consequences. What many authors don't do is let the consequences have lasting effects on the characters, and therefore, the upcoming events. Maybe you're afraid that readers won't like it, or maybe you're plain lazy. 

I'm here to tell you: don't be afraid of making hard decisions. Having consequences that don't last long may be the easy way out, but stories reflect reality. The reality is, every decision leaves an impact. The bigger the event, the bigger the consequence. This is the truth of the world. Having it in your story adds depth and meaning. 

*spoilers* In FFXV, Ignis is the mum figure. He cooked, he cleaned, he stayed close to his charge. Then he goes blind. The creators weren't afraid to let this change have lasting consequences. Not only did the driver have to change, the Chocobros became reliant on tinned food. Side note: By the end of the game, Ignis has adapted and regained, even improved, his abilities. 

The hardest decision lay in the fact that they slowed Ignis's walking speed. If you're not a gamer, here's some context. Gamers like to zoom-zoom through levels. In a way, they're like society - getting their job over and done without taking in the scenery. By slowing the rate the player can move, they're risking the player becoming frustrated and quitting. 

For definitely-only-research-purposes, I've seen gamers express their frustration. But then comes one heart wrenching scene where Ignis addresses this. Frustration suddenly clears into understanding. One gamer regarded this as a "cathartic moment". *end spoilers* Point is, this event had lasting consequences and it played out astoundingly. 

3. Develop characters by mixing tropes.

Authors sometimes rely too strongly on character tropes. The buff dude, the nerd, the annoying one. You know the drill. This isn't inherently bad. In fact, it's a useful tool for the basis of character development. 

When one trope becomes the sole being of a character, that's when you know there's something wrong. With only one facet, the character isn't three dimensional. They have no depth, nothing that makes them special. The result? The character is a one-sided, boring character.

Like I've said before, the tropes aren't bad. They're tropes for a reason - readers enjoy them. But the character has to be something more than just one trope. You can add depth in a multitude of ways. 

Here's an easy hack for you: combine character tropes. Take the buff dude and make them the worried mum figure. Boom, they've become a deeper character. 

Final Fantasy XV doesn't execute this in the best way ever, but it's a commendable achievement. While I am not a long time fan, I've heard many who have said FFXV to have some of the best characters. 

At the start of the story, we're introduced to Noctis (the lazy one), Ignis (the nerd), Gladio (the buff dude) and Prompto (the annoying one). As we learn about the characters and see them develop, we see other layers to them. *mild spoilers* Noctis becomes more than lazy - he grows into his position as king. Ignis is the nerd and the mum figure. Gladio is the buff dude with a proud streak. Prompto is the annoying one with questionable history. *end spoilers*

From the one dimension we see at the start, these characters reveal who they are with other aspects of their character. This makes them beloved, endearing characters who can live forever in the memories of other people. Namely, us the viewers.

4. Develop strong character chemistry.

If a reader loves a character, they'll stick through a trash plot just to see what happens to them. Most authors will spend all their efforts into making their characters loveable as individuals. What's just as important, but not as often considered, is how the character interacts with other people. 

How the two or more characters interact with each other is their character chemistry. No matter how big or small your cast is, the type of chemistry is the fundamental player in how readers perceive the characters and the relationship. 

Chemistry isn't just between lovers, it's between any groups of characters. The stronger the chemistry is between characters, the more the readers will ship or clammer for more interactions, whichever is applicable. The dynamic of a character's relationships, or lack thereof, makes them just as compelling as their individual personality. 

So how do you create chemistry between characters? I could write a whole post about it, so stay tuned for it! For now, here's some ideas.

• Banter
• Being vulnerable with each other
• Create conflict
• Inspire growth
• Use character chemistry tropes

 

FFXV both succeeded and failed in this. The chemistry between the Chocobros is stellar. They have so much banter which is genuinely amusing while also demonstrating each character's personality and moving the plot forward in subtle ways. 

Chemistry is especially important between characters romantically attached. This is where FFXV fails to properly deliver this. *spoilers* Noct and Luna are engaged. The story starts out as Noct having to go out of town for the wedding. You'd expect their relationship to be at the forefront. The thing is, it's not. Apart from flashbacks, Noct and Luna interact twice throughout the entire story. One of those times lasted five seconds max. Hence, flimsy chemistry. *end spoilers*

With weak chemistry, you can't expect readers to root for the characters. They'd rather cut to the chase - to where characters with stronger chemistry are interacting. 

~ 

Alright, conclusion time! Final Fantasy XV is an amazing story which you must watch. I don't care if you've never watched a video game before, you need to watch it. Expand your story exposure. Not only will you get a laugh and heartache, you'll also get to see all four of these tips for yourself. What are you waiting for? Go! 

Have you watched FFXV before? What did you think of it? How has foreshadowing in the little moments worked for you? What lasting consequence has had the biggest emotional impact for you? How have you developed your characters and their relationships? 

Hey authors! This is the last post of 2020. What a ride!

 

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