Gaming

ROLE PLAYGROUND | Looking Back on Final Fantasy XV

Was it Good? Was it Bad? Eh. It's Hard to Say.

Final Fantasy, one of Square Enix's flagship series, has definitely had its ups and downs in the last few decades.

We've had classics like FFX really make their mark in the gaming world even though it didn't age all that well. And then we've had really big stinkers - coughcough FFXIII coughcough. So, with its latest installment, Square decided to change it up with the latest installment Final Fantasy XV. A slightly more western approach than the series has taken before, and it does work, just not all the time.

THE GAME

In Final Fantasy XV, you take control of Noctis Lucis Caelum - a prince who is getting ready to get married and take his place as the king of Lucis. However, before the nuptials can take place, his kingdom is ambushed by an evil empire. Noctis and his friends, a band of merry (and also very sad at times) men, must travel around a vast open world and save the kingdom at all costs.

icdn3.digitaltrends.com

THE GOOD

The game has a lot going for it. Its graphics and character design have taken a much more contemporary approach that the series hasn't had since Final Fantasy VII. It has also taken a much darker visual tone than previous titles, which gives it a more realistic feel. It has its high fantasy elements, and while it doesn't always fit, it is integrated into unique world (well, unique for Final Fantasy). Its open world environment also serves the design elements well - it feels fluid and expansive and very similar to our world in some ways.

Then we have the battle system - a hack and slash, fluid system that ditches the turn-based system entirely. It's not perfect, but it keeps the game interesting. Instead of having a set kind of spell that each character can learn, you must craft them and you can even run out of them. I prefer this kind of system - because it keeps the game fast-paced and I feel like I'm doing something. A turn-based game is too slow for me, nowadays, unless they really change things up with the format. So, I'm glad FFXV took a step in the right direction.

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THE BAD

Now, here's the thing. It has got the looks and there's something there, but there's also a lot of nothing. The story never really excited me as much as everything else about the game. It was weak - and while the characters were a high point, they were squandered on a story that needed much more development. A prime example of this is Lady Lunafreya. Supposedly, she is the other main protagonist of this game. Although, she's barely in the actual game.

In previous FF games, a character like Lunafreya would appear in the party and she'd fight with your team. In this game, she spends most of her time separated from Noctis and sending notes to him. And then, when we finally meet her, she is killed. And her death isn't even that sad, because I barely knew anything about her. Did I miss something? Maybe. But I played the whole game - and she definitely wasn't written to be a protagonist. And that sucks.

She is one of many examples of the weakness of this game's plot and its poor use of characters (don't even get me started on Cid and Cindy).

THE BOTTOM LINE

Final Fantasy XV isn't that great. It could have been, if they'd worked harder on it, but in the end it falls short. It's fun, but it's fun in the way that fireworks are fun. They're flashy in the beginning, but after a while, they're just loud and obnoxious.


Shann Smith is a lover of video games and has played them since he could hold a controller. He is a freelance writer, playwright, screenwriter, and also writes the Video Gay-Mer column on Popdust.

MUSIC

U2 releases the Official Music Video for "Get Out Of Your Own Way"

GRAMMY WEEK | Playing at the Grammys & new tour dates on sale Jan 26th

The Animation for this music video is captivating.

It seems like there is a lot going on with U2 lately. For a band that has been active in music for decades, they have invigorated themselves once again, video, new album, tour dates, Grammys... is it me or have they done anything but slow down? If anything they have been a constant force for peace and bring about positive manifestations through their art. The "Get Out Of Your Own Way" music video animation is no exception, creating some very catchy eye candy, for an incredible audio/visual experience. Reminds me a little of South Park style, with cut paper. They embody some of aesthetic that Radiohead has embraced. No strangers to art rock, U2 produced a video that has a message and retained an artistic ethic.

Not to be overshadowed by their video release, U2 will be performing at the 2018 Grammy Awards. Popdust is going hard for the Grammy's this year, so we will be sure to Tweet you all during the live event. Madison Square Garden will host the 60th GRAMMY Awards on Jan. 28, 2018. This is the first GRAMMY event in New York City since 2003.

"Get Out Of Your Own Way" (Afrojack Remix) is out 1/26. Announced the UK/Europe leg of the eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018 - new dates to go on sale January 26th.

Broken Fingaz Crew, the fearless Israeli graffiti collective whose provocative, groundbreaking and often disturbing fluorescent sketches were among the first street art in their native Haifa, have directed U2's new video for "Get Out Of Your Own Way."

Known only by the pseudonyms that preserve their anonymity with local authorities--Unga, Tant, Kip and Desco—the enigmatic Broken Fingaz Crew approached U2 with the concept of an animated visualization of the second single from the band's new Songs of Experience. After a successful collaboration on U2's video for "American Soul," the band were inspired to give Broken Fingaz Crew full creative control based on their impassioned interpretation of "Get Out Of Your Own Way." The result reaffirms Broken Fingaz Crew's standing as artistic and social pioneers emerging from an underground of their own creation.

Broken Fingaz Crew described the mission statement of their "Get Out Of Your Own Way" video as follows. "The video addresses the current political situation: 2017 for us was the year fascists worldwide felt confident enough to raise their heads again, encouraged by Trump and other world leaders, who use people's fear to build more walls and segregation.

The song is both a personal letter and a clarion cry to the global situation, and in the same way, we've combined our psychedelic pop style with political imagery; shot entirely analogue, using paper cut and stop motion animation techniques in collaboration with Adam Albo, who edited the video."

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U2 | eXPERIENCE + iNNOCENCE Tour 2018

May 2 – Tulsa, OK – BOK Center
May 4 – St. Louis, MO – Scottrade Center
May 7 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
May 8 – San Jose, CA – SAP Center
May 11 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
May 12 – Las Vegas, NV – T-Mobile Arena
May 15 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
May 16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Forum
May 22 – Chicago, IL – United Center
May 23 – Chicago, IL – United Center
May 26 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
May 28 – Atlanta, GA – Infinite Energy Arena
June 5 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
June 6 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
June 9 – Uniondale, NY – NYCB Live, Home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
June 13 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
June 14 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
June 17 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
June 18 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
June 21 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
June 22 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
June 25 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
June 26 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
June 29 – Newark, NJ – Prudential Center
August 31 - Berlin, DE – Mercedes-Benz Arena
September 4 – Cologne, DE – Lanxess Arena
September 8 – Paris, FR – AccorHotels Arena
September 9 – Paris, FR – AccorHotels Arena
September 16 – Lisbon, PT – Altice Arena
September 20 – Madrid, ES – WiZink Arena
September 29 – Copenhagen, DK – Royal Arena
October 3 – Hamburg, DE – Barclaycard Arena
October 7 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
October 11 – Milan, IT – Mediolanum Forum
October 12 – Milan, IT – Mediolanum Forum
October 19 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Arena
October 23 – London, UK – The O2

Follow U2 at Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Dan Victor is editor of Popdust and producer of Popdust Presents. He is also a music producer, bassist for Low Profile (live hip hop) & The Coldpress (indie rap) and front-man for Ductape Halo (indie rock). Follow on Youtube.


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