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.
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.
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.
Remember
last week, when I said the smart money was on Kansas? Sorry about that. I was dead wrong. When Villanova took the court on Saturday night, they looked unstoppable from the first play. Kansas won the tip, scored a quick basket, and then, in what seemed like seconds, the game was 22-4 in favor of the Wildcats. Kansas never saw another lead. In the first half, Nova dropped 13 three-pointers, tying the Final Four record. They went into the locker room with a 15-point lead. In the second half, Kansas's offense got hot and started putting together a few impressive runs, but it didn't matter. Villanova was right there the entire time, eating up the clock and scoring every basket with style.
When talking about this game, it's important to acknowledge that Kansas played great. They put up 79 points on an extremely good defense. The only problem was, Nova shot one of the best games in NCAA history, and every time Kansas looked to be making a push, the Wildcats would just line up and ping another three. This phenomenon was best described by this tweet by Mike Jensen:
Down 15, Kansas scored on five straight possessions, which put them down 17.
— Mike Jensen (@jensenoffcampus)
April 1, 2018
The other game, played between Michigan and Loyola Chicago, was a sloppy, defensively-charged mess. The dribbling was uncomfortable to watch at some points, and neither team made a particularly convincing argument that they should be in the championship match. Most of Michigan's points came down low, with Moe Wagner using his gigantic 6' 11" frame to dominate the paint.
On the other side of the ball, Loyola was a bundle of nervous energy and on multiple occasions their players tripped and barreled into one another, causing mayhem on the court. Still, for their part, Loyola Chicago controlled tempo in the middle of the game and had a legitimate chance of winning until they blew their 10-point second half lead. After Michigan wrestled the lead from Loyola's shaking hands, they used their size advantage and milked the clock until the end of the game, completely shutting down Loyola's hopes of making it to the final.
So, the matchup is set. Villanova will face Michigan for the championship in San Antonio. Vegas has Michigan as a seven-point underdog, and after Saturday's matches, it's hard not to see why. Still, the storyline of this game, as it is in so many championship matchups, is that of what matters more, offense or defense?
Michigan, using size to their advantage is a defensive juggernaut and boasts one of the best
3-point defenses in the entire NCAA. They run a strong perimeter defense and don't rely too heavily on one player to get the job done. They force teams to play down low and once their opponents get there, Michigan uses their size to dominate.
Villanova plays a completely different game, featuring smaller guards that can shoot and dribble. They lack size and raw power, but Villanova makes up for this with outstanding efficiency and the ability to make plays out of nothing. They're also never afraid, no matter how close the defender is, to take a deep shot and go for three.
It's also worth noting that Villanova has a top-15 rated defense, and is pretty adept at shutting other teams down. Barring foul trouble, it appears that the Wildcats, not the Wolverines will be the ones who dictate how this game is played. Michigan has a great three-point defense. Villanova's long shots are ridiculously accurate. While Moe Wagner is a matchup nightmare, it's going to be up to Villanova to decide whether or not they want to rely on their three-point game, or if they want to take it to the basket rather than trying to break Michigan's perimeter zone.
Conventional wisdom says Villanova has to ignore their opponent and play their game, but honestly, it doesn't matter. After Saturday, everyone knows what the Wildcats can do outside the arc, but they also, incredibly, have the third-highest shooting percentage in the NCAA from inside the three-point line. Michigan has a great defense and has won has won 14 games straight, including the Big Ten title, but it seems doubtful that they'll be able to stop a red-hot Villanova team tonight. Anything can happen, and it's sure to be a good one, but in my mind the Vegas line seems correct.
Matt Clibanoff is a writer and editor based in New York City who covers music, politics, sports and pop culture. His editorial work can be found on PopDust, The Liberty Project, and All Things Go. His fiction has been published in Forth Magazine. Website: https://matthewdclibanoff.journoportfolio.com/ Twitter: @mattclibanoff
Kingdom Hearts is a classic. It's admittedly a little too hokey at times, and definitely confusing, and through it all they've still managed to create some of the most memorable characters in gaming. Whether they be heroic protagonists, intricately woven anti-heroes, or bad-to-the-bone antagonists - they've always managed to be both compelling and fun. So, in light of the recent news and the ever approaching release (hopefully!), I have created this list of some of the best characters ever created for this game.
I know, I know, there are a lot of really good characters that have appeared. But, most of them were already established as good characters way before they were dropped into the Kingdom Hearts canon. So, unfortunately characters like Maleficent, Donald, Goofy, and King Mickey will not be appearing on this list. But hey, this is a bi-weekly column, so who's to say there won't be another list up in the future?
10. Terra (Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep)
Oh Terra, you flawed character, you. Terra is one of the three protagonists of the prequel game, Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep, set ten years before the original KH game. And honestly, he would have made it higher on this list - but his story seemed just too familiar. Much like Riku, Terra struggles throughout the entire game with his draw to the darkness. And also, much like Riku, he is eventually consumed by it and his body is stolen by the game's main protagonist.
Terra is a great character, and it's interesting to see the rivalry between he and Aqua - and the brother-like relationship he has with Ventus. Not to mention, that unlike Riku, he is still stuck under the control of his evil Master. And we don't really know how he's doing or where he is.
So, despite the predictability of this story, Terra still manages to make this list for being a tragically flawed character.
9. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness (Kingdom Hearts)
You can't beat the original. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, is one of the many people in this game who take on the moniker of Ansem. In the original game, this dastardly villain is the ring leader behind everything - and one of the driving forces of darkness that is consuming worlds. However, we find out later that the Seeker of Darkness is not Ansem - but his heartless. Which is crazy, because Heartless are not supposed to be this intelligent.
In fact, he's the only Heartless that is this intelligent, as far as I know.
AND THE YOU FIND OUT THAT THIS ISN'T EVEN ANSEM'S HEARTLESS! Ansem never got turned into a Heartless. No, no. This is the Heartless of Xehanort, one of Ansem's lab assistants. It's an interesting web, and the web only makes Ansen, Seeker of Darkness, more compelling as each game gets released.
8. Xion (Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days)
Xion is probably a surprising entry on this list. She is a one-off character who only appeared in a handheld, midquel about Roxas' time with the evil (or misunderstood) Organization XIII. She appears as a fourteenth member, and a surprise keyblade wielder, making her the second Nobody to have the ability. She works alongside Roxas, and forms a strong relationship with both him and his best friend, Axel.
Alas, close to the end of the game, you find out that she was manufactured as a near-replica of Roxas, in case both Sora and Roxas are unable to collect hearts for the Organization. In the end, she decides to sacrifice herself by fighting Roxas and dying to give Sora back his memories. As depicted in the scene above, she dies in Roxas' arms, as he forgets their time together.
It's one of the most heartbreaking scenes in the game's history, and one of the deaths of one of the more interesting characters in the game's canon. I still cry when I watch it.
7. Roxas (Kingdom Hearts II, 358/2 Days)
ROXAS! I love Roxas - he's a wonderfully broody foil to main protagonist, Sora's, chipper attitude. He is the Nobody of Sora that was created when Sora became a heartless in the original game. He is also one of the only Nobodies to have the power to wield the keyblad, and bears a striking resemblance to Ventus (a protag from Birth by Sleep). His story is a sad one, and we are treated to the last week of his life at the beginning of Kingdom Hearts II.
What makes Roxas so compelling is his quest to exist. He is constantly searching for his purpose and why he exists, and when he finds out, he decides to take his destiny into his own hands. He fights against the organization, and even when his memories are taken from him, he continues to fight for his life.
Until the end, when he realizes that he must reunite with Sora.
His story is one of the most tragic in the series and it needs to be on this list.
6. Axel/Lea (Kingdom Hearts series)
Axel ranks higher than Roxas, because he's a Nobody who cares so much. He first appears as an antagonist in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, and later as a unlikely ally in Kingdom Hearts II and 3D. What defines him most is his relationship with Sora's Nobody, Roxas. His entire quest is driven by his need to find and protect his best friend - and in the end he sacrifices himself to do that very thing.
Only, he isn't dead. After his Nobody and his Heartless (who we never see) are killed - he forms again into his original self, Lea. We find out that most of the Nobodies have returned to normal, and with that, Lea goes again to search for his friend. And actually ends up saving the day and becoming a Keyblade wielder?
Axel's transformation from a villain to a hero, and his later reclamation of his original self is one of the most satisfying storylines in the series. And I can't wait to see what they do with the character in Kingdom Hearts III!
5. Kairi (Kingdom Hearts series)
Kairi's story is also one that improved as the games moved forward. She started out as nothing more than a love interest and damsel in distress for Sora to save - and has now become a more fully fleshed out character. In the first game, Kairi is one of the Sora and Riku's best friends. She is also the object of both of their affections - and later in the game, you find out that Kairi is a Princess of Heart (one of the seven of the purest hearts in existence), and that she was once princess of Hollow Bastion.
Her background is expanded more in Birth by Sleep, when you see her interact with Aqua. You also find out that Aqua bequeathed the ability to wield a keyblade to her, and forged a special bond with her.
My favorite part of about Kairi though, as to be in Kingdom Hearts II. When she regains her memories of Sora back, she decides to take matters into her own hands, and jumps through a dark portal, which eventually leads her to Twilight Town. It's a lovely moment, and a signal the Kairi is not going to take things sitting down anymore.
Plus, SHE CAN WIELD A KEYBLADE TOO! And I hope she is one of the seven lights that will fight the final battle with Xehanort.
4. Xehanort (Kingdom Hearts series)
And here is the guy that started it all. Xehanort is the mastermind behind Kingdom Hearts' entire convoluted storyline. He first appears as a keyblade Master in Birth by Sleep - as the master of the mysterious and evil, Vanitus. He is shown to be at one with the darkness, and we later find out that he seeks to summon the powerful x-Blade, to ignite a Keyblade War, which would allow him to shape the world in his image.
He is a powerful foe, which is proven by his longevity. You find out that every major antagonist from Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, to Xemnas, to the lab assistant of Ansem, Xehanort were all forms of his. He has done this, by putting his heart into those whom he deems a worthy vessel.
It's crazy, and it doesn't always make sense, but I'll be damned if Xehanort isn't a damn good bad guy. He even looks super evil, you know what I mean?
3. Sora (Kingdom Hearts series)
I know, he's the main protagonist of the whole series, so he should be at the top - but honestly there isn't a lot to Sora. We first see him in Kingdom Hearts, he is the unlikely chosen wielder of the keyblade. He dreams of seeing other worlds and getting of his small island - and boy does he ever. Eventually, we find out that he has the power to protect the world - and that's what he sets out to do! Of course, he also plans on finding his friends, Riku and Kairi.
Sora is defined by his heroic nature and his goofy exterior. He is relentlessly optimistic, and is shown to bring out the best in people. His heart is so strong, in fact, that it can call out to other people and help protect their hearts. And he's also an incredibly powerful keyblade wielder, who has managed to fight off the entire Organization XIII and a slew of very powerful heartless.
But, he's not a complicated character. He just loves everybody and wants to help, and that's what he does. Sure, he wants to save his friends, but he never does it at the expense of other people. He is a friend to everyone and loyal to those who he deems worthy of his friendship. And that's about it.
And I mean, let's be honest, they made him really dumb in KH: 3D right? Is that just me? I don't think it's just me.
2. Riku (Kingdom Hearts series)
Riku gets the number two spot for being a flawed character, who comes into the hero role a little bit late in the game. Originally, he was one of the chosen to wield the Keyblade - but it quickly did the old switheroo when Riku opened his heart to darkness and got consumed. This set Riku on a path that had him betraying his friends and getting possessed by an evil Heartless man.
But, our man Riku didn't let that keep him down. And after being locked behind the Door to Darkness at the end of the first game - worked for a year to atone for his sins and help his friends from the shadows. He ends up becoming one of the strongest wielders of his age, and a valuable ally and friend to Sora and the ever on the run, King Mickey.
What makes Riku so great is that we see his story so clearly, and see him feel both guilt and regret for his actions. He works tirelessly to make up for it, and does his best to keep the darkness in his heart in check. And in the end, he actually ends up saving Sora - and making sure that the Organization's plans are thwarted.
His arc is sad, but unlike Terra's, it has a positive resolution and will hopefully receive a powerful conclusion at the end of Kingdom Hearts III.
1. Aqua (Kingdom Hearts: Birth by Sleep)
So, hear me out, Aqua is the best character in the series for a lot of reasons. She first appears in Birth by Sleep, as one of the three main protagonists and the only one of the three to be considered a Keyblade Master. After Terra leaves to figure things out with Master Xehanort - Aqua keeps trying to find him and also protect Ventus. Her story is a sad one, and it's constantly defined by sacrifice.
During the game, we see Aqua constantly fighting every bad guy under the sun to help her friends. After her climactic final battle with Xehanort and Vanitus - Aqua saves her friend and in the end, after Xehanort consumes Terra - she fights him and wins. But, before that, Aqua puts Ventus in a locked room - and creates Castle Oblivion to keep him locked away.
Afterwards, Aqua ends up saving Terra (and also Xehanort) by pushing herself into the World of Darkness, where she still resides. In the most recent extended demo of Kingdom Hearts III, released on Kingdom Hearts 2.8, we see Aqua constantly throughout the World of Darkness.
It's upsetting, and heartbreaking, but it's also a story of triumph. Aqua constantly struggles against herself and the world around her - but she never loses hope. And I know that she's going to come back with a vengeance, and it's going to be amazing.
So, there you have it! My list of some of my favorite original Kingdom Hearts characters! Did you not see your favorite character on this list? Did you disagree with me? Do you have a character you want to add? Tell me all about in the comments below!
Shann Smith is a lover of video games and has played games since he could hold a controller. He is a freelance writer, playwright, screenwriter, and also writes the Video Gay-Mer column on Popdust! If you have any games you'd like him to unpack, hit him up!