promptis-is-here:

Those who complained FFXV lacks character development didn’t play the game as it was supposed to be played

I haven’t even finished the game – just got to the point where Noctis wakes up from his coma – and I can tell that it has character development.

Yes, it may be small in comparison to some Final Fantasy games, but it is there – and can be quite large, too, if you actually take time to notice. The development isn’t in your face. It’s not some sort of huge revelation. It’s a subtle change that you see more in real life. It doesn’t happen suddenly, it doesn’t happen with large fireworks and dramatic music.

But in order to see that development, you can’t just rush through the storyline and expect it to be there. The game, being an open world, was meant for a non-linear story. Side quests are supposed to be played. The land is meant to be explored. There are so many little quips and lines of dialogue that add more to the characters, scenes that tell of backstory and show how much the characters evolve over the course of the game.

The episodes only add onto this, and are necessary to understand the characters in full. They add backstory, they add personality, they add motive. Without them, you have not experienced the game to its full potential.

Prompto. I see a boy turn into a man. I see fear turn into courage. A frightened child, terrified of being alone, and then terrified of what he may be. He was quiet. Shy. Afraid to speak up for himself. And throughout the entirety of the story, he doesn’t think for himself. As stated in his episode, he thinks about what others want, never what he wants.

And by the end of that episode, by the time he reunited with everyone, he realizes what he wants, and he chases after it. He realizes who he is and he’s stronger because of it. He’s a clone, yes, but he’s the only clone who grew up as he did – and he knows it. He trusts the others to trust him.

Despite his fears, despite his doubts, despite not even knowing how to fight, he fights to defend his friends. He fights and grows stronger. Not just emotionally, not just mentally, but physically as well. And by the time Noctis goes to the crystal? He’s hardened, he’s ready, he’s motivated. He may be afraid, but he knows how to put that aside now, and do what really needs to be done.

Gladio. I see a frightened soldier, unfit for battle, turn into a hardened warrior. I see a troubled man turn into a more understanding one. Yes, he’s got some problems under his belt. He lets his stress get to him too much. He ends up snapping at Noctis a few times, but you know what? While he does go a little too far, it’s what Noctis needs. If left to mourn as he wanted, Noctis would not have been able to do as he needed. He would not become the king he needed to be. And I have a feeling that he knows that, as well.

Now that I’ve got that out of the way, I want to talk about his own development. Very, very rarely do I see a character like Gladio – a thickheaded, jock-like character with bulging muscles – break down and admit that he’s frightened. I rarely see a character like him shape and overcome that fear, just enough to realize what he needs to do, himself.  It’s so refreshing to see that kind of thing addressed. He starts out terrified he can’t protect his friends, terrified he’ll lose them along with his city. But he learns how to fight for not just himself, but for his King, his kingdom, his country.

He comes to understand that what he did was wrong, that he should not have pushed Noctis as much as he had. And he lets up. Yeah, sure, it was after Ignis snapped him out of it, but it happens. He shows pride in Noctis’s own revelations and continues to follow him. He’s not just some body guard. He’s Noctis’s friend, Ignis’s friend, Prompto’s friend. He uses his fears of not being able to protect them, and turns it into the motivation to become stronger and do his absolute best.

Ignis. I’ll admit, I haven’t played his episode yet. I was warned to play it after the game. But already, I see development in him. In the beginning, he’s quiet. He’s just there to aide Prince Noctis, as his advisor. He doesn’t have much to him. He’s so quiet, reserved, he doesn’t know what to say. Only when enticed to speak (such as Prompto mentioning his food) will he ramble about something. Otherwise, he has moments of advice.

But he ends up a strong supportive character. Even when blind, he remains strong and fights his way through everything. He refuses to give up. He refuses to let go of his hope. I see a man determined to stay by not just his King’s side, but his friends’ sides. I see a man devoted to making sure everyone will be okay, regardless of who it is. I see a man who becomes willing to defy the word of others, to not long sit idle and listen. He becomes the voice of reason, not just the voice of logic.

And I’m sure there’s even more to him in his episode. I just haven’t gotten there yet.

And finally, Noctis. I see a whiny prince turn into a regal king. I see fear turn into determination. I see pain turn into resolute anger. He starts off uncaring about so many things, angry and hurt with the loss of so much. Throughout the course of the story, he loses everything he has, and thus loses sight of what he needs to do and where he needs to go. He doesn’t know what to do, even with the help of his friends. He barely even trusts them to help, believing he must go about on his own.

And as time goes on, he learns. He learns how to trust them, he learns how to do as he needs, he learns his duty as not a prince, but a King. He steps up into his father’s shoes, learns the ropes the hard way. He learns how to trust his friends, follow their advice, and knows they will support him. He learns the balance between mourning and fighting. He grows into a soldier, ready to face the world head on.

I don’t see a whiny brat of a prince, not giving a shit about what he needs to do. Through conversation, through scenes, through fighting, I see a man who learns what he must do and where he must go. I see a True King.

And these characters have so much more than that. It’s not supposed to be taken at face value, you have to take the time to notice. But it’s there, and it’s powerful. I have never seen a game address these kinds of delicate things so well before, and in realistic ways.

Change is not a sudden revelation, complete with fanfare and 180 turns.

Change is gradual. Change is subtle. Change is for those who care to notice it.

And if you can’t see that kind of development, did you really play the game? Or did you play the story?