Like some other Square Enix JRPGs, Final Fantasy XV has both its haters and defenders. But its development issues have been well-known, and problems and disagreements even plagued its post-release. Several DLC packs ended up getting canned, and only Episode Ardyn ended up seeing the light of day out of the set.
Which brings us to Final Fantasy XV: The Dawn of the Future. It is a novelization of Episode Ardyn and the three cancelled episodes starring Aranea, Lunafreya, and Noctis. But unlike most of Square Enix’s game novelizations which either help fill in some of their source material’s plot holes or strive for a richer appreciation for some characters and their motives, The Dawn of the Future is more akin to what Final Fantasy VII Remake is to Final Fantasy VII. The four chapters here will feature some familiar scenes and some brand-new ones, but in the end, it sets up its own canon/universe. So in case it wasn’t clear, yes, this novel is full of Final Fantasy XV spoilers as well as changes from the game.
The four chapters center around the four previously mentioned characters. While the chapters are mostly independent, they build off of each other. Ardyn’s chapter explains how he ended up being imprisoned and then working for Niflheim. Aranea’s story details her last (and worst) day on the job. Lunafreya meets a young woman and faces a new destiny. Noctis must save the world and the people he cares about. Finish the novel, and you’ll be treated to some concept art from these chapters as well as images from Square Enix Café. The coasters and mats are okay (CG images and pixel art), but the illustrations are very cool, showing various ideas that the Final Fantasy XV development team had planned for the DLC. You get almost 50 pages of artwork, so it’s an awesome way to end The Dawn of the Future.
Because these chapters were intended to be playable, the book is more action-oriented and fantastical than most other game novels from Square Enix. Noctis regularly uses warp strikes, and Aranea has to try to reach the heights necessary to take down a Diamond Weapon. Aranea’s arc was my favorite since it was an exciting life-or-death battle (and one that isn’t wrapped up in just a page or two), and I imagine that taking down a giant monster with a multi-use spear would have been fun to play. Lunafreya’s story has her on the run trying to avoid daemons, so all four chapters have a good amount of fighting.
While plenty of battles are featured, the novel’s length (about 330 pages) means there is still plenty of room for the characters to reflect on their situation and come up with their next move. Lunafreya in particular has much to think about as she finds herself in a familiar-yet-unfamiliar world. But this world does feel rather small. Places are mostly empty, so the characters don’t have many encounters with other people. Even Noctis’ party members are barely in the story. Each of the four leads has one or two people they mainly interact with, and considering the length of each chapter, that’s a very small number. But there is still some fun banter, and the ladies’ chapters completely outshine the gentlemen’s in this regard. The guys tend to be a bit obsessed (Ardyn with revenge, Noctis with Luna), while Aranea and Lunafreya showcased more supportive friendships.
So with the twist ending of the Episode Ardyn novelization, characters may appear to be a bit different than how you know them — Ardyn especially. This makes other parts of the story undergo some changes, and ultimately, this version of Final Fantasy XV may be too sweet and/or generic. Final Fantasy games usually end with the world at peace, but the conclusions range from the all’s well, Disney-style finales versus melancholy epilogues. The Dawn of the Future‘s push for the former is likely going to turn off many readers and loses much of its depth.
It’s a shame, as the actual text is a good read, almost like watching four full-length movies. Even though I didn’t like where the story headed (and I say this as someone not big on Final Fantasy XV), I liked The Dawn of the Future. The fact that it’s a what-if story means it isn’t a must-read for game fans, but it’s a solid fantasy-action novel.