Line #18 Trivia/FinalFantasyXV


1	* ActingForTwo:
2	** Amy Shiels voices both Luna and Kimya.
3	** Creator/{{David Lodge\|AmericanActor}} voices both Vyv and Bahamut.
4	* AmateurCast: Creator/SquareEnix sought out mostly promising and upcoming English voice actors for the main characters instead of going for an all-star cast like the Japanese version. They did consider carrying over the cast of ''Kingsglaive'' into the game at one point, but decided against it due to budgetary concerns.
5	* ApprovalOfGod:
6	** Director Hajime Tabata, approved of photoshopped memes of a scene with Noctis and company in a car, which was first shown in the Tokyo Game Show 2014 trailer. [[ParodyAssistance With that, Square Enix rolled out transparent PNG files of that scene for everyone to poke fun at]].
7	** Hironobu Sakaguchi, the series' original creator, has considered it his favorite game of 2016.
8	* AscendedFanon: The name of Noctis's signature weapon, the Engine Blade, is a reference to the FanNickname coined following the sword's first appearance in ''Versus XIII''[='=]s debut trailer.
9	* AwesomeDearBoy: Darin [=DePaul=] has gone on the record that he ''loves'' playing Ardyn and will be happy to return to the role any time Square Enix asks.
10	-->'''[=DePaul=]''': I will geek out about this character forever. Getting to visit him means the world for me... I thought I'd be doing one session, maybe two sessions. This is three years that I get to revisit this complex, wonderful character. That's a gift. ([[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaiWi3xzmec Episode Ardyn interview]])
11	* ChristmasRushed: It's widely speculated that the rushed latter half of the game upon its initial release, which the studio remedied via patches and DLC, was due to heavy pressure to release by 2016 regardless of the state of the game.
12	* ConclusionInAnotherMedium: The cancelled DLC for 2019's "Dawn of the Future" was later released as a novel.
13	* CreatorBacklash: A company-wide instance; over the course of Hajime Tabata taking over directing from Tetsuya Nomura and the game's rebranding from ''Versus XIII'' to ''XV'', there was genuine talks of scrapping everything and starting from scratch, because the ''Versus XIII'' project already had a negative reputation internally. Tabata has said that when he came over with his team from ''Type-0'', they didn't want to take on the project and he had to talk them into it, and others within the company also weren't happy about it, such as Roberto Ferrari, who left the project shortly after out of solidarity with Nomura and expressed frustration with the script allegedly changing every few months.
14	* CreatorDrivenSuccessor: The game features similar elements to ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'', being an RPG that combines menu and action elements with a single playable protagonist and AI-controlled party members. Both were helmed by Tetsuya Nomura and its soundtrack was written by Yoko Shimomura.
15	* CreatorsFavorite: Tabata [[https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2015/09/04/tabata-final-fantasy.aspx has stated]] that Regis is his favorite character.
16	* DeletedRole: Due to the games' TroubledProduction, several characters were cut from the finalized story as confirmed by Roberto Ferrari, the secondary character designer. The biggest example among them is Stella Nox Fleuret, the original heroine of the game, who later was replaced by Lunafreya. The game developers have stressed that Stella and Luna are completely different characters on many occasions, though design-wise Luna is a reworked version of Stella.
17	* DevelopmentGag:
18	** The promotional image of Noctis sitting on a dark throne mirrors similar art of Sora in ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' and Lightning in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII''.
19	** During the Armiger Chain Ignis will wield the Katana of the Warrior, a reference to how a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]] was meant to be his primary weapon in ''Versus XIII''. In ''XV'' he's more associated with daggers and spears, while Cor became the designated katana user.
20	** The scene depicted in the original E3 2006 announcement teaser, with Noctis descending the steps of the Citadel and violently destroying all the Niflheim guards around him, is depicted in a dream that Noctis has in ''Dawn of the Future''.
21	* DevelopmentHell: The game was notoriously stuck in this after it's initial announcement due to the Crystal Tools engine not being finished in a timely manner and when it did, it had numerous issues that made it almost impossible to do the kind of gameplay Nomura's team wanted to do, meaning that they had to make another engine just to keep up. Confounding matters was the fact that the team constantly was taken off to help with other projects, such as ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'', so it was strongly considered to just cancel the game outright and start from scratch, even though 2011 finally saw the game in full production and making great strides. This was also because Square Enix had gotten a look at the tech behind the next gen consoles and were worried ''Versus XII'' would be left behind by the time it was finished. Eventually it was decided to rebrand it with Hajime Tabata's ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'' team also being added to help work on it. While the game did leave DevelopmentHell once the engine issues were solved with the creation of the Ebony Engine and made great strides in 2010 and 2011, it also ran fully into TroubledProduction.
22	-->[[Creator/YoshitakaAmano Yoshitaka]] [[http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2016/04/27/the-art-that-shaped-final-fantasy-thoughts-from-famed-artist-yoshitaka-amano.aspx Amano]]: “[[LampshadeHanging Oh, it’s finally being realized after all this time]].”
23	* {{Defictionalization}}:
24	** If you live anywhere outside of Asia (or in Japan), ''Justice Monsters Five'' was available on your Android or [=iOS=] device.
25	** ''King's Knight: Wrath of the Dark Dragon'' was also made available upon ''XV''[='=]s release. Again, those living outside Japan in Asia are given the short stick.
26	* DummiedOut: So much was cut that it has it's own page [[DummiedOut/FinalFantasyXV here.]]
27	* ExecutiveMeddling: The game went through a lot of executive meddling, but two of the most notorious examples pretty much sent the games TroubledDevelopment into overdrive.
28	** The first came when the higher ups got an early look at the Play Station 4 and Xbox One specs and concluded that they had to make this game a next gen game out of fear that it would be outdated by the time it came back, so quietly cancelled the Play Station 3 version despite the game just finally getting back on track after years of setbacks kept it in DevelopmentHell and made them switch to next gen development using their next gen Luminous Studios. This meant many assets they had already created needed to be imported from Ebony to Luminous or just outright redone from scratch. Yet while this did cause issues, it wasn't something the team couldn't recover from.
29	** The second major instance, however, was Yosuke Matsuda becoming the new CEO when Yoichi Wada stepped down. This led to him deciding that ''Final Fantasy XV'' wasn't viable enough for a full spinoff series of its own, despite them already trademarking "The World of the Versus Epic". Instead, he insisted on starting ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIIRemake'' due to its high demand, which Yoshinori Kitase insisted Nomura had to be the one to direct it. This led to Nomura being taken off the project and Tabata becoming full director. This ultimately was what changed the vision of the game and the direction it would take, with even Tabata himself mentioning that him taking over what was now a 50% finished game as them "starting over.", though he didn't reveal it meant in a literal sense.
30	* ExecutiveVeto: At one point Nomura thought of making the game a musical after he saw ''Film/LesMiserables2012''. For better or worse, that was vetoed by Square Enix's higher-ups. Of course, the actual quote was provided second-hand back in 2013, so it's impossible to know if this was actually genuine or just another case of Nomura's trademark quirky humor that got misrepresented, though a [[https://www.khinsider.com/news/Nomura-Shimomura-Joint-Interview-for-KH-Orchestra-8752 2017 interview with KHInsider]] leans more on the latter.
31	--> '''Tetsuya Nomura''': A while ago. When I watched the movie Les Miserables, I thought, "We should do a musical!" But I wanted to incorporate it into a game, not an on-stage production.\
32	'''Yoko Shimumora''': There was a musical number in KINGDOM HEARTS II. That was rough.\
33	'''Nomura''': In Atlantica. But that was a music game. I wanted a musical cutscene.\
34	'''Shimomura''': Thank goodness that never happened... (laughs)\
35	'''Nomura''': Well, I was watching a show the other day, and it had a musical number. It made me want to create a musical, a production where everyone bursts into song.
36	* FakeBrit: Regis, Biggs and Wedge, and Ardyn (American), and Luna (Irish).
37	* FlipFlopOfGod: Hajime Tabata has become infamous for this regarding some contradictory statements he has made, such as the whole issue with the game's story remaining the same.
38	** A recent example is over whether or not Luna would be a GuestStarPartyMember, with it first being claimed that "[Noctis and his friends] would fight alongside her". It has since been revealed that she will not be one.
39	** Tabata also initially stated that the game's story would be kept mostly the same, then in 2015 mentioned that the game's story would be completely different, but elements of ''Versus XIII'' had been kept. After the game released, he then admitted they largely didn't keep much from ''Versus XIII'', just the bare minimum.
40	* GodNeverSaidThat:
41	** For a long time, it was thought that "Archaean" was the term for the summons in ''XV'', due to the intro for ''Episode Duscae'' describing Titan as such. [[http://imgur.com/gallery/rKtj7 It turned out]] "Archaean" was actually the epithet specifically given to Titan, and the ''proper'' collective term is "Astrals".
42	** A ''huge'' stink was raised when Square announced there was going to be day-one patch following the two-month delay, with people accusing the director of lying to them and that the delay from September was now pointless. In reality, these are two very different patches; the patch responsible for the September delay was a substantial, practically required patch that people without good internet services would be pretty screwed without. There were always plans to make even more patches beyond that, the November patch being one of them. Tabata even said this in the ''very same'' press release that announced the delay. But evidently, many fans had overlooked that part.
43	* KeepCirculatingTheTapes: For people who have ''Episode Duscae'' and ''Platinum Demo'' stored in their consoles, it's wise to keep both as it's impossible to download these again as both are unlisted from online stores. It's still possible to redeem unused codes for ''Episode Duscae'' if you're lucky to find one on sale (even if it's indicated that the code had expired), but if you didn't download ''Platinum Demo'' when it was available, there's no way of getting it again.
44	* KillerApp: ''XV'' took the top spot from ''XIII'' as being the fastest-selling ''Final Fantasy'' game ever, and managed to ship five million copies in ''two days''.
45	* MemeAcknowledgment:
46	** For a little while, a meme involving photoshopping in various backgrounds for the guys to look at from the car went around the internet. [[http://www.siliconera.com/2014/10/02/final-fantasy-xv-director-encourages-fans-make-car-memes/ Director Tabata noticed this meme, found it pretty funny, and had official assets released so fans could continue making these memes.]]
47	** Ignis' "That's it! I've come up with a new recipe!" quote has been acknowledged by [[https://twitter.com/ACroasdell/status/811648030881484801 Adam Croasdell]] himself. The other Chocobro voice actors have also acknowledged this in livestreams where they played the game.
48	*** And later by the game itself - if the player ate something during the Moogle Chocobo Carnival or Assassin's Festival DLC, Noctis will say Ignis' line, complete with the accent. This only happens the first time for each food when the player obtains a recipe from eating it.
49	*** ''Episode Ignis'' and Patch 1.20 of the main game, which allows you to play as every member of the party, gives Ignis an ability called "Quick Recipe''h''" that lets him cook meals on the spot.
50	* NoExportForYou:
51	** Want to play the GameWithinAGame ''Justice Monsters Five''? If you live in Asia and outside of Japan, don't bother--the game was only available in the Japanese, European and American Google Play Stores and iOS App Stores. Rumors have it that the Japanese version is available in Asia, but good luck finding it due to the Kanji/Kana title (completely different from the English title) which many people can't even search for without having to install a Japanese keyboard on their devices or knowing what to look for. Not to mention that it's, of course, in Japanese.
52	** The final demo, ''Judgement Disc'', is Japan exclusive, though many have gotten around it via creating Japan PSN accounts or changing their system's region on the [=Xbox=] One version.
53	** The other GameWithinAGame, ''King's Knight: Wrath of the Dark Dragon'', has had the same fate - if you live in Asia and outside of Japan, don't bother. This one's a [[YankTheDogsChain real kick in the groin]] to many Asians outside Japan, since it was advertised in ''XV Pocket Edition'' (which ''is'' available worldwide) with the footnote "Only available in certain regions", and trying to install it only brings you to a Google Play Store/iOS App Store page telling you that it's not available.
54	* TheOtherDarrin:
55	** Due to budget constraints, several characters appearing in ''Anime/KingsglaiveFinalFantasyXV'' do not carry over their respective voice actors to ''XV'': Creator/SeanBean (Regis) is replaced by Jim Pirri; Amy Shiels voices Luna instead of Creator/LenaHeadey; David Gant (Aldercapt) is replaced by Bob Joles; and Adrian Bouchet (Drautos) is replaced by Matthew Waterson.
56	** In Japanese, Luna is voiced by Rina Kitagawa in ''XV'' and ''Brotherhood''; in ''[[Anime/KingsglaiveFinalFantasyXV Kingsglaive]]'' proper, she is voiced by Shiori Kutsuna.
57	* TheOtherMarty: During the game's production, Shinji Ogawa provided the voice for Aldercapt. With Ogawa's hospitalization from pneumonia in late 2014 and death in 2015, however, Creator/ShozoIizuka was brought in to re-record all of his dialogue.
58	* PlayingAgainstType:
59	** Creator/TrevorDevall is usually well known for either two things, goofy sounding or very laid-back characters. Ravus is the complete opposite of being goofy or laid-back.
60	** While Creator/DarinDePaul has played plenty of villains, they're usually deep-voiced, [[TheStoic calm]] and imposing figures. Ardyn, by contrast, is a suave and dramatic schemer.
61	* PortOverdosed: The Pocket Edition's appearance on Platform/MicrosoftWindows [[Platform/IBMPersonalComputer PCs]], despite the platform already getting the proper edition of the game, was thinly justified with the fact that the port was meant for Windows Phone devices; the fact that [=PCs=] could run them because it was written using the Windows UWP API was a bonus and that it would be a boon to fans who want to play the game on the go without having them invest in a beefy gaming laptop, since the Pocket Edition was meant for mobile devices like iOS and Android. But then Square Enix announces that said version will also see a Platform/PlayStation4, Platform/XboxOne and Platform/NintendoSwitch release. The Switch release could also be thinly justified in that the Switch is partially a mobile device, and the Xbox One release could be justified in that it's the same UWP version as the Windows PC and Windows Phone version that was finally tweaked to also support the console. But a [=PS4=] release?
62	* RealSongThemeTune: Music/FlorenceAndTheMachine's rendition of Ben E. King's "Stand By Me" is featured prominently in the soundtrack.
63	* RecursiveAdaptation: ''FFXV'' for consoles -> ''FFXV Pocket Edition'' for mobile devices -> ''FFXV Pocket Edition HD'' for consoles.
64	* TheRedStapler: As they were designed by the fashion brand Roen, Noctis' clothes from earlier trailers were [[http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00469S6I4/ref=redir_mdp_mobile/177-7947328-7360615 for sale]] years before the game even came out!
65	* RefittedForSequel: Or rather, "Refitted For Side Materials"; quite a number of scenes from trailers for ''Versus XIII'' were repurposed for scenes in ''Kingsglaive'' and ''Episode Ardyn''.
66	* SameVoiceTheirEntireLife: Creator/SteveBlum voices 35-year-younger Verstael in ''Episode Ardyn'' with the exact same voice he uses for Older Verstael.
67	* SavedFromDevelopmentHell: Originally named ''Final Fantasy Versus XIII'', the game was announced as a part of the eventually named ''Fabula Nova Crystallis'' saga alongside ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'' (then called ''Agito XIII'') at E3 2006, but changed enough over the years that it was made a separate title entirely. Actual discernible information on the game for a long time after 2006 was very sparse, and up until early 2010, trailers for it only contained CG and cutscene footage. The game languished for so long that the main character's costume hadn't even been finalized until some time in late 2009. Development picked up after the release of ''FFXIII'', and really shifted into gear after its team, also a part of the ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' franchise, fully switched over to it around 2011, where it got a new engine, transitioned from the Platform/PlayStation3 to the Platform/PlayStation4, and Hajime Tabata came on as co-director and eventually sole director when Tetsuya Nomura was taken off the project. E3 2013 confirmed its name change to ''FFXV'', with a few [[BitingTheHandHumor subtle jabs to its own lengthy development cycle]]. The game was finally released on November 29, 2016, over ''a decade'' after its initial announcement.
68	* ScrewedByTheNetwork: The announcement on November 7th, 2018 that all future DLC save for ''Episode Ardyn'', as well as the PC port of ''Comrades'' standalone, was effectively cancelled, as well as the announcement that Hajime Tabata quit Square Enix. The people on board the project promised to try and bring the intended stories, or at least the parts already done, to the audience in "some way, shape or form". These DLC ended up being reformatted into a novel, titled ''Dawn of the Future''.
69	* SerialNumbersFiledOff: ''XV''[='=]s mythos basically has the same thematic base and design elements as ''XIII''[='=]s and ''Type-0''[='=]s, but with completely original lore and without the specific terminology (e.g., "Fal'cie" and "L'cie"). According to Tabata, this was to ensure ''XV'' could stand on its own without being associated with ''XIII''.
70	* TrollingCreator: Pre-release, Tabata made promises that were confirmed to be a matter of ExactWords.
71	** In regards to concerns regarding Luna, he promised that Luna was a heroine that wouldn't need saving. [[spoiler: Players found out this meant that they ''can't'' save her from her fate.]]
72	** When asked about whether Nyx from ''Anime/KingsglaiveFinalFantasyXV'' would have a role, Tabata promised that Nyx's presence would be felt. [[spoiler:Nyx appears among Ardyn's [[CreepySouvenir lifeless replicas in the throne room at the end of the game.]]]]
73	* TroubledProduction: In 2006, Creator/SquareEnix announced ''Final Fantasy Versus XIII'', which was planned to be a [=PS3=] exclusive game. The game's development didn't really get very far in the years to come, and the title was still in the pre-production phase by 2011. News of its progress was sparse as ''Versus XIII'' consistently abstained from game exhibitions, and rumours of its cancellation began to spread. In 2013, the production team announced that the game would now be developed for the Platform/{{PS4}} and Platform/XboxOne (rather than the originally intended [=PS3=]), and was to be retitled as ''Final Fantasy XV''. A year later, it was announced that Creator/TetsuyaNomura would be stepping down as the game's director to instead direct ''Kingdom Hearts III'', and would be replaced by Hajime Tabata. Tabata, citing the game's decade-long stay in DevelopmentHell, resolved to complete the project before the end of 2016[[note]]Supposedly, it's actually all but confirmed that it was contractual obligation that lead to them being forced to complete the game by the end of 2016 and that deadline could not be extended past December.[[/note]] leading to a number of changes to the game's established story, characters and gameplay. The game was then set to be released on September 30, 2016, but was later delayed again to November 29, 2016. [[http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1233181&page=1 An early leak from June 2016]] indicates that the script was still undergoing significant changes only months before the game was released.
74	* UrbanLegendOfZelda: An early patch slightly changed the final scene in the ending; originally [[spoiler:Lunafreya]] shed a single tear, but after the patch they don't. This evolved into fan theories about the player being able to ''cause'' this change, depending on which picture they took with them to the final boss and/or how they responded to Luna's journals during the game. It also sparked rumors over if there are other slightly different ending scenes that could be triggered by meeting unknown requirements.
75	* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
76	** According to [[WordOfGod Director]] Creator/TetsuyaNomura, ''XV'' came from a discarded concept for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII.''
77	** Nomura was at one point considering making it into a ''musical'' after seeing ''[[Film/LesMiserables2012 Les Misérables]]''. For better or worse, the higher-ups managed to sway him away from that idea.
78	** Because of the change in directors and platforms, many gameplay elements (such as switching between characters, riding mechs, etc) and potential plot points (e.g. Noctis being the only character capable of using magic) seen in the older trailers [[http://www.siliconera.com/2015/06/04/final-fantasy-xv-is-not-final-fantasy-versus-xiii-any-more-says-director/ have been changed]]; Hajime Tabata, the game's current director, goes so far as to state that ''XV'' ultimately isn't the same game as ''Versus XIII'', because so much has changed compared to the original concept. The biggest example is "Stella Nox Fleuret". Stella seemed as though she was going to play a very prominent and active role throughout the game, being what appeared to be a combined LoveInterest ''and'' [[TheRival Rival]] to Noctis. In the final version of the game she has been reimagined as Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, arguably a MinorMajorCharacter, having only a handful of appearances through the game, some of them being in flashbacks. That and the fact that every piece of post-rebranding media, [[spoiler:including the ''Episode Duscae'' [[TheStinger stinger]],]] portrays the character as much more of a hero in the story's conflicts than the active antagonist and fighter seen in the early trailers, a notion that Tabata's comments essentially confirm.
79	** The 2011 TGS trailer (when the game was still intended for the [=PS3=] and called ''Versus XIII'') placed a large focus on Noct & company being caught in the middle of Niflheim's invasion of Insomnia, the Crown City of Lucis, which provided a number of action set-pieces. Post-rebranding material, particularly the 2014 TGS trailer, the 2015 Jump Festa trailer and the ''Episode Duscae'' stinger, all posit that the crew has instead already left the city when the invasion goes down, which Tabata later confirmed, meaning that a lot of the sequences in the 2011 trailer have been scrapped or possibly re-purposed - even the "party scene", featured so prominently in earlier material, is no longer in the game. [[spoiler:And, of course, the full content of the ''Duscae'' stinger, when taken together with the other material, suggests this change greatly affects the tone of the wider story - from the personal, "gangland"-esque conflict of the early trailers, to a story more about trying to salvage something out of tragedy and disaster.]]
80	** Lucis's worshipping of TheGrimReaper was originally ''much'' more explicit (to the point of it being a ''theme'' in the game). However, Tabata had to tone it down due to age-rating concerns in certain countries.
81	** Ignis originally had a middle name, ''Stupeo'' (Latin for "to amaze"), but it was dropped for unknown reasons.[[note]]One lore possibility is that the only other characters in the story with 3 names are of royal bloodlines, and Ignis would be the seemingly random exception to that. Another is that the development staff realized how easily the name could be mocked by fans into something along the lines of "Stupido", and wanted to avoid that.[[/note]]
82	** Creator/RayChase almost lost the role of Noctis after the ''Duscae'' demo, but managed to keep it after being allowed to re-audition.
83	** A character relationship chart in the collector's edition of the official strategy guide reveals that Clarus Amicitia was originally named "Cralias" [[note]]It's also possible that this is just a butchered spelling of "Clarus"[[/note]] and used an updated version of [[https://i.redditmedia.com/zsSV2RFA_Yoh32eUaUwn3taynfPjss4MAD5E7UsPeyg.jpg?w=320&s=f0016193947ad96c4d214a13d0c43514 his 2013 design]] as the picture representing him. The same chart also appears to reveal that Weskham got a RaceLift sometime during development, as in the chart he is depicted as a Caucasian man.
84	** There are quite a few noticeable differences between ''Versus XIII'' and the final product.
85	*** [[http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/e/e7/Prince_gang.JPG/revision/latest?cb=20130611094713 Noctis and the gang had different outfits]], Prompto originally had a shotgun instead of dual wielding pistols, Noctis and the gang were present during the invasion of Insomnia, and Emperor Aldercapt appeared to have a more significant presence. The game was also going to have been much more violent, with blood spraying from enemies whenever struck, and one shot in an early trailer had Noctis perform a NeckSnap on an Imperial soldier.
86	*** In addition to the different outfits, there were some physical differences too. Noctis and Prompto's AnimeHair was downplayed, and Gladiolus was less buff and didn't have his tattoos.
87	*** The vehicles (including the Regalia) was originally driven with the steering wheel being located on the right side of the driver's seat before they, after a long discussion, opted to have all of their steering wheels be switched on the left side.
88	** In the ''Episode Duscae'' demo, Gladiolus shared Prompto's interest in Cindy. In the final game, it's only ever brought up once, and Gladio could very well just be messing with him anyway.
89	--->'''Prompto''': Man, I love how passionate Cindy gets when she talks about cars.\
90	'''Gladio''': Yeah, it's actually pretty cute.\
91	'''Prompto''': What? Dude, could you ''not''?\
92	'''Gladio''': Not ''what''?
93	** Ignis's secondary weapon was originally a [[KatanasAreJustBetter katana]]. In the final game, the katana was given to Cor while Ignis was given a lance.
94	** The "SAF" markings seen on imperial dropships are a reference to "Safay Roth", a prototype of Ardyn who was dropped during development. They kept the markings, though "to honor the famous generals that existed".
95	** The photos in the game were originally going to have been taken by the player manually, with Noctis using his phone for it. In the final game, Prompto took the role of the photographer. Patch 1.04 added in players being able to take their own photos as well.
96	** Noctis's eye color was supposed to turn red when he "sees the light of expiring souls". In the final game, this happens when he summons an Astral.
97	** Some weapons were heavily redesigned, e.g. the ones used in ''Episode Duscae'' had an Arthurian naming motif to them.
98	** In ''Versus XIII'', [[http://www.usgamer.net/articles/hajime-tabata-making-prompto-a-photographer-made-him-seem-more-likable Cor was originally intended to be a permanent party member]]. However, they decided to focus on the relationship between the four friends, as they were all in the same age range and had a history with each other, and dialed Cor back to a mentor-like role. In addition, his age was originally [[JustForFun/FortyTwo 42]]--an unlucky number in Japan, perhaps hinting that he would meet a tragic end. In the final game, his age is given as 45.
99	** Prompto initially had a patch on his jacket with the words "It's a beautiful day. Now watch some bastard fuck it up". In the final product, "fuck" was replaced with "mess".
100	** Before ''Versus XIII'' was decided to be ''Final Fantasy XV'', Eidos Montreal was commissioned by Square-Enix to create the next ''XV'' game, which would have made it the first western developed FF game. It was given the name "Project W" and has a space-opera RPG premise to Star Ocean with Final Fantasy elements and features a lost love triangle between a female character named Nova and an unnamed female warrior. The premise was rejected by Square-Enix higher-ups for "not being Final Fantasy enough". It was repurposed to be a new IP called "Project Nova" before, ironically, facing the same ExecutiveMeddling the Versus XIII/XV teams had, leading to a soft cancelation in 2013. Rumors of this project were circulating for the past years before the developers, unhappy that years of hard work went down the drain, leaked out the details to a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wl6mG3U4vaY game jounalist]]. A former Eidos Montreal Art Director [[https://game-news24.com/2022/05/21/eidos-montreal-once-worked-on-a-final-fantasy-game-entitled-project-w/ would later confirm the rumor.]]
101	** According to character designer Robert Ferrari, Gentiana, Umbra, and Pryna changed concepts during the plot's transition. Gentiana was originally Stella's messenger, serving as the connection point between Tenebrae and Niflheim. Umbra and Pryna would've been able to transform between human and dog forms, appearing as ninja-type characters.
102	** There are still some remnants of ''Versus XIII'' in the final game, primarily in the form of references to a one-winged Goddess. The [[https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/8/8a/FFXV_Genesis.png Genesis Painting]] depicts a one-winged divine woman standing above all other figures, [[https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/finalfantasy/images/e/e1/Regis.jpg/revision/latest/zoom-crop/width/240/height/240?cb=20160526040246 Regis's crown]] seems to be a similarly shaped wing, and all of the Glaives' hoods have a similar headpiece; the official crest of the Lucian royal family is [[https://img.etsystatic.com/il/fd7941/1181643803/il_570xN.1181643803_1x6d.jpg?version=0 a skull with a wing.]] With WordOfGod having confirmed that Lucians were originally going to worship the Grim Reaper, many fans have concluded that in early versions of the game's story, Etro, the goddess of death from the ''Fabula Nova Crystallis'' mythos was going to play a big role. While the official current story is that the woman in the painting is the Oracle, it begs the question of why someone whose role is in communicating with the Astrals, be placed above them and not alongside a Lucian King?
103	** Ignis's episode of the ''Brotherhood'' anime originally would've involved him discovering Noctis and Prompto hanging out downtown during exam season and telling them off, before beating down a group of delinquents who had threatened the two, shocking them.
104	** Three DLC episodes were announced only to be scrapped, focusing on Aranea, Lunafreya, and Noctis. One remnant of these projects is a concept design for [[https://i.imgur.com/YMFX2Mw.png a new outfit & weapon for Aranea]] in her planned episode. These DLC have since been reformatted into a novel, titled ''Dawn of the Future''.
105	** The production crew tried to run the game's Luminous Engine on the Platform/NintendoSwitch, but the system couldn't handle it well enough.
106	** The PC port was going to have an expanded suite of modding tools along with the other [=DLC=]s. Unfortunately, along with the [=DLC=]s, the expansions to the modding tools were scrapped.
107	** After the release of the game, an event by Square Enix was held and [[https://imgur.com/a/CaY6Sx1 a collection of storyboards by Roberto Ferrari]] was shown. Photos of the collection were leaked onto the internet and showed several images of Stella engaging in various activities with Gentiana and Noctis, one of which had the two of them speaking by phone. Other images included a look at a possible finalized outfit for her and hints of her discovering something that made her pause. Also among these storyboards were several characters not shown within the finalized game, but had either shown up in older trailers, or had been confirmed by Ferrari beforehand, such as a look at Umbra’s human form, and a man believed to be Iedolas's son (who was eventually reincorporated into the ''Dawn of the Future'' novel). The images with Gentiana also showcased her original design that Ferrari had alluded to along with Umbra's human form, which involved a black Niflheim uniform with her left arm in white armor. Several images of the Leviathan fight also shows an increased focus on the Imperial soldiers fighting against the sea serpent as well, along with the presumed aftermath of the fight shown in more detail, as Noctis and friends are seen in another image surrounded by citizens of Altissia.
108	** In the months before the initial September release, a leak on 4chan revealed many details about the game's development that shows the team was even more troubled than initially expected. As detailed in the link above in TroubledProduction, the game originally had Ardyn transform into a monster form for the final battle, there were several Noctis and Luna flashbacks that they cut because they couldn't find a place for them, Regis' ghost was actually going to feature within the game rather than in just the final FMV. One detail, in particular, that was revealed was that there was no finalized script for the final build of the game, only a very rough script that kept changing every four months, even as the game approached its originally intended release date. The leak was found to be genuine and both [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwm6U0t6xDM the Platinum Demo]] and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUCen87lWUM the pre-patched out of bounds Insomnia areas]], [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1CRjKAKnkSs as well as PD Altissia]] showed major changes and differences between them that lend even more credence to it.
109	** The World of Eos used to be a [[https://i.imgur.com/FurR53s.gif huge continent]] and while it had a few changes during production, Lucis and Niflheim were still neighbors, and Accordo was connected to Niflheim via train. In [[https://i.imgur.com/YkIoUtv.png another old map]], there are two roads in Ravatough leading to Niflheim and Accordo. Some observant players [[https://i.imgur.com/jcbc8Wd.jpg discovered by comparing the old and current maps]] that the developers, forced to [[DummiedOut trim down Accordo and Niflheim]] due to the CosmicDeadline and story rewrites, separated Lucis and Niflheim into two continents and Accordo was repositioned then drowned so only Altissia and a few islands were left. Doing an OOB glitch will show some bridges in Niflheim that go nowhere or cut off and train tracks that [[https://imgur.com/A6Rqxa8 go to the water]], supporting this.
110	** A few trailers show that the Regalia can drive off-road but this was removed due to feedback from worried players about driving the car like a GTA player would and crashing everywhere. This functionality was brought back with the Regalia Type-D.
111	** It's been known for years that Lunafreya was supposed to be playable but was scrapped for unknown reasons, which earned many players' ire. She was again planned to be playable in the Royal Edition as data miners found out but it was decided that she will be saved for the DLC, and everyone knows [[ScrewedByTheNetwork how that worked out.]] Someone also managed to piece together Lunafreya's coding to make her work in the main game, and [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPmsihSpBgY&t=26s this]] is how she fights if she had been playable.
112	** Luminous Productions published one of their CEDEC presentations a UI prototype for the game, which shows a [[https://imgur.com/tfd2qN9 diegetic design]] similar to the one shown in the ''Versus XIII'' trailers.
113	** As confirmed by Creator/Tatsuhisa Suzuki and early gameplay footage for ''Versus XIII'', originally Noctis and friends were still in Insomnia when Niflheim invaded, and players would begin the game attempting to escape the city. However, due to budgetary concerns, this part was converted into a film called ''Anime/KingsglaiveFinalFantasyXV'' and Noctis was replaced with the SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute Nyx Ulric.
114	* WordOfGod:
115	** The English cast stated that they had two main takes for the Cup Noodles sidequest, a serious one, and a satirical one. To add to the NarmCharm of going beyond the call of duty for the perfect cup of Instant Ramen, they went with the satirical, sarcastic take.
116	** The short artbook at the end of the ''Dawn of the Future'' novel shows what would've been some aspects of the [=DLCs=] had they been finished (such as Episode Aranea being the more action-oriented than the main game, and what Sol was going to look like before and after the TimeSkip).
117	* WorkingTitle: Technically speaking, ''Final Fantasy Versus XIII''.

Context Trivia / FinalFantasyXV