Square Enix has confirmed that Final Fantasy XV will arrive on September 30th 2016, for both PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Square Enix made the announcement Wednesday evening (March 30) during a huge gala event held at the Shrine Auditorium theater in Los Angeles, hosted by Greg Miller and Tim Gettys from Kinda Funny Games.

The boys are back in town

Final Fantasy XV’s journey into fruition, an actual tangible playable piece of software, has been about as epic as the scope of the stories for which the series is known.

Originally envisioned as part of the Final Fantasy XIII universe, the game was meant to be the counterpart to the journey of Final Fantasy XIII’s protagonist Lightning and was previously known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII.

In 2013 Square Enix reintroduced the game, re-tooled and re-titled as a true successor in the main Final Fantasy series. Today, ten years after the initial revelation of the concepts that eventually became the Final Fantasy XV that we know today.

Series founding father Hinronobu Sakaguchi kicked things off by talking about conversations he had with the current director for Final Fantasy XV, assuring the 6,000 attendees and thousands streaming online that the series was in good hands and that with this latest entry, the series “has rediscovered its true nature.”

The Final Fantasy XV celebration didn’t begin and end with just the long-awaited release date. Square Enix is just getting the hype machine into full gear for the latest installment in the Final Fantasy universe.

Two new movie projects to flesh out the backstory of Final Fantasy XV were revealed. The first is a five-episode anime series entitled Final Fantasy XV: Brotherhood that will be available for free online. The series is set to give insight into how the four heroes of the game met and became friends. The first episode of Final Fantasy XV: Brotherhood is available online starting tonight.

The second film is a full-length feature length CG movie, Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive. Featuring the voice acting talents of Sean Bean and Aaron Paul, Final Fantasy XV: Kingsglaive will show the events occurring within the kingdom during the events of your journey. No firm date has been set for the film other than sometime in 2016.

Films are great, but what about getting your hands down and dirty with some game play? Square Enix has us covered with that as well. A new demo, Final Fantasy XV Platinum Demo follows the game’s protagonist, Noctis during his childhood. The demo gives players a chance to test out some of the new systems that they will encounter during the main game, as well as allowing you to team up with an adorable fuzzy creature named Carbunkle. The best part about this demo is that it’s free and available right this very second to download on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One!

Two special editions were announced for the true Final Fantasy XV enthusiast.

The Deluxe Edition of Final Fantasy XV will include a lovely steel-book case with original Yoshitaka Amano artwork. A physical copy of Final Fantasy XV: Kingslgaive and bonus DLC content round out the collection.

But what if you are a true, true mega collector, demanding only the finest of things?

That’s where the Final Fantasy XV: Ultimate Collector’s Edition comes in.

In addition to the content included with the Deluxe Edition, the Ultimate Collector’s Edition will also include an artbook, a statue of Noctis, a special edition soundtrack, even more bonus DLC, and I believe a special edition Final Fantasy XV kitchen sink. (Okay, maybe not that last one)

Only 30,000 units of the Final Fantasy XV Ultimate Collector’s Edition will be produced worldwide and it will be available exclusively at Square Enix’s online store starting Wednesday evening.

Square Enix is also commissioning some special music in honor of Final Fantasy XV. A special cover of the classic, Stand By Me is being recorded by Florence and the Machine, and will serve as a theme for the game.

While we will have to reserve judgement on Final Fantasy XV until after its September 30th release date, it’s clear that the series is ready to come back in a big way.

Are you excited for Final Fantasy XV? Or do you think the series is past its prime? Let us know in the comments section below.

Written by The Watchman

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