Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn

Final Fantasy XV's final chapter goes out with less than a bang.

A good final DLC episode for Final Fantasy XV, although it's not without its blemishes.

Episode Ardyn is a decent farewell to the world of Final Fantasy XV, but it could have been better. Devouted fans probably won't be disappointed, but for everyone else, it's safely skippable.

Final Fantasy XV: Episode Ardyn closes the book on Final Fantasy XV by giving us some much needed insight into it’s main villain. I really enjoyed seeing the alternate perspective on events and wish more stories would use this form of story telling. The episode will take you around 2 hours to beat but you can easily double that if you want to see and do everything on offer in the episode, such as finding and beating the secret boss.

I know a director isn’t the be-all end-all of a development project, and the idea of videogame “auteurs” has been romanticised to a ridiculous degree in this industry. That said, given that this is the first (and last) major release for the game without Tabata on board, his absence was notable. At no point was the game ever broken, it’s execution was definitely “competent,” it just felt incredibly uninspired. Even the story, arguably the biggest draw-card given the overall mysteriousness of Ardyn in the main game, was cryptically conveyed. Maybe it could be put down to a “B-team” in the studio working on this last piece while their new IP is in the works, or a new director trying to find their groove in the wake of their predecessor. It’s certainly not a knock-out, however, and I’d only really recommend playing this for the sake of completion.

Episode Ardyn is the best gift the development team could give to the fans. It is bittersweet and digs deeper into the history of Ardyn as he transforms from a savior of the people to a villain starting the end of the world leading to Final Fantasy XV.

A passable conclusion that provides a degree of closure to fans who gave stuck with the game since the beginning. What it lacks in quality it kind of makes up for in lore.

Final Fantasy XV Episode Ardyn marks the end of Final Fantasy XV and what a high note to end on. Taking control of the game's antagonist Ardyn and showing how the betrayed former king was corrupted provides the much-needed context that fans have been yearning for. Like the previous episodic expansions Final Fantasy XV Episode Ardyn fills in the gaps left empty in the core campaign. Episode Ardyn is a short but meaningful adventure that shows how Ardyn fell from grace.