Resident Evil Requiem’s returning hero Leon Kennedy has set hearts aflutter the world over since the game’s Feb. 27 release, inspiring countless memes and compilation videos dedicated to his forty-something hunkiness. Even official social media accounts from the likes of Xbox and Nintendo are getting in on the trend. If you’re among the folks who find Leon’s shift from pretty boy to manly man captivating, you’re in luck. There’s a game out there that gives you four times the glow-up: 2016’s Final Fantasy 15.
The story begins when Prince Noctis and his three best friends embark on a road trip ahead of Noctis’s wedding. As is customary in a Final Fantasy game, world-threatening calamity strikes after a few hours of adventurous hijinks. With his friends by his side, Noctis must acquire the powers of the world’s Astrals (OK fine, they’re summons) in order to overthrow the mysterious and charismatic villain who’s usurped his throne.
Ahead of the release of Final Fantasy 15, series fans were pretty annoyed by the prospect of an all-dude main cast. Throughout the game, the core party members never change: Noctis is always accompanied by his meathead bodyguard Gladio, the chipper photographer Prompto, and the fussy chef Ignis. For a series known for its many iconic women, FF15’s party seemed like a missed opportunity on paper.
In practice, the group manages to feel more like a real group of friends than the parties in any other Final Fantasy game before or since. Whether you’re exploring on foot or traversing the vast landscapes in Noctis’s convertible, these boys are constantly yapping, teasing each other, referencing events from their shared childhoods, talking about places they want to visit, or singing songs. It’s the first game in the series to make extensive use of non-essential open-world dialogue, which the Final Fantasy 7 remakes have built upon to great effect. Despite early skepticism, fans adored the group once they got their hands on the game, and began to affectionately refer to them as “the Chocobros.”
The friendships between the guys ebb and flow as their adventure unfolds, and there are plenty of juicy spoilers I won’t dive into here. But at one point, there’s an extensive time skip, and I don’t mean spending several nights in a row at the inn. The story resumes after nearly a decade, and suddenly everyone is older — and mostly hotter. (I personally do not agree with Prompto’s facial hair choices, but your mileage may vary.)
Noctis gets the most noticeable upgrade of all, with his host-club hairstyle giving way to a wolfy shag, his poreless cheeks shaded with stubble. It’s every bit as good as Leon’s new look for Requiem, only this game is 10 years older. Noctis may not have the bulging biceps of Mr. Kennedy, but his face card never declines. Plus, he is somehow able to store the realm’s 15 Legendary Weapons in his butt, so that’s gotta count for something.
A notoriously ambitious project that shifted focus several times over the course of development, Final Fantasy 15 launched in a somewhat unfinished state, and the final hours feel far more linear and railroaded than the open-world exploration of the early sections. Subsequent releases like 2018’s Royal Edition have softened those rough edges with additional content. It’s still a flawed game in some respects: the combat can feel chaotic, the consumable-driven magic system is frankly annoying, and the quick-time events overstay their welcome. But the high points rival those of the very best installments of the series, the soundtrack by the legendary Yoko Shimomura is packed wall-to-wall with bangers, and the characters really are unforgettable. (I challenge you to make it through the infamous campfire scene without shedding a wistful tear.)
If you’ve just finished Resident Evil Requiem and are looking to spend a few dozen hours with a group of good-looking guys who, like Leon S. Kennedy, age like fine wine, you could do a lot worse than Final Fantasy 15. It’s not currently part of any subscription service, but it’s available on PlayStation 4, Windows PC, and Xbox One.
