Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire
By Neilie Johnson,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Ugly, dull strategy betrays Final Fantasy franchise.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this app.
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire
Community Reviews
Based on 14 parent reviews
Racist developers
Report this review
Arrogant
Report this review
What’s It About?
FINAL FANTASY XV: A NEW EMPIRE draws on Final Fantasy XV's setting without borrowing much of its story. It simply casts you as Noctis, the moody prince of the kingdom of Lucis, and saddles you with the task of building your empire from the ground up. You do this by repeatedly tapping buttons and watching timers, as well as joining guilds so you can share resources with guild members. As your empire grows, so does your power; once your power's high enough, you can go forth and attack other empires.
Is It Any Good?
The app store text for this strategy app calls it "the largest open world MMO in the series," so it's funny then that it feels so small. Final Fantasy games are huge in scale, and fans of them have come to expect hundreds of hours of gameplay with super-model heroes, gorgeous graphics, and complex storylines. Final Fantasy XV: A New Empire gives them none of this, and because of it, is highly disappointing.
The first thing you'll notice is how ugly it is. Compared to Final Fantasy's film-quality, over-the-top graphics, everything here is blocky, plain, and ugly. Gameplay is equally boring. The app does almost nothing to explain your overall objective or your means of achieving it, and the in-game chat is full of people asking for help. (It's also full of crude, immature players answering with sexist and homophobic remarks.) All you can do is perform an endless stream of tedious, repetitive build "quests." As the resource numbers tick up, you might mix things up by tapping to upgrade a hero's skill or sending your army to attack another empire, but it's all so abstract. No heart-stopping battles or nail-biting suspense here; the most fun you'll have is watching mean-spirited idiots call each other rude names in chat (or watching your money disappear into the in-game shop.) A New Empire ultimately betrays the Final Fantasy brand, offering none of its visual wonder and precious little fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about brand loyalty. Will you buy anything, regardless of quality, as long as it has your favorite brand name on it?
Think about online social strategy games. Do you like being dependent on other players for success?
Discuss how media-based experiences change according to their platform. Is Final Fantasy the same on a phone as it is on a big-screen TV?
App Details
- Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Android
- Pricing structure: Free (Contains optional in-game purchases.)
- Release date: June 28, 2017
- Category: Strategy Games
- Topics: Adventures, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Robots
- Publisher: Epic Action LLC
- Version: 3.25.77
- Minimum software requirements: Requires iOS 8.0 or later, Android
- Last updated: September 9, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Download
Our Editors Recommend
Best Strategy Game Apps
Great Games That Teach Strategy
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate