Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV Episode 1 Thoughts

©Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

If you’ve been keeping up with all the exciting news that’s been dropped regarding Final Fantasy XV recently, then you undoubtedly know that there is an anime being released in parts to expand on the story of the game itself. Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV’s first episode was released via free streaming the same night of the Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event. Subsequent episodes will release over time as we approach the September 30th release date of the game, totaling in 5 episodes with a run-time of about ten minutes each (plus a bonus 6th episode to come with the Ultimate Edition of the game). This show is designed to be a prequel to the game, developing the premise behind Noctis and company’s story and relationship with each other. Keep in mind that I’m trying to keep spoilers out of this, so just go and watch the episode!

©Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

The first episode begins with a flashback scene of Noctis as a child, then flashes to the ‘present’ time. It shows some bonding time between the guys at a few locales, helping to establish each character’s personality while showing the beginnings of what will surely be an extremely strong bond. I really enjoyed the antics that happen between them, and there is just enough background presented in the short episode that helps set the tone quite effectively. It ends in a fun battle that helps to show off each character’s abilities to an extent. I admit that the amount of variety and fun they were able to pack into ten minutes is actually quite impressive.

©Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.

Since it’s in Japanese, there are already English subtitles for the episodes. The voice acting is actually pretty good. I really enjoyed the animation quality and style, except for one thing: cgi. There are a couple of things that are clearly CGI rather than hand-drawn, and they stick out like a sore thumb in what’s otherwise a really beautiful show.

Overall, this is a nice taste of what’s to come and it certainly has me excited for the rest of the series. It sets the tone for the quality of the Final Fantasy XV Universe, which means we have plenty to look forward to!

​- Teepu

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"Before The Storm" - Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV Episode 1

Final Fantasy XV Official Site: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com