On the day of its release, I bought Final Fantasy 15, something I haven’t done since in my late teens. The series always held a cherished station in my youth; the series’ 6th entry was as close to a masterpiece as my adolescent mind could grasp. After the 8th entry for the Playstation, I only managed to play a handful of the sequels and always long after their initial release.
For those unversed in final Fantasy and RPGs in general, the games require a colossal commitment of time and energy to complete. The worlds and missions making up each game can be broad and comprehensive; these are games for the steadfast. Yet, the payoff can be substantial. During my 60 hour play-throughs, I have developed connections to some of the characters rivaled by those cultivated while reading fine works of fantasy and science fiction.
Once the game arrived, I popped it into the Playstation and was greeted by a 3-hour download to patch the game. Mind you, this is the day of its release. No problem; let me check my work email.
Damn, four requests for recommendation letters. Let me start crafting those pieces now while I wait. I can’t believe this student asked me to write a letter on his behalf based on his recent output. How do I spin “poor work ethic and dedication” in a positive and laudatory manner?
Ah, the patch has downloaded. Time to get into the game! What wondrous realms does Square-Enix have in store for me?
My daughter does not like that toy. No Indra, please don’t throw it at the window! Here, hand it to me. I can turn it on. You don’t have to throw a fit.
Back to the game. I wonder if this version will be linear like Final Fantasy 13. Well, it already feels different than previous games in the series; driving along in a convertible in a southwest themed American-like city. This looks awfully nice on the eyes.
Is that the baby crying? I had best make her a bottle. How can a person so small eat so much? No Indra, you can’t sit on daddy when he is feeding your sister. No…calm down! I will play with you after she is done eating. Here, go fetch this ball.
Don’t chase the cat Indra! I don’t think you would like for the cat to grab you and pinch your face. As I just said, I will play with you once I am done feeding your sister.
The frames of animation connected to my character standing in a static location look pretty pleasant.
Let’s feed the cat Indra. Don’t you like to do that? Ok, slowly pour the food into her bowl…. wait, not that much! She can’t eat that much food, she will get sick. We need to pick all that food up and put it back in the bag.
Wow, you can cook in Final Fantasy! You earn experience points doing so in fact. I quite like those little details; makes you feel like this world is lived in. Speaking of cooking, I should probably start making dinner. Spicy ramen sounds good. Wait, Indra hates anything spicy. I guess we can just cook macaroni and cheese again.
Ok Indra, it is time to brush your teeth and get ready for bed. What do you mean “no”? If you don’t brush your teeth we can’t read a book. Here, do you want to hold the brush or should daddy do it? Don’t spit on the carpet, please.
Are you sure you want to read Halloween Jack again? Halloween was months ago and that book offers little more than a few outsized cartoon eyes on each page. Fine, we will read this book. Stop crying.
Now that the kids are in bed, I can finally dive into this game. Maybe I will crack a beer before starting. Damn, I forgot that I had an early morning meeting. I should probably save my progress and try again this weekend.
Total playtime: 6 hours
Battles fought: 1
In-game meals cooked: 1
Achievements earned: 0
Roland Dodds is an educator, researcher and father just north of San Francisco who writes about politics, culture and education. He spent his formative years in radical left wing politics, but now prefers the company of contrarians of all political stripes (assuming they aren't teetotalers). He is a regular contributor at Harry's Place and Ordinary Times.
“How do I spin “poor work ethic and dedication” in a positive and laudatory manner?”
You don’t. “I’m sorry, I’m unable to give you a positive recommendation.”
As to FF, dude, I think you’re playing the wrong type of game. Maybe a game where you can get in and out quick if you need to? FPS games maybe? That’s one reason why I gave up on MMORPGs. I no longer had the time commitment to give large blocks of time to the game.
Either different games or block the time. Sunday am from 6am to 9 is “Dad’s game time”. Perhaps that would work.
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