Interesting. Apart from the never-ending Nomura-vs.-Tabata soap opera, this leak almost seems too good to be true. XD
First, the versus you always dreamed (me included) was just our perception of that teasers and concepts they were releasing. The reality is that the versus XIII you wanted is what you get BUT what they compiled in one game, then they had to cut so much things to reestructure everything to get it in one game. The main core and tone for the story was ALWAYS THE SAME. Blame that teasers for what we created, the game was always meant to be a journey with his friends for recovering the crystal. The nights getting longer, the darkness itself, daemons and experiments WERE ALWAYS THE CORE OF THE STORY IN VERSUS XIII.
This is definitely the impression I got and the argument I've been making since FFXV came out.
Parts of this can, of course, be drawn from the parts of the old promotional materials that went overlooked in favor of the flashier elements. The concept of a road movie-style journey with friends to recover the Crystal was first discussed by Nomura a decade ago.
Other elements were never discussed outright, but they practically scream "Nomura." The combination of a dark force of nature and scientific experimentation into an apocalyptic threat is practically Nomura's signature move. The lengthening nights could go either way, but it's entirely plausible that Nomura would go for that.
Please FORGET about that FF Versus XV or wathever, ITS TOTALLY FAKE.
I've felt this way since the first time I ever heard the name "Final Fantasy Versus XV." XD;
1. Etro was changed not by Tabatas team, that was a company decision because since it was a numbered title they did not want to preserve an entity (she barely appeared in the story until the very end) that was related to the death and the sacrifice of people. The ring was originally from Etro.
Thats why they created the old kings to substitute her, or I should say "created" since they did existing but had other role, they simply assumed the Etros role because of the company.
While it's entirely believable that Etro was originally intended to be the source of the ring, it seems rather odd that Squenix would have taken exception to the idea of a deity linked to death and human sacrifice when FFXV is still all about death and human sacrifice, and the Lucii in their present form are entities whose roles revolve around death and human sacrifice.
...not that Squenix is a stranger to bizarre means of ensuring their desired rating (*glares in the general direction of KHII*), but still. =P
2. Stella, she was just the plot device for Noctis and other character (that will upset you) to fulfill their destiny. She dies early in the story and like Luna THEY NEVER EVER seeing again each other after the party. Luna in fact respected LOT OF STELLA, MORE THAN YOU THINK. The thing is when she dies, I was not told how, is when it comes into the story the next change or in this case OMISSION.
Well, this would certainly explain some of the things Tabata said about the Stella-Luna shift. If the character was doomed to die in order to passively influence Noct anyway, giving her more agency in her fate would have been an obvious improvement.
3. The world of dreams. Thats a part of the narrative where Noctis could talk with certain characters such as Regis and Stella through his dreams, the point of that was Noctis to question himself about what was real or a dream while they were supporting him. He was able to talk dead people while he was sleeping and Stella was a constant until the end. Was he dreaming all the time? What is really real? That was part of the versus magic that got lost and was SO important for Nomura. Tabata wanted to simplify the story to its limits.
Remove almost completely because they considering it so convoluting and non sense since they wanted a non complicated linear story.
Hah, it's hard to think of anything more Nomura than that. He's been toying with the idea of blurring the line between dreams and reality in Kingdom Hearts since that series began, so it wouldn't be surprising in the slightest if he wanted to draw that concept out further in Versus.
And, interestingly, FFXV as it exists does offer some hints as to where the concept of the world of dreams might have remained, most notably in the Platinum Demo (which is connected to Noct's near-death experience), in Luna's death scene, and, weirdly enough, in the Moogle-Chocobo Carnival.
4. LUPUS NOX FLEURET. (What a casuality no one of the fake leakers named him...) he was originally the Stella's brother and he was THE OTHER CHOSEN ONE. But due to this reestructure, I personally hate what they did but at the same time I understand, he had to be severely downgraded and they fused part of him with other member of the Empire. Then Ravus was born.
One of the plot twist that the game would have is that supposedly all the crystals were dead but in the last act you get to know Lupus had been used the ring to get the (his) crystals power before it got dead. And yes, Ardyn fucked every single crystal, and yes, in the final battle Noctis and Lupus fight together against Ardyn using their rings.
Nomuras team are so upset by that decission particularly, Lupus is/was one of the favourite Nomuras character. Ravus is everything Lupus was based on character, design, personality, goals and all except he is not a chosen one and he was treated like shit.
* I suppose there was at least two more chosen but I was not told about them and I just want to say what is 1000% official.
That... name. It's probably the least believable part of this whole leak, because Ravus sounds so much more consistent with the other known Versus names.
The idea that Stella's brother had another ring and ended up being redeemed just in time to fight the final boss is entirely plausible given Nomura's favored tropes, though.
5. Ardyn. A character that was respected was Ardyn at least a great porcentage, he was not only Lucis Caelum but Fleuret too. Because of the obvious reestructure of Tabatas FFXV with just one chosen they had to make what they did. He was the first chosen and he just wanted to kill every single crystal.
I'm guessing that Ardyn being both Lucis Caelum and Fleuret was meant to explain his Oracle-like Starscourge-removing powers?
6. The gods. Originally summons like Leviathan, Titan or simply the ones you see in FFXV NONE OF THEM were gods, the real gods were the ones inside the crystals. What you see in FFXV were just force of nature if you want, the Empire was obssesed with their power and they were trying to chasing to get its powers. Again, because of the reestructure they had to make them gods I suposse to give them a real importance and a coherence for the story.
This makes sense given my understanding of the revealed lore of Versus. I think I like FFXV's way of handling summons and deities better than this alternative, though.
7. Travels in time. That was just other thing they ommited but at the same time hinted, a part of the story in versus XIII was travelling in time to try to change events that happens, that was possible because of Umbra. It was an important part, the point of that was Noctis not accepting all the tragedies he was living but at the end he realises that what destiny wants to happen it will no matter what you try to change.
Again due to the reestructure, versus had certain things that were aso little bit convoluted like the world of dreams and that time travels, Tabata did not like anything of that as he wanted a direct no complicated story.
I guess the weird time-travel-esque thing that Umbra had going on in FFXV was left over from a more story-critical incarnation of Umbra-based time travel, then? That would make a certain amount of sense.
8. Kingsglaive. And when I name Kingsglaive I refer not just the royal glaives but the film itself. Some of you may know that the royal glaives was an idea from Tabata, but what you dont know is the HATE Nomuras team have because they DO NOT understand why they first wasted so, much resources in making the film, BUT why they did not put Noctis as the main character instead of creating Nyx to replace him. They did not understand several decisions they made when they were making FFXV.
I thought the logic behind the separation between FFXV and Kingsglaive was pretty clear, even if it's not particularly difficult to argue that the separation might not have been worth what it accomplished.
In the company the Nomuras team can not see Tabatas and viceversa, the company are trying to hide that and the official concepts for FFXV 2013 you saw last year were premeditely calculated to fool people to think that there were barely any difference with Tabatas vision.
Honestly, if what you're saying is true, I kind of feel like people tended to assume that Nomura and Tabata's visions were further apart than they actually were, not closer. *shrugs*
