Final Fantasy XV, an action role-playing video game released in November 2016 , is the fifteenth main installment in the Final Fantasy series , and is thematically connected to Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy , a subseries of games linked by a common mythos which includes Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Type-0. The world and main characters were created by Tetsuya Nomura, the game's original director. Nomura also designed the main characters, with later revisions and additional charactersbeing designed by Yusuke Naora: other character designers involved with the game included Roberto Ferrari and Yusaku Nakaaki.
The story revolves around a conflictbetween Lucis, the last free kingdom in the world , and the expansionist empire of Niflheim. The main protagonist is Noctis Lucis Caelum , sole heir to the throne of Lucis. On his journey, he is accompanied by three companions: Gladiolus Amicitia, a brother -figure from a noble family sworn to Noctis's protection; Ignis Scientia, Noctis's strategist; and Prompto Argentum, a friend of Noctis from a lower-class family . A key character is Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, Noctis's fiancée through an arranged marriage . Other characters include Noctis's father Regis, the king of Lucis; Cor Leonis, a famous warrior of Lucis; Gentiana, Lunafreya's companion and attendant; Cindy, who with her grandfather Cid acts as mechanic for Noctis' car ; and Iris, Gladiolus 's sister . Characters from Niflheim serve as the game's main antagonists, including emperor Iedolas Aldercapt, his chancellor Ardyn Izunia, Lunafreya's brother Ravus Nox Fleuret, and mercenary dragoon Aranea Highwind.
Originally a spin-off game titled Final Fantasy Versus XIII, the game changed multiple times during its ten-year development cycle, including the redesign or removal of characters and story elements.