These boys are obsessed with each other, and it’s great

Unlike previous entries in the series, Final Fantasy 15’s cast is dominated by men. This gave some longtime fans pause, who appreciated that there was a strong woman for every leather-clad surly boy in most other Final Fantasy installments. Now that the long-awaited game is here, it turns out we had nothing to worry about — because these sweet, sweet boys are sensitive and caring, not hyper-masculine ciphers.

Final Fantasy 15 stars a quartet of monochromatically dressed dudes, each one with a unique look. (We judged those looks on a subjective level late last month, crowning the game’s “hottest boy” as a result.) There’s Prince Noctis, ever-sullen; Gladiolus, the burly and shirtless brawler; Ignis, the most rational member of the group; and Prompto, a selfie-loving pipsqueak.

At first, it seems as though what bonds them is their duties: Each one swears to protect Noctis, their kingdom’s youngest royal, as they journey across the land in a fancy car. As it turns out, they’re together for more than just obligation. These boys have legitimate affection for each other, and players can’t get enough of it.

There are lots of little signs that players point to as proof of just how much the Final Fantasy 15 guys care for one another. It’s apparent in the way that Prompto photographs Noctis and friends, they say; the tiniest cast member can’t stop taking pictures of his pals, and players can sift through his camera roll at a mission’s end. They’ve taken to sharing the most endearing of these photos online for all of our enjoyment:

Beyond the group pictures, however, are photos that players say radiate Prompto’s love for his friends — and especially Noctis.

Prompto and Noctis’ relationship is special, and that’s not just because players deem it to be so. The Final Fantasy 15 prequel anime, Brotherhood, revealed the origin of their close friendship — and how it was built on Noctis’ unintentional encouragement of Prompto’s major lifestyle change. Previously overweight and lonely, Prompto became determined to dramatically change his look after Noctis made an insensitive comment to him on their first meeting.

It’s not the most endearing origin story, considering that body shaming was what brought them together. But their subsequent boyhood closeness remains on display in some of Final Fantasy 15’s most buzzed-about scenes. Watch this optional cutscene below for a truly touching conversation between Noctis and Prompto about the latter’s insecurities:

It’s clear that the two mean a lot to each other, as any fan fiction-writing Final Fantasy fan will tell you. Their relationship is not canonically romantic — considering Noctis has a fianceé — but that surely hasn’t stopped Tumblr users, among other fans online.

Instead, it’s just a sensitive and meaningful friendship that Prompto and Noctis share. That’s lovely to see in a game that’s still filled to the brim with combat. But let’s not forget that Gladio and Ignis are just as integral to the group, and all four guys are clearly happy to share in each other’s company.

In the words of Prompto, “Isn’t that romantic?”

There’s much more to Final Fantasy 15, of course, as we detail in our positive review. Read that for a sense of what the game’s really about, best friends being best friends aside.

Source: Polygon – Xbox One