More than eight years on from its initial release, Final Fantasy 15 continues to be one of the most divisive entries in the storied series, and with some recently unearthed cut content, it’s been revealed that in another world, the game’s ending may have played out differently.
In a recent video from Luthus Nox Fleuret, a YouTube channel devoted to showcasing FF15 content that didn’t make its way into the final game, they show off an alternate version of the prison sequence in Chapter 14 of the game. It probably goes without saying, but here’s a spoiler warning for the ending of Final Fantasy 15.
In the full game, after being pulled into the crystal, Noctis is told by Bahamut that he is the prophesied True King and that he must sacrifice himself to purge the Starscourge and save Eos. Noctis then spends 10 years asleep in the crystal, waking up once he has become powerful enough to defeat Ifrit and Ardyn.
The alternate version of the story, however, is somewhat more tragic. In this version, Noctis is instead trapped in the prison, seemingly absorbing the light of the moon, and instead of having to wait 10 years, does not know for how long he has to remain imprisoned. During the sequence, the player is presented with the prompt “My life for the power to save the world…”, and given the opportunity to reject your fate, remaining trapped in the prison until you choose to agree to sacrifice your life.
Many of the responses to the video are positive about this ending, viewing it as harder-hitting than the version that made it into the game. “I don’t get why they decided it was better for him to be absorbed into the Crystal. This is so much more impactful and it also makes sense why Noct woke up in Angelgard,” writes one commenter, while another found it “baffling as to why it was cut.”
For more of Square Enix‘s iconic RPG, check out our list of the best Final Fantasy games.