It was originally a pre-order bonus. That’s usually the kiss of death for a game’s longevity, honestly. When Square Enix announced A King’s Tale: Final Fantasy XV back in 2016, most people figured it was just a throwaway piece of marketing fluff to drum up hype for the main event. It was this weird, pixel-art brawler that looked like it belonged on a Super Nintendo, released right alongside one of the most technologically ambitious JRPGs of the decade.
But it didn't stay locked behind a pre-order wall for long.
Eventually, they just gave it away for free. You can still go grab it on the PlayStation Store or Xbox Marketplace right now without spending a dime. It’s a strange little relic of the FFXV "Universe" era—that period where Square Enix decided one game wasn't enough and we needed a movie, an anime, and a mobile game just to understand why Noctis likes fishing so much.
Most people missed it. Or they played it for five minutes and got bored. But if you actually sit down with it, there’s a surprisingly competent 2D action game buried under the nostalgia-baiting aesthetic. It’s a bedtime story told by King Regis to a young Noctis, set 30 years before the main game. It’s basically King Regis’s "back in my day" moment, and since he’s a king with magical powers, his "back in my day" involves fighting giant iron giants and summoning lightning.
Why the Combat is Better Than It Looks
At first glance, it looks like a simple button-masher. You hit stuff, it dies. But that’s a lie. If you play it like Streets of Rage, you’re going to get flattened by a Midgardsormr pretty fast. The game uses a lane-based combat system where positioning is everything.
You’ve got three main attack types: quick strikes, heavy hits, and shield bashes. The magic system is where it gets tactical. Unlike the main game, where magic feels like throwing a grenade that might also set your friends on fire, magic in A King’s Tale: Final Fantasy XV is about crowd control. Fire creates a persistent burn, Ice freezes enemies in place, and Lightning chains between foes.
The real depth comes from the "Companions" system. Since this is a prequel, you aren’t hanging out with Ignis and the boys. Instead, you’ve got Regis’s old crew: Weskham, Cid (the younger, much more intense version), and Clarus Amicitia (Gladio’s dad). You can’t just call them whenever you want. You have to build up a combo meter first.
- Weskham is your ranged specialist.
- Cid does massive AOE damage with a spear.
- Clarus basically acts as a tank to clear the screen.
It’s a rhythm. Hit, dodge, magic, summon. If you drop your combo, you lose the ability to call for help, and suddenly those Goblins start looking a lot more threatening.
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The Story: Canon or Just a Tall Tale?
Regis is an unreliable narrator. The game makes this very clear from the jump. Noctis keeps interrupting, asking for more monsters or more action, and Regis just rolls with it. This gives the developers a lot of leeway to throw in enemies that probably weren't actually there, like Cactuars in the middle of a city street.
Is it essential lore? No. You aren't going to find the secret meaning of the Ardyn Izunia conflict here. But what you do get is a glimpse of Regis Lucis Caelum cxiv in his prime. In Final Fantasy XV, Regis is an old man, weary from the weight of the Wall and the impending war with Niflheim. In this game, he’s a warrior. Seeing him move with the same "Warp Strike" agility as Noctis provides a cool bit of connective tissue that the movie Kingsglaive only touched on.
The game is split into three main acts: Insomnia, the Duscae region, and the caves. It’s short. You can probably beat the whole thing in about two hours if you’re decent at brawlers. But for a free game, it’s remarkably polished. The sprite work is gorgeous, especially the boss designs. The way the Behemoths move in 2D is actually pretty intimidating.
The Mechanics You Need to Master
If you're going to jump in, stop mashing the "A" or "Cross" button. The game tracks your "Strike" count. Once you hit a certain threshold without taking damage, you can trigger a "Finisher." This is the only way to effectively deal with some of the shielded enemies or the flying ones that stay out of reach.
The variety of enemies is actually the game's biggest strength. They didn't just palette-swap five guys. You’ve got Tonberries that will absolutely wreck your day if you let them get close, and Bombs that grow larger every time you hit them. You have to learn the specific counter for every monster. For example, you can't just hit a Tonberry; you have to wait for an opening or use specific magic to stun it. It’s more of a puzzle game than a traditional brawler in that sense.
Does it Still Hold Up?
Honestly, yeah. It’s a 2016 game pretending to be a 1992 game, so it doesn't really age. The pixel art is crisp on modern 4K screens because it was designed for high-resolution displays from the start.
There are some frustrations. The "Dream Battles" (the challenge mode) are brutally difficult. They require you to complete specific objectives, like "Kill 10 enemies with Fire magic while keeping a 50-hit combo." It sounds easy until you have three Flans jumping on your head and a Ronin trying to slice your soul in half.
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One thing that’s kinda cool is the soundtrack. It’s a chiptune reimagining of Yoko Shimomura’s legendary FFXV score. Hearing "Somnus" or the battle themes rendered in 8-bit/16-bit styles is a treat for anyone who spent their childhood with a Game Boy.
The Controversy of the Release
We should talk about how this was handled back in the day. Fans were pretty annoyed that this was a GameStop exclusive at first. It felt like another piece of the Final Fantasy XV puzzle being carved off and sold separately. Square Enix eventually fixed this by making it free for everyone, but it left a sour taste in the mouths of early adopters.
Nowadays, that doesn't matter. It’s just a cool piece of history. It reminds us of a time when Square was willing to experiment with different genres. It’s a side-scrolling beat 'em up, a genre that was basically dead in 2016 before the recent revival with games like Streets of Rage 4 or TMNT: Shredder's Revenge. In a way, A King’s Tale was a little bit ahead of its time.
How to Actually Play It
If you want to try it, don't look for a physical copy. It doesn't exist. It’s a digital-only title.
- Go to your console's digital storefront.
- Search for "A King's Tale."
- Download it (it's a small file, usually under 2GB).
- Play it in one sitting.
It’s the perfect "podcast game." You can put on a show or some music and just work through the waves of enemies. There’s no complex leveling system or gear to manage. You just get better at the game as you play. Regis gains new abilities as the story progresses, but it’s all very streamlined.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often call this a "mobile game port." It isn't. It was built for consoles. The controls are tight, and there are no microtransactions or "energy" bars. It’s a complete experience.
Another misconception is that you need to have finished Final Fantasy XV to understand it. You really don't. In fact, playing this first might make the relationship between Noctis and his father feel a bit more impactful. It builds up the legend of Regis so that when you see him in the main game's opening scene, you understand what he’s giving up.
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The game also features a surprisingly robust parry system. Most players ignore the shield, but if you time your blocks, you can reflect projectiles and stun enemies. In the later levels, especially the Dream Battles, if you aren't parrying, you aren't winning.
Actionable Insights for Players
If you're booting up A King’s Tale: Final Fantasy XV for the first time, keep these specific tips in mind to avoid hitting a wall at the mid-game mark:
- Prioritize the Flans: These jelly-like enemies are the worst. They resist physical attacks unless you use the correct magic element. If you see a blue Flan, use Fire. If you see a red one, use Ice. Don't waste your combo meter trying to melee them to death.
- The Warp Strike is Your Escape: Just like in the main game, the Warp Strike is a mobility tool. If you get cornered, Warp Strike to a distant enemy to clear the area.
- Abuse the Summons: Don't save your companion summons for the boss. The meter builds up fairly quickly if you're landing combos. Use them to thin out the herds of smaller mobs so you can focus on the big threats.
- Watch the Cactuars: They appear randomly and run across the screen. If you hit them, you get a massive boost to your score and meter. They are fast, so you have to react immediately.
- Master the Aerial Game: Many enemies can only be damaged effectively while in the air. Use your heavy attack to launcher them, then follow up with a flurry of quick strikes.
The game is a short, sweet love letter to the 16-bit era. It’s not going to change your life, but it’s a much better game than a "free pre-order bonus" has any right to be. It treats the Final Fantasy lore with respect while having enough self-awareness to know that a dad telling a bedtime story is going to exaggerate a little bit.
Grab it, spend an afternoon with it, and enjoy the pixelated chaos. It’s one of the few pieces of the FFXV project that feels like it was made just for the fun of it, without the pressure of being a billion-dollar blockbuster. That alone makes it worth the download.
To get the most out of your experience, start by playing through the Story Mode to unlock all of Regis's abilities before attempting the Dream Battles. Focus on learning the "Shield Bash" timing early on, as the final boss fight heavily penalizes players who rely solely on offensive mashing. Once you've cleared the main story, use the Dream Battles to master specific elemental combos, which provides the quickest path to earning all the game's achievements or trophies.
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