Jason VandenBerghe’s 5 domains of play help determine which player types a game will attract (VandenBerghe, 2013). By placing a game, in this case Final Fantasy XV, known as FF15 (Square Enix, 2016), on the 4 graphs suggested by VandenBerghe, a deeper understanding of the domains and their facets can be attained.
The novelty domain (Figure 1) evaluates players’ “openness to experience” (VandenBerghe, 2012). FF15 places within the graph’s fantasy- explorer quarter, as the setting is a large open and fictional world without building mechanics. Driving and cooking mechanics add a touch of realism, thus expanding its coverage of the graph slightly.
FF15 encompasses all of the the challenge graph’s (Figure 2) y-axis, as it includes difficulty levels which allow players to choose the amount of challenge they desire. The game demands minimal experience-point grinding, but offers plenty of “work” to players in the form of side quests and collectables.
The harmony (Figure 3) x-axis measures whether players care about winning by mastering the rules, or whether they care about winning in the context of the game world, namely saving the game-world and character (VandenBerghe, 2013).FF15 caters to both types of players, since combat mechanics and weapon customisation can be mastered, and the fictional world needs saving. Because the game is single-player, the PvP-Team axis is not applicable.