Final Fantasy: Hamlet

Recently, I finally got around to playing Final Fantasy XV. After about 100 hours of play (not having yet beat the game) it has dawned on me that Final Fantasy XV is a direct retelling of Shakespeare's Hamlet. Okay, so I've been making jokes about similarities between FFXV and Hamlet (and, more specifically, The Lion King) the whole time I've been playing, but I was slow to realize that this was intentional on the part of the game's writers. I've got to say, I'm a little upset that no one pointed this out to me in the four and a half years that I put off playing this game. Anyway, once I actually finish the game I will write my full thoughts on it and its correlation to Hamlet. But without further ado, here is a fun little cast listing for Final Fantasy: Hamlet.

Final Fantasy: Hamlet

NAMES OF THE ACTORS

HAMLET, son to the late King

HORATIO, ROSENCRANTZ, and GUILDENSTERN, friends to Hamlet

OPHELIA, betrothed to Hamlet

LAERTES, brother to Ophelia

SCAR CLAUDIUS, King of Denmark

Ghost of Hamlet's Father

Source: https://www.gamesradar.com/kingsglaive-final-fantasy-xv-review/

Understudy for the part of HAMLET

Source: https://aselia.fandom.com/wiki/Richard

(I had to include Richard from Tales of Graces in this because he bears more than a passing resemblance to the Prince of Denmark, and also Howl from Howl's Moving Castle. I've always intended to write a little something about him but never got around to doing so.)

Sources: 

Something Is Rotten in the State of Lucis. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/something-rotten-state-lucis-final-fantasy-xv/

Can you feel the Shakespeare love tonight? https://shakespeareandbeyond.folger.edu/2019/07/26/lion-king-shakespeare-hamlet-hal-falstaff-henry-iv/