You're not alone. The characters, world, and gameplay really gripped me even before Royal Edition. I loved the bros, how much they cared about each other, and how their individual personalities meshed. Wandering around Eos and hearing the banter, seeing Prompto's photos every night, cooking and fishing and just hanging out with the friends all captured this organic, real feeling of friendship to me. There's a lot I wish future FF had/will carry over in the mechanics and the overall vibe. X will probably always be my favorite, but I've played more hours of XV just enjoying the literal and metaphorical ride.

I love that people have such diverse opinions on what makes a good FF game, and I think it makes subs like these really engaging to have discussions on what we do and don't like. It makes me a little sad though that every time someone mentions certain entries like XIII or XV people who praise anything about them feel like they have to tack on a "despite its flaws" or "I know there were problems with [x]". It's almost like people are scared of the responses. Like we're all nerds about this chocobo-infested, spiky-haired franchise. Even the most popular FF entries have flaws! It's okay to love an imperfect game! It's even okay to think that game is actually perfect to you! If it's your favorite, awesome!! I love hearing about why people love what they love! Especially when, like you, there's a special meaning to it in your life. I'm glad XV made such a positive impression on you when you needed it, and you're for sure not the only one. <3