Final Fantasy XV is a game that fans of the series waited the better part of 10 plus years to play. The game was the victim of development hell and suffered numerous setbacks along the way. The games that happen to endure that type of journey aren't necessarily expected to be critical successes. That being said, there was still a strong sense of cautious optimism surrounding the eventual release of Final Fantasy XV. In 2016, everyone was finally treated to the actual release of the game. It found pretty positive critical success and many felt that it was ultimately worth the wait, despite a bit of talk regarding how unfinished and hollow the game's narrative felt towards the last hours. Through numerous patches and updates, it seems that the game has moved towards a very polished and acceptable place.

Now, the Final Fantasy series is as long and storied as any other. This means that there is plenty of lore and references to pull from when creating some pretty solid easter eggs and hidden secrets. The playable area in Final Fantasy XV is gigantic and it's very easy for even the most keen-eyed fan to miss a secret here or there. A lot of the secrets happen to be references and callbacks to older games in the series. Let's run through some of the coolest easter eggs that developers stashed away in the magical world of Final Fantasy XV.

15 Magic Tech? More like Magitek

Noctis and his friends are attacked by a group of soldiers that bear some references to the world of Final Fantasy VI. These soldiers happen to be none other than Magitek Troops. Magitek happens to be a term for man-made magic stemming from Final Fantasy VI. This magic technology was invented by the Gestahlian Empire by a man named Cid Del Norte Marquez. Cid learned how to extract magic and imbue it into different types of machinery and humans. It's used as a tool of war in Final Fantasy XV and is imbued in the armor and weapons of the Empire. In Final Fantasy XV, Magitek was developed by Verstael Besithia along with the help of Chancellor Ardyn Izunia. Look for Magitek to make an appearance in the next iteration of Final Fantasy.

14 A Random Moogle Appears

During a road trip to Cape Caem during Chapter 6, Iris will join your party. If you happen to get into a fight during this trip, Iris will heal you but she will never actively attack. Players can actually engage in Link attacks with her, which result in Iris throwing a giant stuffed Moogle at her enemies. It's funny seeing such a confrontational and proud character tossing stuffed animals at her enemies. Iris, the younger sister of Gladiolus, is a trusted friend of Noctis and isn't afraid to voice her opinion. This might not come as a shock to many, but Iris actually seems to have a crush on Noctis. She even goes as far as to refer to a tour she's giving Noctis as a date.

In terms of Moogles, they first appeared in Final Fantasy III and have sporadically appeared throughout the series.

13 Eight Is Enough

Let's go over some of the references and easter eggs directly related to Final Fantasy VIII. The Mesmenir, who originally debuted in Final Fantasy VIII, make a return in XV. In an item shop at Meldacio Hunter HQ, there's a magazine titled "Weapons Monthly." This is a direct reference the Weapons Monthly Magazine from VIII, which gave players recipes to remodel weapons. One of the rings, specifically the Ring of Lucii, strongly resembles the Solomon Ring from Final Fantasy VIII. Quetzalcoatl, who first appeared as a summon in VIII, returns in Final Fantasy XV as a boss and even features the same set of attacks and abilities. Lastly, the logos of VIII and XV are the only mainline Final Fantasy game logos to feature love interests.

12 I'm Glad You Came

Everyone knows that Gladiolus is not only the most masculine, but he also tends to be the bud of numerous ill-timed and equally hilarious jokes. If you happen to travel to Cape Caem Outpost and sleep at the Hidden Getaway Lodge, you'll be treated to a fantastic cutscene. At the end of the numerous cutscenes, you happen upon a very tired and unashamed Gladiolus. He's found asleep on the couch with an adult magazine draped over his face. Now, there's nothing wrong with indulging in a little adult entertainment, but Gladiolus my man, could you at least be aware enough to not fall asleep with it on your face? The funniest part is that you're not greeted with a shy and frantic image of Gladiolus waking up to the realization of the situation. He simply just stays asleep in the world of bliss and nude women.

11 There's a Zoidberg in All of Us

There's a point in the game in which you encounter the moving mountain. After this happens, you're treated to a very bad joke by way of Gladiolus and Prompto. Gladiolus begins by stating, "I would never think of a mountain moving." Prompto immediately replies with, "I bet you found it moving" and Gladiolus says, "That was bad and you should feel bad." This is a reference to a character in Futurama named Zoidberg. He has an infamous line, "That joke was bad and you should feel bad." This line has become an internet favorite and the source of many memes. Futurama is arguably one of the greatest shows in television history and it's nice to see Square Enix throw in a reference to everyone's favorite lobster alien scientist.

10 Pet Sabertusk

It's not a rare thing to encounter a passive version of an often encountered enemy within a game. However, it's odd to run into one that's seemingly nothing more than a living statue. This pacifist Sabertusk can be found near Longwythe Peak and is one of the most anticlimactic encounters you'll have in the world of Final Fantasy XV. The Sabertusk will not attack you no matter what you do. It will stand there through each passing day and night. The jury's out on whether or not this is an easter egg. Some feel that it is simply a coding error or glitch that results in a pretty hilarious encounter. That being said, he's extremely photogenic and his stillness allows for some pretty fantastic photo opportunities.

9 In the Nyx of Time

Though Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV, a movie that takes place parallel to the game, was received with a mixed critical response, it did introduce us to some pretty interesting characters. Nyx Ulric is a member of the Kingsglaive and the main protagonist of the movie. He's equipped with a really cool pair of daggers that he uses to systematically defeat anything in his path. This daggers, named Ulric's Kukris, can actually be acquired in Final Fantasy XV after defeating a secret boss in Chapter 14. The secret boss is called the Psychomancer and can be encountered after a number of steps that have been outlined in numerous guides online, like this one. He's a ghoulish type enemy that's only defeated through a war of attrition. It's nice to see the game pay homage to Kingsglaive and it's titular hero in such a way.

8 Fantasy Idol

Throughout your time in Final Fantasy XV, you'll come to realize that Prompto is not only the resident joker, but is also rocking a pretty talented set of pipes. Players can hear him whistle, hum, and sing various tunes related to the world of Final Fantasy. There are a couple of special songs that can be prompted out given the right amount of effort. After some battles, you might be able to catch Prompto humming Victory Fanfare. This happens to be the signature tune that's a heavy indicator of a well fought fight. One of the other songs that Prompto can be heard humming away happens to be related to everyone's favorite Final Fantasy mount. Yes, you can indeed catch Prompto subtly going along with the Chocobo theme. This is an interesting and very subtle way to offer longtime fans a nostalgic trip down memory lane.

7 Darkest Knight

You can't have references to other Final Fantasy games without including VII, right? One of the most prominent and special references comes at the climax of the game. Please be warned that this does include spoilers and I suggest moving on to the next entry if you haven't completed the game before reading this. Okay, are we good?

During the last duel with Ardyn Izunia, players are treated to a final attack from each of the thirteen Lucian kings. This is a reference to the most powerful Summon Materia in Final Fantasy, Knights of the Round. The final battle with Izunia also draws a lot of parallels to the climax of Final Fantasy VII between Cloud Strike and Sephiroth. It's a very smart move to align Final Fantasy XV with arguably the best Final Fantasy game ever created.

6 Well, That Seems Familiar

Final Fantasy has a history of creating many different parallels between each title. There are always numerous references to the past and future entries, as well as characters who seem to draw inspiration from past incarnations. In Final Fantasy XV, you're introduced to Chancellor Ardyn Izunia, a former healer who sealed demons deep within himself. This series of events lead to Izunia slowly turning into something of pure evil. This backstory resembles that of Exdeath, who in FFV, was a tree in which demons from all around the world were sealed deep within. This resulted in manifestation and the tree ultimately gaining sentience. Personally, I think this reference is a bit of a stretch, but I do understand where the connection can undoubtedly be made.

5 Snakes?

No, this isn't a Samuel L. Jackson easter egg, unfortunately. This hidden reference is actually a callback to everyone's favorite artifact aficionado, Indiana Jones. During the mission "The Trial of Ramuh," Noctis and friends are challenged with the task of venturing through a mysterious cave. As this mission concludes, players are treated to a fantastically injected reference. Towards the end of the mission, Prompto is separated from the group for a brief amount of time. Amidst finding the group again, Prompto can be heard uttering the line "Snakes? Why'd it hafta be snakes?" This is the famous line from 1981's Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark. Everyone knows Indy's irrational fear of snakes, but it's fun to see Prompto carrying the same trait to some extent.

4 Products Well Placed

Final Fantasy XV features some of the most blatant product placement we've ever seen in terms of a large AAA video game experience. In the demo of the game, you can see that shops clearly take American Express credit cards and the group uses Coleman branded camping equipment. The most blatant and obvious of these placements comes by way of the world famous Nissin Cup Noodles. Not only will Gladiolus mention that these noodles are a huge part of his diet, but the game features a quest primarily focused on acquiring these specific noodles. Now, movie going audiences are used to this marketing tactic, considering it's been a part of Hollywood for a huge portion of the time, but this type of move, however, is still quite jarring in the video game space and will come as a surprise to most players.

3 Kingdom Hearts III is Next?

With the disastrous development road map of Final Fantasy XV now behind them, many fans are waiting in anticipation for Kingdom Hearts III. The common idea is that Kingdom Hearts III has to be the next major release from Square Enix. Square happen to reference their supposed next blockbuster by way of an offhand line of dialogue by everyone's favorite jokester, Prompto. During a scene in which the characters are struggling with opening a vault door, Prompto states, "Or like a magical key that can unlock any door....like from the video games." This is an obvious nod to keyblades, the iconic weapon, and symbol from the Kingdom Hearts series. Does this reference point towards the third iteration being next in line? We don't know. With the remake of Final Fantasy VII and Kingdom Hearts III both in active development, look for fans to be clambering for any release information come E3 2017.

2 Back to the Future Fantasy

Once you obtain the Regalia Type-F and take off, you're treated to a fantastic reference by way of Noctis. After taking off Noctis states, "Where we're going, we don't need roads." This is a reference to one of the most famous lines from 1985's Back to The Future. The line is said by Dr. Brown to Marty as they take off in their time traveling DeLorean. You can also see the same exact exchange between Marty and Doc during the opening of Back to The Future 2. It's great to see easter eggs in games that feature references to properties having nothing to do with the game itself. Back to The Future is a beloved adventure and including such an iconic line is a great way to win the hearts of many.

1 A 5th Party Member?

By the end of the game, you become accustomed to your loyal and connected party of four. There's nothing in the world you want more than some DLC to dive into with Noctis, Gladiolus, Prompto, and Ignis. It seems as though there's nothing this group of four lads can't accomplish. It seems as though the time you've spent alongside side them has molded the unit into an unstoppable machine of loyalty and honor. What would you say if I told you there's a secret fifth member you could obtain? You'd probably wonder who it was and how it's obtained, right? Turns out players can enlist the help of Aranea as a permanent fifth member. It doesn't take much outside of a few specific steps to make the process complete and obtain a powerful new ally.