Hands-on Impressions: Final Fantasy XV (Final Build) // Eggplante

Eggplante gives a huge in-depth preview of the final build of Final Fantasy XV.

[sirultimos]

So excited!

[robtion]

I want to be and I'm hoping it will be great. I'm a little apprehensive about the boy band looking party though. Hopefully I can get them looking better through the customisation I've seen some of.

[joethetimelord]

You start off with four clothing options for each character, some of which actually put a shirt on Gladio. Ignis has something a little less flamboyant, but only a little. Noctis also has some more "normal" looking clothes. There's no hope at all for Prompto, though.

No telling what other outfits will turn up, though, at least not till release.

[bouzebbal]

never been this excited for a FF since FFX had to come out.
It looks so good and has a serious tone into it.
Cannot wait to put my hands on this day one. I doubted this game a lot after XIII disaster but it seems that it doesn't have the flaws from its predecessor.

[Tdmd]

I've played the judgment disc demo and was absolutely blown away! By everything! It's so beautiful, so fluid, runs so well, combat is so fun. But yeah, that boyband look is... something... lol

[titans9999]

meh...

[ifinitygamer]

Really? The game looks so good!

[Kashima]

I'll save my money for FF12 zodiac edition and FF7 remake.

[SirBradders]

you going to miss out bro.

[Kashima]

@SirBradders i played the latest jp demo, the combat was so boring and messy, a mashy button game with no tactics, the camera goes banana during whole fights, awful AI party do some silly dancing-like animations thats out of place, terrible textures on rocks and trees etc, the lake was painted lol and the magic system is stupid, there's more bad things.

[Tdmd]

I'll get both. At launch. So very excited for FF12-Z as well! Not holding my breath for FF7R tho... I guess it will be a very long time 'ill I could put my hands on it anyways.

[joethetimelord]

My time with the Judgment Disc alone was absolutely fantastic, and I couldn't even read or understand the dialogue. I'm more hyped for this game than ever.

[Goldby]

same here, it was an incredible demo

[KosherNostra]

The only thing I'm apprehensive about is the combat. During fights, I thought the camera was too close, the button-mashing redundant, and the strategy non-existent. I don't think I needed to dodge/roll at all in any of the demos, and when I tried it just for kicks, I found the O button unresponsive.

[Segata]

Yup the timing is off and you're wright there is no strategy. It's more focused on the cool animations than doing anything really functional or meaningful. The game is snake oil. It looks wonderful presented in a very slick way and obviously high budget but remove that and you have a very problematic RPG with many poor game design choices. The only part of Square as a company that still understands truly how to design a RPG is Enix with Dragon Quest. If anyone tries to point out Nier Automata....Platinum Games is making it and despite their rep for action games they know how to design RPGs as well.

[Goldby]

this isn't a hold "o" to win game, there is strategy, which weapons to use when, when to dash, and when to attack, then add in the warp function for attacks between enemies.

No strategy.. comon man, did you even play judgement disc?

[_-EDMIX-_]

" It's more focused on the cool animations than doing anything really functional or meaningful"

Oh you played the final thing? How was the ending?

So no elemental damage or status effects? I'd hold off before making dumb claims bud, you couldn't actually just run through Kingdom Hearts like DMC bud, sooooo I'm pretty sure the same applies to FFXV. Your suggesting one of the most know companies in the world that creates RPGs, doesn't know how to create RPGs.......

Sure. I'll wait to play the FINAL game myself before listening to someone who played a part of a demo and made a final judgement based on fighting a few enemies.

Yes...because RPGs can be judged based on the first couple battles, they never change at all over time /s lol

[joethetimelord]

There are options to increase or decrease camera distance, the gameplay in Judgment was locked on easy mode but still had some difficult enemies (the flaming sword Iron Giant and Cactuar to name two) that did require some strategy from my experience, and dodge/roll is mapped to the square button. Just holding down circle got me knocked around on the heftier higher level enemies.

Here's hoping the other difficulties are a little more challenging in the end, though. There are already some players who've made good use of the battle system and it doesn't look bad at all.

https://www.youtube.com/wat...

[_-EDMIX-_]

" the button-mashing redundant' No need to mash, you can pause the game and just select your moves....

" the strategy non-existent" You got all the abilities and weapons? When did you beat the final game?

Do you not get how stupid it is to make such a comment on an RPG? Thats like me playing a demo of FFX and telling you how the battle system is " strategy non-existent." yet I've yet to actually get all the abilities ,summons, level up etc.

I can't render a verdict on the gameplay of an RPG that I've yet to actually master bud, I'd need to play a large amount of it to actually say as they change over time as you face different enemies, get different weapons, summons, abilities etc

How can hour 1 tell you whats in hour 55?

Sorry but it sounds really dumb. Like your new at RPGs dumb.....

[Rob_Ko]

I recommend to watch Kingsglaive before this game. Really fun movie and great introduction to the world of FFXV

[joethetimelord]

Can't wait to see how Nyx ties into the story, especially if some of the theories about him hold weight.

[Summons75]

It was a great movie. Though there is like 40 minutes that really drag after the beginning battle, but once the action picks up again it's just amazing till the end.

[FullmetalRoyale]

Yeah I still need to watch that, and Brotherhood. I just recently decided to get XV, so I have some homework to do, I just need to make the time.

[Segata]

Combat is so off and Noctis runs so slow plus stupid sprint runs out for no good reason. I wish you had real control over the car but it's mainly on rails. I have a list of many little things that just don't add up with this game and it's a shame. I love RPGs so much esp huge worlds but *sigh* This game is more focused on slick presentation animations than actual execution and so many people are often fooled by these things. Otherwise we would not be using BS terms like "cinematic" for games. Welp back to working on my RPG I guess. At this rate will take a decade like FFXV.

[Ginpachi-sama]

>stupid sprint runs out for no reason
Its called stamina
>real control over the car
The car is there just to look cool and to get u from a to b fast
Offroading is what the chocobos are for
>the game is more focused on slick presentation
No it has slick presentation and good gameplay. It was a Japanese demo on easy mode for christ sake u prolly didnt understand half of it there are tactics.

[joethetimelord]

Even better if you let go of the sprint button as soon as you see Noctis slow down, he has a short burst of speed (glows green for about a half second, too) and the stamina gauge fills back up to full. Nice little trick to discover.

XV had more than enough substance and atmosphere to satisfy me. I played around 7 hours just running around, exploring, fishing, and fighting and I still missed some things after feeling like I found all of its hidden stuff. Don't worry about the haters; there isn't a single video game in existence that's for everybody. Go by your own judgment.

[Segata]

No point to have the stamina should just let the character sprint infinite in a world that large. Yes I know what the car is for and that's the problem. Giving the player a false sense of freedom but still very linear. You probably can't type a sentence using full words either. Tactics..you gotta be kidding me son. I been playing RPGs since Dragon Slayer/Ultima in the mid 80s.

[joethetimelord]

@Segata
All single player open world games are linear at the end of the day. Every mainline FF was linear with some side quests and fluff to put you into that atmosphere and to occasionally let you take a fun break from the story, and FFXV from what I've played and seen is no exception. Sorry you didn't like it, but you're in the wrong franchise if you expected a nonlinear story from Final Fantasy. Even Grand Theft Auto's stories take you from the beginning to the end at the end of the day. Same with Witcher, same with Elder Scrolls. A truly open game comes around, like No Man's Sky, and it's generally considered boring after a few hours.

[Ginpachi-sama]

Yea ur stuck in the past segata. Now shoo and continue with ur own rpg good luck with that masterpiece

[jwillj2k4]

@joethetimelord,

I believed he's referring to the ironic physical limitation of an open world game having a car on rails, not story. Of course there will be a linear story, the player does not make story decisions in final fantasy games. However I can understand the frustration of being in an open area with a car and no t being able to control it.

[joethetimelord]

@jwillj2k4
Sure, I can understand that, and if there were no offroad transportation I'd be upset. Luckily there is. I agree the car'll be the most polarizing facet of the game. That said I'm personally not bothered. The limits of the car don't actually hinder exploration when it comes down to brass tacks.

[Trez1234]

If that judgment demo is just a tiny part of this game then it has the potential to be the rpg to beat this gen. And those things that don't add up , do add up to me. Full game you will get a chocoobo or whatever they called and with those you can ride anywhere. The game is really open so you're not making sense at all by saying otherwise.

It's also very deep and this is just from the demo. Can create some devasting spells and chaine some combos with your party members etc.... also I see you said it's not responsive....well you must be rubbish at it because I'm managing to string some serious combo and I'm not even close to master it. Just check forums and you will see what some can do with those " bad controls ".

As someone who's new to this franchise, I'm blown away by that judgment demo and the amount of things you can do in it. I can only compare it to the rpgs I've played and that it's definitely up there with the very best in terms of combat, presentation, spectacle and deep mechanics. Just watched kingslaive and that also me hyped!!!

[eastx]

Looking forward to this. I wish I had beaten FFXIII first, but that game was such a slog.

[OldGuyStillGaming]

My only complaint is i don't understand the japanese menus.
I love everything so far about it but I know there's a lot that I'm not able to access because I don't know what the hell it means.
The car on rails is a non issue.
Sometimes the camera gets caught behind a tree during combat but nothing a wiggle of the thumbstick can't handle.
I'm anxiously waiting for the full game to unlock..I'm preordered for digital copy.