PAX West 2016 Day Two Recap

Final Fantasy XV (Square Enix)

I snuck out of a few meetings and placed a time to join the Square-Enix Japan team today too! They had so many games available to test and try but I only had a free hour so it went to Final Fantasy XV. They were so kind and let us play up to the first three chapters. Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil story elements [because I’m not allowed! Hah!] but I did get a shot at the first few hours of gameplay and learned how it all fits together. We got to meet the main members of this edgy boy band that makes up the FFXV crew and some of the NPCs that are going to help them on their mission, plus got some nitty-gritty time with the combat.

I was admittedly surprised that leveling up did not occur outside of camping, making it a requirement to boost your characters. You gain exp after winning encounters, but the exp isn’t allotted to your character [or AP for that matter] until you can sit down to rest for the night. It makes sense, but it really threw me off. It also appears that you have a pool of AP to use in the Ascension system. Ascension gives you new abilities and upgrades and each character has their own sphere to work with.

Combat is more active than most JRPGs

Now you might be asking: You don’t control everyone, so why would you put points into them before the main character? Well, they do still play a vital role in combat and it boils down to who you want to be the star of the squad. Regardless, this was kind of a down note for me because it’s new and weird and I’m simply not used to it yet. But FFXV is more about realism than ever and I sort of like the change. I’m big into High Fantasy but this is fantasy blended with reality. There are majestic palaces, amazing swords and polearms, and modern fashion, vehicles and product placement! [I saw that Coleman chair at the campsite.] It’s aiming to break the mold of the past few Final Fantasy games and while I’m positive it will have linear moments, it’s how the characters react to each other and how you play the game that will make it special.

I was also incredibly happy with the general feel of the UI and even the font. It struck me as very FFXII in style, and I doubt it’s a coincidence. It’s a strong look and a clean visual style that doesn’t ruin and cover up the gorgeous land that has been created for us. The World of Final Fantasy XV is beautiful and I had quite a few laughs while playing it. The characters are all dressed in black, but they’re not super edgelords. They laugh, have goals and aspirations. It makes me incredibly happy, and when the car broke down I chuckled all the more. It was a beautiful ride that these “heroes” could not even maintain. Overall I was incredibly happy with what was presented and cannot wait to get my hands on it.

Continue to Smash+Grab

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