After 10 years of development Final Fantasy XV has arrived. It's a huge moment for many reasons, including how we perceive the future of the Final Fantasy franchise. The stakes are high, and we're neck deep in the experience to find out what the verdict is.
We've put in a handful of hours and are well on our way to completing the game before publishing a full review. Below are our impressions to this point. You can expect a review later in the week.
Hot off the line. The experience makes a great first impression by mixing up exploration, combat, short sequences of story, and character introductions. It feels far more balanced than what we've seen from the franchise in the past, and that sets a great tempo for the early hours. There's even a full-blown combat tutorial that goes a long way toward making you familiar with the battle mechanics.
It's open-world, alright. This is the first open-world single-player Final Fantasy we've seen in a long time. It's not like FFXII where maps are small in scope, and certainly not like FFX or FFXIII where you have a linear path to take from beginning to end. This is a fully realized open-world game with a massive world to explore.
Brotherly love. There are no females or animals in your group. Instead, you have four guys who all know how to banter, each with their own quirks and interesting qualities. Although the format works, the diversity that a lot of modern games crave is not here… at all.
Combat is good. The battle system is a mixture of many different games, from Kingdom Hearts to Crisis Core. It feels great in the hands, especially once you get timings and block recognition down. Though, during some battles it becomes a bit boring given the unexciting way that the block system works and the limited moveset. I'd go as far as to say I enjoy the system more than The Witcher 3, but far less than Dark Souls.
Travel is handled expertly. During the early hours you'll only be able to run everywhere, but later on you'll gain access to Chocobo rentals and even a car. You can drive the car yourself, or have a party member drive you to a destination. You can even fast travel, although at a cost. All these things are important in getting you where you need to go in the large world.
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The AP system is rewarding. There are dozens of abilities to unlock, and they have noticeable implications on gameplay. Every time you earn AP or level up it's easy to be excited to head into the interface and make a new selection or two.
Magic isn't useful enough. The way spells are handled is much different than prior games, although probably best compared to Final Fantasy VIII. You have to craft each spell usage, and there is some clunkiness to equipping a magic ability and using it mid-combat. Frankly, in many cases it just isn't worth the hassle, which is sad since magic casting is one of my favorite elements of RPGs.
This is a pretty game. Square Enix has always been great at creating beautiful RPG worlds, and this is no exception. From desert to snow, village to city, the game is breathtaking. The user interface deserves a special mention. It may very well be the most gorgeous and intuitive JRPG interface in history.
Framerate woes. For one reason or another the game doesn't run all that well on Xbox One or PS4. Frame pacing is a constant issue similar to pre-patch Bloodborne. Hitching occurs often when looking around the open world environments. This blemishes an otherwise spectacular presentation. If only there were a PC version…
Freshened up. This game feels nothing like past games in the franchise, which means that even if you don't like Final Fantasy you may find yourself charmed by its style. Everything from its character to mood and tonality is a welcomed deviation from recent releases.
The characters aren't all that interesting. The best way to describe this would be Final Fantasy XII without Balthier or Fran. The characters aren't bad, they just lack that bit of charm/charisma that makes you happy to see them talk in a cutscene. This does some damage during the later parts of the game when you should be gripped by the plot, but probably aren't.
A shorter JRPG. I personally know a couple people who have beaten the game, and the number they gave me was 20 hours. It's 20 hours to clear the main story assuming you skip a lot of the side content. That's short for a Final Fantasy, but on the plus side it's very concise and there are plenty of optional quests to partake in.
Check Out More Final Fantasy XV Coverage On GameRevolution:
FFXV Video Introduction
15 Tips For Success In FFXV
Which Ascension Skills To Level First
Where To Purchase Additional Music and Soundtracks
These Are All 7 Of Final Fantasy XV's Summons (Astrals)
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Bahamut
Summonable: No
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rnBahamut is a major enemy in FFXV. Equipped with Terra Flare and Mana Beam among other powerful abilities, you engage in battle with him later in your adventures. In this game he is a mechanical enemy that transforms between two forms, unlike his dragon persona in most Final Fantasy games. -
Carbuncle
Summonable: Yes
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rnCarbuncle initially appears in a dream. You can later summon him to cast Ruby Light on your group, healing them in the process. Carbuncle appears as a cute rabbit with a ruby horn and giant ears. -
These Are All 7 Of Final Fantasy XV\'s Summons
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Ifrit
Summonable: No
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rnYou encounter Ifrit at the start of your adventure and later re-engage him. He is a master of fire magic, capable of incinerating people to ash. In this game he appears as a devil-like human sitting on a throne. -
Leviathan
Summonable: Yes
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rnAlthough initially appearing as an enemy, Leviathan eventually joins you. Only able to appear when water is nearby, he is a massive sea monster with the ability to disguise oneself. This summon can only be cast when Noctis is in "danger" (low health). -
Ramuh
Summonable: Yes
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rnRamuh is the god of lightning, an intimidating old man with the power to cast Judgement Bolt. Originally available in the Episode Duscae demo, he can only be called upon when a battle has been waged for several minutes. -
Shiva
Summonable: Yes
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rnThis beautiful lady of ice is capable of summoning copies of herself to freeze enemies using Diamond Dust. She is earned relatively early in the adventure and can be called upon by satisfying the conditions of other summons. -
Titan
Summonable: Yes
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rnHaving arguably the coolest summon animation in history, Titan is a massive powerhouse that destroys enemies using the Earth itself. Only able to be summoned when a party member is incapacitated, he hits hard and makes it count.
