Patience is a virtue.
It took almost a decade of waiting; gamers had seen a gist of the latest addition to the Final Fantasy franchise since it was announced way back in 2006. Formerly presented alongside FF 13 and FF Type-0, it has now diverged to become an entirely unique entry to the series, bearing its own number. Straying away from its roots, Final Fantasy 15 showcases an independent storyline and a different visual design akin to the modern-day world as compared to the fantasy settings of its predecessors.
Follow the footsteps of Noctis, the crown prince of Lucis, as he goes on a journey with his friends to reclaim the last Crystal, and perhaps, even save the world.
The key’s in the ignition.
Regalia, meet Adamantoise. Adamantoise - wait. You can only growl.
Ready to sink your teeth in an epic road trip? Final Fantasy 15 revolves around Noctis and his ragtag team of friends composed of a plucky Prompto, the intellectual Ignis, and a hulking Gladio, as they put up against the invasion of another city veiled by a peace treaty.
Being chucked into an inopportune event, he seeks out the stolen Crystal to avert the brewing conflict between nations. It’s good that he gets the sleek Regalia; traveling the world by foot can be taxing on the Prince’s shoes (or boots).
Any minute now...
Rise and shine, Your Highness. We're almost there. - Ignis
People have been waiting for the exact Final Fantasy 15 release date. One thing’s for sure: it’s coming soon. Since 2006, the updates from Square Enix has been sporadic, but in March 2015, the playable demo FF 15 Episode Duscae, a prequel of the main game, was released as a bonus from purchasing the initial release of FF Type-0 HD.
Communication between fans and Square Enix has been established through a survey which addressed the players' opinions on how to improve the gameplay of the upcoming title. Active Time Reports soon followed after, with Hajime Tabata, the game’s director, addressed the players' concerns about the problems observed in the demo – even announcing the re-recording of Noctis’ English voice.
Tabata also said that the upcoming Gamescom in August 2015 was being considered as the venue for the next major update about the status of the game’s development.
Although Square Enix hasn’t slated any Final Fantasy 15 release date, people seem to get more frequent updates this year.
Eye-candy on steroids
Noctis is on the run to fetch the Crystal back to its rightful place. However, the deed isn’t that simple.
Cutscenes are well-rendered as compared to the ones released in 2013, not to mention its seamless incorporation in battle scenes. The execution is so polished that it gives the feel of watching a movie and playing the game at the same time, and that’s coming out from just a preview. We’ll see if something similar or better will emerge in the future. And, who knows? That blizzard in a train car of sorts might be a Shiva’s Diamond Dust in the making.
This is not your usual field trip.
It's like playing a movie and watching a game! Or...watching a movie and playing a game, perhaps?
Gameplay is crucial in any RPG. Period.
Battle-wise, Final Fantasy 15 unveils the Active Cross Battle (AXB), focusing on real-time tactics as opposed to taking turns or waiting for the action gauge to fill before you can issue a command. Co-op moves are an upcoming staple; these are powerful moves that involve team synergy, performing fluid, choreographed follow-up attacks and ending with a finishing blow.
Outside the adrenaline rush, riding the Regalia to move around the city, walking leisurely in a town, and camping out in the wild offer a diversion from the usual “sleeping at an inn before heading out to the overworld” theme prevalent in the previous titles. Since the game is situated into a world closer to reality, steps were taken to ensure that it gets as natural as it can be – with a sprinkling of short-range teleportation, unruly Behemoths and Nifleheim troops on the side.
Now, that’s more like ‘living’ than ‘playing’ the game.
But wait; there’s more!
Fifteen things define Final Fantasy XV. However, just fifteen is not enough.
FInal Fantasy 15: Episode Duscae provides a sense of foreboding to people who anticipate the imminent release of the main game. Those who played the demo had a taste of its action-oriented battle system, realistic world navigation, and unique off-battle events (including cooking meals in the wild, which is really interesting) that would be available upon official release.
Do expect flashier combos fuelled by the ability to switch weapons on the fly, an increased number of co-op moves that reflect the strength of the team’s brotherhood, more heart-stopping encounters with the local wildlife and enemy troops, and hopefully, a diverse number of Archaeans, FF 15’s version of Summons, to unleash catastrophe to those who dare stand on Noctis’ way.
Oh, just a quick info: the game is being developed on DirectX 11, and Tetsuya Nomura, the main character designer, stated that there might be a possibility of porting it towards high-end PCs should it be popular enough to create a high demand. Let’s keep our fingers crossed, shall we?
Yes, Square Enix has yet to announce the much-awaited Final Fantasy 15 release date. But for those eagerly waiting for its fruition, here’s to hoping that the game would exceed the expectations. Now, how do you feel about the game's development? Will it be worth the long wait?
