We got some time with Final Fantasy XV at the recent GameStop Expo. Since the release looms ever closer, I’ll give you my impression of the game.
The demo we played gave a few objectives, mostly getting to a certain point or killing some monster or another. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to play around with the car before we had to move on (the demo took place during a point in the story where you screw around doing odd jobs for someone until it’s repaired). As expected, the game looks very pretty; though you could’ve easily fooled me into believing it was nearly monochromatic. Thankfully, the demo took place in a desert that easily brings to mind the area around Vasquez Rock, so there is some small greenery scattered around. The characters could easily blend into the wall of a quarry, though (aside, of course, from our editor-in-chief’s new fetish, Cidney/Cindy).
“…nonsensically, they have a full camp set branded with the Coleman logo; tent, camp stove, even plates.”
The combat feels solid. If you’re going to take an Action RPG system from anywhere, you may as well take it from Kingdom Hearts. The main character has the ability to teleport short distances to attack enemies, which probably sees more usage in other areas; there were a few points where I could teleport to a wall or something to launch another teleport attack if I so chose, though I couldn’t find all that much advantage over simply flanking an enemy. You’re also able to switch weapons on the fly using the D-pad, which is a nice feature I wish more games in the genre would include.
It seems to be shaping up to be a good game overall, as a matter of fact. It’s probably going to wind up as a hit. That being said…
There is more than a little product placement in the game, from what I can see. And I don’t mean just the car, which actually exists… somewhere (and is actually reasonable, considering it was made for the game, rather than the other way around). You can occasionally camp in the game to recover your HP and put your experience to levels.
“It just feels, to me, that each new mainline game strays further away from even being recognizable as Final Fantasy.”
I only mention this because, nonsensically, they have a full camp set branded with the Coleman logo; tent, camp stove, even plates. It’s not something I’d mind in a contemporary setting, but it really sticks out in game set in a world that probably wouldn’t have our real world brands. I’m willing to bet that the party member that goes around taking pictures is using a real camera you can go out and buy.
Also, it just feels, to me, that each new mainline game strays further away from even being recognizable as Final Fantasy. I’m not saying that things should always stay the same. I’m saying that you sort of need to keep some sort of core, something that’s a significant part of what came before, and this game seems to be missing that. In all honesty, before I played the demo, I was on the negative side of the argument. I’m now sure it will actually be good; it just doesn’t feel like a Final Fantasy game anymore.
But maybe I’m wrong about that too.
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