FINAL FANTASY XV
Square Enix delivers hack and flash in its sandbox RPG
We take a multi-hour road trip with Noctis and friends to see if the JRPG lives up to the hype.
FORMAT PS4 / ETA 29 NOVEMBER PUB SQUARE ENIX / DEV SQUARE ENIX
The Mindflayer is not a new enemy; he’s been flinging his paralysing Mind Blast magic since 1987. But FFXV is the first time he has physically flayed our mind. Encountered at the end of an icy labyrinth, this cloaked figure slides Noctis’ head under his robes and, well… this is a family mag. Escape is as easy as hammering a button, but that’s beside the point – what matters is you’re seeing ideas as old as the 8-bit hills dragged kicking and screaming into brilliant 3D life. Another example: magic. Gone are the wee puffs of ice and fire, replaced with elemental vortexes that leave the earth a scorched mass of embers, or that coat the casters in a thick layer of frost. And these are no longer one-size-fits-all tricks: spells are forged from energy extracted from the ground; the more you pump into it, the bigger the bang. Throw rare ingredients into the mix and it’ll mutate further, developing a healing aftertouch, or casting itself multiple times. At the end of our latest hands-on we empty our pockets into one blend and make a lightning bomb we almost feel bad to use. Almost.
When an opening message promises a Final Fantasy for “fans and newcomers alike,” it’s talking about the melding of classic ideas with the thrills and scale you expect from modern blockbusters. Take combat. Revised since last year’s Episode
“IDEAS AS OLD AS THE 8-BIT HILLS ARE DRAGGED INTO BRILLIANT 3D LIFE.”
Duscae demo, it’s now a dazzling blend of acrobatic dodges and teleporting stabs, all pulled off with minimal fuss. Gone are attack phases tied to different weapons, replaced with D-pad taps to switch swords mid-combo. And dodging is as simple as holding block, with warning cues for large attacks you can parry, and an evasive roll for those you can’t.
While Noctis is a convincing one man army, it’s more fun with his three pals in play. Each has a technique you can call on, such as Gladiolus’ swirling Tempest slice, or Ignis’ Mark, which sets up targets for Noctis to Warpstrike. Less helpful, but endearingly daft, is Prompto’s ability to take photos mid-battle, sort of war photography meets One Direction cover shoot. Better still, perform a counter or blindside attack (striking an enemy from behind) when one of the three is nearby and you’ll partner up for a spectacular takedown. Quite why Prompto throws his gun to sword-specialist Noctis is a mystery, but it looks cool.
When the four aren’t depopulating the world, they’re exploring it. As open worlds go, it’s closer in tone to Metal Gear Solid V’s than any western concoction – everything feels very carefully designed and hand placed, with plenty of rocks and steep walls limiting movement. Noctis’ car, the Regalia, is surprisingly restrictive: it can’t leave the roads and streamlines controls to the point where you only really dictate the speed. That’s not a criticism – it frees you up to keep an eye out for points of interest and enjoy in-car banter – but those expecting to be turning chocobos into roadkill better stick to GTA.
CARRY ON CAMPING
Hop out of the car and the game behaves like a traditional sandbox. There are strangers with fetch quests and local experts who’ll mark your map with points of interest. Most of our time is spent looking for campsites (where you can bank XP) and elemental geysers for spellcasting, but you can also go fishing, ride chocobos or take up monster hunting in a side-quest that mimics Capcom’s own take on the pastime right down to the ranking system. In another clear nod to that series, you can target specific body parts to attempt to chop off rarer ingredients. Hunting ever bigger, freakier beasties will doubtless eat up vast amounts of our come its delayed November launch.
And under all this runs an intriguing story, of a prince turned freedom fighter when his kingdom is rudely invaded on the eve of his arranged marriage. His hunt for 12 Royal Arms – legendary weapons conjured by kings of old – lends the game its overarching quest, but in the first three chapters we encounter many interesting snags. Why is Noctis suffering from crippling migraines? Who is the strange, fedora-donning chap who appears just as trouble kicks off? And just why does the local mechanic wear a bikini to work? Watch the tie-in CG movie, Kingsglaive, beforehand and the questions only multiply…
That we have this many questions after such a healthy chunk of play – and so many mechanics that we’ve yet to see (those giant summons are a no-show) – speaks to the scale of FFXV. Discovering those answers is going to be a pleasure. So sit down, buckle up and offer your head up to the Mindflayer – you’re not going to regret it.
“A PRINCE TURNS FREEDOM FIGHTER WHEN HIS KINGDOM IS INVADED ON THE EVE OF HIS MARRIAGE…”