New preview video and article (
thanks to Mognet's @Storm AGAIN):
Hands-On: Playing Final Fantasy XV reignites hype
"Ive been skeptical about this entry in the Final Fantasy franchise. After a decade in development, and a seemingly substantial shift in story, you wouldnt be hard-pressed to find a gamer that isnt approaching Final Fantasy XV with morbid curiosity. It doesnt help the fact that the Episode Duscae and Platinum Demos received a mixed reception, coupled with the recent lackluster showings at game shows.
However, after getting substantial play time this weekend at New York Comic-Con, I can say that a lot of my fears have been quelled, and Im becoming more and more hopeful that the game might live up to the expectations set upon it.
This feeling of optimism starts with the gameplay.
What initially felt clunky and haphazard, now feels engaging with a great sense of flow. Tightened control of Noctis and his friends, partnered with an overall simplified system of mechanics allows the gameplay to not get in the way; my major complaint of any Final Fantasy XV demo up until this point. Its become more hack and slash, and its the better for it. Not to say that the game doesnt require skill. When surrounded by Imperial troops, with a mix of snipers, riflemen, and melee combatants trying to take you down, you do need to be on your toes and quickly switch up your attacks and defensive maneuvers. Gone are the pointless deaths where you swear its the games fault. This time, the onus is on you to keep yourself alive, and if you perish you have no one to blame but yourself. This improvement alone makes the game a substantial improvement from what weve seen before.
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