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All-New Press Previews of Final Fantasy XV's First 5 Chapters

benzy

Member
Sounds like the linearity takes place in a mansion from the descriptions, which I don't have a problem with. The Insomnia capital is probably a huge dungeon.
 

chefbags

Member
Soo did they like play the whole game?

There's scans of the issue on the ffxv forums and I've been skimming it here and there and it totally reads like a review. Which is super weird.
 
The only thing in that that concerns me is the complaint about the game focusing on its supporting characters at the expense of the plot.
 

Toth

Member
Oh. I completely expected this. I'm not bothered by it.

Here's a very brief, non-spoiler summary (but spoiler tagged just in case):
There's a stealth section where you play only as Noctis, and it uses RE mechanics for puzzles apparently.
 

LordKasual

Banned
Small bits of the newest Edge issue's FFXV preview, where the author played 40 hours:

The elevation of supporting characters is designed to appeal to fans but it's been done at the expense of a strong plot.

[...]

In many of it's fragments of ideas and mechanics, FFXV shines. But by its stentorian conclusion, it's difficult to shake a feeling of confusion.

[...]

Full of hope, ambition and no shortage of things to see and do... Like a folly extended by successive architects, it's a peculiar artefact that can't escape it's past.​

Source: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=223539203&postcount=58


!!! Second half spoilers !!!
"The creative pressures and arguments that have coloured Final Fantasy XV's development are most evident in the second half, where it almost switches geenre, away from the open world desidn of the The Witcher 3, which was an influence on the current team, to a much more traditional linear series of cutscenes and dungeons. Late in the game, a network of cramped corridors, stockrooms and baffling barracks feels like a hangover from another game entirely. Here, Noctis, working alone, must duck into doorways in order to hide from the stalking, haunted guards. The stealth is delivered in a horror style, complete with jump scares, a disembodied, Joker-like voiceover, and Resident Evil-style key-card puzzles."

It's been too long without anything negative about this game...now the fears come back full force...

So the game is the FFXV we know and have come to love in the first half, but then...FFXIII in the second half?

Hopefully it's the FFX type of FFXIII where I actually enjoy playing instead of just...FFXIII


That review sounds like a solid 8.5 / 8.0. This game may pull an MGSV, but unfortunately it ain't Metal Gear and doesn't have Kojima's name on it, so i'm not expecting any...generous 10s.
 

Nauren

Member
Here's a very brief, non-spoiler summary (but spoiler tagged just in case):
There's a stealth section where you play only as Noctis, and it uses RE mechanics for puzzles apparently.

We saw this trailer like a year ago iirc. I'm ok with this as well lol.
 

Renmyra

Member
It's been too long without anything negative about this game...now the fears come back full force...

So the game is the FFXV we know and have come to love in the first half, but then...FFXIII in the second half?

Hopefully it's the FFX type of FFXIII where I actually enjoy playing instead of just...FFXIII

I feel like FFXIII's problems stem mostly from the confusing FNC world and the horrible characters. FFXV isn't giving me the same vibes (yet). I'm playing Lightning Returns now, and I still have no clue what a Fal'cie or L'cie is.
 
After reading the preview, there main issue seems to be with coherence. Hmm, interesting to see how this plays out. Some of their points definitely seem worrying, however, there isn't really enough specificity in their review to actually gauge the overall impact of the factors they highlight.
 

LordKasual

Banned
I feel like FFXIII's problems stem mostly from the confusing FNC world and the horrible characters. FFXV isn't giving me the same vibes (yet).

Well, no there were a plethora of other issues with FFXIII, namely lack of supplemental content (towns, cities, NPC interaction), almost no customization (heavily streamlined items, crystal progression thing being a depthless Sphere Grid)...

Of which i agree, yeah FFXV already has all of that covered. The only issue is whether or not the linear play holds up to the open play.

The guy said 40 hours of gameplay....does that mean he played basically the whole game? Or just maybe 20 hours stretched into 40? Seems like a particularly odd time to release a full review of a game that doesn't come out for a week shy of a month....
 

LordKasual

Banned
So after having watched Kingsglaive...how does Noctis have that magic?

The same way Regis does, he's of Lucii royal blood. The ring is to commune with the old kings, which is basically asking for more power, but it isn't necessarily promised to Regis or Noctis.
 
So I read it because it was pretty much being discussed anyway...I don't really see that as spoilery? We have no idea what the story implications of what was said are.
 

Sylas

Member
Also, any complaints re:
linearity in the second half
makes me thankful?

I
genuinely enjoyed The Witcher 3
for about 30 hours before I got woefully exhausted and wished there was less game and more focus.

A great example is also DQ7. Sometimes less is more and not toddling around every which way can be really satisfying. Applies to any sort of game design, really. Even the D&D campaigns that I've enjoyed the most have a degree of less is more so the crippling sandbox doesn't slaughter momentum at every opportunity.
 
Finished reading the preview and yeah I'm concerned. Especially since it seems they loved the first half, but the second soured them on the whole thing.
 

Sanctuary

Member
There's a Wait Mode where when you let go of the left stick the time stops for a certain period of time and you can choose your targets and commands as you wish:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YxUeraE_c8

I actually just googled the information, but thanks. I've just mostly been on a blackout regarding this game aside from a few of the gameplay videos over the last few months that showed the real-time combat. I guess it's pretty cool that the option is there, although I'm going to try to play it as an action game until I feel like I'm hitting a wall.
 
Sounds like it could go either way, really.

And short of scrapping the ENTIRE thing and coming up with something completely new for FFXV, almost inevitable in some fashion. I guess we'll have to wait till the game is out to see if it bothers people or not.
 
So people are going back into panic mode xD

When another preview comes out and says it was amaze-balls can we go back to being all hyped up again?
 

cackhyena

Member
The same way Regis does, he's of Lucii royal blood. The ring is to commune with the old kings, which is basically asking for more power, but it isn't necessarily promised to Regis or Noctis.
Okay.

So he's the last of his kind who can wield it, seemingly? Curious if he knows his dad died or not in the game. I haven't followed this stuff closely.
 

Socivol

Member
That information on the story is what has me worried. Seems like it's confusing and lacks focus....again. I'm hoping it's just this writer that feels that way. This is the same magazine that gave the FFX remaster a 6/10.
 

ebil

Member
So people are going back into panic mode xD

When another preview comes out and says it was amaze-balls can we go back to being all hyped up again?
Well, a lot of people have expressed concern about the completely unknown second half of the game, and this isn't entirely reassuring.
 

Koozek

Member
Another small bit on the second half and how you can return to the first half:
To make clear the distinction between the two halves of the game, if you want to return to the open-world area you'll need to travel 'back in time' when at a save point. Once there, you can mop up any unresolved side-missions, until you're ready to return to the present.
 

Voror

Member
Well that's definitely concerning. I think part of it is that everyone sort of expects it to ultimately be a mediocre or bad game in the end, so the idea that the whole thing falls apart as it goes on is definitely a legitimate fear.

Even without the history here, I think people don't necessarily just expect a new game in this series to be good in the end after a string of issues.

It's silly, but I'm really worried now.
 

bigol

Member
Here's a very brief, non-spoiler summary (but spoiler tagged just in case):
There's a stealth section where you play only as Noctis, and it uses RE mechanics for puzzles apparently.

Well, there are sections in Final Fantasy VII like the Shinra Tower when you have to go stealth, or obtain cards to reach higher floors. Or a section where you have to solve environmental puzzles in the train graveyard. Or the Wall Market section... What's bad about that?

I think those were really great additions to mix things up and not feel like you are literally going from one cutscene to the other. That was totally lacking in FF XIII.
 

Sagely

Member
Did EDGE play the entire full finished game or is this based on an extended preview copy?
This is what I want to know. IIRC no other outlets have had access to the full game yet? Koozek's spoiler bits honestly sound interesting (not concerning) to me but I have a high tolerance for games that start well and end poorly.
 
Another small bit on the second half and how you can return to the first half:
To make clear the distinction between the two halves of the game, if you want to return to the open-world area you'll need to travel 'back in time' when at a save point. Once there, you can mop up any unresolved side-missions, until you're ready to return to the present.
This bit seems poorly integrated, but on the other hand...it really isn't that out of wack. The last Act of the Witcher 3 actually feels pretty linear, and though you can of course deviate which I welcome, it doesn't actually make narrative sense given the nature of events. Now that I think about it, the going back in time thing just seems like a technicality. At least you can access the wider world. It doesn't matter that much that it doesn't make that much sense. It never has. It has always been thus in videogames. This implimentation does seem like an obvious late dev design choice though. They probably weren't going to make the open world accessible later on. Very glad they have...It would have been pretty disasterous otherwise. And with that, I am quite happy that the game has a linear part...considering we can still go back to the open world I am fine with it.

There is nothing to suggest they completed the game really. The preview is pretty vague on a lot of details really. If they did, they probably stormed through it. This game doesn't seem like it is built to be breezed through though. At all.
 

MilkBeard

Member
Another small bit on the second half and how you can return to the first half:
To make clear the distinction between the two halves of the game, if you want to return to the open-world area you'll need to travel 'back in time' when at a save point. Once there, you can mop up any unresolved side-missions, until you're ready to return to the present.
I was actually pondering about this, considering the
time skip in the beginning. If the latter part of the game is older Noct, then the only way to go back would be a time skip.
 

bigol

Member
Another small bit on the second half and how you can return to the first half:
To make clear the distinction between the two halves of the game, if you want to return to the open-world area you'll need to travel 'back in time' when at a save point. Once there, you can mop up any unresolved side-missions, until you're ready to return to the present.

So,is the second half few hours (like 4-5 hours) or longer? Still don't understand that.
 
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