Written by Jonathan Lee, December 1, 2016, 7:00 p.m. Tweet to: @Writerscube
Final Fantasy XV, ladies and gents! It’s here, at last. It’s taken ten years for this game to come out, but it sure looks worth the wait. What began as Final Fantasy XIII Versus had died in a sort of development purgatory after doubts about the Playstation 3’s life cycle. But it was then reborn as Final Fantasy XV for the Playstation 4 and Xbox One!
And now, it’s out there for us all to see, to play, and hopefully, to ENJOY! So what’s in the game? Here’s what I’ve learned so far from trailers, following Square Enix news, and playing the game’s tutorial. As for what else comes afterwards, we’re going to all find out together in our upcoming Final Fantasy XV Live Stream series on Twitch. So be sure to follow us for that announcement!
The Story (As it begins…)
You play as Noctis Lucis Caelum, son of King Regis and heir apparent to the throne of Lucis. From the start, you are destined to marry the beautiful Lady Lunafreya in an attempt to unite the kingdoms of Lucis and Tenebrae. This is all in the effort to fight back against the aggressions of the militaristic nation of Niflheim. When you set out, you’ll also be accompanied by Noctis’s three most loyal friends and royal companions: Ignis, Prompto, and Gladiolus.
Combat
Final Fantasy XIII tried to depart from the turn-based combat that many a fan was used to. But it took until Final Fantasy XIII: Lightning Returns before the game had substantially changed its combat scheme. Now we’re seeing more of that in Final Fantasy XV with a departure from Active Time Bars, action point costs, and the like.
Noctis has access to a wide assortment of weapons, and by his innate magical powers that are gifted to all those of his royal line, he is capable of summoning any of those weapons at will. Each weapon has a unique way of attacking, they affect different enemies in different ways. Furthermore, Noctis’s powers allow his to warp-strike his foes. This teleports the prince to where he throws his weapon (at the enemy) and then gives his enemies the royal beatdown. Also that warping ability allows him to reach vantage points to recover health and mana. Then you can return to battle to surprise attack another enemy.
Square Enix has delivered us a combat system that’s not just active–it’s very active. You can run, jump, teleport, zip to rock ledges and walls. Outmaneuvering your foes, and attacking them from behind yields extra damage! You get to see the bond between Noctis and his friends when you initiate linked attacks against enemies–one moment, you’re fighting a scorpion on your own. The next, one of your buddies joins in to hack it down along with you in a stylish finishing combo move!
You will have your spells and magic. The spell system has undergone some changes as well. You’ll have to craft your spells using Elemancy. And what spells you make will have limited uses before you must make more. And then there’s the mighty summons! From what trailers we’ve seen, the Summons have undergone some really neat changes. It’ll be a blast to see them in action.
Watch Final Fantasy XV on Slickster’s Twitch Channel! Coming Soon!
And of course, we’re going to give this grand JRPG a full playthrough on our live Twitch Channel. This game is too awesome-looking to not check out in all its glory. If you’re looking to see what awaits in the world of Final Fantasy XV before you buy it, or you just love Slickster Magazine and video games–keep an eye out for our Twitch playthrough announcement!
