Final Fantasy XV

[Leewilson]

Great to know that my grandchildren will be able to enjoy Final Fantasy XVI

Always thought you were a grumpy old man

 

[Don Tonberry]

I finished the main storyline yesterday so time for some more thoughts:

- The plot is a mess. I won't go into too much detail because of major spoilers but I had to watch a video to have some plot points explained and even most of that is conjecture. I can only agree with the critics when they say that the overall plot is full of holes and the storytelling could've been done far more effectively. Which brings me nicely onto my next point...

- The second half of the main storyline feels like Final Fantasy XIII and that isn't a good thing. Too many boring "corridor" sections and Chapter 13 has become infamous for how labouring it is. It speaks volumes that Square Enix have said they'll patch this chapter as well as add in some extra cutscenes to explain much of the missing plot/character motivations.

- Only having four "actual" summons in the game is a letdown, especially as you can't control what triggers their appearances. I was hoping for more because when they do appear, they are totally badass.

- I was glad to be able to return to the open world in the second half of the game as that is clearly the game's biggest strength. Even then, the world seems like it has so much more to offer and so it wouldn't surprise me to see a lot of DLC arrive and possibly a sequel too?

- Overall, Final Fantasy XV is a decent game. It's better than XIII but won't go down as one of the classics It's a step in the right direction, especially the combat system which remains the highlight of the game and makes me hopeful that they'll nail the combat system in the FFVII Remake. The four main characters were much better than I thought they'd be, too.

I'd definitely recommend this game to any Final Fantasy fan. As someone who has played the entire main series I would place XV somewhere in the middle. From best to worst: VII, X, IX, VIII, XII, VI, XV, IV, XIII, V, III, I, II.

 

[Leewilson]

I'm on chapter 3 and have played 14 hours. Loving exploring and doing side quests. Story hasn't really got going yet and I imagine it won't judging by your post DT. Must say I'm a very story orientated gamer so for me to be loving the open world is quite something. Just shame it's not a stronger main quest or it could have been a classic. Still a worthy and enjoyable 8/10

 

[KevinMcallister]

gonna get this after mafia 3 is completed

 

[Blitzballer]

stuck on that c*** marlboro, i'm 10 levels under but have a plan up my sleeve

 

[KevinMcallister]

stuck on that c*** marlboro, i'm 10 levels under but have a plan up my sleeve

hate them c***, they are the poison mutated flower things right? such an annoying mob

 

[Don Tonberry]

Is that normal Malboro or Malbodoom? I just killed the latter today although he took some beating.

I've only got a few major fights left, but need to get to level 99 first.

 

[Oaf]

Alright, fine, it's ordered for Xmas. I hope you're happy Don.

Fucks sake.

 

[Don Tonberry]

Despite its flaws Oaf, you won't regret it.

 

[Don Tonberry]

So I've just finished tackling the secret end-game dungeon and it is pure hell. There are no enemies, it's just platforming and it reminded me of the absolute worst sections on the old Tomb Raider games.

Never, ever again!

 

[KevinMcallister]

this didn't really take you long Don Tonberry , is it as long as other final fantasy's? like 10 for instance?

 

[Don Tonberry]

It's definitely not a short game, Kev. I've racked up around 75 hours on it and still have places to explore and hunts to complete.

 

[KevinMcallister]

think i'm gonna go buy it boxing day, no point buying it now as I have xmas dinner and shit with family to do

 

[RavenBish]

it's today's Christmas Deal on PSN.

£32.99

 

[Oaf]

Man, I'm getting this tomorrow and I've not got around to watching any of the stuff before it (the brotherhood youtube series or the Kingsglaive movie).... is this stuff essential viewing before playing the game? I still want to see it all before I start the game...

 

[KevinMcallister]

it's today's Christmas Deal on PSN.

£32.99

wow that's a good deal

 

[Oaf]

Yeah, that's what I got mine on Amazon for back along, but it's gone back up there now. It's as good a price as it's been so far, so if anybody is interested, now's the time to get it.

Well, no, because you'll probably buy it and then open it tomorrow morning with the rest of your stuff. But you know... if you know you definitely ain't gonna get it tomorrow, it's good.

 

[KevinMcallister]

right I've got this you bastards! waiting on the 11gb update then i'm good to go

Don Tonberry what have you done!

 

[Blitzballer]

The ending is a bit of a tear jerker.
thoroughly enjoyed playing that, one of the best 1FF's in my book and I come from the era of FF7/FF8
Now I got a shit load of side quests to do

 

[KevinMcallister]

I'm loving it absolutely superb imo, I was very critical of final fantasy 12 and 13, it's quite different to all final fantasy but the combat system feels great, not very far into the story however and that seems to be the weak element, love driving around picking up side quests and hunts etc the world feels huge even before its fully opened up

 

[Leewilson]

About 30 hours in and up to chapter 8. Destroyed a ton of side quests and love exploring the world which is undoubtedly the strongest part of the game. I get the impression I'm about to move onto a linear part so am trying to mop up as many side quests as possible. I just wish the storyline was a little better.

 

[KevinMcallister]

About 30 hours in and up to chapter 8. Destroyed a ton of side quests and love exploring the world which is undoubtedly the strongest part of the game. I get the impression I'm about to move onto a linear part so am trying to mop up as many side quests as possible. I just wish the storyline was a little better.

without doubt if the story was on par with 7 and 10 , we'd be seeing a superb final fantasy, it's just a good one, but it's a huge step in getting back to great final fantasy games

 

[Don Tonberry]

Man, I'm getting this tomorrow and I've not got around to watching any of the stuff before it (the brotherhood youtube series or the Kingsglaive movie).... is this stuff essential viewing before playing the game? I still want to see it all before I start the game...

You definitely don't need to see Brotherhood before you play. In fact, the whole thing could be summed up in one paragraph.

Kingsglaive isn't essential viewing, either. However, if you wish to know what happens once Noctis is sent on his way to marry Luna then you should watch it. Again, despite some of its plot holes that are wider than Katie Price's vagina, it's worth looking at (not like Katie Price's vagina).

Now I'm back home I'm going to take on the extra parts in the original dungeons which I hear are quite challenging.

Another point on the soundtrack, the battle themes are as good as they get for the series. Whilst there are some other highlights (along with some very "meh" tunes, I'm not a fan of "country road trip" music) it's the battle music which will stay with me.

P.S: Lee, you can come back to the open world after you've done the linear bit. In fact, once you finish the game some of the post-game content will keep you playing for a long time yet.

 

[Oaf]

I did actually end up watching the Brotherhood/Kingsglaive things. Brotherhood is probably entirely skipable (though I guess it does add some cool backstory to the characters) and TBH I thought Kingsglaive was pretty ass, but I'm glad to have watched it after seeing how the game kind of quickly summarised the whole attack on Insomnia with a very fast montage...

So yeah, I've got about 12 hours playtime on 1FF XV now and I absolutely love it so far. Feels very unique compared to all other games out there, not just other final fantasy games. But I mean that in the best possible way.

But my first question is why... WHY did they make the demo so fucking shit? It was absolute trash and now, having played the game, it really begs the question of what exactly they were trying to do with it other than put people off of the game. It doesn't reflect the actual nature of the game in the slightest. Baffling.

My only real complaint so far is... ugh, sidequests. Like many games in recent times, they've added play hours to the game by adding shit, lazy side quests, it seems. One of the main critisisms aimed toward 1FF XIII was its linearity... but honestly, give me that over hours and hours of mindless, copy and paste, shit side quests. After after not really minding them in XV at first, they're already becoming a bit of a bore. Do they get better? Are they actually worth doing? I can't be fucked with any more hunts, or finding that bitches toads or delivering that shifty bastard his rocks if it ain't gonna actually get me anywhere. At this rate, I'm actually finding myself looking forward to chapter 9 when I hear the side quests fuck off for a bit.

 

[Don Tonberry]

Nope, all the sidequests are helpful for are getting EXP and the occasional decent item. The hunts do get more interesting later on, though.

I've just done the 6th out of the 8 "secret seal" dungeons you can only complete once the main game is over. All I will say is fuck Tonberries. Fucking fuck Tonberries.

 

[Leewilson]

I liked the side quests. They were dull but it allowed me to properly explore the world and experiment with the battle system. Plus I'm quite OCD about wanting my sidequest list to be smaller

On chapter 12 now and the plot is pretty wank. Not sure if it's just me not listening properly but I'm sure they just throw in terms and expect you to understand what's going on. Took me until it appeared for me to realise that the Hydraen and Leviathon was the same thing. I feel like the whole Oracle, ring and crystal stuff has been massively glossed over as well whilst Lunafreya really isn't explored as a character.

 

[KevinMcallister]

i love the hunts i'm only rank 3 but they are challenging enough

i'm only on chapter 3 of the story, I've been exploring and doing loads of side quests but I now need to develop the story a bit as i'm too low level for a lot of hunts and side quests, also DINO is a wanker

her with the tits is ok

 

[Oaf]

I liked the side quests. They were dull but it allowed me to properly explore the world and experiment with the battle system. Plus I'm quite OCD about wanting my sidequest list to be smaller

See this is my problem! I do them to clear up that list, but fuck me are some of them shit.

And last night after making that post, I came across the worse side quest yet. Finding and deactivating some bear trap things. Oh my fucking god. Get to a pretty large area on the map and then find and deactivate 5 of the fucking things... but the area is large and the traps don't exactly stand out. I must have been there for about half an hour scouring every last fucking inch of the floor. Dull. As. Fuck. Got so bored of it by the time I'd found 2 of them then remembered that I wasn't even half way through. It made me kinda just wanna say fuck all sidequests and just stick solely to the story.

I agree that they encourage exploration of the beautiful world FFXV has given us, and I do enjoy it half the time, because they honestly ain't all bad. But holy fuck. When shit like that pops up you just need to wonder what the fuck the designers were playing at.

 

[Leewilson]

Chapter 13 is one of the worst things I've ever played.

 

[Don Tonberry]

Lee: Yeah, the producers know it, too. Hence why they're patching it! One thing I didn't even realise during that chapter was:

Spoiler

Aldercapt was the monster stalking you during the whole chapter, some players have heard him speak when fighting him but I got nothing. The fact that such a major player (supposedly) gets done away with so easily is shocking.

Oaf: Oh, you think the bear trap quest is bad? Wait until the valve quest in Lestallum. Even worse! They should've opted for quality over quantity, here. Stick with the hunts, though. They get more challenging/interesting later on.

Kev: Dino may be a douche but he, along with virtually every other side character, gets no exposition towards the main storyline. And even then, he STILL gets more screen time than Lunafreya in total, and she's supposed to be the oracle FFS!