Hoppy To Have You Back.
Dec. 20th, 2016 02:23 pmHere are some non-spoilery notes on things Final Fantasy XV does right and wrong, in case anyone's dithering on whether to get it. (I'm not sure anyone reading this is actually dithering on whether to get it, but I just wanted an excuse to talk more about this game.)
Positives:
- Both the visuals and the soundtrack are beautiful. No surprises there.
- The four main characters are really well portrayed. I absolutely believed in their friendship and cared about them. Prompto is the best.
- It might actually have the best villain in the series. And I say that reluctantly, because I loathe the villain. I absolutely hate him. I can't remember the last time I so intensely wanted to punch a character in the face. But he's good.
- I played from beginning to end without once feeling the need to grind for experience. You'll pick up plenty of experience points from doing sidequests, so you're unlikely to ever find yourself going 'sigh, better kill a bunch of wildlife before moving on'.
- Although you wouldn't necessarily be inclined to sigh in that situation, because combat is fun! I particularly enjoy warping all over the place.
- Emotional investment is obviously a very personal thing, but I got so emotionally invested in this game.
Negatives:
- The story is interesting but clumsily told. The early developments seem to assume you've seen Kingsglaive. There are thrilling revelations that are never explored further or brought up again. There are characters who never really get a chance to shine. I can see that there was a conscious effort to cut down on cutscenes, and I can understand why, but I do feel the game could perhaps have done with a few more.
- Also on the subject of story issues: the pacing is a bit odd. The leisurely pace of the first half of the game makes sense, given the roadtrip theme, but once you get into the second half events will whip past at lightning speed. Final Fantasy XII still wins the Worst Pacing in a Final Fantasy award, but not by much.
- The 'go to this place and hunt for this thing while thousands of robots parachute onto you' sidequests can become very tedious.
- There are some really bad puns (this is also a positive).
- Not enough hugs. So few things I watch or play seem to have enough hugs. I don't think my hugging expectations are that unreasonable.
Tips for playing:
- You don't have healing spells, so healing items are your best friends. Stay stocked up. Ignis can learn a couple of abilities that let him heal teammates; they're useful and I recommend teaching them to him, but you'll need items on top of that. If an ally's in danger and you need to bring them out quickly or you can't physically reach them to rescue them, you can use a Potion (although you'll miss out on the cute rescuing dialogue, alas).
- Whenever you visit a new shop, press R1 to cycle through item categories to Auto Parts (if it sells auto parts) and see whether it's selling any Final Fantasy soundtracks for your car's CD player. This is very important.
- Remember that you don't have to do everything. If you've spent ages hunting for a sidequest objective and you're getting frustrated, go off and do something else instead.
- If you ever stray inconveniently far from the Regalia, check the options on the map screen; you can return to wherever you parked the car, or, if you're near a road, you can call the car to you.
- Go to the Chocobo Post and unlock chocobo rentals at the first opportunity. Do sidequests for Wiz if you want to be able to dye your chocobo stupid colours (and who doesn't?).
- You're on a roadtrip, and focusing on the destination will rob you of the journey. Don't feel obliged to do every sidequest available, but don't charge constantly towards the next objective either; relax, explore, enjoy spending time with your friends. These are the important moments.
Final Fantasy XV is flawed and messy and beautiful. It has issues, but it makes me feel like nothing else. It's a game I'd never be able to review on Amazon, because my head says 'give it four stars' and my heart says 'give it five'. As with Final Fantasy VIII, I can recognise its problems, but XV has slipped past my rational mind and gone straight to the heart for its verdict.
Positives:
- Both the visuals and the soundtrack are beautiful. No surprises there.
- The four main characters are really well portrayed. I absolutely believed in their friendship and cared about them. Prompto is the best.
- It might actually have the best villain in the series. And I say that reluctantly, because I loathe the villain. I absolutely hate him. I can't remember the last time I so intensely wanted to punch a character in the face. But he's good.
- I played from beginning to end without once feeling the need to grind for experience. You'll pick up plenty of experience points from doing sidequests, so you're unlikely to ever find yourself going 'sigh, better kill a bunch of wildlife before moving on'.
- Although you wouldn't necessarily be inclined to sigh in that situation, because combat is fun! I particularly enjoy warping all over the place.
- Emotional investment is obviously a very personal thing, but I got so emotionally invested in this game.
Negatives:
- The story is interesting but clumsily told. The early developments seem to assume you've seen Kingsglaive. There are thrilling revelations that are never explored further or brought up again. There are characters who never really get a chance to shine. I can see that there was a conscious effort to cut down on cutscenes, and I can understand why, but I do feel the game could perhaps have done with a few more.
- Also on the subject of story issues: the pacing is a bit odd. The leisurely pace of the first half of the game makes sense, given the roadtrip theme, but once you get into the second half events will whip past at lightning speed. Final Fantasy XII still wins the Worst Pacing in a Final Fantasy award, but not by much.
- The 'go to this place and hunt for this thing while thousands of robots parachute onto you' sidequests can become very tedious.
- There are some really bad puns (this is also a positive).
- Not enough hugs. So few things I watch or play seem to have enough hugs. I don't think my hugging expectations are that unreasonable.
Tips for playing:
- You don't have healing spells, so healing items are your best friends. Stay stocked up. Ignis can learn a couple of abilities that let him heal teammates; they're useful and I recommend teaching them to him, but you'll need items on top of that. If an ally's in danger and you need to bring them out quickly or you can't physically reach them to rescue them, you can use a Potion (although you'll miss out on the cute rescuing dialogue, alas).
- Whenever you visit a new shop, press R1 to cycle through item categories to Auto Parts (if it sells auto parts) and see whether it's selling any Final Fantasy soundtracks for your car's CD player. This is very important.
- Remember that you don't have to do everything. If you've spent ages hunting for a sidequest objective and you're getting frustrated, go off and do something else instead.
- If you ever stray inconveniently far from the Regalia, check the options on the map screen; you can return to wherever you parked the car, or, if you're near a road, you can call the car to you.
- Go to the Chocobo Post and unlock chocobo rentals at the first opportunity. Do sidequests for Wiz if you want to be able to dye your chocobo stupid colours (and who doesn't?).
- You're on a roadtrip, and focusing on the destination will rob you of the journey. Don't feel obliged to do every sidequest available, but don't charge constantly towards the next objective either; relax, explore, enjoy spending time with your friends. These are the important moments.
Final Fantasy XV is flawed and messy and beautiful. It has issues, but it makes me feel like nothing else. It's a game I'd never be able to review on Amazon, because my head says 'give it four stars' and my heart says 'give it five'. As with Final Fantasy VIII, I can recognise its problems, but XV has slipped past my rational mind and gone straight to the heart for its verdict.
