Riona (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rionaleonhart) wrote2016-12-20 02:23 pm
rionaleonhart) wrote2016-12-20 02:23 pm
Entry tags:
Hoppy To Have You Back.
Here 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.
no subject
(Anonymous) 2016-12-20 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)CRY: “When we last left off, we did a lot of story shit and I put our hero in different clothes ‘cuz I think they look nice, and we are going to go not do a single fucking bit of story today. Alright, let’s go do some sidequests ‘cause well I’ll be honest with you, I really like this video game, and the more main story I do the less video game will be left. So the more I procrastinate on the actual main story… the more game I get! I think that’s a nice trade off. I think it works out.”
Ardyn seems interesting, and his voice actor plays him well. Still not sure I'd actually get that he's a particular villain were it not for a) the hair b) being told he's villainous in Kingsglaive. Bloody Kingsglaive. I don't like it without ever having seen it purely as I resent being expected to know it! (I'm sure I'll watch it eventually.)
"- The 'go to this place and hunt for this thing while thousands of robots parachute onto you' sidequests can become very tedious."
They look very tedious to play, but can be somewhat amusing to watch when it makes an easy situation suddenly go terribly deadly. xD
-
Interesting actually to think about what FF15 has learned from other games in the series. I was thinking about this recently. So, for example: The hunts system is very similar to FF12. It takes cues from 13's controlling one character in battle, and the "getting your exposition/character building dialogue done while moving around" but considerably more polished.
-timydamonkey
no subject
Ardyn isn't actually very present in Kingsglaive; basically the only things you'd know in advance if you'd seen it are that he's the enemy chancellor and also bad news, both of which become clear very quickly in the game. He didn't make much of an impression on me in the film, but by the end of the game I had such a visceral dislike of him (in a good 'this guy is the WORST PERSON' way, rather than a bad 'this guy is the WORST CHARACTER' one).
It is interesting to think about what XV has learnt, and also about the places it's tried to react to criticism of previous titles: I imagine the open-worldiness is at least in part a response to dislike of XIII's linearity. The Final Fantasy series has fallen into an odd pattern of swinging back and forth on linearity: X was linear and cutscene-heavy, so XII was sprawling and unfocused, so XIII was linear and cutscene-heavy, so XV was sprawling and unfocused. There's this constant trade-off of exploration versus pacing, and they never seem to find the right balance. Oddly, XV actually sort of manages to make the lack of focus work, given the roadtrip theme, and the pacing goes to hell in the more linear second half.
no subject
I think emotional investment is very much on how you like the characters, and I think even disliking one of the four could seriously hinder someone’s emotional investment for the game. They are the heart and soul, and everything great about the game—even the combat—exemplifies and stresses that bond.
I think this game is like a backwards VI in terms of pacing—huge open world with a vague primary objective (but tons of smaller, more easily achievable ones) followed by narrative driven second half. Though, to be fair, VI’s narrative didn’t have the massive gaps that XV did.
Definitely not enough hugs. Major con.
Ignis’ healing ability is unbelievably useful. The most useful ability in the entire game, IMO. I’d also advise new fans to understand that Prompto is continuing the proud tradition started by Edge in IV of spending half of difficult battles face down, eating dirt.
Buying the FF CDs should be your top priority. It was mine. Nothing beats cruising down the highway why God in Fire blares over the speakers. ~hardcore~ Oh! Also, let’s remind the kids watching that they can make use of the shop inside the Regalia menu to get a lot of the necessities (potions, phoenix downs, etc) and can also get the portable MP3 player so that they can listen to classic music while on foot. <3
If you've spent ages hunting for a sidequest objective and you're getting frustrated, go off and do something else instead.
Especially if you spend almost forty-five minutes looking for a small scrap of paper near Hammerhead and can’t find it and WHY IS A LEVEL THREE QUEST SO DIFFICULT
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.
This x 100
The only major tip I think you should add is one of the most important: When your stamina gauge is nearly at the end, right before it changes from green to orange, lift your finger off the button and press down again for it to refill instantaneously. This negates the need to let Noct take a breather or waste AP on the stamina buffs in the Ascension menu.
no subject
This is so true. I love all the little details that reinforce their relationship, and it's strange to think about how different the ending must feel if you don't care for the boys or their bond.
I didn't even know there was a stamina gauge! I suppose you must have to turn it on in the options. Noooo, now I have to choose between infinite sprint and keeping HUD elements to a minimum.
Prompto is continuing the proud tradition started by Edge in IV of spending half of difficult battles face down, eating dirt.
Ha! Unfortunate but true. I'd like to give him more HP/defence accessories, but I haven't the heart to take away his camera strap. Who needs to stay alive in battle when you could be taking more photographs?
I'm so puzzled by the in-car shop, but I'll accept it. Maybe Prompto has stocked up on items and is insisting that Noctis pay for them.
no subject
I actually didn't have a use for the camera strap, I'm ashamed to say. I hit my limit on pictures really quickly, so I spent so much time going through my list and debating which to delete I didn't have the heart to add more to that haha (and even with two HP boosting accessories ol' Prompto still spent half his time super dead, poor thing)
I always assumed the in-car shop was basically Ignis' subscription to a Skymall-esque magazine which delivered goods to you, wherever you may be (sans cutscene, because Reasons). It made as much sense as anything else.