Final Fantasy Thread

[Tyaren]

Wait, so there is an initial 16GB patch and then an additional 8GB patch?

Sorry but Tabata is losing respect here :/ if the game needs such huge patches then the people without internet and PSN access are getting a much inferior version of the game.
He probably did not want to admit the game was in an unplayable status during September and needed a good excuse.

The first patch was 7,2 GB, the second second one 8GB. As I thought, people who did not download the first one just have to download the second one. It apparently overwrites/replaces most data. It also took me less than 3 hours this time even though the patch seemed to be bigger.
But, yeah, it is still big enough and imo a shitty practice and it exposes Tabata as a lier. :/ Let's not forget they delayed the game with the claim they wouldn't want players without internet to play an inferior version. They would play an inferior version now anyway because the patches bring a lot of stuff and improvements along too. Camera is better, game customization is now better and deeper, there is more music, more cutscenes and many gameplay aspects have been added or improved, like wait mode, warping in the field or being able to wait until night for some quests.
We have to keep mind though that a single blu-ray only can only hold 50GB worth of data and FFXV with it's patches is now a lot bigger.

Wait a sec...what's this I hear about having to restart the game?? Is it mandatory after the patch??

You don't have to restart the game. I restarted the game because I wanted to have the best FFXV experience from the very beginning. It was my fault after all that I started the game before release and before the full day one patch arrived. But I didn't really mind actually. It was/is fun to replay some sections again, being more efficient from the start. I always need some time to get into a new RPG, especially the combat and customization. Now I can enjoy it more.

 

[KasumiLover]

I'm happy they added a gallery for recipes, that gives me a Harvest Moon DS vibe I love.

 

[Tyaren]

The review embargo has finally ended for FFXV. It is fortunately generally getting good reviews that range between 80%-90%. There are a few good ones but I especially like the Kotaku review, which didn't give any score but describes the game really well. If you want to be just a little more hyped but also warned ahead regarding some not so great stuff, check it out. There's no spoilers in there:
http://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-xv-the-kotaku-review-1789400066

Biggest criticism of the game in most reviews is actually the story. It's not bad and towards the end it shines much more and is actually called beautiful and rewarding but hard-hitting by many reviewers (yeah, I am looking at you @Chapstick and @Hayabusiness) but they report some serious pacing issues, plot holes along the way and characters that suddenly don't matter anymore.
This is why I wanted to write this post before any of you start playing the game. The story is told pretty differently to other recent Final Fantasies (X-XIII.) You will have far fewer and much less bombastic cutscenes. Much is actually told by chatting with your bros, listening to the radio, overhearing NPC conversation and through optional cutscenes and sidequests. Make sure you go with open eyes and open ears through this gameworld. Take on quests, even if you don't plan to do them right now. Otherwise you will miss stuff, fairly important stuff imo, which does dampen the whole story experience. Many of the reviewers rushed through the game in 30 hours to get their review ready and missed quite a bit.
I learned this by just coincidently triggering a beautiful and imo important character building scene regarding Luna at one time. I could have completely missed it, if I hadn't talked to a NPC with a quest mark over his head at some truck stop. I did miss another character building scene regarding Prompto by not sleeping in a certain motel. :/ I'll be sure to trigger it this time in my new playthrough.
The story might have it's problems but it is certainly there, just really easy to miss. Just keep this in mind. Yeah, these are my two cents.

@Jadeinchains, read this post, alright?

 

[SilverForte]

sounds like the way ff12 story was structured. A ton of lore was hidden in the sidequests and bestiary. I like this.

 

[Awesmic]

The review embargo has finally ended for FFXV. It is fortunately generally getting good reviews that range between 80%-90%. There are a few good ones but I especially like the Kotaku review, which didn't give any score but which describes the game really well. If you want to be just a little more hyped but also warned ahead regarding some not so great stuff, check it out. There's no spoilers in there:
http://kotaku.com/final-fantasy-xv-the-kotaku-review-1789400066

Biggest criticism of the game in most reviews is actually the story. It's not bad and towards the end it shines much more and is actually called beautiful and rewarding but hard-hitting by many reviewers (yeah, I am looking at you @Chapstick and @Hayabusiness) but they report some serious pacing issues, plot holes along the way and characters that suddenly don't matter anymore.
This is why I wanted to write this post before any of you start playing the game. The story is told pretty differently to other recent Final Fantasies (X-XIII.) You will have far fewer and much less bombastic cutscenes. Much is actually told by chatting with your bros, listening to the radio, overhearing NPC conversation and through optional cutscenes and sidequests. Make sure you go with open eyes and open ears through this gameworld. Take on quests, even if you don't plan to do them right now. Otherwise you will miss stuff, fairly important stuff imo, which does dampen the whole story experience. Many of the reviewers rushed through the game in 30 hours to get their review ready and missed quite a bit.
I learned this by just coincidently triggering a beautiful and imo important character building scene regarding Luna at one time. I could have completely missed it, if I hadn't talked to a NPC with a quest mark over his head at some truck stop. I did miss another character building scene regarding Prompto by not sleeping in a certain motel. :/ I'll be sure to trigger it this time in my new playthrough.
The story might have it's problems but it is certainly there, just really easy to miss. Just keep this in mind. Yeah, these are my two cents.

@Jadeinchains, read this post, alright?

TL;DR: It's the next Final Fantasy VI.

 

[Jadeinchains]

Okay if a lot of lore and storyline stuff is in sidequests I'll definitely make sure to do them! And don't worry I'm going to go in open minded about the story and if I like it then I don't mind if other people don't. I'll try not to miss anything.

 

[Chapstick]

I really dislike when games hide important scenes behind things that are* too easy to miss (ie. not sleeping at a specific motel) it makes me constantly paranoid I'm missing something esp after FFX-2 and trying to get 100%

 

[Nikotsumi]

I don't mind story stuff being hidden behind side quests, though I don't like it being hidden behind things such as sleeping at a motel (especially if you can trigger that cutscene only at a specific point of the game), it's too easy to miss those, it's stupid. Now I'm practically forced to sleep everywhere, even at super expensive places (ie. Galdin Quay in the demo) D:

 

[UpSideDownGRUNT]

Maybe thats something that has changed with the new patch? it seems ridiculous to not automatically make you stay at the hotel or make it your objective if its really important.

Like Clouds flashback in VII.

With that said, I'm gonna try to avoid this thread until I have the game in my hands and actually playing(SHOULD be tomorrow...)

 

[KasumiLover]

I think it's an OK choice, it makes the completion a bit more challenging and makes you make more wise decisions, plus isn't there still that save scum thing? You can always go back that way if you have to right like in X3?

 

[Tyaren]

Maybe thats something that has changed with the new patch? it seems ridiculous to not automatically make you stay at the hotel or make it your objective if its really important.

Nah, it's still optional. I restarted the game with the new patch.

I don't mind story stuff being hidden behind side quests, though I don't like it being hidden behind things such as sleeping at a motel (especially if you can trigger that cutscene only at a specific point of the game), it's too easy to miss those, it's stupid. Now I'm practically forced to sleep everywhere, even at super expensive places (ie. Galdin Quay in the demo) D:

You should in general sleep at least once everywhere because side quests with Prompto, Gladio and Ignis are triggered there. Like taking photos with Prompto, stargazing with Ignis or running with Gladio.

I really dislike when games hide important scenes behind things that too easy to miss (ie. not sleeping at a specific motel) it makes me constantly paranoid I'm missing something esp after FFX-2 and trying to get 100%

I agree, it sucks a bit. :/ But I completely get why they did it like this. They want you to explore, learn and experience things through your bro-trip.

 

[deathofaninja]

Think I will wait until Christmas, but the game looks beautiful and that's part of my reason for wanting to experience it. I must say though without being a wet blanket: I am not yet impressed with the creatures I have seen.

 

[Tyaren]

I must say though without being a wet blanket: I am not yet impressed with the creatures I have seen.

Seriously? o__O I think the bestiary of this game is probably the greatest ever made in a video game. The variation is huge, they are incredibly life-like, they are partly very fantastical or towering over you like a skyscraper. With some I simply can't bring it over my heart to hurt them, they are that beautiful or cute. They even interact with each other (even different species). They fight each other or rest lazily in the sun together.

 

[DestructionBomb]

Deathofninja to be quite honest here, some of the creatures within FFXV have animations that the previous versions FFs should of had (back then, data was an issue so older FFs had their reasons to be fair). Some of them are an improvement actually.

Iron Giants - Seriously, FFXV has done a really good job with these guys that made them more vicious in nature with their giant heavy cleavers. I always enjoyed fighting these guys because they always provide tons of experience for leveling up in the past. As soon as I seen one in the demo fighting against random Bombs I immediately hopped off the car to challenge this thing and I was heavily impressed by it's attack animations and new moves that they never had before (Gravity). Met another in the real game and they have a new lunging attack that wasn't in the demo.

Tonberry - Still retains the ominous eerie atmosphere that they bring while carrying their classic Chef's Knife and lantern. A lot easier in this game than the previous older versions but was impressed by how they are in the game.

Cactuar - One of my favorites. I encountered a few within the game and demo and I gotta say, they done a pretty solid job with these guys. Cactuars by nature do not like battles as they prefer to flee along with the fact that they even hesitate in battle should they choose to fight (lore-wise, unless they are accompanied by another).

Adamantoise - Saw recent videos and images and was surprised by how big they made them. In fact, they are so big that Square made it as it's own enemy rather than the standard ones you encounter in battle from the past. Looking forward to this one.

 

[deathofaninja]

Seriously? o__O I think the bestiary of this game is probably the greatest ever made in a video game. The variation is huge, they are incredibly life-like, they are partly very fantastical or towering over you like a skyscraper. With some I simply can't bring it over my heart to hurt them, they are that beautiful or cute. They even interact with each other (even different species). They fight each other or rest lazily in the sun together.

Really? Well for the most part all I have seen are things like Adamantoise, stuff you would hunt, and giants. I'm not saying I've seen them all... just don't find what I have seen all that interesting either.

 

[DestructionBomb]

Well if we are talking about the expanse here, I find FF12 to play the bigger role in bestiary.

 

[Tyaren]

Puronputo-kun is waiting for you guys!

Here he photobombed my beautifully composed picture. (The prince is not amused! D: )

Here Prompto dreams of becoming the Helmut Newton of Eos:

Gladio dreams of...I don't know, what would Gladio dream of? XD
Oh, I know, of his own abs:

 

[KasumiLover]

So I finally did it, I used some complimentary hour long Internet source and am now downloading the Japanese demo. I'm gonna download as much as i can raw for now and if I have to use my hotspot GB, so fuckin' be it....I wanna play this so bad...!~

BTW, is English the default language they speak in this??

 

[Tyaren]

So I finally did it, I used some complimentary hour long Internet source and am now downloading the Japanese demo. I'm gonna download as much as i can raw for now and if I have to use my hotspot GB, so fuckin' be it....I wanna play this so bad...!~

BTW, is English the default language they speak in this??

No, as I already mentioned it is all in Japanese. :/
But I think it will still be a great substitute for the final game, if you really want to play it that badly. The Judgment Demo is really big. You can get many hours out of it and explore to your hearts desire.

 

[DestructionBomb]

Roughly 40% in trophies at the moment.