Hero-of-Time Posted November 30, 2016 Author Posted November 30, 2016 After over 40 hours of playing the game credits have rolled. I have very mixed feelings about the game. There are some amazing highs but there are some very low lows. Combat This where is were the game really shines. Everything is so fast and fluid. Stringing together various combos, changing weapons and warping from enemy to enemy works amazingly well and is stupidly fun to play around with. The magic system in the game is pretty flawed and not once did I use it outside of the tutorials or missions that required it. Having to make it, equip it and then running out and doing the process all over again wasn't something I wanted to be faffing on with and seeing as I made it through the game without it, you clearly don't need it. Story This is a really mixed bag. There are some amazing moments throughout the game but there's also a lot of stuff that doesn't make sense or even get explained fully. Even though I watched the anime shorts and Kingsglaive I was still left wondering why certain things were even happening or where certain characters were. I feel S-E have lost the ability to tell a straight forward story in their games. Even though I love the series, you just have to look at Kingdom Hearts to see what a mess a story can become if it tries too hard and is up it's own backside. This could just have something to do with Nomura having his influences in the game. There are some good parts, though. The sections of the story I did follow were great and really hit me hard at times, with S-E once again drawing the tears from me. I think that's 4 or 5 times their games have made me get emotional. I also enjoyed the banter between you and your brothers in arms. While the story was a mess at times, S-E did do a good job of making you feel that you and your guys had a fantastic bond. Gameplay I'll get this out of the way now. The game is very much a game of two halves. The first half is a massive open world and then the game completely switches to a very linear experience at around chapter 8-9 and continues this way all the way to the end. You can still access the open area by going to a rest spot and picking an option. So I guess it's not all that bad. First Half I think a lot of people will enjoy this. Having the massive open world to explore is something gamers want these days and this delivers. I often found myself just finding something interesting in the background and then setting off on my chocobo or car and heading over there to see what was around. You are hampered a bit at the start of the game. You can't auto drive at night and the chocobo needs to be unlocked before you use it. Also, remember the flying car that you see in all the trailers? Don't get excited about using that. The thing doesn't unlock until AFTER you have finished the game. If you're running around the open world then things should run smoothly. However, if you want to use the fast travel system, whether it be going to a town or to your car, then get used to sitting looking at a loading screen. The loading times in this game are simply awful. Second Half The game moves at a much faster pace in the second half, probably because the game forces you down a linear path and you are taken away from the open world areas. I'm left wondering if the linear fashion of the second half of the game is because of they were running out of time ( they had 10 freaking years ) or that these are things that are left over from when it was Versus XIIII? Final Fantasy XIII was very linear in places and it makes sense that this game would have shared certain designs when it was being made. I will say that I don't mind the linear structure of the second half. I very much enjoyed FFXIII, so this doesn't really bother me. I guess it's just a little jarring when you're so used to running around a huge open world and then get reigned back in for a more structured approach. Music This is another fantastic high point of the game. There is some amazing music in this game by Yoko Shimomura and you can really hear the Kingdom Heart stuff coming through in certain tunes. The song playing while fighting soldiers that drop out of the sky is very much a favourite of mine. Every time I seen a dropship I kept running over to it just to hear the music kick in. Closing I enjoyed the game and was satisfied with it but after waiting 10 years I would have liked a better story, which is why I enjoy the series so much. Had it been easier to follow and made more sense then I would have enjoyed the game a lot more as I didn't have many issues with the actual gameplay itself. I can see the game splitting the opinion of many, but then, this is a Final Fantasy game, so this isn't anything new. Some people will adore it, while others will hate it, just like every other game in the series. I still have a few trophies to get ( very easy but grinding ) but i'll be hanging back on earning the platinum until I nab 2 more as I want to make this one my 150th. : peace:
Tales Posted November 30, 2016 Posted November 30, 2016 (edited) Got lots of exp from some high level quests and decided to pile more upon it by doing most of quests at or lower than my level. By the time I was done I had 130 000 exp and doubled it by sleeping at that particular hotel. Levelled up 12 times to lv 56! Should be enough for the end game Edited November 30, 2016 by Tales
Happenstance Posted November 30, 2016 Posted November 30, 2016 Do you end up getting anymore photo slots or is it just the 150?
Hero-of-Time Posted November 30, 2016 Author Posted November 30, 2016 Got a lots of exp from some high level quests and decided to pile more upon it by doing most of quests at or lower than my level. By the time I was done I had 130 000 exp and doubled it by sleeping at that particular hotel. Levelled up 12 times to lv 56! Should be enough for the end game Yeah, you should be fine at that level. Do you end up getting anymore photo slots or is it just the 150? I didn't. I'm not sure if it's possible. Maybe via an upgrade or something?
Blade Posted November 30, 2016 Posted November 30, 2016 So @Hero\-of\-Time would you say that the game, after such a long wait, has been a disappointment?
Daft Posted November 30, 2016 Posted November 30, 2016 I'm hoping that because this is my first proper FF, I'm going to be a bit less critical. Anyone with a Pro and a 4K TV have a preference with regards to the settings?
Hero-of-Time Posted November 30, 2016 Author Posted November 30, 2016 So @Hero\-of\-Time would you say that the game, after such a long wait, has been a disappointment? It has its flaws but it's still very enjoyable and memorable experience. There's certainly some hand raising, epic moments to be had whilst playing. @Tales have you done chapter 13 yet? I wanna know what you thought of it.
Tales Posted November 30, 2016 Posted November 30, 2016 (edited) Right there up with the final chapter of Type 0. Story wise not as ridicilous, but I don't understand why they thought of putting that in the game. Also I can't say I care much for the story at this point, or if I even understand what's going on. Just beat the final boss, I assume, and will watch the ending now. Also what was the deal about Ardyn? Some long lost king with lust for revenge? How did he end up in the Empire? What happened to the emperor?(I assume that was his clothes on the throne in ch 13) And why was Tenebrae on fire? And Prompto being born an immortal soldier and then growing up in Insomnia? I thought they were soulless. Really, it just looks like the whole second part was rushed and cut in story and content. Edited November 30, 2016 by Tales
Hero-of-Time Posted November 30, 2016 Author Posted November 30, 2016 Right there up with the final chapter of Type 0. Story wise not as ridicilous, but I don't understand why they thought of putting that in the game. Also I can't say I care much for the story at this point, or if I even understand what's going on. Just beat the final boss, I assume, and will watch the ending now, but what was the deal about Ardyn? Some long lost king with lust for Revenge? How did he end up in the Empire? What happened to the emperor?(I assume that was his clothes in the throne in ch 13) And why was Tenebrae on fire? And Prompto being born immortal soldier and then growing up in Insomnia? I thought they were soulless. Really, it just looks like the whole second part was rushed and cut. Yup. Fully agree with everything you said.
Nolan Posted November 30, 2016 Posted November 30, 2016 I'm hoping that because this is my first proper FF, I'm going to be a bit less critical. Anyone with a Pro and a 4K TV have a preference with regards to the settings? I just got home and am planning to watch Kingsglaive first, so I haven't had a chance to fiddle with settings at all yet.
Hero-of-Time Posted December 1, 2016 Author Posted December 1, 2016 I had a crack at the level 99 bounty this morning. I kicked it's butt, despite being only level 63. The whole fight lasted an hour, with me just doing warping strikes until my magic ran out, warp back to a rock to refill my meter and then warp striking again. Repeat for 60 minutes. Just the one trophy left now, which requires me to do about 3 hours of fishing with Noctis.
Goafer Posted December 1, 2016 Posted December 1, 2016 I've just got through my first blockade and am now free of the desert. Does the story pick up a bit after this? Whilst I love the game, I haven't seen any great setpeices or interesting story elements that I used to love in the earlier FF games. I think it's a problem with modern RPGs in general. I was playing through Skies of Arcadia recently and I think the reason I still love it today is that when technology was limited and things like invisible barriers were acceptable, games could do more with their settings. An perfect example is the fight on top of the train in SoA (and possibly FF7 IIRC). I just can't imagine something like that working with a modern, action RPG. The limitations of static characters/menu based combat actually works better in those situations IMO. I do love FF15, but it doesn't have the same impact as the previous ones IMO. It's a great game, it just doesn't feel like a Final Fantasy yet. I'm still not far in, so hopefully it'll get better.
Hero-of-Time Posted December 1, 2016 Author Posted December 1, 2016 I've just got through my first blockade and am now free of the desert. Does the story pick up a bit after this? Whilst I love the game, I haven't seen any great setpeices or interesting story elements that I used to love in the earlier FF games. There are a few decent bits here ( one amazing one in chapter 9 ) but for the most part the first half of the game has very little story to it. When the story does pick up you are left scratching your head as to why certain things even happened. It's more about doing side quests and exploring the world. It's for this reason why myself and others on the internet have compared the game to MGSV. Both the MGS and FF series are well known for their stories but both newest entries in these franchises kind of do away with that and instead focus on an open world setting and what the player can do within the sandbox. I personally don't like the approach and would much rather a good story be the front and centre on my adventure. Good to see SoA getting some love. God tier JRPG.
Goafer Posted December 1, 2016 Posted December 1, 2016 Both the MGS and FF series are well known for their stories but both newest entries in these franchises kind of do away with that and instead focus on an open world setting and what the player can do within the sandbox. I personally don't like the approach and would much rather a good story be the front and centre on my adventure. I liked the new MGS, as the gameplay was good enough to carry it. I did miss the style/level of storytelling from MGS4, but the gameplay made up for it. I'm not sure I can say the same for FF15. The gameplay is fun, but I can see it getting repetitive. Good to see SoA getting some love. God tier JRPG. Probably my favourite game of all time. The setting, the story, the way it takes you around the open world gradually and never feeling like something is artificially walled off, it's all perfect. Random battles can be a bit of a chore, but as mentioned before, they have their perks.
Nolan Posted December 2, 2016 Posted December 2, 2016 I'm hoping that because this is my first proper FF, I'm going to be a bit less critical. Anyone with a Pro and a 4K TV have a preference with regards to the settings? I just got home and am planning to watch Kingsglaive first, so I haven't had a chance to fiddle with settings at all yet. Well after watching the uncanny valley, finally into the game. Sort of. Just in the tutorial going for HDR/High it immediately felt sluggish and chunky(maybe all the titanfall2...). The running animation seems so choppy. So I dropped to HDR/Lite which feels decent. And looks good still. I can see only a small difference in resolution. (Little less crisp). HDR I'm not noticing a big difference (thank you bland tutorial room.)
Blade Posted December 2, 2016 Posted December 2, 2016 There are a few decent bits here ( one amazing one in chapter 9 ) but for the most part the first half of the game has very little story to it. When the story does pick up you are left scratching your head as to why certain things even happened. It's more about doing side quests and exploring the world. It's for this reason why myself and others on the internet have compared the game to MGSV. Both the MGS and FF series are well known for their stories but both newest entries in these franchises kind of do away with that and instead focus on an open world setting and what the player can do within the sandbox. I personally don't like the approach and would much rather a good story be the front and centre on my adventure. Good to see SoA getting some love. God tier JRPG. Thing is, both an excellent story and an open world can be achieved. Look at Witcher 3. Such a shame that not more games are more like it. I'm also loving the SoA mentions. I adored that game when I managed to play it ok the GameCube.
Hero-of-Time Posted December 2, 2016 Author Posted December 2, 2016 In FFXV's case they do achieve the most important element they needed. The gameplay. FF has been out of date since the PS2 days. They really did need something like this after countless failures when it comes to game design. Lets hope they use this game as a template, gameplay wise at the minimum. Nothing seems to be off in the same way as MGSV so far here. Big thumbs up so far. In my opinion the comparison is just flat out lazy. It will be intersting to hear you thoughts about the game design on FFXV once you've reached the second half and actually finished the game because I don't think there is nothing really well designed about how the game ends up. I don't see how the MGSV comparison is lazy. Both series are very story driven. The latest entries aren't. Both MGSV and FFXV looked to the West for inspiration and both went for an open world experience but at the sacrifice of other things. Both had troubled development cycles. Both games fall apart and feel rushed in the second half. Both don't feel like previous entries of the series. I guess we will have to agree to disagree on this one. Thing is, both an excellent story and an open world can be achieved. Look at Witcher 3. Such a shame that not more games are more like it. Yeah, after finishing FFXV I was thinking about all the games that have been released since it's announcement and in a lot of ways the game isn't breaking any new ground or even building upon what has already came before. It certainly can be done but I guess the troubled development cycle, chopping and changing of teams and writers and switching consoles really took it's toll on the game, and it shows. I was talking to a lad at work about the game. He was asking what I thought of it now that i'd beaten it. To be honest, the more I think and talk about the game, the more it leaves a bad after taste. I think Tim on PS I Love You summed it up well. It's a good game but it's not the game he wanted after seeing the first trailers and waiting 10 years.
Goafer Posted December 2, 2016 Posted December 2, 2016 How is combat in the Witcher ? SOA = Skies of Arcadia? The combat in Witcher is fine. I don't remember it being anything special, nor terrible. Standard action RPG affair. It's she story, consequences of your actions and setting that raises it above everything else. Yes SoA is Skies of Arcadia. A Godly game. The gameplay is a bit dated now, but does have a few nice touches (tactical ship battles, for example). The story and setting is still great though. Well worth a play if you can find a copy for a decent price.
Sheikah Posted December 2, 2016 Posted December 2, 2016 How is combat in the Witcher ? SOA = Skies of Arcadia? Quite poor IMO.
Shorty Posted December 2, 2016 Posted December 2, 2016 Combat in the Witcher 3 is only good at high difficulties, where it feels more like 2. IMO, combat in 2 was something unique and awesome, every encounter was dangerous unless you planned ahead a little. In 3, there's a lot more hack-and-slash.
drahkon Posted December 2, 2016 Posted December 2, 2016 My plan to play this when I came back from vacation failed as my copy has most likely been lost. It was supposed to be at a post office but no luck. Will go back tomorrow and hope it'll be there... Complained to Amazon, not because the parcel service fucked up but because they dispatched it one day after release. They extended my Prime subscription by one month and a replacement copy is in being processed. Let's see if I'll have two copies of FFXV by Monday
drahkon Posted December 2, 2016 Posted December 2, 2016 (edited) Just watched Kingsglaive. Great fun. Loved the final battle. Really hope I'll get my copy tomorrow... Edit: Just realised that I also have A King's Tale to play. Will give that a go later tonight : peace: And then there's Brotherhood to watch Edited December 2, 2016 by drahkon
drahkon Posted December 3, 2016 Posted December 3, 2016 Got my copy We'll see if Amazon dispatches the second copy today. They can check if I picked up the first. I really hope they don't check Patch is downloading. Should be ready in 90 minutes. Time to watch Brotherhood. So excited @Hero\-of\-Time (or anyone else who's completed the game), is there any end-/post-game content? Like really high level monsters/dungeons? I read that you beat the level 99 hunt at level 63...worried that there is only one of such hunts.
Hero-of-Time Posted December 3, 2016 Author Posted December 3, 2016 I'm not sure. I usually buy the guide for these types of games so I know about such things but didn't bother with this one. I think @Tales bought it though, so he may be the better person to ask. You can still carry on playing after you beat the game, so there is post game content in that sense.
Tales Posted December 3, 2016 Posted December 3, 2016 Don't know yet. Aside from what you probably already know, I haven't seen anything. Haven't been looking either though, since like Hero says I am going to use the guide for that. The guide will arrive next week so I can tell more then.
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