Previews for Final Fantasy XV demo are out. Almost completely positive. Click the links for more info:
IGN:
FINAL FANTASY 15 ISN’T AFRAID TO INNOVATE TO FIND GREATNESS
"It all comes together to create an aesthetic that’s at once eclectic yet plausible. It’s fantastical but not beyond the realms of imagination."
"I came away from my first experience with Final Fantasy XV feeling hopeful. Square Enix has given us something tangible, finally, and it’s looking promising. I may have entered that room not knowing what was coming, but I left with a solid idea of what to expect in future. Combat is nothing like we’ve seen in the franchise before but, thanks in part to a magnificent open world just brimming with curiosities begging to be uncovered, it doesn’t matter. It just feels like Final Fantasy through and through. Unfortunately, Square Enix may have inadvertently shot itself in the foot; while the studio was undoubtedly hoping this teaser would tide us over until the full release, it’s done the exact opposite. So get cracking, Square. After all, I’m not getting any younger"
Eurogamer:
Final Fantasy 15's demo gives us new hope for the series
"It feels like a very long while since a Final Fantasy universe has felt like one I'd want to spend time in. I'm still not entirely convinced by the characters or that their chatter won't begin to grate after a few hours, but the juxtaposition of traditional Final Fantasy tropes and aesthetics with more modernised, realistic elements like the party's car and costumes didn't trouble me nearly as much as I thought it would. Where a few of the past series entries felt like you were being harried down a long corridor, funnelled from one fight to another, Final Fantasy 15 seems to appreciate the quieter moments as much as the whirl of battle or the excitement of exploring: cooking, wandering, telling stories, standing still and looking."
Gamespot:
"I may not have loved every second of Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae, but I walked away with a desire to keep playing. I want to get better at combat, which is unusual for the series but oh-so enticing at the same time. I want to find out why the characters in Noctis' crew are so loyal to him, and see if, at all, how their relationships evolve. For all of questions Episode Duscae raises, it's a great opportunity to experience a taste of what's to come in the full game. I don't know when we'll get chance to see Final Fantasy XV proper in all its glory, but I know that I'm more excited for it than ever before. Once everyone has a chance to sink their teeth into Episode Duscae, I bet I won't be the only one."
wired:
Hands on with Final Fantasy XV 'Episode Duscae'
"Taken as a whole, Episode Duscae is a very promising example of what Final Fantasy XV will offer. It displays a raw ambition the series has been lacking in recent years -- the sheer size of the Behemoth and the staggering battle against it alone is evidence of that. Admittedly, with the final version of the game still undated for release, much could change, and in the case of the lacklustre camera in battles, we hope it does. Any modifications aren't likely to be wholesale revisions at this point though, and based on what's explored here, the game is likely to be the shot in the arm Final Fantasy has needed."
usgamer:
Everything's Coming Up Open-World
"I enjoyed my time with Episode Duscae and I'm waiting for Type-0's launch so I can see more of it. Square Enix representatives told me Episode Duscae is 3-4 hours of gameplay if you only focus on the story, but the demo should have more content that that if you get out and explore the Duscae countryside."
kotaku:
Holy Shit I Just Played Final Fantasy XV
"And, yeah, don't worry: this isn't a game of button-mashing. Kingdom Hearts this ain't. You can defend (by holding L1 in the demo) and parry/counter-attack enemy moves, though I'm not sure how viable that is as a strategy when you're trying to slash through fifteen goblins at once. As I played through the demo—which is not easy by any means!—I found that staying on the offensive was way more effective, especially when fighting through herds of obnoxious little cat-tiger-like critters that refused to stand still."
"The music is fucking amazing."
"The Duscae demo is full of landmarks and objectives"
"full of framerate drops that made exploring FFXV's open world feel like more of a chore than it ever should have been"
Those are all problems that can be fixed, though. They've got plenty of time to polish, to refine, to keep tweaking and taking feedback and eking as much as they can out of the PS4 and Xbox One. What's way more critical—and what I'm way less worried about after today—is that Final Fantasy XV feels like a Final Fantasy game. And it does. It's grand, yet it doesn't seem to take itself too seriously. It's totally unorthodox, totally weird, and, from what I've played so far, totally welcome.
vg247:
Years in the making, we finally go hands-on with Final Fantasy 15: Episode Duscae
In many ways, Final Fantasy XV seems to be living up to its original name. ‘Versus’ has its origin in Latin, where it means to turn or to change direction – and that’s what this feels like. It’s a new action-based twist for Final Fantasy that still just about manages to feel reverent to the series’ expansive past. Episode Duscae proves a strong starting point to such a different vision – and now it’s up to Square to double down and expand on it significantly for the final game.
destructoid:
"Clashing with the local fauna or imperial patrols feels incredibly satisfying, especially so after dusk, when larger and more dangerous bands of frightening creatures materialize out of the pitch black night. These encounters are avoidable, though, as camping plays an important role, giving the party a safe haven to wait out the dangers of the witching hours, recuperate, and gear up for whatever hardships await on the long and winding road ahead.
I look forward to coming across those obstacles and going toe to toe with the behemoth, a voracious beast causing trouble for the Duscaen residents. After following a rather bloody trail of breadcrumbs, I managed to track the monstrosity back to its lair in a lengthy stealth (!) sequence before a Square Enix representative pried the controller from my hands.
I'm not sure what happens next, but I'm certainly eager to find out. You can too, starting March 17."
New wave of previews:
Final Fantasy XV Changes Everything and Fans Will Love it – Hands-On from PAX East 2015
"This is still a Final Fantasy game though, and the experience still rings true for the series. During my time with the game I stumbled across tons of side missions that felt like classic Final Fantasy fare. Items and terms are all carried over from past games, though some are used in new and interesting ways. The creatures in the game are all classic Final Fantasy, looking gorgeous in both quality and design. Massive monsters walk about in the background, looking both tempting and daunting at the same time. Chocobos, Summons, magic, and all the other Final Fantasy favorites are there, they just might get used in different ways than before. Fans who enter with an open mind should find a much more modern and enjoyable take on the JRPG genre."
vandal:
http://www.vandal.net/avances/ps4/final-fantasy-xv/21345/3
"a revolution in the series at all levels that will give much to talk about in the coming months."
vidaextra:
http://m.vidaextra.com/analisis/final-fantasy-xv-primeras-impresiones
"In short, a demo that leaves a good taste and it definitely left us wanting more"
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