Final Fantasy XV: Platinum Demo Thread

I don't know what to make of the combat system. It seems like it's in the perfect middle ground of functional yet not specialized at all. Manually pressing attack oftentimes doesn't allow the combo to finish, so you might as well be holding the button. The same goes for defense, which I find puzzling.

Did the previous demo have any enemies that made good use to this system? I feel there's no weight or substance to this system, at all.
 
I know adult form is more mobile and capable of more things. Did you notice when you are in battle, you press attack facing one direction and Noctis will somehow turn to attack in the other direction? I think if monster is locked on, Noctis would swing his weapon towards the direction of targeted monster. How stupid is that? Or was I missing something?

Gotta try this out tomorrow, wouldn't be fair on my end to say "tales from my ass" lol
 
I'm getting KH vibe from the second area

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Game was alot more clunky and sluggish than I expected. My plan was to make this my first major Final Fantasy game, but I'm leaning towards just buying a cheap copy of Final Fantasy 13.
 
From a personal standpoint, the demo is a bit whatever; it felt like I was running through one of those beta-levels that devs play around in.

From a mass-market standpoint, though, I think they really messed up releasing this demo instead of an improved version of Duscae.
 
Strange reactions on here. They said for months this was going to be a small tech demo with a chance to try out the basics of the game. That is exactly what it is plus it has some scenario. They seem to have delivered what the promised.

yes but not everyone follows updates from SE, and for many people this is the first opportunity they've had to play the game after years of waiting. first impressions are everything.
 
I know adult form is more mobile and capable of more things. Did you notice when you are in battle, you press attack facing one direction and Noctis will somehow turn to attack in the other direction? I think if monster is locked on, Noctis would swing his weapon towards the direction of targeted monster. How stupid is that? Or was I missing something?

There is a hard lock on (The L1 button) that they don't show on the controls. The right stick is the soft lock.

From an informed perspective this demo seems like a good complimentary piece to the Duscae demo. It's more of a environment/tech demonstation with hints of story and a sprinkle of battle whereas Duscae was the meat and potatoes of battle, leveling and exploration. However I feel like this demo is meant for a conference because of that. Why did they make such an odd decision and make this the current demo for non FF Type-0 owners? Even some first time FFXV players in this thread are either negative on this or simply confused.
 
The demo had this weird input lag, is this due to the animations? Oddly enough because of this the gameplay reminded me of the Witcher 3.

Once I got used to the sluggishness the Iron Giant was a pretty damn fun fight. I really like the mechanics so far.

Bring on September 30!
 
I don't know what to make of the combat system. It seems like it's in the perfect middle ground of functional yet not specialized at all. Manually pressing attack oftentimes doesn't allow the combo to finish, so you might as well be holding the button. The same goes for defense, which I find puzzling.

Did the previous demo have any enemies that made good use to this system? I feel there's no weight or substance to this system, at all.

Because the game IS designed around holding and not pressing. You would have to literally mash the button rapidly so as to simulate the holding effect to get the combo going. Needless to say, I don't like that either. Why does Tabata find the need to fix what isn't broken and make an Action RPG where basic attacks are carried out by holding is beyond me. This could be easily fixed and made the combat a lot more responsive and fluid but nope, we can't have that.
 
Not sure how I feel about this demo to be honest, or what the purpose of it actually is. Visually, it's very uneven, with certain textures looking great, while others appear shockingly muddy up close. Combat wasn't really doing anything for me either until that final showdown with the golem creature, but I suppose that was the point, maybe? Hopefully?

So yeah, as a showcase for the engine, it was very inconsistent minus the impressive animations and lighting, and as a way to demonstrate the combat in a simplified manner, it just felt relatively boring to me. So again, not really sure what the point of it all was, but I guess it's cool to get a demo as opposed to nothing at all.

You will hardly or even play as kid Noctis in the final game, his section was more showcasing the open world/scale, showing early car mechanics, hinting at exploration, showing how cities will be. Plus we got a taste of adult Noctis revamped with the switching mechanics. Combat is tricky cause for some cause I guess they're trying to play it like a DMC game so it's conflicting.

The way I play is tapping and not holding/mashing since you can cancel out of an attack by dodging, I don't hold defend unless I see a big attack coming my way. It's a different way to play. While I admit it's a awkward hybrid of an action game it can work if you go thru the motions which I think a lot of folks are fighting with their brains since it doesn't play like the action games we're accustomed to.
 
Because the game IS designed around holding and not pressing. You would have to literally mash the button rapidly so as to simulate the holding effect to get the combo going. Needless to say, I don't like that either. Why does Tabata find the need to fix what isn't broken and make an Action RPG where basic attacks are carried out by holding is beyond me. This could be easily fixed and made the combat a lot more responsive and fluid but nope, we can't have that.

I think he tried to find a middle ground between fully automatic(MMO style) and Character Action(Devil May Cry Style). It took me a while to adjust in Duscae but once you have more attacks, spells, and commands to deal with, it starts to make a little more sense as to why his team did it that way.
 
I hope the reaction from this demo will convince SE to release the other one for everybody. I need a slice out of the middle of the game to get a real feel for its combat and other mechanics.
 
I don't doubt the PS4 version will have better res but this third pic looks like there are different weather effects going on. Might not be the most apt comparison.
Something worth considering since you can manipulate the weather with those switches. They could both be different shots of different times of day and/or weather effects.

Those pictures from an cutscene where you can't manipulate the weather/time yet.
 
Did someone already do console comparisons, or should I capture and upload some direct-feed footage of both with my cap card?

Also, does anyone know if the XBO version is playable in JP?
 
Okay yeah its a short demo, its a fun little tech demo I guess. Its weird I thought the drop were gonna be terrible from reading impressions on here, but they weren't that bad idk It did not feel like it dropped super low from what I seen someone say like 15-20. Combat is weird but with warping you can do some fun stuff.
 
This demo is a wierd fucking thing. I'm not done yet, but so far I'm not sure if they should have bothered.

I'm getting KH vibe from the second area
I mean how could you not.

Are we sure this isn't a KH3 demo that got mislabelled by mistake?
 
It is. Both text and VA can be set to Japanese.

Perfect, thanks! I figured it was a good question given the platform likely won't be seeing that version released over there.

I'll play through it on PS4 now while I DL the XBO version for captures.
 
I really enjoyed the demo, it kept reminding me of KH though.

I thought it looked great, but then again, I haven't played a lot of AAA current-gen games.

But, comparing it to Dragon Age: Inquisition for example, how can people say it looks bad?

DA:I for reference:
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Also, after having played Duscae, I felt like this time the framerate was way more stable.
 
You will hardly or even play as kid Noctis in the final game, his section was more showcasing the open world/scale, showing early car mechanics, hinting at exploration, showing how cities will be. Plus we got a taste of adult Noctis revamped with the switching mechanics. Combat is tricky cause for some cause I guess they're trying to play it like a DMC game so it's conflicting.

The way I play is tapping and not holding/mashing since you can cancel out of an attack by dodging, I don't hold defend unless I see a big attack coming my way. It's a different way to play. While I admit it's a awkward hybrid of an action game it can work if you go thru the motions which I think a lot of folks are fighting with their brains since it doesn't play like the action games we're accustomed to.

I suppose it doesn't help that I never had a chance to play the Duscae demo, because reading some impressions here, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of the nuance in the combat, as this demo is way more simplified until that last fight when you control Noctis as an adult.
 
Messed around and took me an hour maybe since I fucked around a lot and paused a lot. It's a really short demo if you don't explore or fuck around with the weird shit.

I tried for a few minutes to understand how parrying works, but I didn't play Duscae yet so I might be missing something. I never really successfully attacked when the big flashing attack came up on screen I think. I also don't really know if the big flashing defend had anything to do with it either. I don't know if it also has to do with what weapon you're using. Also something about holding L1 or R1 for Algasomething, but I have no idea what it was?

I collected mostly all of the shinies except a few probably. I don't really know what the point was of collecting them. I figured they activated certain pads at certain thresholds, but dunno. Meteorain, or whatever it was, blinded me pretty hard. Some framerate dips too, but nothing felt super egregious to me. The way the blocks freaked the fuck out physics wise was really weird to see for a Final Fantasy game.

Edit- Also I had a charge move with the broadsword I did, but I have no idea how I did it. If you hold the button you obviously keep attacking so I have no idea how I would charge a move. I also don't know if I'm insane but a 360 degree motion might of done a cyclone type move when I did it? I don't know, man. It's kind of unclear.
 
Oh, I forgot to mention about car. Driving was way more intuitive than I thought(battle should get that level response).
My expectation for tripping around the world by car increased strongly.
 
I suppose it doesn't help that I never had a chance to play the Duscae demo, because reading some impressions here, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of the nuance in the combat, as this demo is way more simplified until that last fight when you control Noctis as an adult.

Definitely keep an open mind as the combat in the open world and dungeon in Duscae are much more varied and less simple. This demo was a bad idea marketing wise to release to the general public.
 
So um... is this really how the game plays? Holding down one button to attack and holding down another to dodge and sometimes you warp around? I mean, it just seems odd that it isn't tapping a button like every other game. It's auto-pilot out the ass. Then again, it wouldn't be the first FF game to play itself. I leave the demo very underwelmed. The final game is going to have to have a pretty great story to balance the gameplay.

Was there any point to the collect-a-thon with the crystals? I took the time of going through every nook and cranny picking them all up and it didn't seem to do anything.
 
So um... is this really how the game plays? Holding down one button to attack and holding down another to dodge and sometimes you warp around? I mean, it just seems odd that it isn't tapping a button like every other game. It's auto-pilot out the ass. Then again, it wouldn't be the first FF game to play itself. I leave the demo very underwelmed. The final game is going to have to have a pretty great story to balance the gameplay.

Was there any point to the collect-a-thon with the crystals? I took the time of going through every nook and cranny picking them all up and it didn't seem to do anything.

Every 100 crystals (or there abouts)unlocks a new plate to use and you can get goodies later on (like better "magic" and weapons).
 
I liked the art of the demo.
People who played Duscae, is the combat also just hold one button to do action? is there more nuance to it?
 
I liked the art of the demo.
People who played Duscae, is the combat also just hold one button to do action? is there more nuance to it?

The combat here is even more limited than what was in Duscae. I will say I think the camera and lock on is improved.
 
Why are you trying so hard to tell people that the PS4 version is better?

When i look at the screens i dont see any difference besides the resolution.

i literally said in the first comparison that it should help people with both systems like myself.
PS4 is definitely the way to go if you have both.
some people like to see the difference... and its noticeable here. not JUST resolution... not trying hard at all... the screenshots speak for themselves... dont know what to say if you dont see a difference... everyone else does. seems more like you dont want to acknowledge the difference.

I don't doubt the PS4 version will have better res but this third pic looks like there are different weather effects going on. Might not be the most apt comparison.
Something worth considering since you can manipulate the weather with those switches. They could both be different shots of different times of day and/or weather effects.

i hit the switches to make both tod/weather as close as possible... its not exact, but theyre close. some of those are from the opening cutscene right before you gain control too so i dont know how different the time or weather are during those scenes.
 
Throwing a shitload of Meteorrains and Raindrops is hilarious, particle effects eeeeeverywhere haha. FPS doesn't even drop that much doing that.
 
The combat did not feel very satisfying, but maybe I just need to understand it better. I felt some glimpses of what could be pretty good but it just didn't feel very responsive.

The problem for me is I keep approaching it like if it's a DMC game. Target lock, strafe, evade, counter attack etc.

This press and hold shit is getting on my nerves and it's not intuitive to the action elements this game is trying to borrow from.

Not to mention mapping attack to O...
 
Ok so just finished the demo. My quick impressions

- Overall the game runs much better than Episode Duscae

Yikes, if this is already considered much better, episode duscae must have been headace inducing.

I agree with the soundtrack being fantastic.

Framerate was really stable for me. Very rare drops. PS4 version.
It seemed to average with a really low frame rate though. There were also a lot of drops, not sure how it was possible not to notice them.
 
I suppose it doesn't help that I never had a chance to play the Duscae demo, because reading some impressions here, I feel like I'm missing out on a lot of the nuance in the combat, as this demo is way more simplified until that last fight when you control Noctis as an adult.

You better off not playing Duscae, Noctis can't even short air warp
 
Ran through the demo and actually was embarrassed playing it, or if anyone saw me playing it for that matter. Hope final build ditches this childish bs throughout the gm.
 
The problem for me is I keep approaching it like if it's a DMC game. Target lock, strafe, evade, counter attack etc.

This press and hold shit is getting on my nerves and it's not intuitive to the action elements this game is trying to borrow from.

Not to mention mapping attack to O...

I approached it like that initially too. I've been messing around with it more and I'm starting to get a better feel for it and enjoying it more, I still have some qualms with it but I am getting a better hang of it now. Seems you can unlock more weapons for the final battle by finding those crystals scattered around, I got one of them, but would like to get the rest to see how much having more options influences combat. Will have to wait 'til tomorrow though.
 
well this was pretty underwhelming. it felt like dumbed down kingdom hearts combat and the controls felt extra stiff, not feeling too confident about the final product but we'll see.
 
K...so...

I'm glad I played Duscae.

Because the real battle in this demo..is not a great look at first glance...

The revamped control scheme is not my favorite, at all. It worked better a year ago.

Combat in this demo is a huge case of giveth and taketh away.. abilities that were cool and crucial a year ago are absent for this demo. No Knightsgaurd, apparently. No super attack. You have a shield parry now!... but in order to use it, you have to find the weapon as its hidden in the midst of a hectic battlefield, the shield has to be equipped AND you have to use the blocked stance at the right time (at 30fps...while frames are dropping - worst parry timing ever) ... naw son, that shit needs to be on a hot button, like Knightsguard was. Also, if you restart the encounter, you have to equip it from you menu again >:(

Armiger honestly was a lot cooler a year ago. Much harder to control, but it had cooler effects for the floating weapons. All Noct does now is stand there in place and warp to different weapons, which i suppose is faster than going through an enhanced combo like before, but... eh. Having to grind it back by fighting, instead of waiting for MP to max out, which was relatively quicker by comparison when you did the hide mechanic, sucks now.

Guess what? You can hit Stasis mode during Armiger now if you use up too much MP, instead of at the end! (You could avoid Stasis by not using MP into negative before the Armiger expired in Duscae) How awful. That shit came up with no warning. If this was Duscae, that situation would've killed me. Armiger used to last for a much longer period of time, and MP use for special attacks was FREE. Special attack deck is not in the demo btw.

Switching weapons... was not the revolution people were hoping for. As of right now, nothing really combos at all. Implementation is not smooth.

The way combos worked in Duscae... I kinda want that back as an option. Opening up with a specific attack, holding the button for a combo, ending when you want to. By being free form on the D-pad, everything is simply less smooth. I have to stop everything I'm doing just to switch weapons on the D-pad, rather than moving on to the next part of the combo. Hopefully there's an option for it in the final game.

Controller force feedback was better a year ago.

Aiming projectiles is holy shit awful. I'm talking Dead Rising 1 bad. PRO TIP: L2 aim projectile, R2 Fire projectile, Left stick to Aim (let me move while aiming), aiming is centered with a crosshair in the center view of on the CAMERA not a globe on the floor. Noct is shoulders up, nothing else.Like a 3rd person shooter FFS. It's not that damn hard Square!

The one thing that's better is that warp dodge has more utility one the ground, but warp points are honestly a hell of a lot harder to trigger. Sometimes they're off, sometimes they're on. It's weird, they used to be on all the time whenever the camera looked at them.

Icons for QTEs are less generous and kinda confusing now. :/

Performance is pants. Less pants than a year ago. But still pants. The most performance intensive thing in this demo is the firework, I shit you not.

I'm 50/50 on whether or not the game looks better than it did a year ago.


There are stairs that lead down into the water in the court yard (currently blocked by a metal fence). Future secret area?

BTW, someone get on figuring out how to glitch outside of the demo into the city. K thanks.
 
Strange reactions on here. They said for months this was going to be a small tech demo with a chance to try out the basics of the game. That is exactly what it is plus it has some scenario. They seem to have delivered what the promised.

This wasn't properly communicated and sites use the word demo and you'd think it would be a regular demo with the 4 main characters, but this is something entirely else.
 
The ability to manually switch my weapons fixed a huge proplem that I had with Duscae.

other than that the movement is still not smooth and I can't believe auto lock on still exists

at the very least they should give us the option to turn off auto locking.
 
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