The Eurogamer video was amazing, I love how nights are actually really fucking dangerous. It's not just "different stuff come out at night, stay up all the time to enjoy all of the content", you'll actually get your ass kicked majorly for going out at night. This is amazing for setting reasons, but also for people seeking a challenge they can't get on the main story and for later-game content. Just revisiting the same areas but venturing at night (and I assume at some point the night stuff may even be permanent, for plot reasons) will provide you an entirely different experience, with different monsters to fight that are much stronger than that area's regular enemies.
Another little thing I loved to know for sure through that video was that the radio lore-stuff plays over music, so I won't have to wait until NG+ to listen to cool shit while driving around, the game will play important audio over my music anyway. That's awesome. It would be sad not listening to any of the music available even when sidequesting just for fear of losing relevant story information.
My biggest hope is that that older design that you get to play him as isn't some sort of faster aging or "he aged while in stasis" kind of thing since the biggest reason I want to play as more older protagonists isn't because of looks but because of personality/how they act. Playing as someone who has actually experienced more of life instead of someone who needs to have a coming of age story or grow up and become more mature.
But I do also have a massive love for progression in stories so I will also be fine if they can show that, moving from immature to a complete person/adult. It is hard to find that in video games though as your normally stuck as the character you start the game with until maybe the ending where they decide to give a payoff instead of it happening in game with you still playing after the change has been made.
PS: Anyone have any info on the new ascension grid? Trying hard not to watch anything else till launch but I'm really interested in that.
It'll most likely be a time skip, unfortunately.
But to be honest, I don't mind it too much. I even find it refreshing, nowadays.
It may not be anything new for this genre, but if you've been playing enough western AAA games, you certainly got your fair share of older, experienced protagonists. For a while, middle-aged man seemed to be the new bald space marine.
The more footage I watch from this game, the more I realize how rare it is in videogames to see real friendship portrayed. You may see it talked about, but how often does it affect your actual gaming experience? Here you have not only the constant banter, but even gameplay systems are designed around them caring for each other, and protecting the prince at all costs. Everything just fits perfectly into that setting and the idea they're going for.
It's very evident when you see the guy in the Eurogamer preview getting so excited about Gladio reading a book. It's just a game character holding a book in front of his face while sitting. Why is that so special? Because we rarely get to see who people are outside of the role they have in the game's central gameplay element. Was this "most games", Gladio would be nothing more than the tough guy who kills shit, maybe he would pick up a book during a cutscene to show you how much they subverted your expectations, but just casually doing it during gameplay just adds so much character.
When games do try to give you a more human side of characters, it's usually at the cost of gameplay, with a bunch of forced slow walking and mundane stuff that you'll loathe during replays, but Gladio picking up a book while you drive to your next destination is a lovely little piece of characterization, that doesn't get in your way at all. Everything in this game in general seems to be designed not to waste your time. Aside from the forced slow walking while pushing your car at the beginning, it's surprising to see such a story driven game instantly opening up to you and giving you a bunch of combat systems, weapons and saying "go nuts". FFXIII started with an exciting scenario and combat right away, but it took hours for you to actually have access to the real combat system. Here, you don't have to wait until the characters learn everything. Noctis can warp because he can warp, they have their link strikes and shit because they're friends for many years now, everything is already contextualized and doesn't waste your time by holding the fun back from you. I love it.
... I went seriously off-topic here. Sorry.
_/¯
