Its really hard for me to give this game any praise. There's just seems to have nothing redeeming besides some of the music. The combat, the story, the gameplay progression, and the long list of stupid QoL problems is all so unfortunate; I really want to enjoy this game but it makes me sad what could've been.
Interested in picking up FFXV. World + combat enough to prop up bad story?
- Thread starter ACE 1991
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J_ToSaveTheDay
Member
Personally Platinumed (3rd Platinum I've ever gotten, don't normally go for 'em) the game and will likely be ranking it pretty high on my personal GOTY list.
The plot is all there but the back end of the game really lacks story detail to make it stand up as strongly as it could -- all of the events that occur do occur in a logical sequence and stand up to hold things together in what I'd say is a mostly cohesive fashion, there's just not as much earned emotional investment in much of what transpires late in the game due to a lack of detailing anchors that might make the player more invested in the consequences the events have for the characters or the world at large. There was enough in place for me to feel an impact at the ending sequence, so I did ultimately care when all was said and done. However, I would not say it's one of the most fulfilling or greatest endings of all time or anything, or even really of this year alone, but I felt a genuine investment by the time things wrapped.
As far as gameplay goes, I think the AI that dictates the behavior of the companions, the camera behavior in more densely covered and closed spaces, and the (spoiler warning)
are the only outstandingly and persistently clumsy feeling parts, and for some, those elements can detract quite powerfully from the whole, but they were largely not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the appealing aspects of Final Fantasy XV to me. Frustrating at times, I'll admit, but I never felt like I was leaning heavily on any of those weak elements to get at what I enjoyed about FFXV.
The plot is all there but the back end of the game really lacks story detail to make it stand up as strongly as it could -- all of the events that occur do occur in a logical sequence and stand up to hold things together in what I'd say is a mostly cohesive fashion, there's just not as much earned emotional investment in much of what transpires late in the game due to a lack of detailing anchors that might make the player more invested in the consequences the events have for the characters or the world at large. There was enough in place for me to feel an impact at the ending sequence, so I did ultimately care when all was said and done. However, I would not say it's one of the most fulfilling or greatest endings of all time or anything, or even really of this year alone, but I felt a genuine investment by the time things wrapped.
As far as gameplay goes, I think the AI that dictates the behavior of the companions, the camera behavior in more densely covered and closed spaces, and the (spoiler warning)
airship that unlocks late in the game
I'm up to 23 hours played and I'm at chapter three. I am grinding my heels a little bit hoping that story patch comes out sooner rather than later but honestly there have been so many small quests that I haven't had to move forward for lack of things to do. That's not to say the quests are quality, generally they suck, but it gives me a reason to continue exploring the world.
Its been a really long time since I played a JRPG, I don't know if this is common but I'm up to level 31 and I still have a lot of filler level 10 - 15 quests I can do.
Its been a really long time since I played a JRPG, I don't know if this is common but I'm up to level 31 and I still have a lot of filler level 10 - 15 quests I can do.
Parakeetman
No one wants a throne you've been sitting on!
Dragons Dogma has far better combat that is more well balanced and thought out than FFXV thats for sure.
Disagree. FFXV is entirely different. DD combat isn't perfect, neither is XV's, but they're both excellent.
gigantor21
Member
The storytelling is a mess overall, despite having some great individual moments, but as far as gameplay goes it's the most fun I've had with a JRPG since Persona 4.
Do it.
Do it.
WordsintheWater
Member
The overall story is pretty good, too bad the game does a very poor job of telling it. After you beat it, you will get more context out of the story in forum posts then you actually will in the game itself. Otherwise I really liked the game, and I keep finding myself thinking about it after finishing it a week ago.
Cybrwzrd
Banned
I liked FF 13 (1) better than FF 15. I think its because FF15's many side quest are really repetitive and thats including the endgame stuff. Not that 13's side quest wasn't repetitive but at least there is a good chunk of main story.FF15's main storyline is almost nonexistent. Say what you want about FF13 but the pacing(?) was much better. I also think years down the road the consensus will be that people will grade FF13 higher that FF15.
FF15 wasn't worth $60 to me but at $35 its worth a look. I had this feeling that I would regret buying it day 1 but the GAF hype was too much so I caved like I usually do.This lesson will sit nicely next to MGS 5 TPP purchase and among others that I don't want to bring up
I agree. I gave up on XV after ~22 hours of side quests and terrible combat. Read the spoilers, decided I didn't miss anything and moved on with my life.
I couldn't put XIII or XIII-2 down after starting them. XIII is one of my top games from last generation. I never understood the hate.
Yeah sorry the Combat is great, I often disagree with you though but this time I feel you are totally out to lunch.
Thank you for this, you saved me $35; I can see this game is definitely not for me either. I played the demo and thought it was meh, though I hoped the actual game would be better. From your description I know this isn't the case. I prefer turn-based RPGs anyway.
Lunafreya Nox Fleuret
Member
It isn't that it is BAD per se... it is just the way it is told during the second half of the game that makes it get bad.
noctis_pls
Banned
Nah, not for me at least. If you're into it for the story, then it's not worth it. Side quests are garbage. The only redeeming value is the battle system and the bromance.
Ploid 3.0
Member
Why couldn't World of Final Fantasy have this deal too? It is $44.99 at least, $20 vs $10 with the audible thing. Square, what have you become, when I'm second guessing your new FF at $10 (wasting time to realize I the game just isn't for me is more of a concern).
Someone liked the Magic system so maybe different builds are possible, which equal replay and custom play styles.
What other games are out. Maybe I'll finally get that steam controller I've been putting off.
Someone liked the Magic system so maybe different builds are possible, which equal replay and custom play styles.
What other games are out. Maybe I'll finally get that steam controller I've been putting off.
Because I hear it said so often:
FFXV's story isn't bad at all. It's actually quite simple, one of the most grounded and compelling stories we got in a FF yet. The 4 main characters and the villain are all likable and relatable too. Give me that over the convoluted, pseudo philosophical BS of many other FFs and JRPGs any day of the week.
The problem is, they fail to properly tell that story within the game. You have to really pay close attention, you mustn't miss any optional cutscene or dialogue and you need to watch Kingsglaive and Brotherhood. :/
FFXV's story isn't bad at all. It's actually quite simple, one of the most grounded and compelling stories we got in a FF yet. The 4 main characters and the villain are all likable and relatable too. Give me that over the convoluted, pseudo philosophical BS of many other FFs and JRPGs any day of the week.
The problem is, they fail to properly tell that story within the game. You have to really pay close attention, you mustn't miss any optional cutscene or dialogue and you need to watch Kingsglaive and Brotherhood. :/
DrROBschiz
Member
legacyzero
Banned
As a game, it's overall good. Just be ready to endure a great potential story that squanders its potential and is full of soooo many holes.
It's not bad. Just unfulfilling
It's not bad. Just unfulfilling
Thisss.
Neoleo2143
Member
It's already confirmed to not be turn based.
Every time I hear that excuse, I have an urge to tear out my hair.
Ideas can be great. I like story ideas, they also can be terribly implemented as much as game mechanics such as durability are.
The Illiterati
Member
The game is terrible. It has amazing graphics and a solid sountrack. The open world is dead. There's zero interesting side quests. There are a handful of average dungeons.
This is the entire game:
Drive car to hunt/quest.
Hold R2.(I used type C controls, YMMV)
Hold L2. Tap R2.
Hold R2.
Battle complete.
Rest at campfire/hotel and stare at ten pics of supposedly fun times that happened while you were walking and Prompto's hideously grinning selfies.
Reflect on what a "great time" you've had with these brothers in arms.
Repeat.
This is the entire game:
Drive car to hunt/quest.
Hold R2.(I used type C controls, YMMV)
Hold L2. Tap R2.
Hold R2.
Battle complete.
Rest at campfire/hotel and stare at ten pics of supposedly fun times that happened while you were walking and Prompto's hideously grinning selfies.
Reflect on what a "great time" you've had with these brothers in arms.
Repeat.
Spirit of Jazz
Banned
What's the nuance to the combat outside of kiting enemies then holding down dodge or attack?
100% this. Its not a complicated story, but its narrative is a mess.
Just make sure that if you do play the game, you listen to the radio and people talking after every major story or major side quest. Just trust me on that.
As for the world, I like it a lot. I also love the lore.
As for combat, if you don't mind a stubborn and sometimes burdensome camera, it can be a lot of fun. Make sure to experiment with directional inputs with attacks if you want the most out of it. Doing a greatsword tempest (not the technique) around a large group of baddies is a great feeling. Also link strikes are the bomb (ignis' are the best if you have a lance equipped, or a sword)
Directional inputs matter if you want high damage or high dps. You also have frame windows for some attacks, like if you press attack after a combo with the greatsword while noct has it on his shoulder, he'll use temepest. With a lance, you have 2 potential analogue-back attacks you can do: a lance drive, or a backflip into arial combo. You then have daggers which are super fast for repositioning on an enemy or you can use analogue-back to throw them and then to warp into them for some high single damage. There's also i-frames in specific attacks you may want to learn and know (the sword backflip being chief among them). Then you also have elemental weaknesses and whatnot. There's a LOT of systems in play with this battle system, but most playing may not even notice. Its worth testing them out.
Unless you are a really high level, kiting isn't gonna do it for some enemies (couerls, for instance).
Neoleo2143
Member
The occasional Hi-Potion chug, which the game has no sense to limit.
I didn't find the story hard-to-follow. You're right in pointing out that it's trope-y and straightforward, and that makes it easy to follow along with what's supposed to be going on.
What annoyed me is that the characters didn't seem to want to acknowledge the game's story. There would be a huge political revelation, or an unprecedented mystical encounter, or a terrible and personal tragedy, and everyone would acknowledge it for the duration of one quest or cutscene and then promptly forget about it.
Character motivations (The Empire is evil!) are implied, rather than shown or told, which makes it all the more confusing when characters consistently act against their own implied motivations for the sake of the story. The character inconsistencies invite you to think that the plot is way more confusing than it is (there was literally a point where I thought that the game was spanning multiple universes), when the reality is that the storytelling is devoid of any elegance of logical flow. This was a consistent theme for the first 30 hours that I played.
This isn't really the thread for me to start spoiler tagging a bunch of stuff, so I'll just leave it vague. But I imagine that you can probably fill in the blanks. The point I want to make is that the storytelling's problems go way beyond just a lack of information, and it's probably made worse if you're really trying to pay full attention. The characters don't believably or consistently react to the world that they're in. Part of it is probably the rushed development, and part of it is probably Square Enix not knowing how to balance a do-what-you want open world car trip with their normal high stakes, high drama plots.
Ploid 3.0
Member
It seems like it will be pretty much the same as FFXV. When it shows Barrett doing his skill it reminds me of when people call Gladiolus or one of the other AI characters to do their skill, providing the player and the rest of the group invincibility frames during the act.
WordsintheWater
Member
It's hard to say it any other way I guess, it's a poorly told story that if it was told well would be good haha
legacyzero
Banned
This isn't really true, though... The story tries to be grounded, absolutely. But most of it comes apart when it feels like it's been cut and stitched for god-knows-why. There's AT THE VERY LEAST- missed opportunity. At most, an underwhelming cult favorite full of holes.
yeah, if you wanna play the boring way.
I think the game fucking sucks. The combat is not that good. People will try to convince you its more than holding circle and sometimes pressing square, but that's a bunch of bullshit. Got through the whole like that with little trouble.
The world is not that interesting. The only good thing I can say about it is that it looks pretty, that's about it.
The "story" is a complete joke, or an incomplete one.
But for $30? I say go for it, you might like it more than I did.
The world is not that interesting. The only good thing I can say about it is that it looks pretty, that's about it.
The "story" is a complete joke, or an incomplete one.
But for $30? I say go for it, you might like it more than I did.
Neoleo2143
Member
Then just say that the story had some good ideas like the Road Trip concept and the tragedy that would have to be borne but failed to tie them together.
I'm sorry but I shouldn't be able to carry more than 20 powerful healing items on me that have no lag time to use, that's insane. The ranking system has no sense to me so if it discourages healing, that's fine, but I don't see that so there's no problem to me. The nature of the game as an RPG removes some skill from the equation due to the major impact of Stats. Though the player can mitigate this through item spam.
I never really got a sense of accomplishment from this game. I wasn't thrilled. I was bored.
WordsintheWater
Member
I guess that works, honestly I'm not the person to defend the narrative in this game, I posted my grievances with it many times.
Ploid 3.0
Member
I posted this in the spoiler thread because they start to discuss story later in the video. I don't remember if some things slip through during the combat discussion but I doubt it. This guy, MrHappy, is currently doing a magic only playthrough (may have finished actually), I'll be looking into that.
Note: This is a long time after the launch, so these are after finishing endgame type impressions.
Note: This is a long time after the launch, so these are after finishing endgame type impressions.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
No to the bolded. And I'll tell you why: XIII's gameplay scenario provides no exploration and as such, almost no one except the extreme fringe of players ever wants to go back and replay it. How it stands in 2009/2010 is pretty much how it's always going to be remembered. A linear tube with an abrasive story.I liked FF 13 (1) better than FF 15. I think its because FF15's many side quest are really repetitive and thats including the endgame stuff. Not that 13's side quest wasn't repetitive but at least there is a good chunk of main story.FF15's main storyline is almost nonexistent. Say what you want about FF13 but the pacing(?) was much better. I also think years down the road the consensus will be that people will grade FF13 higher that FF15.
FF15 wasn't worth $60 to me but at $35 its worth a look. I had this feeling that I would regret buying it day 1 but the GAF hype was too much so I caved like I usually do.This lesson will sit nicely next to MGS 5 TPP purchase and among others that I don't want to bring up
But XV provides a sandbox to play in with plenty of side content, and as such, it will be inviting to repeat plays. It could even gain a stronger reputation if the storyline patches pan out.
If the question is that XIII will be perceived as a more "complete" game than XV... well, it already is. But a completed exercise in cynical "run them down a straight line" game design versus an unfinished "give them a massive world to explore with tons of content" will tend to favour the latter.
superNESjoe
Member
I've been playing it for almost a week and really loving it. Lapsed FF fan, haven't truly enjoyed one since 9, thought 12 was ok. Digging the combat and questing.
The story isn't bad, it's just thin. The skeleton of a good FF story is there, but they committed to releasing the game in 2016 and they ran out of time to flesh it out.
But allowing that you might not enjoy the story, I do think the game is worth playing. I enjoyed the combat and the world quite a bit.
But allowing that you might not enjoy the story, I do think the game is worth playing. I enjoyed the combat and the world quite a bit.
The game is definitely too lenient on items, sure I'll give you that. But I learned the ins and outs of this battle system and fighting so that I don't have to use items feels rewarding imo.
When I can take out a set of magitek assassins or learning the tells of Naglfar's attacks or whatnot, I have fun. Imo its a great battle system that could have definitely used a lot more challenge.
I honestly think FF15 will be seen as a mid-tier ff game. Something along the lines of 3 or 5, but not low tier like 13 or 2.
I think the truly important thing is that it made me want to play ff games again. I wanna replay ff9 and finally finish ff10 (i got stuck on yunalesca way back when) and i'm even considering giving ff12 another shot again despite really really not liking that game upon initial release.
Hashmal_Bringer_of_Order
Member
I'd say yes but the story isn't even bad, it's just told in an unconventional way compared to most Final Fantasy games.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I think that's fair actually.
themindkillah
Neo Member
I had practically no more faith in this series and then I platinum FF15. I liked the game a lot. I'm still digesting why. The music can be superb in places but some of the town themes are just so uninspired and generic. It's a nice touch they included the old school music for the car rides. You'd think they just went for the easy nostalgia but it works. I hated the English voice-over so I switched it to French and they did a MUCH better job at casting characters and at the overall adaptation. I don't think this game is a classic or anything but the recipe they came up with, the sum of its parts clicked deeply for me. I haven't played a JRPG in years, I can't stand them, but I clocked in at about 80hours. As a dad, that's incredible. I can't say I understood much of the story, but the bromance thing is well done. I cared for these characters in the end which is quite an achievement for most games nowadays. If you'd ask me where I would rate FF15, it would be in my top 10. It would be dead last, but the very fact that it's on the list REALLY means something.
Yabberwocky
Member
As everyone has said, the core story idea is great, it's just the execution of it is extremely barebones and flawed. It's really wasted potential for the playable cast, to the supporting cast, and the antagonists. (I think I was less annoyed with FO4's story, and FO4's story is.... yep.) I found the side quests irritating, but loved the hunts. The most fun I had with the game was avoiding the main storyline and just running around adventuring. XV has this weird dissonance where the adventuring is all about player investment (Prompto's photos, the music in the car, car decals, exploring and having character interactions via party banter), but then XV keeps the player detached from the game's narrative with so many events and character investment happening off screen. It's really frustrating.
Couldn't have said it better myself. This was a major issue for me in parts of the story.
-Pyromaniac-
Member
I thought the story was awesome. Some presentation issues with it for sure but awesome nonetheless
Great game..
Great game..
vanDoughnut
Member
It's definitely worth it.
There are moments that blew me away in the same way the old FFs did and I think it made FF relevant again. The road trip, camping, and little things like photos and even food make it feel like an adventure. Combat is great too.
Haven't finished but the story does seem uneven. It feels like I should have watched the Youtube series and movie, to get more out of it.
There are moments that blew me away in the same way the old FFs did and I think it made FF relevant again. The road trip, camping, and little things like photos and even food make it feel like an adventure. Combat is great too.
Haven't finished but the story does seem uneven. It feels like I should have watched the Youtube series and movie, to get more out of it.
BudokaiMR2
Member
FFXII was a mediocre game but a shitty Final Fantasy.
FFXV is a great Final Fantasy but a mediocre game.
I'm only about 20 hours into FFXV but I still am not sure where my opinion will fall in the end. I definitely don't think the combat is great (serviceable at best imo) but there is at least a nice level of exploration. So far I really have been disappointed in the side quests though as they have been pretty cookie cutter and boring. Kinda wish they used them more as opportunities to flesh out the world. The game could really use it.
FFXV is a great Final Fantasy but a mediocre game.
I'm only about 20 hours into FFXV but I still am not sure where my opinion will fall in the end. I definitely don't think the combat is great (serviceable at best imo) but there is at least a nice level of exploration. So far I really have been disappointed in the side quests though as they have been pretty cookie cutter and boring. Kinda wish they used them more as opportunities to flesh out the world. The game could really use it.
Not sure I ever want to replay XV ever again.
Its content is just as empty & trivial as it is open,and its battle system is propped up massively by the fact that it looks(but doesn't actually play) well.Once the game loses its shiny visual edge,it will be very difficult to go back to it.
Just look how bad its linear parts actually are.Once the game loses the awe brought about by its open area,what's left behind is just miserably bad.I still think the only good game design concept in FFXV is that it wasn't afraid to let the player do as they please.Though one could argue that it was merely following trends currently popular in the industry.