Support NeoGAF

[Kamitechi]

I have such weird feelings about this game. I literally have never liked a shit game so much. So much of me is telling me the game is shit.

The characters, the story, the tone of the game, the quests, the dungeons are all mediocre to awful so far. The dungeons and quests especially are PS2 tier design.

The combat feels 25% great 50 % middling and 25% broken. I have played over 20 hours and am level 40 and have never come close to dying, even when going into an army base 15 levels above me.

But here I am and Im having a great time, and I really dont understand it! Is it like watching a car crash? I really dont know.

Well, end game dungeons are better, also the secret jump quest dungeon, which in my eyes the best dungeon design in like a long time, it mixes up so many things and you don't even battle once there.

but overall, I think it's just because the game is fun.

sure some things are told bad (story)

but the combat even with it's flaws, is fun.

 

[Jeffrey]

This might be the first game I've played in which I HAVE NO CLUE WHAT ANYTHING IS GOING ON. WHO ARE YOU. WHY ARE YOU DOING STUFF.

Game seriously could use a codex as well.

I even watched the movie and anime lol.

Doesn't help that the dialogue is terrible to the point that my mind just goes blank when watching lol.


I know the game's been through development hell but man...

 

[Trojita]

I have such weird feelings about this game. I literally have never liked a shit game so much. So much of me is telling me the game is shit.

The characters, the story, the tone of the game, the quests, the dungeons are all mediocre to awful so far. The dungeons and quests especially are PS2 tier design.

The combat feels 25% great 50 % middling and 25% broken. I have played over 20 hours and am level 40 and have never come close to dying, even when going into an army base 15 levels above me.

But here I am and Im having a great time, and I really dont understand it! Is it like watching a car crash? I really dont know.

What is PS3 or PS4 tier dungeon design?

I'm so far enjoying the dungeons in this game more than most Open World games.

 

[muteki]

I think I got to chapter 6~7 last night and finally understand all this Jared business lol.

 

[Imp the Dimp]

I have such weird feelings about this game. I literally have never liked a shit game so much. So much of me is telling me the game is shit.

The characters, the story, the tone of the game, the quests, the dungeons are all mediocre to awful so far. The dungeons and quests especially are PS2 tier design.

The combat feels 25% great 50 % middling and 25% broken. I have played over 20 hours and am level 40 and have never come close to dying, even when going into an army base 15 levels above me.

But here I am and Im having a great time, and I really dont understand it! Is it like watching a car crash? I really dont know.

Dungeons are really good and so is the combat. Although the latter gets sabotaged by the poor camera a tad too often.

 

[Dimmle]

What is PS3 or PS4 tier dungeon design?

"We could not afford to design this dungeon. Please understand."

 

[Ourobolus]

Post-game spoilers:

Spoiler

Has anyone ever gotten Ifrit to summon? He and Titan are the only two I've never seen over like 90 hours

 

[Ruff]

Post-game spoilers:

Spoiler

Has anyone ever gotten Ifrit to summon? He and Titan are the only two I've never seen over like 90 hours

Not possible

 

[Dimmle]

Post-game spoilers:

Spoiler

Has anyone ever gotten Ifrit to summon? He and Titan are the only two I've never seen over like 90 hours

I've never seen Titan but I had no idea you could summon that other guy????

 

[EdwardTivrusky]

Definitely having issues with the hunts. Nothing ever turns up. Even hunts where the mark is always there day or night - nothing. And why are some coloured red? They still show on the map with the area etc. Anyway, tried 3 different hunts multiple times and nothing. There are some nasty bugs in this game if that's what's causing this to happen.

Red hunts are higher ranked hunts.

The only wierdness i have had is when a quest i was on was in the same location as the hunt. The beasties & Icons disappeared when i entered the circle and only respawned when i had handed in the collection quest and returned to the area.

 

[Bulby]

What is PS3 or PS4 tier dungeon design?

I'm so far enjoying the dungeons in this game more than most Open World games.

They are very bare and empty in both enviromental detail and variety once inside. A few trash mobs scattered around. The

Spoiler

Quetzalcoatl

dungeon was especially blank.

 

[Valonquar]

No exaggeration here at all: On EVERY floor of the 100 floor sealed dungeon, after killing the mobs on the floor, Prompto used the "WE'RE ALIVE! Let's celebrate by eating something dead!" line. Someone in QA should be shot.

 

[Ferr986]

I've never seen Titan but I had no idea you could summon that other guy????

You can't.

 

[Ourobolus]

Not possible

I've never seen Titan but I had no idea you could summon that other guy????

Yeah, I wasn't sure if it was possible or not.

 

[MegaSackman]

I'm 10hs in, barely in Chapter 2 (doing too many side missions, bad decision). This game is really weird... it's good and bad mixed together. Glad I watched Kingsglaive because they tell you anything about the story in the game (so far).

 

[Sagely]

Almost at the end of chapter 7 now I think, and I loved the gameplay section (to keep it vague - more specifically, the

Spoiler

cool dungeon with Aranea

).

Chapters 5-7 have felt a bit strange to me with editing and pacing, narratively speaking; the story is also being told very...ambiently? I'm paying close attention to NPC and party conversations, radios etc. and I do appreciate this presentation, but I think more context could only have helped.

These are nitpick complaints because, whilst I think the story beats could definitely have been handled with more finesse, the worst reaction I've had to weird moments is a raised eyebrow before continuing to have lots of fun. Regardless of supporting characters (who've by and large been really interesting albeit underdeveloped), I feel extremely attached to the main cast and their dynamic works so well for me.

The dungeons are spectacular and the core loop is as satisfying as ever - I'm even enjoying the naff sidequests as an incentive to explore. This is shaping up to be my favourite FF, easily. I'd not been interested in the series since XII and hadn't felt that magical FF feeling since X, so I'm delighted to feel my good will and hope for the series returning.

 

[Dimmle]

No exaggeration here at all: On EVERY floor of the 100 floor sealed dungeon, after killing the mobs on the floor, Prompto used the "WE'RE ALIVE! Let's celebrate by eating something dead!" line. Someone in QA should be shot.

On each of

Spoiler

three consecutive jumps in the secret dungeon

, Noctis proclaimed, "cake, baby."

 

[thefro]

Dungeons are really good and so is the combat. Although the latter gets sabotaged by the poor camera a tad too often.

The dungeons are fun but have issues, so I wouldn't call them great. I've got a few optional dungeons left to go through post-game FYI.

Good:
+ You can actually get lost
+ They take a fair amount of time to go through
+ Designs aren't as linear as FF7-FFX. Does a fairly good job emulating the layout of a 2D final fantasy dungeon in 3D to me.
+ Specific party dialogue for each dungeon, which is great
+ Tense atmosphere with them typically being in the dark
+ I enjoyed filling in the "fog of war" dungeon maps and exploring the different paths.

Bad:
- Lack of variety in locations/settings compared to previous games. Only a couple dungeons have had "wow, that's cool" moments for me.
- Game doesn't really focus on items, so between that and the lack of chests I didn't get excited about finding stuff.
- Whatever puzzle elements they have are (thus far) not very impressive. It's "open locked door from the other side", hit an occasional switch, watch out for collapsing floors, etc. A game like Zelda is orders of magnitude better in terms of design and the average RPG I've played is better.
- Kinda feels like you're running around in a GTA game on foot in the dungeons and the controls seem awkward in a confined hallway.
- Same music for most of them
- Map design telegraphs where you'll encounter enemies

 

[Bulby]

Dungeons are really good and so is the combat. Although the latter gets sabotaged by the poor camera a tad too often.

My biggest gripe with the combat is the parry and counter mechanic. A lot of battles you get overwhelmed (and often there are zero warp points which feels weird) so the only option is to hold the phase button until the game decide to offer me a chance to 'block'. I feel it would have been a way better design to have the enemies have specific tells so I can control to block and counter on my own.

But I am enjoying the combat. I feel it works best in the military bases where the game offers a lot of warp points so you can compact and stretch the enemies tactically. And warp striking is one of the most satisfying mechanics In a game.

 

[Trojita]

Designs aren't as linear as FF7-FFX. Does a fairly good job emulating the layout of a 2D final fantasy dungeon in 3D to me.

The first dungeon instantly reminded me of playing a FF1 or FF4 dungeon in 3D.

 

[Zakalwe]

My biggest gripe with the combat is the parry and counter mechanic. A lot of battles you get overwhelmed (and often there are zero warp points which feels weird) so the only option is to hold the phase button until the game decide to offer me a chance to 'block'. I feel it would have been a way better design to have the enemies have specific tells so I can control to block and counter on my own.

But I am enjoying the combat. I feel it works best in the military bases where the game offers a lot of warp points so you can compact and stretch the enemies tactically. And warp striking is one of the most satisfying mechanics In a game.

The enemies do have tells. You can read them and reposition in the majority of encounters. You only need to read the ones near you, those outside your vision will give a defend prompt if they attack.

Manual roll, warp, auto-dodge, and even air combos and backflips can be used to dodge around large groups of enemies, without getting hit, and without relying on auto-dodge.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

I played most of this game without auto dodging. I didn't even get the phase ability off the Ascension grid. Airdance, warping and roll dodge is where it's at.

 

[Bulby]

The enemies do have tells. You can read them and reposition in the majority of encounters. You only need to read the ones near you, those outside your vision will give a defend prompt if they attack.

Manual roll, warp, auto-dodge, and even air combos and backflips can be used to dodge around large groups of enemies, without getting hit, and without relying on auto-dodge.

Ok Ill try to keep a look out for the tells, the bigger enemies for sure I see it. But can I initiate the block and counter myself, without the game having to offer the oppertunity? If I block at the right moment?

 

[Ferr986]

Auto dodge? I'm 80 hours in and I didn't know there was an auto dodge.

Not like I want to use that, where's the fun if the game dodges for you?

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

Auto dodge? I'm 80 hours in and I didn't know there was an auto dodge.

Not like I want to use that, where's the fun if the game dodges for you?

Just holding onto square basically. Im zipping around the battlefield 95% of the battle no time for that. I honestly haven't even seen alot of parries because of it

 

[Kamitechi]

The dungeons are fun but have issues, so I wouldn't call them great. I've got a few optional dungeons left to go through post-game FYI.

Good:
+ You can actually get lost
+ They take a fair amount of time to go through
+ Designs aren't as linear as FF7-FFX. Does a fairly good job emulating the layout of a 2D final fantasy dungeon in 3D to me.
+ Specific party dialogue for each dungeon, which is great
+ Tense atmosphere with them typically being in the dark
+ I enjoyed filling in the "fog of war" dungeon maps and exploring the different paths.

Bad:
- Lack of variety in locations/settings compared to previous games. Only a couple dungeons have had "wow, that's cool" moments for me.
- Game doesn't really focus on items, so between that and the lack of chests I didn't get excited about finding stuff.
- Whatever puzzle elements they have are (thus far) not very impressive. It's "open locked door from the other side", hit an occasional switch, watch out for collapsing floors, etc. A game like Zelda is orders of magnitude better in terms of design and the average RPG I've played is better.
- Kinda feels like you're running around in a GTA game on foot in the dungeons and the controls seem awkward in a confined hallway.
- Same music for most of them
- Map design telegraphs where you'll encounter enemies

get to the secret dungeon, oh boy, i'd like your input on that

 

[Ourobolus]

Auto dodge? I'm 80 hours in and I didn't know there was an auto dodge.

Not like I want to use that, where's the fun if the game dodges for you?

Just holding onto square basically. Im zipping around the battlefield 95% of the battle no time for that. I honestly haven't even seen alot of parries because of it

However there IS an accessory from a dungeon that will auto-dodge for you.

 

[Ferr986]

Just holding onto square basically. Im zipping around the battlefield 95% of the battle no time for that. I honestly haven't even seen alot of parries because of it

Ah well, of course, didn't think about it like an auto dodge but yeah.
I usually just try to time my dodges like an action game, but only because I'm too used on that (as you can see how I forgot holding dodge forever just mass dodge everything lol).

However there IS an accessory from a dungeon that will auto-dodge for you.

I guess it's either a sealed one or Pitioss? I tried Pitioss and it was interesting but I'll rather level to 99 and do hunts first, and leave that for later. I'll start sealed dungeons soon too. I first want to beat that 120 asshole monster.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

However there IS an accessory from a dungeon that will auto-dodge for you.

Yea I got it.. disgusting.

Git gud!! Lol

 

[muteki]

My biggest gripe with the combat is the parry and counter mechanic. A lot of battles you get overwhelmed (and often there are zero warp points which feels weird) so the only option is to hold the phase button until the game decide to offer me a chance to 'block'. I feel it would have been a way better design to have the enemies have specific tells so I can control to block and counter on my own.

But I am enjoying the combat. I feel it works best in the military bases where the game offers a lot of warp points so you can compact and stretch the enemies tactically. And warp striking is one of the most satisfying mechanics In a game.

Being able to parry I have found to be quite easy, but it is highly dependent on what direction you are facing, if you are attacked by some other monster while holding square, etc. The timing is extremely generous and the icon is quite obvious, but yeah I miss them all the time because of other stuff happening in the battle. I'm mostly fine with this as it tends to just play out naturally.

However I would actually like it if they had an option either stand alone or would be enabled along with wait mode that made tells for enemy attacks blatantly obvious. Not so much for parrying but for making combat more precise and predictable, with blink and other dodge styles. By adding wait mode you have already stepped away from a true action combat system where subtle tells would be valuable, might as well go all the way and add a enemy highlight or some other option that makes it obvious when an attack is coming, for people who want to play that way.

That being said, 99% of the battles are a cake walk, so making it easier with the current health/item system may not make most sense. But with more actual risk to taking hits vs. what we have now, I think I would enjoy it.

 

[Blackleg-sanji1]

I first want to beat that 120 asshole monster.

Stock up...stock up good

 

[Dimmle]

Spoiler

MA-X Angelus

is an impossible boss. No one has beaten this thing. Please patch it out of the game, Tabata.

 

[Zakalwe]

Ok Ill try to keep a look out for the tells, the bigger enemies for sure I see it. But can I initiate the block and counter myself, without the game having to offer the oppertunity? If I block at the right moment?

Post every attack has a wind-up you can dodge. Try experimenting with the closest camera setting to get a good view of them at first.

And yes, you can manual block or roll or warp and use the invincible frames to negate damage if you prefer to be precise. Some abilities you can unlock in the Ascension trees even reward this timing.

Don't feel bad about falling back on auto-dodge for a breather in a hectic melee though, it's a useful tool.

 

[B-Dex]

The first dungeon instantly reminded me of playing a FF1 or FF4 dungeon in 3D.

Same here. I also feel the dungeon music is kind of a throwback to the older games dungeon/cave themes.

 

[Dangansona]

Wew I am so lost looking for Maagho.

 

[Nerokis]

Man, this game has such a unique charm.

First of all, I'm all in on the main cast. Barely on chapter 3, and I'm invested in these characters. The friendship between them feels real and is often adorable, and I like them all as individual characters even more than I expected to. Getting to know Noctis, in particular, has been interesting, because I've had to shake loose the impression of him that Versus XIII gave me over the years. Now, obviously we didn't know that Noctis particularly well, but I imagined his character to have a sort of quiet, awkward introversion. This Noctis retains some of that, for sure, but he's much more socialable and easygoing; instead, a lot of emphasis has been placed on his status as a spoiled and dependent prince.

Also, few games have made me embrace "downtime" to this extent. Seriously, I spend a good amount of time just driving around, and I love it. Enough so that it has been super rare for me to put down the 10 gil to fast travel - a break from how I tend to approach open world games, even much more dense ones. And that comes down to a combination of things: Eos is a very pretty place, driving is a good excuse to listen to FF music, the road system also doubles as a navigational underpinning that brings the entire world together in a fairly unique way, typically there are enough things to do/see/get between point A and B to make the trip worthwhile, and finally, my investment in these characters and their road trip. Oh, and the ever so slight AP bonus.

Between that, the fact that I've come to appreciate the combat more and more, and the handful of activities out there such as fishing (another tranquil pastime I've spent a lot of time with) and dungeons (why is there a lvl 28 dungeon with lvl 40 monsters that kill me instantly tho), this open world has done a lot for me.

It all adds up, again, to something with a unique charm. That this is going to be a flawed game becomes obvious from the beginning: even the (boring) tutorial needed more polish, as it could have been much snappier. But the biggest flaw, so far, might be that Prompto's photo album is limited to 150 pictures. The game has put enough of a spell on me that going through the photo album does feel nostalgic, like I'm looking through sweet memories, and I regret all the great pictures I've had to delete or pass on.

 

[Lumpy Onion]

Wew I am so lost looking for Maagho.

It's listed as a location on the list of gondola landing spots. Can't miss it.

 

[Ishida]

Wew I am so lost looking for Maagho.

Use the Gondolas. They can take you straight to the bar.

 

[Dangansona]

It's listed as a location on the list of gondola landing spots. Can't miss it.

I think I'm actually standing outside of it if it's next to the dress. I just can't go in because it's night. I've been trying to navigate my way down to the bottom level on this side of the river just in case it's below and wasted my time lol.

Edit: ah ita a gondola stop. I'll try that.

 

[Laughing Banana]

Currently playing through chapter 13.

What the heck is this...

 

[daveo42]

Currently playing through chapter 13.

What the heck is this...

The portion of the game handled by a completely separate team from the rest of the game.

 

[Dangansona]

Found it, thanks guys.

Do the four ever chat on the gondolas?

 

[Lexxism]

Wew I am so lost looking for Maagho.

That's actually easy. Meanwhile looking for Luna's wedding dress....

 

[LiK]

Found it, thanks guys.

Do the four ever chat on the gondolas?

Nothing of substance

 

[Seik]

Spoiler

MA-X Angelus

is an impossible boss. No one has beaten this thing. Please patch it out of the game, Tabata.

I did beat it!

Spoiler

NOT, HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Seriously though, last time I met it, shit was glitched as hell, I was on a angled hill and it (and Noct & co.) had some weird spasms. I guess it was because of the angle and they weren't meant to fight at that place. :lol

 

[Parmadillo Marshmallow]

How do I get the green and purple line gondolas to appear in Altissia? There is no gondola at the only green dot that I can access. I'm in post game.

Nm found it. Didn't realize it would be up so high.

 

[Laughing Banana]

The portion of the game handled by a completely separate team from the rest of the game.

You serious?

What is this. Stealth, jump scares, door puzzles, even Verdigo-RE4 like enemy.

So weird.

 

[Lexxism]

Spoiler

MA-X Angelus

is an impossible boss. No one has beaten this thing. Please patch it out of the game, Tabata.

But I saw a video who was able to defeat it.

 

[CopperPuppy]

I must be real stupid. Hopefully someone here can help me.

I've basically gone through my current playthrough without messing with magic too much, but want to start dabbling. That said, I can't figure out why the "Craft" button isn't appearing when I try to craft magic. Basically, I go to the menu for crafting, select a flask, add some fire or whatever, select a catalyst, and nothing pops up that allows me to actually craft the spell. What am I missing here?

 

[Mcdohl]

On Chapter 13.

I am at the part where there is a

Spoiler

giant roaming around in a room, little after having acquired security access level 3

.

Am I halfway there?

Also, maybe you guys lowered my expectations so much, but so far I don't think ch13 is bad.

Chapters 9 to 12 on the other hand...

What the fuck, way too short man :/

Spoiler

The one thing I've liked about this second part is the tonal shift.