Back in October Square Enix announced that they were once again dipping into the older Kingdom Hearts titles to release a large bundle of them for the PlayStation 4. Called Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix this six game pack was given a new trailer recently for Jump Festa 2017 where a large number of iconic and memorable scenes from the games are shown off.
Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 + 2.5 ReMix is currently set to be released for the PlayStation 4 on March 9, 2017 in Japan, March 28 in North America, and March 31 in Europe.
Sega in Japan has released a new nearly two minute long video for Valkyria Revolution and this serves as an introduction video for the elite unite that is called the Vanargard which was created to eliminate the Valkyria of the Rus Empire. The Vanargard is the unit that the players will be in control of as it is led by the protagonist Amleth and though some of the members of the force do not have a military background, they are still able to contribute in their own way.
You can check out the trailer below and keep an eye out for a demo of the game to be released on the Japanese PlayStation Store on December 22nd. Valkyria Revolution was recently confirmed for Q2 2017 Western release on the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PS Vita.
WAR THUNDER ENTERS RELEASE OF MAIN GAME – MOVES OUT OF OPEN BETA
Update ‘Way of the Samurai’ reveals the Japanese tanks, adds cockpit interiors for all aircraft, new vehicles, maps and additional improvements.
21st December, 2016 — Gaijin Entertainment today announced that update 1.65 ‘Way of the Samurai’ marks the release of the originally proposed War Thunder game and ends Open Beta with all current in-game nations featuring their own aircraft and tank trees. The introduction of ships also means that War Thunder now takes the fight to land, air and sea to complement the game. Gaijin Entertainment will continue its commitment to improving the game through regular updates, as they progress toward the research trees of War Thunder Ships, which currently reside in pre-beta testing.
“After reaching this important development milestone, which marks the end of Open Beta, the goals set out for War Thunder in 2012 are now complete. We will focus on adding new features and improvements, to let virtual pilots, tankers and navy captains enjoy one of the most realistic, extensive and accessible war simulations of all time”, says Kirill Yudintsev, Creative Director of Gaijin Entertainment.
War Thunder’s ‘Way of the Samurai’ update will focus on completing the Armor of the Imperial Japanese Army, which adds 30 armored ground forces vehicles, featuring a full range of light and medium tanks as well as self-propelled guns and anti-aircraft vehicles modeled on interwar vehicles to proven mid-war workhorses and modern developments of the Cold War era.
Update 1.65 includes the integration of cockpit interiors for all aircraft with working gauges and indicators. The update contains two new maps for ground and combined arms combat, “Abandoned Factory” and “38th Parallel”. While the first challenges tankers and air support to identify targets in a maze of industrial workshops and loading bays, the latter propels players into the Korean peninsula and is the first ground combat location based on a post-World War II setting. It also contains a dozen additional ground and air vehicles for other nations bringing the total number of available vehicles to more than 800.
In 2017, Gaijin plans to focus on two major game modes for War Thunder, the previously announced World War mode that allows players to experience massive operations across different theatres of World War II, as well as the full release of War Thunder Naval Forces for all nations.
Work will continue on additional features such as adding new nations, new game modes and further improvements to eSport and other forms of competitive play.
Gaijin Entertainment also used the opportunity of War Thunder‘s release to congratulate players with the start of a series of holiday timed events and specials. Everyone logging into the game until New Year’s will receive a progression booster as a present. In addition, the holiday season will bring a variety of events where players can unlock several Premium vehicles and other content for free.
War Thunder is a free-to-play, cross-platform, massively multiplayer military masterpiece for PC, PS4, Mac and Linux with millions of players worldwide, that allows players to fight their way across air land and sea with access to over 750 historically accurate planes and armored vehicles from WWII and Cold War Era. Fans can expect hundreds more added as Gaijin Entertainment commits to ongoing development via regular updates. For more information, please visit http://www.warthunder.comAbout Gaijin Entertainment
Super Dungeon Bros boosted by pre-Christmas update and brand new format
Bros & Broettes can now Rock-it-out on Mac alongside significant updates for PS4 and PC available now; Xbox One to follow in early 2017
Watford, U.K — December 21st, 2016 — Wired Productions, a leading independent games publisher, is pleased to announce the first in a series of significant updates forSuper Dungeon Bros, as well as being available on Mac for its rock-n-roll inspired on and offline co-op dungeon brawler.
The Super Dungeon Bros Update #1 features a number of major updates from online multiplayer to overall usability and in-game functionality improvements, including;
Online Multiplayer – Bros and Broettes can now rock out with 2, 3 or 4 other players in On and Offline Co-Op Multiplayer with Private Lobbies also now available.
Improved Game Functionality – Single Player and Multiplayer revive functions now match each other, missions related to achievements have been corrected and characters now include an outline when behind set objects (pillars etc) plus much more.
Weapons Stability – Increased mobility and improved re-load times for ranged weapons as well as fixes for specific issues related to various weapons HP.
Multiple UI Enhancements – Various UI enhancements have now been implemented including an on-going score count, improved contextual prompts for the threat meter and weapon upgrades.
General Bug Fixes and Improvements – A host of general bug fixes and improvements, including significantly reduced loading times as well a considerable reduction in frame rate issues encountered by some users.
“We’re very proud of what we have accomplished with Super Dungeon Bros, but our hard work doesn’t stop, it really starts now.” said Brad Moss, Design Director at React Games. “We are humbled by the generous support and words of encouragement we’ve received from the numerous amounts of players all over the world and are determined to ramp up the fun to deliver an exhilarating experience as we continue to develop the game and add new features over time.”
In the multiplayer-centric Super Dungeon Bros, a band of heavy metal heroes are summoned to embark on a quest from the Gods of Rock. Their mission: to navigate the fantasy realm of Rökheim and seek out epic loot, vanquish hordes of evil undead and uncover the legends of long lost fabled rock stars! Featuring captivating, laugh out loud action and adventure, players can rock out on or offline with four bros as they fling their friends onto far off ledges and distant trap triggers, or unleash their best tag team tactics with the ultimate bro-op offensive. Legendary tools of destruction can be individually levelled up to carry progress across sessions, and players can unleash weapon-specific co-op attacks that grow in power as others join in, such as the Bronado (stack up to create a whirling totem pole of destruction).
Three unique and challenging worlds await the brave ones as they explore the rock-themed realm of Rökheim and dive deep into the worlds of Cryptheim (an underground dungeon complex), Chillheim (a brewery built upon a natural brew geyser) and Bogheim (a sprawling jungle filled with poisonous plants and animals). Players will never rock the same dungeon twice thanks to the random room generation AI, and near-endless dungeon combinations! To keep things fresh between campaign sessions, players are also able to assemble and compete against other teams in the daily and weekly challenges to see who can claim the top spot on the global leaderboards!
Developed by Utah-based React Games, Super Dungeon Bros is published by Wired Productions and physical retail distribution is handled by THQ Nordic. This title has been rated “E10+ for Everyone 10 and up” by the ESRB, PEGI 7 and USK 6.
For more information and to stay up to date with all the latest Super Dungeon Bros news, announcements and more, please visit the official website at www.superdungeonbros.com , Like the game’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/DungeonBros or follow the Dungeon Bros on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DungeonBros.
About Wired Productions Ltd
Wired Productions is an established independent computer games publisher based in Watford, Hertfordshire, UK. Founded in 2008, Wired have produced over 40 titles for many global publishers and are part of the team responsible for the 1.5 million unit selling We Sing franchise. In 2013, Wired moved into console publishing on all major platforms. Notable launches to date include Let’s Fish! Hooked On, Tiny Troopers Joint Ops, Last Inua and Super Dungeon Bros. Victor Vran is the latest title to be signed for 2017.
Wired Productions are also a founding member of We Sing Productions, which is a collaboration between THQ Nordic, Wired Productions and Le Cortex, with the sole mission to establish a new range of We Sing products for all formats.
About React Games
Founded in 2008, React Games are an award winning, independent video games developer based in Salt Lake City, Utah. Specializing in development for Xbox, PlayStation®, iOS, Android, Windows, Facebook, PC, Mac as well as the Nintendo 3DS, React Games have shipped over 37 titles in 7 years. React Games are well known for delivering fun gameplay and high quality production values on every project. For more information, please visit http://www.reactgames.com or follow us on Twitter via https://twitter.com/reactgames.
About THQ Nordic
Founded in 2008, THQ Nordic is a global video game publisher and developer. Based in Vienna, Austria and Karlstad, Sweden with subsidiaries in Germany and the USA, THQ Nordic brands include Darksiders, MX vs. ATV, Red Faction and Titan Quest. THQ Nordic is meant to represent a core approach of doing much more than “owning” a highly competitive portfolio of IP. It revolves around cherishing them, and aligning them with the very best development resources to expand upon them with the level of experience that communities and established fan bases expect and deserve.
The company’s internal development studios are Grimlore Games based in Munich, Germany and Rainbow Studios based in Phoenix, Arizona.
When what would eventually become Final Fantasy XV was first announced to be in development my younger brother could barely wrap his head around simple platformers and now ten years later here is able to easily work his way through the mechanics in the latest entry in the well-known Final Fantasy series. After a period of time that many fans thought the game would never be released, Final Fantasy XV has finally hit shelves but did this long development time churn out a worthwhile game?
Story
Set in the world of Eos Final Fantasy XV’s story begins with the prince of the kingdom of Lucis, Noctis leaving the capital city with his friends Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto, as they head off to what is meant to be his wedding to his fiancée Lunafreya the princess of Tenebrae. It is clear that things are dangerous in the world right now but your father the King sees Noctis off with a smile while peace talks with the hostile nation of Niflheim are meant to take place while he is away.
As one would expect, and should know unfortunately given the way that the story is actually handled in Final Fantasy XV, these peace talks quickly fall apart and Noctis learns that his capital city and father have fallen to the Niflheim Empire. With an entire army and the unknown standing in front of them, Noctis and his friends begin a journey in an attempt to restore the world and reclaim what was once yours.
Now as I briefly mentioned, there is are a number of unfortunate aspect about Final Fantasy XV’s story and those who have seen the wide range of multimedia Square Enix released for the game beforehand should be prepared for that to be an issue. While not entirely necessary, large events that are meant to tell parts of the story are secreted away in the Kingsglaive movie or in trailers that have been previously released. In fact, the main way that players learn about what happened at Noctis’ home is through a soundless video taken directly from the film while the characters themselves only hear word of it through a newspaper before attempting to see things with their own eyes.
In fact, thanks to the design of the game, with the first half being designed as an open world style title that allows for plenty of exploration and side-quests to be taken, players will find that the story is handled incredibly vaguely during these parts before the second half of the game narrows the focus down onto the main group and tries to tie things together in an often unsatisfying fashion. That being said, there are some major highpoints throughout this part of the game as well as numerous events that take place that are truly astonishing to see, though don’t expect any unpredictable twists or even memorable side characters as many will simply vanish with no fanfare.
In fact, if it wasn’t for how likable and charismatic the main characters in this story happen to be then it wouldn’t work nearly as much as it does. During the time you can spend in the first half of the game, and boy is there easily more than twenty hours of content just to mess around with here, one would think that this is simply a journey of friends in a fantasy realm. One that is so well-crafted that the world feels genuinely alive around the characters as they travel between various locations, mess around, or simply chat in the Regalia while driving to the next area.
The well-crafted interactions and believable dialogue expand these four characters into ones that carry the entire load of the game on their backs and manage to do so successfully as these fantastic characters wade through the unimpressive story.
Gameplay
While the story may be rather disappointing more often than not, the actual gameplay mechanics are generally far more enjoyable albeit a bit different than fans may expect. The combat system in Final Fantasy XV is almost entirely handled like an action RPG with combat taking place in real-time. Rather than coming across random encounters that place the player into a separate screen, enemies will be visible in the world and will be immediately engaged when they catch sight of Noctis. These battles can be fled simply by running out of the encounter zone if you happen to find yourself overwhelmed, which is entirely possible in some occasions as you may be fighting one group of enemies only to find soldiers or new foes spawning in, with rare battles being prolonged into three stages as the party fought standard foes, soldiers dropped from an airship, and then giants that had spawned from the ground as night fell.
The combat mechanics themselves are unfortunately a bit shallow in most regards but this simplistic nature also makes it incredibly enjoyable and while it might take some time to understand, once you get the hang of things players will be able to handle most encounters. Noctis can dodge and parry attacks, use warp strikes to charge enemies from a distance or escape to a safe vantage point and recover health and MP, and issue orders to his AI companions to use various skills that can be followed up with an extra attack. Things such as blindside attacks, that see the player circling around a foe to strike at their back, and blindside links allow players to take advantage of their foe’s size as a weakness and the terrain.
It is worth noting that since your companions are almost entirely AI controlled in standard combat that they will occasionally falter. For the most part they are able to handle themselves well enough and make correct use of the skills they are equipped with, but if you do happen to go down in combat, it is usually completely random whether or not your teammates will actually come to help you up or if you’ll be left shambling around the battlefield in an attempt to escape danger.
One thing that really helps set Final Fantasy XV apart is the way that combat experience and experience points earned from completing quests are handled. While players earn a set number of points from the aforementioned tasks, they are not actually applied to the characters. Instead these points are banked until the next time the player chooses to either rest at a sleep point or camp in the wilderness. Sleep points tend to cost extra money but can reward the player with bonuses to the total amount of experience gathered so far. This means that at the cost of spending quite a bit of Gil, which is something that can be rather hard to come by at times, players can boost their total by a set amount depending on the location.
On the other hand, camping in the wilderness is free and rewards the player with AP but no boost to the gained experience points. Camping spots do allow players to have Ignis cook certain meals depending on what ingredients are on hand and these meals tend to add various boosts to attack, health, and even experience gain depending on how many ingredients are needed to cook it. In fact, one of the best elements of this game come from how natural it feels to prepare for a long haul in combat. Since each character’s total available health is lowered any time they are downed in combat and the only way to restore it is through sleeping or using an elixir, the best way to gear up is to get a full night’s sleep, eat a hearty stat boosting meal, and then set out to take down your target.
Another benefit from campsites tend to be the magic wells that tend to be around each area. You see, unlike standard Final Fantasy titles magic in Final Fantasy XV must be crafted using “elemancy.” The reason for this is explained in loading screens and this allows players to hold up to 99 points of fire, electric, and ice, elements that can be fused together to create spells. Spells are then equipped in similar fashion to the weapons that Noctis can summon, with four being available to swap between in battle, but the way they are cast tend to be problematic.
Not only are spells limited in number depending on the number of magic flasks the player has but they are thrown like grenades, and until you get the upgrade that removes friendly fire, these AoE spells damage everything in their path though usually your party will suffer the consequences far less than your opponent. One thing that is interesting to note that players can immediately make magic as powerful as they need it to be, by dumping massive amounts of elements into a single crafting recipe and even combining an item with it to enhance the affect, but generally players can choose to focus mostly on the main combat if they feel underwhelmed by the magic system in the game.
Previously I’ve mentioned AP as well as upgrades and that comes into play with the Ascension trees. AP is gained when you level up, camp, or eventually unlock nodes that reward AP for doing things such as taking long drives, fishing, and more and these points are spent to help build up your characters. While a few of these are put into strengthening the base stats for the party they are also able to unlock various skills and new abilities that help make them more capable fighters. While not a very in-depth mechanic, it does give players a decent amount of freedom though it is quite evident that certain nodes will require quite a bit of grinding.
Outside of the standard combat and completing main quests, the side quests are unfortunately rather uninspired in nature as players will quickly find that they are almost entirely fetch quests or ones that involve slaying a large number of monsters. Taking part in the fishing mini-game is a fun alternative that can help the player earn some cash as well as certain ingredients though the driving aspect of the game may disappoint some who were hoping for more freedom in this regard as it is almost an entirely on –rails affair that keeps the car stuck to the road no matter how much you try to veer off.
Visuals & Audio
While players may initially spend most of their time in Final Fantasy XV in the starting desert area as they explore everything available to them, traveling into the lush forests and unique areas in the game really show how beautiful this title can be. The world may not have many full cities that players can explore, in fact most locations consist of only one or two buildings, but the wilderness and dungeons that can be explored are quite exciting to see.
The fluid combat rarely sees a drop in framerate though players may notice that the title does feature some unfortunate pop-in with some enemies appearing out of thin air, and not on purpose like some do at night, as well as issues where characters will abruptly teleport in an attempt to perform a blindside link attack. That being said these issues are few and far between when fighting and seeing your characters covered in frost that melts away as they suffer the effects from an ice spell is a real nice touch.
The voice actors for the core cast of characters handle their jobs incredible well which is a nice plus considering the side characters once again are given fairly standard and predictable sounding voice work. As for the soundtrack, players will find that the game has a satisfying array of tracks that are unique to the title as well as numerous memorable tracks form previous Final Fantasy games that can be played over the Regalia’s radio.
Overall
Final Fantasy XV has a lot to offer in terms of gameplay and being set in a gorgeous well developed world really helps enhance the experience of traveling through it with a likable cast of characters. Unfortunately with a storyline that feels like it is missing far too much content and barely has any impact outside of a few noteworthy moments, players will find it hard to get invested in the actual plight facing Noctis and his friends. With certain gameplay mechanics feeling limited in nature, players will find that it takes a bit to get used to what Square Enix was aiming for in Final Fantasy XV but once they do they are in for a unique RPG set in a world we’d love to see explored further.
New Update Brings a Warrior’s Winter Wonderland to Warface, and More
‘Tis the season of goodwill and giveaways in Warface – but not on the battlefield
Frankfurt am Main (Germany) December 21, 2016 – The latest update for Warface brings a brand new map decked out in a festive theme, new achievements to complete, seasonal gear to pick up, and more, Crytek announced today. Development never stops on the free-to-play online shooter, and the latest update, released today, challenges players to keep their cool in Icebound, a brand new PvP Bag and Tag map where players must take down their enemy, and then take their dog tags.
The cheer doesn’t stop there. The update also sees two of Warface’s most popular maps – TDM Oil Depot and TDM Hangar – celebrate the season with a holiday theme. Players can give their enemies a present they won’t forget by picking up a new set of “Evil Santa” weapons and snowball grenades that pack a real punch. Each new item in the update comes with new achievements for players to unlock too. And as it’s the season of goodwill, players can visit warface.com’s advent calendar and receive a free gift every day until Christmas.
Gamers can check out what’s coming in the update in the “What’s New in Warface” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qv4o2DUbd2o&t=13s ] video and sign up to play Warface for free at www.warface.com .
Playdigious kicks off its Christmas sales & launches Evoland on TV
Paris, France – December 21st, 2016: Playdigious, the mobile games publisher established by DotEmu’s founders, starts today its massive Christmas sales and announces at the same time the release of Evoland on Android TV. Enjoy your Christmas break with the best titles of the Playdigious’ catalog available at discounted prices from December 21st to December 28th, 2016.
Up to 66% off on the Playdigious games right now on both Google Play and iOS
Holiday sales just kicked off! From now on until December the 28th, you can buy our mobile games at a never-before-seen value:
Travel though the story of action adventure gaming with Evoland for only 1.99€ / $1,99 on Google Play and iTunes (-60% off)
Don’t watch TV, play it in the great runner Mechanic Escape available for 0.99€ / $0,99 on Google Play and iTunes (-66% off)
Guide your almighty puddle of fluid in the Puddle+ original environments for 0,99€ / $0,99 on Google Play and iTunes (-66% off)
Carve out your career as a commander in Take Cover with juicy -50% discounts on all IAP on Google Play and iTunes
Join the renowned trading card game Urban Rivals and benefit from -60% credit discounts on Google Play and iTunes
Play the great Evoland directly on your TV for 1,99€ / $1,99 on Google Play
Good things come in pairs, so we are offering you a brand new way to discover Evoland, the action adventure game which takes you on a journey through the history of classic adventure and RPG gaming. As you progress, you unlock new technologies, gameplay systems and ever-improving graphics. From monochrome to full 3D graphics and from turn-based battles to real-time boss fights, the hit game Evoland already available on Steam and mobiles makes you live the evolution of adventure gaming – all with plenty of humor and nods to moments from classic games. Download it now on your Android TV for 1,99€ / $1,99.
Classic Square Enix Titles On Sale For The Holidays
Up to 50% off FINAL FANTASY Series, CHRONO TRIGGER and Secret of Mana for Mobile Devices
LONDON (21st December 2016) – To celebrate the holiday season, Square Enix Ltd.,today announced a mobile sale, offering up to a 50% discount on some of SQUARE ENIX’s incredible line-up of classic RPGs.
The sale will run until 4th January 2016 on the AppStore, Google Play Store and Amazon Appstore, and includes discounts on CHRONO TRIGGER®, Secret of Mana® and various titles from the FINAL FANTASY® series.
About Square Enix Ltd.
Square Enix Ltd. develops, publishes, distributes and licenses SQUARE ENIX®, EIDOS® and TAITO® branded entertainment content in Europe and other PAL territories as part of the Square Enix group of companies. Square Enix Ltd. also has a global network of leading development studios such as IO Interactive™, Crystal Dynamics® and Eidos Montréal. The Square Enix group of companies boasts a valuable portfolio of intellectual property including: FINAL FANTASY®, which has sold over 115 million units worldwide; DRAGON QUEST®, which has sold over 68 million units worldwide; TOMB RAIDER®, which has sold over 46 million units worldwide; and the legendary SPACE INVADERS®. Square Enix Ltd. is a London-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.
CHAOS RINGS, CHRONO TRIGGER, FINAL FANTASY, the FINAL FANTASY logo, DRAGON QUEST, MANA SERIES, , ROMANCING SAGA, SQUARE ENIX, the SQUARE ENIX logo, SPACE INVADERS and TAITO are registered trademarks or trademarks of the Square Enix Group. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.
###
Civilization VI – Poland Civilization and Vikings Scenario Pack Available Now
Today, 2K and Firaxis Games revealed that Jadwiga leads Poland in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI.
Jadwiga was the first female monarch of the Kingdom of Poland in the late fourteenth century and youngest daughter to Louis the Great.
Her reign began in 1384, with her early years being categorized by earning the respect and loyalty of Polish nobility, ruling side-by-side with Lithuanian king Wladyslaw II Jagiello. Jadwiga was an expert mediator, protected the poor, and was a devout Christian who later became canonized as a saint by the Roman Catholic Church in 1997. She founded a special college for Lithuanians in Prague but perhaps is best known for her work helping to restore the University of Krakow, which would go on to become the center of Polish culture.
The Poland Civilization and Scenario Pack is available starting today. This premium DLC adds Poland, leader Jadwiga, and new scenario, “Jadwiga’s Legacy”, to Sid Meier’s Civilization VI.
Also available starting today is the Vikings Scenario Pack. In this premium DLC bring Europe under your rule as the mightiest Viking lord in “Vikings, Traders and Raiders!” – the most detailed scenario released yet for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. The Vikings Scenario Pack also includes six new City-States and three new Natural Wonders for use in the base game of Sid Meier’s Civilization VI.
Both of these packs, which are included in Sid Meier’s Civilization VI – Digital Deluxe and available for purchase individually, are released alongside the ‘Winter 2016 Update’ for Sid Meier’s Civilization VI. This update adds a new Earth Map, Scenario Menu, various game updates, balance changes and fixes.
2K and Hangar 13 releases free title update for Mafia III
2K and Hangar 13 just released a free title update for Mafia III that adds the ability for players to compete in races, customize their cars, and more. Enter a series of races through the streets of New Bordeaux – six circuit lap races and six point-to-point races – to unlock customizations and a new car. Customize the cars in Lincoln’s fleet with a variety of decals, exhausts, spoilers, superchargers, and wheels. New outfits and a custom revolver are also available for Lincoln to use in Mafia III today – head over to the blog for the full scoop!
View and embed the Mafia III – Custom Rides and Racing trailer on YouTube:https://youtu.be/4jWlmP6QwAg
Download the Mafia III – Custom Rides and Racing trailer and additional assets on the 2K Press Hub.
As one would expect, and should know unfortunately given the way that the story is actually handled in Final Fantasy XV, these peace talks quickly fall apart and Noctis learns that his capital city and father have fallen to the Niflheim Empire. With an entire army and the unknown standing in front of them, Noctis and his friends begin a journey in an attempt to restore the world and reclaim what was once yours.
In fact, thanks to the design of the game, with the first half being designed as an open world style title that allows for plenty of exploration and side-quests to be taken, players will find that the story is handled incredibly vaguely during these parts before the second half of the game narrows the focus down onto the main group and tries to tie things together in an often unsatisfying fashion. That being said, there are some major highpoints throughout this part of the game as well as numerous events that take place that are truly astonishing to see, though don’t expect any unpredictable twists or even memorable side characters as many will simply vanish with no fanfare.
The well-crafted interactions and believable dialogue expand these four characters into ones that carry the entire load of the game on their backs and manage to do so successfully as these fantastic characters wade through the unimpressive story.
The combat mechanics themselves are unfortunately a bit shallow in most regards but this simplistic nature also makes it incredibly enjoyable and while it might take some time to understand, once you get the hang of things players will be able to handle most encounters. Noctis can dodge and parry attacks, use warp strikes to charge enemies from a distance or escape to a safe vantage point and recover health and MP, and issue orders to his AI companions to use various skills that can be followed up with an extra attack. Things such as blindside attacks, that see the player circling around a foe to strike at their back, and blindside links allow players to take advantage of their foe’s size as a weakness and the terrain.
Another benefit from campsites tend to be the magic wells that tend to be around each area. You see, unlike standard Final Fantasy titles magic in Final Fantasy XV must be crafted using “elemancy.” The reason for this is explained in loading screens and this allows players to hold up to 99 points of fire, electric, and ice, elements that can be fused together to create spells. Spells are then equipped in similar fashion to the weapons that Noctis can summon, with four being available to swap between in battle, but the way they are cast tend to be problematic.
Previously I’ve mentioned AP as well as upgrades and that comes into play with the Ascension trees. AP is gained when you level up, camp, or eventually unlock nodes that reward AP for doing things such as taking long drives, fishing, and more and these points are spent to help build up your characters. While a few of these are put into strengthening the base stats for the party they are also able to unlock various skills and new abilities that help make them more capable fighters. While not a very in-depth mechanic, it does give players a decent amount of freedom though it is quite evident that certain nodes will require quite a bit of grinding.