The search for some optional weapons for Noctis led to hidden dungeons and some of the best boss fights, though some of the higher-level hunting missions feature baddies that give even those bosses a run for their money. There are tons of side missions to participate in, including plenty that have a higher level requirement than the final leg of the main story (which means you’ll have plenty to do post-game). This deliberate, regimented structure really drew me into the world, and also gave the relationships between the characters time to develop in innumerable little ways.īut there’s more than just bromance on the open road. There are fast-travel options between previously explored points, but generally you have to actually make each journey at least once. Though initially inconvenient, these extra steps do make the simple act of getting from point A to B feel like an actual trip. You’ll need to think about keeping your ride fueled up, paying for chocobo rentals for long off-road trips where your car can’t go, where to spend the night, and even what to eat. Time is constantly flowing, and traveling at night, even by car, is dangerous. There’s actually a fair bit to learn if you want to travel safely and efficiently. Though exploring it was easily my favorite part of Final Fantasy XV, the logistics of getting around take some getting used to at first. The open world of Lucis is huge, and its towering geographic features and sweeping, wide-open plains give it a rare sense of scale. That all said though, the promise of gorging my retinas on more eye candy and watching these four bond ‘n’ battle like better-dressed versions of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles kept me looking forward to my next scrap. Especially in enclosed spaces, and even during some climactic boss fights, the camera becomes your biggest enemy, sometimes completely obscuring the action from you, which can be frustrating. This minimized role of magic hurts, though, seeing as how the melee elements don’t provide a lot of interesting decisions to make or techniques to master, unless you count wrestling with the occassionally unruly camera. That their usefulness makes battles look like Avengers-style swirling melees isn’t the only upshot, either it also makes them feel vital, further reinforcing the themes of closeness and brotherhood that make up the backbone of the story. Though Noctis is more well-rounded statistically (and can wield any weapon type), his three wards feel more or less like his equals. They switch between whatever spells and weapons they have equipped fairly intelligently, and even swoop in to get you on your feet if you’re incapacitated. Assuming you keep their gear up to date and you aren’t poking things too many levels above you with a pointy stick, they’ll generally notch almost as many kills as you will, which is great when taking on medium- to large-sized groups. It certainly doesn’t hurt that they’re all exceedingly competent in battle. They turn monster-slaying into family bonding time, and I love it. Especially here, the banter flies as they cheer each other on and pick one another up when they fall. Well-placed flanking strikes are rewarded with big damage and slickly animated team-up attacks, and commanding one of your buds to use one of their stylish-looking special attacks at just the right moment can be a literal blast. Fully real-time combat is the single biggest departure from the turn-based systems of the past, and while it doesn’t feel like the other main-line Final Fantasy games in any regard, the way it makes you and your three AI-controlled compatriots feel like a cohesive fighting unit kept it mostly enjoyable for me.
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