After ten years in development FFXV is finallyclose to release, with a launch date of 30 September recently announced at an event in LA. Alongside all of the bombast, celebrities and confetti, loads of new details and trailers were revealed, as well as a free demo you can grab on PS4 and Xbox One right now. Rather than being a section from the actual game, the Platinum demo sees a young Prince Noctis guided through his dream by an adorable fox-like Carbuncle.
While last year's Duscae demo let you explore one large area, Platinum is more about getting a broad taste of what the game can do with its tech, and a few hints at some of the areas you'll visit. Panels you stand on show you different times of day and types of weather, and at one point you can even turn into a monster or toy car to see what they're like...though these transformations won't be in the final game.
The combat has also seen a major update since the Duscae demo. It's now a lot more action-focused, and simpler to control, allowing you to assign up to four weapons, spells or items to the D-pad and switch between them mid-fight to string together combos. It's a departure from the tradition turn-based battles most Final Fantasy fans are familiar with, but it works. Those who finish the demo will also receive a small treat - the Carbuncle you follow will turn up in the main game with the name you chose for it.
We also get a closer look at riding Chocobos, which can be summoned at will, a bit like Geralt's horse Roach in The Witcher 3, but with rather more flapping and some long floaty jumps to help you reach difficult spots. While your yellow-feathered friends can't fly, your car, the Regalia, can - taking to the skies using jet engines that fold out of the boot to make getting around the world easier - though this ability'll only be unlockable near the end of the game.
Flight of fantasy
The Witcher comparisons feel even more pertinent after seeing a glimpse of just how large and open the world will be. Expect plenty of distractions as you embark on your journey to reclaim the throne of Lucius. In fact, game director Hajime Tabita himself has admitted that he's been "inspired by western open-world games." The influences are clear - the setting responds to your actions like in Far Cry, fields burning if you use fire magic and monsters becoming frosted and running away if you use ice spells; you can choose to be stealthy in some areas, like in MGSV; and all of those giant monsters you can hunt down are definitely reminiscent of Geralt's adventures.
It's clear that Square has invested loads in making Final Fantasy XV a success - it's going all out to turn a giant but quirky JRPG series into a mainstream stunner set to rival the biggest and most popular triple-A western games, to the point where we're told it needs to hit 10 million lifetime sales to break even. Everything we've seen suggests it'll pay off big time.
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