Banner Background Image Sources from left to right: Batman, Full Metal Alchemist, Big Boss

Friday, April 8, 2016

Thoughts on Final Fantasy XV's Platinum Demo


The Platinum Demo for Final Fantasy XV evokes Alice in Wonderland in the best way possible, and it is, by far, the most intelligently put together demo I've ever seen.

Graphics
This demo is beautiful. I normally don't care about graphics too much, but in this one there were times I stopped and stared at how beautiful the environments were. It showed off its day and night cycle, weather system, and particle effects with stunning clarity, so much so, that I took the time to goof around with them, putting the different environments in different lighting and weather conditions.

Music
Music has always been a much praised aspect of the Final Fantasy series, and although the only experience I have had with the Final Fantasy series was playing part of XIII, I've been listening to the soundtracks for ages. The music in The Platinum Demo (and, by extension, Final Fantasy XV) carries on the series' musical legacy in awesome splendor. 

Gameplay
I was unsure of it at first, but I like the combat system better and better the more I use it. I think it would be very cinematic if one were skilled at it. Even my touch-and-go attempts looked pretty nice (in my opinion). The warping is really great for adding an extra dimension to the combat. The traversal is good, but the jumping feels kind of weighty. The driving seems pretty good to me.

Story
One of the most impressive things about this demo is the fact that it isn't just a chunk of the full game. It is actually an independent plot that tells the backstory of the main character. I am fairly certain I spied some foreshadowing of the main game too.

Final Thoughts
This demo is not just a good demo but feels like a small game experience in and of itself. For that reason I would say even if you don't play Final Fantasy XV, play the demo. 

No comments:

Post a Comment