Publisher Square Enix recently hosted an online Q&A session for Final Fantasy XV via its website, soliciting questions about the game’s battle system, sprawling map and just how difficult the long-awaited JRPG sequel will prove to be.
Submitted via the Final Fantasy Forums, Terada Takefumi and Takizawa Masahi – Lead Level Designer and Lead Dame Designer, respectively – outlined some pertinent details relating to XV, though it’s clear that Square is still keeping the majority of details under lock and key.
One thing that has been reaffirmed by the company is that Final Fantasy XV is indeed launching in 2016, and fans can look forward to the next Active Time Report broadcast next month for another look at gameplay.
For now, here’s what Takefumi and Masahi-san had to share about the in-development title.
How will the difficulty modes compare in terms of XP gain, enemy stats, damage and A.I.?
“The equivalent to difficulty level settings in FFXV is a system where you can switch between different battle modes,” lead game designer Takizawa Masahi said. “By having this ability to switch modes, we want to make it so that both players who like action oriented, technical gameplay and also those who want to fight at a slower, more relaxed pace can all enjoy the combat in their own style. This switching system is a key part of the gameplay that we decided to introduce based on the feedback we received from the Episode Duscae demo. We will go into more detail about the system closer to the game’s launch so stay tuned for more information.”
Will large buildings have multiple warp points to allow Noctis to scale and explore rooftops?
“Why of course they will!” lead level designer Terada Takefumi said. “The warp ability that lets you teleport instantly to high up locations is a vital part of FFXV’s battle system. The ability to use multiple warp points in a strategic manner is especially prevalent in the game’s large scale battles over urban terrain. It is not just the buildings though, and we have also created exciting aerial battles with flying foes and gigantic boss enemies, so watch out for those.”
How much of the big cities like Altissia/Insomnia will we be able to explore?
“I can tell everyone a little about Altissia at this time. Altissia has many and varied locations, such as multiple cafes, ship-bourne market places and parks etc. The city is of a considerable scale, to the extent that even the developers sometimes get lost there!” Final Fantasy XV planner Ishikawa Tomonori said. “The player is free to take a leisurely walk around the complex maze of streets, or ride the gondola to see the sights and there is also added enjoyment to be had looking for restaurants to visit! You are bound to encounter some unique characters when exploring the city streets. So we have created lots of different things to enjoy in Altissia and hope everyone is looking forward to visiting!”
No word yet on a release date for Final Fantasy XV, though with Square primed to showcase the near-complete version of the sequel in March, we can readily expect to learn much more about Noctis and the adventure that awaits the crown prince in due time.
