Final Fantasy XV: Platinum Demo Impressions

On March 30^th, Square Enix held an event called Final Fantasy XV Uncovered.  It was a pretty big night for Square Enix.  They unveiled a whole bunch of news about the game and its related side projects including its release date, September 30^th, 2016.

One of the more interesting things to come from the presentation was news that Square Enix would be releasing a new demo for Final Fantasy XV that very evening.  Entitled Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy XV this little piece of software is intended to serve as a literal demonstration of the physics, graphics, and mechanics of the game while at the same time offering a unique little story that will not be included in the actual game itself which is a pretty interesting concept, not often employed when it comes to demos.

The game itself is composed of 4 short levels and a single playthrough can be completed in around an hour although the demo encourages multiple playthroughs and exploration.  The beginning level sees Noctis awakening inside his dream in a forest. Lead through the environment by Final Fantasy XV’s version of Carbuncle over the course of the demo the player is introduced to several mechanics.

There is some minor platforming in the demo, as you can search around the environment for crystals which allow you to activate various types of plates found throughout the games levels.  These plates serve various purposes; some allow you to alter the time of day or change the weather in order to check out the way that the graphics look under various lighting and environmental conditions, some transform you into alternate forms (various types of vehicles or that of a winged alligator type creature), and some bestow upon you different types of magic items and weapons.

All of this is designed to give you a basic understanding of how everything will function in the main game as well as entice you into purchasing it (the demo blatantly asks if you would like to pre-order Final Fantasy XV once you have completed a playthrough).  So, how does it do?

The demo in and of itself is a fun little teaser.  For someone like myself who did not get a chance to play the more thorough Final Fantasy XV demo Episode Duscae, this was a nice little experience.  Personally, I like the fact that this is something unique and not just a small section of a level from the actual game as it gives the player a reason to play besides attempting to get a taste of the main game.

In and of itself Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy XV is a fun little romp through the dreams of a young boy.  You get to experience some of the best graphics this generation has to offer while traversing a few unique little levels while simultaneously getting a taste of what the main game has going on. I found the combat to be fast paced and smooth, I was very happy to find that some parts of the environment had their own physics which allowed me to interact with them, and I wished the platforming had been a little more depth to it.  The graphics are gorgeous, and make me very excited to see what the full game has to offer.

Of particular amusement was the 2^nd level in which Noctis plays at Alice in Wonderland and wanders around a room while being the size of an ant.  While the game is definitely worth playing, it is very obvious that this demo is simply meant to be an introduction to the basics of Final Fantasy XV.  You only have limited access to magic in the form of throwable grenade type weapons, and (as far as I was able to find) a single transformation which could only by accessed via one of the plates.  Platinum Demo offers only a few weapons and only a cursory glance at the combat system, and that is my only complaint; I would have loved to see something a little longer and a little more in depth.

While I am unable to comment directly on any changes that may have been made between Episode Duscae and the Platinum Demo, the general opinion currently seems to be that the Platinum Demo is much tighter and smoother, in addition to having various minor improvements such as the ability to switch between any weapon assigned a button at will.

For something the company handed out for free Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy XV is a fun little experience and definitely accomplished its job of getting me excited to purchase the full game.  I enjoyed my time with the demo and since it appears there are more secrets to unlock the second time around I will likely be entering young Noctis’ dreams, at least, one more time, and that fact gives me even more hope for the main game.

Do you despise Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy XV and hate anything featuring child protagonists in general? After having played this are you 100 percent certain that upon picking up your copy of Final Fantasy XV you will be instantly Raptured up to Heaven?  Have you never heard of Final Fantasy?  Whatever the case may be, we would love to hear about it in the comments section.