In just one month, Final Fantasy XV has somehow transformed from assumed vaporware to a genuine game that feels like it's actually going to come out. After a year and a half of radio silence, today it seems like there's FFXV news every week.
Last night in Japan, FFXV director Hajime Tabata and crew broadcasted a new look at the fifteenth Final Fantasy, and with it, we got our closest look yet at the game's real-time combat system. Above you can watch video from the presentation (via GAF), an extended version of their Tokyo Game Show gameplay demo. In the video, protagonist Noctis leaps and swerves through enemies, warping around the battlefield and cutting through soldiers. It doesn't look like any Final Fantasy game we've seen before.
During the presentation, Tabata also answered a bunch of fan questions on Final Fantasy XV, clarifying that as of right now you can only control Noctis, who can warp, use that barrier ability (called Phantom Sword), and jump via a dedicated jump button. Gematsu has a full translation. Here's an excerpt:
Q: What about attacks?
A：When you push the attack button, you invoke the standard combo. You can change the actions by using it in coordination with the directional buttons. The actions change depending on your circumstances—things like whether you're guarding and whether the timing is right, (imagine in this circumstance: when you're guarding, you might get a chance to counterattack or something), or if your companions are nearby.
Q: Can you change the operational character?
A：Not in its current specifications. Everyone on the development team thoroughly looked into an Active Cross Battle system that made free use of attack, guard, and co-op functions, but as a result they arrived at the conclusion that changing characters would be too difficult. In order to create a new and interesting battle system, we ended up not being able to put in the character switching.
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Q: I can't tell if it's more like Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy Type-0. Which is it?
A: We explained that when you push the attack button, you invoke the standard combo, which is similar to Type-0. Considering the battle system as a whole, however, it is different from both Type-0 and Kingdom Hearts.
Q: Is it being simplified for casual users? Is is still an action RPG?
A: In order to widen its appeal, we're developing the game aware that anyone can immediately be able to play it, however the game as a whole is not casual. Because it's a core game, we have casual controls. If you obtain good weapons and level up, you won't have to worry about clearing the main scenarios.