Final Fantasy XV: Platinum Demo Review (PS4)
Our latest taste of Final Fantasy XV has hit the PlayStation Network across the world in the form of the Platinum Demo, and boy is it good!
You might think it’s weird that I’m reviewing a demo but considering that it’s more than just a demo, I thought I’d write what I think of it and to let you know that you should play it! Having played the first demo that was included with Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, I was excited to see how this demo would fare as, with help of the patch, I could see the combat getting better during the course of the original demo. Platinum Demo is already off to a good start as Final Fantasy XV’s beautiful theme plays away as summon Carbuncle sits relaxing in the breeze, with the time of day changing as you leave it. Platinum Demo has exclusive content that won’t be found in the main game, and beating it nets you Carbuncle for use in Final Fantasy XV and although it’s a brief experience, it’s already drawing me in for a second playthrough.
Starting a new game (well, as far as a new game can be for a demo) hit me with a rush of giddiness as the outstanding visuals and English voice-over come into play, and Final Fantasy XV suddenly feels so much more real – it really is coming later this year! You play as a younger Noctis who’s out cold in the real world, and can only wake up and be with his loved ones again by finding the exit to this dream world. Carbuncle, who’s protecting and guiding him in this world due to a very sweet and heartwarming reason, stays by your side in battle and talks to you via your mobile phone in English and through the use of Final Fantasy-themed emojis. The demo has a Kingodm Hearts-like feel to it and I’m already loving the adorable Carbuncle, and that’s just the icing on the cake.
Armed with a toy sword and squeaky hammer, Noctis searches for an exit whilst battling low-level enemies whilst culminates in a battle with a higher level enemy which might be familiar to fans of the series. You start your adventure in a forest area and find yourself in a house where you’re now far smaller than everything else, a town which reminds me of a sunny seaside town and a large city square. A really cool feature is how standing on certain pads changes the time of day and what the weather is, although these will change eventually on their own if left alone. The scope of the game is shown off here too with wide open areas, a long draw distance and epically massive beings making an appearance – one summon peeks down at you near the start of the demo and Carbuncle insists he’s a gentle giant, meaning we’ll likely be summoning to aid us in the main game.
The combat feels far smoother and intuitive than before. You mash circle to use your standard attack with whichever weapon you have or whatever magic you’ve equipped, square to dodge via rolling or hold it down to defend, cross to jump, L3 to sprint and R3 to lock-on. You can unlock warp strike at some point too, along with hidden weapons and magic. It all flows together very nicely and is reminiscent of Kingdom Hearts and Final Fantasy VII: Crisis Core, although Type-0 fans will find loads to enjoy here too. It’s engaging, allows a lot of variety in combat and is a bunch of fun. There’s plenty to do and see in the demo, so don’t be in too much of a rush to finish it as there’s no saving data, and you’ll have to start all over again – which, to be fair, isn’t a bad thing at all.
Final Fantasy XV is, and will be, one of the best looking games on the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One without doubt. It manages to play smoothly despite how busy and large the game is, and the character design and environments are top notch. Playing with the time of day and weather allows you to see the game in multiple lights, and it’s hugely impressive what Square Enix have imagined here – it really does feel like a living, breathing world, and I so badly want to see more of it. The effects made from your attacks shine and sparkle before fading away, and it’s easy to get lost in how pretty everything is.
There isn’t much spoken dialogue but I’m happy with what is there, but it’s the music that really steals the show in the audio department right now. The soft piano and violin laden orchestral tunes, upbeat action themes and general atmosphere is nothing short of brilliant and once they inevitably release the OST to purchase, you can bet that I’ll be planning to get one. Nobuo Uematsu may not be at the help but this is undeniably a Final Fantasy OST through and through. I happily left the demo on in the background so I could listen to the main menu music – in fact, I’m listening to it as I’m writing this!
I genuinely feel that Final Fantasy XV can live up to the decade worth of waiting, and I’m wholly pleased with this demo. I’ll be playing it again and again, seeing what other beautiful screenshots I can take and what other wonders it holds within its world. Final Fantasy XV is one of my most anticipated games of the year and Platinum Demo only goes to prove why that is, and you should definitely make sure that you give it a go too so you don’t miss out on how fantastic it is.
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