All the details from today's Gamescom Active Time Report

Square Enix just got done hosting a ‘Square Enix Presents’ event which featured Final Fantasy XV Director Hajime Tabata showing off new gameplay, information and more in front of the game’s massive presence at Gamescom this year.

We’ve taken notes on the important parts of the demo so those of you who missed it.

Regarding a release date for the game, Square Enix will not be announcing it at Gamescom – instead, they’ve established a full plan regarding their marketing and publication of various information such as the release timing. All of this has been decided internally.

As we’ve seen with Episode Duscae, FFXV focuses largely on the bonds of friendship but it will also focus on the bond between parent and child. Tabata says the big things pictured in the end of the new “Dawn” trailer aren’t the summons, but have a very important place in the story as well.

The base story begins as follows:

In a matter of days, the Kingdom of Lucis is to sign an armistice, ending a long and bitter conflict with Niflheim.

Ahead of the ceremony, Prince Noctis, heir to the Lucian throne, sets forth from his homeland to formalize the union of states through his marriage to the lady Lunafreya of the imperial province of Tenebrae.

The offer of peace, however, is no more than a ruse to lower the Lucian shield.

The imperial city takes the crown city and its sacred crystal in one fell swoop. En routeto his destination, Noctis is shocked to learn the he, his father the king, and his betrothed are believed dead.

Overnight, the dream of peace has faded into a distant memory. His world crumbling around him, Noctis has naught but his resolve and his loyal companions to see him through the trials to come.

Tabata also touched upon the character of Lunafreya who is said to be a strong heroine who acts on her own will and motivations and is someone who has a lot of inner strengths.

Q&A Section

  • Q: Will there be airships?
    • A: We’re currently looking into the technology to see if that’s possible. If the height that the airship can fly is limited, then it would technically be possible. There is a good chance it will be in the game and at least fly at bird’s height. If it’s not in the base game, I want to have it released after the game launches as downloadable content.
  • Q: Why do the edges of the screen look so dark?
    • A: This is one of the after effects to change the visuals. This is because everyone’s TVs have different technical specifications.
  • Q: Is the Cross Chain combination system finished?
    • A: Currently it’s at a state where it responds correctly whenever the techniques are used. The system will be tweaked and be polished, but the basic design is complete. There is also a third type of Cross Chain not featured in the Episode Duscae demo.
  • Q: Final Fantasy Versus XIII was supposed to have a sad and deep dramatic story. Can we still hope for something really deep and emotional in Final Fantasy XV?
    • A: The core elements of Versus XIII‘s story are still present in Final Fantasy XV – all of the things that we thought were important for tragedy and calamity – but has been expanded with other elements like the focus on friendship, the bond between father and son, etc.
  • Q: Previous Final Fantasy games had some charismatic villains like Sephiroth. Can we expect a new bad guy for Final Fantasy XV?
    • A: We’ve got a really good villain for Final Fantasy XV. There will be a time soon where we’ll release information about this character. He’s going to top all of the previous villains.
  • Q: Who is the mysterious lady with the black hair?
    • A: We can only really at the moment say that’s what she looks like. We’ve only revealed her face so far. She’s a very important character in the story and needs to be very mysterious right now. On the development team, we call her the straight, black-haired girl.
  • Q: What happened to the playable city demo? Have you forgotten about it?
    • A: We haven’t forgotten. They can’t announce launch timing yet, but they want to release it as soon as possible.

Other news from the ATR included an announcement that official forums for FFXV were coming. The forums will be available in both Japanese and English languages and many of the important discussions there will include input from members of the development team as well.

Finally, Tabata showed off a bit of new gameplay including a new area set in the second half of the game. Within a swampy location, Noctis and friends come across a classic Malboro who ambushes the group.

The next Active Time Report is scheduled for PAX Prime at the end of this month. Following that, fans should expect the next bit of information at Tokyo Game Show.


About the Author

Erren Van Duine As a self-professed Final Fantasy fan, Erren created Nova Crystallis in 2009 as a place to collect the latest information on her favorite series. As owner and Editor-in-Chief, she also spends her time as a freelance illustrator.

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