in which I get mad at ffxv

[muladhara]

I am so glad that I am now on holiday so I don't have to deal with bus shenanigans for a couple of weeks!

~

FFXV was meant to be my game to play over some of my holiday, when I wasn't doing the other stuff I'd planned for. Except that I am extremely near the end now, I am just grinding for levels/money/items because at a certain point, you get railroaded and can't do that easily.

I'm going to put everything else I'm going to say under a cut, because spoilers! and I don't want to be backing and forthing, as it were. If you're going to comment on this, no spoilers past chapter 12, please! I'm in chapter 13 as I write this, but I'd like the end to remain unspoilt, thanks.

So I am definitely enjoying this game more than Type-0, but less than FFXIII. I don't recall as much backlash against this as I did XIII, but maybe I just didn't see it, I don't know. Except for all the complaining about the day one patch which, yeah, I completely understand that (after all, it's one of the reasons I put off playing it for so long, aside from not owning a PS4).

I don't like any of the main characters. Gladio specifically can get in the bin. Ardyn is...whatever.

I do like Cindy, Aranea, and Lunafreya, though, even though Cindy could do with more clothes.

Several of the later chapters feel like the gameplay equivalent of "this meeting could have been an email". They all could have been one chapter, but I get the feeling the devs were set on the game having 15 chapters like XIII had 13, which is some nonsense, imo.

WHAT IS THIS NO CURE MAGIC BULLSHIT? Is this in response to everyone being mad that autoheal after battle was a thing in XIII? Which, as I saw some complaints say, made healing magic useless (it doesn't. You still need it in battle, ffs).

Also the fact that money/items are harder to come by, meaning you have to do the hunts/sidequests whether you want to or not, which absolutely SHOULD NOT BE A THING! Sidequests should be optional! The clue is in the name!

I didn't learn to block properly till the fight versus Titan (who looks like Kratos from God of War, right? ;) ), and I hated that fight because it reminded me a bit of the Dragon God one in Demon's Souls. I don't do well with fights that are "run away from this big thing that can pulverise you in one punch". I was very glad Ramuh's bit didn't involve fighting him at all.

And, as much as I thought I was going to get a game over during it, I did think the Leviathan fight was very cool, although I have no desire to repeat that experience any time soon.

This really feels like half a game, and not just because to get the whole story you have to watch Kingsglaive and Brotherhood, and whatever else there is, and play through all the DLC.

I want to like it, and some aspects I do (although crafting food for buffs instead of crafting items will never not be weird, I don't think. I like item crafting, but not for food). I like being able to explore, and encountering animals in the wild. Heck, I like driving the Regalia (well, I do when I know where I'm going. If I don't, Ignis gets to do it). But I like driving/racing games, and my favourite part of Saints Row is beaning round Steelport, so I don't know why I'm surprised by this.

But there is so much that feels frustrating, and a lot that straight up isn't explained, or isn't explained well (spell catalysts, and Umbra, I am looking at you).

Maybe it's me. Maybe I'm old and grumpy now. Maybe I should stick to puzzle games and stuff I've played before, I dunno. I wanted it to be better, and a lot of it just feels like an exercise in frustration to me. Maybe I'll enjoy it better if I replay it when I'm in a better frame of mind, I really don't know. Maybe I'll get to the end and change my mind? WHO KNOWS.

I'm sorry if you're reading this and you like FFXV and here I am shitting all over a game you like. In that case, please ignore me. Or tell me exactly why I'm wrong. That is also an option.

So yeah, that's my thoughts so far. TL;DR version: ehhhhhhhhhh.

Now I need to go and cook some dinner because I am hecking hungry.

Comments

[zabimitsuki]

So here's my experience with FFXV - I started out loving it, I liked the bros on the roadtrip feel and exploring and sunk about 60 hours into it... All before Altissia. Then, knowing how the plot was going to railroad me from that point on, I kept putting off playing more, plus I wanted to wait until all the DLC was done...

Cut to about 5 years later (i.e. this year!) and I finally finish the rest in one weekend. Then deleted it off my system, mostly untouched DLC and all, never to be played again. I soured on that last half of the game hard. And I loathed Gladio by the end of it, ugh, what a horrible character. That bit on the train? And the swamp? I'd have quite happily left him to get eaten by a marlboro!

I don't think it's because I've grown out of FF or anything like that (look at how much I've gushed over VIIR), and I do still like Noctis, but XV had a hell of a lot of problems that sticking on a ton of extra lore and multimedia made even worse. :(

[muladhara]

Yeah, the second half is Not Good in so many ways (although I also have issues with the first half, but it's definitely a better time).

If that Marlboro had eaten Gladio, I wouldn't have cried. I get his demenour is meant to be like Auron's to some degree, but I just find him way too grating. Also the way he blames what happened to Ignis on Noctis! Like, nobody forced Ignis to be there! I just, grrrrr.

XV had a hell of a lot of problems that sticking on a ton of extra lore and multimedia made even worse. :(

Absolutely. I know it's not the same guy as worked on XIII, but I feel like both of them looked at how well the Ivalice games are liked/have interlinked lore, and thought, "YES GOOD," but didn't put the work into the storytelling (not that I'm saying Matsuno is perfect, however). Also the fact that most the FNC ended up being mostly reworked into different games probably didn't help.

[thenicochan]

XV is complicated for me. I first played it on release, before any of the DLC, and so much of it felt... lacking. I replayed it a year ago or, right after the final DLC (and finished the Dawn of the Future novel) and appreciate it a lot more, but still find it frustrating. Part of it comes from the fact it came out relatively within the timespan of Persona 5 which had a much stronger story, better pacing/writing and more enjoyable gameplay elements.

It's funny though, because we seem to feel similarly about the game as a whole, but for totally different reasons. Like, I strongly prefer the later parts of the game to the earlier ones. I also loved Gladio. I understood why he was so aggressive to Noct, especially when Noct was wallowing in his own emotions and never really reached out to see how his friends were feeling in return. Like, the fact no one even tries to talk to Gladio about the fact his dad was killed really irks me. But I think this is more of a writing issue than anything else. (Also how weirdly "no homo" the writing will try to go. Ugh)

tl;dr I like XV, but it's in the latter half of the series for me. I think the attempt to course correct from the complaints XIII received ended up hurting it in the long run.

[muladhara]

I'm playing the vanilla version and have played P5 this year, so I absolutely get what you mean.

I think the attempt to course correct from the complaints XIII received ended up hurting it in the long run.

Absolutely. I think if they'd stuck with where they were going originally, there wouldn't be as many problems.

[lassarina]

I agree with about 90% of this. I do like the boys and I'm fond of Gladio despite his clusterfuck of fail (I am writing fic about it) but the game feels so clunky, and the lack of cure magic is infuriating, and the plot is completely disjointed and suffers from having so much of it scattered in DLC (never not catastrophically angry about cancelling Luna's DLC and also just the general way all the women are treated).

I don't think it's being too old for FF, at least not for me, I think it's that with the exception of XIII, FNC is not good, actually.

[muladhara]

I am decidedly "eh" on the boys, but that's just a me thing, I know. I know you like Gladio, so apologies for bashing him.

But yeah, like, why is the stuff that eventually became DLC (or not, in Luna's case) not in the g dang game in the first place!! It's so infuriating.

I think it's that with the exception of XIII, FNC is not good, actually.

Ugh, I agree with this SO MUCH!

[lassarina]

There is absolutely no need to apologize for being mad at him when in fact he does act teh shitheel more than once! ♥ I didn't consider it bashing tbh, it's a valid reaction.

It's not in the game because Nomura never met a project he couldn't fuck up and make late :(

[muladhara]

Fair enough!

True, although I don't think it's all Nomura's fault. I blame Tabata a whole lot as well.

[lassarina]

That's very fair. XD