I’ve played a lot of Final Fantasy XV. I’ve beaten the main game and played all the DLC episodes, I’ve ventured in the agonizing Costlemark dungeon and I got the dang Cup Noodle hat. I’ve done most of it. So what would push me to replay it all again on PC, you ask? After wandering about in Eos during a hands-on at PAX West, these are the three main reasons I’m itching to go back:
The PC version is much more detailed
With both 4K and 8K (holy crap) support, Final Fantasy XV on PC looks amazing. I could see every tiny twitch of annoyance in Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt’s face as he dealt out orders to his generals. I see could see the pores in Ravus’ face as the camera closed in on him, displaying his displeasure at the orders for all to see. When Noctis is knocked backwards from an enemy blow, bouncing along the ground and scrambling to regain his footing; when Prompto grins and screeches about Chocobos; when the setting sun glints off the surface of the Regalia as you cruise through Duscae. This all looked great in the original console version, but is enhanced by the extra goodies that come with playing on PC.
It includes all of the DLC — ALL OF IT
Final Fantasy XV on PC will launch with an embarrassment of riches attached to it. All paid DLC released for the console versions, including the story-driven episodes in the Season Pass, as well as all free updates pushed after the game’s launch in November 2016 will be available from the get-get in the PC version. This means that you can play all of these extra story pieces as you encounter them in the main narrative of the game, as well as soup up the Regalia as soon as you possibly can. This allowed for building out the beloved car as a crazy shiny monster truck almost immediately, complete with giant tires and all the power that comes with riding a ridiculously giant car like that.
First-person Final Fantasy
Ever wondered what the world looks like from Noctis’ perspective? Now you can find out. You can toggle in and out of first-person mode in the PC version, and boy is it a game changer. The controls for running, attacking, and interacting with the environment and your buddies don’t change — they just become viewable as though you were the Prince of Lucius himself. At first, playing in first-person mode was a little too intense, as fighting is frantic and a flurry of up-close attacks coupled with the snarling, wriggling body of your half-downed foe is quite an eye full. Also, using Noctis’ Warp Strike ability can be imprecise and a little nauseating when overused for those of us with motion sickness. However, it’s an entirely new way to view the game, and in this mode you get some choice views of your comrades’ smiling faces — and perky derrieres, if you’re into that sort of thing. It’s absolutely worth giving it a look.
Final Fantasy XV: Windows Edition will be available early next year.
