FINAL FANTASY TYPE-0 HD and XV - Moving In The Right Direction

Square-Enix had a nice showing at TGS this year, and to top it off, it was actually from its biggest (in name, not necessarily in sales recently) franchise, Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, the remaster of the Japan only PSP game, is looking sharp, and features a nation at war feel that Final Fantasy XIII only scratched the surface of. If you've been keeping up with the XIII universe, there will be some recognizable lore, but Type-0's premise is much more intriguing. I love games and movies alike that center on a small band of heroes or soldiers that face impossible odds, i.e. Magnificent 7, The Dirty Dozen, The Untouchables, and Harry Potter — you know, when Voldemort  attacked Hogwarts and all the students stood against him? Maybe that is a stretch, but oh well.

Here is the official synopsis.

Step into the fray as Class Zero, a group of fourteen students from an elite military academy whose country is attacked by an aggressive neighboring Empire. Using the powerful abilities and magic of all fourteen characters in fast-paced action RPG combat, players must face the brutality and injustices of war to uncover the secrets of its genesis.

Step into the fray as Class Zero, a group of fourteen students from an elite military academy whose country is attacked by an aggressive neighboring Empire. Using the powerful abilities and magic of all fourteen characters in fast-paced action RPG combat, players must face the brutality and injustices of war to uncover the secrets of its genesis.

Peep the trailer above for a closer look, but for me it hits all the right notes. I just hope it controls and plays up to par with its visuals.

Speaking of visuals, Square-Enix had another ace up its sleeve, and announced that Type-0 will be shipping with a playable demo of the long gestating Final Fantasy XV, and lord is it beautiful. The fact that the game exists in playable form at all is surprising enough, but the trailer they dropped as well as the extended TGS footage was very impressive. Two years ago, Square-Enix gave the project over to Hajime Tabata, and since then it has maintained its initial identity while finally nearing completion.

FINAL FANTASY XV will be available on PS4 and Xbox One. FINAL FANTASY XV is not yet rated. Please visit the Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) website at www.esrb.org for more information about ratings. Like Us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/FINALFANTASY Official Site: http://www.finalfantasyxv.com

Kotaku recently ran a fantastic interview with the director where he touched on a few things. XV definitely has a feel of its own, much different than the recent entries, in that it focuses on four companions that travel the world together. While there will be an overarching story, impossibly epic in scope I'm sure, the game is more focused on what you do on your way there than past games. You can see some of that in the trailer, as the four individuals travel in their slick Batman car, and marvel at the sights around them. It's a far cry from the narrow pathways of XIII. Add to that a Kingdom Hearts-esque combat system and you have a great deal of potential. In the interview, Tabata also touched on his aspirations for the game and what Final Fantasy used to mean to a console generation.

"Before I joined Square Enix, I always looked at Final Fantasy games as the benchmark for game consoles," Tabata said. "Each new game showed what was possible on video game hardware." 
"If we don't do something that people think is amazing, it's meaningless," Tabata said. "If we don't do something that's challenging, it's also meaningless."

Final Fantasy 15 gameplay demo from the Tokyo Game Show 2014 [PS4] Subscribe ► http://bit.ly/GamesHQMedia Final Fantasy 15 gameplay demo shows an extended look of the RPG's gameplay. Final Fantasy 15 is due for a release on PS4 and Xbox One in 2015.

Final Fantasy has never shied away from doing something different, but ever since Final Fantasy X, the franchise hasn't given off that same sense of awe that it used to. XV is the first time I've felt that in quite awhile, and while the stakes are as high as the hype, I truly hope this is the return to form the series needs. 

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is slated for release on March 17th 2015 on Xbox One and PS4. The release for Final Fantasy XV is TBA, but will be also on Xbox One and PS4. 

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