Final Fantasy XV (PlayStation 4) Preview

For those who managed to overcome that two-hour wait, a timed 30 minutes with the title was available. This was billed as the final version of the game and the hands-on session was from a save file a little while into the first chapter. Those who expressed concerns based on the Platinum Demo, rest assured that those concerns seem to have been heard and addressed. The adventure feels more polished and the combat much improved.

This overhaul to the combat makes it faster and smoother, and now the party works together as a unit in combat and combo'ing attacks together feels natural. The thirty minute time limit gave a bit of freedom on what to do in the world, so the majority of the time was spent playing with the newly improved combat system, taking on a small side-quest to lower the cost of repairs to a car, and then setting up camp.

The camping system has been improved, too; Ignis has a cooking skill and is able to whip up different dishes for the party, which gives stat bonuses. Prompto also uses the opportunity to show off some of the photos he has been taking. Since there is no screenshot or photo mode in-game, this takes its place. They are randomly taken, which is both a negative and a positive. It would be nice to be able to take some shots, but the method of looking through and not knowing what you're going to find is actually a pleasing touch.