Type-0, XV and first impressions

GameInformer.com

So Final Fantasy Type-0 came out last week...or the Final Fantasy XV demo. It depends on who you ask.

Type-0 is the game that comes on the disc, but its road to launch last Tuesday is one of those rare, but definitely not unheard of, instances where a demo that gets thrown in as a bonus generates as much, if not more, hype as the game being sold.

There is a lot of history behind both titles. Type-0 was announced in 2006 under the name Agito XIII, and received a Japan-only release in October 2011 on the PSP, taking almost four years and an HD remaster on the current consoles for the game to come stateside.

XV was announced at the same time under the name Versus XIII, and...well...it's been a long ride, one that still isn't over yet. The demo, that serves as a prologue to the full game's story, is actually the first time anyone has had the chance to play the game, and hopefully a sign that the wait won't be much longer.

The real selling point of Type-0 is debatable, although the advertising for it gives you a pretty big hint. But now that both Type-0 and the XV demo are out in the wild, I wanted to take a look at something that left me feeling very differently about the two; the first impressions they made.


It's a cliche, I know, but you only get one shot at making a good first impression, and that is something that can be applied across pretty much any entertainment medium. How many times have you heard, "well wait until you get to this part" for a TV show that struggled to find itself in the first season or two, or for a movie that spends well over an hour trying to establish its world and characters?

It's easier to stick with something when you're hooked from the start. For games, it might be even more crucial, especially for a series like Final Fantasy, where most of its games can take hours upon hours to see the story through to the end.

I've only been able to play Type-0 and the XV demo for a short amount of time so far. But after playing each for the first time, the opening of the XV demo left a really good impression with me. Type-0's opening, while I did really like it once I got to take control, not so much.

Let's start with Type-0...



A lot of the buzz surrounding this game came from the darker, more violent approach it brought to the series to show the cost of war. It doesn't take long to see that in the final product, as a war documentary-style opening plays before you get to the start-up screen, showing the invading army and soldiers on the other side dying in an attempt to protect their territory.

But then you get to the scene above once you do hit start. A young, and clearly wounded, soldier is dying. I'm sure the intention was for the player to feel sad here, but the developers never really mentioned who this guy was exactly, so it was tough to really feel anything.

Then the protagonist, Ace, steps in with a last minute save, but the realization struck quick that I know zero about this guy too, and the people that followed up behind him. He just showed up out of nowhere, said "I'm here," and then the game basically said "okay, go watch that other guy lay there and die for another three and a half minutes before we can get moving."

Type-0's opening left a lot of mystery, but not in a good way. It made it pretty clear that there was a war going on, but didn't do much to explain the people involved or the toll it has taken on them coming out of the gate.

Like I said, I've haven't spent much time with the game yet, so maybe the explanation gets better. But as of right now, I want to keep playing because the game's combat system makes it pretty enjoyable to whale on bad guys. Hopefully, the story starts to pick up while I'm doing that.

Now  on to XV...



This is what I meant by mystery in a good way.

The demo starts, and all four main characters are shown for the first time. There names aren't mentioned yet, but the banter between them gives the player a clear sign that these guys are friends, and offers a quick glimpse of what each one's personality is like.

It also lets the player know that they're stuck sleeping in a tent because one of them wrecked their car (they have a cell phone, so I don't know why they didn't just call for help, but whatever, I'll let that one slide).

And then...

BAM! This is what the world looks like. Have fun!

XV's opening almost takes the opposite approach from Type-0, providing a basic understanding of the characters and the situation that they themselves are stuck in first and foremost. It gives the player something to connect to.

Then it establishes the world around them, which I want to explore now because 1) look at it, the place is huge, and 2) I want to see what they're thinking on doing to get themselves home.

There are things to like about Type-0. But I can say for certain that I'll remember playing the XV demo for way longer than I probably will Type-0.

Even though it's just a small slice of what will likely be a much, much larger game, the demo on its own was able to establish who XV's main characters are, and what they are like, in a very short amount of time.

Now, will that make for a smooth transition right into the full-fledged Final Fantasy XV? I don't know. I just hope it doesn't take another nine years before the game can finally come out.

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Complete sidenote here, but I can't help but think that Square Enix made the start-up panels this way on purpose, so that the protagonists would stare each other down. Like they knew people would go right to the XV demo once it was done downloading....

Type-0: This is great! So many people bought me.

XV: Because of me.

Type-0: People want to play me too, you know.

XV: Not as much as me.

Type-0: At least I'm a finished product. Kids who were in middle school when you got announced are in college now. How many more years is it going to be before you go gold?

XV:...shut up.