Dungeon 1: Crystal Cave - Final Fantasy XV Part 2

Dungeon: Crystal Cave
Dungeon Level: 4
Guest: Noctis (Level 8)
Current Level: 2

I'm going to be very honest with you about what I've experienced in playing Final Fantasy XV.
I love this game so much.
I love the Gameplay more than I ever thought I would ever since I played Episode Duscae. And truth be told, I was a little skeptical about how the Battle System would work. But they did just fine with it and I'm so glad that I got to watch as Square make immense progress with it while keeping the fans up to date.
I love the Characters.
Well the main playable characters mostly. But People like Cindy and Iris and Aranea really does get in on the love. And you get Ardyn too, one of the most memorable FF Villains in a while. And don't get me started on the interactions.
I love the world that was created for Eos and how big it is for the player to explore.
And I love love LOVE the music. Yoko Shimomura was just the perfect choice for this game.
But while I loved this game a lot, there will be things that I'm not going to give as much love to.
I'll start with the story.
It starts out simple and direct. It's not convoluted and hard to understand. And you'll find yourself pleased that the direction this game is going is good.
But then it eventually takes a nosedive.
Spoiler alert, this post is going to contain some sensitive information for those who haven't played through at least Chapter 3 or something.



I'll start with Luna, the designated Heroine of the story.
You know how they've promoted Luna as this strong character and how she's someone we just can't reach.
Well uh... She doesn't really have too much screen time in this game. I'm not joking.
You see her for like 3 or 4 cutscenes before you reach Chapter 9 or 10. And a few more times after that.
And to put some people who've heard rumors at rest, no she will not be a Guest Party Member. Which is a pretty big bummer.
She gives off the vibe that she can be a good character given proper development, but we don't see enough of her to care. She goes around Eos talking to the Astrals(Summons) to get them to give Noctis a trial. So basically, she's a background support.
Noctis doesn't even get the chance to talk to her in person really.
I'm not going to say anything too much about what happens during Chapter 9 or 10, but you'll find that you won't see her as much anymore either after that.
And it's pretty sudden. It's supposed to have an effect... But honestly, not really for my taste.



Then I'll get to the part where it gets linear.
After Altissia, you lose the open world for a while(Unless you call Umbra and go back). And while it's not really that bad, you start to realize that this game was pretty rushed.
Look back on past trailers and information, and you see that some of the places you travel to could have been bigger. But its been cut to pieces to try and piece together a game for the release.
So much of what happens in the game could have been better, that's what I have to say about it.
A fair warning, if you're entering Chapter 13, it is by popular opinion the worst chapter in the game.
And to mentally prepare you for it, i'll give you some info on why is that.
First off, you lose all your weapons and magic. No no, it's still in your inventory.
You just can't use it.
So you can't just slash your way through this chapter.
And your friends aren't going to be around for it either.
You're going through a frustrating maze by yourself, practically defenseless until Noctis finally puts on the ring and you're forced to use the Death Spell, which is cool by animation terms but takes a while to actually kill the harder enemies.
This game stops being Final Fantasy for this chapter and becomes a Stealth/Survival game because you'd be surprised by the jumpscares the chapter has and how annoying it is.
Of course, you can opt to just kill everything in sight with the Death spell, which I totally did instead of hiding. But it gets tedious after the nth time.
And it takes so long to finish this chapter really.
But I'll stop from there.
Despite the nuances I have with the story, I can't deny that Square Enix did what they could to try and make the ends meet, and though the latter half of the experience felt lukewarm compared to the open half, the ending was spectacular.
Though I can't help but feel like I just got Type-0d from this game. It's bittersweet in comparison to the mass death Class 0 had, but still...
It makes me wonder what Tabata's obsession with death is. Seriously. Crisis Core. Type 0. Now FF XV? I do wonder when the last Mainline Final Fantasy Characters had a sweet ending.
12? 9?
I'll jump to the Characters at this point.



I've already discussed Luna, so I'll start with the Guest Characters. You have 3.
Cor, Iris, and Aranea.
I don't care what people say, Iris is best girl.
But I advice you to not get attached.
While the Guest Characters are amazing... They don't stick around too much.
Cor is the first one, and he's really powerful. But after that boss fight with Loqi, you don't see him anymore until you leave for Altissia. And he's only mentioned once or twice, even though he's technically supposed to be an important character to the people of Insomnia.
Iris is Gladio's younger sister. You bring her to Caem, but you can take quests and undergo battles with her in the party.
Her HP is around 100 or something. You didn't read that wrong, its' in the 100s. Not 1000s. 100s.
I'm like, what? Really?
But guess characters don't die so you don't really have to worry about that.
In truth, she is the most useful guest character because she heals you without expending any of your items. And her Team attack is just fucking awesome.
But again, after reaching Cape Caern, she leaves the party. I mean she's still around, but she doesn't have too much impact after that.
Aranea, story wise, doesn't suffer for leaving the party. She's a mercenary by nature and part of the Niffelheim forces so it's only natural she doesn't help out too much. But she does come back every now and then to help you in a fight, so that's awesome.
Now that I think about it, I don't really have anything negative to talk about Aranea, aside from her Team attack being 3 bars. Seriously, I'd rather use Piercer or Mark even if Highwind is powerful.
Now for the party members.
When I first saw the characters in the trailers, I almost immediately thought I would HATE Prompto.
You know what, the exact opposite happened.
I LOVE Prompto compared to Gladio and Ignis.
By all means, I love all the Chocobros, but Prompto had the most impact with me.
He's not just one dimension playboy, he actually has depth hidden beneath all it. Especially if you watched that motel scene.
But I can't help but feel that his thing in Chapter 13 was a weird addition to his story. It gives him the ability to be a plot device and some added background, but it feels inserted than told really.
Ignis is a loveable character that you just can't help but enjoy. He doesn't get much background, but his cool and smart addition to the party while still maintaining a sense of humanity makes him a good character, despite some quotes that get repetitive(THAT'S IT! I'VE COME UP WITH A NEW RECEPEH) But its what happens to him around Chapter 10 that melts peoples hearts.
Spoiler alert.
He gets blinded and he tries desperately to be of help but he ends up being a handicap and often needs help. Its through his sheer determination and words with the party that he continues on, standing his ground.
Gladio has one of the best interactions with Noctis and the party in the game and is more often than not the big brother. He is a knight that acts as the shield, the brother who will look after you no matter what.
And while I certainly appreciate that and the snark, there is one thing I can never ever get from Gladio.
Another spoiler.
On the way to a Tomb in the later half of the game, Noctis becomes sullen after the events of 9 and 10 and Gladio just randomly starts being a dick to him.
He's angry at Noctis for being so disconnected and insults him for not acting right.
I mean for God's sake, the events that happened would shake anyone up, but now Noctis is insensitive to what happened to Ignis or the others who suffered? Jesus, Gladio, you're being insensitive yourself!
The next thing is the quests.
The best quests you really have are the Hunts, where you get to kill things. But the other sidequests feel more radiant(Gameplay terms) and not creative to be honest. It's not like Skyrim where there are random quests with different stories to it. The sidequests in FFXV are too simple to a fault.
Of course we have the dungeons and they're always a good thing to go through.
The last gripe I have is the latter half's world. I mean most of my gripes are from the latter half but really.
I discussed this earlier that it seemed like the game was rushed.
By Chapter 14, you're treated to somewhere that does seem like there's more to it. But instead, you later end up being picked up and dropped off into Hammerhead and not able to leave without going to the final Area.
And boy, Insomnia could have been a good place to be an open world.
I think everyone is in agreement that FFXV, no matter how good it really is, felt half baked.
Its just... It could have better.
That's all i can really say about it.
And with that, I've exited the Crystal Cave!
*Victory Fanfare*

Exp Gained: 95
Exp to Next Level: 40
Obtained Engine Ring
Obtained Avenger
Obtained Noctis Summon Card

Save File: 1
>ThanosVenge
Level: 2
Class: Thief Mage
Equipment: Avenger
Armor: Thunder Hoodie
Accessory: Cross Ring
Accessory: Swiftness Brace

Dungeon 1: Crystal Cave - Final Fantasy XV Part 1

First Dungeon: Crystal Cave
Dungeon Level: 4
Guest: Noctis (Level 7)
Current Level: 1

So its been 5 days since Final Fantasy XV has been released.
I saved up for this game for practically 2 years, 3 if I count the money I saved to buy a Playstation 4.
And let me tell you.
It. Was. Worth it.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not done with the game yet.
I'm at least 30 hours in but I haven't left Chapter 5 or 6 yet.
Before I get into my experience, I want to talk about the basics of this game first so its easier to take in gameplay from a written perspective as well instead of just watching a video and thinking about how this must be easy for players or not.
The first thing you'll find yourself immersed in this game is the combat. While it may look strange for those Final Fantasy fans who have been used to the standard Turn Based system they're used to, maybe even wrong, it's very fun.



The first thing that will come to mind is "This is so like Kingdom Hearts!" from a viewers perspective.
And maybe it is kind of like Kingdom Hearts, but its entirely different.
While Kingdom Hearts, an action based jrpg in itself, rely on defeating the foe by mashing the attack button, guarding, dodging, using magic or special attacks to defeat the enemy, Final Fantasy XV relies on a more tactical set than you'd expect.
You play as Noctis Lucis Caelum, Crown Prince of the Lucian Empire.
Like any main character in any game, Noctis has something special that makes him unique. Cloud had a gigantic sword and really spiky hair, Tidus had a water sword and that asymetrical pair of pants, Neku had pins, a funnel collar, and hates everyone, and Sora had a Keyblade.
Since this is a Final Fantasy, Noctis also has a sword. And a lance. And a greatsword. And a gun. And every freaking weapon with the power to warp around like crazy and make his weapons slash around everything like crazy.
This is found in trailers and directly in his gameplay.
While Kingdom Hearts has you just attacking, Noctis can switch weapons on the fly to perform various combos. But not all weapons are effective against all enemies. You find that there are some that are weak to swords but are totally okay with being shot. Then there's the warp function. Warp lets you zip around the field in an instant at the cost of mp. You can use this function to get away, get to a far enough distance and warp strike your enemies, or close in. Dodging and Guarding is far different as well. While the iconic Dodge roll is there, you can hold a button down to "Phase" through attacks. There is no permanent block function, but occasionally, a marker appears to tell you to hold the Phase button to guard and counter attack.



It may sound either simple or complex, but its very manageable once you get used to it. I find that its very fun switching weapons on the fly and thinking up a strategy on defeating enemies.
I forgot to mention, but there's magic in this game as well. Though not like most Final Fantasy. It's more reminiscent of Final Fantasy 8's Draw Function.
I know.
I groaned too.
So basically, you gather from these elemental spots around camps or dungeons and then craft your own spells. The basic spells craftable are limited to Fire, Thunder, and Blizzard. Frankly, thats kind of disappointing. Cure isn't even in this game. Makes one too reliant on Potions (I swear to you, you will be extremely reliant on potions and Elixirs.) You can craft the spells as well as add items to add in bonus effects.
And while the Magic is potent and powerful, it has its major drawbacks. For one, spell casts are limited to how much you can craft. At start, its mostly around 3 or 4. And second, while it's super strong... It will hit your allies too. Friendly fire is a bitch I tell you, and you'll be really annoyed to know that the AI in your allies force them to basically just run at the enemy like its Black Friday forever.
Allies in this game are generally okay.
As characters, I find they are pleasant and not the stereotypes I imagined. Prompto has especially grown on me even though I thought I wouldn't like him.
So you basically have 3 supporting allies through out the game.
Gladio, Noctis's personal bodyguard with the greatsword, Ignis, the tactical commander and the chef, and Prompto, Noctis' friend and the team's sharpshooter.
One of the best thing about this game is how these 4 characters are so memorable and well put together. Their friendship is strong and you can really see the strength in their relationships as friends throughout the game even in simple banter or conversations.
Each has their own special ability in and outside of combat.
Outside, Gladio is good at survival skills such as camping, Ignis can cook, and Prompto has photography. Oh, Noctis has Fishing.
Skills are learned in an ascension grid (Similar to the Sphere grid in FFX) where you expend AP acquired through various means on skills regarding combat, teamwork, exploration, skill, and other more.
In combat, you'll find yourself relying on team attacks and link strikes to deal damage. Team attacks are sort of like the character's limit breaks. They have differing skills that work best at different situations.
At battle, you'll find that they all serve a good enough purpose to know they all hold their spot very well in the team.



But there will be nitpicks.
For one, Prompto, while he is one of my favorite characters, JUST WONT STOP APPROACHING THE ENEMY. He's got a freaking gun! Why do that?!
And he's got the lowest hp in all the party. He's bound to fall in to danger state far faster than the rest of the party and you'll be spending half of your potion supplies on him.
Another is that you'll find that Ignis has weaker and fewer attack options early game. I haven't unlocked Sagefire to know how well it works against enemies yet, but Mark, on its own, is effective as an equalizer or multi warp strike shot, but not strong on normal impact. You will however be grateful for his Regroup skill. And once you get Overwhelm, he does get pretty strong at Power based Team attacks.
If you, the reader, have or is thinking of getting this game, I'll let you decide on your own nitpicks about the game's combat.
The game is so big and open world, I found myself running around the place looking for stuff to do. I've heard about the game's length regarding the story, so I thought it be best to appreciate everything the game has to offer, and boy did this game do really well in its open world content. While the side quests are nothing to write home about, they've taken quite my time. The hunts especially.
But be warned. By doing the side contents too much, you'll find that you'll be too overleveled by the time you start the story. I was Level 34 by the time I started the main quest in Chapter 3.
It was a bloodbath I tell you.
I spent 4 days clearing quests and racking up so much EXP and AP just so I can take on the tougher foes that come out at night. (Damn you Iron Giant)
But be warned... When you get to Chapter 3 and you start being too strong for the Imperial Army that pops out randomly anywhere you go (Grr) they suddenly get stronger as well. They're so annoying that they just pop in to your random fights and some fights become too hard to beat because of the overwhelming mobs trying to kill you.
There's another thing I want to praise to the high heavens and its the music.
Final Fantasy Music has never ever been bad in my case, but God Damn, Yoko Shimomora was heaven sent for this game.
There are so many battle themes in this game, but she manages to capture hearts with almost all of them.
I especially love the Hunt Themes, the Cleigne Battle Theme, and Veiled in Black.
I'll talk about the story in the next post for this when I've finished the game, but so far it's been simple enough to follow.
I recommend watching Kingsglaive and Brotherhood first to get a better idea of what's going on.
Until then, it's time to Save a file before moving on.
This was Dungeon Crawler, hope you liked my first post.
Hope you read again soon!

Exp gained:  130
Exp to Next Level: 70

Save File: 1
>ThanosVenge
Level: 1
Class: Thief Mage
Equipment: Rune Switchblade
Armor: Thunder Hoodie
Accessory: Cross Ring
Accessory: Swiftness Brace

(Note: All Pictures are taken from Prompto's Pictures in Direct Gameplay.)

Enter Your Name...

>ThanosVenge
Level: 1
Class: Thief Mage
Equipment: Rune Switchblade
Armor: Thunder Hoodie
Accessory: Cross Ring
Accessory: Swiftness Brace

Welcome to my new blog!
This was inspired by my recent post regarding Final Fantasy XV, which will be coming out in 2 days.
You can read the post here.
Anyway, since I'm too lame to start a Youtube Lets play like the rest of the world, I thought I'd start with a blog to put in my thoughts as I play through Final Fantasy XV and start up other games as well as put in my thoughts regarding games I have played once before.
I may start on a Lets Play one day, but not now.
Anyway, hope you stick around!

Exp Gained: 50
Exp to Next Level: 200