Big Surprise: Japanese Gamers Like Final Fantasy XV’s Demo

Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae came out last month and most people who got it have probably had enough time to process their feelings about it.

Japanese gaming mag Weekly Famitsu released the results of their user survey on the Final Fantasy XV demo.

What were you looking forward to going into the game?

Going into the game, most people seemed to have their sights set on the combat, with graphics coming in second.

Having played the game, what did you enjoy the most?

Interestingly enough, what most people seemed to look forward to before they started playing seemed to take a backseat to the visual and audio aspects of the game as well as the actual characters. Perhaps most interesting is the jump in appreciation of the music going into the game and coming out of it.

How long did it take you to clear the game?

Episode Duscae is not a long game. Most people seemed to get through the game in 2 to 5 hours with a few people taking more. The people who took over 8 hours probably spent their time exploring all the corners of the world.

What made you feel the “greatness” of FFXV?

• “The combat was fast and kept me on my toes.”
• “The epicness of the monsters.”
• “The food graphics.”
• “Not just the graphics, but the coordination in battle and conversations add to the realistic atmosphere.”
• “The details in things like the poles the Chocobo are tied to.”
• “The beauty of the landscape and reflections of light. The reactions of the characters are so realistic it’s like they’re actually alive.”
• “The extensively detailed world tickles my thirst for adventure. It’s been a while since I’ve experienced such a field.”
• “The people and monsters made me think ‘these could actually exist in real life.’ I want to visit this world.”

Which character did you like the most from playing the demo?

1: Noctis (127 votes)

• “He’s a prince, but doesn’t act like one.”
• “Because he’s the main character.”
• “I like his voice.”
• “I liked him from the start.”
• “I like his battle style of summoning different weapons.”
• “I felt kinship in how he has trouble getting up in the morning.”

2: Cindy (91 votes)

• “I shouldn’t have to explain why.”
• “Even as a woman I think she’s cute.”
• “The fact that she’s a beautiful mechanic who is ignorant of romance.”

3: Prompto (56 votes)

• “His every movement or expression is cute.”
• “I can feel that he’s trying!”
• “He’s dependable in battle because he stops enemies.”

4: Ignis (45 votes)

• “He’s like a butler.”
• “His cooking seems like it’s always tasty.”

5: Gladiolus (39 votes)

• “I like how he pulls everyone forward.”
• “The fact that he takes the lead and goes straight into dangerous places was really cool.”

What did you think about the 40 minute day cycle?

A significant number of players seemed to feel that 40 minutes was just right or too short for a day cycle in the game. Director Tabata Hajime has noted that the day length has been repeatedly changed over the course of development and it’s likely that he’ll take the feedback from players to tweak it even further.

What did you think about the camping level-up system?

Most people seemed happy with the levelling system that relied of camping. Not only does it add a level of control to players for how strong their characters are, but it also can potentially work as a tactical feature in how camping can be limited by location or events.

How was the battle difficulty?

Most people seemed to find the combat normal to challenging, which is probably the perfect balance that the game wants. However, there will be further added elements like magic and other features in the full game that will probably change things up drastically, so don’t take your experience in the demo to be what the final product will be like.

What did you think of the battle with Behemoth?

• “Awesome. I haven’t had a battle this tense in a long time.”
• “I could only laugh at how much I didn’t stand a chance. I was surprised at how it was much more powerful than any Behemoth I’ve encountered before.”
• “It chased me so much it was like a horror experience.”
• “It was very difficult, forcing me to attack and defend efficiently or I’d be killed immediately. It was a battle that had my palms sweating.”

What did you think when you used the summon?

• “I feel it was the best-looking summon effect in Final Fantasy history. I’m looking forward to finding the other summons.”
• “It’s huge! It’s amazing! Please make the other summons as epic!”
• “It was simply overwhelming. I love such systems that let you turn the tide of battle in an instant.”
• “The one-hit kill was truly a Final Fantasy summon. Watching its giant form appear right there on the battlefield was amazing.”

How satisfied are you with the FFXV demo?

People seem happy with the demo. I know I am.

The survey was conducted for a rather short period of 3 days and garnered only 398 valid responders — a relatively small sample — so take the results with a grain of salt.

Square Enix has its own separate official feedback survey available for people who downloaded the game, so check it out if you want to offer your two cents to the developers.

Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae is currently available with copies of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.