You don't have to wait to get a taste of Final Fantasy XV. At its "Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV" event in Los Angeles tonight, Square Enix not only announced a new demo for the upcoming RPG, but also made it available right after as a free download on Xbox One and PlayStation 4. That means it's much more accessible than the first demo for the game, which was only available to those who bought the upgraded console port of PSP game Final Fantasy Type-0.
It feels like a modern action game
Unlike most game demos, FF XV's latest — which is called the "Platinum demo" — isn't taken from the main game. Instead, it's a small, standalone experience that gives you a feel for how FF XV will play, while at the same time telling its own (brief) story. And that story is actually quite strange, taking place in the mind of main character Noctis when he was still a young boy.
It starts out with a small, adorable fox / unicorn hybrid creature, which can only communicate using a smartphone. From there things only get more bizarre: you'll shrink down and drive toy cars, and rapidly age so that you can fight a massive monster as the full-grown version of Noctis. Square says that the story will tie directly to the recently announced FF XV anime series, and that there will be some bonuses for those who play both the demo and the full game.
Story aside, the demo provides a very good idea of how the final game will play, especially when it comes to combat. Battling enemies in FF XV feels fast and fluid, a big departure from the turn-based fights that previously defined the series. You can swap weapons on the fly using the directional pad, and dodge enemy attacks with a quick roll. It feels like a modern action game, but with all of the familiar Final Fantasy trappings.