Final Fantasy 15 has undergone several changes since its initial introduction though. The game is no longer being directed by Tetsuya Nomura, the man who directed Kingdom Hearts 2 and helped turn it into the mega franchise it is today. Instead, Final Fantasy Type-0 director Hajime Tabata is at the helm. We’ll never know just how different the two directorial visions could have been since Nomura’s Final Fantasy didn’t have much of a real showing in the past decade or so of its announcement.

"Magic attacks could be used, different types of weapons could be equipped to generate variations of materialized attacks and that Teleport Slash could be used to zip between foes. However, the combat in Final Fantasy 15 - at least at this stage - seems adamant on punishing players."

However, on playing the recent Episode Duscae demo, one can’t help but wonder if Tabata and his team are working a bit too hard to distinguish the game from Kingdom Hearts.

This was a paramount concern when gameplay was first revealed for Nomura’s title. Many were worried that Final Fantasy had lost its turn based roots and was entering into a more hack and slash style of gameplay. Not that this would have been a bad thing – anyone who’s played Kingdom Hearts 2 will know that Nomura has a penchant for action-heavy, RPG-esque titles. Further iterations like Birth by Sleep and Dream Drop Distance may have tacked on one too many gimmicks for fans’ tastes. However, Nomura could be trusted to make a fun combat system for what was essentially a mature game.

However, Nomura is now on Kingdom Hearts 3 and is implementing such zany combat features as rollercoaster attacks and whatnot. Final Fantasy 15 maintains some of the cooler aspects of the initial Versus XIII showing as seen with the Teleport Slash and materializing weapons. But protagonist Noctis is far from being the bad-ass initially introduced.

Running through Episode Duscae’s combat mechanics was straightforward enough. You have the ability to parry and automatically dodge attacks by consuming MP. Magic attacks could be used, different types of weapons could be equipped to generate variations of materialized attacks and that Teleport Slash could be used to zip between foes. However, the combat in Final Fantasy 15 – at least at this stage – seems adamant on punishing players. Parries are hard to execute, the camera is uncooperative and you’ll often find enemies ganging up on you mercilessly. You can’t block but the dodging should get you out of most predicaments, right?

Unfortunately, when you run out of MP, Noctis enters “Stasis” which prevents him from moving or doing, well, pretty much anything. One can’t simply use the attacks and dodges as one pleases. Some real thought needs to be put into combat and even if this is an early stage of Noctis’s abilities, it represents a fairly hard struggle for your average action RPG fan.

"In the end, it will all depend on how the combat is balanced out and while it won't be the one thing to determine the game's quality, it will be an integral part. And at this point, taking such a strict approach to combat doesn't seem worth it."

Then again, Final Fantasy 15’s combat is at least different from the slash-heavy, flashy combat of Kingdom Hearts. Fights are determined by retreating and taking cover to recuperate your health and magic points as much as going HAM on tougher foes. To some fans, this combination of dodging and strategy may be appealing. For a Kingdom Hearts fan such as myself, it didn’t quite feel as fluid or natural as I would have liked. Each battle felt like a chore to get through rather than an enthusiastic romp against the forces of darkness.

If there was anything that could make me question Final Fantasy 15’s potential to this extent, it would be the combat. Make no mistake – this game will be a success even if some of the more punishing aspects aren’t addressed. Challenge-seeking players who want that hardcore Final Fantasy experience, albeit without too much of a turn-based aspect, may like it.

At this point, who knows? It doesn’t quite appeal to the Kingdom Hearts fan in me, it doesn’t appeal to your average JRPG fan who’s more used to turn-based combat and planning things out in an orderly pace and it sure as hell isn’t going to supersede Dark Souls in terms of difficult and rewarding combat (and that’s a game which is more about the difficulty of the enemies than the combat).

We’re still at an early stage with Final Fantasy 15. Square Enix could choose to overhaul the combat significantly based on feedback. It could choose to reduce the health of enemies or the severity of the Stasis effects. In the end, it will all depend on how the combat is balanced out and while it won’t be the one thing to determine the game’s quality, it will be an integral part. And at this point, taking such a strict approach to combat doesn’t seem worth it.

Square Enix has announced that Final Fantasy Type-0 HD has shipped over one million copies worldwide since its release on March 17th/20th for North America/Europe. The RPG is a HD port of the original PSP title that released in 2011 which focuses on Class Zero of the Vermillion Peristylium and its campaign of war against the invading Militesi Empire.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD received praise for its reworked visuals and combat but was also criticized for its camera. Overall, the game turned out to be quite fun to play and a departure from most traditional Final Fantasy titles, namely FFXIII, of the past years.

Of course, it also contained Final Fantasy 15: Episode Duscae, a demo for the upcoming current gen action RPG that gave fans a taste of the combat and exploration mechanics. Despite the relatively unfinished nature of the demo, it received a fair amount of praise.

What are your thoughts on Final Fantasy Type-0 HD shipping more than one million units on the PS4 and Xbox One? Let us know in the comments.

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is out in the next few days but those who have picked up an early copy will be able to redeem their demo voucher for Final Fantasy 15: Episode Duscae on the PlayStation Store.

The demo is apparently live for the PlayStation 4 according to tweets and confirmations at NeoGAF. Thus far, it seems the download size is 6 to 6.5 GB in size. Episode Duscae offers a relatively early look for Final Fantasy 15 and lets players explore the different mechanics, including the combat, along with controls and wildlife occupying the world.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD will be out on March 17th in North America and March 20th in Europe for the PS4 and Xbox One. What are your thoughts on the game and will you be picking it up (if you haven’t already)? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned for more information in the coming days.

Final Fantasy 15 director Hajime Tabata revealed quite a bit about the game in a recent two hour stream and has since released a new video through Active Time Report which showcases the game’s wildlife, animals and ecology. Check it out above and try not to think about how majestic all this stuff you’re gonna end up killing is.

If there’s a bit of frame choppiness at some points, then rest assured that’s normal. And by that we mean Final Fantasy 15: Episode Duscae, the demo releasing alongside Final Fantasy Type-O HD, will have such issues since it isn’t reaching 1080p or 30 frames per second. Why? It would be assumed because the game is still very much in the development stage (roughly 60 percent complete, last we heard).

Final Fantasy Type-O HD is out on March 17th in North America and March 19th in Europe for Xbox One and PS4 so stay tuned for more information on the demo.

As February nears its end, we come closer to the release of Final Fantasy Type-O HD which will include a demo of Final Fantasy 15 for fans to try. Episode Duscae will be our first hands-on opportunity with the game which has been in development for years and suffice to say, many of us can’t wait.

If you’re counting on getting in on the demo through PS4’s Share Play feature though, think again. According to director Hajime Tabata on the recent Active Time Report Broadcast, Episode Duscae will block Share Play. Players can still upload video and broadcast footage of the game but their friends won’t be able to try it out for themselves. You’ll have to pick up a copy of Final Fantasy Type-O HD to get in on the action.

Final Fantasy Type-O HD will release on March 17th in North America and March 19th in Europe for the Xbox One and PS4. Are you looking forward to it? Let us know in the comments.

The Final Fantasy 15 demo was streamed by director Hajime Tabata recently – this is the same Episode Duscae that will be featured with Final Fantasy Type-0 HD when it releases in March for the PS4 and Xbox One.

It was revealed via Kotaku that development on the game is “now at 60 percent”. Remember, back in September, development was at 55 percent but this is the Final Fantasy 15 that was started from scratch for the PS4 and Xbox One. Tabata reiterated that it wouldn’t take very long for the game to get to 80 percent and then that last 20 percent of the game will fall into place quickly.

Perhaps a 2016 release then? It’s hard to say at this point.

Final Fantasy 15 was originally known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII and was originally exclusive to the PS3. Development was subsequently delayed until it was reintroduced as Final Fantasy 15 at E3 2013.

What are your thoughts on the game’s current development state? Let us know in the comments.