We’d already been given the good news that the unexpected (and awesome!) early look demo of Final Fantasy XV that we received alongside Final Fantasy Type 0 HD in March would be reflected free of charge soon, to reflect the changes occurring in the game and its development as well. Today, Episode Duscae 2.0 hit, and those changes went into effect, in the form of a huge patch.

The patch is apparently a thorough overhaul of the internal workings of the demo- as a matter of fact, it seems to be so drastic, that your old save data will no longer work with it. To make sure your progress is maintained, the update will ask you to also update your save files, which takes an additional few minutes on top of the time it takes to update the demo itself.

I’m personally glad that the demo is being updated at all- as great as Episode Duscae was, it was clearly a build of a game in active development, and I would like to see what the team has accomplished in the months since.

Final Fantasy Type 0 HD, the remastered port of Square Enix’s hit PSP game for the Xbox One and the PS4, may be coming over to PC, a leak suggests. Apparently, it seems like laptop maker MSI is saying that they’ll have Final Fantasy Type-0 running on their GS60 Red and GS70 Silver laptops at their Computex booth. Computex itself will be held later this month.

Final Fantasy Type 0 HD came out in March for the PS4 and Xbox One; it was the first time the west got the game, which had originally released in Japan for the PSP. The game was met with positive reviews, and even managed to move a million units worldwide.

Of course, one of the attractions of the release was the packaged Final Fantasy XV demo called Episode Duscae. It is unknown whether that will also be included with the PC version, though chances are it might not be.

Square Enix has not officially announced this yet, nor have they responded to the rumor, but really, this confirmation is all but a given- more and more Final Fantasy games have been releasing on PC of late, including newer entries like the Final Fantasy XIII games, so most people take it for granted that XV and Type O will be too. We’ll keep you posted on whether that actually happens.

Square Enix has dated its updated version of Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae, the demo for the game that released alongside Final Fantasy: Type-0 HD in March. Episode Duscae 2.0 will be out in early June according to a tweet from Square Enix (translated by Siliconera). Though it was initially targeting a late May release, it seems to have missed that.

The updated demo will take fan feedback into account and look to improve the game’s camera system, frame rate and other gameplay elements. Whether it will take place in the same area or offer some new content as well remains to be seen. Regardless, it represents strides that Square Enix is making with regards to the long-in-development action RPG. It’s too bad that Final Fantasy 15 won’t be at E3 2015, though we’ll believe it when we don’t see it.

Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae 2.0 will be out on Xbox One and PS4. Will you be playing it? Let us know in the comments below.

Final Fantasy XV suffers from the burden of expectation. Like many others, I bought a PlayStation 3 in anticipation of the title, and waited, and waited, and waited, and the game simply never materialized. Sure, we got hints of what the game looked like – a quick teaser here, a brief mention by game director Tetsuya Nomura there – but we never really got a good feel for what the game might actually play like until 2013. Square followed up the game’s re-announcement with an appearance at 2014’s Tokyo Game Show, and the reveal of a playable demo based on an early section of the game known as Episode Duscae, which would ultimately ship with pre-orders of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD.

"The first thing you’ll notice, aside from the genuine feeling of camaraderie between the characters, is how good it looks. Everything in Episode Duscae, from the hair on the characters’ heads, to the weapons, the environmental effects and the models for the enemies, is rendered in excruciating detail.

And so, nearly ten years, a full console generation, and two game directors after the game was first announced, we finally get to play Final Fantasy Versus XIII. Or Final Fantasy XV. Or whatever you want to call it. The question is, does it live up to nearly a decade’s worth of hype and anticipation? Well, if Episode Duscae is any indication, then the answer, shockingly, is yes.

Our journey begins with our quartet of heroes awakening in a tent in the region of Duscae. You play Noctis, a prince with Final Fantasy’s trademarked spiky hair and a surly attitude. Noctis and company – Ignis, a royal advisor (and damn good cook), Gladiolus, Noctis’ longtime friend and bodyguard, and Prompto, a childhood friend from a lower social class – are on the run from powerful enemies (who seem to be from a neighboring country) that want you dead when their car, a badass sports limo that rocks suicide doors, breaks down in Duscae because of something Prompto does. After giving him a hard time, the group breaks camp and heads off to raise money to get their car fixed.

The first thing you’ll notice, aside from the genuine feeling of camaraderie between the characters, is how good it looks. Everything in Episode Duscae, from the hair on the characters’ heads, to the weapons, the environmental effects and the models for the enemies, is rendered in excruciating detail. What’s even more impressive is that, outside of the initial loading time, the game never stops to load or features a segment where the game slows down to process a new area. It’s as open and seamless as you can get, and all of it looks beautiful, even if it’s not running at 1080p. Yet.

"Most of the series other entries have focused on turn or time-based battle systems, but Final Fantasy XV has dropped that in order to focus on an action-oriented system that places the character in full control of Noctis, a la Kingdom Hearts.

The second thing you’ll notice is how big Duscae is. The region runs the gamut in terms of geography, offering forests to comb, fields to cross, and caves to plunder and, best of all, you can explore everything you see. And again, Duscae is a very big zone. It takes a few minutes for the party to run from one end to the other, and that’s with a straight shot and without fighting any enemies. If you have to take a side path through a forest or around a craggy cliff face, it can take significantly longer.

All of Duscae is available to you in the demo, so how you approach the task of collecting the money to fix your car is up to you. The area’s main quest tasks you with slaying a Behemoth known as Deadeye who has been ravaging the countryside (a wanted poster knowingly describes him as one-eyed, one-horned, purple, and people-eating), but you’re free to explore and really tackle anything you want.

Final Fantasy has never really prioritized huge, open areas emphasizing player freedom before, and this change brings another with it: Final Fantasy XV’s realtime battle system. Most of the series other entries have focused on turn or time-based battle systems, but Final Fantasy XV has dropped that in order to focus on an action-oriented system that places the character in full control of Noctis, a la Kingdom Hearts. Naturally, this means forfeiting control of the rest of your party, but don’t panic; it’s not as bad as it sounds.

"All of this – special moves, warping, and dodging – cost mana, meaning you’ll have to balance avoiding, and dealing damage lest you run out, which puts Noctis into an extremely vulnerable state called Stasis, leaving you unable to use any abilities that require MP, and making you easy prey for nearby enemies.

Noctis has the ability to summon different types of weapons during his attacks, and you can customize which weapon will appear in certain situations. You might, for instance, open a combo with a couple hits from a longsword, then pull out a greatsword for the meatier hits, and finish an enemy with a well-placed thrust from a spear. Or you might want to open with your great sword, and then move to the spear, and finish things off with your longsword. The choice is yours, and you can customize your setup on the fly to deal with the enemies you’ll encounter. There’s also a number of special moves, ranging from abilities than drain health to dragoon style jumping lance attacks, all of which can be, you guessed it, mapped to specific weapons.

Noctis also has the ability to warp around the battlefield, which makes it easy to close the gap between enemies as well as warp out of danger. He can even warp out of the battle entirely, usually to a ledge or tree, and hang from his sword and allow his health and mana to regenerate. Perhaps the most important aspect of the new system is on the defensive end. Holding down a button allows Noctis to dodge any attack as long as the attacker in question isn’t behind you, and certain attacks can be parried for big damage if you time your shots well.

All of this – special moves, warping, and dodging – costs mana, meaning you’ll have to balance avoiding, and dealing damage lest you run out, which puts Noctis into an extremely vulnerable state called Stasis, leaving you unable to use any abilities that require MP, and making you easy prey for nearby enemies. It’s a bit of resource management that adds a lot of depth to an otherwise fairly simple system, and forces you to be on your toes at all times, even against small-­time foes.

"Episode Duscae also features a day and night cycle. You’ll spend your days out in the world, fighting monsters and completing side quests, but at night, you’ll want to set up camp and have Ignis prepare dinner.

If you do run out of health, however, it’s not that big of a deal. If Noctis, or one of the other party members, drops to zero health, they enter a downed state, similar to the down-but-not-out state in Gears of War, giving your allies (or you) a chance to place a reassuring hand on their shoulder and bring them back into the fight. This means that being aware of your surroundings matters just as much as the amount of health items in your possession, and the system provides an opportunity to succeed, even after you’ve run out of healing stock.

Still, there are advantages to being in this state. For instance, it gives you access to summons. There’s only one in the demo, Ramuh, a giant lightning deity that you acquire by clearing out this cave of poisonous goblins (yes, it’s as horrifying as it sounds). The results are well worth it, however, as Final Fantasy XV’s summons are easily the most impressive to date. Ramuh blots out the sky, and his Judgment Bolt is capable of reducing even the most fearsome enemies to dust. As an added bonus, it makes the surrounding area all sparkly glowy via some pretty impressive visual effects. I did say it was a pretty game.

Episode Duscae also features a day and night cycle. You’ll spend your days out in the world, fighting monsters and completing side quests, but at night, you’ll want to set up camp and have Ignis prepare dinner. Making camp serves two purposes: first, it lets you save your game. Secondly, and more importantly, it allows your party to level up and share a meal, which provides stat buffs for the following day. The stats you’ll get are based on the meal Ignis decides to prepare. Effects range from bonus experience to an immunity to poison, and all are helpful. Then, the new day dawns, and it’s back to traversing the countryside.

"As a demo designed to whet our appetites and reassure us that Final Fantasy XV is, in fact, a thing, Episode Duscae delivers in spades.

In all, Episode Duscae provides a tantalizing look at the future of Final Fantasy without giving too much away. The limited nature of the demo means that you won’t be able to gain new abilities, so we still don’t have a good idea of how the leveling system works. I also didn’t come across any kind of traditional magic in the demo – the closest thing to it were the offensive abilities Noctis had access to – and despite having access to Ramuh, I’m still not entirely certain of the ins and outs of the summoning system.

Still, as a demo designed to whet our appetites and reassure us that Final Fantasy XV is, in fact, a thing, Episode Duscae delivers in spades. Square’s got something special here; now all we need is a release date. Let’s hope that we won’t have to wait another ten years to get one.

This game was previewed on the PlayStation 4.

Final Fantasy Type 0 HD launches next month on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, and if you are anything like me, then the only reason that you are actually excited for it is because Square Enix have promised that people who buy that game will get access to Episode Duscae, a special demo for their upcoming, nearly a decade in the making, magnum opus, Final Fantasy XV.

Now, it turns out we may be getting to play Episode Duscae even sooner than we had dared hope- Square Enix confirmed today that the demo of Final Fantasy XV will in fact be available upon Type 0 HD’s launch, confirming that players will finally be able to play at least some part of the game as early as next month.

This is great news- Final Fantasy XV, which was originally Final Fantasy Versus XIII, has been in development for so long now that most people actually don’t believe it is coming. A tangible and playable demo of the game should put some of those doubts, as well as doubts about what the game will be like, to rest.

Let’s keep our fingers crossed- Final Fantasy XV looks amazing, and I want it to be everything that Final Fantasy games have not been over the last decade.

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Type-0 HD will be out next month, bringing the classic PSP RPG to consoles (and the West) for the very first time. However, that’s not the reason most people are excited about it. This is because it will come with a demo for Final Fantasy XV giving us a good look at where the action RPG is currently at and allowing us to sample the gameplay.

Before that, director Hajime Tabata has revealed that he will hold a live-stream of the demo on February 20th, thus allowing players across the world to receive a peek at Episode Duscae.

The stream will be live on Active Time Report and can be viewed at Square Enix’s YouTube channel. It should be noted that not everything will be spoiled in the stream since Tabata will just discuss the controls and overall gameplay.

Final Fantasy Type-0 HD is out on March 17th in North America and March 20th in Europe. Stay tuned for more details.

Square Enix’s Final Fantasy 15 has been the subject of much discussion but more so in recent times since the first demo for the game will be releasing in March 2015 for those who pre-order and receive first run copies of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD on the Xbox One and PS4. To further showcase the amount of work done, Square Enix has released the very first English trailer for the game. Yes, you can finally hear your characters conversing in English for the first time. Check it out above.

Final Fantasy 15 was originally Final Fantasy Versus XIII but fell into development limbo when Square Enix chose to focus on the FFXIII series and Final Fantasy XIV instead. It’s since become a prime focus for the company again and the public will have a chance to play the Episode Duscae demo next year.

What are your thoughts on the English voice acting for Final Fantasy 15 though? Let us know in the comments below.

For those who really, really want to try out the demo of Final Fantasy 15 that will be included with the upcoming Final Fantasy Type-0 HD on Xbox One and PS4, you’ll need to pre-order the latter. It’s also been explained in a new PS Blog post that the demo will only be available for those who pre-order Type-0 HD and that too in the first run copies of the game.

Square Enix product marketing manager Scott Strichart explained that, “We’re never going to release it as a stand-alone piece down the line. Secondly, it’s intended to be a special gift for those of you who purchase early – the demo will be limited to the ‘Day One’ edition of the game, meaning that only the first shipment is going to have the demo in it.

“So if the demo is something you think you might like, we highly encourage you to pre-order or to be quick about getting to the store on launch day, March 17th, 2015.”

Talk about creating demand for a product. Then again, Square Enix is very much aware how valuable a commodity Final Fantasy 15 can be, even in demo form.

Will you be partaking in the demo? Let us know below.

However, rather than being discouraged, we’re looking forward to 2015 even more. The year will mark the PS4’s campaign of exclusives and see the debut of arguably one of the biggest sequels ever. We’ll see more efforts from Microsoft as well as it attempts to solidify the Xbox One’s place in the industry besides bringing out the products of ID@Xbox. Also, as difficult as it is to believe, the year will see several PC exclusives that will easily eat up your time as well.

We take a look at 15 action adventure games to look forward to in 2015 and why they’re worth keeping an eye on.

Rise of the Tomb Raider

Crystal Dynamics’ turned quite a few heads when it announced that not only would Rise of the Tomb Raider be releasing in Holidays 2015 but that it would be exclusive to the Xbox One and Xbox 360 for an unspecified period. In an age where third party exclusives, even timed exclusive titles, have become scarce this was fairly intriguing.

But in between all the talk of console wars, platform discrepancies and whatnot, it’s important to note that despite the first Tomb Raider not meeting Square Enix’s financial projections, the publisher has recognized the game’s quality and viability as a franchise.

When was the last time that happened with Tomb Raider, much less a Tomb Raider game that was good? Even if Lara Croft is Microsoft’s attempt to compete with Nathan Drake in next year’s Holiday season, her rise should be as compelling as her origins story.