Final Fantasy XV: 9 Big Changes You Need To Know About

6. Active Cross Battle System

Hardcore, turn-based fighting Final Fantasy fan? The new battle system for XV may not be for you. As can be seen by the footage released so far, XV's combat has much more in common with Kingdom Hearts than the FF games of yore. This isn't a surprise really; Square Enix has been gradually moving away from the turn-based system ever since FFX came out, adopting faster and more responsive battle systems in XII and XIII. For fans of the series, this approach can be seen as forgetting what the battles in FF are about. It's worth remembering though that every Final Fantasy tries to do something different, and this responsive, highly adaptable and fast-paced battle system may be one of the best parts of the game. Unfortunately you only - at least that's what has been said so far - are able to control the main character, Noctis. Your other companions will be powered by the AI, but you can combine Noctis' abilities with those of his friends to perform double-team moves with extra power or issue limited commands to them. Thankfully Noctis is a formidable fighter; he can switch between weapons, spam magic attacks and even perform limit breaks with just a few simple button presses. There's also a great vocus on verticality and using the environment to your advantage; Noctis can warp (at the expense of MP) away from enemies, up walls and there's bound to be other moves that alter the flow and speed of battles as time goes on. It may not be Final Fantasy-esque in terms of pacing (unless you count Advent Children's combat), but - as those who have played Episode Duscae will know - it's certainly looking promising.