'Final Fantasy XV' starts in an open world, but it won't stay there

By Gabe Gurwin August 26, 2016

final fantasy xv half open world gall p — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Following the move of classic franchises like Metal Gear Solid and The Legend of Zelda to more free, open-world design, Final Fantasy XV will make the jump this year, as well, but it appears that Square Enix has something a little different planned for its structure. While the game is partially in an open world, don’t expect it to stay that way.

In an interview with Famitsu translated by Siliconera, game director Hajime Tabata explains that while Final Fantasy XV begins as an open-world game, this doesn’t continue into the story’s latter half. Tabata says this was done deliberately to keep fans interested in the narrative as they dig further into the experience.

“That way, you won’t get bored of an open world as the rest of the game gets tightened up,” Tabata adds. “If you play through the first half and only the main route of the second half, I believe the estimated playtime sits at around 40 to 50 hours.”

The game will include a fairly substantial amount of post-release content, as well, but you had better be willing to fork over some more cash. In the same interview, Tabata revealed that along with the six DLC packs already included in the game’s season pass, Final Fantasy XV will also see additional paid content. There is currently no option to buy the season pass in a bundle, either — even the mega-expensive collector’s edition, complete with a movie and detailed figure, doesn’t offer the extra DLC, and the pass will set you back about $25.

Final Fantasy XV was originally scheduled to release next month, but was delayed to move content initially scheduled for a day-one pass onto the retail disc. It will now release for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 on November 29.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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Cait Sith dances in Final Fantasy VII Rebirth.

Some say it's the Lifestream that makes the world go round in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth, but we all know the real answer is Gil. Cloud may be on a quest to save the world from Sephiroth, but he's still a merc who wants to get paid for his efforts. Plus, there are a ton of expensive items to gather up on your journey, such as Materia, Accessories, Armor, and Queen's Blood cards. You'll need some very deep pockets if you want to buy everything that catches your eye, but Gil isn't the easiest thing to come by. We've done all the odd jobs and activities around Gaia to give you the best ways to grind for Gil in Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth.
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Final Fantasy 7: Rebirth introduces a ton of new activities, minigames, and quests that didn't exist in Remake. That means there are a lot more ways to earn Gil than ever before, but also a lot that are a waste of time compared to others.
Get your steps in

Even when you get yourself a Chocobo to ride around on, there's no getting around how much running you will be doing. Whether it's in one of the dungeons or towns where you can't take your mount, part of a quest that keeps you on foot, or if you just like exploring the old-fashioned way, Cloud will be getting more than his fair share of steps in. So why not get paid for your efforts? The Pedometer Pin is an accessory that automatically pays you 1 Gil for every 100 steps taken. Now, that doesn't sound like a lot, but that number will build up fast when running around. Plus, it's free money you'd otherwise be leaving on the table. The best part is you don't need to sacrifice a valuable accessory slot on Cloud, or even anyone in your active party, to get the benefits. So long as the person who has it equipped is available to be in your party, not necessarily currently in it, you reap the rewards.
Sword for hire
Sidequests pay well in Rebirth for the most part. There aren't a ton of them compared to most open world games, so they all tend to be worth your while in one way or another. Visit every new town's notice board and snag all the requests whenever possible. You won't know exactly what reward you're going to get until it's said and done, but you should expect at least a couple thousand Gil for your efforts in most cases.
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I get the desire to do it all, I really do. In the critically acclaimed sequel, we're finally let loose outside of Midgar. Square Enix has laid a huge, lush set of biomes to stretch our legs in after being stuck in the cramped hallways and tunnels of the drab city. Despite most of the world activities in Rebirth being standard open-world fare (activating towers, scanning points of interest, and hunting down specific monsters), there's an undeniable novelty to doing it with Cloud and the rest of Avalanche. What I wish I had known before starting was just how easy it was to burn out on that feeling.