The Region
Episode Duscae has Noctis and friends stuck in a region called, you guessed it, Duscae. The area that you’ll get to explore in the demo is only a fraction of the region, which itself is part of a much larger world that is supposed to be more than 10 times bigger than the Duscae region.
There’s a very good reason as to why you’ll be stuck in the Duscae region in the demo: your car has broken down because of the actions of a “certain blonde guy”, whom we can all assume is Prompto. In order to fix up your car, you’ll have to raise some money to get the mechanic Cindy to do it for you. The methods of acquiring the money needed for repairs is up to you, but the demo’s main quest lies elsewhere.
The Behemoth
In Episode Duscae, the main quest that you’ll have to undertake is the defeat of the Behemoth. The Behemoth is a creature that is wanted for a huge sum of money, meaning that fighting this beast will be a quick way for you to raise the cash needed to repair the car.
When you take on the Behemoth quest, you’ll have to track down the monster yourself. This can be done by looking out for the monster’s tracks and other visual clues it might have left behind. Tracking down and fighting the Behemoth isn’t the only thing you can do in Episode Duscae, however. There are other quests available for you to undertake.
Buddy Requests
Producers Wan Hazmer and Prasert “Sun” Prasertvithyakarn revealed more details about Noctis’ party members at PAX East 2015.
Gladiolus Amicitia is the eldest member of the group, and also the strongest and bravest of the pack. Though he’s been trained in fighting since he was young, Gladiolus is a pretty laid-back guy who cares about his friends a great deal. He also has the highest amount of hit points in the group.
Ignis Scientia is Noctis’ childhood friend and takes on the role of the knowledgeable one in the party. He’s also a pretty talented cook and is in charge of preparing food for his friends. In Episode Duscae, Ignis will be able to use Cure magic, and is also equipped with a weapon that allows him to use the ability “Venom Strike”.
Prompto Argentum is Noctis’ classmate, and also the aforementioned blonde guy responsible for breaking down the car. Unlike Ignis and Gladiolus, Prompto has never learned to fight and this causes him to get anxious during battle. He has a bind technique to help weaken enemies in battle.
While you’re exploring Duscae in the demo, your buddies will notice various things along the way and call for your attention. This is usually a hint for clearing a quest, or it could also be a hint to starting a brand new quest.
The Combat
If the trailers are any indication, Final Fantasy XV‘s gameplay is vastly different from the traditional combat system we’re used to in older Final Fantasy games. Holding down a face button will allow Noctis to start swinging his sword at his enemies and get into an attack combo. Noctis will also have a set of techniques that you can attach to each of your weapons. These techniques will drain your MP as you execute them.
Noctis is able to summon his weapons out of thin air and unleash techniques such as Drain Thrust and Dragoon Jump, so you’ll be able to experiment with various skills and see which ones fit your play style best.
When your HP has been drained, Noctis will be weakened and unable to attack. A red bar will appear on-screen and if this red bar is fully depleted as well, you’ll get a Game Over screen. Fortunately, your buddies can heal you and restore your health if you get too banged up.
Rest Stations
Hazmer mentioned at PAX East 2015 that towns in Final Fantasy XV had to have their own rooted culture. In Episode Duscae, there will be two outposts for you to visit; the first being the gas station that was revealed a few months back along with Cindy, and the second is the Wiz Chocobo Post.
The post is owned by a man named Wiz, a passionate chocobo rider. Here, you’ll be able to purchase chocobo merchandise and you’ll also get to ride chocobos in the final game. In Episode Duscae, however, that functionality will be limited. There is also a caravan at the post where you can sleep in, but Ignis will not be able to cook food.
Nighttime and Camping
During the night, Noctis and friends may get attacked by a number of dangerous creatures. Thus, it may be wiser to set up camp (which will auto-save the game) to avoid them and rest up. When you camp, Ignis will cook for the party and his food will provide status buffs.
The buffs featured in Episode Duscae include Fresh, Prime, Sharp, and Immune. Fresh increases your attack, defense, and EXP gained slightly. Prime greatly increases your attack, defense, and EXP gained. Sharp increases your critical hit rate, and Immune negates status ailments.
While you won’t be able to select the type of food that Ignis cooks in Episode Duscae, that option will be made available to players in the full game.
Also, Malaysian food such as teh tarik and satay will be featured in the game. Nice cultural touch there, Square Enix.
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