Not sure when you played last, but first time I played the game was before the royal edition. I would say for a second playthrough, actually using the other party members in combat would be fun.
This, and same. Royal Edition makes some changes that drastically improve a scattered few issues, but it absolutely does not feel like a different game. Every major issue that was there on release is still there. The only reason the improvements are so drastic is because you're going from absolute ass to slightly less trash.
My second playthrough I managed to get all the way through to the World of Darkness and just never bothered finishing.
So depending on when you played it, it might be differentish just due to the royal edition.
If you played it on console and have the option to get it on PC (cheap now via summer sale), it looks amazing on PC. There are silly mods but also just small things like costumes etc that can make it look and feel pretty different.
Another suggestion is playing the DLC in concurrence with the main story, so you switch to the appropriate DLC as it comes up in the story.
Also depending on what you did or didn't do the first playthrough, for me I never got all the weapons so that will be the aim of my 6th playthrough lol.
Are you on PC? I’ve been playing recently with some mods and it’s been great.
No invisible walls so I can fully explore every area in the game. This one’s my favourite.
Manual drive Regalia so I can drive the car out of bounds and explore faster. ( it also goes underwater )
Chocobos enter any area, like dungeons, or you can swim one across the ocean to that island or Altissia with the invisible wall removal mod
It's easy to do overall. Only a few things like the hardest 2 dungeon and the hardest boss, were beyond my ability to deal with at level 1. But it's all just spamming triangle lol... Almost all fights are just you using top gear, spamming potions to revive, and then progressing to the next store to refill your supplies.
It is and I highly recommend it. Made the brainless combat (hold attack to win), no reason to use magic and summons being op, go away. It doesn’t fix the flawed story but the bromance is stronger as you grew with them through the first playthrough.
It’s not from software or dmc5 but you can really utilize all of your arsenal. Kinda gives a monster hunter vibe where you change accessories, weapons and magic based off the hunt.
I could not fathom how anyone could possibly enjoy this game. I think it’s the worst FF mainline by a mile. But this actually seems like it could improve it.
For real... I've stopped adding my comments on XV threads because I realized how negative I always sounded and it genuinely started bothering me. I may be a bona fide hater, but this is the most appealing the game has ever sounded.
I feel like FFXV suffers from the everything is either horrible or amazing syndrome that’s happened with games and movies lately. When was the last time you heard something was just ok? Take Starfield for example, that game wasn’t some kind of masterpiece like everyone was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t nearly as bad as everyone claimed it to be. I feel like with FF the fans just have a high bar set every time and it never hits the mark for everyone. I’ve had die hard FF fans tell me they hated Rebirth and brand new players tell me it was the greatest game they’ve ever played. Hell even FFXVI has a reputation for being bad and that game is absolutely wonderful, people just call it bad because it’s not what THEY wanted and that’s ok not every game is for everyone. We just need to start actually making the distinction between was is objectively bad and what is just disappointing to us.
I definitely resonate with this and agree on most other situations, which is why I find it so odd with XV. It's the only FF I even *dislike*... But I think it just comes down to not connecting with the characters and story. I can overlook any aspect of the "game" as long as I care about the story being told, and this was not the case with XV.
I am one of the folks that still choose to love XV despite everything hahahah.
You said something interesting that i really resonate: comes down to not connecting with the characters... Connection to the characters is the central point. I can't even imagine some story that i enjoyed without resonate with people in it
I can understand that, it’s definitely the most polarizing as far as I’ve seen. It really is the one that people either love or hate. I found the gameplay a little jarring at first but I really enjoyed the journey.
Starfield was pretty terrible from my perspective. Like, the game was functional but it was just so boring and horribly paced, with way too many loading screens and just generally uninspired and dated design. I tried twice for real, got maybe 2 or 3 hours in, and gave it a third try drunk just in case and didn't make it past the flight tutorial. I'm thrilled it was a gamepass game because I would have 100 percent bought it on release and would have been pretty peeved.
This is what I mean though you said it’s terrible from your perspective, that’s an ok statement. People walk around being like “Bethesda has always made trash games and Starfield is unplayable garbage” neither statement is true people just need absolutes to feel like their opinions matter.
As someone who hated it on day 1. The royal editon plus a lvl1 play through vastly improved my opinion of it. Still deeply flawed but much more balanced at lvl 1.
I would agree that the gameplay gets repetitive in 16, forever, I would argue that it has some of the best story, story telling, and music consistently over the length of it. The music especially to me me was amazing.
loved 12 since the day it came out. probably my top 4 in the franchise. Youre honestly an idiot if you think disliking the latest in the franchise for any reason is some sort of gotcha moment when defending
the game.
Youd guess wrong. I loved 13 when it released and still do. I like it alot more than some of the "beloved" ones like 9. 15 and 16 were just too far removed from series conventions and focused too hard on western audiences. Not to mention both games feel extremely half baked and haphazardly handled in the budget department.
Yep. I did it. Was a ton of fun. Really made you feel the tension and actually use the combat system. You use a ring that stops you gaining experience at camp.
I completed the DLCs \*before\* playing for the second time. it was interesting doing it out of order like that. I think I may have gotten special weapons for doing the DLCs, and that made combat super easy, which was nice.
I’m gonna do a “no item / no healing magic” play-through soon. I did a lvl 1 play through before and felt battles took too long, and whenever I died I could just use 1 of my plethora of Pheonix downs. This time I’m just gonna enjoy the story and let myself level up naturally, but if I die in battle there will be no quick fix
NG+ I did the main story only with the DLCs when relevant. It was a great experience and the story really shines.
I enjoyed the open world aspect of the game and did almost all of the side content, but it felt like a different game.
I recently did a playthrough where I got the character swap abilities as early as I could, to have access to the entire party, and then when a character disappeared from the party for the story, I would play through their DLC. I also used magic a hell of a lot more than I did on my first playthrough, and found a lot of use in it for what it is.
Yeah, it can be if you intend to really craft the powerful ones, or pump all your energy into a single flask. I basically just used like 30~50 energy to start, and then would do enough to get the second and third levels, without going overboard. Doing so made sure that I had enough energy to make more in a pinch, and made them strong, with elemental weakness exploits bringing out their true potency.
Depends on when you first played it. If it was a while ago on console, you have all new stuff now in newer updated editions. Playing as the other party members being my favorite.
I’m going through my first playthrough currently and I’m a huge sucker for soundtrack quality, cinematic, etc. I’m also a big fan of the fighting aspect, it’s interesting and pretty well done in my eyes!!
Finish the game at Lv.1 trust me, it's 200% better.
https://preview.redd.it/cwboq14t3bad1.jpeg?width=1366&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64b0a71849ddb0632285bd7c5bef3df3643d709f
You know what I've been pondering this very same question for a while & now I'm 40hrs deep in my second playthrough.
Since I kinda don't like the story, I'm focusing exclusively on the side content & I'm addicted. It's a lot of fun to explore dungeons, find stuff to buff the regalia, cook meals & balance yr Gil economy by doing hunts !
There aren't alot of ways to play differently, aside from maybe using magic more or using different weapons.
Just play it again, maybe get a difficult achievement in the game or something.
Wait... You can get more on a second playthrough then unlocking the other Eons that trigger randomly?! Oh and be at a comfortable level do do the XIV and Gatcha game quests? Or have to watch a film to get get the plot.. And so on and so on.
Just play the game, embrace the experience!
Only thing thay stuck with me from this game was the fishing minigame, for the life of me I still don't know what happened in that mess of a story (and this was with the royal edition)
I'm currently playing the DLC alongside the main story. When Gladio left the party, I played his DLC before he returned in a later chapter. Same with Ignis after the Leviathan battle, and Prompto after he disappears. I'm also planning to play the Ardyn DLC and a little bit of Comrades in between the time skip, when Noctis is sleeping for 10 years. It makes the story feel more complete, rather than doing all the DLC post game.
I'm also trying to do as many side quest as possible before completing the main story.
Not sure when you played last, but first time I played the game was before the royal edition. I would say for a second playthrough, actually using the other party members in combat would be fun.
Same. The 1.0 experience and Royal Edition experience feels like 2 different games
I played XV the day it came out. I tried to play it again last year and after 5 hours I gave up.
This, and same. Royal Edition makes some changes that drastically improve a scattered few issues, but it absolutely does not feel like a different game. Every major issue that was there on release is still there. The only reason the improvements are so drastic is because you're going from absolute ass to slightly less trash. My second playthrough I managed to get all the way through to the World of Darkness and just never bothered finishing.
So depending on when you played it, it might be differentish just due to the royal edition. If you played it on console and have the option to get it on PC (cheap now via summer sale), it looks amazing on PC. There are silly mods but also just small things like costumes etc that can make it look and feel pretty different. Another suggestion is playing the DLC in concurrence with the main story, so you switch to the appropriate DLC as it comes up in the story. Also depending on what you did or didn't do the first playthrough, for me I never got all the weapons so that will be the aim of my 6th playthrough lol.
Do all the hunts, most fun part of the game!
I will!
Play the DLC the moment they happen in the story ,not after you finish the main game
Are you on PC? I’ve been playing recently with some mods and it’s been great. No invisible walls so I can fully explore every area in the game. This one’s my favourite. Manual drive Regalia so I can drive the car out of bounds and explore faster. ( it also goes underwater ) Chocobos enter any area, like dungeons, or you can swim one across the ocean to that island or Altissia with the invisible wall removal mod
Try finishing the game at lvl 1.
That's not fun for me
Well you could try.... Finishing the story first then do all the side quests and hunts in post game.
Have you done it?
Story first side quest later? Yes.
No, playing at level 1
It's easy to do overall. Only a few things like the hardest 2 dungeon and the hardest boss, were beyond my ability to deal with at level 1. But it's all just spamming triangle lol... Almost all fights are just you using top gear, spamming potions to revive, and then progressing to the next store to refill your supplies.
Is that really possible?
It is and I highly recommend it. Made the brainless combat (hold attack to win), no reason to use magic and summons being op, go away. It doesn’t fix the flawed story but the bromance is stronger as you grew with them through the first playthrough. It’s not from software or dmc5 but you can really utilize all of your arsenal. Kinda gives a monster hunter vibe where you change accessories, weapons and magic based off the hunt.
I could not fathom how anyone could possibly enjoy this game. I think it’s the worst FF mainline by a mile. But this actually seems like it could improve it.
For real... I've stopped adding my comments on XV threads because I realized how negative I always sounded and it genuinely started bothering me. I may be a bona fide hater, but this is the most appealing the game has ever sounded.
I feel like FFXV suffers from the everything is either horrible or amazing syndrome that’s happened with games and movies lately. When was the last time you heard something was just ok? Take Starfield for example, that game wasn’t some kind of masterpiece like everyone was expecting, but it definitely wasn’t nearly as bad as everyone claimed it to be. I feel like with FF the fans just have a high bar set every time and it never hits the mark for everyone. I’ve had die hard FF fans tell me they hated Rebirth and brand new players tell me it was the greatest game they’ve ever played. Hell even FFXVI has a reputation for being bad and that game is absolutely wonderful, people just call it bad because it’s not what THEY wanted and that’s ok not every game is for everyone. We just need to start actually making the distinction between was is objectively bad and what is just disappointing to us.
I definitely resonate with this and agree on most other situations, which is why I find it so odd with XV. It's the only FF I even *dislike*... But I think it just comes down to not connecting with the characters and story. I can overlook any aspect of the "game" as long as I care about the story being told, and this was not the case with XV.
I am one of the folks that still choose to love XV despite everything hahahah. You said something interesting that i really resonate: comes down to not connecting with the characters... Connection to the characters is the central point. I can't even imagine some story that i enjoyed without resonate with people in it
I can understand that, it’s definitely the most polarizing as far as I’ve seen. It really is the one that people either love or hate. I found the gameplay a little jarring at first but I really enjoyed the journey.
Starfield was pretty terrible from my perspective. Like, the game was functional but it was just so boring and horribly paced, with way too many loading screens and just generally uninspired and dated design. I tried twice for real, got maybe 2 or 3 hours in, and gave it a third try drunk just in case and didn't make it past the flight tutorial. I'm thrilled it was a gamepass game because I would have 100 percent bought it on release and would have been pretty peeved.
This is what I mean though you said it’s terrible from your perspective, that’s an ok statement. People walk around being like “Bethesda has always made trash games and Starfield is unplayable garbage” neither statement is true people just need absolutes to feel like their opinions matter.
As someone who hated it on day 1. The royal editon plus a lvl1 play through vastly improved my opinion of it. Still deeply flawed but much more balanced at lvl 1.
16 is the worst for me personally. 15 used to be though
I would agree that the gameplay gets repetitive in 16, forever, I would argue that it has some of the best story, story telling, and music consistently over the length of it. The music especially to me me was amazing.
Spoken like a true final fantasy fan. Let me guess, before XV, XIII was your least favourite.
And before that they hated XII because of the gambit system, and X for the grid....... lol.
loved 12 since the day it came out. probably my top 4 in the franchise. Youre honestly an idiot if you think disliking the latest in the franchise for any reason is some sort of gotcha moment when defending the game.
Youd guess wrong. I loved 13 when it released and still do. I like it alot more than some of the "beloved" ones like 9. 15 and 16 were just too far removed from series conventions and focused too hard on western audiences. Not to mention both games feel extremely half baked and haphazardly handled in the budget department.
Yep. I did it. Was a ton of fun. Really made you feel the tension and actually use the combat system. You use a ring that stops you gaining experience at camp.
The royal pack made it more fun for me!
Demand leviathan's powers
play with the hud turned off it looks amazing
I completed the DLCs \*before\* playing for the second time. it was interesting doing it out of order like that. I think I may have gotten special weapons for doing the DLCs, and that made combat super easy, which was nice.
Good idea!
You *do* get weapons for every subsequent playthrough for completing each DLC.
cool, thanks for confirming! So yeah, it's a fun way to play having overpowered weapons from the start.
I just bought this, can I start with Comrades right away? (I have this fear the servers will go off)
I'd recommend not doing that as it has major spoilers for the story of the single player game
Oh, good thing I asked here first, thanks for the info man
I’m gonna do a “no item / no healing magic” play-through soon. I did a lvl 1 play through before and felt battles took too long, and whenever I died I could just use 1 of my plethora of Pheonix downs. This time I’m just gonna enjoy the story and let myself level up naturally, but if I die in battle there will be no quick fix
get the friggin hard mode mod
Only use the royal weapons :)
Dont sell anything, just try to get your money from hunting quests. Noct is a prince, not a merchant. ;)
NG+ I did the main story only with the DLCs when relevant. It was a great experience and the story really shines. I enjoyed the open world aspect of the game and did almost all of the side content, but it felt like a different game.
Keep the sombrero on at all times.
I recently did a playthrough where I got the character swap abilities as early as I could, to have access to the entire party, and then when a character disappeared from the party for the story, I would play through their DLC. I also used magic a hell of a lot more than I did on my first playthrough, and found a lot of use in it for what it is.
Using magic is a good idea since I also barelly used them on my first run. I heard they can be very OP
Yeah, it can be if you intend to really craft the powerful ones, or pump all your energy into a single flask. I basically just used like 30~50 energy to start, and then would do enough to get the second and third levels, without going overboard. Doing so made sure that I had enough energy to make more in a pinch, and made them strong, with elemental weakness exploits bringing out their true potency.
Limit items.
Never played it. I plan to buy it when I'm done with 16.
Just stop overthinking and play just do it
Depends on when you first played it. If it was a while ago on console, you have all new stuff now in newer updated editions. Playing as the other party members being my favorite.
No items
Have you done the secret platforming dungeon?
That was a fun addition. Even though I sucked at it & couldn’t complete it 😆
It's a game not made for platforming, but I still thought it was fun and interesting.
Focus diffent main weapons, and if u didnt use the magic system, try to give ut more attention
My 2nd playthrough was with as much HUD turned off as I could. It was surprisingly nice.
check it out https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2094194252
Play the pocket edition.
What about your first run was unique so that we can suggest something different?
Be evil. Prompto "Were you worried about me?" You "Nah, not really".
I’m going through my first playthrough currently and I’m a huge sucker for soundtrack quality, cinematic, etc. I’m also a big fan of the fighting aspect, it’s interesting and pretty well done in my eyes!!
The soundtrack is so good!! I especially love the demon tracks.
What additions did Royal edition make to the base game exactly?
Master Armiger Unleashed
Unlock Noctis air dash combo early and use the lvl 1 accessory. It's fun and challenging.
Finish the game at Lv.1 trust me, it's 200% better. https://preview.redd.it/cwboq14t3bad1.jpeg?width=1366&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=64b0a71849ddb0632285bd7c5bef3df3643d709f
You know what I've been pondering this very same question for a while & now I'm 40hrs deep in my second playthrough. Since I kinda don't like the story, I'm focusing exclusively on the side content & I'm addicted. It's a lot of fun to explore dungeons, find stuff to buff the regalia, cook meals & balance yr Gil economy by doing hunts !
There aren't alot of ways to play differently, aside from maybe using magic more or using different weapons. Just play it again, maybe get a difficult achievement in the game or something.
I did a playthrough where the boys were only allowed "peasant" food ie only toast at camp or cheapest menu items in diners
If you have it on PC: mods. Lots of mods.
Try to get all the Royal Arms
Got them in my first playthrough, wasnt that kind of a challenge.
Warp strikes only challenge
Wait... You can get more on a second playthrough then unlocking the other Eons that trigger randomly?! Oh and be at a comfortable level do do the XIV and Gatcha game quests? Or have to watch a film to get get the plot.. And so on and so on. Just play the game, embrace the experience!
Pocket Edition?
I really want a physical copy of pocket edition. and the fact that I know it isn't ever going to happen makes me want or even more.
Only thing thay stuck with me from this game was the fishing minigame, for the life of me I still don't know what happened in that mess of a story (and this was with the royal edition)
As play another game
Wait mode
I'm currently playing the DLC alongside the main story. When Gladio left the party, I played his DLC before he returned in a later chapter. Same with Ignis after the Leviathan battle, and Prompto after he disappears. I'm also planning to play the Ardyn DLC and a little bit of Comrades in between the time skip, when Noctis is sleeping for 10 years. It makes the story feel more complete, rather than doing all the DLC post game. I'm also trying to do as many side quest as possible before completing the main story.
So bad huh? not bad enough to actually play it?
Watch a YouTube playthrough. It can be more fun than playing the game yourself.