Final Fantasy fans can officially save their pennies, because the latest instalment, Final Fantasy XV, is making its way to PlayStation VR later this year – the only problem is we still don’t know exactly what form the so-called VR experience will take. The latest trailer does give us some clues though.
Sony set out their VR stall once again at their pre-E3 event in LA last night, rolling out a number of big name franchises set to appear in VR form one way or another. So perhaps it’s fitting that Final Fantasy, a franchise synonymous with PlayStation, was announced to be receiving a virtual reality experience to appear on the PlayStation VR later this year.
Details on precisely what form the VR experience will take are sketchy at best right now unfortunately. But, looking at the trailer it seems that VR-enabled interactions in FFXV is going to be ‘gun heavy’, with the VR player attacking enemies with a revolver in a first person perspective, before occasionally jumping out of that view as if on a selfie stick to view their protagonist wearing a PlayStation VR headset. In the trailer at least, you’re restricted to controlling the character implausibly named Prompto Argentum, an obvious choice for the VR experience given his fondness of firearms – a more compatible form of combat than melee for VR. Whether you’ll be able to play other characters whilst using the PSVR is not yet known.
The trailer also included hints at the type of locomotion Final Fantasy XV VR will use, with one sequence featuring the player warping between lofty locations before taking pot shots at the foe from above. This teleporting technique is by now common in first generation VR titles, and given the PSVR’s largely seated or standing focus on play, this makes a lot of sense.
Oh and, there’s a worrying looking opening segment hinting at a VR-enabled boob-ogling section featuring one of the few main female characters in FFXV, Cindy Aurum. Lets hope this exists for a reason and not merely playing to the gamer stereotype audience.
Final Fantasy XV is due for release in September this year, although given the PSVR’s launch window of October it’s unknown whether the VR experience will ship alongside the game.
More than that we cannot say I’m afraid, but we’ll keep our eyes peeled as we bring you the latest VR news from the show floor at E3 this week.
