The playable demo for Final Fantasy XV, which was revealed earlier in 2014 as a bonus included with the upcoming HD release of Final Fantasy Type-0, will only be packed into pre-ordered and day one copies when it launches on March 17, 2015, according to a post from Square Enix on the PlayStation Blog.
The demo will never be released as a standalone item. Its presence in Type-0 HD is intended as “a special gift for those of you who purchase early,” and thus it will not be included in subsequent versions of the game, encouraging fans to pre-order or get to the store on March 17. Type-0 was originally released for Sony’s PlayStation Portable in 2011. This HD console upgrade is the game’s first Western release.
First announced as Final Fantasy Versus XIII in 2006, FFXV has had a long and meandering developmental journey since then. Much of the story will apparently revolve around a cross-country road trip with protagonist prince Noctis Lucis Caelum and his entourage. Their city-state controls the world’s last magic crystal and has fallen under siege from a warlike neighbor. Battles seem to resemble the open, MMO-style brawls of Final Fantasy XII.
Fans will be able to get their hands on Final Fantasy XV by pre-ordering Final Fantasy Type-0 HD before its launch for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on March 17, 2015.