'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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