The day I picked up Final Fantasy XV, my PlayStation 4 died. It was a launch-day PS4 that had lived across 16 different times zones, and eventually the countless airplane rides took their toll on the console. I wasn’t shocked when it died, but the timing was pretty disappointing.
I had just dropped a ridiculous amount of money on the Collector’s Edition of the game, so I needed my fix ASAP. I picked up a PlayStation 4 Pro because I learned that a patch would drop in early December to give me that glorious 60fps.
It’s February now, I’ve completed the main story and I’ve moved onto different games. But yet if I turned on my PS4 right now, I’d be stuck at the same framerate I was at on launch.
Where’s the beef?
The good news is that the patch is still being worked on. In a recent update on upcoming content, Square Enix again confirmed the existence of a game-fixing patch. It’s suggested that part of the reason there has been a delay is because Square is looking to fix all issues with the game with one swift patch. This patch is expected to drop with Episode Gladiolus in March.
This means correcting issues people had with other areas of gameplay, such as the entirety of Chapter XIII. When considering the amount of content and bugs that need to be fixed, it does make a bit more sense to delay it until it’s ready, but it would have been nice to receive a bit more transparency on this issue.
When a game such as Final Fantasy X was being developed, social media wasn’t really a thing developers could use. Now there’s an expectation that updates will be given on the fly, rather than through a monthly magazine or newsletter.
For the series to continue to evolve, the attitude needs to evolve with it. I know Square Enix has changed their attitude around what the perfect game is over the years — Final Fantasy XV is definitely a testament to this — but a bit more disclosure can go a long way. But I guess Valve is still in business, and they’re even less transparent.
Light at the end of the tunnel
Final Fantasy XV has been the source of 10 years of failed promises. But even despite being left in the dark year after year, Final Fantasy XV was still worth all of the heartache.
It’s a fantastic game. It looks gorgeous, although it could obviously look better. It plays great. And its story is one of the freshest takes on the franchise in more than a decade.
I still loved every moment I played the game, so if you feel a bit frustrated by my frustration: don’t. It’s still a great game despite these small delays, but all I’m asking is it to be the perfect experience that long-time fans deserve.
Square Enix Saturdays is a weekly column exploring the many worlds created by Square Enix over Square and Enix’s 42-year history. If you’d like to see us cover any specific Square Enix topics, please leave us a comment below or connect with us on Twitter or Facebook.
