10 years of waiting is almost over: the Final Fantasy XV demo, titled Episode Duscae, is scheduled to release alongside Final Fantasy Type-0 HD this March. While it's only a fraction of the full game, Episode Duscae will be the first time players have ever been able to get their hands on Final Fantasy XV - to say that people are excited would be the understatement of the year.
That being said, there's still a lot that fans don't know about how the game will play. Gamers have seen what combat looks like, and how pretty the world is, but no one outside of Square Enix actually knows how the game plays. Thankfully, some new information has just been released online, and gives players some hints about what they can expect in the Episode Duscae demo.
The Japanese magazine Furage (via GameStalk.net) has released quite a bit of new info on Final Fantasy XV - granted, it's all in Japanese, but when translated, it reveals a lot about the upcoming demo.
First off, the demo will take place in the Dasuka district (though it could be renamed for the English version), and features a number of different environments. Mountains, plains, caves and forests are all available to explore, and there will be hidden areas featuring both treasure and high-level monsters.
Camping plays a major role, as experience points won in battle are shared amongst the party at these safe zones. Other characters will join the party at these camps as well, and depending on their cooking level, can give players extra buffs in combat and exploration. Ingredients for these recipes can be bought in cities or obtained by felling enemies.
Losing all of a character's hit points doesn't equal a game over: if possible, other characters will revive their fallen friend mid-battle. Whether or not this still requires an item (such as the classic Phoenix Down) is unknown.
The Behemoth monster that has dominated previous trailers is present in the demo, though fighting it won't be a walk in the park. It can be found by exploring the forest, but ill-prepared or reckless parties won't last long against it.
Most demos are just a small, vertical slice of a game - in the end, they're only trying to show off the title's core elements and nothing more. Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae seems to be focused on letting gamers really sink their teeth in: it probably wouldn't be a huge open world filled with secrets and boss monsters otherwise.
Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae is scheduled to launch alongside Final Fantasy Type-0 HD in March.
