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Final Fantasy XV Tech Demo Video, Demo 2.0 Trailer Streamed

Square Enix began streaming a trailer on Friday for the Final Fantasy XV "Episode Duscae" demo's version 2.0 update.

Square Enix is releasing the update patch on June 9 at 11:00 p.m. EDT. The update will enhance AXB (Active Cross Battle) with co-op features, add combat action, adjust the camera targeting system, fine-tune the balance, and fix bugs. The company is also considering separating quests and stabilizing the frame-rate.

Additionally, Square Enix is streaming a "Tech Demo Vol.2" video that interviews some of the game's developers and discusses the Luminous Studio 1.5 engine.

Game director Hajime Tabata and marketing manager Akio Ofuji hosted an active time report for Final Fantasy XV on Thursday.

Tabata explained in the video (starting from 32:40) that after the game switched titles, Square Enix and the staff decided make Final Fantasy XV "a complete, coherent story in one game." Tabata then worked to decide which elements from Final Fantasy Versus XIII he would carry over into XV. Tabata added that the staff decided to "be as faithful as possible" to [Kazushige Nojima's] story for Versus III, and focus on "realizing the original story as much as [they] could."

Tabata then revealed story elements from Final Fantasy Versus XIII that have been changed in Final Fantasy XV. Tabata noted that the heroine Stella from when the game was called Final Fantasy Versus XIII will not appear in Final Fantasy XV, and the game will include a new heroine named Luna with a different role to play in the story. Additionally, in the Versus XIII trailer there was a sequence where the crown city of Insomnia was attacked by enemy forces of Niflheim, and that sequence has been deleted from XV. Tabata added that there was a good reason behind the change, but that it could be a spoiler so he wouldn't explain further.

Tabata also added that since players were looking forward to gameplay within the city of Insomnia, the staff is preparing to create situations where players can still experience gameplay in the city.

Tabata also noted that characters previously introduced, such as a female dragoon and a woman with dark hair, will still be in Final Fantasy XV.