"Final Fantasy XV" has been in development for a long time. It's been years and when it was initially announced, the game was still meant to be a spin-off of "Final Fantasy XIII." After much waiting, Square-Enix has stated on its official forum that the game has finished pre-beta development and is playable from start to end.
It is also stated that the game is now playable on PC and on the PS4, although a few additional improvements are still required for the latter.
This signifies that the game is nearing completion as the next step now is to focus on refinements. This would lead to bug testing and conducting several updates to get rid of glitches, crashes, and inconsistencies in the game. Everything from combat to the visuals will be rigorously tested to meet the developer's standards.
Programmer Satoshi Kitade also stated that this gave the development team a better overall view of the game. Looking at the game as a whole instead of individual segments will allow them to better identify what works consistently with other areas and what does not.
According to a report from RPGFan, one of the newest changes and updates to the game refers to its Cross-Link system. This combat mechanic, which is seen in the demo but only in an early build, will allow the player to connect chain attacks with the rest of the party.
This will prove important since "Final Fantasy XV" only allows the player to control Noctic while the others are on auto-pilot, similar to the combat in the "Kingdom Hearts" games.
It is stated in the report that the Cross-Link system has been improved in order to make it easier to pull off complex combinations and links. In the original demo, it is noticeably difficult to pull off a Cross-Link due to the button configurations and the pre-requisites needed in order to execute the said move.
Game Design Section Manager Ken'ichi Suda also revealed there are two new combat mechanics as well. "In addition, 'Slash Link' coordination, as well as a hitherto unannounced system, exists, and these are triggered under different conditions from Cross-Link," he said.
"Final Fantasy XV" is slated for a 2016 release.
