Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV is a downloadable virtual reality (VR) video game for PlayStation VR developed and published by Square Enix. The game was released on November 21, 2017. It forms part of the multimedia project surrounding the 2016 video game Final Fantasy XV. Players interact with the four main characters of Final Fantasy XV while taking part in fishing around a variety of locations.
VR-based content for Final Fantasy XV was under consideration for some time. Monster of the Deep was the first VR-based video game ever developed by Square Enix. The project's initial form was a first-person shooter add-on to the main game, with a demo being created for the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo around this premise. The game was changed into a fishing simulation due to the latter's higher level of immersion.
Video Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV
Premise and gameplay
Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, a virtual reality (VR) simulation game, takes place within Eos, an Earth-like fantasy world that serves as the setting for the 2016 role-playing game Final Fantasy XV. The player, while interacting with main protagonist Noctis Lucis Caelum and his three companions, takes part in fishing in ponds, hunting and catching various fish. A major goal is catching the titular "monster", a powerful fish which can attack the player and end the game. As a VR-based experience, players have a 360 degree view of their surroundings.
Maps Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV
Development
Monster of the Deep forms part of "Final Fantasy XV Universe", a multimedia project based around Final Fantasy XV that includes additional story episodes, a feature film, and original net animation: the story of Final Fantasy XV was large enough to have covered several games, but as the team did not want to create any additional games, they decided to produce additional media. XV and its associated media likewise hold a thematic connection to Fabula Nova Crystallis Final Fantasy, a compilation of games and associated media sharing a common mythos while boasting unconnected stories and settings. While distanced from the Fabula Nova Crystallis brand for marketing purposes, the world of XV still uses its mythos and design elements. Unlike most of the other "Final Fantasy XV Universe" content--which came prior to the game's release--Monster of the Deep was planned for release in the year following, forming part of Square Enix's dedicated post-launch content plan.
VR-based content had been tested for the main game for the game's passive moments, but it was discarded as it would require wearing a VR headset for hours. Speaking in an interview in June 2016, Final Fantasy XV's director Hajime Tabata said that the VR content was first suggested by Sony Interactive Entertainment for their in-development PlayStation VR. The team were initially reluctant, but after experiencing the VR headset for themselves, they agreed to the collaboration. Monster of the Deep was the first time Square Enix had developed VR-based content. The original version of the VR game was a first-person shooter scenario featuring party member Prompto Argentum. Retelling the events of the 2015 commercial demo Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae, it was originally announced as downloadable content for the main game. The narrative and structure of Episode Duscae needed to be redone due to the nature of VR gaming and the clashing of mechanics with what the main game had become. At the time, the team were also considering similar content featuring the other party members.
Monster of the Deep was the first time Square Enix had developed VR-based content. Following the initial reveal of the VR prototype, according to director Masashi Takizawa, the project was reassessed and it was decided that the shooter-based mechanics were neither immersive nor entertaining enough, in addition to requiring a much longer development period. The fishing simulation would allow them to achieve both, so the VR game's content was reworked. According to the game's lead designer Wan Hazmar, the team went on a fishing trip to Yokohama Bay with Kazuaki Iwasawa, the character supervisor for Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV due to his experience with fishing--this was so the team could gain authentic experience that they could put into the game.
Release
The game was first announced during at the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo. While its initial announcement inferred that the entire game of Final Fantasy XV would be made playable on the PlayStation VR, it was later clarified that the playable VR content was limited to the shooting side game. As such, its release date went from alongside the regular version of Final Fantasy XV on September 30, 2016, to "unlikely to release alongside the game" to "sometime after September 30". to even missing the October launch of PlayStation VR as well. The game was not given a new release date after the main game's delay to November 29, 2016, but is still currently planned to be released as free downloadable content (DLC) for the main game sometime after its initial release. The project was re-revealed under its current title at E3 2017, and is set for release in September 2017. Rather than downloadable content, the game is a standalone project that can be played without needing to own Final Fantasy XV itself. The game will release on November 21, 2017.
Reception
Speaking of the initial 2016 demo, Griffin McElroy of Polygon sharply criticized it for being too simplistic, stating that "The PlayStation VR event was full of upcoming games that are using the hardware to execute some very cool ideas, but the Final Fantasy 15 VR Experience simply wasn't one of them. It was unflinchingly single-faceted, and its single facet wasn't particularly fun. This demo was specifically created for E3 attendees...here's hoping it can turn into something more substantial in the coming months, because right now, that experience is a mess. Patrick Klepek of Kotaku agreed, stating that the game "doesn't take meaningful advantage of virtual reality" and concluded that "the mechanics aren't satisfying. You hold down a button, point in the direction of the monster, and win! Perhaps this'll change when Square Enix delivers the whole thing later this year, but if it's more of what I played yesterday, temper your expectations." Andrew Webster of The Verge agreed with the sentiment, stating that it was "hard to muster much enthusiasm for the VR element" when the game lacked so much of the common element of the Final Fantasy series and instead felt more like an entry to the arcade shooting game House of the Dead. Jeff Grubb of VentureBeat went as far as to call it "the worst VR game I've played from a professional studio", also citing the concern that it was too much like a simple arcade shooter. Meghan Sullivan of IGN was generally impressed with it despite conceding simplistic gameplay, citing a sense of immersion and nostalgia impossible to feel without virtual reality, concluding that "...I began to tear up with happiness. This was my first taste of VR, and although I knew I wasn't really in a car, driving down a road in a world where Behemoths dwell and humans can magically teleport, just for a few minutes, it felt like I was."
Notes
References
External links
- Official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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