What Square Enix Really Thinks About Final Fantasy XV's Chapter 13

One of the most controversial topics of Final Fantasy XV other than the ending is Chapter 13, a stark departure from the rest of the game. Well, Square Enix director Hajime Tabata explained what he really thinks about that chapter and what they're going to do about it.

Speaking to US Gamer, Tabata explained that they plan on resolving issues with Chapter 13, saying...

Tabata explains that they're not going to do a complete overhaul, but that there were consistent criticisms about Chapter 13 in Final Fantasy XV. I didn't think it was that awful, but people regularly mentioned that it was completely different from the other chapters in the game. It's true that Chapter 13 is a huge divergence from the typical gameplay.

Slight spoilers ahead: The reason so many people don't like Final Fantasy XV's Chapter 13 is because Noct loses his weapons and items and has to stealth his way through the stage before he can get his items and weapons back. It's a linear map with stealth segments similar to the older Metal Gear Solid games. While that may not seem like a big deal, it completely changes how players engage in combat -- more-so, combat is to be avoided since Noct can still take damage even without his gear, rendering him little more than a punching bag for enemies. Gamers have oftentimes referred to Chapter 13 as turning Final Fantasy XV into Outlast, since the majority of the chapter involves hiding from enemies.

In the grand scheme of things it isn't quite as bad as the internet rage machine makes it out to be, but it is a stark departure from the way the game was played previously. Personally, I thought it added some diversity to the gameplay experience, but others didn't quite feel that way.

Tabata doesn't say how they're planning on changing up the experience in Chapter 13 exactly, but it's hinted at that the "stress" of that segment will be reduced, along with other aspects of the game.

The Final Fantasy XV director also mentions that they will also flesh out the story a bit more. This sent worry down the spines of gamers who feared that maybe they would compromise the integrity of the story in order to "fix" it.

Tabata assuages concerned fans by saying that all of the changes they're making to Final Fantasy XV is to help improve it and add some clarity to the story and not compromise the creative integrity that the design team poured their hearts and souls into over the course of a decade.

There's no time frame on when the new content will go live, but it's apparently coming soon along with the additional DLC featuring Ignis, Prompto and Gladiolus. At the moment, Square Enix is celebrating Final Fantasy XV with a Moogle Chocobo Carnival.