‘Final Fantasy XV’ And ‘Kingdom Hearts’ Share Some Similarities, Developer Says

If you thought the combat in Final Fantasy XV trailer shown off during E3 earlier this month appeared to share some similarities with another Square Enix franchise – namely Kingdom Hearts – then you’re not imagining things. In fact, the game’s creator would agree.

The demo showed off the game’s protagonist, Noctis, attacking enemies in real-time. Unlike Final Fantasy XII, which also featured (mostly) real-time combat, the Final Fantasy XV gameplay seemed to have more in common with Kingdom Hearts than any previous title in the long-running RPG franchise.

Although the company shared very few details after the game’s announcement – when the game was known as Final Fantasy Versus XIII – apart from the occasional screenshot or trailer, it was being billed as an action-oriented game. Now that the game has been re-announced, we know a little more about how that system will work.

In an interview with Famitsu, transcribed by Siliconera, Final Fantasy XV director Tetsuya Nomura explained how the combat will work,its similarities to Kingdom Hearts, and what sets it apart.

“The starting point will have a sense of control that is similar to that of Kingdom Hearts’ ‘easy and refreshing action,’ so it won’t be difficult,” Nomura said.

“Most of it will come pretty naturally to you. We’re currently testing out different operational methods with each hardware. Regarding allies, in addition to cooperative attacks, there will also be situational actions, which will be part of various scenarios in battles.”

The game is intended to be flashy, as was demonstrated during the trailer; boss fights in particular will be flashy, Nomura says.

“There’s a battle where Leviathan is causing a waterspout,” Nomura offered as an example. There’s a scene that shows a fight inside the tornado while jumping between the debris of collapsed buildings. I believe that boss fights will feature such particular flashy situations.”

To check out all of the Final Fantasy XV action yourself, see the E3 2013 gameplay demo below.