Since its late November release, Final Fantasy XV has been a massive commercial success.  In fact, on day one, physical and digital sales exceeded 5 million units, which makes Square Enix’s latest RPG the fastest-selling game in the franchise’s history, a title previously held by Final Fantasy XIII.  Yet despite the game’s impressive figures and glowing reviews, there are a few specific parts of FFXV that many agree take away from the overall experience of the game, chiefly Chapter 13.

Without giving too much away, Chapter 13 represents a very significant shift in FFXV, both in its gameplay, and its linearity.  While many players can certainly appreciate a shift in gameplay to test out new mechanics, Chapter 13 took this to a whole new level, introducing cheap jump scares, unnecessarily long corridors, and a battle system that rewards standing still and holding one or two buttons down.  Final Fantasy XV’s  game director Hajime Tabata comes to Chapter 13’s defense, stating that “The direction of Chapter 13’s content was a deliberate decision made from the development team.”  He does relent, however, admitting that Chapter 13’s combat system was putting too much stress on the player.

“That said, the amount of stress inflicted on the player while running through this chapter was greater than we had anticipated.  We believe resolving this issue will naturally lead to a better gameplay experience.”

This is where March 28th’s update comes into play.  Alongside the arrival of Episode Gladio,  the update is set to include several gameplay enhancements, including a buff to ring magic.  Another major change is the inclusion of a short section where the player gets to play as Gladio, which will absolutely serve to break up the monotony of the chapter.  According to Tabata via a live broadcast, the update will also include a new cut-scene, which will add a bit more backstory to Ravus, Lunafreya’s older brother.

“We’re hoping to delve deeper into the story, adding scenes that will give you new insight into character motivations, such as why Ravus walked the path he did.  We will need a little time with these, as they’ll need to be localised and voiced in other languages, but we’ll let you know the details once everything is set.”

So, what do you think of the changes coming to Chapter 13?  Do you think that they are necessary changes, or should the chapter be left as is?  Are you excited to play a new part of the chapter as Gladio? Sound off in the comments section below, and as always, stay tuned to DFTG for all your Final Fantasy news!