You probably figured this one out already but, just to make it clear, the original PlayStation VR (PSVR) demo for Final Fantasy XV that was revealed at E3 2016 won’t be released.
Let me make that clear; I don’t mean Monster of the Deep: Final Fantasy XV, which was revealed at E3 2017 in June. Last year on Sony’s stage Square Enix revealed what it called Final Fantasy 15: Episode Prompto, a VR tie-in experience in which you controlled one of the game’s cast of characters and used guns to take down some of the game’s massive monsters. The reception from the E3 show floor was lukewarm, but we assumed that the experience would eventually be released for PSVR owners to try out.
Speaking at The PlayStation Experience South East Asia, though, Lead Designer of Final Fantasy 15, Wan Hazmer, confirmed that this wouldn’t be the case. “The Prompto Shooting game was actually a showcase back then,” he said. “It was just to showcase the power of the VR – but we have Monster of the Deep!”
Truth be told you’re probably not missing out on much; the demo looked somewhat primitive compared to other VR shooters, and Monster of the Deep looks like a much bigger and better game. It’s not the first Final Fantasy VR demo to never see the light of day either, as back in 2014 Sony showcased a demo of Final Fantasy XIV running inside its headset too (yes, the MMO). As we reported earlier in the week, Hazmer also revealed new details about the upcoming title, which is expected to hit PSVR next month. We’ve gone hands-on with it and it’s looking promising.
