Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition is a compilation of the base game plus all available DLC in addition to the new Royal Pack that was released at the time. It is only missing Episode Ardyn which was released one year later. For a review of the base game, have a look at here.
ROYAL PACK:
The Royal Pack DLC is unlike the other DLCs which are standalones that you select from the main menu. Royal Pack provides new content to the single player mode and is integrated into the game. This was released alongside the Royal Edition of the game and was not included in the season pass, which is somewhat lame, particularly since it is priced fairly high. The main draw card of this DLC is the expanded final dungeon. Not only does it include additional story cutscenes but also new bosses, a superboss, first-person view, a new ultimate move, the control of the boat and new quests. Despite all the content seemingly added though, it doesn't eventuate to be that much and feels like it is not worth the extremely high asking price.
If you have already played and finished Final Fantasy XV, especially around launch time and without all the updates since, then the Royal Pack is a good trigger to replay the story again. It only takes around 8-10 hours to complete the story mode on New Game Plus and ignoring all side content (which to be honest, is bland and repetitive anyway). The Royal Pack isn't going to magically make the game better since the game still has a horribly told story, being short and disjointed and filled with melodramatic moments you can't take seriously. When trying to rush the story, you also feel the effects of the game wasting your time more as you're being forced to run across vast swathes of the empty map, slowed to a crawl as you shuffle between ledges, or have the game try to be action cinematic with boring quick time events.
There are some annoying decisions with the new content such as tying the specific abilities (including the touted Armiger Unleashed ability) to equipment instead of just a toggle in the menu. This is yet a waste of another slot and doesn't help when other party members drop out of your party from time to time. Saving up your experience points? Hope you didn't equip the accessory on a party member that drops out by the end of the chapter and you're forced to use the experience points.
The boat is yet another overly touted feature since you have a limited area to move the boat. The scenery isn't that varied and it ends up just extending the fishing minigame with more tedious fishes to catch. The new final dungeon is an expanded Insomnia that replaces the old one and is a lot bigger. It boasts additional quests... which are just the same tedious fetch quests that make up the rest of the game's content. Since it still takes place in the same dark ruined city, there isn't that much to celebrate about.
The additional bosses are a nice touch. The ones at the end of the game right before you face the final boss are heaps of fun. It doesn't save the game but makes it more epic towards the end. That being said, the final boss still remains the same and is underwhelming after the epic fights before it. Omega is the superboss that shows up to test your skills... and patience. Omega is extremely annoying and the battle against it is massively drawn out. It is designed in such a way that it forces you to use the new Armiger Unleashed ability and even then it is difficult. Omega loves to rush around, jump around, one-shot kill you and you pretty much have to fight it solo since it wastes your other party members near instantly.
Overall, the Royal Pack lists a lot of new content but most of the them are shallow stuff that we've already seen before. The new final dungeon and bosses are the best parts and make the end of the game more traditional in the sense of having multiple bosses of escalating difficulty. The other stuff... let's just say you aren't missing much if you don't end up experiencing it.
EPISODE GLADIOLUS:
Episode Gladiolus is the first story DLC for the game. You play as Gladiolus during the time he was away from the party in the middle of the game (randomly for no reason, one might say). Gladio's combat style is more action based compared to Noctis and is actually quite fun. You could already play as him in the base game via character switching and the alternate Chapter 13 scenario via game updates so you probably are not completely unfamiliar with him.
The controls are the same as the base game but Gladio loses the warp ability of Noctis. Gladio has a normal four strike combo and as you attack monsters or block/parry their attacks, you build up a rage meter. As the meter increases, so too does your damage. Attacking and connecting hits also builds up a gauge to unleash special attacks which are the most damaging attacks that Gladio can do. Timing your rage meter and higher leveled special attacks are key to defeating bosses with little trouble. Just like Noctis, Gladio cannot cancel his attacks so you can only block once the animations are over, although it doesn't help that most of Gladio's attack animations are slow and lengthy...
Gladio is locked at a specific level with no opportunity to gain experience and level up. His equipment is likewise locked so the difficulty of the DLC is pretty much preset based on the developer's intentions. However, there are plenty of healing items which makes the DLC quite easy overall. As mentioned, the story focuses on Gladio on his time away from the main party. In it, he has to complete a number of trials to prove himself worthy of protecting Noctis. It is a way to find his true self and being able to confidently call himself the shield of the Crownsguard. To be honest, it doesn't quite justify Gladio's absence especially considering the urgency of their mission at the time.
The structure of the DLC is a linear run through a dungeon and it isn't anything we haven't seen before. That said, because it is linear, the pacing is kept up quite well. Annoyingly, the developers seem to really like tight spaces, making the camera go wild and become unwieldy. In the end, it's a short DLC, taking between 1 to 1.5 hours to complete on your first go depending on how much time you use to try and find the items. After you complete the story component, two new options are available. The first is a Score Attack mode where you play through the story again without the cutscenes. The aim is to get a high score which is based on your attacks (parrying nets you a lot of points). It doubles as a time trial since you have a limited time to complete each section.
The second option is a boss, which is extremely difficult. What makes this fight frustrating is that you are severely underleveled, the opponent can easily one-shot you. The battle is too reliant on timing the enemy's attack to parry it, doing scratch damage until you can finally build up to unleash a specially attack. The area on which the battle takes place is too small and tight for the quick movements; you'll constantly be fighting the camera angles. Moving your thumb to the analogue stick to try and keep the opponent in view may also be the point where they strike and kill you.
The other issue is that the bonus boss dodges most of your attacks while barraging you with their own attacks. They don't stop attacking, even if you are just getting up from reviving or using an item with an unskippable animation causing you to lose a huge chunk of your health straight away. The battle is a good concept but bad execution, just like the rest of the game really. Another frustrating element is that you're forced to sit through the long loading screen every time you die and want to retry, wasting a lot of time. That being said, it is satisfying once you start getting used to his patterns and eventually beat him.
Overall, Episode Gladiolus is fairly fun with a faster paced battle system and story compared to the base game. As a result, it'll probably be more enjoyable than the main game. The Score Attack mode is okay but since it's reusing everything to create replayability, it's nothing to write home about. The optional boss is overly powerful to the point of feeling cheap at times but for the somewhat low price relative to the brand new price of the base game, the DLC is passable in terms of value.
EPISODE PROMPTO:
Episode Prompto is the second story DLC and here you play as Prompto during HIS time away from the party, which was towards the end of the game. The very opening of the story was weak since it was a waste of time. It could have easily shrunk into a much shorter cutscene and still have the same effect instead of forcing you to slowly walk for two minutes. However, that is pretty much the only real negative in the story.
Prompto's battle abilities are very different compared to the other party members. His is based more around third-person shooters and as such, can be one of the most fun and action packed. He has a normal pistol which has unlimited ammo and auto-locks. This is just like normal attacks of the other party members, and is complemented by a melee weapon. The other slot can be filled with one of three other weapons: sniper rifle, machine gun, and bazooka. These require you to manually aim the crosshairs and then shoot. Aiming is pretty good and the target area is big enough that you don't need to be extremely precise. You can target weak areas for extra damage. Do enough damage and Prompto can execute a critical attack that more often than not, wipes the remaining HP of a normal enemy away.
However, the three other optional weapons require ammo. Run out of ammo and you need to find new weapons to replenish it. This is never a true problem since there are plenty of storage containers during the battle areas. Lastly, there are flash grenades as a get out of jail free card. This is because any enemy within the blast radius is instantly vulnerable to Prompto's special critical hit and you can just spam the attack. Prompto still has the tech bar with three different techniques to use in a pinch.
The DLC has a linear first party but then it opens up to a mini open world map, complete with sidequests. Here, he gets a snowmobile which helps with a speedier traversal. The snowmobile controls okay for the most party but still too heavy and awkward. It's fine as a method of traversal but when it is used for action sequences, it fails pretty hard on the exciting side of things. As Prompto's level is fixed, you don't gain experience points defeating enemies or completing the sidequests. Rather, you gain material to upgrade your snowmobile, boosting its speed or jump abilities. Unfortunately, these sidequests only appear at certain in-game time which is annoying to say the least. There is no easy way to quickly skip to the time you want.
The story focuses on Prompto going on a self-discovery journey as he finds out about his true nature. In the base game, we find out when Prompto had already somewhat accepted it, here, he has plenty of self-doubt. It does feel like his history comes out of nowhere but it is an interesting journey. The best part is that he partners up with a great character, one that did not having much meaningful screentime in the original. The DLC provides much needed backstory and context to certain events. While these are regulated to optional text, we find out little tidbits like the lead up to the attack of Insomnia from the Kingsglaive movie, a better explanation of the events of chapter 13 in the base game, and of course, Prompto's past.
The DLC doesn't quite cover all the way up to when we see Prompto again in the base game and thus it feels like it ended too quickly. It takes only around 1 to 2 hours to complete if you spend a little time exploring and doing some sidequests. The final boss was embarrassingly easy in the fact that it was an on rails shooter instead of a proper battle.
There are two pieces of additional content after you complete the story. The first are snowmobile time trials which are horrible as it does not control well in a race of this nature. For some reason, the handling is horrible and has wacky collision physics that throw you into the air whenever you touch a small rock. This was never present in the snowmobile in the story, it is an odd choice and makes the time trials artificially hard. The other piece of additional content is a superboss which is similar to Episode Gladiolus, where you are severely underleveled. It's more like a battle of attrition, slowly chipping away the enemy's health rather than using true skill and strategy. However, it is definitely easier and less cheap than the one from Episode Gladiolus.
Overall, Episode Prompto is a fun DLC. It doesn't contain a throwaway story like Episode Gladiolus since it has plenty of facts that enhances your understanding of the world. The gameplay is good and more action compared to the base game but in a good way. While the story is short, the sidequests and mini open world help extend the playtime and once again, the DLC has enough value to be worthwhile of its cost.
EPISODE IGNIS:
Episode Ignis is the third story DLC and the final one to be included in the season pass and the Royal Edition version of the game. The last story DLC Episode Ardyn has to be purchased separately. As you'd expect, this DLC follows Ignis during his time away from Noctis. Ignis's combat abilities are the most similar to Noctis's. He wields dual daggers and are called Spellblades. They can be one of three elements and each are suited for a different situation. Fire for single targets, ice for multiple targets, and lightning for faraway enemies.
As Ignis does damage, it charges two bars. The first bar is the normal technique bar where Ignis can use one of two special attacks. The second bar is new and filling it allows the Total Clarity ability, which has Ignis unleash an attack for massive damage. The DLC takes place in Altissia and while it feels familiar, due to the destruction of the battle, it's different enough to feel interesting and fresh. You can explore the whole map immediately upon starting the DLC (which is great compared to Gladiolus's linear dungeon and Prompto's linear opening). There are areas where you defeat enemies to regain control, which just means the enemies won't respawn.
An interesting inclusion is that Ignis gains a hookshot. This allows him to swing and pull himself up onto the rooftops. This adds a lot of verticality and the best part is that it works really well. Pulling yourself over obstacles adds a lot to the speed at which you can reach certain areas, and makes getting lost in the twisting streets a thing of the past.
The story takes place during the time in Altissia when Noctis attempts to forge a bond with Leviathan. As the group splits up during that time and Ignis comes out scarred in the events afterwards, we find out how that happened. As is the trend with these DLCs, it brings to light various underdeveloped characters and this time, it is Ravus. By the end of it, we understand him just a little bit better and why he did what he did at the end of the game. The first part of the DLC gives you freedom to explore Altissia but curiously, it then turns into a linear run to the finish. So despite giving you a decent area to explore, only a small part of it is utilized for the story which feels like a shame.
Like the other DLCs, the length only clocks in at around 1-2 hours long. You can spend an extra 30 minutes or so to get all the collectibles (much longer if you try to find them blind but this is not recommended). While the content is shallow, it does add quite a lot of context to the story of the base game and thus it is worthwhile. It is pretty easy in difficulty and it doesn't have the same epic boss battles as the other DLC.
After you finish the story, there are two pieces of additional content. The first is an alternate ending for not only the DLC but is also for the story of the game as a whole. The good news is that you don't have to replay the entire DLC or have a save before the decision point; you'll be able to select it straight from the menu. This adds a sizable chunk to the game, another thirty minutes at least. Basically, it's like the same ending, but happier. The second piece of additional content is a bonus boss and compared to the last two DLC superbosses, it is quite easy. This is because the counter timing is lenient although if you want to get the Trophy, then it can be annoying as you need to get the top ranking. It is not hard to defeat the boss, just harder to get a good score and it drags the battle out.
Overall, Episode Ignis is another strong additional to the DLC suite of Final Fantasy XV. It adds some much needed clarification to the story and plays around with alternate endings too. Once again, the DLC is worth the price of admission.
COMRADES:
Comrades is the multiplayer mode of the game. It was originally available to be selected from within the game but was eventually carved out into a standalone version. It itself got provided several updates adding new content. Upon starting up the mode, you're prompted to create your own avatar. There are plenty of options and it is fun to tinker with the color scheme of your outfit and the various aspects of your appearance. Plus, if you play this mode first and then the Royal Pack, then you'll get a neat easter egg referencing this mode.
Your avatar fights similar to Noctis from the base game. Circle to attack, triangle to warp (including a warp strike), x to jump, and square to block. The difference is that you don't use items but rather more traditionally, use MP to heal and cast offensive magic. Naturally, being in the name, the mode is built around multiplayer. If you don't want to go online and only want to play solo, then that is possible too. You'll be able to recruit three AI characters to come with you on quests. They do the job but on the harder quests, they will not provide much help. You'll be the one doing all the damage.
The teamwork comes into play as you'll have team attacks, healing spells have an area of effect, and blocking will conjure up a shield that others can hide behind. With a full party of four, combat looks suitably chaotic, especially with all the magic explosions flying around, it really is a spectacle. Comrades is a robust mode with an actual story, even though there aren't that many cutscenes. The story takes place between chapter 13 and 14 of the base game. You are one of the Glaives and is pretty much trying to restore the goodwill and atoning for running away when Insomnia was attacked. It's an interesting premise since the base game skipped all of this part of the timeline, but it is ultimately shallow and the important cutscenes are separated by too much grind.
Minor and side characters from the base game make an appearance from time to time. Therefore the story is canon and this makes it more authentic and less like a tacked on mode. Lestallum will act as your base and the game takes place in a dark world with daemons roaming the place. The colors end up being subdued and very dull. At least the music is epic. The structure of the mode is a cycle. You select a quest, complete the quest, and then return to Lestallum where you use the rewards, being kilowatts, to power up the city and its surroundings. By powering up nodes, you unlock more quests, more cutscenes, more equipment and more nodes. There are different types of quests but ultimately is just the same type of objectives: kill all enemies.
Even early on it is grindy. You have to repeat the same quests to get enough kilowatts to continue unlocking stuff. Then the new quests you unlock end up jumping massively up in level requirements. While you can craft weapons to improve your stats (and this is quite addictive), you cannot keep up and have to resort to repeating quests. This pretty much kills your enthusiasm and this mode's potential. It takes around 20 to 40 hours to complete and is very repetitive. Seriously, it's better to just play for two hours or so to get a feel and then watch the cutscenes on YouTube.
Overall, Comrades is a nice inclusion and something different for the game. Unfortunately, in order to create some sense of value and that the developers can say they have provided heaps of content, we get a lot of repetitive quests. It's fun for the first few hours but will quickly devolve into a mind-numbing grind.
OVERALL:
Final Fantasy XV: Royal Edition is great value. You get most of the DLC and it really says something that the DLC ends up being more fun than the base game and feels a lot more polished. Playing through the DLC, it explains some of the things that the base game neglected to, so it's just a shame that it required paid DLC to do so.
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