Stealth Goes Terribly Wrong in New 'Final Fantasy XV' Gameplay Footage

While Final Fantasy XV is set for a worldwide release later this year, there’s still a lot yet to learn about Square Enix’s next installment. We know a few things, like the setting, characters, how some of its gameplay works, and the pseudo-realistic in-game clock. We’ll also know more, like the official release date, on March 30 when Square Enix hosts Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV at 7 p.m., PST in Los Angeles.

What we didn’t know about were the game’s stealth mechanics, or that it would even have any. Well, on January 30, Square Enix uploaded three-and-a-half minutes of a stealth-focused chapter to YouTube, in which Noctis and his bros infiltrate — in sloppy fashion, I might add — a Niflheim military base.

Bipedal mechs, faceless armed soldiers, and dark shadows make me think Final Fantasy is going after the Metal Gear Solid crowd in a pretty big way.

Oddly enough, the game doesn’t look like it’s even trying to rival other stealth games like the Hitman or Batman: Arkham games. There’s not a lot of depth to the tactics, just looks like a matter of hiding in shadows and attacking before any of the NPCs sees you.

About 1:37 into the video, the stealth effort goes to hell when Noctis is spotted. Hate to be a cynic here, but is Noctis supposed to get caught? If so, then what’s the point of bothering with stealth anyway?

The whole video is still worth watching since Square Enix won’t announce the official release date until March 30. So let the hefty amount of slick action in the video offset the disappointing stealth.

Final Fantasy XV will be released on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.