The countdown has begun: Xbox One owners can now pre-purchase and download the digital version of both Final Fantasy Type-0 HD and its included demo of Final Fantasy XV, Episode Duscae. While the downloaded game will not unlock until March 17 at 12:01am EST, it’s nice to know that the product is really, truly complete. Western gamers have been waiting for Type-0 for four years now, and the whole world much longer for a tangible slice of Final Fantasy XV. Following a consistently troubled last console generation, the release of Type-0 HD marks the start of a new beginning for Square Enix, turning over a new leaf both as a company and for Final Fantasy as a franchise. While both new titles might have spawned as part of the same Fabula Nova Crystallis as the often-panned Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, it’s clear that the games’ creators intend to distance them from their source material and allow them to stand alone not as spinoffs, but as the new face of the long-running franchise.
And at long last, in the words of Type-0’s lead character, Ace, “[they] have arrived.” If you haven’t already preordered the disc version, all you need do is head on over to the Xbox store page for the game or fire up your Xbox One and make the transaction. Being an HD remaster of a PSP title, Type-0 isn’t the heftiest of new-generation games we’ve seen, but you’ll still need a fair 22.35GB of free hard drive space for Type-0 itself plus another 6.3GB for Episode Duscae. There is currently no word on a similar preload for Playstation 4 users, however it is likely one will appear at some point before the game’s launch next Tuesday.
Now if you’re worried about that ‘limited availability’ on Episode Duscae, don’t fret: the digital edition of Type-0 will include the hotly-anticipated Final Fantasy XV demo for two full months post-release on both Xbox and Playstation platforms. If physical media isn’t your thing or you missed the opportunity to preorder, the digital edition’s got your back.
Both games have been a pretty ridiculously long time in coming, but it’s all about to get real very soon. Will you be picking this package up?
UPDATE: While the PS4 digital download still isn’t live for the US, the UK PSN store is now listing the game for pre-order. Interestingly, the PS4 version of Type-0 HD clocks in at 26.8GB—over 4GB more than the Xbox One. Square Enix has commented that there are no notable discrepancies between consoles, but it is possible that the PS4 is able to manage with somewhat less-compressed textures and other assets to account for the greater file size.
