Final Fantasy XV feels half-baked. All of the common criticisms seem to be accurate based on the 4 hours I played. The characters and world are underdeveloped, the side quests are bland, and the open world is empty. Even calling this an open world seems laughable when there are invisible walls for areas the game doesn't want you reaching (despite them being clearly traversable). The combat is shallow and repetitive. All you need to do is hold down the attack button and dodge occasionally. The supplementary systems (warping, "magic" AKA glorified bombs, and ally attacks) don't make it any better. I didn't hear any memorable music. Sitting in the car and doing literally nothing for 3-5 minutes while heading to a destination is miserable. The fuel mechanic is more tedious than immersive. Dungeons lacked the puzzle solving that made them

The graphics are above average, but the poor performance/optimization detracts from the experience. I had intermittent stuttering on a PC that should easily be able to run this game. Some technical aspects are also lacking (no footprints in the sand, grass appears to be mostly static, towns feel empty, etc.) The lack of a manual save option in dungeons is annoying, especially when I want to change gear or allocate skill points before a major fight.

I shouldn't need to consume a bunch of supplementary media to get a half-decent story.