About six months ago, I posted on the then-new Final Fantasy XV and how it was, while not perfect, still a great RPG to lose yourself in. Six months later, after playing LEGO Dimensions with JoJo, revisiting San Andreas and Uncharted with Lady Speed, and finding enough time to actually game (since, you know, being a dad/having a full-time job/adulting leaves little time to game like you want), I’ve started to revisit the game. And let me tell you something.

It’s a lot more fun grinding your ass off in fights than it is to go through the story thus far.

I mean, the story is cool. It’s interesting enough and Noctis and company feel like real people versus strong stoic assholes. Even with that said, running/driving around, swords a-flailing at everything with a pulse, there’s something oddly calming about it. Maybe it’s the GTA/Fallout effect, but I’ve found myself avoiding advancing in the main story just to learn more about the ins and outs of the region where the game takes place.

In doing so, I’m at about level 45 and I still haven’t even finished chapter four. OP? Perhaps. Maybe that’ll help me. Maybe that’ll make the game feel like I’m playing on God Mode. Who knows? I just faced off against Titan for the first(?) time and I had fun in that epic brawl since I wasn’t a wimpering mess of a character. However, I can’t bring myself to continue the story (maybe it’s because some folks have somewhat spoiled it in saying that the story originally lost its way about midway through). But, I have fallen in love with the way the brotherly love between the characters feels real. There’s no hamfisted efforts to make things feel real; dialogue and interactions just are realistic. I feel that’s the main reason why I haven’t gone farther into the rabbit hole. I fear that the realism in the game will go out the window once more mysticism is introduced and I get closer to the “real” stories encapsulated in the game.

Either way, if you haven’t checked out FFXV, do so on PS4 since there’s a sale on the Premium Digital Edition on the Playstation Store (shameless plug with no money attached).