Posted in: Games, Video Games | Tagged: Episode Gladiolus, FFXV, FFXV DLC, Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy XV, PAX East, PAX East 2017

The FFXV Episode Gladio Demo At PAX East Is Definitely Worth The Lines

During PAX East this weekend, Square Enix is letting fans get hands on off with the upcoming DLC for Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus. We get our first look at Giglamesh in the game as well. Details on Episode Gladio are still a bit sketchy somehow, with reports coming in saying that it's a 1-2 hour DLC and others saying it's 2-3 hours.

The video we've got below courtesy of Youtuber titustm shows the first 15 minutes of Episode Gladio. We catch up with Gladiolus as he's sitting in a diner, asking Cor the Immortal for help getting "more power." Cor's solution? Go fight Gilgamesh.

As the only one known to have survived the Trial of Gilgamesh, Cor tags along as a teammate for this DLC. The first part of the gameplay is just taking out some reanimated corpses while listening to a history lesson and getting mocked by Gilgamesh. Pretty amusing, to be fair. Things to note are the changes to your HUD. The scheme isn't as minimalist as it is while controlling Noctis and several things are missing from the left side of the screen. Gladio fights mostly alone, with no calling for help from teammates, so that whole tech point sidebar is missing.

After a fight with a mini-boss, we meet up with Gilgamesh.Those familiar with the Final Fantasy franchise should find this version of Gilgamesh rather entertaining. He's not the incredibly bright-colored clown of FFXIV, but instead an incredibly intimidating figure for a guy missing his left arm. After wiping the floor with Gladio, he disappears, leading us on a bit of a hunt through the inner sanctum.

There's a campsite where you can sit down, eat some cup noodles, and chat with Cor about the "Blademaster." Basically, Gilgamesh is the kind of guy who thinks the weak deserve to die. So, with Gladio looking for more power, he's probably the best guy to test that out.

Then you go through more trash, more trash-talking, and it's on to the big boss fight of the gameplay footage. Just not the boss we were looking for. The basic structure of Episode Gladio looks to be pretty simple: you fight your way through some ruins, working your way up through bosses and mini-bosses to get all the way up to Gilgamesh. And from what we've seen of the guy, that should be a pretty fun fight.

After getting my own hands on this DLC today, I've got to admit that it's interesting playing Gladio alone. For so much of FFXV, Gladio is your set-up guy. He comes in to bust things up, setting up shots for Prompto, Noctis, or Ignis. He's the only tank in a group of DPS, and since I tend to tank by default, I'm a bit more comfortable taking Gladio out for a spin than I would be Prompto. The challenge in Episode Gladio is trying not to tank, because you've got no Ignis to call you back for group heals, no damage dealers to set up shots for, and no one to kill shit while you hold their attention. You've got to try and dps your way through with a character known mostly for his support.

While you've got to queue up on the floor to get a crack at playing Gladio, I'd definitely say it was worth it.

Titustm's footage of the gameplay is below.

Episode Gladiolus will be available March 28th alongside the update to FFXV's infamous Chapter 13.

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