A King’s Tale: Final Fantasy XV, the side-scrolling action game included with pre-orders of Final Fantasy XV from GameStop, will be free to download on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 from March 1 in Europe and North America, Square Enix has confirmed (via Gematsu). The bonus game, which features retro-style visuals, was previously unobtainable for those living outside of the States (or who missed the GameStop promotion), so it’s nice to see Square making it accessible for everyone, especially as it’s actually worthy of your time.
Very much unlike the triple-A JRPG with which it was originally included, A King’s Tale takes place on a 2D plane and puts you in the role of King Regis, Noctis’ father and the monarch of Insomnia. Considerably more light-hearted than its big brother, King’s Tale is Regis’ self-told story about his selfless defence of the city from a monster invasion 30 years prior to Noctis’ own adventure, although the stakes aren’t as high as you’d think – it’s just a bedtime story to help the young prince sleep.
Various companions, including Regis’ friend Weskham, summons, magic and a combo-based combat system – all of the usual Final Fantasy tropes – are present and accounted for in the title, so it’s definitely worth a look when King’s Tale drops next week, especially as it’s free.
As for Final Fantasy XV, yesterday saw Square Enix release a new patch for the game on Xbox One and PlayStation 4, which includes an increased level cap, new items and daily quests. Next month marks the arrival of the long-awaited Chapter 13 improvements, as well as story DLC – Episode Gladio – on both platforms. Read more about those here.