Final Fantasy 15: How Open Combat Works

Combat has changed a lot since the olden days of the Final Fantasy universe, and now Final Fantasy 15 introduces an entirely new way to fight. Following the Kingdom Hearts style of combat, Final Fantasy 15 uses an Open Combat system, which allows players to actively participate in the battle. In this guide, we’ll help you understand the combat system better, and go over a few tips to help you conquer your foes in Final Fantasy 15.

How the Open Combat System Works

The new Open Combat system in Final Fantasy 15 works much differently than combat in previous Final Fantasy games. Instead of being pulled into a separate battle screen, things are much more fluid, allowing the player to move seamlessly between non-combat and combat situations. This also means that combat is done in real-time, so you’ll need to pay careful attention to how you play the game during combat sequences.

Some things to keep in mind when battling in Final Fantasy 15:

• Combos are king. Make use of Warp-strikes, normal attacks and directions to unleash the greatest amount of damage upon your enemies. 
• Make sure to use the weapon that inflicts the most damage to that enemy. You can find enemy weaknesses by using Wait Mode and scanning them with Libra, or by unlocking the Analyze skill.
• Group up with your teammates to increase your chances of staying alive. This makes it harder for enemies to hit any specific member of your team, and increases your chances of being picked up quickly if you enter Danger mode.
• Pay attention to your party members’ health bars, as they will need to be “revived” if they enter Danger mode.
• Parrying and dodging are vital to your survival. Don’t simply stand still and let the enemy attack you. Move around them, dodging and phasing out of their attacks with Square or X. 
• Pay attention to your MP points and restore them using Warp Points when needed. Don’t enter stasis too often, as it impairs your fighting abilities and removes the ability to dodge enemy attacks.     

Techniques, Blindsides and Parries

There are three major types of attacks that can help your fighting style in Final Fantasy 15.

Technique attacks are special abilities that your party members can pull off to deal additional damage to the enemy, or even heal your party. These abilities require special Tech Points to pull off, and you’ll want to make use of them often to maximize your combat proficiency. To use these attacks, you simply have to press R1 on the controller and then the direction of the Technique that you wish to use. Technique types range from combative to defensive, and even to restorative, making them extremely useful in all types of battles.

Blindside attacks are also extremely helpful, as they allow you to deal additional damage to enemies by flanking them. Attacking an enemy from behind can also trigger a Link attack, which will cause one of your party members and Noctis to work together to perform a much stronger Blindside attack. You should also try to stay behind enemies as much as possible, as Blindside attacks are very powerful and deal large amounts of damage when using your enemy’s weakness.

Parrying is also an important part of the combat system in Final Fantasy 15. While you can easily dodge enemy attacks, parrying their attacks will allow you to stun them and even pull off a counterattack. This allows you to inflict even more damage than you would have by simply dodging and attacking, so make sure you are using your parry skill effectively in battle.

Those are the basics of the Open Combat system in Final Fantasy 15. While it might not be the usual turn-based system that fans are used to, the open combat offers even more ways to enjoy the stunning world of Final Fantasy 15. You can learn more about this game with our Final Fantasy walkthrough, or learn how to level up quickly so you can become stronger. We also have detailed guides on how to spend AP and use the Ascension system, so check those out for more in-depth information about Final Fantasy 15’s ability system.