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Final Fantasy XVis so much fun.

You just have to get the hang of it. Just like every other Final Fantasyreleased since the days of NES, XVis an unapproachable game that doesn't always explain itself very well.

SEE ALSO:'Final Fantasy XV' reviews are in, and it sounds like it was worth the wait

The basics are clear enough, but there's a bunch of things you can do to make your going through the 40-plus hour game more pleasant. After spending double that amount of time tooling around Lucis and its surrounding region, we've got a good sense of what works and what doesn't.

1. There's an infinite sprint feature

Sprinting in Final Fantasy XVis limited by your stamina bar, which slowly drains as you run. Empty it completely and you'll move extra-slow for a few seconds as the bar recharges.

There is, however, a secret way to instantaneously refill your drained stamina when you're not in combat. Keeping the circle button (PlayStation 4 controls) pressed until your stamina meter is almost empty. When there's just a sliver left: release the button, wait a beat, then press it again. Noctis will dart forward in a brief burst and your stamina will refill immediately. Simple.

Also: make sure to turn the overhead stamina bar on in the menus. It's off by default.

2. Don't be afraid to run away

The world of Final Fantasy XVis large and filled with threats that don't really care what level you are. It's very easy when you're wandering through the wilderness to suddenly find yourself facing a creature that can land a one-hit kill just by looking at you.

When you find yourself in dire straits, just run away. Look at the minimap during any combat encounter and you'll see a red circle. Take even one step out of that circle and the fight ends.

3. Switch between Active and Wait combat

Credit: Square Enix

Active combat in Final Fantasy XVplays out in real time. You hit a button, Noctis swings his sword. You push the controller left, Noctis moves in that direction. Wait combat, on the other hand, hews closer to the turn-based play of older FFgames. Time stops until you move, giving you the freedom to plan and execute different strategies.

Don't be shy about switching between them. Active is great for standard encounters against weaker enemies. Wait, on the other hand, is very useful against larger threats, like bosses. You can switch between Active and Wait in the pause menu at any time.

4. Visit all the diners

Diners are marked on your minimap with a fork-and-knife icon. Stop by every one you find and talk to the proprietor. Choose the "talk" option first and they'll mark nearby points of interest on your world map.

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Diners are also your best source of income in Final Fantasy XVthanks to Hunts. These monster-hunting optional quests don't carry big XP rewards, but they reward you with lots of Gil. And since Gil doesn't drop at the end of standard battles anymore, these Hunts are a lucrative use of your time.

5. Use fast travel

Driving is a nifty way to get around in Final Fantasy XV. You get to hear the idle chatter between the four heroic bros at the heart of the story and watch the beautiful countryside while you let your buddy Ignis drive.

That said, driving can be a chore as you delve deeper into the game and start covering greater distances. That's where fast travel comes in handy. In the "Auto" destination menu, any listed item with a white fast-forward icon next to it is unlocked for fast travel. It costs 10 Gil per trip, but that's pocket change.

6. Abuse "Return to Rest Point/Car" options

Credit: Square Enix

In addition to the fast travel discussed above, there are also options to quickly warp back to either the last rest point you used, or your car. Learn how to game the system and use these to your advantage.

Just finish a quest that took you far off the main road? Return to your car. Have a boatload of XP saved up as night is falling? Zap yourself to yourself to your last rest point. These options can be used virtually anywhere outside of dungeons with no penalty or cost.

7. Bank that XP

Leveling up in Final Fantasy XVis an unusual process. You earn XP for completing quests and felling beasts, but that accumulated XP isn't applied to your crew until you get a good night's sleep.

It doesn't matter if you camp under the stars or get a hotel for the evening; as long as you sleep, you'll apply your banked XP and level up. Camping in the open world gives you the chance to sample Ignis's cooking, which can provide stat boosts for the next day. You don't get the home-cooked meal when you sleep in nicer accommodations, but you do get an XP boost.

8. Learn to love the Lestallum hotel

Lestallum is the first big city you get to visit, only a handful of hours into the game. The hotel there -- which costs 500 Gil per night -- comes with a 1.5x boost to your banked XP when you sleep. That's a bargain.

For context, there's a hotel at Galdin Quay that gives you a 2.0x boost. The cost of that one? 10,000 Gil per night. Skip Galdin Quay and stay in Lestallum whenever you have thousands of XP banked.

9. You don't need to sleep every night

Credit: Square Enix

The evening is a dangerous time to be wandering around Final Fantasy XV's wilderness, especially early on. That's when the fearsome daemons come out to murder you.

Don't be afraid. Remember: you can flee any battle with relative ease. It might be tough to finish some quests at night -- again, this is especially true in the early hours -- but the more XP you can bank, the bigger the bonus you can look forward to when you eventually apply it at the Lestallum hotel (that's where you're going to sleep, right?).

10. Pick your Ascension unlocks carefully

Separate from your character level are the abilities you unlock on the Ascension nexus. This is where you tailor your character upgrades to whatever play style you favor. If you don't want to bother with too much magic, take a look at the combat nexus. Prefer team-oriented upgrades? Grab unlocks under the teamwork and techniques trees.

That said, there are some universal Ascension unlocks that every player should pursue. Definitely grab the Analyze (scans enemies for weaknesses) and Regenerate (AI-controlled healing) unlocks for Ignis when you can, under teamwork.

Be sure to also unlock at least one or two of the Health Level nodes under the stats tree, if not all three, as well as the first Accessory Slot nodes for each of your characters. And however you approach combat, Noctis' Light Phase (reduced MP cost for phasing) and Experimagic (increases Noctis MP) are universally helpful.

TopicsGaming