Here's a recap of what went down at Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV

Despite the earlier leaks, there were many exciting announcements that were made at the just concluded Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event, which took place at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. In case you missed the livestream, here’s a condensed version of what went on at the FFXV extravaganza today.

1) It all comes full circle

The first surprise of Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV totally came out of the left field, but it’s one that every FF fan will remember for a long time. Hironobu Sakaguchi, the father of Final Fantasy himself, entered the stage to the applause of the gathered crowd. He commented: “Final Fantasy is like a child to me. I had a chance to sit down with Director Tabata, who told me that he plans to guide Final Fantasy back to its challenger roots.”

Was that a subtle dig at the ‘Lightning’ saga? He added: “I felt assured by his words, because the Final Fantasy I remember was constantly seeking new challenges, and never sitting comfortable in any given place. I’m excited to be here tonight, with all of you, to see just how Final Fantasy has rediscovered its true nature.” That sounds like an endorsement from no less than Sakaguchi-san!

2) New trailer, new theme song

A new trailer titled ‘Reclaim Your Throne’ was shown immediate after, covering new battle gameplay footage, glimpses of Luna and the Leviathan summon, and never-before-seen environments, with narration by King Regis. Halfway through the video, a haunting rendition of ‘Stand by Me’ kicked in, later revealed to be performed by Florence Welch of Florence + the Machine.

“I’ve always seen Final Fantasy as mythical, beautiful and epic. ‘Stand by Me’ is one of the greatest songs probably of all time and you can’t really improve on it, you just have to make it your own. For me, it was just about bringing the song into the world of Florence + the Machine and the world of Final Fantasy,” she commented.

3) Classics on the radio

Some gameplay tidbits that were mentioned during the presentation include magic skills, Chocobo drifting, and the ability to tune in to classic Final Fantasy tunes during the driving segments. The 'Main Theme' from Final Fantasy I and 'The Sunleth Waterscape' from Final Fantasy XIII were briefly heard from the on-stage demo.

4) CG feature film and anime series

As part of the newly announced Final Fantasy XV Universe, there will be a fully CG feature film (Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV) and an anime series (Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV) to fill in the backstory behind the upcoming mainline Final Fantasy installment. Kingsglaive, a collaboration between Square Enix and Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, features a celebrity voice cast of Sean Bean as King Regis, Lena Headey as Princess Luna, and Aaron Paul as Nyx. Fans will get to witness the war between the kingdom of Lucis and the Niflheim empire, who will stop at nothing to wrest control of the last remaining Crystal in FFXV's world.

Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, on the other hand, will explore the friendships between Noctis and his three comrades: Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto. The five-episode animated series will serve as a prequel to the events in Final Fantasy XV.

Kingsglaive: Final Fantasy XV will be available to download and stream worldwide this fall, while the first episode of Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV is available to stream on YouTube today. Subsequent episodes can also be streamed for free as and when they are released on the official Final Fantasy XV YouTube channel.

5) A wild Audi R8 appears!

For those who watched the teaser trailer above, you'll notice the appearance of an Audi R8 in the midst of all the chaos. It is in fact based on a one-of-a-kind production model, exclusively designed to promote the feature-length CG movie.

6) I CAN HAZ MOBILE GAME?!

These days, you can't release a new game without at least one mobile tie-in to drive more iAP sales, but there's a slight twist to the formula with Final Fantasy XV. Named Justice Monsters Five, players will be able to enjoy the pinball-RPG hybrid in-game, or on their mobile devices very soon. Pre-registration for the iOS and Android version are available now, but a Windows 10 version is also in the works.

7) That 'Young Noctis + Carbuncle' demo

Yes, the previous leak is indeed real! Starting today, Platinum Demo: Final Fantasy XV will be available as a free download on Xbox One and PlayStation 4 (Update: It's up on PSN! – U.S., Malaysia). Fans and newcomers to the series will be able to enjoy a storyline that is unique to the demo, and try out new gameplay mechanics from the final game as young Noctis and his magical guide Carbuncle. Matt Kishimoto of Square Enix America confirmed that completing the demo will unlock the exclusive Carbuncle summon in the full release.

8) Shut up and take my money!

Now that all's said and done, it's time to get to the main course – the price and release of the game. Final Fantasy XV will indeed be launched on September 30, 2016! There will be three editions to the game, all of which can be pre-ordered later today (Update: Pre-orders are live!). For a limited time, those who pre-order in the U.S. will receive Noctis Special Outfit and Carbuncle pet for Xbox Avatars (Xbox One only), or a Dynamic PS4 theme (PS4 only).

● Day One Edition – US$59.99 / Standard Edition – RM259

• Masamune weapon DLC

● Digital Edition – US$59.99 / RM259

• Masamune weapon DLC

• Big Bang PS4 theme

• 16-bit Buddies car recolor DLC

• Angler set (in-game item pack)

● Deluxe Edition – US$89.99 / RM399

• All Day One Edition content

• Exclusive dual disc steelbook

• Final Fantasy XV and Kingsglaive Blu-ray movie

• Platinum Leviathan Regalia design DLC

• Royal Raiment costume DLC

● Ultimate Collector’s Edition – US$269.99 / RM1,399

• All Deluxe Edition content

• Exclusive disc steelbooks

• Official Final Fantasy XV Blu-ray soundtrack (featuring music from FFXV, Kingsglaive, and Brotherhood)

• Brotherhood: FFXV Blu-ray (containing an exclusive sixth episode)

• Hard-cover artbook

• Exclusive limited edition variant Noctis Play Arts -Kai- action figure

• In-game item packs

9) Are you hyped now?

The Uncovered: Final Fantasy XV event was undoubtedly everything Final Fantasy fans want (and more). To close the event, FFXV director Hajime Tabata took to the stage to introduce the final trailer of the night. Look out for the lovely surprise at the end of the video!

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