Chapter 1 - Departure
Contents
Walkthrough
For the purpose of the walkthrough I’m going to skip through the prologue, as it doesn’t exactly require much effort from the player other than holding “up” until you make it to the first settlement in the game; so for that reason let’s skip straight past it and make our way onto chapter 1!
The Pauper Prince
At the end of the prologue, we’re treated to the Regalia getting some much needed repairs; alas at a price the group of friends can just barely afford. Thanks to this quickly looming problem of having no money, it seems the group are going to need to pick up a few jobs here and there to get the gil they need to survive outside the capital.
Ignis makes the suggestion to have a word with Cindy to see if she’s got any jobs for the lot of you to pick up and get started earning some honest gil. When you first talk to Cindy and ask about your funds situation you will have 3 options to say to her – each option will give you the same reward of 10 AP that can be used to upgrade your characters. From there Cindy will give you a quest to deal with some “vermin” just outside of the settlement to earn your keep, but before you leave she will present you with a couple of rewards.
Rewards:
- Bronze Bangle
- 1,000 Gil
It’s not a bad idea to equip the bronze bangle onto Noctis before you make a start, just to increase your stats that little more before you set off.
Now, start to make a move across the road and keep an eye out for the waypoints on your map for the Reapertails that you’re contracted to slay. Considering they’re your first combatants in the game, you won’t have much trouble dealing with all 3 groups and once they’re done you can head back to the settlement for your next quest.
Hunter Becomes the Hunted
On your return to Cindy, she’ll request that you locate a hunter by the name of Dave who is apparently hiding inside a little wooden shack, but it isn’t located too far from where you already are; so at least there’s that!
Rewards:
- 150 XP
Follow along a nearby dirt road towards the west of the map and you’ll notice a wooden shack amongst the horizon with some blue containers nearby that are fairly hard to miss. Check inside the shack and you’ll come across a letter that details the events of a Mutant Dualhorn sighting nearby. Shortly after reading through the letter you will get ambushed by a horde of Sabertusks, but this early in the game they won’t put up much of a fight against you and should go down without any real issues.
After the ambush the group comes to the conclusion that Dave isn’t located in that shack and it is best you get back to your search for the bloke. Once you leave the shack, keep an eye out for the shack with a windmill near it as that is where you will find Dave hiding about inside. First you’re going to be attacked by Sabertusks, but they aren’t any more difficult than the first lot you faced, so do with them what you will and have a chat with Dave once they’re defeated to end the quest and earn some XP.
The Mutant Marauder
After you’ve found Dave he will key you into that piece of paper you found earlier about a bounty that needed taking care of and that’s exactly what Dave is offering you to do. Before you make a start on the quest you have 3 conversation choices that will get you different rewards depending on what you choose.
- Do it for free – Gain 30 XP
- Do it for a price – Gain 2 AP
- Ask your friends – Gain 150 XP for Ignis
Before you head off, it’s recommended that you go towards a nearby camping spot to rest, level up a little bit, and gain some temporary stat bonuses to make the next quest a little bit easier to cope with. Once you’re camping experience is over, be sure to put whatever AP you’ve got left over into some skills that fit your personal playstyle and take a gander at your map afterwards to locate where the bounty is hiding.
Head towards the map location in the north and be prepared for quite the combatant. The aggressive play only goes so far on this one, partly down to how much of a tank he is and how easily he can shake you off of him with a few swings of his horn. With that in mind, be sure to get some distance between you every now and again, just to make sure you avoid any unnecessary damage that you could sustain. After long enough your tech bar will fill up and it’s recommended that you use Gladio’s Tempest ability, as it’s an ability that deals a considerable amount of damage and will make the battle considerably easier in the long run.
Once the beast has been slain you will get a call from Cindy to say that the Regalia has finally been repaired and it’s best you go back to your car to make your future travels that much easier!
The Errand Prince
With the Regalia finally back in the hands of the group, you can finally get on your way to Galdin Quay where you’ll be getting on a boat – just not quite yet! Before you make a move, Cindy will ask if you can do a task and take a package to a nearby motel owner on the way to your next major location. Just before you accept the quest, you can choose from 3 different options:
- Accept the quest: Gain 50 XP
- Refuse the quest: Gain 2 AP
- Ask your friends: Gain 200 XP for Prompto
Once you hop into the car, you’ll be given a couple of options on how you wish to use the car and depending on if you would like to manually drive the car for yourself or simply tell Ignis to do it.
The game basically has you choose between driving automatically or manually.
Even with a few blockades popping up every now and again, you’ll eventually manage to get to your destination and deliver the package to the manager. Once that’s done and dusted, you can continue on your way to the Galdin Quay. Follow along from the parking spot towards the restaurant that sits just atop the water and follow it all the way until the end, up until you come to a dock and realise that getting a ship won’t be quite as easy as you originally hoped for.
A Gentleman’s Agreement
The group will proceed to talk amongst themselves to try and figure out what they should do, before an individual pipes up and explains that he is a reporter and won’t say a word if you do as he asks and that by the time you return the boats shall have returned. You have 2 options to pick from in the conversation, both of which get you different bonuses:
- Listen to Dino: Gain 80 XP
- Stand your ground: Gain 150XP for Ignis
Take the Regalia out for another trip on the road towards the waypoint, and pull in to the side of the road once you get near to it. There are a number of mineral deposits you can harvest resources from if you so choose, but once you head around a particular bend you’ll come face to face with a very large frightful bird that I wouldn’t recommend getting into a fight with. To keep the group from turning into bird-food, you’ll be tasked with sneaking around a nearby ledge and hiding in bushes when necessary to keep away from being spotted.
Eventually you’ll come behind the bird and it will proceed to get startled – but don’t be too concerned as it decided to fly away as fast as it can! From there you can pick up the gemstone that you need to finish the quest when you head back to your new friend, Dino.
Fulfilling his word, he manages to get you a spot on the next ferry out of Galdin Quay and prior to this you’re set up at the Goldin Quay hotel, which is a location that will get you 2X your current experience when you rest there completely for free for the first time! Since this hotel normally costs 10,000 gil, it’s recommended that you finish any extra tasks on the side to get as much experience as you can muster before heading to bed for the night and earning some big levels!
Ill Tidings
In the final part in the first chapter, something very big occurs whilst the group sleep through the night: the peace talks have not gone to plan at all, and has led to the death of the king – Noctis’ father. In complete disbelief, Noctis refuses to believe what has happened and wants to see what’s happened with his own eyes.
With Noctis in no mood to drive, Ignis will take the wheel and drive towards the imperial border, where overhead you will encounter a number of flying Dreadnoughts that the group do what they can to avoid. Ignis will drive up to the imperial border until they can get no closer without getting into some serious problems. To avoid this, he heads up towards the hills to scope out what’s going on.
Before they can get there, they’ve got to make their way through a couple of groups of imperials that are holding a small area; but they aren’t much of a challenge – especially when you understand that their weakness is pistols. After going a few rounds with Prompto, they aren’t going to be left standing for much longer.
There are a couple more corridors coming up; one of which has a number of snipers that will deal a hefty amount of damage to you if you’re not too careful – so do be aware that if you warp upwards too high, you become exceptionally vulnerable, so try to avoid it as best you can. On your way up one last hill you’ll be ambushed once more, but this time it will be with some Magitek Axemen who may be slow, but they do deal a fair amount of damage if their attacks land.
Once they are taken care of and you reach the top of the hill, you’ll be treated to a cutscene that will confirm the news that Noctis didn’t wish to believe: his father is gone and now Noctis is the last remaining heir to the throne – making him the new king.
Plot
- See also: Plot
Chapter 1 – Departure
Prior to the empire launching its assault on Insomnium, Ardyn leaves to check up on Noctis. He knows that Noctis must be going to try and procure a boat in Galdin Quay, but (should be) aware of the imperial embargo. So, he arrives there early and waits for him. Noctis arrives and Ardyn informs him that the boats are not running, then leaves to keep track of him from afar. Noctis finds a way around the embargo courtesy of a nosy reporter. However, by the time Noctis secures passage, the attack on Insomnium has already begun. King Regis is slain during the attack, the Empire takes the Crystal, and an announcement is made to the public that Noctis and Lunafreya are dead.
Noctis and co. read the empire’s proclamations in the newspaper before boarding the ship and, seeing as how Noctis is still alive, are uncertain how true the other proclamations are. So, they drive back to Insomnia to find the truth. However, the empire sets up a checkpoint outside the imperial city, forcing Noctis’ party to sneak around it. The team battles their way through a small horde of Imperial soldiers and lay their eyes on a city in ruins. While reeling, Noctis receives a call from Cor, one of the Marshals of the Lucis Crown’s Guard, telling them to meet him in Hammerhead.
