Here’s the deal with the Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae demo

What to expect

[Update: I’ve obtained the disc, and can confirm that the XV demo is a pack-in code slip, not on the disc itself. Additionally, it goes active on 3/17/2015, and the expiration date to redeem the code is 3/17/2016.]

Anyone who knows me knows I’m big on marquee demos. I grew up with piles of PlayStation demo discs on-hand, I was a subscriber to PlayStation Underground, and some of my favorite gaming memories involve iconic demos like Metal Gear Solid 2 and Final Fantasy VIII.

The newest big-time demo release is Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae, set to arrive this month with copies of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD. Here are some facts to help you decide whether or not you want to buy the demo for $60 and get your “free copy of Type-0 HD.”

• The demo will be released at the launch of Type-0 HD, on March 17, as a first-run new copy pack-in. You’ll be able to download it immediately by way of a code. If you digitally purchase the game, you’ll be able to net it for up to two months after release — after that, it will be seemingly gone forever (though it seems as if license owners will keep their copies). There are no current plans for a standalone demo release so plan accordingly.

• It will be roughly an hour long if you rush, two to three hours more if you explore everything. It’ll have its own superboss in it, the Behemoth.

• Data will not carry over to the finished product, but there might be a bonus for those who completed it.

The main thing to keep in mind here is that you can still technically “buy” the demo with the digital version for two months before it goes away. So if you don’t have the money right now for Type-0 HD and want to play it, don’t sweat it.