For those of you who don't keep up with recent video game history, Final Fantasy XIV was kind of a trainwreck. It launched in 2010 to a myriad legitimate complaints from critics and fans, and was completely taken back to the drawing board, relaunching last year as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. That name wasn't just for show, either--ARR made plenty of improvements, streamlining in some areas and adding more depth in others, effectively redeeming Square Enix's latest MMORPG.
Last week, I ventured out to the Sony Computer Entertainment of America headquarters in San Mateo (it's the big building that says "PlayStation" on it) to get some hands-on time with the upcoming PlayStation 4 version of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, along with a chance to talk to Naoki Yoshida, the man who brought Final Fantasy XIV back from the dead.
Starting off, we were given a presentation showing some of FFXIV:ARR's accomplishments to date. The numbers are pretty impressive: a total of 1.8 million players, who've made 6.71 million characters, and played for over 400 million hours' (about 1.57 million years) worth of gameplay time. The mentality behind Final Fantasy XIV isn't just to put out a good, modern-feeling MMORPG, but to carry the pride behind the Final Fantasy name as well as being the latest numbered title in the franchise, and to keep steady content coming so that it'll continue to feel fresh even as the years go by. So far, it feels like they're succeeding.
If you've played A Realm Reborn on PS3, you'll be right at home on the PS4. Everything is the same--the flexible, customizable HUD, the handy Cross Hot Bar for abilities and actions, and the ease of accessing all the features that you'd normally use a mouse for--but some of the PS4's unique features add to the experience. The PS4 controller's touchpad can be used to select on-screen items like your map or Duty Finder, and is a lot faster than using the Square button. The PS4 version is fully-optimized for the system and based on the Windows version of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, and can display a huge number of characters on-screen. All Share features are supported, and there are no restrictions on sharing your adventures with your friends.
The PS4 version of A Realm Reborn will also support Remote Play with the PlayStation Vita, so you can visit Eorzea with your handheld instead of taking up the TV. All of the game's content will be available through Remote Play--no restrictions. This was an experience that I didn't enjoy as much--real adjustments to the game had to be done on the PS4 before connecting via Remote Play, so initially the game's text was microscopic. Even after further adjustments and using the dedicated UI for the Vita, the text was pretty small, and using abilities with the rear touchpads didn't feel particularly intuitive. Maybe with some time, it'll become more natural.
Of course, the visuals have been beefed up to full 1080p, but it's mostly noticeable in the environments and attack effects. A Realm Reborn has always been a bright, colorful game with a lot of life, so while some character animations (and some of the models when they're really up-close) can feel a little dated, the game still more or less looks great. As for Remote Play, the Vita is a powerhouse of a handheld, and it was nice to see that much detail packed onto such a small screen.
There isn't anything new to say about the game, really--it's Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, with all the good and bad that entails. I ran around Ul'dah with the hilariously overpowered character that was provided to us, stomped a bunch of tortoises and marmots, and then warped up north to Dragonhead to fight some bigger enemies. On the Vita, I ran around Limsa Lominsa and tried fighting a few enemies outside of town--aside from the control issues I mentioned above, it still felt like the console/PC version.
Now, let me share some of my conversation with Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn director/producer Naoki Yoshida (aka Yoshi-P) and his translator Aimi. Mr. Yoshida is a longtime fan of MMORPGs with a long history in game design, recently in Dragon Quest spin-offs before he took over the reins to Final Fantasy XIV.
Thank you for your time, Mr. Yoshida. I first wanted to ask about Final Fantasy XIV's past--there were problems at launch, and the game wasn't received as well as you all wanted it to be. But since the relaunch with A Realm Reborn, well... you showed us the numbers! How do you and the team feel about this change of heart and how much people are now enjoying FFXIV?
Naoki Yoshida: We're definitely very happy seeing this many satisfied players. Unfortunately, I can't say this is like a Rocky story, because even after the comeback there's still so much to do. I am happy seeing this many people playing the game, but I want to see many more subscriptions, and many more players enjoying the game for a long time to come.
Final Fantasy XIV has a great crafting system, a great mining system, a great gathering system, even more than that--there's lots to do in the game besides just battle enemies. What made you think of making it a world instead of just a big battleground or hunting ground?
NY: I feel that there are three important pillars to MMORPGs--PvE (player vs. enemy), PvP (player vs. player), and the life that the player develops within the game's world. We wanted a well-rounded online game, and I feel that just battling would get repetitive or boring after a while. Also, the crafting system supports the economy through the players, letting them make the world feel more real.
For a slightly more in-depth question, there are rumors that we'll be able to move an entire FC (Free Company, like a guild) to another server. Will the FC leader be the one to pay for this move, or would each individual player have to pay?
NY: It's unfortunately not possible to do that in the game right now, but we are hoping to allow FCs to switch servers in the future. While we haven't worked out any pricing details, it would be up to individual players if they wanted to change servers, and would possibly be at a discounted rate.
Will Vanity slots only let us wear class-specific armor? For instance, would a Scholar only be able to wear Scholar gear, or can we mix and match?
NY: Not exactly--Relic and Epic gear is tied to specific classes. It won't really be, say, a Dragoon wearing a Black Mage's hat, but instead, you'll be able to equip a hat on your Dragoon that looks like a Black Mage's hat. We really want to focus on giving players aesthetic freedom, to design their characters the way they want them to look.
Finally, here's a question that I think is very important to fans of Final Fantasy--among all the games, which is your favorite?
NY: One of the first that comes to mind is Final Fantasy VII. I feel that it really exudes a powerful, energetic feeling, and it's like a collection of the passion of the game's entire staff. Even though it's a single-player game, it has the energy and vastness of an online game because there's so much to do.
However, I feel that Final Fantasy III is the strongest in terms of pure gameplay. Overall, using the Job System and with its challenging difficulty, it is the perfect form of Final Fantasy.
Thank you very much, Mr. Yoshida, it's been a pleasure talking with you.
There's one last thing to talk about: the next update to Final Fantasy XIV, titled Through the Maelstrom. These updates will hopefully arrive every three months, and will be pretty substantial in terms of new content. In Through the Maelstrom (projected for a March release), Leviathan will be attacking Eorzea in a huge addition to the main story, with new developments to Hildebrand's quest (and hints of Gilgamesh?). There will also be a new chapter to the Binding Coil of Bahamut story, and a new dungeon: the Amdapor Township.
Also, the beta test for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn's PS4 version will start on February 22, 2014 (this Saturday!) and will run until March 3rd, but all data will be wiped at the end of this period--you won't be able to transfer previously-made characters to this beta test. The second beta will run from April 4th to April 7th, and will allow you to import characters from the PC and PS3 versions. Finally, Early Access is from April 11th to April 13th, and on 4/14/14 (they really wanted that particular date, no joke), Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn officially debuts on the PlayStation 4. By the way, you won't need a PS+ membership to continue your adventures in Eorzea.
So, are you ready for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn on the PlayStation 4? Sound off in the comments and tell us what you're looking forward to!
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