Final Fantasy XIV — My Deep Dive (Introduction)
Prelude — Discoveries
In recent years I became quite obsessive with one game. And I just want to spill out all my thoughts about it somewhere. Hey, that English Masters and literary criticism courses may finally come to some use! So anyway, I played games since I was five. I even worked in ‘the industry’ for around 6 years. You may find my name in some credits from Devolver published games. I ventured across genres, and if a few years back someone asked me what was my one favourite game I wouldn’t be able to tell. Ask me today, and the answer is simple: Final Fantasy XIV.
It was a somewhat accidental how I fell in love with this game. I was in a flurry of applying for any possible job, trying to run away from a bit hellish office, and when I saw an opening for a PR position in Square Enix, I shrugged and hit apply. It was to focus on some ‘niche’ MMO game. I got an interview. The first one with my potential immediate boss went amazing. The second one with three of his directors — not so much. It also took them a month to come back to me with the wildest response.
But what they did not know, is that at that point, I had already made my Free trail account, and was gallivanting across a very rich world of bunny girls and cat boys, that felt just so alive. I could not pronounce the name of it until I was around level 25. And then it took me another 10 levels to learn the names of some characters. I had very little idea on what I was doing. Why was there so much single player story in the game that was supposed to be an MMO? Why were there people running around a fantasy world in sneakers, hoodies in ripped jeans? And is that seriously a casino?
Don’t get me wrong, the initiation to A Realm Reborn is not an easy one. Half the time you don’t know what you’re meant to do, there is so many options, types of quests, cutscenes, text to read, characters to meet, places to go, that it just makes your whole head spin. But players are helpful like in ‘none’ other MMO I ever played. Yes, I am eyeing you World of Warcraft. But aside from strong feeling of confusion, and great community, Final Fantasy XIV had also one more important trait that I appreciated more than anything. It gave me time. I did not feel rushed to understand things, to learn rotations, or to basically know what I was doing. And it was such a refreshing feeling.
I took my time, and managed to finish the base game and the three existing expansions with good time before Endwalker (the newest expansion to the game). And I can genuinely say, that it was some of the best storytelling in games that I ever had a chance to experience. Being an MMO, was what made that story so powerful. Well thought out across four expansions for ten years, it took it time with the player. Giving some of the best payoffs.
And that brings us back to why I am here. I have been mulling over replaying the Main Scenario of the game for quite sometime. To dissect the story, the world building, and to have an excuse to spend more time and thought on my favourite game. I have big plans to explore questions on what made some things click the way they did, why is the game’s community the way it is, and what makes this story so powerful.
So if you want to tag along for the ride, I will try to write something at least once a month. I will tweet about the updates on my profile too. And if it makes one or two people pick up this critically acclaimed MMO (wink, wink) — that’s all the better.
I will probably take some time to talk about the game’s background, botched launch and the amazing redemption arc led by the real hero Naoki Yoshida. No Clip however made a way better documentary about it, feel free to grab some snacks and give it a go. Part 1 is here:
GG and thank you.
