Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (FFXIV:ARR) is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that was developed and published by Square Enix in 2013. Being one of the most popular MMORPGs in the market, it has spawned one expansion, Heavensward, with an upcoming expansion, Stormblood, releasing on June 2017.

Set in the fictional world of Hydaelyn and the region of Eorzea, you serve as the Warrior of Light, the chosen one to bring hope to the world.

Note: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and Final Fantasy XIV are separate entities as the latter was discontinued while the current expansion, Heavensward, was built upon the former.




Lens of Elemental Tetrad

Mechanics

  • Redefined the MMORPG genre
  • The game never ‘ends’ as it is ever-changing
  • Character progression, where the player always has to better themselves
  • Player-driven economy, mirroring that of the real world
  • Battle and party system brings forth a form of cooperation and social gaming
  • Unique job system where the character can play all the classes in a game (similar to picking up skill sets in real life)

Story

  • Story is the backbone of the game, ties in with Final Fantasy’s famed storytelling
  • Player is absorbed into a rich story, where they understand their purpose and mission
  • Graphics added a form of realism to a game by showing that it had its own lore and ecosystem
  • Allows players to experience the life of a ‘Hero’

Aesthetics

  • Stunning and breathtaking graphics; a mixture of fantasy and reality
  • Screenshots were so beautiful that fantasy felt so real
  • Crisp animation, with realistic facial expressions and portrayal of animation
  • Detailed, like how the weather and time of day affects the environment
  • Game’s score had a huge variety, and encompasses all aspects of gameplay
  • Principally composed by Nobuo Uematsu, the “Beethoven of video games music”

Technology

  • They developed a brand new engine (Version 2.0), which is very similar to the Luminous Engine, which was later used to develop Final Fantasy XV.
  • A task management system was also created to keep track of deadlines and work flow.
  • Playable on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and OS X.

Lens of Challenge

  • Players can select the difficulty of their dungeons.
  • Special dungeon where its architecture changes all the time; challenges players’ skill as the difficulty increases at every level (e.g. Palace of the Dead)
  • Players can continue the next edition of the dungeon series if they have finished a pre-existing related dungeon, providing ‘layers of challenge’ (e.g. Alexander)
  • Caters to both casual and hardcore players as being a good player is not essential to completing the game (e.g. progression of story)

Lens of Beauty

  • Mesmerising graphics that rivals, if not more breathtaking, than the real world
  • A never before seen ecosystem that fits perfectly with their environments
  • Immersive music that fits or seeks to invoke the current mood of the player
  • Rich storyline that makes the player feel like they are part of the game world; it makes the struggle personal and empathy real

Lens of Feedback

  • Visual feedback is strong; players can identify their needs immediately (some areas):
    • When in battle, the right areas to move away from the enemy
    • Exclamation marks reflect the availability of quests
    • Animation for casting time of spells
  • Sound system invokes feelings
    • Completion of quests will be accompanied with a victory tune
    • Taking damage will result in hurt sounds
    • Failure to craft an item properly comes with a soft explosion sound

Lens of the Hero’s Journey

  • Player is the Warrior of Light, and your original gameplay ties in with the main storyline
  • Awakened to find out that you are needed to save the world
  • Takes up task and meets righteous allies and insidious enemies
  • Always at the center of every major incident in the world
  • Sacrifices and rewards in the world with your every action