The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV relies on a mix of sweetness and cruelty in its stories, paving new paths. With Heavensward, they aim to continue this.
The first experience in Final Fantasy after a heavy cinematic is with Moogle. They are a kind of race of floating Pikachus that end every sentence with “Kupo” and are somehow … even from the perspective of a real guy … super-cute.
From Kawaii to Psychopaths
Otherwise, the player experience in Final Fantasy XIV is not exactly free from kitsch or excessive cuteness. The adventures of master detective “Hildibrand” have, in their best moments, something of a top-notch Sunday morning cartoon. The dialogues often turn absurd, there is a lot of sweetness in the world: “Kawaii” is what they call the phenomenon in Japan. “Cuteness” is considered an ideal of beauty there.
However, not everything in Final Fantasy is cute and harmless. Some quests get to the heart of the matter: Morbid actions are required from the player. To mitigate the aftermath of an attack, the player must stack bodies, bury them, notify relatives. All actions meant to playfully convey the significance of what has happened: You have lost friends and colleagues. You need time to digest this. You cannot just click through this and move on.
The world of Final Fantasy XIV knows about mental illnesses, villains, acts of cruelty. Old acquaintances become traumatized and even turn into the monsters they once wanted to slay. The storyline can shift from Inspector Gadget to Criminal Minds. Even if someone is cute, bad things can happen to them, or they can be capable of cruelty themselves.
Final Fantasy XIV is — like so much from Japan — capable of reaching the highest highs and the lowest lows. The sweetest sweet and the bitterest sour are closely intertwined.
The Direction Remains Dark in Final Fantasy XIV
For the expansion “Heavensward”, it has already been announced that they want to lean more towards a “Gothic” corner, with stories becoming darker.
The ESRB, which assigns age ratings to games, has dealt with Heavensward. And even though Final Fantasy has again received a “T for Teen” rating, the descriptor reads more drastically: “mild blood” has turned into simply “blood” and mentions some intense scenes that take place “off-screen.” Including mutilations.
Final Fantasy XIV is a Narrative Surprise Box
Perhaps it is this radical mix, this “cruelty on the pony farm,” that makes Final Fantasy XIV such a strange and powerful combination in our western eyes, clearly distinguishing itself from the narrative traditions in the West. And perhaps this mix, together with the combat system, is what polarizes FF XIV so much. For some, this “Asia” flair is exactly what they are looking for. For others, the welcoming scene with the Moogle may be enough for them to take off. Forever, Kupo.
One thing is clear: The future remains exciting. Because for those who know the western narrative traditions inside out, in which western RPGs often linger, the narrative surprise box Final Fantasy XIV remains opaque and thus exciting. Skipping quest texts is a thing of the past.
