The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV is getting more and more content that originally comes from old Final Fantasy games. And our author Irie thinks that’s great.
Nostalgia is a powerful tool. Few master it as well as the developers of Final Fantasy XIV. For long-time fans of Square Enix, this MMORPG is an Eldorado of Easter eggs and cameos from other games by the developer.
The Final Fantasy franchise looks back on over 30 years of history, which the FFXIV team has virtually full access to. They purposefully use this content to engage people like me through nostalgia and fond memories from earlier single-player titles.
They proceed in a truly shameless manner.
Is there really that much content from other games?
Final Fantasy XIV is a theme park MMORPG that incorporates a high number of elements from earlier Square Enix games.
Our list of Easter eggs in FFXIV is long, but it doesn’t even cover a fraction of it. Especially fans of Final Fantasy will repeatedly discover elements and names that seem familiar to them.
At the beginning of A Realm Reborn, the development team held back and mainly implemented elements that appear in all Final Fantasy games, such as the summonings Ifrit, Shiva, and Ramuh. They are considered a tradition and should not be missing in any FF game.
However, over time, more and more “exclusive” content from old Square Enix games slipped into the MMORPG.
Hey, don’t I know you from Final Fantasy VII?
This started at the end of Heavensward: The avalanche of fan service began towards the end of the Heavensward expansion with the “War Triad.” It was a series of boss battles against enemies from the story of FFVI.
The following addon Stormblood overwhelmed the players with such elements. Starting from the second expansion, major content pieces from other Square Enix games were introduced with each patch:
- Ivalice Raid (FFXII, Tactics, and Vagrant Story)
- Most of the Omega Raid (FFV and VI)
- Boss battles of the 4 Tier Saints (FFXI)
- Eureka (FFIII and XI)
- Eden Raid (FFVIII)
- YoRHa Raid (Nier: Automata)
In the upcoming Patch 5.2, we will also fight Ruby Weapon from FFVII. It serves as the start of a longer series of boss battles that will likely also come from Final Fantasy VII.
In light of this, almost every larger part of the new content does not originate from Final Fantasy XIV but from another Square Enix game, mostly Final Fantasy.
Does Final Fantasy XIV have no identity of its own?
The use of familiar content from the series is a strategy that is criticized in the community. Some players believe that Final Fantasy XIV does not build its own identity this way.
Especially with the current YoRHa Raid, there were voices that found it unsuitable for the fantasy setting because the story of the raid revolves around androids and machines.
Honestly, the announcements of each of the mentioned contents created real hype for me. As an old nerd, I was excited to face off against the big bosses from other games in the series and see how the FFXIV team interpreted them:
- How cool is it to finally experience Neo-Exdeath or God-Kefka in true 3D?
- Or to battle the summon Eden together with a group of friends?
But it is mainly the way this content from old Square Enix games is processed in Final Fantasy XIV. The elements from the earlier games are not simply shoved awkwardly into the MMORPG. The developers take into account the material they work with and the lore of FFXIV.
The content must fit into the MMORPG without alienating players who have not played all the Final Fantasy titles and do not understand what it’s about.
Therefore, I don’t think that Final Fantasy XIV loses its own identity. The content from the old FF games is reinterpreted and fits seamlessly into the world of FFXIV. It becomes an integral part of this world.
The approach of the developers of Final Fantasy XIV
A simple but apt example of this is the Kingdom of Doma.
In Final Fantasy XIV, it is a kingdom that was long occupied by the Garlemald Empire. Kaien is the former king of Doma, who died during a rebellion. His son Hien becomes the new king in Stormblood and a good friend of the player character.
If FFXIV is your first FF title, you immediately understand what is going on in the story and who these people are. Doma feels like an organic part of the world.
Old nerds like me know, however, that Doma originally comes from Final Fantasy VI. Kaien is the Japanese name of Cyan, who was one of the playable characters. And Hien is the name of his son, who was poisoned by Kefka.
It’s a little wink that suddenly gives the MMORPG more depth. As a player, I notice that the developers have engaged with the material and treat the contents of the old games with respect.
Gaming is an emotional matter
The head of FFXIV, Naoki Yoshida, clearly understands the value of the nostalgia associated with the “Final Fantasy” brand. Many players my age, around 30, grew up with these games. They experienced the epic adventures and laughed and cried with the heroes.
I have a personal connection to the games from Square Enix. My family moved to Germany when I was still a teenager. The only way to fight against the homesickness that consumed me back then was gaming.
Gaming has helped me through difficult situations in my life, and the games from Square Enix always played a central role. I have met some of my closest friends through them and made some of my best memories. Such things shape.
And I know that many other people feel the same way. It’s a pattern I have observed over the years in various gaming forums, communities, and later on social media. Gamers often have strong emotional attachments to their favorite games, and fans of Square Enix are right at the forefront of emotionally chaining themselves to their beloved games.
Yoshida, the head of Final Fantasy XIV, has realized that this kind of content is well received and now ruthlessly exploits this nostalgia in his MMORPG. Because he knows that many long-time fans will go crazy if he were to implement, for example, the city of Midgar from Final Fantasy VII into his game.
Especially old FF games are held in high regard in the community and are considered by many to be the best games of all time. Of course, it will be celebrated when suddenly seeing elements from one’s favorite game in the MMORPG.
A love letter to the classics
Don’t get me wrong: I believe that the developers themselves have a lot of fun dumping tons of fan service into the game.
Many of them have been working at Square Enix for decades and contributed to the old games themselves. It may be their way of bringing these classics back into the spotlight.
The fusion of elements from old FF games connected by a strong own story and lore is what gives Final Fantasy XIV its identity.
That’s why every announcement of new old content brings a smile to my face, even though I know that my poor nerd heart is being played with.
