Square Enix has spent the past 11 years cultivating a fiercely devoted fanbase for Final Fantasy XIV (FF14), who eagerly embrace every expansion for the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG).
If you've experienced Final Fantasy only through single-player games, you might have missed its immersive online world. Players host virtual weddings, epic dance parties, and themed fashion shows as their in-game characters.
While its PC and console releases have helped the franchise to reach 30 million players, Final Fantasy 14 now has its sights set on a wider audience with the upcoming launch of a new mobile game.
Instead of a direct port, Final Fantasy XIV Mobile is described as a “sister game” to the original, implying that it will be built from the ground up for smartphones.
Retaining the essence of the original, the new game will return players to the fictional world of Eorzea. This embattled realm features lush forests, arid deserts, snowy mountains and bustling city-states.
In the mobile version, this sprawling domain will be brought to life with more than 600 different weather patterns across its myriad landscapes, according to Square Enix.
You’ll once again play as the divinely blessed Warrior of Light, with the ability to choose from several races, classes, and jobs (specialised combat roles with unique abilities like Tank and Healer). Hyping up the game, Square Enix is promising dazzling battles, with new controls optimised for mobile.
When you’re not defeating god-like demons known as Primals, you can kick back by fishing, winning some hands of Triple Triad (an addictive card-collecting minigame), or participating in a Chocobo Race.
Just because it’s an MMO doesn’t mean you have to interact with other players. If you like to go it alone, you can experience the entire storyline solo — just like in the original.
Square Enix has tasked PUBG co-creator LightSpeed Studios with bringing the game to mobiles. The developer is furiously expanding under the auspices of its parent, Chinese gaming giant Tencent Games, working on everything from League of Legends Mobile to Apex Mobile.
Emulating Diablo Immortal and the upcoming Monster Hunter Outlanders, FF14 is the latest MMO to get the mobile treatment.
The game is set to launch first in China with multiple playtests scheduled to begin soon. A global release is planned shortly thereafter, although specific dates have not yet been announced.
