When Dawntrail, the latest expansion for MMORPG Final Fantasy 14, was released back in June, it marked the start of a new story arc. After a decade of growing popularity across multiple expansions telling a singular narrative, Dawntrail brought players to a brand new world with new characters and a fresh graphical update.
It was met with a somewhat mixed reaction. While the visuals and music are as gorgeous as ever, the storytelling was criticised by some for being meandering with its shallow first half, and many of its familiar characters (the Scions) are given considerably less screen time.
Yet Final Fantasy 14 remains a spectacularly popular game, its players always eager for new content. Naoki Yoshida, the game’s producer and director, is a beloved figure in the game’s community and – through livestreams and Fan Fest events – is in direct communication with players.
So when I had the chance to speak with Yoshida at this year’s Gamescom, I took the opportunity to ask about Dawntrail criticisms, community feedback, and what could be next in Final Fantasy 14’s extensive story.
I want to start by discussing Dawntrail and some of the criticisms from reviews, including a slightly slower story, it being a game of two halves, and some of the Scions not quite getting enough screen time. How much of that do you listen to? And how much will that impact future expansions?