Babysitter, toilet cleaner in Final Fantasy XIV

Players just want to enjoy the game, not playing babysitter

You may have heard of this game, or its sister titles, or you may have been a player yourself. As a renowned narrative-driven game, it attracted a large number of new players in 2021 thanks to high scores from major media outlets. Players most praised the game’s storyline. However, over the past two years, the game’s popularity and community activity have significantly declined, and promotional ads have also decreased significantly.

As a loyal player of this game for over a decade, my evaluation of the new version can only be described as utterly disappointing.

According to the official website, the game has over 30 million registered players, but surveys indicate that only one million are currently active, accounting for just 3% of the total. For most games, such low activity levels are fatal.

Screenshot from the game website

Active User Survey

A story-driven game has produced the worst storyline in the world?

Final Fantasy has always centred on its story to challenge the highly fragmented attention span of today’s online gaming market. It allows players to progress at their own pace without needing to synchronise with the main group, enabling them to return to the game at any time to enjoy it. Its high immersion and player-driven storylines remain the key attractions for players.

However, the latest version, ‘DT,’ has seen a sharp decline in ratings, with the number of active players dropping to just 800,000 in the latest survey. Clearly, players’ disappointment with the game is evident.

The plot of ‘DT’ lacks player agency, and the character development is disappointing. Supporting characters act arbitrarily, villains are shallow, and there are even lengthy ‘side quest’ storylines that bore players. The plot of “Gold” lacks player agency, and the character development is disappointing. Supporting characters act arbitrarily, villains are shallow, and there are even lengthy ‘side quest’ storylines that bore players.

The character of Princess Ukramat was a failure and was jokingly referred to by players as ‘the giant baby.’

Returning to the comparison between long and short stories, long stories can provide more details and immerse readers in the plot, fostering loyal fans, much like many long-time players of the Final Fantasy series. However, the drawbacks of long stories are also evident: their excessive length and slow pace often lead to impatience, with readers eager to rush to the conclusion.

For games that rely on long-form storytelling, survival hinges on maintaining a strict pace to ensure players experience emotional resonance throughout the journey. Character development is crucial, and making players grow to love these characters is indeed a challenge. The Final Fantasy series also features classic antagonists, and game developers should be well aware of this.

The famous villain Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII.

Amet, the villain in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

The failure of Final Fantasy reveals its neglect of the internet attention economy and player experience. In an era where story-driven games are gradually declining, game developers should prioritise player experience over their own ideas. Otherwise, the game will face devastating consequences.