Regarded as the initial and dark chapter of Final Fantasy XIV, a massive change will come to light to its base game, A Realm Reborn, with the up and coming release of update 5.3.
Final Fantasy XIV started with a rough start when it was initially launched with A Realm Reborn. With a lengthy string of filler quests and restrictions, the game plays like a chore and is a far cry to what the game is at the present.
A Late, But Needed Polish
For a long while, the developers at Square Enix are contemplating revamping the base game. However, with the announcement of another major update, in the form of version 5.3 patch, the notion is soon to become a reality. As it appears, the developer appears hard at work at bringing the said dramatic change all this time.
Join us today for the Letter from the Producer LIVE at 4:00 am (PT) / 11:00 (GMT)!
⏳1st Half: First look at #FFXIV Patch 5.3
⌛2nd Half: Yoshi-P visits Ultima World (Gaia DC) and interacts with players🌐https://t.co/PFAlbtedI3 pic.twitter.com/7tYfAo8uTg
— FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) April 24, 2020
Making a revelation to the massive changes about to take place is director/producer Naoki Yoshida and community manager Toshio Muruochi. In a Twitch program called ‘Letter from the Producer Livestream,’ the duo went in-depth in disclosing what the audience can expect with the update.
Changing Final Fantasy XIV’s Landscape
First off, the main quests from the beginning up until the ending quests in version 2.5 will see changes. It was reported that at least 13% of the said quests are either removed or trimmed. This suggests the needed simplification of a series of quests that only made A Realm Reborn uninterestingly lengthy based on proportion.
Although quite drastically altered to make the base game as interesting as possible, an adjustment to the experience gains will also see adaption. This means that, despite the shortened quests, players will still see themselves reaching the level cap of 50 after finishing the base game. Subsequently, this meant leaving players well-prepared to advance their play involvement to the game’s expansion, the Heavensward.
#FFXIV Patch 5.3 will introduce flying to A Realm Reborn areas! Show us where you'll be flying to! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/kXySMaaa0F
— FINAL FANTASY XIV (@FF_XIV_EN) April 26, 2020
Other notable changes would be the ability to fly between regions in and out of A Realm Reborn map. A feat is previously impossible to do due to the disparity between the base game and the added content’s design. However, players have to first complete a certain late-game main quest in the base game in order to access this feature.
Making flight relatively easier in the base game once unlocked is the offsetting of the need to collect aethers.
Lastly, there is also a major alteration to the game’s story, but not narratively. When patch 5.3 arrives, players of A Real Reborn will find themselves needing to finish ‘The Crystal Tower’. A part of Final Fantasy XIV that was optional to players all this time.
Image used courtesy of IGN/YouTube