Forget flashy cinematics about the end of the world. A new, anime-styled Korean trailer for Final Fantasy 14 has provided a refreshingly honest look at the game's bustling social scene.
The short, loosely translated as "It's Okay Not To Rush" by a fan on Reddit, follows a fresh-faced catboy (sorry, Miqo'te) as he wakes up for a fresh day of adventuring. There's a good deal to do—joining one of the game's Grand Companies, riding into quests, and generally grinding out those levels. Your typical adventuring fare, right?
But then he stops, breathes, and takes in the sights of FF14's infamous Limsa Lominsa plaza. There's a band playing in the corner to a crowd waving glowsticks. A blacksmith hammers out swords in the middle of a market thoroughfare. Fighters pose and shoot special effects into crowds, while the cool kids sit and vibe under the plaza tree. It's immediately familiar to anyone who's ever set foot in the city. All that's missing is a naked dance troupe.
It's incredible, not only in how naturally it paints goofy MMO actions in a believable light, but in how it puts a spotlight on what I love most about the genre. MMO trailers tend towards the bombastic—spectacular, movie-quality cinematics that set up the game's next apocalyptic endgame. Final Fantasy 14 is no exception—this year's climactic Endwalker expansion introducing itself with heavy metal moon warriors.
But if I were to tell someone why I've fallen in love with FF14, I wouldn't talk about Scions, or Primals, or Hydaelyn's eternal struggle against the dark god Zodiark. I'd tell them about my server's bustling music scene, fashion, home decoration and the familiar weirdos who populate Eorzea's hottest hangout spots.
At the end of the trailer, our catboy tosses away his phone. The fate of the world can wait a couple hours more.
