Another Boat Missed
It would appear that due to the ongoing woes of Blizzard Entertainment, that the world and his wife are migrating from MMORPG World of Warcraft and relocating to the alternative game, Final Fantasy XIV. Other games are feeling the benefits of this ongoing exodus but it seems that FFXIV is by far picking up the most new players. I certainly think that the fact that several high profile streamers moved from WoW to FFXIV has contributed to this trend and the resulting surge in social media postings about the game has had a further impact. Furthermore, judging from what I have read about FFXIV and been told by my peers, the game has a lot going for it. There’s a wealth of content, solid mechanics and a favourable environment for group gameplay. And yet despite all these positive attributes I have looked at FFXIV and decided that this game is not for me.
There are three major aspects of a video game that have an impact upon my decision whether or not I buy and play them. Gameplay, intellectual property/story and aesthetics. Where FFXIV scores well with the first, yet I find the narrative impenetrable and the game’s visual style unappealing. I have spent some time looking through various sub reddits aimed at new players and the advice on offer doesn’t exactly mollify my concerns. Opinions over how complex the learning curve is vary greatly. Some players advocate a lot of “studying” before you start playing the game. Others talk about customisation of the UI being essential. All of which are red flags as far as I’m concerned. I genuinely like The Elder Scrolls Online but the fact that you need addons to be able to play the game without impediment is a borderline deal breaker. It sounds to me that FFXIV requires as much preparation and homework, which is hardly a positive advertisement.
I don’t like the so-called Asian video game aesthetic, just as I don’t really care for the visual style of anime. It is purely a question of personal taste, the same way as someone may not like cubism in art or country music. The problem with my position is that not liking the look of a video game is a big deal, considering it is an essentially visual medium. Human beings are hardwired to interpret the world via their eyes (or else we would have evolved sonar), so I will not dismiss my dislike as trivial. Hence I shall not be joining my peers in playing FFXIV. Just like WoW, it would seem that FFXIV is another popular boat that I am going to miss. However, it can sometimes be quite an interesting position to stand outside of a popular phenomenon and simply spectate it, rather than be an active participant. Conversely, it can also be a little sad just to be a spectator. Such is the nature of gaming. You can’t like or play everything.
