Final Fantasy XIV doesn't actually have that good of a story

[Iscah]

I The third issue is that even in world-ending, cataclysmic events, there is no sense of urgency. This is partially because FF14 isn't as immersive as single player games. It's also because there are way too many Mary Sue moments in the game where you expect someone to die but they miraculously survive. After a few Mary Sue moments you just don't expect anyone to die anymore. Because of that there is not much tension to be felt in the story.

"Single-player games" aren't a monolithic genre. Are you talking big-budget action games specifically? That's not the same thing - and even that varies from game to game. (I am currently playing Horizon Zero Dawn and while the gameplay is very different, the quest structure is prettymuch the same as it is here - main quests, side quests and a map full of detours and minor errands to get derailed into.)

Anyway, I think the "lack of urgency" is just how RPGs have always operated. The best time to clear all the sidequests and 100% the game is right when the villain has made their move and the world is teetering on the brink of oblivion, because that's when you've got your airship and gear from the penultimate dungeon.

[VelKallor]

So I really don't get the hype and IMO people have just not played enough thought-provoking story games outside of FF14

As a gamer that started with the Apple IIE, Id say you are dead wrong.

Ive played thousands of games, from all walks of developers from Monolith to Sierra / Vivendi, all genres from the very first point and click , CGI / EGA / VGA / ( Laura Bow ring a bell? ), I can count on the fingers of ONE HAND the number of devs and writers that have come anywhere NEAR FF 14's level of excellence.

Bioshock 1 and Infinite are close contenders.

Having to play hide and seek with children

I take it you have never tried to round up children for a road trip.

The second issue is that the game can't be as immersive as modern story-driven games. The Last of Us 2 is capable of making you feel sad, angry, and horrified

Oh i was horrified all right....after playing the first, I was horrified they could literally fall this hard on their faces with what was, and is, one of the most laughable excuses for a storyline.

[tatatatatata]

There being lots of filler is a valid point, though they've cut back on it quite a bit post-ARR (And even pruned a lot of it from ARR itself) and largely shoved the menial tasks into optional quests. It being a flaw inherent to the MMO genre is a valid point, though.

I've regularly felt emotionally invested in things regardless of there being spoken dialogue or not. Story is not the game's sole or even primary focus, so I wouldn't expect it to be as good as some others in that regard in the first place.

The whole "no sense of urgency" thing is present in virtually all of the other FF games and several others outside of the series, and is honestly almost omni-present in games that are not completely linear from beginning to end. Railroading the player into plot progression in anything other then a strictly story-driven game that has no grinding whatsoever is generally a bad idea.

Those things said, I still have personally found the story to be one of the most enjoyable in the franchise due to all the nuance and nigh-constant sense of intrigue due to all the mysteries present in the world and its cultures that have gradually unraveled as time has gone on. I'd agree it's probably not one of the best stories in gaming as a whole, though.

This is why I enjoyed the stories in linear games the most. FF13 definitely created a great sense of urgency until you reach Gran Pulse because of its linear nature. The story isn't the best, but I definitely felt a lot of tension when playing through FF13. I do agree the lore in FF14 is probably one of the best in the franchise though.

[Ammokkx]

>joined may 2021
>3 posts, all in this thread

yeah, aight mate. bait some other time.

[Sotaris]

I disagree OP, and the story isn't a cinematic story like Last of Us, that aren't even in the same ballpark.
For a FF story it's pretty good (especially Shb one).

As a gamer that started with the Apple IIE, Id say you are dead wrong.

Ive played thousands of games, from all walks of developers from Monolith to Sierra / Vivendi, all genres from the very first point and click , CGI / EGA / VGA / ( Laura Bow ring a bell? ), I can count on the fingers of ONE HAND the number of devs and writers that have come anywhere NEAR FF 14's level of excellence.

Bioshock 1 and Infinite are close contenders.

+1 being an old gamer too. And BS1 and Infinite is GREAT games both gameplay and story/lore.

[Saefinn]

To each their own. I was emotionally invested, sure ARR is the weakest part and that can be a hurdle for some, however, HW was great & loved it, SB was okay (it felt unfinished to me, but had its great moments) and ShB was fantastic. ShB was a rollercoaster plotwise and it's doing really well leading up to Endwalker.

The quality of the writing and storyline of Shadowbringers I feel surpasses any other Final Fantasy I've played and I realise that's a pretty bold statement but it's how it was for me. It lacks some of the cinematic quality of many single player games, which can add to immersion, but that experience has improved over the years (it's not cheap to do) but I feel a good balance was found that doesn't hinder my experience because good cinematography isn't story nor is it good writing. I'd probably argue that good cinematography fills in the gaps of weaker writing.

As for the sense of urgency, this really only works to its full extent in linear video games because the developer controls that whole experience Even then, I've had plot hook me so I focus on story completion and lead me on through hooks, but I'd say this is kinda normal for the RPG genre. Plus I don't think it really works for FF fans to have linear games, look at how much people complained that FFXIII was too linear. I think FFX is probably the most linear they've got away with but even with that they managed it so it feels like a journey where you can stop and explore rather than be dragged into the next part of the plot. And talking of a journey, whilst I had SB complaints, I'll give kudos that when you return to the West it feels like you've just come back from a journey.


But there are plotlines away from the MSQ that don't do it for me and parts of the MSQ's I think could be written better or fleshed out better. But I disagree on the Mary Sue moments, yes, I do think the "they're dead not really" thing gets over played but I don't think that constitutes as a Mary Sue moment.

And whilst there are things I think could be done better, it doesn't detract from my overall experience.

[tatatatatata]

"Single-player games" aren't a monolithic genre. Are you talking big-budget action games specifically? That's not the same thing - and even that varies from game to game. (I am currently playing Horizon Zero Dawn and while the gameplay is very different, the quest structure is prettymuch the same as it is here - main quests, side quests and a map full of detours and minor errands to get derailed into.)

Anyway, I think the "lack of urgency" is just how RPGs have always operated. The best time to clear all the sidequests and 100% the game is right when the villain has made their move and the world is teetering on the brink of oblivion, because that's when you've got your airship and gear from the penultimate dungeon.

I meant single player games in general. Horizon Zero Dawn is more immersive than FF14 because there is less UI clutter, more detailed character animations and rewarding exploration. The story isn't that great precisely because the quest structure is - as you've said - derailing. However my point was that single player games have an easier time getting the player immersed in the world. Even a bad open world game like Skyrim is more immersive than FF14. That's because FF14 is constrained by having to be an MMO.

In many Final Fantasy games there is a point of no return which makes you realize that the stakes have just gone up. For example, a city could be utterly destroyed in a cutscene and when you go back you can no longer shop or talk to NPCs there anymore. This creates tension in the story and makes the consequences of major events in the game feel "real". However FF14 can do no such thing because it is an MMO. This is an example of what I mean when I say FF14 cannot compete on the immersion front compared to single player games.

[Rhus]

Lots of bait threads from people who just joined this week/month. Be alert

[tatatatatata]

As a gamer that started with the Apple IIE, Id say you are dead wrong.

Ive played thousands of games, from all walks of developers from Monolith to Sierra / Vivendi, all genres from the very first point and click , CGI / EGA / VGA / ( Laura Bow ring a bell? ), I can count on the fingers of ONE HAND the number of devs and writers that have come anywhere NEAR FF 14's level of excellence.

Bioshock 1 and Infinite are close contenders.



I take it you have never tried to round up children for a road trip.



Oh i was horrified all right....after playing the first, I was horrified they could literally fall this hard on their faces with what was, and is, one of the most laughable excuses for a storyline.

Bioshock/Bioshock Infinite was a great game but SOMA was the better spiritual successor to System Shock. I would say Bioshock is a very good game franchise in terms of story and immersion, but they are not as thought-provoking as SOMA. Then again I think there are plenty of story-driven games that are better than Bioshock anyways.

[Shibi]

I'm not saying the story is bad, but it's definitely not one of the best stories in a video game

I doubt many people would disagree with the salient point of your post.

I agree, it's not a bad story, but it's not the absolute top rank, number one story. The nice people - oh so many lovely people - make up for that miniscule shortcoming, and with the two - story and people to share it with - it's one of the top 10 games in my library.

(Thank-you for using paragraphs and correct spelling! Most of this genre of posts are written using half-chewed crayons).