FFXIV can be criticised for many things, but honestly I’d say the art style and direction have been one of the most consistent and least criticised things in the game. I mean, part of why they’re so obsessed with graphics is that ‘bringing the art style to life’ has been a big part of ffxiv’s success, along with other things like incorporating elements of previous ff art into the game to create an easily identifiable ‘final fantasy world’