Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail Was Heavily Inspired By Elden Ring
What specific games from the Final Fantasy franchise has the MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV drawn inspiration from in past expansions?
Final Fantasy XIV has drawn inspiration from various games within the Final Fantasy franchise in its past expansions1. One notable example is the 2019 expansion, Shadowbringers, which offered a reinterpretation of Final Fantasy III. The MMORPG has a history of taking inspiration from the franchise's long history, with director Naoki Yoshida stating that possibly 98% of the development team for Final Fantasy 14 are playing other games in the series1.
How prevalent is the playing of Elden Ring among the Final Fantasy XIV development team, according to the director?
According to Final Fantasy XIV director Naoki Yoshida, a significant majority of the game's development team, approximately 98%, are playing Elden Ring. The influence of Elden Ring on the Final Fantasy XIV team is substantial, with Yoshida noting that the upcoming expansion, Dawntrail, takes some inspiration from FromSoftware's open-world action RPG.
Yoshida has clarified that while the team admires Elden Ring's difficulty, Final Fantasy XIV players need not worry about a drastic increase in challenge. Instead, the influence of Elden Ring on Dawntrail is more likely to be seen in the game's world design, with the scenery and atmosphere of various locations conveying the themes and character traits without relying heavily on text or exposition.
In a light-hearted vein, Yoshida announced at PAX East that the early access date for Dawntrail, June 28, was chosen to give both fans and the development team a week to enjoy Elden Ring's Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which releases on June 21, before diving into the new Final Fantasy XIV content356.
Which game outside of the Square Enix portfolio did the developers of Final Fantasy XIV look to for inspiration for the Dawntrail expansion?
The developers of Final Fantasy XIV looked to FromSoftware's open-world action-RPG Elden Ring for inspiration for the Dawntrail expansion. In an interview with PC Gamer, director Naoki Yoshida mentioned that possibly 98% of the development team was playing Elden Ring, and they were especially inspired by its world design. The scenery and atmosphere of Dawntrail's locations will convey the themes and vibes of characters and places without relying heavily on text or exposition, a technique that Yoshi-P believes was executed well in Elden Ring.