In a recent Q&A, Square Enix shared some details about the development and creation of the the Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood expansion. The information was shared to celebrate the inclusion of the Stormblood expansion into the FFXIV free trial.
In regards to Ala Mhigo, senior story designer Banri Oda said that the setting of the city is inspired by Istambul, since both are located at the junction of two civilizations, and have acted as geopolitical strategic points throughout their history. However, in terms of aesthetic, Ala Mhigo draws inspiration from the Agra Fort, or the Red Fort, located in the Indian city of Agra.
Lead background artist Yoshiki Takanashi revealed that producer and director Yoshi-P asked for the Kugane Tower to be climbable. At one point during the development of Final Fantasy XIV Stormblood, players were sharing screenshots online of possible climbable parts of the tower. Because of this, the developers made sure to make the climbing spots inconspicuous to make it more challenging.
The character of Yugiri was originally designed as part of an Au Ra player character face type contest, shared lead character concept artist Ayumi Namie. Yugiri’s design was inspired by the aesthetic of Japanese aristocracy and shrine maidens. During the contest’s selection process, Yoshi-P commented that the face fit Yugiri’s design, who at the time had only appeared as a masked NPC.
For the Samurai job introduced in Stormblood, lead artist Shinya Ichida said that the developers wanted to make actions that use Kenki feel unique and stand out. They made sure to include red for the animations of Kenki actions and skill, which is the signature color of the job, and included auras and expressions that reminded them of Kenki. Additionally, they wanted the animations for the Samurai job to resemble the refined movements of iaido sword techniques, and feel realistic.
Lead cutscene artist Maki Imamura said that the concept behind the Shinryu and Omega fight introduced in Patch 3.5 was to create a kaiju monster battle scene. This proved challenging due to the constraints of FFXIV being an MMO, as well as the title being supported on PS3 at the time. Even though the developers were short on time, they were capable of implement this cutscene within the memory limitations.
Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, and PC. The latest Patch 6.5 Part 1 launched on October 3, 2023. Part 2 won’t be available until January 2024. The free FFXIV trial now includes content up to Stormblood.
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