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3 Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn Videos Feature 25 Minutes of Gameplay Footage
posted on by Crystalyn Hodgkins
Square Enix began streaming three new videos on Thursday for its Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG). Square Enix will release the updated game on personal computers and the PlayStation 3 console.
The first eight-minute video takes a tour of different areas within the realm of Eorzea and features footage from both the PC and PS3 versions of the game.
The second 13-minute video features director and producer Naoki Yoshida and community team member Toshio Murouchi providing commentary on the gamepad controls while playing through the game. Yoshida said he decided to make a developer commentary video to show players what it's like to play an MMORPG using a gamepad, since, Yoshida notes, normal gameplay videos don't always show how the game's interface works.
The third video features real-time footage of player exploration and battles for the game's PC version captured from a system with the level of computing power recommended by Square Enix.
The first phase of the game's beta test will open on February 25. This beta test will only include the Gridania area, which begins in level 15 of the main quest. The test will also include the "Guild Order" feature that is similar to "Behest" from the Final Fantasy XIV game.
Square Enix released Final Fantasy XIV Online for personal computers in September 2010. The new version of the game, previously dubbed "Version 2.0," will be "rebuilt from the ground up" and will include a new world and new story. The game's official website describes the story:
The history of Eorzea has been marked by a cycle of prosperous "Astral" and disastrous "Umbral" eras. And now the land stands poised to enter another age of decline, a period known as the Seventh Umbral Era. On the eastern border, the Garlean Empire masses its troops for invasion, while the native beastmen tribes summon their deities.
