Even though the type of pve we're getting is still not something I enjoy including in this fight, I want to give credit where credit is due: I really found the Doomtrain trial to be a masterclass of storytelling, where the fight evolves organically through the environment, changing train platforms with different challenges and happenings. That the fight arena itself is actually more anchored into reality and where we're actually fighting for the story also helps tremendously setting the fight into the story and not feeling like a random "teleport into an abstract circular arena".
I've always considered the old Phantom Train as peak XIV design as a fight that could tell a whole story where nothing is truly static and where we're moving through different parts of the environment while looking epic in so doing, and I think this one followed a similar direction.
Regardless of whether we're getting DDR pve or not, this type of fight is where XIV should strive to go in my opinion. Give us fight environments grounded into their story, and give us dynamic fights that feel like going through a saga.
Continue reading...
I've always considered the old Phantom Train as peak XIV design as a fight that could tell a whole story where nothing is truly static and where we're moving through different parts of the environment while looking epic in so doing, and I think this one followed a similar direction.
Regardless of whether we're getting DDR pve or not, this type of fight is where XIV should strive to go in my opinion. Give us fight environments grounded into their story, and give us dynamic fights that feel like going through a saga.
Continue reading...