Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn’s relaunch has proven to be a miraculous success, and with the game no longer on life support, Square Enix can now start hammering out expansion packs. The first of these, called Through the Maelstrom, reintroduces three classic Final Fantasy icons that I never thought I’d see again.
First is the fat chocobo. Final Fantasy‘s iconic birds have been around since the second game, but every once in a while, Square Enix will toss in an obese one who will horde your items or cause major damage in battle. Through the Maelstrom allows you to ride these ridiculous beasts, but something tells me he doesn’t exactly need to be carrying any more weight.
The other icons extend to classic summon spells. Final Fantasy has always dug back into classic mythology for inspiration for its summon monsters, and Leviathan, a water dragon of ancient Hebrew origin, has always been a fan favorite. He returns as a whirlpool of destruction, swallowing boats whole just as he was claimed to do in his myth. He will act as the plot expansion’s main villain.
The other classic summon is Gilgamesh, an ancient king of Sumerian origin and perhaps the oldest legend in history. Whether as a summon or villain, Final Fantasy has always represented him with baggy red clothes and a wide variety of swords at his disposal. Through the Maelstrom has him appearing as an ally.
Judging by the state of Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy XV and where Square Enix is taking the series, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn might be the only game in the foreseeable future where you can experience classic Final Fantasy imagery in full blooming HD. You just have to shell out a subscription to experience it.
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn‘s 2.2 update Through the Maelstrom doesn’t have a release date, but it will most likely find its way to the main game once Square Enix has the game running stably on all platforms: the PC, PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
