Final Fantasy XIV Developer Reveals What Makes Endwalker’s Little Moments So Special

Let our heroes, Descendants of the Seventh Dawn, fight the end of the world called The Final Days, no wonder Final Fantasy XIV: Terminator It’s a huge game.

As the final chapter in the Hydaelyn-Zodiak storyline that’s been going on since A Realm Reborn in 2013, it has to connect 9 years of plot threads and see you swim across the globe, hop on a jaunt to the moon, Then shoot you into space. Oh, and there are several more gods to kill. But it’s not the epic battles or the high stakes that make Endwalker worth playing, it’s the little moments—the hugs between loved ones and the smiles of old friends that really make it special.

“At the end of the day, no matter how grand a history is, it’s people’s personal lives that shape those historical threads,” lead story designer Natsuko Ishikawa told VG247 in a recent interview.

Endwalker is full of huge moments like fighting in abomination-filled dungeons and fire-filled skies, but the scene that stood out to me the most was the hug between Urianger, one of the Scions, and the mother of his best friend Moenbryda, who was in In the realm of rebirth, they gave their lives for their cause.

For many years, he had been unable to face her parents with regret. He’s had odd brief mentions and sad stares in various expansions — but in Endwalker, he’s finally forced to face his worst fears.

As Warriors of Light, we’ve traveled with Yuri Anger for years, so when he finally met Mombrida’s parents, I could feel my breath choking with tension.

But soon, her mother pulled him into her arms, and Urianger’s body, stiff with shock, soon melted into relief and grief as they shared tears. It’s such a tiny moment, but its intimate tenderness is a beautiful companion to the great adventure the game takes us on.

“When Yuri Ang from the Descendant of the Seventh Dawn cries as he receives a hug from his close friend’s mother – I believe, to encounter such an event and touch every life that makes up this history, that’s what’ The meaning of being alive. In that world,” Ishikawa said.

That is: by showing us these little moments between characters, it provides context for what we fought for and what we’ll lose.

Just before the Warriors of Light and Scions make their final dash for Meteion at the edge of space, they stop to savor last night’s meal together. You sit with Y’shtola, Urianer and Thancred over a drink and reflect on how time has changed them and their outlook on life. Nothing happened, no major revelation, but that’s the point.

At that moment, your companions let their guard down and start to be your friends, and suddenly you realize This is what you will lose. The world is a huge place with millions of people who will all die if you fail, but it’s having a small glass of wine with your friends that makes you really feel that weight. This little moment shows you how real these characters and their lives are to you. Even in the face of despair, they are there for you.

Endwalker may contain some of the biggest twists and dangers we’ve seen in Final Fantasy XIV so far, but it’s the quiet moments that really do it.

Hopefully, little moments like this one Yoshi-P, Ishikawa, and the rest of the development team are preparing for the future of the world’s most popular MMO.

You can check out our full interview with Naoki Yoshida and Natsuko Ishikawa in our massive Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker interview.