Key Takeaways
- Will Final Fantasy 14 Mobile tie into the main game for any benefits or shared features?
- The cost of FF14 Mobile is uncertain, but no paid gacha mechanics will be included.
- Mobile could have explored the original 1.0 narrative to provide new content for existing fans.
I’m still undecided on how I feel about the recent reveal of Final Fantasy 14 Mobile, mainly because I have so many questions left unanswered. The ambitious port has only just been announced, so information is bound to be thin on the ground, but one of the biggest questions fans are asking should have been addressed already. Will this tie into the main game in some way? Will there be any crossover?I don’t mean narratively speaking, as we already know the mobile version will follow the 2.0 story, what I want to know is if there will be any cross function between the two games. Given how Mobile has only the base jobs and races, I highly doubt there will be crossplay, but I do wonder if perhaps those who have accounts for both FF14 and FF14 Mobile might have some benefits or interesting shared features.
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Will The Two Final Fantasy 14 Games Ever Cross Over?
Maybe it’ll be as simple as you get an emote for having both, similar to the FF14 companion app that gives you the Tomestone emote. That idea prompts me to consider a whole new question: will the companion app work in conjunction with Mobile? Presumably it will also have retainers for players to sell items, after all. But perhaps the two could have a more useful shared function.
We don’t know the cost of Mobile yet, though FF14 producer and director Naoki Yoshida has confirmed there will be no paid gacha mechanics. It’s certainly going to cost something and if it involves shelling out for a whole new monthly sub like FF14, I don’t know if I want to pay out for both simultaneously. A discounted deal for subscribing to both would be handy for existing fans, but then again, maybe Mobile will be much cheaper anyway.
Considering the free trial covers the same story section (and more) than what Mobile intends to offer, maybe it’ll be free to play with the monetary element coming from Optional Item Store purchases. That’s if the Optional Item Store will even work in conjunction with Mobile.
It was suggested in an interview with Famitsu, that the storyline will continue into the expansions, but it’s likely that will only happen if Mobile is successful enough to warrant it. Which leaves another question. Will it eventually catch up, and if it does, will cross-play then be possible? While we know it’ll follow the same story, do we even know if Mobile will offer the same range of content as FF14? And one of the biggest questions I have is how well will this all play with touch screen controls?
Mobile Could Have Made 1.0 Playable Again
I can’t help but feel that Square Enix has missed a trick with Mobile. I understand that it allows new players who don’t have consoles or PCs a new way to join in the fun, but at the same time, what does it offer the existing fan base? If we want to slog through A Realm Reborn base content, we can do that with New Game Plus.
What would have been really interesting is if Mobile had tackled the original 1.0 narrative anew. It’s still canon to the story, mostly, and it’s completely unplayable now as it was part of the original 1.0 version of FF14 that was scrapped after its critical failure, later relaunching as ARR. This could have been an opportunity to take that part of FF14 history, give it some love, reshape it to suit the modern narrative while keeping the lore intact, and allow new and old fans alike a way to experience the events that come before ARR.
FF14 Mobile is being developed by Lightspeed Studios under the supervision of Square Enix, so I feel a new studio could have taken a fresh approach with the license to get really creative with an old forgotten story. Unfortunately, we’re not getting that, so I guess replaying through ARR and having to hoof it back to the Waking Sands every other quest is the way we’ll be spending our days at some point.
There’s no launch date for FF14 Mobile yet, though we know it’ll be released in Mainland China before receiving a global launch. As much as I may have a few reservations and more than a few questions, I hope to see Mobile succeed. After all, we don’t want it to fizzle out like the Final Fantasy 11 Mobile game did…
- Developer(s)
- Lightspeed Studios
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op , Online Multiplayer