Wark Digest #33 - Dashing Ahead
Dashing Toward Chocobo GP
Presumably in an effort to promote Chocobo GP before its March 10 release, Square Enix dropped a surprise new app on us Thursday: ChocoboGP', read as "Chocobo GP Dash."
Why it matters:
ChocoboGP' is a simple side-scrolling race game that challenges you to get Chocobo and his moogle friend Atla to the finish line safely
Using only two buttons (forward and reverse), maintain Chocobo's balance on his roller skates and navigate traps, or you risk losing the treasures Atla carries or taking a tumble altogether
Earn coins from completing courses to improve Chocobo's stats, and compete against ghost records to improve your times
What we thought:
In practice, the game is as extremely simple as it sounds, and I'm not really sure what audience they were aiming for
If it's meant to be a tie-in to the upcoming Switch game, it's giving a poor representation
Though nothing in the marketing really suggests they were specifically targeting this demographic, it's not bad as a kids' game—I would load this on my own kids' device as a cute little way of interacting with FF mascots
What's next: If you feel the need for speed, you can check out ChocoboGP' for yourself on iOS or Android and compare times with your friends.
Lightning Round: FFXIV Updates
Over the weekend, a new installment of the Japanese-only Radio MogStation broadcast series debuted on YouTube, featuring Naoki Yoshida. It's over four hours long and has a heavy focus on the Japanese community, but here are some highlights:
The story for Patch 7.0 (aka, the next expansion) has already been outlined, even though it's years away
Yoshida admitted the new NPC follow mechanic was "overused" and might be adjusted
Endwalker's main quests will be playable in New Game+ when patch 6.1 arrives this spring
Other DPS jobs will be buffed up to Reaper's level, starting with Black Mage and Samurai
Endwalker soundtrack will be available on February 23
Yoshi-P also had a personal request. Since the Endwalker delay, he's noticed an uptick in negativity and verbal abuse in the community. Staff members read the official forums in all languages, and Yoshi-P personally asked users to be more considerate toward them, as well as new users—not that the devs should be universally praised, or legitimate complaints ignored, but he wishes there would be less verbal abuse. (As do we, throughout all aspects of the gaming industry.)
Dissidia NT Turns 4
While we recently celebrated the anniversary of the Dissidia franchise, its latest console iteration hit a milestone in Japan this week.
Why it matters:
Dissidia Final Fantasy NT was a console version of the Dissidia Final Fantasy arcade game, a Japanese exclusive
The arcade machines actually incorporated modified PS4 systems into their design, so releasing a console port globally made a lot of sense from a business standpoint
Arcade and NT eschewed the PSP games' 1v1 style and instead went for 3v3 battles; NT went a little further with a story mode
The PSP roster returned, alongside newcomers like Noctis, Y'shtola, Ramza, and Ace; post-launch, even more characters were added, including Rinoa, Zenos yae Galvus, and Locke
Sales numbers weren't really released, with Square Enix only mentioning that sales were "below expecatations"; it also holds a 67 critics' score on Metacritic, and 7.3 users' score
What we thought:
For a time I worried we'd never get to experience the Arcade game, so NT was a welcome announcement...
...however, the actual experience fell flat, thanks to a lack of 1v1 play, a paltry and restricted story mode, and often-excruciating matchmaking (and later, expensive DLC)
As was the case with the PSP games, it was great to see certain characters fully voiced for the first time, and interacting with other characters across the franchise
Leaks suggested that there was much more content in the pipeline (including the remaining Duodecim cast and newcomers like Zack and Vivi), but official support ended in February 2020—suggesting SE was cutting losses
What's next: It would be a shame if we never got another Dissidia spinoff, but hopefully Square Enix can learn from their missteps here and provide a true successor to the PSP games' legacy.
Around the Union
Our first video of 2022 is, fittingly, "Why 2022 Could Be An Amazing Year For Final Fantasy!" As discussed in this newsletter recently, there's a lot on tap for the franchise as the 35th anniversary approaches, and it could be a banner year. Check out the video for an in-depth look at the road ahead!
This week's podcast, episode 261, deals with a similar topic, as Darryl & Lauren discuss the current state of Final Fantasy and Square Enix as a whole. However there's also a bittersweet announcement toward the end: the podcast will be going on a temporary hiatus.
This wasn't a lightly-made decision. However you may have heard on recent episodes or our Discord town hall that we've been considering a format change for some time. For now, Darryl & Lauren are taking a break from the show, and we'll be looking at ways to bring it back, revitalized.
Want to have your fanart, screenshots, or other creations highlighted in our next issue? Send submissions via Discord (hoogathy#9999 or our #creative_show_and_tell channel), Twitter @hoogathy, or on the dedicated post in our FFU Facebook group!
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Until next time, kupo!