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| Peter Triezenberg |
TEACH US HOW TO BLITZ, MIFUNE-SENSEI!
02.21.17 - 11:45 PM
Square Enix has unveiled a bunch of new details regarding Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, the upcoming expansion to their hit MMORPG. Joining the previously announced Red Mage job is the Samurai, a katana-wielding DPS class that utilizes STR gear. Building upon the Samurai aesthetic, the new player hub in Stormblood is the port town of Kugane, situated on the far eastern continent of Othard. Oh, yeah, along with venturing east to liberate Ala Mhigo from the Empire, the Warrior(s) of Light will visit this continent often spoken of, but never seen, for the first time. The all-new expanded world map helps put into perspective what this entails; the entirety of the current game takes place in the southwestern areas, so you can see how much wider the scope becomes with Stormblood:
In these eastern lands, a new tortoise-like beast tribe called the Kojin inhabit certain lands. In contrast to some of Othard's inhabitants, the Kojin routinely engage in trade with travelers. And, as you may imagine, this beast tribe worships a primal, this one named Susano. Following Ravana in Heavensward, Susano is the second all-new primal (or eikon, or eidolon in other games) created specifically for Final Fantasy XIV. Oh, and you're in luck if you're loving the aesthetics of the far east and Kugane, as the long-awaited fourth player housing district — called Shirogane — will make its debut in the expansion. You can take a look at some of the new additions in our updated screenshot gallery, and watch the game's extended opening video (now with 100% more Samurai action) below.
In other Final Fantasy XIV news, the latest old Final Fantasy minigame to be retrofitted into the world of Eorzea is Blitzball: which makes sense, given Stormblood's proclivity for aquatic areas. According to Yoshida (the game's eclectic director), the team is currently trying to find a balance between what fans remember about the Blitzball minigame and how they can incorporate it within the MMORPG genre. Rest assured, we here at RPGFan will keep you posted once we start our own famous Blitzball team, the Emerald Aurochs.
