Anyone who knows the
style="font-style: italic;">Final Fantasy
franchise understands that Square Enix doesn't do anything halfway. Not
surprisingly, when Square
Enix announced three forthcoming episodic expansions to
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/taxonomy/term/211">
style="font-style: italic;">Final Fantasy XI,
the team had some top-notch artwork to accompany the announcement. Ten
Ton Hammer was able to get digital copies of the art for you to enjoy
(towel for wiping drool off of your shirt not included).
A Crystalline
Prophecy -
Ode of Life Bestowing
Planned for release in the spring, the first expansion focuses on the
events that occur after a
mysterious giant crystal appears in the skies above Jeuno. The crystal
is said to hold the secrets of Vana'diel's past.
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/50059/preview">
©SQUARE ENIX CO.,
LTD. All Rights Reserved. Illustration: Katsuya Terada
Click for a larger version.
A Moogle Kupo
dEtat - Evil in Small Doses
Information on the second episode is scarce at this time, but the title
reveals that the story will involve Moogles. The artwork presents dark
imagery that contrasts with the usual whimsy of Moogles. The result
should be as entertaining as Tim Burton's
style="font-style: italic;">The Corpse Bride.
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/50060/preview">
©SQUARE ENIX CO.,
LTD. All Rights Reserved. Illustration: Jun Suemi
Click for a larger version.
A Shantotto
Ascension - The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born
The final expansion sends adventurers on a quest to discover the reason
behind the drastic shift in disposition for Professor Shantotto. Though
Shantotto had always been eccentric, her sudden proclamation of herself
as ruler of a personal empire after an unexplained absence leaves folks
wondering what's going on behind the megalomania.
src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/50061/preview">
©SQUARE ENIX CO.,
LTD. All Rights Reserved. Illustration: Fumio Minagawa
Click for a larger version.
Word on the street is that the new content will be available
as early as level 30 but require full parties of level 75 characters to
reach the end of the story. One final bit of good news is that Masato
Kato, who was involved with the original plot of FFXI is back to
provide expert advice on the story lines for these three
expansions. The new content will be available only through digital
download and will cost $10 per episode. In light of all
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/49617">the negative
news in the MMOG industry right now, it is refreshing to hear
about a company enjoying success and continuing to build onto game that
has been on the market for a while.
To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our Final Fantasy XI Game Page.