Final Fantasy 14's director 'regrets' making the game 'stress-free'

Final Fantasy 14's director and producer Naoki Yoshida thinks the development team may have made the game too "stress-free" for players.

In a recent interview with Famitsu (translated by GamesRadar), Yoshida (AKA Yoshi-P) discussed how he and the development team have been able to offer the massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) the right balance of fun while also keeping the game challenging, admitting that he has some regrets about making the game too "stress-free" for players over the last decade.

"I have once again realized that we must continue to provide players with surprises that go beyond their imaginations," Yoshida said. "In that sense, I actually have some regrets... As we continue to operate FF14, we have tried to make it more comfortable and stress-free for players to enjoy, but when I think back on the past 10 years, I think we may have gone a bit too far in that regard."

Yoshida didn't elaborate on which parts of the game he finds too stress-free for players, whether that's high-end raid content or PvP, but did add that he thinks video games should have "an element of stress" but says handling that aspect properly is "extremely difficult."

As an example, the director offered a side-scrolling platformer with no risk if the player were to miss a jump, saying "Of course the game would lose its stress, but it would also lose its fun," before adding that he hopes to make changes in Final Fantasy 14 that allow the players to feel a suitable balance. 

"If we do that, we can give everyone a better challenge, in a good way, than ever before," he said.

In other news, Yoshida has confirmed that if the opportunity were offered to him, he would like to direct the next Final Fantasy game following his work as a producer on Final Fantasy 16.

For more, be sure to check out our recommendations for the best MMORPGs, as well as the best RPGs.