Final Fantasy XIV has been in a bit of a rough patch as of late. With a continuously declining player base and dwindling goodwill, players have patiently waited for a modicum of meaningful content and requested changes to arrive since last year’s release of its latest expansion, Dawntrail. Meanwhile, a series of exploits enabling players to stalk and harass others has yet to be fully thwarted by Square Enix, while questionable design decisions to jobs like Summoner and Black Mage have caused some players (like me!) to forgo their longstanding subscriptions entirely.
In the most recent “Letter from the Producer” showcase, Final Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida acknowledges some players’ dissatisfaction regarding the direction of the game’s most recent patches. Finally, they’re noticing players’ frustrations with the Occult Crescent! Finally, races introduced six years ago will soon be able to wear hats! Hurray, vindication at last. It seems they’re finally starting to do good by the community. Enter the Belt-leather Attire set.
‘FINAL FANTASY XIV’ releases the Belt-leather Attire set. Everyone disliked that.
Final Fantasy XIV‘s “Online Store,” a digital real-money cash shop offering exclusive mounts and other cosmetics, has remained consistent and regularly updated throughout the game’s lifecycle. In the past, it was common to find five to six-piece attire sets on sale as a bundle, which usually ranged from $5 to $22. These bundles often offer players an entire costume in one package, including garments from head to toe. This time around, Square Enix has done things a little differently.
The Belt-leather Attire set, previously a Korean store exclusive, is being sold in three separate bundles. There’s the Belt-leather Attire (Trousers) for $18, the Belt-leather Attire (Cropped Slops) for $18, and the Belt-leather Beret and Fingerstalls set for $6. The first two bundles include only three items in each, as Square Enix has opted to separate the headgear and gloves into an additional purchase. So, what’s the difference between the two $18 bundles? Try to spot it yourself! On the left, the Cropped Slops set. On the right, the Trousers set.
I’ll give you a hint: it’s not the colors. Nope, in fact, for an additional $18 purchase, you’ll get… a little window on the back of your shirt, some rolled-up pants legs, and slightly different boots. That’s $36 so far, if you want both strikingly similar variants of the same costume set. Want the hat and gloves that actually complete the whole look? That’s another $6, totalling $42 USD for eight pieces of cosmetic gear, three of which look nearly identical to another three.
They can’t keep getting away with this (They probably will)
Now, to be completely fair, this isn’t the first time Square’s pulled this trick. Similar basically-the-same variants, like the Collegiate Attire and Educand’s Attire, have been sold in the past. It’s not a new trend, rather a continued practice that’s testing a lot of Final Fantasy XIV‘s players’ patience. It’s especially disheartening when costumes like the Street Attire set are available, which contain a complete set of apparel with variant pieces included.
To make matters worse, the tops don’t even fit some characters correctly. As shown in Final Fantasy XIV‘s own promotional images, the belt around the Roegadyn’s waist fits more like a hula hoop than a functioning belt. To make matters even worse, Viera and Hrothgar still can’t equip the headgear. That $6 beret and glove bundle? Yeah, half of it doesn’t even work for those players. I’m not against separating certain pieces into individual bundles. I mean, there’s plenty of costume sets in which a player may only want the headgear. However, after finally addressing the Viera/Hrothgar issue in the latest Live Letter, this timing couldn’t be any more tone-deaf.
Will you be grabbing the entire Belt-leather collection? Hey, you do you. But for $42 USD, you could be getting a lot more bang for your buck. Like Elden Ring Nightreign, Rematch, Peak, or even the entirety of Final Fantasy XI with more than 20 years of expansions and additional content!
The post ‘Final Fantasy XIV’ Continues Its Online Store Shenanigans by Releasing Sets of Attire That, Together, Cost More Than Dawntrail Itself appeared first on VICE.
