Final Fantasy 14's spin on Stardew Valley was actually inspired by a Japanese version of Survivor

News
By published
Final Fantasy 14
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 14's Island Sanctuary was inspired by a Japanese version of the game show Survivor.

Producer Naoki Yoshida revealed as much earlier this week in a new interview with USA Today. The Island Sanctuary, which debuted last year in Final Fantasy 14 to much applause from players, was inspired by a show called "The! Tetsuwan! DASH!!" Yoshida told the outlet. 

If this premise sounds familiar, it's basically a Japanese version of Survivor, the mega-popular game show based around the same premise. The winner of the US version of Survivor, at least, is awarded $1 million at the end of the show, and the entire thing has been running for a staggering 22 years. Perhaps it's no wonder Survivor has been transplanted to other nations worldwide like Japan.

"Ideally, the more types of content an MMORPG has to offer, the better," Yoshida says. "Naturally, the most common requests are those for battle content, but if you were to ask if that alone is ideal for the development of an MMORPG, I think the answer is 'no' – the ideal result would be that both 'Adventure & Life' are aligned to the point where players ultimately feel that they are residing and living out their lives in that game's world."

Speaking of, Final Fantasy 14's Island Sanctuary has just received several improvements with the arrival of patch 6.3. There's now a new landmark, more animals, sanctuary ranks, and unlockable items to obtain on your deserted island. The user interface has received several improvements, thanks mainly to player feedback.

Here's hoping Square Enix has further improvements and additions for the Island Sanctuary lined up in future patches for Final Fantasy 14.

Elsewhere in patch 6.3, Final Fantasy 14's controversial housing demolition has restarted, and not everyone is pleased. 

Hirun Cryer
Hirun Cryer
Freelance Writer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.