Final Fantasy 14's Yoshi-P regrets making the MMO as stress-free as it is

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Yoshi-P says if you take out the stress, you take out the fun

G'raha Tia looks distantly in a trailer for Final Fantasy 14 Stormblood
(Image credit: Square Enix)

Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida, often referred to as Yoshi-P, says he regrets making the long-running MMO as stress-free as it is.

Talking to Famitsu, Yoshida underscored the importance of striking the right balance of stressful but enjoyable. Notably, he said over the years, Square Enix has made an effort to minimize the amount of stress and discomfort people experience playing Final Fantasy 14, and in retrospect worries the game isn't challenging enough.

"I have once again realized that we must continue to provide players with surprises that go beyond their imaginations," he said via an auto translation software. "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."

He added: "A video game should of course have an element of stress, but how to handle that properly, is extremely difficult."

Yoshi-P wasn't clear in the interview in which specific areas he thinks Final Fantasy 14 has become too chilled-out, but he compared it to a side-scrolling platformer without any pitfalls if you miss a jump. "Of course the game would lose its stress, but it would also lose its fun," he said.

Going back to Final Fantasy 14, Yoshi-P said he hopes to restore a better balance of risk and reward. "If we do that, we can give everyone a better challenge, in a good way, than ever before."

Jordan Gerblick
Jordan Gerblick

After earning an English degree from ASU, I worked as a corporate copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. I got my big break here in 2019 with a freelance news gig, and I was hired on as GamesRadar's west coast Staff Writer in 2021. That means I'm responsible for managing the site's western regional executive branch, AKA my home office, and writing about whatever horror game I'm too afraid to finish.