The bright-blue caves of Sastasha, Final Fantasy 14’s first dungeon, make most long-time fans groan. Not because it’s bad per se, but more that seasoned adventurers have likely run through it countless times — even in Stranger of Paradise: Final Fantasy Origin.
Final Fantasy 14 director Naoki Yoshida told GLHF that Team Ninja wanted Sastasha as the MMORPG’s representation in Stranger of Paradise precisely because it’s such well-tread ground.
“For this collaboration, I received a proposal from the Stranger of Paradise producer team,” Yoshida explains. “Apparently, they chose Sastasha because it would be familiar for many Final Fantasy 14 players, and it worked well with the setting and overall variety of Stranger of Paradise.”
Yes, years of trudging through hoards of killer clams while forgetting to read the bloody memo led to Sastasha appearing in Stranger of Paradise. A moment of silence for all those warriors of light that paved the way for our favorite moments, please.
Snark aside, the reasoning here is sound. Anyone that gives Final Fantasy 14 a serious try will undoubtedly experience Sastasha since it’s literally the dungeon that teaches the fundamentals of combat. Even those currently bashing their heads against the Dragonsong’s Reprise ultimate raid had to start somewhere.
Written by Kyle Campbell on behalf of GLHF.
