Square Enix have announced that a brand new benchmark tool has been made available for their upcoming expansion pack release of Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, a follow-up to Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
Asides from giving players an opportunity to test out the new DirectX graphics, this benchmark software seems more oriented at highlighting the new features to be introduced in this expansion. This includes giving anyone the opportunity to give the game’s character creation a whirl – supporting the brand new Au Ra race which will be first introduced in Heavensward.
For those who may not wish to download the benchmark but still want to get a peek at new content, Square Enix have also shared a new ‘Benchmark Trailer’ This fairly lengthy video showcases: the three new playable jobs, new dungeons, new areas and flying mount support.
Although this seems to only be something created during the free time of main scenario writer Kazutoyo Maehiro, a trailer has also been shared for a mock game titled ‘Ultimate Fight Final Fantasy XIV’. This game would theoretically see characters from the online game world duke it out with traditional fighting game mechanics. Would be a nice extra for a future expansion pack in my opinion.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward is set to be released worldwide starting June 23rd 2015 on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PC systems. The extra content in this pack which includes a new story, an increased level cap, new races and more will be a one-off purchase, however will still require the monthly $12.99 subscription to access.
