Leading up to the Chains of Promathia expansion, I’d say Final Fantasy XI’s story is decent at best. The original plot per starting nation focuses on politics. Yet the ultimate goal centers around a simple tale of good vs. evil. The Shadow Lord is bad. You should probably go kill him. The first expansion, Rise of the Zilart, opens up some of the deeper lore. Also, there’s this kid who wants destroy the world. You should probably go kill him, too.
Chains of Promathia feels like Final Fantasy XI’s first complete story. It has roots that extend to each nation, but the core plot stands on its own. Part of the reason I think it’s so well received is its shift away from the broad perspective of politics. Instead, it develops its characters and creates relationships between them and the player. You spend more time coming the aid of individuals rather than supporting your nation’s cause.
One character in specific saw a significant investment from the development team. Prishe, a small elvaan (elf) girl, who is essentially is the protagonist of the expansion. She’s energetic and brash, but also tough and spunky. Up until this point in Final Fantasy XI, most non-playable characters – if not all – used stock animations. However, Prishe has her own custom set. It’s easy to see why they gave her special treatment. Without the unique exaggerated movements, her personality wouldn’t stand out as much.
Each expansion since featured a young girl as the central figure of the plot. It’s likely they were attempting to capture the essence of what made Prishe special. As someone who hasn’t spent a ton of time with the game’s story beyond Chains of Promathia, it’s hard for me to say how successful they were. Nonetheless, Prishe continues to be a fan favorite. She’s featured in Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy as well as Theatrhythm Final Fantasy.
