The first taste of Manderville’s Gold Saucer is a treat for fans of old Final Fantasy games
It was a feature that many had wanted for years, even in the previous incarnation of Final Fantasy XIV. A casino that let players indulge in taking chances and making money off of betting and gambling, and finally, Square Enix has given the FFXIV: ARR community what they’ve always wanted: the Gold Saucer.
First and last seen in the classic Final Fantasy VII, the Gold Saucer was a place where dreams came true, where players were able to take part in several mini-games and hopefully win rare items. Years later, is the new Gold Saucer anything like the old? It is, in more ways than one. Players make use of the Manderville casino’s own currency, similar to the GP of FFVII’s Gold Saucer, and they get to take part in various mini-games, but there are some additions. Particularly, the amazing Triple Triad game from Final Fantasy VIII, and Gold Saucer Active Time Events (G.A.T.E.s), where players come together to accomplish tasks such as saving chocobos from towers.
The Gold Saucer also has various casual games like Crystal Tower Striker, a title that’s similar to the arcade game Stacker, and The Moogle’s Paw, a crane-like game.
The update that contained the Gold Saucer was as welcome an addition as any other, not just because players had been pining for an official way to gamble within the game for years, even creating their own “Player Casinos”, but also because online casinos in general are set to take over the gambling industry. Ever since CryptoLogic perfected secure online payments for Intercasino in 1996, online casinos have started expanding, and Forbes has predicted that the time for online gaming has finally come. Although FFXIV:ARR’s Gold Saucer offers no chances to win real money, it’s a smart move to begin appealing to a pastime that has apparently hooked millions of players all over the world.
Players are sure to love betting on Chocobo Races, while raising, breeding, and racing their own chocobos, as well as winning against NPCs in card games. There’s a “guided tour” of all of the Gold Saucer’s many mini-games on Kotaku, so go and see what all the fuss is about for yourself!
What could be in store for Eorza’s Gold Saucer? Maybe a Battle Arena and some of those themed amusement park rides from FFVII’s Gold Saucer? Or maybe we’ll see some Blitzball or Tetra Master tournaments put into place! What would you like to see next?
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