Fans playing the new The Sims 4 Werewolves expansion have spotted a couple of clever nods in the life game’s item descriptions towards critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV. The text descriptions for several new items added to The Sims 4 make sneaky references to the latest FFXIV expansions, Shadowbringers and Endwalker.
First up is the ‘Racked Teak-a Greatshelves’ – the name of which which by itself might spark up recognition in fans of the MMO game as a fun play on Shadowbringers location the Rak’tika Greatwood. The item description references the “Warriors of Write” (a play on FFXIV’s Warriors of Light) and features the line “one brings shadow, one brings light, some are even two-toned,” a quote adapted from the lyrics of Who Brings Shadow, the theme song for Shadowbringers’ primary antagonist.
As if that wasn’t enough, the description finishes by saying that “having one of these in your house will have you RIDING HOOOOOOME as soon as possible just to see it again.” Those iconic two words ring out as the centrepiece of the song’s chorus, and – as a long-time Final Fantasy player myself – even reading them in text form out of context in a Sims game makes me just a little bit emotional.
Also included in the Werewolves game pack is the ‘Seventh Confectioner’s Calamity Firewood Rack,’ a lovely set of neatly-chopped logs named after the Seventh Umbral Calamity, the events which set into motion the end of FFXIV 1.0 and the start of A Realm Reborn. The item description is a lengthy tribute to the words spoken by Venat during a climactic cutscene in Endwalker – ending with a fun twist on her powerful speech: “No longer shall we fly as carefree confections. No… henceforth, we shall walk.”
Molly ‘SimGuruNova,’ producer on The Sims 4, sent out several tweets talking about the items in question. “I wrote this pretty soon after finishing Shadowbringers, can you blame me?” Fans of both games responded with tweets expressing their joy at seeing the items. One user, Namicha, quotes back one line from Endwalker, “Thou must live, die, and know,” prompting Molly to reply, “Now I’m thinking about that cutscene, I’m gonna cry.”
Even the official The Sims 4 Twitter account responded, giving a hearty “LA-HEE!” – a nod to the Rak’tika Greatwood’s beloved musical theme. Another user, Mercedes_Razor, simply says, “You’re about to make a whole lot of Simmmers hear, feel, think…”
That wasn't the only one, by the way pic.twitter.com/zkmYVlbq36
— SimGuruNov-AWOOO (@SimGuruNova) June 15, 2022
If you’re after the best Sims 4 mods, we’ve got plenty to browse – yes, even the best Sims 4 sex mods, if that’s what you’re into. If this has you wanting to return to Eorzea, you’re in luck, as a new FFXIV free login event is offering you the opportunity to do so without having to resubscribe.