A review by shanaqui
FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward The Art of Ishgard -Stone and Steel- by Square Enix

informative fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? N/A
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

This artbook is totally gorgeous, as you'd expect, and it also comes with little notes from the artists about the pieces -- or sometimes a comment here and there from Yoshi-P! If you're a fan of the game design and you're interested in a closer look, then this is definitely a must.

There's a range of stuff here; full-colour pics from later stages of development, along with some of the concept sketches. Some things have more notes than others, taking apart the image a little to demonstrate some of the choices made or the requirements given; there's quite a bit showing the process of design for the Au-Ra, for example.

It also comes with the code for a Wind-Up Relm minion. Yes, I claimed mine, so no, it's not for sale. 😅