<s>
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
:	I-Application
Heavensward	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
expansion	O
pack	O
to	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
:	I-Protocol
A	I-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
,	O
a	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
(	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
)	O
developed	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Square	O
Enix	O
for	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
,	O
and	O
Windows	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
June	O
23	O
,	O
2015	O
,	O
nearly	O
two	O
years	O
after	O
the	O
debut	O
of	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naoki	O
Yoshida	O
served	O
as	O
director	O
and	O
producer	O
and	O
Nobuo	O
Uematsu	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
not	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
title	O
since	O
the	O
ill-fated	O
2010	O
launch	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
,	O
returned	O
to	O
collaborate	O
with	O
Masayoshi	O
Soken	O
on	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
expansion	O
pack	O
was	O
released	O
as	O
a	O
standalone	O
product	O
for	O
current	O
players	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
an	O
"	O
all-in-one	O
"	O
bundle	O
containing	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
and	O
Heavensward	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
latter	O
was	O
the	O
only	O
way	O
to	O
access	O
the	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
which	O
premiered	O
on	O
the	O
same	O
day	O
as	O
the	O
expansion	O
pack	O
's	O
launch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavensward	B-Application
focuses	O
on	O
a	O
millennium-long	O
conflict	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
Dragonsong	O
War	O
between	O
the	O
Holy	O
See	O
of	O
Ishgard	O
and	O
the	O
dragon	O
horde	O
of	O
Dravania	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavensward	B-Application
performed	O
well	O
critically	O
and	O
earned	O
nominations	O
for	O
"	O
Expansion	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
suspended	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
client	O
that	O
same	O
month	O
due	O
to	O
numerous	O
reports	O
of	O
poor	O
technical	O
performance	O
and	O
offered	O
refunds	O
to	O
those	O
who	O
purchased	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
sales	O
resumed	O
in	O
February	O
2016	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
,	O
major	O
content	O
patches	O
were	O
scheduled	O
for	O
every	O
three	O
months	O
,	O
though	O
the	O
first	O
one	O
—	O
"	O
As	O
Goes	O
Light	O
,	O
So	O
Goes	O
Darkness	O
"	O
—	O
was	O
delayed	O
to	O
November	O
10	O
the	O
same	O
year	O
,	O
to	O
give	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
a	O
break	O
after	O
shipping	O
the	O
expansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
and	O
quest	O
structure	O
of	O
Heavensward	B-Application
largely	O
match	O
that	O
of	O
its	O
base	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
many	O
massively	B-Protocol
multiplayer	I-Protocol
online	I-Protocol
role-playing	I-Protocol
game	I-Protocol
(	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
players	O
interact	O
with	O
each	O
other	O
in	O
a	O
persistent	B-Protocol
world	I-Protocol
that	O
responds	O
to	O
their	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavensward	B-Application
features	O
new	O
areas	O
which	O
are	O
about	O
three	O
times	O
as	O
large	O
as	O
zones	O
in	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
new	O
dungeons	O
and	O
raids	O
,	O
Heavensward	B-Application
introduces	O
three	O
new	O
player	O
versus	O
player	O
(	O
PvP	O
)	O
modes	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
Fold	O
of	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
,	O
players	O
respawn	O
automatically	O
in	O
this	O
mode	O
and	O
item	O
boxes	O
appear	O
periodically	O
around	O
the	O
arena	O
which	O
provide	O
offensive	O
and	O
defensive	O
advantages	O
to	O
the	O
team	O
that	O
breaks	O
them	O
open	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavensward	B-Application
takes	O
place	O
on	O
Hydaelyn	O
,	O
a	O
fictional	O
planet	O
with	O
diverse	O
Earth-like	O
climates	O
,	O
focused	O
on	O
the	O
isolationist	O
Holy	O
See	O
of	O
Ishgard	O
,	O
in	O
the	O
snowy	O
mountains	O
of	O
Coerthas	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavenswards	B-Application
primary	O
conflict	O
concerns	O
the	O
millennial	O
Dragonsong	O
War	O
between	O
Ishgard	O
and	O
Nidhogg	O
's	O
draconic	O
horde	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Just	O
prior	O
to	O
Heavensward	B-Application
,	O
Nidhogg	O
awakens	O
,	O
calling	O
his	O
brood	O
to	O
active	O
invasion	O
once	O
again	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
directs	O
them	O
to	O
her	O
mentor	O
Matoya	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Planning	O
for	O
Heavensward	B-Application
,	O
along	O
with	O
the	O
patches	O
leading	O
into	O
its	O
story	O
,	O
began	O
well	O
over	O
a	O
year	O
prior	O
to	O
its	O
announcement	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Naoki	O
Yoshida	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
producer	O
and	O
director	O
,	O
considered	O
the	O
expansion	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
"	O
sink	O
or	O
swim	O
"	O
moment	O
for	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
project	O
,	O
its	O
success	O
or	O
failure	O
determining	O
the	O
arc	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
legacy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
They	O
chose	O
Ishgard	O
as	O
the	O
setting	O
because	O
it	O
was	O
teased	O
in	O
the	O
original	B-Application
2010	I-Application
version	I-Application
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
and	O
lent	O
itself	O
well	O
to	O
the	O
gothic	O
fantasy	O
story	O
they	O
wanted	O
to	O
tell	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
expansion	O
was	O
announced	O
at	O
the	O
Las	O
Vegas	O
segment	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
Fan	O
Festival	O
2014	O
,	O
which	O
took	O
place	O
in	O
October	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yoshida	O
also	O
revealed	O
a	O
data	B-Operating_System
center	I-Operating_System
based	O
in	O
Europe	O
to	O
improve	O
server	O
performance	O
for	O
European	O
players	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
service	O
providing	O
optional	O
cosmetic	O
items	O
for	O
purchase	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
,	O
the	O
Heavensward	B-Application
storyline	O
is	O
an	O
original	O
story	O
not	O
directly	O
inspired	O
by	O
previous	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
titles	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
chose	O
to	O
require	O
new	O
players	O
to	O
complete	O
the	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
story	O
before	O
accessing	O
Heavensward	B-Application
because	O
it	O
provides	O
necessary	O
context	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
's	O
actions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
team	O
made	O
adjustments	O
to	O
allow	O
new	O
players	O
to	O
"	O
watch	O
that	O
first	O
season	O
on	O
fast-forward	O
"	O
,	O
including	O
increasing	O
experience	O
point	O
gain	O
and	O
adding	O
gear	O
rewards	O
to	O
main	O
scenario	O
quests	O
,	O
alleviating	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
grind	B-Application
to	O
access	O
the	O
expansion	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavensward	B-Application
premiered	O
the	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
client	O
at	O
its	O
launch	O
on	O
June	O
23	O
,	O
2015	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
console	O
and	O
Windows	O
PC	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
expansion	O
,	O
the	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
release	O
was	O
initially	O
only	O
available	O
in	O
a	O
two-in-one	O
bundle	O
containing	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
Heavensward	B-Application
expansion	O
,	O
titled	O
Final	B-Protocol
Fantasy	I-Protocol
XIV	I-Protocol
Online	I-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Current	O
players	O
of	O
other	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
including	O
Apple	O
PC	O
players	O
running	O
the	O
Windows	O
PC	O
install	O
via	O
Boot	B-Application
Camp	I-Application
,	O
needed	O
to	O
purchase	O
this	O
bundle	O
to	O
play	O
using	O
the	O
native	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
client	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Yoshida	O
attributed	O
the	O
performance	O
problems	O
to	O
difficulties	O
in	O
transposing	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
Microsoft	O
's	O
proprietary	O
DirectX	B-Application
graphical	O
rendering	O
libraries	O
to	O
OpenGL	B-Application
as	O
well	O
as	O
a	O
clerical	O
error	O
resulting	O
in	O
publishing	O
the	O
wrong	O
minimum	O
system	O
requirements	O
,	O
both	O
compounded	O
by	O
the	O
hectic	O
work	O
schedule	O
demanded	O
by	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
an	O
expansion	O
pack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
new	O
rounds	O
of	O
testing	O
and	O
optimization	O
,	O
sales	O
of	O
the	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
client	O
resumed	O
on	O
February	O
23	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
accompanying	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Patch	O
3.2	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Another	O
major	O
focus	O
of	O
the	O
expansion	O
is	O
to	O
update	O
the	O
game	O
with	O
DirectX	B-Application
11	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
DirectX	B-Application
11	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
includes	O
improvements	O
to	O
water	O
physics	O
,	O
light	O
refraction	O
in	O
water	O
,	O
reflections	O
,	O
and	O
visual	O
quality	O
of	O
shadows	O
and	O
textures	O
over	O
the	O
DirectX	B-Application
9	I-Application
client	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
new	O
client	O
is	O
less	O
resource-intensive	O
on	O
the	O
graphical	B-Architecture
processing	I-Architecture
unit	I-Architecture
and	O
may	O
improve	O
frame	O
rates	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
there	O
are	O
no	O
current	O
plans	O
to	O
upgrade	O
to	O
DirectX	B-Application
12	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
consoles	O
,	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
committed	O
to	O
maintaining	O
support	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
client	O
through	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
Heavensward	B-Application
patch	O
cycle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
new	O
categories	O
of	O
content	O
were	O
introduced	O
during	O
the	O
patch	O
cycle	O
of	O
Heavensward	B-Application
,	O
post-launch	O
:	O
Exploratory	O
Missions	O
and	O
Deep	O
Dungeon	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Exploratory	O
Missions	O
are	O
designed	O
to	O
emulate	O
the	O
feel	O
of	O
"	O
first	O
generation	O
"	O
MMORPGs	B-Protocol
in	O
which	O
players	O
would	O
hunt	O
notorious	O
monsters	O
in	O
the	O
field	O
with	O
hidden	O
spawn	O
conditions	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
,	O
Square	O
Enix	O
released	O
five	O
major	O
patches	O
for	O
Heavensward	B-Application
over	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
its	O
two-year	O
content	O
cycle	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
final	O
patches	O
serve	O
as	O
a	O
segue	O
into	O
the	O
story	O
of	O
the	O
second	O
expansion	O
,	O
Stormblood	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
Patches	O
and	O
expansions	O
Patch	O
Title	O
Release	O
date	O
Notes	O
3.0	O
Heavensward	B-Application
June	O
23	O
,	O
2015	O
Weekly	O
limited	O
content	O
was	O
not	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
expansion	O
's	O
launch	O
day	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
allow	O
players	O
to	O
enjoy	O
the	O
story	O
at	O
their	O
own	O
pace	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
based	O
on	O
an	O
April	O
Fools	O
 '	O
Day	O
joke	O
parodying	O
Lord	B-Application
of	I-Application
Vermilion	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
the	O
other	O
hand	O
,	O
Heavensward	B-Application
marked	O
Nobuo	O
Uematsu	O
's	O
first	O
return	O
to	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
series	O
since	O
his	O
work	O
on	O
the	O
original	O
2010	O
release	O
of	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
found	O
that	O
Heavenswards	B-Application
"	O
dark	O
"	O
main	O
story	O
is	O
reflected	O
in	O
the	O
pieces	O
he	O
wrote	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Soken	O
's	O
favorite	O
track	O
from	O
Heavensward	B-Application
was	O
"	O
Revenge	O
Twofold	O
"	O
,	O
a	O
dungeon	O
theme	O
;	O
it	O
was	O
originally	O
intended	O
for	O
the	O
Nidhogg	O
battle	O
but	O
was	O
repurposed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavensward	B-Application
:	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
Original	O
Soundtrack	O
is	O
collection	O
of	O
music	O
from	O
the	O
expansion	O
pack	O
including	O
both	O
the	O
launch	O
and	O
Patch	O
3.1	O
,	O
"	O
As	O
Goes	O
Light	O
,	O
So	O
Goes	O
Darkness	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
print	O
run	O
also	O
came	O
with	O
a	O
special	O
"	O
Spoony	O
Bard	O
"	O
in-game	O
pet	O
,	O
referring	O
to	O
the	O
character	O
from	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
IV	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
previous	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
album	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
music	O
was	O
new	O
to	O
the	O
album	O
,	O
though	O
16	O
of	O
the	O
tracks	O
were	O
previously	O
released	O
in	O
September	O
through	O
November	O
2015	O
as	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
:	I-Application
Heavensward	I-Application
-EP	O
-	O
Vol	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mike	O
Salbato	O
of	O
RPGFan	O
was	O
impressed	O
by	O
the	O
cohesiveness	O
of	O
the	O
entire	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
owing	O
to	O
the	O
recurrence	O
of	O
motifs	O
from	O
"	O
Heavensward	B-Application
"	O
and	O
"	O
Dragonsong	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
looked	O
to	O
Heavensward	B-Application
as	O
a	O
bellwether	O
for	O
the	O
direction	O
of	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
project	O
—	O
if	O
it	O
would	O
continue	O
its	O
comeback	O
story	O
that	O
began	O
with	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
or	O
if	O
it	O
would	O
falter	O
and	O
further	O
damage	O
the	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reception	O
of	O
the	O
expansion	O
was	O
"	O
generally	O
favorable	O
"	O
for	O
both	O
PC	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
versions	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
review	B-Application
aggregator	I-Application
Metacritic	O
,	O
based	O
on	O
14	O
and	O
20	O
reviews	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Heavensward	B-Application
sold	O
47,000	O
units	O
across	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
4	O
versions	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
third	O
bestselling	O
video	O
game	O
of	O
the	O
week	O
in	O
that	O
region	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Leif	O
Johnson	O
of	O
IGN	O
felt	O
similarly	O
,	O
holding	O
it	O
as	O
"	O
the	O
finest	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
tale	O
that	O
developer	O
Square	O
Enix	O
has	O
told	O
in	O
a	O
decade	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Many	O
outlets	O
made	O
note	O
of	O
the	O
requirement	O
to	O
finish	O
all	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
main	O
story	O
content	O
before	O
being	O
given	O
access	O
to	O
Heavensward	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Davison	O
argued	O
that	O
the	O
decision	O
made	O
sense	O
for	O
the	O
story-centric	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
and	O
appreciated	O
the	O
adjustment	O
to	O
quests	O
to	O
make	O
this	O
process	O
easier	O
for	O
new	O
players	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Daniella	O
Lucas	O
of	O
GamesRadar	O
agreed	O
,	O
saying	O
"	O
to	O
bypass	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
would	O
be	O
a	O
disservice	O
to	O
a	O
truly	O
gripping	O
tale	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Reviewers	O
compared	O
the	O
addition	O
of	O
flying	O
gameplay	O
favorably	O
to	O
World	B-Application
of	I-Application
Warcraft	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Burning	I-Application
Crusade	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
A	B-Protocol
Realm	I-Protocol
Reborn	I-Protocol
,	O
Heavensward	B-Application
continues	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
strong	O
console	O
feature	O
set	O
and	O
controller	O
support	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Lucas	O
maintained	O
that	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
is	O
the	O
best	O
MMORPG	B-Protocol
for	O
video	O
game	O
home	O
consoles	O
,	O
though	O
she	O
cautioned	O
that	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
players	O
might	O
experience	O
longer	O
load	O
times	O
than	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Taken	O
together	O
,	O
the	O
critical	O
response	O
to	O
Heavensward	B-Application
indicate	O
confidence	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
direction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Mark	O
Langshaw	O
of	O
Digital	O
Spy	O
summarized	O
that	O
"	O
Heavensward	B-Application
feels	O
like	O
a	O
reward	O
for	O
the	O
fans	O
who	O
gave	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
XIV	I-Application
a	O
second	O
chance	O
after	O
its	O
botched	O
launch	O
in	O
2010	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
year-end	O
awards	O
cycle	O
,	O
Heavensward	B-Application
won	O
"	O
Best	O
MMO	O
"	O
from	O
RPGFan	O
,	O
Game	O
Informer	O
,	O
and	O
Massively	O
Overpowered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
BAFTA	O
Games	O
Awards	O
nominated	O
the	O
title	O
for	O
best	O
"	O
evolving	B-Architecture
game	I-Architecture
"	O
in	O
both	O
2016	O
and	O
2017	O
award	O
years	O
.	O
</s>
