FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward The Art of Ishgard -Stone and Steel-

Final Fantasy XIV Official Art Books #2

by Square Enix

A brand-new FINAL FANTASY XIV official art book showcasing the artwork that became the foundation for the aesthetics of the “Heavensward” expansion.

Genres: Art, Fantasy, Gaming, Video Games, Reference

304 pages, Paperback

First published March 23, 2021

About the author

Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd. (株式会社スクウェア・エニックス・ホールディングス) TYO: 9684 is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series. Its headquarters are located in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo.

Reviews

[Kai Espinosa Deters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful books to look through! Not only as a lover of the franchise, but as an art nerd it was really interesting to see the thought processes and small details made to make the world feel that much more whole. Not to mention it was certainly fun to look through the concept art and say “hey! I’ve seen that before!”.

Overall it gave that much more appreciation into the heart and soul put into the world of Eorzea and the love the artists have for the series. While I was unsure when picking these up as they were cling wrapped and I had no idea what was inside (I’ve done my fair share of gold saucer gambling and have certainly paid the price for a good risk in the past) the price tag for the book was certainly worth it and I would have no hesitation putting my wallet on the table for the rest of these. If there’s one that you’ve been eyeing I can say with confidence that these are perfect; as both coffee table decor, and inspiration to artists and creatives alike!


Actual reviews aside I definitely wracked up a mean list of gear I have to hunt for, after properly seeing some that I may have overlooked in the past!

[Cretin Workshop · Rating 5 out of 5]

In many ways, Square Enix's Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward -- The Art of Ishgard -Stone and Steel- is second verse, same as the first. The Art of Eorzea -Another Dawn- was a phenomenal art book showcasing the immense amount of effort that went into conceptualizing the Final Fantasy XIV reboot's pre-production period. Stone and Steel addresses some of my complaints about the original; for example, you have far fewer gigantic landscape pieces crammed into a small corner of the page. I nonetheless wish the commentary from Square's art department were a little more substantive (some of it can be quite revealing, some of it is almost comically trivial), but with the absolute wealth of artwork and conceptual sketches preserved here, I can't imagine how much that might balloon the page count. Still, it would have been much appreciated. Heavensward has phenomenal art direction (led by Hiroshi Minagawa), and the snow-capped stone castles of Ishgard are presented gorgeously here. Given that this is a reissue and first-time English localization of a Japanese release from 2015, I think the American team did a great job of selecting what text to translate for context and what text to preserve as-is. Ultimately, Stone and Steel is an absolutely exceptional art book that is highly recommended to anyone who enjoys the production side of video games.

[Kristin · Rating 5 out of 5]

So glad there was artist commentary in this one, unlike in Shadowbringers, I love reading an artists insights and thoughts into their work. Such as why Aymeric doesn't wear armor on his arms (which I'd always found odd, until I read in here it was the artists way of conveying confidence in his own strength).

Beautiful works of art and tons of notes and commentary on everything from armor to enemies.

[Amanda Setasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Code Claimed

Favorites:
Armor: Woad Skyraider, Orthodox Skirts, Demon Attire of Striking, Arachne Robe, Thavnairian Bustier
Weapons: Lunaris Rod, Longinus, Nirvana, Lilith Rod, Ravana Arms, Dreadwyrm Arms
Enemies: Fenrir
Chocobo Barding: Ice, Eerie
Mounts: Kirin
Minions: Fat Cat
Housing: Head of the Dreadwyrm, Ice Chandelier, Stuffed Succubus, Expanse Fountain

[Serena W. Sorrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

SE Japan did me a solid when I purchased this one. The item code expired in 2017 (a year ago) so I emailed customer service—and they sent me a new code!

Aside from that kindness, this 2nd artbook continues the beautiful illustrations accompanied by artist commentary.

[Kris B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great art book for any FF fan. I really loved the little notes and details written in by the artists. You can tell how much they enjoyed working on the project. I do wish there was a bit more focus on art of the main characters, but it's still a lovely book and the landscapes are gorgeous!

[Garrett Ballendine · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful artbook.

You can feel the passion and love the creators have for this world behind every piece of artwork and the detailed commentary left.