At its most fundamental the narrative of Shadowbringers feels alienating, removing us from Eorzea and placing us in a situation that’s seemingly so backwards. A world corrupted by a blinding light so strong it abolished the night, and it’s with this ambiguity of your role as the “Warrior of Light” where Shadowbringers starts to cook all of it’s mastery. Calling into question the unending battle between light and dark that plagues both the series and typical RPG’s, and using the opportunity to instead muse upon the true beating heart of conflict, heroism.
Unlike a work such as AoT which directly criticizes heroism as a shackle which forever catalyzes the endless cycle of violence, Shadowbringers endeavors to celebrate its roots and the righteousness which defines it. By reflecting upon itself through the multi-layered conflict that the lands of Norvrandt contain, we don’t only see the wide and equally personal impact of heroes, but also their necessity. Not only to protect, persevere, and save, but to inspire for our future as the ultimate symbols of both will and humanity at large.
Yet heroism isn’t reserved for just the light, just as Hydaelyn has her champion, so does Zodiark. Each with its own legacy to carry forward, its own right to fight, its own desire for happiness, its own claim to exist. Through this climactic battle of wills and morals is where XIV finds not only it’s strongest emotional beats, but a commentary that will shake anyone cognizant of modern society to their very core.
I’m purely discussing macro here though, because when observing the micro Shadowbringers has a lot of nagging issues consistent with XIV and even of its own design. Yet it’s in the aggregate where you really see the true beauty and elegance of what it was able to accomplish. Ultimately the sin eaters are no different than the Garleans or Dravanias, they are oppressors all the same, but through Norvrandt’s crisis is where XIV is finally able to illuminate its soul, You. The hero who never buckled to your oppressors and continued to keep moving forward, above man and god, towards hell and past it, only to find the answer at the end of the infinite, a glimmer of hope, everlasting.
“Fate can be cruel, but a smile better suits a hero.”
Unlike a work such as AoT which directly criticizes heroism as a shackle which forever catalyzes the endless cycle of violence, Shadowbringers endeavors to celebrate its roots and the righteousness which defines it. By reflecting upon itself through the multi-layered conflict that the lands of Norvrandt contain, we don’t only see the wide and equally personal impact of heroes, but also their necessity. Not only to protect, persevere, and save, but to inspire for our future as the ultimate symbols of both will and humanity at large.
Yet heroism isn’t reserved for just the light, just as Hydaelyn has her champion, so does Zodiark. Each with its own legacy to carry forward, its own right to fight, its own desire for happiness, its own claim to exist. Through this climactic battle of wills and morals is where XIV finds not only it’s strongest emotional beats, but a commentary that will shake anyone cognizant of modern society to their very core.
I’m purely discussing macro here though, because when observing the micro Shadowbringers has a lot of nagging issues consistent with XIV and even of its own design. Yet it’s in the aggregate where you really see the true beauty and elegance of what it was able to accomplish. Ultimately the sin eaters are no different than the Garleans or Dravanias, they are oppressors all the same, but through Norvrandt’s crisis is where XIV is finally able to illuminate its soul, You. The hero who never buckled to your oppressors and continued to keep moving forward, above man and god, towards hell and past it, only to find the answer at the end of the infinite, a glimmer of hope, everlasting.
“Fate can be cruel, but a smile better suits a hero.”
Masayoshi Soken.
Final Fantasy XIV has come a long way since its rocky launch. With Heavensward, the game earned my heart, and with Shadowbringers, it earned my entire soul and being, igniting a deep appreciation for its masterful storytelling, character development, and world-building. This expansion isn't just a game; it's an experience that will leave you pondering the depths of existence, mourning fallen heroes, and cheering for victories earned through sacrifice.
Gone are the days of forgettable character arcs. Shadowbringers takes beloved companions like Thancred, Urianger, and Alisaie, strips them bare, and rebuilds them into versions that resonate on a profound level. They grapple with loss, regret, and the weight of their past, emerging stronger and more relatable than ever before.
These two characters are masterclasses in complexity. Emet-Selch's unwavering dedication to his lost Ascians, despite his morally ambiguous methods, makes him a villain you can't help but sympathize with. After all, if you lost your family and people to the forgotten threads of time and fate, what wouldn't you do to bring them back? Emet-Selch's plight and motives are not so different from our characters, and it really speaks volumes when you see the Scions trying to reason with him rather than be dead-set on destroying him.
And the Exarch, shrouded in mystery and burdened by an impossible task, offers a glimpse into the depths of selflessness. Every word they utter carries weight, leaving an indelible mark on your soul. From his selfless imprisonment in the Crystal Tower to his ultimate sacrifice to restore balance, G'raha Tia exemplifies the unwavering spirit of heroism. His journey and sacrifices throughout the game culminate into a poignant moment in the Crystal Tower, showcasing the exceptional writing of Shadowbringers. His redemption and chance at a renewed life are pushed me to tears, solidifying his place as my favorite character in Final Fantasy.
And don't let anyone tell you Ryne is just a whiny kid. Under the oppressive burden of expectation and manipulation due to her role as the Oracle of Light, she blossoms into a confident warrior, showcasing the resilience of the human spirit. Once she comes into acceptance of her purpose and she decides to fight for others rather than protect herself, it's an incredible moment that left an impact in my heart. Her arc is a testament to the power of growth and determination, earning her a well-deserved place among the Scions.
Shadowbringers doesn't disappoint on the gameplay front either. The 70-80 level range unlocks a wealth of abilities, making combat dynamic and engaging. Raids like Nier and Eden (atleast the parts I've done so far), along with stunning locales like the Amh Araeng, offer exhilarating challenges and experiences that put your skills to the test. I felt like the dungeons in Shadowbringers so far have been the most creative and fun, to where I really had no complaints unlike Stormblood's content.
As I reflect on my final moments in this incredible journey, the concluding boss battle stands out as a touching and intimate experience. Encouraged by a friend, I took on the role of tank for this significant encounter, activating my tank stance to draw the boss's attention entirely to me. This decision added a layer of fulfillment, making me realize that my year-long journey had led to one of the most satisfying fights in my gaming career. The impact of this battle was heightened by a visually stunning and epic spectacle, complemented by Masayoshi Soken's phenomenal "To The Edge." This composition, born from Soken's own struggles and battle with cancer, adds an extra layer of significance to the entire journey. It serves as a testament to the passion and soul poured into every facet of this experience, not only by Soken himself but also by the entire development team and the industry-defining history of Final Fantasy.
Even as a newcomer to this franchise, I could keenly feel the love and respect woven into Shadowbringers' tapestry. The numerous references and callbacks to past Final Fantasy games resonated throughout, offering a rewarding experience for longtime fans while remaining accessible to newcomers. It's a celebration of the series' rich history, inspiring me to delve even deeper into its captivating world.
Shadowbringers is more than just a game; it's an emotional odyssey that will stay with you long after you've finished it. The characters you meet and grow with feel like they're real people you know, and you come to treasure them like family. It's a testament to the power of videogame storytelling, character development, and the human spirit that channels through all of us. It's about how mankind overcomes the struggles of tragedy and how they rebuild their lives. So, if you're looking for an experience that will make you laugh, cry, and contemplate the very meaning of existence, look no further. Immerse yourself in the world of Shadowbringers, and let it ignite your soul.
Gone are the days of forgettable character arcs. Shadowbringers takes beloved companions like Thancred, Urianger, and Alisaie, strips them bare, and rebuilds them into versions that resonate on a profound level. They grapple with loss, regret, and the weight of their past, emerging stronger and more relatable than ever before.
These two characters are masterclasses in complexity. Emet-Selch's unwavering dedication to his lost Ascians, despite his morally ambiguous methods, makes him a villain you can't help but sympathize with. After all, if you lost your family and people to the forgotten threads of time and fate, what wouldn't you do to bring them back? Emet-Selch's plight and motives are not so different from our characters, and it really speaks volumes when you see the Scions trying to reason with him rather than be dead-set on destroying him.
And the Exarch, shrouded in mystery and burdened by an impossible task, offers a glimpse into the depths of selflessness. Every word they utter carries weight, leaving an indelible mark on your soul. From his selfless imprisonment in the Crystal Tower to his ultimate sacrifice to restore balance, G'raha Tia exemplifies the unwavering spirit of heroism. His journey and sacrifices throughout the game culminate into a poignant moment in the Crystal Tower, showcasing the exceptional writing of Shadowbringers. His redemption and chance at a renewed life are pushed me to tears, solidifying his place as my favorite character in Final Fantasy.
And don't let anyone tell you Ryne is just a whiny kid. Under the oppressive burden of expectation and manipulation due to her role as the Oracle of Light, she blossoms into a confident warrior, showcasing the resilience of the human spirit. Once she comes into acceptance of her purpose and she decides to fight for others rather than protect herself, it's an incredible moment that left an impact in my heart. Her arc is a testament to the power of growth and determination, earning her a well-deserved place among the Scions.
Shadowbringers doesn't disappoint on the gameplay front either. The 70-80 level range unlocks a wealth of abilities, making combat dynamic and engaging. Raids like Nier and Eden (atleast the parts I've done so far), along with stunning locales like the Amh Araeng, offer exhilarating challenges and experiences that put your skills to the test. I felt like the dungeons in Shadowbringers so far have been the most creative and fun, to where I really had no complaints unlike Stormblood's content.
As I reflect on my final moments in this incredible journey, the concluding boss battle stands out as a touching and intimate experience. Encouraged by a friend, I took on the role of tank for this significant encounter, activating my tank stance to draw the boss's attention entirely to me. This decision added a layer of fulfillment, making me realize that my year-long journey had led to one of the most satisfying fights in my gaming career. The impact of this battle was heightened by a visually stunning and epic spectacle, complemented by Masayoshi Soken's phenomenal "To The Edge." This composition, born from Soken's own struggles and battle with cancer, adds an extra layer of significance to the entire journey. It serves as a testament to the passion and soul poured into every facet of this experience, not only by Soken himself but also by the entire development team and the industry-defining history of Final Fantasy.
Even as a newcomer to this franchise, I could keenly feel the love and respect woven into Shadowbringers' tapestry. The numerous references and callbacks to past Final Fantasy games resonated throughout, offering a rewarding experience for longtime fans while remaining accessible to newcomers. It's a celebration of the series' rich history, inspiring me to delve even deeper into its captivating world.
Shadowbringers is more than just a game; it's an emotional odyssey that will stay with you long after you've finished it. The characters you meet and grow with feel like they're real people you know, and you come to treasure them like family. It's a testament to the power of videogame storytelling, character development, and the human spirit that channels through all of us. It's about how mankind overcomes the struggles of tragedy and how they rebuild their lives. So, if you're looking for an experience that will make you laugh, cry, and contemplate the very meaning of existence, look no further. Immerse yourself in the world of Shadowbringers, and let it ignite your soul.
This review contains spoilers
What I really appreciate about Shadowbringers is that right from the start, we get transported to this new world and with that it can tell a fairly isolated story, without needing to consider the Source much. While it does connect to the Source later on, it works really well to establish this world and focus on what's important to the people living here. With that we get our recurring cast that has already been living there for a while due to time shenanigans, allowing us to be clued in on the world as they know it through the eyes of characters we know and care about. I kind of love how every Scion ended up in an area that really fit their capabilities and personality.
The return of Ardbert was something I kind of knew would happen, but not in what kind of fashion and I love how he was incorporated into the story. A wandering spirited, forced to roam the lands, kind of tied to the WoL because they're the only ones who can see him. And through the WoL he learns about things like Seto's sentimentality towards Ardbert. Especially his journey through Shadowbringers, coming to terms with the role he has to play as a spectator up until the very end as the second half of the WoL is not only incredibly satisfying to see, it's also a beautiful development of his character. He finally came to understand that there was still something good he was able to do, despite everything.
G'raha... The man that you are. Completely shrouded in mystery through most of the story, he tries to be a comforting presence and help out everyone as much as he can, ultimately planning to take all the Light within himself and dying with it. He had such a great planned out character arc, I couldn't help but cry when he was about to die. His 'end' having a similar line to Zenos's 'end' hurt so bad, because it shows a sense of satisfaction with his end. An appreciation for all the WoL has done. The parallels were so good.
Every Scion has been really good in this expansion, particularly Thancred and Urianger are incredibly strong characters. Thancred has been struggling with the loss of Minfilia and now finding her again in a little girl who he chooses to protect, you can tell how desperately he wants to protect her so the 'real' Minfilia can come back. But over the course of the expansion he learns, he becomes more protective of who Ryne really is. She's fragile and insecure, she doesn't believe that Thancred would truly want Ryne to choose for herself. She wants to do what would be the best outcome for Thancred, but she doesn't realize that along the story, what became more important to him was that she felt like she could make her own choices and be whoever she wants. Thancred would die for her without a second thought. And he almost did. That fight with Ran'jit and the cutscenes after were some of the best stuff I've seen in this game yet. I'm glad he survived so he could give Ryne her real name after. The bond those two share is so touching. And Urianger being there to support Ryne when Thancred felt like he couldn't, he's like the sweetest uncle figure ever. Shadowbringers brought a new emotional side to Urianger that we never saw before. Especially when it came to G'raha, yelling at the Scions to not interfere while G'raha was lying about using the WoL all this time. He took his secrets and protected them, for the sake of their two worlds and for the sake of G'raha. Just beautiful.
And Emet... Emet... I didn't think he would die in Shadowbringers. I have a suspicion his story isn't quite done yet, but I don't know if he ever comes back. From the start, he's been shown to have a clear self-interest, slowly revealing more, bit by bit. He tells us early on that he wants to bring the worlds back together as they once were, but he hides and suppresses that emotionality of it. He's closed off to the WoL to the very end, only clueing us in at times that theres more to him than he's saying. He shows us his world, a replica, yet empty shell of it once was. Empty souls wandering around in Amaurot, telling us of the past and what had happened to it and the people living in it. Hythlodaeus especially was so interesting. Claiming that they and Emet were close friends in the distant past. I really hope to learn more about them. I wonder what made them say that they and Emet were close friends. If something happened between the two. Because Hythlodaeous seems to understand the conflict between Zodiark and Hydaelyn, I think, talking about the half of Ascians that gave their lives. And there's so much more to Emet that made him such a strong character and the decision to have him walk amongst you instead of form an antagonistic relationship with you, until the end, allowed the story to tell us so much about him. He truly cares and loves the people that he lost all that time ago. And as stated before, a lifetime alone, living the way he did can only turn out badly. I feel so bad for Emet, even if it's wrong to erase the lives of everyone who lives in the now so he can have what he lost, I do understand why he would do that. He's a very tragic character and I can only hope his end brought him some solace. Right before he disappears, he says to remember his people. That they once lived. And with the impact he had on the WoL and all the Scions, he will be remembered for as long as they are alive. A beautiful end to a beautifully tragic character.
Overall Shadowbringers has been a tight expansion with lots of amazing characters, with its new environment telling a whole new side of the story that we already know. Even when the story felt slow, it was consistently engaging and the slow parts in retrospect work really well as a reprieve from the constant peaks. I thorougly enjoyed myself all the way through. The visuals, the music, the environmental storytelling and especially the characters were all a huge step up from the previous expansions. Stormblood was my favorite prior to this, with some really fantastic characters that I adored, but Shadowbringers had a dozen characters that were that same quality or even better and as someone who values character work the most in stories, that was the biggest hook for me and I can safely say that Shadowbringers is now my favorite expansion.
I'm very excited to see what post-Shadowbringers is going to do with characters like Zenos and Elidibus especially. Hopefully I'll get more insight into Emet, particularly his past, as well to really complete that character arc of his. Because I feel like there's still pieces of him that could be told, but maybe I'm just coping because I want more of him.
Throughout Post-Shadowbringers the objective is to bring back the Scions to the Source, because their link between soul and body is weakening. This already is an interesting set-up and gives a sense of urgency to the quests. While I found 5.1 a bit weak at the start with Beq Lugg, everything was efficient enough. From the start they start cooking with Zenos and his return to Garlemald, killing Varis right after returning to his body. If anything, 5.1 made me very excited for what was to come after. It was interesting that they never did much with Black Rose, but it doesn't bother me since we got a sidestory with Estinien and Gaius out of that and a really fun duty from Estinien. In 5.2, the story really starts setting up some amazing stuff. Ardbert's return, inspiring the people of the First to become Warriors of Light was incredibly interesting and finding out Elidibus took host of his body only made me more interested in what his plan was and how he would even act it out with the people wanting to be heroes. While not too much happened in 5.2, it continuously builds up content for 5.3 and Endwalker, making it a job to experience, even giving some extra content and characterization to characters that have already been gone like Emet-Selch.
But 5.3 ruined my life. This has got to be some of the best content in the game, alongside the ending stretch of 5.0. Learning about Elidibus was not only enlightening but extremely emotional. As a primal, Elidibus lost himself, not even sure why he's doing the things he does. He only has sight for his duty and nothing else. To bring back the old world. Going through history, learning how Hydaelyn and her supporters acted through Venat and learning more about Zodiark and why Elidibus became its heart was just incredible storytelling. The reveal that Elidibus became its heart when he was a child, for me it clarifies so many of his actions and why he cast aside, even if unintentional, his sense of self. Like the kid he is, he only ever wanted to become a hero. 5.3 completely elevated Elidibus and made him one of the best characters in this game and I couldn't be sadder about the way it all ended for him. His journey is incredibly tragic. I'm really happy with the way 5.3 ended for Elidibus, but also for G'raha. Even though he comes back through his own memories, G'raha turning himself as one with the Crystal Tower and essentially sacrificing his being in the First, was an incredible character moment. There's still a lot to be said about the fight against Elidibus, but I feel or hope, more about that will be revealed in Endwalker.
5.4 and 5.5 were obviously not as good as 5.3, but it was still really great content all the same. We've had Fandaniel and Zenos building up their plans in the background, while the Scions try to help those in the Source afflicted with the primal diseases. 5.4 was about making allies and curing people which I found really enjoyable, even if some particular quests were a bit weaker, I feel like this is only because 5.3 came prior to that. In 5.5, I truly felt like we finally got some real set-up for Endwalker. Towers sprout across the lands, summoning primals for Fandaniel and Zenos's plans, to bring back the Final Days. Fandaniel seems to only want to bring chaos and destruction to the world so he and everyone else around him can die, while Zenos knows this will lure the Warrior of Light so they can fight once more, the one thing he only truly wants, the one thing that brought him true satisfaction. There also seem to be some seeds planted for Ascian lore as well as the twins's family, but I will wait until Endwalker to properly judge those. All I can say is that it all makes me very excited for what Endwalker has in store.
The return of Ardbert was something I kind of knew would happen, but not in what kind of fashion and I love how he was incorporated into the story. A wandering spirited, forced to roam the lands, kind of tied to the WoL because they're the only ones who can see him. And through the WoL he learns about things like Seto's sentimentality towards Ardbert. Especially his journey through Shadowbringers, coming to terms with the role he has to play as a spectator up until the very end as the second half of the WoL is not only incredibly satisfying to see, it's also a beautiful development of his character. He finally came to understand that there was still something good he was able to do, despite everything.
G'raha... The man that you are. Completely shrouded in mystery through most of the story, he tries to be a comforting presence and help out everyone as much as he can, ultimately planning to take all the Light within himself and dying with it. He had such a great planned out character arc, I couldn't help but cry when he was about to die. His 'end' having a similar line to Zenos's 'end' hurt so bad, because it shows a sense of satisfaction with his end. An appreciation for all the WoL has done. The parallels were so good.
Every Scion has been really good in this expansion, particularly Thancred and Urianger are incredibly strong characters. Thancred has been struggling with the loss of Minfilia and now finding her again in a little girl who he chooses to protect, you can tell how desperately he wants to protect her so the 'real' Minfilia can come back. But over the course of the expansion he learns, he becomes more protective of who Ryne really is. She's fragile and insecure, she doesn't believe that Thancred would truly want Ryne to choose for herself. She wants to do what would be the best outcome for Thancred, but she doesn't realize that along the story, what became more important to him was that she felt like she could make her own choices and be whoever she wants. Thancred would die for her without a second thought. And he almost did. That fight with Ran'jit and the cutscenes after were some of the best stuff I've seen in this game yet. I'm glad he survived so he could give Ryne her real name after. The bond those two share is so touching. And Urianger being there to support Ryne when Thancred felt like he couldn't, he's like the sweetest uncle figure ever. Shadowbringers brought a new emotional side to Urianger that we never saw before. Especially when it came to G'raha, yelling at the Scions to not interfere while G'raha was lying about using the WoL all this time. He took his secrets and protected them, for the sake of their two worlds and for the sake of G'raha. Just beautiful.
And Emet... Emet... I didn't think he would die in Shadowbringers. I have a suspicion his story isn't quite done yet, but I don't know if he ever comes back. From the start, he's been shown to have a clear self-interest, slowly revealing more, bit by bit. He tells us early on that he wants to bring the worlds back together as they once were, but he hides and suppresses that emotionality of it. He's closed off to the WoL to the very end, only clueing us in at times that theres more to him than he's saying. He shows us his world, a replica, yet empty shell of it once was. Empty souls wandering around in Amaurot, telling us of the past and what had happened to it and the people living in it. Hythlodaeus especially was so interesting. Claiming that they and Emet were close friends in the distant past. I really hope to learn more about them. I wonder what made them say that they and Emet were close friends. If something happened between the two. Because Hythlodaeous seems to understand the conflict between Zodiark and Hydaelyn, I think, talking about the half of Ascians that gave their lives. And there's so much more to Emet that made him such a strong character and the decision to have him walk amongst you instead of form an antagonistic relationship with you, until the end, allowed the story to tell us so much about him. He truly cares and loves the people that he lost all that time ago. And as stated before, a lifetime alone, living the way he did can only turn out badly. I feel so bad for Emet, even if it's wrong to erase the lives of everyone who lives in the now so he can have what he lost, I do understand why he would do that. He's a very tragic character and I can only hope his end brought him some solace. Right before he disappears, he says to remember his people. That they once lived. And with the impact he had on the WoL and all the Scions, he will be remembered for as long as they are alive. A beautiful end to a beautifully tragic character.
Overall Shadowbringers has been a tight expansion with lots of amazing characters, with its new environment telling a whole new side of the story that we already know. Even when the story felt slow, it was consistently engaging and the slow parts in retrospect work really well as a reprieve from the constant peaks. I thorougly enjoyed myself all the way through. The visuals, the music, the environmental storytelling and especially the characters were all a huge step up from the previous expansions. Stormblood was my favorite prior to this, with some really fantastic characters that I adored, but Shadowbringers had a dozen characters that were that same quality or even better and as someone who values character work the most in stories, that was the biggest hook for me and I can safely say that Shadowbringers is now my favorite expansion.
I'm very excited to see what post-Shadowbringers is going to do with characters like Zenos and Elidibus especially. Hopefully I'll get more insight into Emet, particularly his past, as well to really complete that character arc of his. Because I feel like there's still pieces of him that could be told, but maybe I'm just coping because I want more of him.
Throughout Post-Shadowbringers the objective is to bring back the Scions to the Source, because their link between soul and body is weakening. This already is an interesting set-up and gives a sense of urgency to the quests. While I found 5.1 a bit weak at the start with Beq Lugg, everything was efficient enough. From the start they start cooking with Zenos and his return to Garlemald, killing Varis right after returning to his body. If anything, 5.1 made me very excited for what was to come after. It was interesting that they never did much with Black Rose, but it doesn't bother me since we got a sidestory with Estinien and Gaius out of that and a really fun duty from Estinien. In 5.2, the story really starts setting up some amazing stuff. Ardbert's return, inspiring the people of the First to become Warriors of Light was incredibly interesting and finding out Elidibus took host of his body only made me more interested in what his plan was and how he would even act it out with the people wanting to be heroes. While not too much happened in 5.2, it continuously builds up content for 5.3 and Endwalker, making it a job to experience, even giving some extra content and characterization to characters that have already been gone like Emet-Selch.
But 5.3 ruined my life. This has got to be some of the best content in the game, alongside the ending stretch of 5.0. Learning about Elidibus was not only enlightening but extremely emotional. As a primal, Elidibus lost himself, not even sure why he's doing the things he does. He only has sight for his duty and nothing else. To bring back the old world. Going through history, learning how Hydaelyn and her supporters acted through Venat and learning more about Zodiark and why Elidibus became its heart was just incredible storytelling. The reveal that Elidibus became its heart when he was a child, for me it clarifies so many of his actions and why he cast aside, even if unintentional, his sense of self. Like the kid he is, he only ever wanted to become a hero. 5.3 completely elevated Elidibus and made him one of the best characters in this game and I couldn't be sadder about the way it all ended for him. His journey is incredibly tragic. I'm really happy with the way 5.3 ended for Elidibus, but also for G'raha. Even though he comes back through his own memories, G'raha turning himself as one with the Crystal Tower and essentially sacrificing his being in the First, was an incredible character moment. There's still a lot to be said about the fight against Elidibus, but I feel or hope, more about that will be revealed in Endwalker.
5.4 and 5.5 were obviously not as good as 5.3, but it was still really great content all the same. We've had Fandaniel and Zenos building up their plans in the background, while the Scions try to help those in the Source afflicted with the primal diseases. 5.4 was about making allies and curing people which I found really enjoyable, even if some particular quests were a bit weaker, I feel like this is only because 5.3 came prior to that. In 5.5, I truly felt like we finally got some real set-up for Endwalker. Towers sprout across the lands, summoning primals for Fandaniel and Zenos's plans, to bring back the Final Days. Fandaniel seems to only want to bring chaos and destruction to the world so he and everyone else around him can die, while Zenos knows this will lure the Warrior of Light so they can fight once more, the one thing he only truly wants, the one thing that brought him true satisfaction. There also seem to be some seeds planted for Ascian lore as well as the twins's family, but I will wait until Endwalker to properly judge those. All I can say is that it all makes me very excited for what Endwalker has in store.
É assustador presenciar uma evolução tão grande dentro de um jogo que busca sempre renovar sua fórmula, seja narrativamente, seja em combate e chefes. E esse é com certeza seu ponto mais alto, entregando minha party favorita da franquia
The first few hours and the last few hours of the base patch are fantasic but there is a lot of garbage packed inbetween all the kino. The world building and actual story is really damn good, but unfortunately for every good scene there's twice as many drawn-out boring scenes and quests. Unlike Heavensward which did a really great job at integrating the individual zone questlines with the main story, the zone questlines in Shadowbringers are all standalone and serve to show you pieces of the world that don't really tie into the main conflict much at all. This leads to them feeling like mind-numbingly boring sidetracks for the most-part, barring the introductions to each zone from like lv.70-74 MSQ (i liked Il Mheg) and the few times Emet, Exarch, and Ardbert appear in them. As if being droning and unfocused wasn't bad enough though, these questlines are also packed full of some of the worst writing I've seen from this game in the form of MULTIPLE big dramatic death scenes for the main characters that end up being blatantly emotionally manipulative fake-outs, with the worst one being insanely obvious and then utterly disrespecting the player's intelligence by carrying on with it for multiple cutscenes and making you watch your player character cry over it.
I guess I formed too high expectations for this xpac from seeing the backloggd score as well as hearing nothing but praise for it since it released, but despite having the best world and main conflict out of the xpacs as well as the best characters, I don't think it deserves more than a 3/5 for being filled with so much unfocused trash for debatably a majority of it (it's faaaar from as bad as ARR and Stormblood though).
5.3 do be peak FF doe so that bumps it up holy shit that was good. 5.2 and 5.3 singlehandedly made me love every scion and cry multiple times so thats a W
I guess I formed too high expectations for this xpac from seeing the backloggd score as well as hearing nothing but praise for it since it released, but despite having the best world and main conflict out of the xpacs as well as the best characters, I don't think it deserves more than a 3/5 for being filled with so much unfocused trash for debatably a majority of it (it's faaaar from as bad as ARR and Stormblood though).
5.3 do be peak FF doe so that bumps it up holy shit that was good. 5.2 and 5.3 singlehandedly made me love every scion and cry multiple times so thats a W
emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch emet selch
You know I didn't actually play this again I'm just thinking that as time goes by I was waaaaay too nice to it lmao. Story revolves around the importance of Law and Order and Great Men. Virulent hatred of fatness. They brought back G'Raha Tia but lobotomized him so his only character trait is wanting to fuck the player now. I dunno what I should actually have given it and it doesn't really matter but god damn the story of FF14 is conservative garbage lol. Fun combat though love to do the trials with pals
peak
Every single thing you've heard about this expansion is true, and probably an understatement
This story is an incredible achievement, in every single aspect, never has the writing in XIV been this consistently Great from start to finish, polished in every single bit and piece, from the main cast finally getting the proper attention they deserve to every npc and the world feeling alive
And of course, Emet-Fucking-Selch is the star of this show. What a thoroughly weird character, but god if he isn't incredible. To simply call him my favorite villain would be selling him too short, I've never seen anything quite like him
Ishikawa how the hell did you do it
This story is an incredible achievement, in every single aspect, never has the writing in XIV been this consistently Great from start to finish, polished in every single bit and piece, from the main cast finally getting the proper attention they deserve to every npc and the world feeling alive
And of course, Emet-Fucking-Selch is the star of this show. What a thoroughly weird character, but god if he isn't incredible. To simply call him my favorite villain would be selling him too short, I've never seen anything quite like him
Ishikawa how the hell did you do it
I saw Emet-Selch at a grocery store at the Crystarium yesterday. I told him how cool it was to meet him in person, but I didn’t want to be a douche and bother him and ask him for photos or anything. He said, “Oh, like you’re doing now?” I was taken aback, and all I could say was “Huh?” but he kept cutting me off and going “huh? huh? huh?” and closing his hand shut in front of my face. I walked away and continued with my shopping, and I heard him chuckle as I walked off. When I came to pay for my stuff up front I saw him trying to walk out the doors with like twelve calamities in his hands without paying.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the calamities and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “so that we may proceed to the final judgement,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even know what that means. After she scanned each one and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
The girl at the counter was very nice about it and professional, and was like “Sir, you need to pay for those first.” At first he kept pretending to be tired and not hear her, but eventually turned back around and brought them to the counter.
When she took one of the calamities and started scanning it multiple times, he stopped her and told her to scan them each individually “so that we may proceed to the final judgement,” and then turned around and winked at me. I don’t even know what that means. After she scanned each one and put them in a bag and started to say the price, he kept interrupting her by yawning really loudly.
Final Fantasy 14 is my favorite otome game.
Okay, I'm joking (mostly, call me Emet-Selch), but you could make an argument that at the end of the day the game is all about love, right? I've seen the argument that it's about grief, but grief is an aspect of love. Something something love persevering. And I'd say that while grief is often front and center in this game, it's really about all aspects of love--love for family, love for your home, love for your people, and metatextually, love for the Final Fantasies leading up to 14. This expansion we really love Final Fantasy 8 up to the point of including a raid series that's FF8 But WLW, and honestly? Good. Good shit.
Really, though, Shadowbringers deserves all the hype it gets. There's some occasional story jank with the pacing but I've come to expect that from FF14, and the highs by far outweigh the lows. What a story! What an antagonist! What music! Thank you for throwing early modern English literature strapped to a brick through my window, Ishikawa, you made a dumb nerd happy. I'll say I was a little disappointed they stopped individual job classes because even though I understand why they did they were the things that helped me get really invested in the game even in early ARR, but it turned out role quests were cool as hell so it ended up not bugging me that much.
And then the patch content happens and it's somehow the best shit I've ever seen? 5.3 asks a very simple question, and it's "Do you love Final Fantasy?" And I look the trial boss in the eye as I hold back my tears and I say, "I do. I fucking love Final Fantasy." Nier raids are perhaps not the best story but they've got sick music and they're good at getting people who've experienced Drakengard to point and scream so hey!
The only real downer is Sorrow of Werlyt, god I was prepared to be such a mark for that storyline and while the fights were incredibly sick the actual story felt like some asshole tabbed over to watch the worst Gundam on Netflix every time he ran Prae, including the first time. I wanted to like it! It had the skeleton of something good! It was about a character I thought had the potential for a really neat arc! But man!!! Who wrote that shit!!! But even then I can't say it was enough to tank the highs for me. Thank you for being a good fuckin game, FF14, I'm glad I got over my fear of MMOs to play you.
Now on to Endwalker! I can't wait to cry more!
Okay, I'm joking (mostly, call me Emet-Selch), but you could make an argument that at the end of the day the game is all about love, right? I've seen the argument that it's about grief, but grief is an aspect of love. Something something love persevering. And I'd say that while grief is often front and center in this game, it's really about all aspects of love--love for family, love for your home, love for your people, and metatextually, love for the Final Fantasies leading up to 14. This expansion we really love Final Fantasy 8 up to the point of including a raid series that's FF8 But WLW, and honestly? Good. Good shit.
Really, though, Shadowbringers deserves all the hype it gets. There's some occasional story jank with the pacing but I've come to expect that from FF14, and the highs by far outweigh the lows. What a story! What an antagonist! What music! Thank you for throwing early modern English literature strapped to a brick through my window, Ishikawa, you made a dumb nerd happy. I'll say I was a little disappointed they stopped individual job classes because even though I understand why they did they were the things that helped me get really invested in the game even in early ARR, but it turned out role quests were cool as hell so it ended up not bugging me that much.
And then the patch content happens and it's somehow the best shit I've ever seen? 5.3 asks a very simple question, and it's "Do you love Final Fantasy?" And I look the trial boss in the eye as I hold back my tears and I say, "I do. I fucking love Final Fantasy." Nier raids are perhaps not the best story but they've got sick music and they're good at getting people who've experienced Drakengard to point and scream so hey!
The only real downer is Sorrow of Werlyt, god I was prepared to be such a mark for that storyline and while the fights were incredibly sick the actual story felt like some asshole tabbed over to watch the worst Gundam on Netflix every time he ran Prae, including the first time. I wanted to like it! It had the skeleton of something good! It was about a character I thought had the potential for a really neat arc! But man!!! Who wrote that shit!!! But even then I can't say it was enough to tank the highs for me. Thank you for being a good fuckin game, FF14, I'm glad I got over my fear of MMOs to play you.
Now on to Endwalker! I can't wait to cry more!
i would sell my kidneys to play this for the first time again
A tale of grief and loss, of forgotten promises and fleeting hopes. A clash of fates, of past and present, of shadow and light, and though all seems lost, we must march on. For those we have lost, for those we can yet save
This review contains spoilers
Emet-Selch.
My love
My beloved
My husband
My everything
My light in the darkness
I wanted to drink hot cocoa with u
But u left me
Now I'm sad
My love
My beloved
My husband
My everything
My light in the darkness
I wanted to drink hot cocoa with u
But u left me
Now I'm sad
this is truly the minecraft of sex
Stand tall, my friend.
Shadowbringers was very much a personal journey for me, as was largely the intent of the game I imagine. Its excellent writing between each of the major characters reflected equivalently on the Warrior of Light's development. Its themes of post-apocalyptic despair and the misgivings of humanity of the past are shined brightly on as the shadow of the world is reclaimed. I felt a strong attachment to the setting by the end, an irreplaceable memory of all that transpired that left me walking away at the end bittersweet and in tears. There's a lot to get into, especially in terms of the utopian breakdown in Amaurot, but I would choose to move on with the idea that people on their own can come to play Shadowbringers and think, hear, and feel exactly how these stories came into play.
The music and aesthetics themselves are the best the MMO's ever had too. Though it does similarly work with Heavensward and Stormblood's motif usage, the way tones were remixed and placed in the story were incredible. The oft-memed song is A Long Fall, but I have stronger attachment to Tomorrow and Tomorrow. The cutscenes also have phenomenal lighting and direction, and there's actual animation with some of the scenes now, especially with the latest ones.
The gameplay has also reached new peaks, especially with the latest patch's trial. While there are a lot of issues with how they made classes simpler (that I guess fortunately haven't experienced myself having joined afterwards), the ending rotations in Shadowbringers are still intensely fun to manage, some even for the first time. The solo duties continue to be interesting now since the tail end of Stormblood, and dungeons now let you play with the Scions, which is such a welcome change in terms of making the experience more personal. The raid and trial content especially hits new peaks, with the Seat of Sacrifice being my all time favorite fight in the entire game up to this point. Or at least, my favorite fight on Normal, since I have yet to do any of the Savage/Extreme/Ultimate content.
There are a few issues in the rough through it all. Despite my massive love and respect I hold towards this game and Yoshi-P now, there were definitely still weak points to cross over I can't easily forgive. The first half of the tempest pace breaker and the trashy trolley subplot I could very well have done without. The Alliance Raid, while WONDERFUL NieR fanservice, is mostly disappointing in its story and newest content too. The Raid and postgame Trial storyline are similarly at underwhelming ends here, the latter much worse for the potential it could've explored.
There's still three major patches of content left we haven't seen out of Shadowbringers by the time of this review, but it doesn't matter at this point. Shadowbringers is my favorite FF game, and I recommend anyone reading this make it a point of consideration to get far enough in FF14 to make it to this point.
Pray don't forget us, your bygone kin
With one world's end does a new begin
And should our soul scatter onto the wind
Still we shall live on.
Shadowbringers was very much a personal journey for me, as was largely the intent of the game I imagine. Its excellent writing between each of the major characters reflected equivalently on the Warrior of Light's development. Its themes of post-apocalyptic despair and the misgivings of humanity of the past are shined brightly on as the shadow of the world is reclaimed. I felt a strong attachment to the setting by the end, an irreplaceable memory of all that transpired that left me walking away at the end bittersweet and in tears. There's a lot to get into, especially in terms of the utopian breakdown in Amaurot, but I would choose to move on with the idea that people on their own can come to play Shadowbringers and think, hear, and feel exactly how these stories came into play.
The music and aesthetics themselves are the best the MMO's ever had too. Though it does similarly work with Heavensward and Stormblood's motif usage, the way tones were remixed and placed in the story were incredible. The oft-memed song is A Long Fall, but I have stronger attachment to Tomorrow and Tomorrow. The cutscenes also have phenomenal lighting and direction, and there's actual animation with some of the scenes now, especially with the latest ones.
The gameplay has also reached new peaks, especially with the latest patch's trial. While there are a lot of issues with how they made classes simpler (that I guess fortunately haven't experienced myself having joined afterwards), the ending rotations in Shadowbringers are still intensely fun to manage, some even for the first time. The solo duties continue to be interesting now since the tail end of Stormblood, and dungeons now let you play with the Scions, which is such a welcome change in terms of making the experience more personal. The raid and trial content especially hits new peaks, with the Seat of Sacrifice being my all time favorite fight in the entire game up to this point. Or at least, my favorite fight on Normal, since I have yet to do any of the Savage/Extreme/Ultimate content.
There are a few issues in the rough through it all. Despite my massive love and respect I hold towards this game and Yoshi-P now, there were definitely still weak points to cross over I can't easily forgive. The first half of the tempest pace breaker and the trashy trolley subplot I could very well have done without. The Alliance Raid, while WONDERFUL NieR fanservice, is mostly disappointing in its story and newest content too. The Raid and postgame Trial storyline are similarly at underwhelming ends here, the latter much worse for the potential it could've explored.
There's still three major patches of content left we haven't seen out of Shadowbringers by the time of this review, but it doesn't matter at this point. Shadowbringers is my favorite FF game, and I recommend anyone reading this make it a point of consideration to get far enough in FF14 to make it to this point.
Pray don't forget us, your bygone kin
With one world's end does a new begin
And should our soul scatter onto the wind
Still we shall live on.
Beauty and self reflection in darkness
Shadowbringers is a very unique and an emotionally tugging expansion for Final Fantasy XIV for which I put an ungodly amount of hours on during its run and now that Endwalker is on the horizon that I wanted to put my thoughts into words during the last 2 years playing this game. An overall great expansion with good content, amazing soundtrack by Soken, job changes that feel great and last but not least an amazing story that really rivals other Final Fantasy games that sadly comes with a huge price on your time.
The biggest reason this expansion is as beloved as it is the story, the characters and the soundtrack that comes as an culmination of everything that FFXIV was before. A new realm that brings along brand new and distinct areas make each trip to them feel unique compared to the contrast of Stormblood areas being half the areas looking the same with the same rock formations down to the color scheme of it all. The gorgeous pink flora of one area down to the whimsical and magical aura another area brings in this expansion. The story itself doesn't pull any punches compared to its predecessors and unfortunate pacing issues that the format of an MMO brings but the payoffs and some of them years in the making all the worthwhile here. A noticeable change is Soken having more free rein here as he mixes multiple genres in the soundtrack including rock, jazz, waltz and even electronic to an extent and manages to mesh well and really enhance some of the best moments this game has to offer. Jobs feel their most complete in this expansion and each of them manages to still something unique to the table as I leveled each one to 80. The post patch content is more varied this time around with the only noticeable sacrifice being no Palace of the Dead alternative but more it's combined with the relic/eureka system so you can work on your relics while leveling your 70+ classes as well.
Not much to say in terms of flaws other than the unfortunate circumstances that might not register as flaws to some people that enjoy the genre in general. To even get to this point in the game is a huge time investment if you really want what the story wants to offer and that's a big ask for some people. The game does also suffer from some pacing issues but they're rarely present and still important to the overall plot.
A lot of the flaws itself are pretty subjective in what you're into. The story is definitely worth it but it's a mountain to climb and that's only if you want to climb it. There is a reason this expansion is beloved as it is across the community and rightly so. The climb might be perilous but the peak is worth every second. There's a reason almost every friend you might have recommended this MMO to you if you're a fan of FF or japanese role playing games in general.
Become what you must.
Shadowbringers is a very unique and an emotionally tugging expansion for Final Fantasy XIV for which I put an ungodly amount of hours on during its run and now that Endwalker is on the horizon that I wanted to put my thoughts into words during the last 2 years playing this game. An overall great expansion with good content, amazing soundtrack by Soken, job changes that feel great and last but not least an amazing story that really rivals other Final Fantasy games that sadly comes with a huge price on your time.
The biggest reason this expansion is as beloved as it is the story, the characters and the soundtrack that comes as an culmination of everything that FFXIV was before. A new realm that brings along brand new and distinct areas make each trip to them feel unique compared to the contrast of Stormblood areas being half the areas looking the same with the same rock formations down to the color scheme of it all. The gorgeous pink flora of one area down to the whimsical and magical aura another area brings in this expansion. The story itself doesn't pull any punches compared to its predecessors and unfortunate pacing issues that the format of an MMO brings but the payoffs and some of them years in the making all the worthwhile here. A noticeable change is Soken having more free rein here as he mixes multiple genres in the soundtrack including rock, jazz, waltz and even electronic to an extent and manages to mesh well and really enhance some of the best moments this game has to offer. Jobs feel their most complete in this expansion and each of them manages to still something unique to the table as I leveled each one to 80. The post patch content is more varied this time around with the only noticeable sacrifice being no Palace of the Dead alternative but more it's combined with the relic/eureka system so you can work on your relics while leveling your 70+ classes as well.
Not much to say in terms of flaws other than the unfortunate circumstances that might not register as flaws to some people that enjoy the genre in general. To even get to this point in the game is a huge time investment if you really want what the story wants to offer and that's a big ask for some people. The game does also suffer from some pacing issues but they're rarely present and still important to the overall plot.
A lot of the flaws itself are pretty subjective in what you're into. The story is definitely worth it but it's a mountain to climb and that's only if you want to climb it. There is a reason this expansion is beloved as it is across the community and rightly so. The climb might be perilous but the peak is worth every second. There's a reason almost every friend you might have recommended this MMO to you if you're a fan of FF or japanese role playing games in general.
Become what you must.
i love it when things are as good as theyre hyped up to be
HOLY FUCKING PEAK
It really was kinobringers
It really was kinobringers
For the most part I have nothing to add that everybody else hasn't already said – this is as good as Final Fantasy gets, and is an especially rewarding experience if you're a devoted Final Fantasy fan to begin with. As an enormous fan of the Dark Knight class and its questline, the way that Shadowbringers incorporated Dark Knight's themes and messages into its own narrative resonated with me in a uniquely intense way.
It's still FFXIV though, and FFXIV by design is prone to issues – pacing and poor random-encounter combat mainly, but the small mission count and short missions more than do much to lessen the weight of these issues.
I hated FFXIV for two years because I simply couldn't see the appeal in it and loathed A Realm Reborn's dull storytelling. Not only was this expansion worth the wait but it retroactively makes every single bit of A Realm Reborn's monotony tenfold better.
It's still FFXIV though, and FFXIV by design is prone to issues – pacing and poor random-encounter combat mainly, but the small mission count and short missions more than do much to lessen the weight of these issues.
I hated FFXIV for two years because I simply couldn't see the appeal in it and loathed A Realm Reborn's dull storytelling. Not only was this expansion worth the wait but it retroactively makes every single bit of A Realm Reborn's monotony tenfold better.
Infelizmente eu subestimei essa expansão e admito que ela é tudo isso que falam e muito mais. Shadowbringers me tocou de uma forma pessoal e emocional em um nível que eu genuinamente não esperava e acabou sendo uma experiência extremante especial pra mim e que irei levar pro resto da minha vida com muito carinho.
"The rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it."
"The rains have ceased, and we have been graced with another beautiful day. But you are not here to see it."
i want to kiss the crystal exarch on the mouth
I didn't expect to be writing this review at all. Usually, when a game hits me this hard, I prefer to stand by for a long while, and just think deeply about it to have a more formulated opinion but....I just happened to be listening the piano version of Eternal Wind while scrolling through Backloggd, and you know what that means.
Probably I should give some context, because this was a really personal experience for me. All started 2 years ago, when I heard people talking about FFXIV, and how the Shadowbringers expansion was so amazing...at that point I only knew that the game existed, but never really thought about venturing into it because of the MMO etiquette (and still, 700 hours in, as ironic as it can sound, I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of the genre, although XIV did a lot to change my opinion about it, that's for granted). Then, though, I watched the cinematic and some reactions, and it just blew my mind, I wanted to play the game. Really.
I still had some hesitation, but at last, I started the game almost a year ago by now. Although ARR had a rough start, I just couldn't help but fall in love with the game, I was fully invested and then...I reached Shadowbringers.
I was so excited, I couldn't believe I already hit the point that made me start playing in the first place...and then came the hesitation again. Will it live to my expectations (I lowered them but still, the doubt was there), what will be my opinion of it? But in the end, those wonderings are pointless, so I decided to go straight through the experience. So...was it worth? Well, I just don't know how to explain it.
If I already loved FFXIV, Shadowbringers just blew me away in every possible regard, and the more I think of it, the more I like it. Sure, there's no game for everyone to like equally, and I may be a little biased because it actually even surpassed my expectations, but at this point, I don't care,I firmly believe it's one of the greatest narrative I've experienced, but that's not actually my point here. For me, the most important part of Shadowbringers, was the journey. Even though I think I'm an emotional person and will always prefer the more "personal" driven narratives, it's hard for me to actually "cry" or feel deeply emotional about something if I don't first think about it in retrospective (hence my point not writing my thoughts about games early-on), but this was one of those rare cases...
It's like it was just made for me, and I'm really, really happy about that. Shadowbringers is not only a personal experience for me, but also for the characters and the general narrative. It's a story about loss, about finding yourself, and also has the best representation of heroism and antagonism I've seen in fiction so far; to the point there's no really a noticeable difference between those two concepts. I really think there's a lot of humanity in the characters. Be it Ardbert's inspirational development, Thancred's exhaustion but also determination to be the best version of himself, be it G'raha's selfless acts of sacrifice, Emet's love for his people or the tragedy of Elidibus' hollow pursuit of a half-forgotten cause. This game has so many stories that just resonate with me so much. And the best part of it? That the general message of Shadowbringers is also really present in the side-content: be it Eden, Werlyt or the Role quests.
I shouldn't even be writting this, I have an exam in an hour, but I just love this game so much. I really feel like it just gives me strenght and inspiration when I need it. There's a lot more to be said about it, I barely talked about the game itself, but that's for another review or essay, I'll see.
Until then, stand tall, my friend.
Probably I should give some context, because this was a really personal experience for me. All started 2 years ago, when I heard people talking about FFXIV, and how the Shadowbringers expansion was so amazing...at that point I only knew that the game existed, but never really thought about venturing into it because of the MMO etiquette (and still, 700 hours in, as ironic as it can sound, I wouldn't say I'm a big fan of the genre, although XIV did a lot to change my opinion about it, that's for granted). Then, though, I watched the cinematic and some reactions, and it just blew my mind, I wanted to play the game. Really.
I still had some hesitation, but at last, I started the game almost a year ago by now. Although ARR had a rough start, I just couldn't help but fall in love with the game, I was fully invested and then...I reached Shadowbringers.
I was so excited, I couldn't believe I already hit the point that made me start playing in the first place...and then came the hesitation again. Will it live to my expectations (I lowered them but still, the doubt was there), what will be my opinion of it? But in the end, those wonderings are pointless, so I decided to go straight through the experience. So...was it worth? Well, I just don't know how to explain it.
If I already loved FFXIV, Shadowbringers just blew me away in every possible regard, and the more I think of it, the more I like it. Sure, there's no game for everyone to like equally, and I may be a little biased because it actually even surpassed my expectations, but at this point, I don't care,I firmly believe it's one of the greatest narrative I've experienced, but that's not actually my point here. For me, the most important part of Shadowbringers, was the journey. Even though I think I'm an emotional person and will always prefer the more "personal" driven narratives, it's hard for me to actually "cry" or feel deeply emotional about something if I don't first think about it in retrospective (hence my point not writing my thoughts about games early-on), but this was one of those rare cases...
It's like it was just made for me, and I'm really, really happy about that. Shadowbringers is not only a personal experience for me, but also for the characters and the general narrative. It's a story about loss, about finding yourself, and also has the best representation of heroism and antagonism I've seen in fiction so far; to the point there's no really a noticeable difference between those two concepts. I really think there's a lot of humanity in the characters. Be it Ardbert's inspirational development, Thancred's exhaustion but also determination to be the best version of himself, be it G'raha's selfless acts of sacrifice, Emet's love for his people or the tragedy of Elidibus' hollow pursuit of a half-forgotten cause. This game has so many stories that just resonate with me so much. And the best part of it? That the general message of Shadowbringers is also really present in the side-content: be it Eden, Werlyt or the Role quests.
I shouldn't even be writting this, I have an exam in an hour, but I just love this game so much. I really feel like it just gives me strenght and inspiration when I need it. There's a lot more to be said about it, I barely talked about the game itself, but that's for another review or essay, I'll see.
Until then, stand tall, my friend.
dont play this
One brings shadow, one brings light
A genuine thematic spectacle of a narrative saturated with emotional highs, ruminative nuances, and intrinsic allures. Rich in tight and compelling character writing, moral and personal inflections, and imaginative and complete world building.
All accompanied by a tonally evocative and pertinent soundtrack bestowing a sense of poetry and cohesion throughout the story.
An extremely human and well developed cast including two absolutely phenomenal antagonists that act as premium artifices in driving home its central themes.
Themes at which stem from the root of every facet of the game. Themes at which are explored poetically and firmly. Themes at which lie at the heart of a very particularly familiar and relevant tale.
A tale about hope. Despair. Courage. Understanding. People.
A tale about humanity - from its most arduous and painful detriments, to its most integral and bountiful allures.
All in all, Shadowbringers stands as an ingenious achievement in storytelling. Without question the strongest the series has to offer.
A genuine thematic spectacle of a narrative saturated with emotional highs, ruminative nuances, and intrinsic allures. Rich in tight and compelling character writing, moral and personal inflections, and imaginative and complete world building.
All accompanied by a tonally evocative and pertinent soundtrack bestowing a sense of poetry and cohesion throughout the story.
An extremely human and well developed cast including two absolutely phenomenal antagonists that act as premium artifices in driving home its central themes.
Themes at which stem from the root of every facet of the game. Themes at which are explored poetically and firmly. Themes at which lie at the heart of a very particularly familiar and relevant tale.
A tale about hope. Despair. Courage. Understanding. People.
A tale about humanity - from its most arduous and painful detriments, to its most integral and bountiful allures.
All in all, Shadowbringers stands as an ingenious achievement in storytelling. Without question the strongest the series has to offer.
yep. (arguably) the best final fantasy. of course, i felt this way about heavensward, too. if you have any contempt for mmorpgs or subscription-based games, but you love an above and beyond exceptional, emotional jrpg tale, it would be well worth it to overcome those issues and dive in. you can play all the way up to level 60 (which includes heavensward) entirely for free, anyhow. i've never known anyone to not completely fall in love with this game once they give it a chance, and shadowbringers is one of the best things square enix have ever made at its absolute peak.
A good story that’s, in my opinion, really being brought down by being in a MMO. Shadowbringers starts off really strong, by introducing you to a brand new post apocalyptic world that looks really cool, and I’d say that up to Il Mheg, almost everything with the expansion is really good: the setting is good, both of the twins quests make you discover some really cool locations with interesting storylines, the exarch/crystarium are shrouded in mystery, you even get to talk to John ‘Ardbert’ Shadowbringers once again! The only thing i found kinda silly was Ranjit who’s like way too strong to be credible imo (like no character should be able to overpower the entire scions with no exposure about them to explain how come they’re so strong imo, and even by the end of the expansion him being so strong isn’t explained). But then, once you get to Il Mheg, I think the story starts to take a dive. Because the game falls back into the same old boring loop it uses for most of its runtime: go into a new locale, help the people there, get exposed to their lore, you can now progress to the new locale. Rinse and repeat. I get it, you’re in a new world, nobody knows you and everyone needs help because the apocalypse literally happened, plus you’re retracing the step of Ardbert, so it’s normal to just play the beginner adventurer, but i still think it’s boring and drags on way too much. The settings are interesting, yes, but it takes so long for the story to progress that it killed a lot of my enjoyment for it overall, and a lot of time i was just wishing this entire story would be in another game because I think shadowbringers really highlights how the MMO structure is draining away all the fun i could have with the game’s story, by making it so slow to progress. Which is a shame, because i liked the story! I don’t think it’s as good as the best games of the series, but still pretty good overall, and Emet-Selch is definitely one the coolest villains of the series. The scions are finally starting to feel like they’re actual characters and actually are a band of friends, since for the first time ever they’re all here instead of the expansion only focusing on one or two of them. The crystal exarch is also a really cool character, and even side characters like the Chai couples are pretty cool instead of just being kinda there like most side characters in previous expansions. I do have some complaints about the fact that it really feels like the end of 5.0 feels more like it’s the actual midpoint of the story rather than the end of it, which imo should be the case since you get literal credits rolling etc after it, however. And like i said, the pacing of everything in between Il Mheg and Amaurot is horrendous and really made me not enjoy this as much as i could have. That coupled to how everyone sells this as one of the greatest game of the serie really made the expansion feel underwhelming because while it wasn’t bad, it wasn’t as good as i expected it to be. Maybe if i cared about the MMO aspects of it, it’d be better, but I still don’t, and at this point i’m fully convinced i would have probably have enjoyed this game’s storyline/lore better if i had watched it instead of playing it.
(Finished on November 8th. Funny how the biggest gap between beating expansions so far has been Stormblood)
POST-STORMBLOOD
Earnestly a bit more interesting than the proper Stormblood package, although extremely back and forth in its mission structure. Wasn't a big fan of the amount of times you have to go back to the Doman Enclave, a place I don't think is on the maps? I don't know why a lot of locations in FF14 are like this. At least you can go through the teleport menu to quick travel there but I primarily go through the map to fast travel.
Maybe its a bit of a cop out to have certain characters just resurrected from their supposed death in the main expansion but I thought their presence here was still pretty enjoyable, and one of said characters’ leads into what occurs later in Endwalker from what I’m gathering at the moment so it makes sense.
4.3 onward is when the bar gets raised, a lot of great quests, a fun trial and one of the first main quests putting you in the shoes of another character- Alphinaud. These duties are really weird at first- swapping out your moveset for a much smaller preset that relates to what these characters’ classes are vaguely, while giving you enough resources to not outright perish. These pop up frequently later on in ShB and I think they improve upon your options a bit over time because controlling Alphinaud at first was very weird. Maybe its because I never played an outright caster? Idk.
Shadowbringers
After all this time, finally- the big one. While Final Fantasy 14 had certainly been met with critical acclaim before this point, it was never quite as...explosive as when Shadowbringers was coming out. Personally this is when I started paying attention, and kept a better mental note about character names', plot beats, general thematics, etc. whenever passing discourse. Nothing too specific, but it definitely helped plant the seeds of intrigue in my head.
I'll want to let some of this digest as I'm going through Endwalker- however this is by and far the best expansion thus far in the game. Not infallible, but way more consistent and focused on its cast and paying off on the more ‘lore’ oriented matters of Eorzea.
ARR obviously feels like a cleaning of the slate and a proof of concept as to how a Final Fantasy MMO after XI should have looked, while setting up ideas for later storylines.
Heavensward branches off into ideas that feel a bit more grounded into the world of Eorzea- looking back on it felt a tad weird as a sequel to ARR but it definitely felt more like a story that wanted to be told- more tangible than what ARR's was promising.
Stormblood recenters the focus on the empire as the main conflict and bolsters them with way more interesting figureheads, although much of it still feels like 'Lyse's' character arc, so your mileage varies with how much you care about her struggle in particular.
What I'm trying to summarize is that the first two expansions- while continuing the main storyline in a meaningful manner and branching into other nations of Eorzea- do feel somewhat distant from A Realm Reborn in their arcs. Much of what ARR sets up will pop up from time to time throughout the last two expansions but it's somewhat hard to keep track of where exactly these lines lead at first. Maybe it’s just because I’m downing the MSQ all at once and missed out on like, a decade’s worth of discourse?
Basically, by the time I was finished with Stormblood I was eager to understand exactly what made Shadowbringers so stand-out, as the other two expansions felt pretty natural in their improvements on a mostly technical and intrigue standpoint. It didn’t take too long -hell, it starts up around the end of the post-Stormblood patches- to see where Shadowbringers deviates as it felt less like an expansion on an MMO and more like the usual JRPG. I finally had a ‘party’, I was working alongside.
It did always bother me that there were a lot of neat characters within The Scions, but typically one or three of these Scions are out of the expansion or frequently dips out of the story. HW and SB have their own kind of JRPG party but it’s usually clear one of the characters present is primarily just for this part of the story, or has to go through their own business before meeting back with our WoL (Estinien shaped description here). In Shadowbringers, its our WoL, all of the scions (bar Lyse) , a secret guest, and a crystal man band together throughout the MSQ and I’m incredibly happy this was finally the case. A lot of the scions finally get their chance to grow and develop from the events that have taken place without much interruption from the expansions’ goals. Like, yeah Thancred shows up in Stormblood and you do a duty where he helps sneak you into Ala Mhigo to save Krile- that's important. But here it’s nice to have moments where we finally get some conversation and back-and-forths between these characters that have been putting in all this effort and grief over, now, multiple worlds. It also helps that now I find the entire cast to be at least pretty good, no Lyse exceptions or characters that seem like they’ll just dip once I end the expansion- I feel like I have a reliable party. Much of the interaction between you and a certain ‘other’ warrior that appears before you, is also fantastic. The theme of survivors’ guilt/ the inability to move on paint themselves wide throughout Shadowbringers.
What’s also great is that the expansion does divide them up- this time by areas in the new “world” of Novrandt. Here’s where the ‘lore’ part of Final Fantasy final hooks me, in particular. Previously, there were already seeds of intrigue here and there, but as I’m mostly going off MSQ it's mostly dashing by certain lore drops and ideas. Here’s when it starts forcing you to get it, no longer are we just dancing around certain ideas, we gotta tackle what’s going on. Novrandt perfectly showcases this as it’s a new world with a new set of rules you have to go through. The races and creatures are called different things, the crystals are differently shaped, there’s a strange ‘void’ surrounding the entire area…the lands of Novrandt are by far some of my favorites in the game. Because of the manner of Novrandt each place has a new, unknown flavor to it while obviously parallelling many of the areas found previously in Eorzea. Each place feels like a weird or, at the very least, more interesting take on the main three hubs from ARR while still maintaining their own identity and core issues. Even the drab and dry Amh Araeng (probably my least favorite area here) manages to have shades of intrigue throughout with its tie to the Flood and the plotline involving those contaminated by the light. The Crystarium also makes for a strong hub centered between each of the areas in Novrandt- dunno if its my favorite thus far but its a warm welcome from Stormbloods’ lack of a clear hub (I guess its Kugane but I didn't feel like we stayed that long there…). Hell even when I thought I was near done with Shadowbringers, it managed to reveal one last location that swept me away in its overwhelming presence.
Complimenting many of the locations throughout Shadowbringers are the instances and trials that sprinkle throughout the adventure. From the starting routes of Holminster Switch under attack from sin eaters to the triumphant climb up Mt. Gulg, many of the dungeons this time around up the ante and there isn't really a weak one in the line up. This is also the ‘formal’ introduction to the trust system- where you can bring along your Scion pals to act as replacements for real people. They’ll also talk from time to time, mostly just natural dialogue, but sometimes commenting on something relating to whichever character you’ve brought in (e.g. Alisaie recognizing a mini boss in one dungeon and momentarily turning dour after defeating it). The trials themselves are pretty good as well, although fairly top heavy all things considered. From expansion to expansion there’s only a few of these, with the post patches adding one or two more to the MSQ but here I was near cap before they gave the second of generally three. It's not really a big deal, but I was wondering when the next big full party fight would be after about half the expansion. Thankfully all of these are also slam dunks, even the “”least plot heavy”” one, Titania, is an incredibly fun romp.
Big ups on the soundtrack this time around too, the composition crew firing on all cylinders this time around. I started enjoying the overworld music. Prior locations sure I thought the music was fine and I’d probably enjoy it going back, but the music in Shadowbringers felt like it was more actively striking interesting chords or taking me off guard. Obviously there’s more rock and electric guitar this time around but even places like Amh Araeng chooses to go with a way more trip-hop(? electronic genres allude me) vibe rather than something more akin to the series’ sweeping orchestra. All of the boss themes this time around are also a big thumbs up.
Lastly, man… Emet Selch. I won’t go too heavy on the details but this was one of the few characters I had always heard about but had very little clarity as to what exactly he was outside of an antagonist. Between him, Zenos and Yotsuyu the cast of main antagonists has gone up drastically. Main thing I’ll say that separates him from the prior two villains is how often he appears. He’s not inactive or even (that) dishonest presence in the expansion, he’s constantly popping up to check in on your party. Again, not wanting to go too far into detail but I enjoy that this ‘type’ of villain is as active as he is in your quest as I feel like these kind of ‘wandering, undying, apathetic yet all powerful beings’ tend to save themselves for the end yet here he’s actively trying to dissuade our party and informing us about his stance- he’s super interesting as a foil.
Shadowbringers' finally feels like the payoff to a lot of what prior expansions have been building toward, which is a funny thing to say given that it feels so distant from the actual conflict on Hydaelyn. I don’t think its my favorite FF experience so far but it could slowly crawl its way upward. There’s still some stretches of downtime that I felt coulda been cut and maybe certain plot beats are pretty easy to guess, as I did pretty often throughout but I really can’t think of a lot of negatives to my time in Shadowbringers. It went by way too fast? Also man! Final Fantasy 14 REALLY likes Dark Knight! I dunno maybe a lot of this stuff hits a lot more having mained DRK; I cannot see myself getting to this point as Monk, lmao (You get a fucking shadow clone at DRK level 80??? Cmon). I hear the patches after this aren’t nearly as strong but I’m almost to the end, at least. I did not earnestly expect to go through this at the start of the year but…damn! Almost to Endwalker…
Oh right, that trailer rules- loved seeing in with a new context but what the fuck were they on spoiling that much stuff lmao.
POST-STORMBLOOD
Earnestly a bit more interesting than the proper Stormblood package, although extremely back and forth in its mission structure. Wasn't a big fan of the amount of times you have to go back to the Doman Enclave, a place I don't think is on the maps? I don't know why a lot of locations in FF14 are like this. At least you can go through the teleport menu to quick travel there but I primarily go through the map to fast travel.
Maybe its a bit of a cop out to have certain characters just resurrected from their supposed death in the main expansion but I thought their presence here was still pretty enjoyable, and one of said characters’ leads into what occurs later in Endwalker from what I’m gathering at the moment so it makes sense.
4.3 onward is when the bar gets raised, a lot of great quests, a fun trial and one of the first main quests putting you in the shoes of another character- Alphinaud. These duties are really weird at first- swapping out your moveset for a much smaller preset that relates to what these characters’ classes are vaguely, while giving you enough resources to not outright perish. These pop up frequently later on in ShB and I think they improve upon your options a bit over time because controlling Alphinaud at first was very weird. Maybe its because I never played an outright caster? Idk.
Shadowbringers
After all this time, finally- the big one. While Final Fantasy 14 had certainly been met with critical acclaim before this point, it was never quite as...explosive as when Shadowbringers was coming out. Personally this is when I started paying attention, and kept a better mental note about character names', plot beats, general thematics, etc. whenever passing discourse. Nothing too specific, but it definitely helped plant the seeds of intrigue in my head.
I'll want to let some of this digest as I'm going through Endwalker- however this is by and far the best expansion thus far in the game. Not infallible, but way more consistent and focused on its cast and paying off on the more ‘lore’ oriented matters of Eorzea.
ARR obviously feels like a cleaning of the slate and a proof of concept as to how a Final Fantasy MMO after XI should have looked, while setting up ideas for later storylines.
Heavensward branches off into ideas that feel a bit more grounded into the world of Eorzea- looking back on it felt a tad weird as a sequel to ARR but it definitely felt more like a story that wanted to be told- more tangible than what ARR's was promising.
Stormblood recenters the focus on the empire as the main conflict and bolsters them with way more interesting figureheads, although much of it still feels like 'Lyse's' character arc, so your mileage varies with how much you care about her struggle in particular.
What I'm trying to summarize is that the first two expansions- while continuing the main storyline in a meaningful manner and branching into other nations of Eorzea- do feel somewhat distant from A Realm Reborn in their arcs. Much of what ARR sets up will pop up from time to time throughout the last two expansions but it's somewhat hard to keep track of where exactly these lines lead at first. Maybe it’s just because I’m downing the MSQ all at once and missed out on like, a decade’s worth of discourse?
Basically, by the time I was finished with Stormblood I was eager to understand exactly what made Shadowbringers so stand-out, as the other two expansions felt pretty natural in their improvements on a mostly technical and intrigue standpoint. It didn’t take too long -hell, it starts up around the end of the post-Stormblood patches- to see where Shadowbringers deviates as it felt less like an expansion on an MMO and more like the usual JRPG. I finally had a ‘party’, I was working alongside.
It did always bother me that there were a lot of neat characters within The Scions, but typically one or three of these Scions are out of the expansion or frequently dips out of the story. HW and SB have their own kind of JRPG party but it’s usually clear one of the characters present is primarily just for this part of the story, or has to go through their own business before meeting back with our WoL (Estinien shaped description here). In Shadowbringers, its our WoL, all of the scions (bar Lyse) , a secret guest, and a crystal man band together throughout the MSQ and I’m incredibly happy this was finally the case. A lot of the scions finally get their chance to grow and develop from the events that have taken place without much interruption from the expansions’ goals. Like, yeah Thancred shows up in Stormblood and you do a duty where he helps sneak you into Ala Mhigo to save Krile- that's important. But here it’s nice to have moments where we finally get some conversation and back-and-forths between these characters that have been putting in all this effort and grief over, now, multiple worlds. It also helps that now I find the entire cast to be at least pretty good, no Lyse exceptions or characters that seem like they’ll just dip once I end the expansion- I feel like I have a reliable party. Much of the interaction between you and a certain ‘other’ warrior that appears before you, is also fantastic. The theme of survivors’ guilt/ the inability to move on paint themselves wide throughout Shadowbringers.
What’s also great is that the expansion does divide them up- this time by areas in the new “world” of Novrandt. Here’s where the ‘lore’ part of Final Fantasy final hooks me, in particular. Previously, there were already seeds of intrigue here and there, but as I’m mostly going off MSQ it's mostly dashing by certain lore drops and ideas. Here’s when it starts forcing you to get it, no longer are we just dancing around certain ideas, we gotta tackle what’s going on. Novrandt perfectly showcases this as it’s a new world with a new set of rules you have to go through. The races and creatures are called different things, the crystals are differently shaped, there’s a strange ‘void’ surrounding the entire area…the lands of Novrandt are by far some of my favorites in the game. Because of the manner of Novrandt each place has a new, unknown flavor to it while obviously parallelling many of the areas found previously in Eorzea. Each place feels like a weird or, at the very least, more interesting take on the main three hubs from ARR while still maintaining their own identity and core issues. Even the drab and dry Amh Araeng (probably my least favorite area here) manages to have shades of intrigue throughout with its tie to the Flood and the plotline involving those contaminated by the light. The Crystarium also makes for a strong hub centered between each of the areas in Novrandt- dunno if its my favorite thus far but its a warm welcome from Stormbloods’ lack of a clear hub (I guess its Kugane but I didn't feel like we stayed that long there…). Hell even when I thought I was near done with Shadowbringers, it managed to reveal one last location that swept me away in its overwhelming presence.
Complimenting many of the locations throughout Shadowbringers are the instances and trials that sprinkle throughout the adventure. From the starting routes of Holminster Switch under attack from sin eaters to the triumphant climb up Mt. Gulg, many of the dungeons this time around up the ante and there isn't really a weak one in the line up. This is also the ‘formal’ introduction to the trust system- where you can bring along your Scion pals to act as replacements for real people. They’ll also talk from time to time, mostly just natural dialogue, but sometimes commenting on something relating to whichever character you’ve brought in (e.g. Alisaie recognizing a mini boss in one dungeon and momentarily turning dour after defeating it). The trials themselves are pretty good as well, although fairly top heavy all things considered. From expansion to expansion there’s only a few of these, with the post patches adding one or two more to the MSQ but here I was near cap before they gave the second of generally three. It's not really a big deal, but I was wondering when the next big full party fight would be after about half the expansion. Thankfully all of these are also slam dunks, even the “”least plot heavy”” one, Titania, is an incredibly fun romp.
Big ups on the soundtrack this time around too, the composition crew firing on all cylinders this time around. I started enjoying the overworld music. Prior locations sure I thought the music was fine and I’d probably enjoy it going back, but the music in Shadowbringers felt like it was more actively striking interesting chords or taking me off guard. Obviously there’s more rock and electric guitar this time around but even places like Amh Araeng chooses to go with a way more trip-hop(? electronic genres allude me) vibe rather than something more akin to the series’ sweeping orchestra. All of the boss themes this time around are also a big thumbs up.
Lastly, man… Emet Selch. I won’t go too heavy on the details but this was one of the few characters I had always heard about but had very little clarity as to what exactly he was outside of an antagonist. Between him, Zenos and Yotsuyu the cast of main antagonists has gone up drastically. Main thing I’ll say that separates him from the prior two villains is how often he appears. He’s not inactive or even (that) dishonest presence in the expansion, he’s constantly popping up to check in on your party. Again, not wanting to go too far into detail but I enjoy that this ‘type’ of villain is as active as he is in your quest as I feel like these kind of ‘wandering, undying, apathetic yet all powerful beings’ tend to save themselves for the end yet here he’s actively trying to dissuade our party and informing us about his stance- he’s super interesting as a foil.
Shadowbringers' finally feels like the payoff to a lot of what prior expansions have been building toward, which is a funny thing to say given that it feels so distant from the actual conflict on Hydaelyn. I don’t think its my favorite FF experience so far but it could slowly crawl its way upward. There’s still some stretches of downtime that I felt coulda been cut and maybe certain plot beats are pretty easy to guess, as I did pretty often throughout but I really can’t think of a lot of negatives to my time in Shadowbringers. It went by way too fast? Also man! Final Fantasy 14 REALLY likes Dark Knight! I dunno maybe a lot of this stuff hits a lot more having mained DRK; I cannot see myself getting to this point as Monk, lmao (You get a fucking shadow clone at DRK level 80??? Cmon). I hear the patches after this aren’t nearly as strong but I’m almost to the end, at least. I did not earnestly expect to go through this at the start of the year but…damn! Almost to Endwalker…
Oh right, that trailer rules- loved seeing in with a new context but what the fuck were they on spoiling that much stuff lmao.
I believe in Y'shtola strap supremacy