[This Review is for FF14 Patches 6.1-6.55]
The long and short of it is that I like EndWalker as an expansion. Ultimately not as much as Shadowbringers, but it's a solid second place.
To preface, I didn't see all the content included. I did not do any Savage or Ultimate Raiding, though I did clear all Extreme Trials at least once. That said, I did enjoy all the battle content I did.
The Pandaemonium Raid series was fun and had some pretty cool designs and music. The new Variant Dungeons are a welcome addition to duty modes, feeling like there's proper dungeon puzzle solving and is a good challenge to try and clear solo. All the trials except one tied into the MSQ which made for them being a good climax for each patch with a lot of good interpretations of old FF4 bosses into a modern MMO fight. All the Tribe Quests tie directly into stuff from the main story, which is something rare to see but always appreciated. Eureka Orthos was there. There wasn't a Field Operation for this expansion which at first I understood then cursed when I went through its replacement.
Island Sanctuary sucks so much as it docks a full point off of this expansion for me, omg. It's such a nothing mode of content that takes forever to do for virtually no reward other than having a beach episode with some side characters. It's the first form of this content they've done so they better do this better in Dawn Trail. Similarly, the Relic Weapon series cut down basically all grinding, but it's become so nothing as a result. With this expansion, it's nothing more than quest to check off on patch day to get a new stat stick. Which could be seen as a larger complaint of the expansion overall, there really isn't content to chew on in lax manner. So much of it, while high quality, is very one and done.
Finally, the patch MSQ is probably the best it's ever been. A problem with previous MSQs is that they're split between being closure for the previous expansion's story while also setting up the next one. The problem with that is some of those don't feel all as well done as the original MSQ or can come off as fluff that doesn't actually mean that much for the larger story. Not to say it's bad per say, but going into a new storyline for the 5 patches feels more cohesive. And it makes it feel less awkward when you dump 40+ hours into the initial MSQ then have to wait months at a time to get to the big conclusion of that original story. Pretty much all the trials being moved into the MSQ also working in the same vein in that all of them feel climactic and adds weight for the story in having real threats more present. It is a doubled edged sword however as it limits the amount of side quests that can be conflict driven to only really having one single trial at the end of the Relic Questline.
Now, my experience with previous expansions has been admittingly very different to End Walker. Being able to burn through an entire MSQ, Raid Series, and other pieces of content really quickly when ever I wanted to do them is very different than doing everything in steps patch to patch. That said, I don't think I can say I enjoyed End Walker as much as Shadow Bringers as an expansion. The variety of content in ShB was all stuff I ended up enjoying more than EW's, even with the flaws I'd complain about for both. Not to mention that the way ShB's story is written acting as a massive recontextualization of everything that's come before, the amazing moments it has, and the set up for the finale of EW ends up meaning more to me than just how well EW capped everything off and set up a new path for things to follow.
Even with the problems I have with End Walker, I'm excited. I think Dawn Trail can only come out stronger and better.
The long and short of it is that I like EndWalker as an expansion. Ultimately not as much as Shadowbringers, but it's a solid second place.
To preface, I didn't see all the content included. I did not do any Savage or Ultimate Raiding, though I did clear all Extreme Trials at least once. That said, I did enjoy all the battle content I did.
The Pandaemonium Raid series was fun and had some pretty cool designs and music. The new Variant Dungeons are a welcome addition to duty modes, feeling like there's proper dungeon puzzle solving and is a good challenge to try and clear solo. All the trials except one tied into the MSQ which made for them being a good climax for each patch with a lot of good interpretations of old FF4 bosses into a modern MMO fight. All the Tribe Quests tie directly into stuff from the main story, which is something rare to see but always appreciated. Eureka Orthos was there. There wasn't a Field Operation for this expansion which at first I understood then cursed when I went through its replacement.
Island Sanctuary sucks so much as it docks a full point off of this expansion for me, omg. It's such a nothing mode of content that takes forever to do for virtually no reward other than having a beach episode with some side characters. It's the first form of this content they've done so they better do this better in Dawn Trail. Similarly, the Relic Weapon series cut down basically all grinding, but it's become so nothing as a result. With this expansion, it's nothing more than quest to check off on patch day to get a new stat stick. Which could be seen as a larger complaint of the expansion overall, there really isn't content to chew on in lax manner. So much of it, while high quality, is very one and done.
Finally, the patch MSQ is probably the best it's ever been. A problem with previous MSQs is that they're split between being closure for the previous expansion's story while also setting up the next one. The problem with that is some of those don't feel all as well done as the original MSQ or can come off as fluff that doesn't actually mean that much for the larger story. Not to say it's bad per say, but going into a new storyline for the 5 patches feels more cohesive. And it makes it feel less awkward when you dump 40+ hours into the initial MSQ then have to wait months at a time to get to the big conclusion of that original story. Pretty much all the trials being moved into the MSQ also working in the same vein in that all of them feel climactic and adds weight for the story in having real threats more present. It is a doubled edged sword however as it limits the amount of side quests that can be conflict driven to only really having one single trial at the end of the Relic Questline.
Now, my experience with previous expansions has been admittingly very different to End Walker. Being able to burn through an entire MSQ, Raid Series, and other pieces of content really quickly when ever I wanted to do them is very different than doing everything in steps patch to patch. That said, I don't think I can say I enjoyed End Walker as much as Shadow Bringers as an expansion. The variety of content in ShB was all stuff I ended up enjoying more than EW's, even with the flaws I'd complain about for both. Not to mention that the way ShB's story is written acting as a massive recontextualization of everything that's come before, the amazing moments it has, and the set up for the finale of EW ends up meaning more to me than just how well EW capped everything off and set up a new path for things to follow.
Even with the problems I have with End Walker, I'm excited. I think Dawn Trail can only come out stronger and better.