Ya know it's about time we had an Evil Twink (TM) get battle horny for our Warrior of Light.
the low point of all the expansions but still a fun time
"yall got any fun"
"we got abysmal dogshit"
"we got abysmal dogshit"
A rough middle brings Stormblood down a lot, but the patch quests elevate it right back up to the level of Heavensward.
Not the biggest hater of Stormblood but I do think they overextended their reach in trying to mix two whole different stories and continents in the expansion, when it should have been just focusing on one.
Still, the new classes are fun and love the areas that were introduced
Still, the new classes are fun and love the areas that were introduced
good overall story and even better gameplay mechanics introduced that makes the game feel even better to play. My only cons with it are the amount of quest that felt like it didn't need to be done and was drawn out. The characters were great, but nothing to make you too attached. The music as always was spectacular, but I felt that the areas were lacking, but I realize that it takes place in a desert/beach so their is not much you can do with it. The villains had to be my favorite part of stormblood and just from that it made me bump up the score, I thought it was very good, but nothing crazy.
This review contains spoilers
My personal favorite! I started my character as an Au'ra and entered this expansion super excited to continue the Ala Mhigo and Doman storylines from ARR
This review contains spoilers
I believe I am far enough into Final Fantasy XIV where reviewing the game without spoiling the game is ultimately uninteresting at this point. So from here on out, I am reviewing the XIV expansions with that mindset, and what a game to start that trend with because Stormblood is a bit of a strange one.
To put it bluntly, Stormblood is very uneven in terms of its main plot progression. After the excellence of Heavensward’s plot progression, the split between the perfectly paced and constantly engaging Doma section and the messy albeit ultimately still pretty good Ala Mhigo section is very noticeable. Lyse as a character of major focus really feels like it wasn’t as fleshed out as I think everyone was hoping she’d be. A character who’s progression seems promising at the end of the previous expansion, only to be sort of landlocked into that new personality with almost no development was really sad to see. I don’t even dislike her character necessarily, but her more hamfisted tendencies combined with a surprising lack of real agency in her place of the story, makes her eventual turn as a leader feel a little hollow, which is a huge shame. I also am not really the person to say this eloquently, especially not in a silly Backloggd review, but the sidelining of Raubahn, who a lot of the Ala Mhigo story feels like it should center on to focus on the whitest of the Ala Mhigans is, at least noticeable. Worth pointing out if nothing else. And all of this is a shame, because the rest of the cast of Stormblood otherwise is fantastic.
Alisaie finally getting some time to shine was so welcome, and what they’ve done with her character is so fun. You basically have her at your side for the entire expansion, and she is such an engaging companion, you get a lot of that snarky older sister dynamic with her, and it is such a perfect juxtaposition to Alphinaud, with her more cynical nature. The Doma crew of Hien, Gosetsu, and Yugiri are all excellent too, very electric energy especially coming from Gosetsu that made him such a fun companion. And of course that is to say nothing of Zenos, who after the previous two expansions, really feels like a true proper Final Fantasy-esque villain. And with an all timer performance courtesy of Luke Allen-Gale who has such a throaty snarl to his words that give them this truly ravenous bite. It will be fun to see more of him later on.
And the side characters of this expansion, are true stars in their own right. Yotsuyu is such a shitter of a villain, constantly chewing up every scene she is in. And her getting an ultimately tragic attempt at redemption in the post game that ends in one of the best fights in the game was an all timer moment of the game so far. Hancock is another true shitter, but in a very endearing way, just a real slappable man. And just about everything involving the Azim Steppe’s denizens was some of my favourite world building in a game with loads of it. Just a constantly engaging group of tribes, with their own beliefs, cultures, and rituals all on display in a truly incredible stretch of game.
A lot of my analysis of the cast is, again, sort of emblematic of the fact that the Doma side of game is a lot more fleshed out than Ala Mhigo. I guess it didn’t really matter in the end because I finished the main game of Stormblood in like ten days in a frankly insane binge in retrospect, so the game did keep me constantly engaged, but the Doma side felt like a constant escalation leading to the inevitable revolution in a way that felt satisfying. Ala Mhigo starts the expansion off very promising, leading to a genuinely devastating scene of defeat, before returning to it and fighting a random summon from the snake people. It just feels very uneven, although it ultimately sticks the landing with an incredible ending, and more importantly. An incredible post game, where the plot really feels like it finds its proper footing again, and from this point on, I can feel that XIV is really confident in its own shoes as a really great story. The lead up for this game into Shadowbringers is jaw dropping, and knowing that expansion is considered the best one has me so pumped.
If there is one thing Stormblood certainly has over Heavensward for sure though, it is the dungeons and trials. They have really nailed what makes good MMO gameplay during Stormblood, and at this point, they’re just flexing their skills. You get some incredible visual spectacles from dungeons like Doma Castle’s constant warfare and crumbling architecture or the sheer beauty of Shisui’s underwater castle. Bosses are even bigger flexes with camera shifts, size changes, action sequences, complex backgrounds, all while being really engaging, often very challenging, and some of the most fun I’ve had in a game, maybe ever? You can really tell just how far the team has come in such a short time from fighting a boss like Byakko, which has an entire section of free fall where the visual spectacle and gameplay really find a marriage into something truly special. Or the loving homages to bosses of Final Fantasy 5 or 6, where you get to see Neo-Exdeath crack through reality and wriggle his way into fighting you again, or seeing the entire statue from the Kefka fight slowly rise as you whittle his health down. Rathalos is just in this game, and you can’t tank it. And Soken and the rest of the sound team is once again, popping the fuck off in the studio, making the most insane music in any video game, let alone for Final Fantasy.
So yeah, at this point, XIV has unfortunately taken over my life. I have become one of those Final Fantasy XIV fans you hear so much about. The other day I bought a bottle of Mountain Dew, a drink I don’t even particularly like, and have spent like fifteen hours or so grinding for a flying Jibanyan from Yokai Watch couch. I know I’m cooked. Stormblood is not a masterpiece by any means, but the lows are really never that low, and the highs are literally victory laps of confidence. I truly am loving this game, and the thought its going to get better from here? Oh. Oh it gets me too excited for words. I’m hoping at some point I’ll play another game that isn’t Final Fantasy XIV in the near future, but for the time being, I got some big pulls I gotta do.
To put it bluntly, Stormblood is very uneven in terms of its main plot progression. After the excellence of Heavensward’s plot progression, the split between the perfectly paced and constantly engaging Doma section and the messy albeit ultimately still pretty good Ala Mhigo section is very noticeable. Lyse as a character of major focus really feels like it wasn’t as fleshed out as I think everyone was hoping she’d be. A character who’s progression seems promising at the end of the previous expansion, only to be sort of landlocked into that new personality with almost no development was really sad to see. I don’t even dislike her character necessarily, but her more hamfisted tendencies combined with a surprising lack of real agency in her place of the story, makes her eventual turn as a leader feel a little hollow, which is a huge shame. I also am not really the person to say this eloquently, especially not in a silly Backloggd review, but the sidelining of Raubahn, who a lot of the Ala Mhigo story feels like it should center on to focus on the whitest of the Ala Mhigans is, at least noticeable. Worth pointing out if nothing else. And all of this is a shame, because the rest of the cast of Stormblood otherwise is fantastic.
Alisaie finally getting some time to shine was so welcome, and what they’ve done with her character is so fun. You basically have her at your side for the entire expansion, and she is such an engaging companion, you get a lot of that snarky older sister dynamic with her, and it is such a perfect juxtaposition to Alphinaud, with her more cynical nature. The Doma crew of Hien, Gosetsu, and Yugiri are all excellent too, very electric energy especially coming from Gosetsu that made him such a fun companion. And of course that is to say nothing of Zenos, who after the previous two expansions, really feels like a true proper Final Fantasy-esque villain. And with an all timer performance courtesy of Luke Allen-Gale who has such a throaty snarl to his words that give them this truly ravenous bite. It will be fun to see more of him later on.
And the side characters of this expansion, are true stars in their own right. Yotsuyu is such a shitter of a villain, constantly chewing up every scene she is in. And her getting an ultimately tragic attempt at redemption in the post game that ends in one of the best fights in the game was an all timer moment of the game so far. Hancock is another true shitter, but in a very endearing way, just a real slappable man. And just about everything involving the Azim Steppe’s denizens was some of my favourite world building in a game with loads of it. Just a constantly engaging group of tribes, with their own beliefs, cultures, and rituals all on display in a truly incredible stretch of game.
A lot of my analysis of the cast is, again, sort of emblematic of the fact that the Doma side of game is a lot more fleshed out than Ala Mhigo. I guess it didn’t really matter in the end because I finished the main game of Stormblood in like ten days in a frankly insane binge in retrospect, so the game did keep me constantly engaged, but the Doma side felt like a constant escalation leading to the inevitable revolution in a way that felt satisfying. Ala Mhigo starts the expansion off very promising, leading to a genuinely devastating scene of defeat, before returning to it and fighting a random summon from the snake people. It just feels very uneven, although it ultimately sticks the landing with an incredible ending, and more importantly. An incredible post game, where the plot really feels like it finds its proper footing again, and from this point on, I can feel that XIV is really confident in its own shoes as a really great story. The lead up for this game into Shadowbringers is jaw dropping, and knowing that expansion is considered the best one has me so pumped.
If there is one thing Stormblood certainly has over Heavensward for sure though, it is the dungeons and trials. They have really nailed what makes good MMO gameplay during Stormblood, and at this point, they’re just flexing their skills. You get some incredible visual spectacles from dungeons like Doma Castle’s constant warfare and crumbling architecture or the sheer beauty of Shisui’s underwater castle. Bosses are even bigger flexes with camera shifts, size changes, action sequences, complex backgrounds, all while being really engaging, often very challenging, and some of the most fun I’ve had in a game, maybe ever? You can really tell just how far the team has come in such a short time from fighting a boss like Byakko, which has an entire section of free fall where the visual spectacle and gameplay really find a marriage into something truly special. Or the loving homages to bosses of Final Fantasy 5 or 6, where you get to see Neo-Exdeath crack through reality and wriggle his way into fighting you again, or seeing the entire statue from the Kefka fight slowly rise as you whittle his health down. Rathalos is just in this game, and you can’t tank it. And Soken and the rest of the sound team is once again, popping the fuck off in the studio, making the most insane music in any video game, let alone for Final Fantasy.
So yeah, at this point, XIV has unfortunately taken over my life. I have become one of those Final Fantasy XIV fans you hear so much about. The other day I bought a bottle of Mountain Dew, a drink I don’t even particularly like, and have spent like fifteen hours or so grinding for a flying Jibanyan from Yokai Watch couch. I know I’m cooked. Stormblood is not a masterpiece by any means, but the lows are really never that low, and the highs are literally victory laps of confidence. I truly am loving this game, and the thought its going to get better from here? Oh. Oh it gets me too excited for words. I’m hoping at some point I’ll play another game that isn’t Final Fantasy XIV in the near future, but for the time being, I got some big pulls I gotta do.
Stormblood's narrative is overhated in the extreme. Its story is - intentionally - less immediate; less personal; less focused on tugging the player's heartstrings. But in the grand scheme of Final Fantasy XIV, its function is obvious. Stormblood is a way station. It's a moment to breathe and get out of your head, and to turn outward. Stormblood lays heady topics like the burden of history and the slow buildup of trauma to rest for a moment, and instead shows curiosity toward the world around your player character - friends they've really barely known, struggling with invisible burdens; allies from across the world, fighting a battle you can't really understand. It's a story as much about road trips and side adventures as it is about war and strife. It may be The War Expansion, but equally is it The Vacation Expansion. It's loose and full of ideas, and willing to be goofy. It has the player fighting ghosts in haunted islands and diving into undersea bubble-cities and mediating romantic spats, just as much as it has them leading armies and witnessing other people's trauma. It manages those two conflicting emotional tones perfectly, and the resulting story is a wonderful breath of fresh air between the weight and self-seriousness of both Heavensward and Shadowbringers.
And it was probably the peak of FFXIV in its gameplay. Its job design was streamlined and toned down from the beautiful insanity of Heavensward, but it maintained depth and interesting ideas at every single level for every single job, striking a really effective midpoint between complexity and accessibility. I love Heavensward, but understand that aspects of its gameplay were too much for people - Stormblood is the answer to that; the ideal midpoint. Where Stormblood really superseded its predecessor, though, was in the breadth and variety of content. Stormblood saw FFXIV's designers really come into their own in terms of fight design; Trials, Alliance Raids, Savage, and even dungeons were all consistently well-conceived, and again hit a really engaging midpoint between consistency and complexity. And it was the expansion where FFXIV really figured out how to design outward from its core content - it gave us Ultimates to inject new life into the hardcore raiding scene; Eureka to give casuals hours upon hours of passive content; little side stories like Doma Restoration to keep the narrative lush.
Stormblood was the best version of FFXIV as an ecosystem. It had its flaws, and represented a shift away from FFXIV's peak form, but it also represented the most sustainable vision for FFXIV's future. In an ideal world, every expansion after Stormblood was like Stormblood.
And it was probably the peak of FFXIV in its gameplay. Its job design was streamlined and toned down from the beautiful insanity of Heavensward, but it maintained depth and interesting ideas at every single level for every single job, striking a really effective midpoint between complexity and accessibility. I love Heavensward, but understand that aspects of its gameplay were too much for people - Stormblood is the answer to that; the ideal midpoint. Where Stormblood really superseded its predecessor, though, was in the breadth and variety of content. Stormblood saw FFXIV's designers really come into their own in terms of fight design; Trials, Alliance Raids, Savage, and even dungeons were all consistently well-conceived, and again hit a really engaging midpoint between consistency and complexity. And it was the expansion where FFXIV really figured out how to design outward from its core content - it gave us Ultimates to inject new life into the hardcore raiding scene; Eureka to give casuals hours upon hours of passive content; little side stories like Doma Restoration to keep the narrative lush.
Stormblood was the best version of FFXIV as an ecosystem. It had its flaws, and represented a shift away from FFXIV's peak form, but it also represented the most sustainable vision for FFXIV's future. In an ideal world, every expansion after Stormblood was like Stormblood.
FINALLY ALA MIGHAN AND DOMAN LIBERATION? Music is insane. Superior, even.
This review contains spoilers
- Contrairement à Heavensward il est compliqué de rentrer dans cette extension... et même d'y rester jusqu'au bout !
- La faute en 1er lieux à une ambiance peu prégnante. On est revenu au niveau de Realm Reborn, sauf qu'après Heavensward la pilule passe très mal. La DA n'est pas incroyable (sans être nulle pour autant) et la musique des zones est sympathique mais sans être transcendante. Exception faite toutefois des steppes nomades (#Deleuze et Guattari) : il y a une vraie atmosphère avec une musique de dingue.
- Là où dans Heavensward il était plaisant de déambuler dans les zones et les villes, là on trace en s'en battant les couilles. Sans l'enrobage d'une atmosphere séduisante camouflant les pires défauts, le problème principal de cette extension est ici mis en evidence : sa structure abominable !!!
- On est dans du fedex insuportable ! Avec le même type d'agencement : on arrive dans une ville/village, les gens ne nous font pas confiance, pour gagner cette confiance il faut parler à des randoms gars du coin pour les aider à faire des trucs de merde : ramener des conneries ou tuer des monstres de chiasses. Et l'autre truc pourri qui arrive souvent et dont je n'en peux plus : parler à nos soldats afin de les remotiver !! Au secours !!!
- Ce qui est chiant aussi, sans être très grave, c'est que les ennemies nous attaquent plus fréquemment, même quand il y a un gros écart de niveau. C'est frustrant et c'est de la perte de temps inutile...
- Autre problème mais qui n'est pas lié à cette extension : la limite d'inventaire ! C'est le bordel et c'est chiant de devoir jeter des trucs pour faire de la place... Surtout qu'on est obligé d'accepter les recompenses de quetes, même si elle ne nous intéresse pas !
- Au delà de ces problèmes de rythme qui allongent artificiellement la durée de vie, le soucis est aussi scenaristique. Déjà les enjeux n'ont plus l'ampleur cosmique et métaphysique que laissait entrevoir le endgame d'Heavensward mais surtout cela prend presque la forme d'une parenthèse. On a une digression (partir vers un autre continent) dans laquelle va s'inscrire de nouvelles digressions et dans lesquelles les quêtes fedex de merdes ont aussi l'allure de digressions... On est face à un épisode fileurs qui nous impacte nécessairement peu !
- Ceci étant Stormblood reste cohérent et les justifications de ce périple sur un continent étranger sont plutôt pertinentes. On sent bien que nous sommes dans une mise en place d'éléments qui vont servir plus tard, mais en attendant on s'emmerde de ouf !
- Le scenario fait tout de meme avancer la géopolitique globale de l'univers (l'empire est dégagé de 2 régions colonisées) mais cela reste très maigre. Et les nouveaux personnages ne sont pas extra (Hien est plutôt sympa certes, mention speciale à son theme repris de ff6 #Cyan).
- Au final, d'un point de vue du fond du scénario (la grande histoire cosmique avec le cristal, les reflets, les asciens etc.) l'extension n'apporte pas grand chose. Elle a tout de même le mérite de mettre en avant Lyse en développant bien son personnage, c'est sympa !
- C'est dommage car l'histoire d'une révolution, d'une lutte décoloniale même, avait tout pour me plaire sur le papier. L'oppression est décrite avec minutie, subtilité et intelligence. Dans chaque région nous voyons des gens dominés ne pouvant se résoudre à la revolte. Leur point de vue est compréhensible et nous met face à la difficulté d'être progressiste. Les paroles de la résistances sont bien belles mais que valent-elles face à la réalité ? Certains essayent de s'intégrer à l'empire et detestent donc les résistants a cause des attentats, d'autres ont vu leur proches mourir car partis dans la résistance, d'autres se laisser soumettre car ils ont de la famille en otage etc.
- On comprend donc pourquoi la structure est aussi chiante : on doit nous faire vivre le quotidien rébarbatif du peuple afin de gagner sa confiance au fur et à mesure. Cela a un sens mais ça reste ennuyeux. Il y avait sûrement mieux à faire !
- Par ailleurs, il y a des scènes de brutalités qui font vraiment leur effet avec des meurtres sans sommations, des massacres de camp etc. (Par contre incompréhensible le fait que le camp de la résistance mighaloise se fasse détruire et qu'après on y retourne comme si de rien n'était, mais bref...)
- Le général fou, fils de l'empereur, est plutôt intéressant au final. Certes il est taré mais ce que dit Lyse sur le déterminisme social à la fin est appréciable (d'ailleurs la regente ou Fordola ont une explication sociale, et non psychologique, concernant leur comportement tyranique, ce qui est pertinent). Mais le truc stylé avec le general, c'est qu'avec son histoire d'amitié chelou il nous fait une Griffiths ! #Berserk
- Il y a donc des éléments intéressants dans ce scénario. Mais la mise en scene n'est pas au niveau (on est très loin des batailles de dragons d'Heavensward). Et le problème est aussi technique : on ne croit pas vraiment à ces révoltes car le jeu ne peut afficher que 10 gars qui se battent en même temps, ça fait un peu cheap comme armée de libération... Le souffle épique que l'on aurait pu ressentir est atténué à cause de cela, dommage...
- Tout n'est pas à jeter quand même ! Déjà on peut noter 2 phases de gameplay originales : une phase de fuite/infiltration où il faut utiliser des fumigènes, et une autre séquence d'infiltration mais avec du tir de sarbacane à la 1ere personne. C'est pas incroyable mais ça reste sympathiques et surtout ça rythme un peu le jeu. Il en aurait fallu une dizaine de trucs comme ça !!
- On peut désormais explorer les fonds marins, cela apporte une nouvelle dimension à l'exploration. C'est cool sans non plus changer fondamentalement l'expérience.
- Mais surtout le gros point fort de cette extension, et même ce qui la sauve, ce sont ses instances ! Les meilleurs de FF14 jusqu'ici !!!
- Les 5 donjons sont tops, et un véritable effort est mis sur les mid boss, dont les patterns sont tous intéressants. Mention spécial à l'épreuve de Bardam qui a le meilleur (et le plus original) des mid boss
- Les instances solo sont sympa aussi, mais il faut surtout mentionner la bataille dans la steppe nomade qui est la meilleure d'entre toute pour le moment !
- Il n'y a que 3 combats de primordiaux : Susano, Lakshmi et Shinryu. Mais quels combats ! Les 3 meilleurs (si on ne compte pas Ifrit). L'extension apporte dans ces combats une mécanique inédite à chaque fois (c'est aussi le cas lors du combat contre Fordola), ce qui singularise d'autant mieux chaque boss. La mise en scene est par ailleurs d'excellente facture ! Et que dire du thème des boss, incroyable !! Tout cela annonce du lourd pour la suite !!!
>>> Extension décevante ! C'est la 1ere fois que je me fais un peu chier dans le jeu. Heureusement les instances sont dingues, ce qui évite le nauffrage et en fait une expérience globale correct. Cependant ce sentiment mitigé ne reflète que l'extension de base... Qu'en est-il du endgame ?
- C'est simple : le endgame règle tous les défauts de l'extension. En terme de qualité, on est au moins au niveau du 2eme acte d'Heavensward !
- Le principal problème de Stormblood était son rythme éclaté à cause d'une structure de quete infâme. Ici les quêtes sont réduites à leur stricte minimum : pas d'exploration insupportable, de monstres de merdes à abattre ou de pnj à qui il faut remonter le moral. On se teleporte juste là où il faut aller, on parle à un pnj et on a direct un enchaînement de cinématiques et/ou une instance stylée. On n'arrive plus à lâcher la manette tant on a envie de savoir la suite.
- L'histoire prend de l'ampleur, la géopolitique se confond avec le cosmique, l'émotion est présente, les twists s'enchaînent, le final est épique et le tout sans oublier la subtilité des négociations politiques.
- Par ailleurs le propos sur l'environnement social conditionnant le comportement des individus (notamment de Fordola et de Yotsuyu) est pertinent et permet un propos politique visant directement les causes et non les conséquences (si l'on veut éviter les comportements nocifs il faut mettre fin aux inégalité, à l'oppression etc.). FF14 est un jeu de gauche 💪
- Les instances forment toujours le gros point fort du jeu. Il n'y a que 2 combats de primordiaux (un en instance solo, l'autre en multi) mais ils sont particulièrement stylés avec des mécaniques propres des patterns inventifs et des musiques de oufs. Les donjons sont cool, notamment le dernier qui a la meilleure mise en scène de tout le jeu pour l'instant.
- Un point sur lequel il faut insister et qui représente une réelle nouveauté prometteuse pour la suite : dans certaines instances solo (3 en l'occurence) on joue avec un perso de notre team, et non notre avatar, avec leur gameplay spécifique (Alphinaud, Alisaie et Hien). C'est top ! Non seulement les instances sont sympa en soi mais surtout cela renouvelle le jeu. Et la toute dernière instance, qui clôture l'extension, est incroyable avec notre troupe qui doit tenir le temps que l'avatar revienne pour reprendre la partie avec lui et conclure le combat.
- Ainsi si certains pouvaient critiquer l'absence de groupe dans FF14 au profit d'un unique personnage que l'on contrôle, l'impression de mener une épopée avec une team soudée est de plus en plus présente dans le jeu. C'est très cool !
- Quelques regrets tout de même : Gaius nous raconte son infiltration avec Alphinaud mais on aurait voulu le jouer! D'autant plus que désormais les dev nous laissent desormais jouer avec d'autres perso que notre avatar (problème de budget ici ?)
- La fin est un peu abrupte, mais la transition avec Shadowbringers donne très (trop ?) envie.
- La narration peut laisser l'impression de partir dans tous les sens (des persos qui ressuscitent, des clones, les deus ex machina d'Estinien etc). Il faut que les 2 prochaines extensions retombent bien sur leurs pattes afin que le tableau global soit cohérent. Mais on y croit !
Conclusion : Stormblood frôle la purge avant de naviguer dans l'excellence. On finit sur une bonne impression mais il ne faut pas oublier les 30h extrêmement laborieuses qui précédent. Si l'extension suivante maintient son niveau au sommet nous serons alors face à un jeu culte. Pour cela il faudra impérativement régler les problèmes de structure liés à une exploration peu inspirée (ce dont le endgame ici est dépourvue, ce qui le rend si rythmé).
- La faute en 1er lieux à une ambiance peu prégnante. On est revenu au niveau de Realm Reborn, sauf qu'après Heavensward la pilule passe très mal. La DA n'est pas incroyable (sans être nulle pour autant) et la musique des zones est sympathique mais sans être transcendante. Exception faite toutefois des steppes nomades (#Deleuze et Guattari) : il y a une vraie atmosphère avec une musique de dingue.
- Là où dans Heavensward il était plaisant de déambuler dans les zones et les villes, là on trace en s'en battant les couilles. Sans l'enrobage d'une atmosphere séduisante camouflant les pires défauts, le problème principal de cette extension est ici mis en evidence : sa structure abominable !!!
- On est dans du fedex insuportable ! Avec le même type d'agencement : on arrive dans une ville/village, les gens ne nous font pas confiance, pour gagner cette confiance il faut parler à des randoms gars du coin pour les aider à faire des trucs de merde : ramener des conneries ou tuer des monstres de chiasses. Et l'autre truc pourri qui arrive souvent et dont je n'en peux plus : parler à nos soldats afin de les remotiver !! Au secours !!!
- Ce qui est chiant aussi, sans être très grave, c'est que les ennemies nous attaquent plus fréquemment, même quand il y a un gros écart de niveau. C'est frustrant et c'est de la perte de temps inutile...
- Autre problème mais qui n'est pas lié à cette extension : la limite d'inventaire ! C'est le bordel et c'est chiant de devoir jeter des trucs pour faire de la place... Surtout qu'on est obligé d'accepter les recompenses de quetes, même si elle ne nous intéresse pas !
- Au delà de ces problèmes de rythme qui allongent artificiellement la durée de vie, le soucis est aussi scenaristique. Déjà les enjeux n'ont plus l'ampleur cosmique et métaphysique que laissait entrevoir le endgame d'Heavensward mais surtout cela prend presque la forme d'une parenthèse. On a une digression (partir vers un autre continent) dans laquelle va s'inscrire de nouvelles digressions et dans lesquelles les quêtes fedex de merdes ont aussi l'allure de digressions... On est face à un épisode fileurs qui nous impacte nécessairement peu !
- Ceci étant Stormblood reste cohérent et les justifications de ce périple sur un continent étranger sont plutôt pertinentes. On sent bien que nous sommes dans une mise en place d'éléments qui vont servir plus tard, mais en attendant on s'emmerde de ouf !
- Le scenario fait tout de meme avancer la géopolitique globale de l'univers (l'empire est dégagé de 2 régions colonisées) mais cela reste très maigre. Et les nouveaux personnages ne sont pas extra (Hien est plutôt sympa certes, mention speciale à son theme repris de ff6 #Cyan).
- Au final, d'un point de vue du fond du scénario (la grande histoire cosmique avec le cristal, les reflets, les asciens etc.) l'extension n'apporte pas grand chose. Elle a tout de même le mérite de mettre en avant Lyse en développant bien son personnage, c'est sympa !
- C'est dommage car l'histoire d'une révolution, d'une lutte décoloniale même, avait tout pour me plaire sur le papier. L'oppression est décrite avec minutie, subtilité et intelligence. Dans chaque région nous voyons des gens dominés ne pouvant se résoudre à la revolte. Leur point de vue est compréhensible et nous met face à la difficulté d'être progressiste. Les paroles de la résistances sont bien belles mais que valent-elles face à la réalité ? Certains essayent de s'intégrer à l'empire et detestent donc les résistants a cause des attentats, d'autres ont vu leur proches mourir car partis dans la résistance, d'autres se laisser soumettre car ils ont de la famille en otage etc.
- On comprend donc pourquoi la structure est aussi chiante : on doit nous faire vivre le quotidien rébarbatif du peuple afin de gagner sa confiance au fur et à mesure. Cela a un sens mais ça reste ennuyeux. Il y avait sûrement mieux à faire !
- Par ailleurs, il y a des scènes de brutalités qui font vraiment leur effet avec des meurtres sans sommations, des massacres de camp etc. (Par contre incompréhensible le fait que le camp de la résistance mighaloise se fasse détruire et qu'après on y retourne comme si de rien n'était, mais bref...)
- Le général fou, fils de l'empereur, est plutôt intéressant au final. Certes il est taré mais ce que dit Lyse sur le déterminisme social à la fin est appréciable (d'ailleurs la regente ou Fordola ont une explication sociale, et non psychologique, concernant leur comportement tyranique, ce qui est pertinent). Mais le truc stylé avec le general, c'est qu'avec son histoire d'amitié chelou il nous fait une Griffiths ! #Berserk
- Il y a donc des éléments intéressants dans ce scénario. Mais la mise en scene n'est pas au niveau (on est très loin des batailles de dragons d'Heavensward). Et le problème est aussi technique : on ne croit pas vraiment à ces révoltes car le jeu ne peut afficher que 10 gars qui se battent en même temps, ça fait un peu cheap comme armée de libération... Le souffle épique que l'on aurait pu ressentir est atténué à cause de cela, dommage...
- Tout n'est pas à jeter quand même ! Déjà on peut noter 2 phases de gameplay originales : une phase de fuite/infiltration où il faut utiliser des fumigènes, et une autre séquence d'infiltration mais avec du tir de sarbacane à la 1ere personne. C'est pas incroyable mais ça reste sympathiques et surtout ça rythme un peu le jeu. Il en aurait fallu une dizaine de trucs comme ça !!
- On peut désormais explorer les fonds marins, cela apporte une nouvelle dimension à l'exploration. C'est cool sans non plus changer fondamentalement l'expérience.
- Mais surtout le gros point fort de cette extension, et même ce qui la sauve, ce sont ses instances ! Les meilleurs de FF14 jusqu'ici !!!
- Les 5 donjons sont tops, et un véritable effort est mis sur les mid boss, dont les patterns sont tous intéressants. Mention spécial à l'épreuve de Bardam qui a le meilleur (et le plus original) des mid boss
- Les instances solo sont sympa aussi, mais il faut surtout mentionner la bataille dans la steppe nomade qui est la meilleure d'entre toute pour le moment !
- Il n'y a que 3 combats de primordiaux : Susano, Lakshmi et Shinryu. Mais quels combats ! Les 3 meilleurs (si on ne compte pas Ifrit). L'extension apporte dans ces combats une mécanique inédite à chaque fois (c'est aussi le cas lors du combat contre Fordola), ce qui singularise d'autant mieux chaque boss. La mise en scene est par ailleurs d'excellente facture ! Et que dire du thème des boss, incroyable !! Tout cela annonce du lourd pour la suite !!!
>>> Extension décevante ! C'est la 1ere fois que je me fais un peu chier dans le jeu. Heureusement les instances sont dingues, ce qui évite le nauffrage et en fait une expérience globale correct. Cependant ce sentiment mitigé ne reflète que l'extension de base... Qu'en est-il du endgame ?
- C'est simple : le endgame règle tous les défauts de l'extension. En terme de qualité, on est au moins au niveau du 2eme acte d'Heavensward !
- Le principal problème de Stormblood était son rythme éclaté à cause d'une structure de quete infâme. Ici les quêtes sont réduites à leur stricte minimum : pas d'exploration insupportable, de monstres de merdes à abattre ou de pnj à qui il faut remonter le moral. On se teleporte juste là où il faut aller, on parle à un pnj et on a direct un enchaînement de cinématiques et/ou une instance stylée. On n'arrive plus à lâcher la manette tant on a envie de savoir la suite.
- L'histoire prend de l'ampleur, la géopolitique se confond avec le cosmique, l'émotion est présente, les twists s'enchaînent, le final est épique et le tout sans oublier la subtilité des négociations politiques.
- Par ailleurs le propos sur l'environnement social conditionnant le comportement des individus (notamment de Fordola et de Yotsuyu) est pertinent et permet un propos politique visant directement les causes et non les conséquences (si l'on veut éviter les comportements nocifs il faut mettre fin aux inégalité, à l'oppression etc.). FF14 est un jeu de gauche 💪
- Les instances forment toujours le gros point fort du jeu. Il n'y a que 2 combats de primordiaux (un en instance solo, l'autre en multi) mais ils sont particulièrement stylés avec des mécaniques propres des patterns inventifs et des musiques de oufs. Les donjons sont cool, notamment le dernier qui a la meilleure mise en scène de tout le jeu pour l'instant.
- Un point sur lequel il faut insister et qui représente une réelle nouveauté prometteuse pour la suite : dans certaines instances solo (3 en l'occurence) on joue avec un perso de notre team, et non notre avatar, avec leur gameplay spécifique (Alphinaud, Alisaie et Hien). C'est top ! Non seulement les instances sont sympa en soi mais surtout cela renouvelle le jeu. Et la toute dernière instance, qui clôture l'extension, est incroyable avec notre troupe qui doit tenir le temps que l'avatar revienne pour reprendre la partie avec lui et conclure le combat.
- Ainsi si certains pouvaient critiquer l'absence de groupe dans FF14 au profit d'un unique personnage que l'on contrôle, l'impression de mener une épopée avec une team soudée est de plus en plus présente dans le jeu. C'est très cool !
- Quelques regrets tout de même : Gaius nous raconte son infiltration avec Alphinaud mais on aurait voulu le jouer! D'autant plus que désormais les dev nous laissent desormais jouer avec d'autres perso que notre avatar (problème de budget ici ?)
- La fin est un peu abrupte, mais la transition avec Shadowbringers donne très (trop ?) envie.
- La narration peut laisser l'impression de partir dans tous les sens (des persos qui ressuscitent, des clones, les deus ex machina d'Estinien etc). Il faut que les 2 prochaines extensions retombent bien sur leurs pattes afin que le tableau global soit cohérent. Mais on y croit !
Conclusion : Stormblood frôle la purge avant de naviguer dans l'excellence. On finit sur une bonne impression mais il ne faut pas oublier les 30h extrêmement laborieuses qui précédent. Si l'extension suivante maintient son niveau au sommet nous serons alors face à un jeu culte. Pour cela il faudra impérativement régler les problèmes de structure liés à une exploration peu inspirée (ce dont le endgame ici est dépourvue, ce qui le rend si rythmé).
It's always a little weird to comeback to a Final Fantasy game and see how much they mirror historical real life events in their fantasy world without even trying to hide what is inspiring the story. Maybe it feels like a downside of the franchise (and specially XIV's Stormblood) but i honestly think it is very charming, and it never bothered me.
Stomblood seems like a depiction of WW2 with a little touch of modern problems, starting from some minor events like Fordola and her gang being a representation of the Jewish Group 13, and reaching all the way to Yotsuyu judment arch stepping in to a moraly subjective space of war crimes, punitivism, justice and so on and on, making a paralel with the obviously Nuremberg Trials, pretty bold if you ask me, but i can respect it.
Out of the historic reffernces, we can see Stormblood being a DLC much like ARR with the job of expand XIV's world and further develop our characters, but of curse, now it has the benefit of a well developed and liked roast that holds the players on the most mundane task and dialogues of the DLC.
But still, its funny to see that this style of DLC is only possible in a MMORPG, because the 200h of ARR + Heavensward we could see our beloved characters learning from their suffering and past experiences, we can see Alphinaud going from a shit ass Diplomat to one of the most political versed characters in the game, it amazing to watch the betrayal on ARR, the learning fase of the Heavensward and by the end of it, the aplication of Alphinauds experience in every little bit of the army and future alliances to be formed, and it's not something particular of him, because we can see the same happening with the Sultana, going from a political fantasy to a grounded strategy of negociation with the Ul'dah bourgeoisie, in a way that is a little sad to see her changing the "democratic dream" she had, but well fitting the FFXIV theme of being a universe forged and lived in political wars.
And on the topic of political wars, is cool to see such different cultures interacting in stormblood, specially between Gosetsu and the Au'ra people, it pretty to see an old samurai like Gosetsu contemplating the cultural differences between his own moral and ideology and the one's with the Immortal Au'ra, afterall there is no need to disrespect or invalidate others beliefs, the cultural shock is something that appears several times on the dlc and is balanced between humor and dramatic sessions.
During the war with the Empire. the bound between nations and the building of an Alliance, we watch and live among people that lost their will to fight and prefer to live in almost slave like state in the hands of the imperials, in a history that is told by the eyes of the Ala Mhigan party member Lysa, that guides and become the leader of the local revolution forcing the Imperial retreat.
And last but not least, FFXIV deserves A LOT of praise for how they use the WoL (our character) in the story, it's an extremely hard work to make a MMO character be not only a viewer of the events but an active element of the story where we directly interact with the main characters, make our own choices to give e little sense of personality building and also being consulted for every important decision making event, in a way we fell not like super protagonist that only smash and kills the problem, but a individual being, with our own share of problems, being doomed to fight a war that we didn't start, being not a "heroic tale" but in some way or another s tragic one, of just another person cursed to fight to survive like every other character of the story.
Stomblood seems like a depiction of WW2 with a little touch of modern problems, starting from some minor events like Fordola and her gang being a representation of the Jewish Group 13, and reaching all the way to Yotsuyu judment arch stepping in to a moraly subjective space of war crimes, punitivism, justice and so on and on, making a paralel with the obviously Nuremberg Trials, pretty bold if you ask me, but i can respect it.
Out of the historic reffernces, we can see Stormblood being a DLC much like ARR with the job of expand XIV's world and further develop our characters, but of curse, now it has the benefit of a well developed and liked roast that holds the players on the most mundane task and dialogues of the DLC.
But still, its funny to see that this style of DLC is only possible in a MMORPG, because the 200h of ARR + Heavensward we could see our beloved characters learning from their suffering and past experiences, we can see Alphinaud going from a shit ass Diplomat to one of the most political versed characters in the game, it amazing to watch the betrayal on ARR, the learning fase of the Heavensward and by the end of it, the aplication of Alphinauds experience in every little bit of the army and future alliances to be formed, and it's not something particular of him, because we can see the same happening with the Sultana, going from a political fantasy to a grounded strategy of negociation with the Ul'dah bourgeoisie, in a way that is a little sad to see her changing the "democratic dream" she had, but well fitting the FFXIV theme of being a universe forged and lived in political wars.
And on the topic of political wars, is cool to see such different cultures interacting in stormblood, specially between Gosetsu and the Au'ra people, it pretty to see an old samurai like Gosetsu contemplating the cultural differences between his own moral and ideology and the one's with the Immortal Au'ra, afterall there is no need to disrespect or invalidate others beliefs, the cultural shock is something that appears several times on the dlc and is balanced between humor and dramatic sessions.
During the war with the Empire. the bound between nations and the building of an Alliance, we watch and live among people that lost their will to fight and prefer to live in almost slave like state in the hands of the imperials, in a history that is told by the eyes of the Ala Mhigan party member Lysa, that guides and become the leader of the local revolution forcing the Imperial retreat.
And last but not least, FFXIV deserves A LOT of praise for how they use the WoL (our character) in the story, it's an extremely hard work to make a MMO character be not only a viewer of the events but an active element of the story where we directly interact with the main characters, make our own choices to give e little sense of personality building and also being consulted for every important decision making event, in a way we fell not like super protagonist that only smash and kills the problem, but a individual being, with our own share of problems, being doomed to fight a war that we didn't start, being not a "heroic tale" but in some way or another s tragic one, of just another person cursed to fight to survive like every other character of the story.
While this is the expansion where they figured out their systems' strengths, it's story is just so fucking awful. How do you make me dislike a girl that punches good!?
Also has Eureka, the worst content in the game.
Also has Eureka, the worst content in the game.
The story tried to do too much and was too unfocused for me, though Zeno was a fun villain. While it was a disappointing story followup to Heavensward for me, the raiding and gameplay, despite my contemporary complaints, was peak. The last gasp of unique classes and the RPG element of the game being really fun, in my opinion.
This review contains spoilers
Stormblood is a solid expansion but not one that felt like it built upon the foundation of FFXIV as strongly as Heavensward, there's definitely a lot more chores and busywork to be done and the general tone, while I do like it a lot, does feel very steady and one-note in comparison to Heavensward's gripping story filled with twists and turns (at least up until the later patches, which usher in a dramatic jump in overall quality).
I think the biggest success of stormblood is its overall vibe and the beauty of its locales, taking inspiration from middle eastern and far eastern culture with some jaw dropping setpieces and outstanding music. By far my favourite area and my favourite portions of the expansion came in the form of the azim steppe and its native inhabitants with their mongolian influences. The music and tone of this area gets me going, its awesome. Those 'endless fields and boundless skies' as Hien puts it were beautiful and learning about the differences in its tribes and their gods was just really fun and interesting and a nice change of pace for a game very centred around one major theme. That theme is liberation and I think for the most part it handles it quite well. There is a lot of complexity in its different cultures and the nature of how they are surviving under colonial oppression and I was particularly fond of the dissonance between Lyse's headstrong determination to free her people and the reality of the local population's struggle to even survive, let alone fight back. Stormblood is constantly highlighting the different perspectives and ways that people survive and eventually reignite their resolve but also takes time to recognise the lasting damage and consequences of the Garleans' violent conquest. Notably there is a fascinating character study into the mind of Fordola, an incredible character and an Ala Mhigan native abused and spat upon by her comrades for her family's co-operation with their oppresors - labelled a traitor by her neighbours and a savage by the Garleans, Fordola vows to achieve freedom by any means and embraces her brand of 'savage', working with the Garleans in pursuit of both liberation and vengeance for her father who died at the hands of a furious Ala Mhigan mob. Fordola's story is that of the victim of circumstance (and it isn't the only time this comes up) and the question of if or how this could ever justify her actions is one the game isn't afraid to look into, but her story is also one of redemption and I just found it really compelling.
Stormblood is a story with a lot of tragedy and melancholy but there's also a lot of hope to be found and I think for the most part it is great stuff and I was thoroughly invested, but there are times where it falls off or otherwise becomes too unbelievable. For one, there are far too many fakeouts and deaths of main characters begin to feel of little consequence unless said character dies onscreen with absolute certainty. In the patches alone I counted 4 fakeouts where you think a character is straight up dead but then they come back for various reasons, if you're going to do that you had best have a very good reason or you risk playing down everything that came before and setting up a worryingly anticlimatic precedent. Also, I would note the handling of Yotsuyu's abuse and the nonchalant attitudes of those that are supposed to protect her as a negative, as it leads to a sadly predictable outcome that feels like it does Yotsuyu dirty and doesn't properly respect her as a victim of horrific abuse and neglect. It felt like it was at its lowest when Asahi, a very obvious bad guy, cruelly brings her parents back into her life with the sole intention of causing her untold pain and misery - to which the player and their allies do nothing except scowl and call it a 'dirty trick' when it felt like they could have and should have done more. Not to mention Yotsuyu is supposed to be under strict house arrest and yet escapes and puts herself in mortal danger twice, this whole section just felt quite rushed and lazy and like it didn't respect Yotsuyu as a character - the tragic outcome of her story seems only to serve to make Gosetsu sad and ponderous and set up the plot around the Ascians pulling all the strings, which could have been done without bringing back Yotsuyu and Gosetsu, I don't know it just felt inconsequential and I don't think the storyline justifies bringing the two back, it certainly could have done but I don't think it does. But saying this the tsukiyomi trial is absolutely hype and Gosetsu's spirit showing up to protect her was so awesome.
The new dungeons and trials in Stormblood carry on the marked improvments that came with Heavensward and the trials in particular, such as those of Susano and Byakko, go so insanely hard. Stormblood also quickly sheds its one-note and focused themes for extremely nuanced and exciting political turmoil and utter chaos in its final acts, introduced in the later patches. These patches are incredible and are filled with amazing monologues, exciting new mysteries that unfold, experly constructed and dramatic cutscenes and battle sequences and my favourite part by far - the relationship that grows between the warrior of light and alisaie, these final quests made me fall in love with alisaie as a character and I felt genuinely crushed when she succumbed to the same fate as her brother and the other scions. The music in this part of the game, the constantly moving and chaotic nature of the story, the character development, all fantastic and it makes me so excited for shadowbringers so bring it on. Captain has freed Doma and Ala Mhigo but the real battle has only just begun!
I think the biggest success of stormblood is its overall vibe and the beauty of its locales, taking inspiration from middle eastern and far eastern culture with some jaw dropping setpieces and outstanding music. By far my favourite area and my favourite portions of the expansion came in the form of the azim steppe and its native inhabitants with their mongolian influences. The music and tone of this area gets me going, its awesome. Those 'endless fields and boundless skies' as Hien puts it were beautiful and learning about the differences in its tribes and their gods was just really fun and interesting and a nice change of pace for a game very centred around one major theme. That theme is liberation and I think for the most part it handles it quite well. There is a lot of complexity in its different cultures and the nature of how they are surviving under colonial oppression and I was particularly fond of the dissonance between Lyse's headstrong determination to free her people and the reality of the local population's struggle to even survive, let alone fight back. Stormblood is constantly highlighting the different perspectives and ways that people survive and eventually reignite their resolve but also takes time to recognise the lasting damage and consequences of the Garleans' violent conquest. Notably there is a fascinating character study into the mind of Fordola, an incredible character and an Ala Mhigan native abused and spat upon by her comrades for her family's co-operation with their oppresors - labelled a traitor by her neighbours and a savage by the Garleans, Fordola vows to achieve freedom by any means and embraces her brand of 'savage', working with the Garleans in pursuit of both liberation and vengeance for her father who died at the hands of a furious Ala Mhigan mob. Fordola's story is that of the victim of circumstance (and it isn't the only time this comes up) and the question of if or how this could ever justify her actions is one the game isn't afraid to look into, but her story is also one of redemption and I just found it really compelling.
Stormblood is a story with a lot of tragedy and melancholy but there's also a lot of hope to be found and I think for the most part it is great stuff and I was thoroughly invested, but there are times where it falls off or otherwise becomes too unbelievable. For one, there are far too many fakeouts and deaths of main characters begin to feel of little consequence unless said character dies onscreen with absolute certainty. In the patches alone I counted 4 fakeouts where you think a character is straight up dead but then they come back for various reasons, if you're going to do that you had best have a very good reason or you risk playing down everything that came before and setting up a worryingly anticlimatic precedent. Also, I would note the handling of Yotsuyu's abuse and the nonchalant attitudes of those that are supposed to protect her as a negative, as it leads to a sadly predictable outcome that feels like it does Yotsuyu dirty and doesn't properly respect her as a victim of horrific abuse and neglect. It felt like it was at its lowest when Asahi, a very obvious bad guy, cruelly brings her parents back into her life with the sole intention of causing her untold pain and misery - to which the player and their allies do nothing except scowl and call it a 'dirty trick' when it felt like they could have and should have done more. Not to mention Yotsuyu is supposed to be under strict house arrest and yet escapes and puts herself in mortal danger twice, this whole section just felt quite rushed and lazy and like it didn't respect Yotsuyu as a character - the tragic outcome of her story seems only to serve to make Gosetsu sad and ponderous and set up the plot around the Ascians pulling all the strings, which could have been done without bringing back Yotsuyu and Gosetsu, I don't know it just felt inconsequential and I don't think the storyline justifies bringing the two back, it certainly could have done but I don't think it does. But saying this the tsukiyomi trial is absolutely hype and Gosetsu's spirit showing up to protect her was so awesome.
The new dungeons and trials in Stormblood carry on the marked improvments that came with Heavensward and the trials in particular, such as those of Susano and Byakko, go so insanely hard. Stormblood also quickly sheds its one-note and focused themes for extremely nuanced and exciting political turmoil and utter chaos in its final acts, introduced in the later patches. These patches are incredible and are filled with amazing monologues, exciting new mysteries that unfold, experly constructed and dramatic cutscenes and battle sequences and my favourite part by far - the relationship that grows between the warrior of light and alisaie, these final quests made me fall in love with alisaie as a character and I felt genuinely crushed when she succumbed to the same fate as her brother and the other scions. The music in this part of the game, the constantly moving and chaotic nature of the story, the character development, all fantastic and it makes me so excited for shadowbringers so bring it on. Captain has freed Doma and Ala Mhigo but the real battle has only just begun!
IDC ABOUT WHAT ANYONE SAYS ITS GOOD RAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH.
Une extension moins vivante que la précédente, avec quelques passages à vide, mais une bonne pioche avec quelques moments de grâce et des personnages appréciables.
Game got good when Lyse stopped yapping after the main story quests
The post game story was peak and it feels like for the first time in the entire game so far they finally locked in and cut out the fat that plagued the other expansions. Not to mention the amazing deltascape and ivalice alliance raids. Nothing will come close to listening to vagrant story music alongside 23 other people in this game
Really didnt think i would end up caring about any of the characters in stormbloods story leading up to the ending but they made the weak ones good and the good ones great. Can't wait to see what they did in shadowbringers
The post game story was peak and it feels like for the first time in the entire game so far they finally locked in and cut out the fat that plagued the other expansions. Not to mention the amazing deltascape and ivalice alliance raids. Nothing will come close to listening to vagrant story music alongside 23 other people in this game
Really didnt think i would end up caring about any of the characters in stormbloods story leading up to the ending but they made the weak ones good and the good ones great. Can't wait to see what they did in shadowbringers
as a white woman with filipino ancestry, i relate to lyse.
Good.
A super powerful story and an improvement over Heavensward even if I don't like the characters quite as much. Love all the worldbuilding and the cool new locations constantly being introduced. Don't think the MMO style gameplay will ever fully click with me but I appreciate the quest variety this time.
my love
"Lyse, this war... it really is a Stormblood..."
From a story perspective I'm not the biggest fan of some aspects of it, but it's this expansion where I think FFXIV begins to come into its own gameplay-wise.
I believe this is where my FFXIV journey began, years ago - when I came up with the name Raelyn Luna for my character. My oldest sibling bought me the level skip so I started as a low level archer and they switched me to summoner, and instantly to level 60. Tons of new abilities and buttons to press! This was back before they simplified SMN, there were so many buttons and a very specific order of actions to get the best damage. It was a lot to get used to, but I did and it was fun playing together. Having no background on the story, I had no idea what was going on but I rolled with it.
Final Fantasy 14 continues to be a wonderful experience for me and my friends. While not as captivating as Heavensward, the story is still better than any MMO has any right to be. The gameplay is fun as always, and the ease of dropping in and out makes it so that we can come in and out of the game as we please. Looking forward to seeing how Shadowbringers continues where this plot leaves off. Alisae is best Scion, don't @ me.
Stormblood is a pretty interesting expansion, it had a lot of politics, which i enjoyed a lot, it also brought us a villain/antagonist and did set a lot of context for the next and best expansion.
It was also the best expansion when it came to content.
Nevertheless, the story had some weird decisions, stuff that totally felt like filler and especially an absolutely awful pacing.
It was also the best expansion when it came to content.
Nevertheless, the story had some weird decisions, stuff that totally felt like filler and especially an absolutely awful pacing.
Apesar de ser um arco mais político, consegue nos apresentar novos personagens e aprofundar outros existentes, que são aqui muito bem desenvolvidos. Toda a escrita evoluí em maturidade, apesar de existir uma queda brusca em um dos patchs.
FF14 is the best mmorpg at the moment.
It has an immense amount of good content, great lore, the most complex raids and the best soundtrack of any mmorpg.
The only downside I would put is that it can be overwhelming for newbies right now by the amount of things available to the game, but if you adapt is amazing.
It has an immense amount of good content, great lore, the most complex raids and the best soundtrack of any mmorpg.
The only downside I would put is that it can be overwhelming for newbies right now by the amount of things available to the game, but if you adapt is amazing.
A Realm Reborn 2: Versão Oriente