alright i’m feeling the autism mental illness brainrot required to fully and in depth tell you exactly why i adore this video game. i’ll break it down into sections, don’t worry.

i. visuals

something ffxiv consistently manages to impress with (and something that will only be improving come Dawntrail) is its absolutely gorgeous visuals. every character and every map are beautifully designed, with each of the main scions remaining distinctive even amongst the most visually hectic of shots. but we know the characters are cute. i wanna talk about the world, specifically the maps released in Endwalker.

the environments in this game are truly something special to behold and they truly draw you in. they’ve been moving more and more towards the direction of including and honouring elements of other cultures which is something i love to see. from a gameplay standpoint, they consistently manage to improve with every map i step into for the first time. every element oozes with atmosphere from the sound design, to the music, to the lighting. these environments are gorgeous. i cannot stress that enough. i am deeply deeply excited to see how Dawntrail’s graphical improvements elevate their environmental work even more.

ii. music

the soundtrack of ffxiv is something that it is so deeply personal and important to me. there are several songs from throughout the expansions that never cease to make me sob like a baby through them (namely Answers, Dragonsong, Flow, and Close in the Distance). Masayoshi Soken’s work is something that speaks to me so completely, i adore that man. the fact that he continued to work on the Shadowbringers and Endwalker OSTs while in treatment for cancer will never cease to amaze me.

(will continue this later when i have more braincells)