Heavensward is a bleak real world analogy where two warring nations, one of which includes ancient all-powerful dragons, interrogate their shared history to find out where their hatred for one another first took root.
But all the time FF14 spends up front to lay out its cliched fantasy world is in service of shredding it to pieces shortly after.įinal Fantasy 14's story is as heart wrenching, subversive, and surreal as videogame storytelling gets, and the best expansion by a mile is part of the free package now. It was compulsive play at first, something to do in a depressive bout. I don't care for mainline Final Fantasy games, I don't usually play MMOs, and yet I played the pre-condensed A Realm Reborn all the way through the end of Shadowbringers in two months. James Davenport: Final Fantasy 14 represents one of the strangest eras of my life. I love this game, and I love how Square Enix has created such a wholesome and positive relationship with its fans. It offered a surprisingly emotional climax to the main Shadowbringers story as the narrative shifted to begin laying the foundations for next year's expansion.
Even though coronavirus delayed it, the 5.3 patch was worth the wait.
While other MMOs have big ups and downs, FF14's expansions and updates are always on an upward trajectory, adding more new dungeons, satisfying endgame activities like raids, and a hearty helping of episodic story quests. What makes 2020's best ongoing game is down to how scientific Square Enix is with updates. Case in point: Its latest expansion, Shadowbringers, takes players on an interdimensional journey to a parallel universe while somehow also keeping a tight focus on the characters that I've come to love over these past seven years. It's that Final Fantasy 14 tells an emotionally gripping story that just keeps raising the stakes. What keeps me coming back isn't just the memorable boss fights and beautiful locations, though. I started back in 2013, with the re-launch, and have consistently played for seven years. Steven Messner: Final Fantasy 14 is the most consistently excellent MMO I've ever played.