Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

 PC
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 1790 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,611 out of 1790
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 1790
  3. Negative: 140 out of 1790

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  1. YunalescaDpries
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    The story was amazing, I dont feel it was better than Shb. The writing was amazing, the voice acting was even better and the character development was just.......Awesome. The new classes Reaper and Sage play fantastic and feel intuitive. The music is amazing as usual and the new teleporter hud is really nice and helpful. I found this to be the best expansion due to the changes, new areas,The story was amazing, I dont feel it was better than Shb. The writing was amazing, the voice acting was even better and the character development was just.......Awesome. The new classes Reaper and Sage play fantastic and feel intuitive. The music is amazing as usual and the new teleporter hud is really nice and helpful. I found this to be the best expansion due to the changes, new areas, music and overall quality of the game. A+++++++++… Expand
  2. Faangzzz
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    This is the most final fantasy a final fantasy game has every been. Even when the world comes crumbling down and there's not a single reason to keep hoping for tomorrow, endwalker manages to make all the elder evils that come your way entirely personal and human. When there's no hope for tomorrow, smile, laugh, hug your loved ones and put one foot in front of the other until it all finallyThis is the most final fantasy a final fantasy game has every been. Even when the world comes crumbling down and there's not a single reason to keep hoping for tomorrow, endwalker manages to make all the elder evils that come your way entirely personal and human. When there's no hope for tomorrow, smile, laugh, hug your loved ones and put one foot in front of the other until it all finally ends. This story will live rent free in my head for a very long time and continue inspiring me to keep walking myself, no matter how hard things get.… Expand
  3. Veskr1
    Dec 13, 2021
    10
    This is a masterpiece of MMORPG design. I'm blown away at the amount of content and passion that went into making this. Final Fantasy XIV deserves all the success that's coming to it. 10/10
  4. Darkakri
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    After 10 years of living this story that was an amazing ending to the tale. I can't wait to see where we go from here.
  5. Myusha
    Dec 13, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. In a incredible tour de force; Endwalker manages to proceed to a rather satisfactory ending. While it isn't without fault; and its' foundations may even be a little too shaky or rocky given it's newest antagonist, the introduction of Dynamis (lampshaded or not aplenty without a proper name until now), and a few questions or new questions on prior elements like Time Travel; it performs incredibly well.

    I will say that Mare Lamentorum's second-half, and Labyrinthos had weak points within them (primarily the Loporrits), and Garlemald took a smidge to set-up, but otherwise the plot proceeded with characteristic aplomb. Though a touch heavy-handed, the expansion begins immediately to build upon the core theme that will run through it's course.

    Is life meaningful?

    In this regard; I found there to be pay off for years of playtime, acknowledgement of investiture, and a fitting conclusion to all that came prior.

    Alphinaud and Alisaie obtain their own subplot and grow just a little bit more. Urianger too has a strong plot.

    G'raha Tia and Estinien both have great moments as well with their own flavorful charms.

    Thancred's arc resolved in Shadowbringers, but the threat ahead does eventually reach home with him.

    And even Y'shtola, who is by far one of the least-developed of the Scions, claims some moments to her pile of treasures.

    Krile astoundingly has a stake in the plot once more, and Tataru shines in an unforeseen way.

    Zenos will be polarizing, but I believe we've seen at the very least; a taste of what his writing led toward. Simple, but fun.

    And of the questions of Hydaelyn and Zodiark; well...

    If you believe that the story has a clear-cut ending in which you embark to slay a God of Darkness, and then put down a tyrannical Goddess of Light...

    You would be mistaken. It's an easy assumption and many would presume to be the natural path.

    Endwalker endeavors to go beyond the anticipated and expected to provide something more succinct and more fulfilling.

    Every encounter is akin to a Final Boss; and the stakes have never been higher. A hackneyed saying, true, but I believe FFXIV has reached an apex.

    From here on, the threats will need to, on some level, deescalate. Even the hinted at 'Void Expansion', that looms in the distance; while grand in scope, shouldn't surpass the grandiose endeavor we've just wrought forth.

    That said; the feeling of an ending does not eclipse the future. A rather hamfisted bit of dialogue, albeit touching, does ensure that the future of FFXIV is without a doubt, endless and boundless. That between the remaining worlds, and the untold tales within the Source, we've only scratched the surface. Let alone things like meddling in history's flow, or alternate timelines.

    And so to that end; I am excited in a new way.

    The ending was tremendous, and in a few fashions, I feel it was shackled. Shackles it wore without shame, but bound by what it built.

    Now the game is free to tell a new story, a new plot, a new overarching grand tale that can head in any avenue it so wishes.

    That said; the game's age will undoubtedly arise. And at this, the most delicate of junctures, a transition will transpire.

    14 may be in it's golden age, and time will tell if this expansion will usher in the next with applause and more players than before, or if we begin to see the the end of this MMO's grand sprawling journey.

    But what can be said, in the here and now...

    The ride took many risks. And I believe for the majority, it will pay off.

    For the road we've walked to get this far, was nothing but delightful. Worth it. And fulfilling nearly every step.    … Expand
  6. tranceyan
    Dec 22, 2021
    10
    Amazing finish to the story. Great new regions, new and old characters and cool new classes. The final trial is an amazing emotional experience.
  7. meteion
    Feb 25, 2022
    10
    After a slow start with FF14 ARR, Yoshi-P team reached the pinnacle of MMORPGs in 2022 releasing their best expansion to date. Carrying the legendary Uematsu's legacy on his shoulders, Soken scored one of the best OST in videogame history. EW is gem full of feels and epic moments, the end of your journey and the beginning of a new era.
  8. Jamvng
    Dec 10, 2021
    10
    Not only the best FFXIV expansion, the best FF story bar none.
    This is 10 years of story telling, 10 years of world building, 10 years of character development, wrapped up in as satisfying manner as you can think. Many series mess up conclusions, Endwalkers hits the mark and exceeds it.
    Outside of the story, these are some of the best dungeons in the game. And all the boss fights are    Not only the best FFXIV expansion, the best FF story bar none.
    This is 10 years of story telling, 10 years of world building, 10 years of character development, wrapped up in as satisfying manner as you can think. Many series mess up conclusions, Endwalkers hits the mark and exceeds it.

    Outside of the story, these are some of the best dungeons in the game. And all the boss fights are worthy of being final bosses in and of themselves. The music, oh the music. The music is essential to make those heavy story moments even more impactful. There are so many bangers, so many songs that elicit strong emotions. This is a masterpiece of storytelling that people will remember for years.    … Expand
  9. Praxeti
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    I didn't think it was possible to match shadowbringers, yet, somehow, they topped it. Best story i've ever experienced, and everything just worked together and complimented it so well. Actual masterpiece.
  10. ameermohamedtt
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    They did it. They made an expansion as good or even better than Shadowbringers.
  11. Hsgw
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    Easily the best MMO, and one of the best narratives out there. It’s worth going through the base game to reach Endwalker.
  12. Carto
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    Best expansion for an MMO that I've ever played hands down. The story, the instances and the entire package are solid, well designed and on point.

    Incredible job.
  13. kevinstark
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    This game is really great, I am glad I did not miss this moment , In the end, ff14 proves that every time it will bring more surprises and touches to the players, this is definitely a ff series of works with a long history.
  14. Fayuhnor
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Fantastic story to resolve this 10 year story arc. Loose ends were tied together while adding new aspects.… Expand
  15. NaturalBornChao
    Feb 27, 2022
    8
    I will update this review with the real score once Squenix decides to add more EU servers, because as things stand, a lot of people are unable to play the game due to massive queues, queue errors that put you right back at the end, as well as crashes that inevitably lead back to the queue. This situation is ongoing for over almost 10 days now and it's getting sickening! While the dev teamI will update this review with the real score once Squenix decides to add more EU servers, because as things stand, a lot of people are unable to play the game due to massive queues, queue errors that put you right back at the end, as well as crashes that inevitably lead back to the queue. This situation is ongoing for over almost 10 days now and it's getting sickening! While the dev team are trying their best to deliver a good experience, corporate greed has let them down, along with a big chunk of the playerbase. Real big shame...

    And of course the FFXIV "community" ( more like Squenix fanboy cult) are going to mark this review as not helpful, as the others before it, so no visibility for new player, further adding to the frustration.

    EDIT: Score updated now that the situation has improved. Solid story and characters, mediocre to bad pacing, overall preferred Shadowbringers.    … Expand
  16. Katzena
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    This expansion made me cry, a lot
    Its so good. This MMO is the best out there. Minus login issues right now. Endwalker was really good
  17. DOAX
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    This is the pinnacle of storytelling. We all thought "How are they going to top Shadowbringers?" Then Yoshi, Ishikawa said hold our beers and proceeded to destroy our expectations.
  18. Iceflare
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    When Shadowbringers was released I was sure, that they wouldn't be able to top it, because it was so incredibly good, and usually when something is outstandingly good, the sequel is usually a letdown. This is not the case with Endwalker.
    Man, this expansion has been incredible, and in my opinion it's worth more than a full price AAA-title.
    It started strong, and then after a short    When Shadowbringers was released I was sure, that they wouldn't be able to top it, because it was so incredibly good, and usually when something is outstandingly good, the sequel is usually a letdown. This is not the case with Endwalker.
    Man, this expansion has been incredible, and in my opinion it's worth more than a full price AAA-title.

    It started strong, and then after a short while it blasted me with something that I expected to be the final boss of the game, which confused me a lot, since I was still around level 83 and max level is 90. I was asking myself "How the hell are they gonna top this now?" and this has become an ongoing pattern of Square Enix delivering something massive, only to deliver something more massive later, and it kept going like this until the real final boss at level 90.

    The pacing of the story was a bit slow at some earlier points, and the fact that you didn't get to fight for quite a while during the first quarter of the xpac was a bit annoying it times, but all of this was just temporary, as the story kept getting more intense and intense.

    After finishing the story I was absolutely speechless. I was happy, I was sad, I was crying, I was smiling, I was feeling pumped, all of that at the same time. Never has a game, nor any kind of movie, book or story moved me so much, and at this point I consider the story of Final Fantasy XIV to be the best piece of fiction I've ever gone through, making even my all time favourites like Babylon 5, Lord of the Rings, the MCU movies, Naruto, One Piece, Gurren Lagann, Mass Effect, Fallout, Neverwinter Nights, Golden Sun, Chrono Trigger, the Mana series, Terranigma, Earthbound, Undertale and the Witcher absolutely pale in comparison. They don't get even close to what I felt at the end of Endwalker.

    Now story aside, regarding some gameplay aspects. They made vast improvements to the game. Skills and casts feel way more responsive now, and changes to the classes & jobs in the game have improved a lot of things. The overhauled aethernet teleport system is a massive quality of life improvement and with the removal of belts, which were just unnecessary, a good amount of inventory space has been added.

    The new features of having NPCs following you around during the story were a really nice addition to game immersion, and despite its controversial reception I liked the new escort and follow minigames that were a recurring part of the story.

    One major complaint I've always had with FFXIV expansions since Heavensward was, that the new zones often look like large, mostly flat, empty areas with a major lack of detail. This has changed in this expansion. All the new zones look very rich and detailed, even the third zone which you expect to be very empty based on the lore.
    They have a lot of verticality and the terrain feels more natural with lots of hills, elevation, and comparatively few invisible walls.

    Then there's the music. Oh, the music...
    Usually in a FFXIV xpac the music is fairly good, with only 1-2 tracks being rather bad/annoying and 1-2 tracks being noticably great. This expansion however we only have 1 annoying song (Labyrinthos daytime music), but a vast amount of strong, emotional music that fits the setting.
    The music in the third zone fills you with a permanent unease and sense of hopelessness like in games like This War of Mine, Frostpunk or Fallout. The music that plays during social cutscenes feels cozy and calming. The themes of the recurring NPCs fill you with joy and pride, as well as nostalgia. And the music of each bossfight unleashes a feeling of epicness that fits the setting, especially the music of the very final fight, which I'm constantly listening to since I've finished the game.

    I could go on and on and on with my praise for this expansion, but this would probably exceeed the character limit here on metacritic, so I'll finish with these words:

    Final Fantasy XIV is a fantastic story game that I can recommend to anyone who likes fantasy in any way. It may start a bit slow, but it quickly gets better and better.
    And once you've finished playing this amazing story game you're getting a great MMORPG with regular content patches every 3.5 months on top of it, for the typical sub based MMO fee.    … Expand
  19. xmo28726
    Dec 8, 2021
    10
    Coming up on six days since preorder access began and have been unable to play other than a few hours Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning. Main story beats and music are great, but that doesn't counterbalance the game being flat out not playable now or for the foreseeable future.
  20. bandgeek_44
    Dec 14, 2021
    10
    Endwalker is phenomenal and provides great closure to possibly the best story in any entertainment media in decades.
  21. HieloOscuro
    Dec 22, 2021
    10
    Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is not only onef the best MMO Expansion ever but is also probably the best Final Fantasy Narrative ever, With also interesting new jobs, Incredible dungeons and mindblowing boss fights.
  22. Nurya
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Literal masterpiece, alongside Shadowbringers this has been my best and most amazing experience in gaming ever
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Awards & Rankings

2
#2 Best PC Game of 2021
5
#5 Most Discussed PC Game of 2021

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
92

Universal acclaim - based on 28 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 28 out of 28
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 28
  3. Negative: 0 out of 28
  1. Impulsegamer
    Mar 28, 2022
    90
    If you didn’t like FFXIV before now, Endwalker will do nothing to change your mind. But if you’re in, this emotional rollercoaster will be rolling towards a satisfying conclusion, that absolutely will not disappoint.
    Read full review
  2. Gamepressure
    Feb 9, 2022
    95
    FFXIV is currently the best MMORPG available. The main reason is because it’s RPG first, MMO second. The story isn’t just an afterthought, but an integral part of the experience, and everything else revolves around the tale of the Warrior of Light. It’s logical, well-planned, and presented with great, voiced (or not) cut-scenes.
    Read full review
  3. Everyeye.it
    Jan 24, 2022
    95
    Final Fantasy XIV closes its first colossal story arc with an exceptional expansion.
    Read full review
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