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. Aun7
    Aug 14, 2023
    9
    By far the best MMORPG I've ever played, and I'm glad that it has received such a high score. Definitely well-deserved.

    Player Housing is a lot of fun despite certain limitations, especially when it comes to placing items and the limited number of placeable items. I only wish that owning a house wouldn't be tied to an active subscription. That's somewhat of a downside for me and the    By far the best MMORPG I've ever played, and I'm glad that it has received such a high score. Definitely well-deserved.

    Player Housing is a lot of fun despite certain limitations, especially when it comes to placing items and the limited number of placeable items. I only wish that owning a house wouldn't be tied to an active subscription. That's somewhat of a downside for me and the reason why I only own an apartment and not a house. Simply because I don't want to be constantly tied to the game and like to take breaks.

    The story in this game is full of finesse.
    The writers really know what they're doing. Many characters have grown very dear to me. It's even sadder when you have to let so many go. In fact, I agree with some of the criticism already expressed by others regarding the ending of Endwalker and thus the end of our blond friend and foe. His ending feels very undeserved and leaves numerous questions unanswered, as previously noted.
    For example, the question of why he has been dreaming of the final days since his childhood. Or what Fandaniel meant when he referred to Zenos: "Could Emet-Selch have found a way?" What does he mean by that? Did Emet conduct experiments on Zenos? And if so, what kind? Is that the reason why Zenos is as strong as the Warrior of Light? Could that even explain his unnatural height? Questions upon questions. So I really hope that wasn't the end for him and he will return in the next expansion.

    The playable races are mostly very good, but they could have a bit more customization options.

    All in all, an outstanding game.    … Expand
  2. Splido
    Aug 26, 2023
    9
    What can I say? Pretty neat.
    Player housing and the story are both great and the reason why I play this game. Both have room for improvement of course, but like others already said, you won't find another mmo with such high quality out there.
    I think most stuff has already said by others and I pretty much agree in most cases. Player housing needs way more placeable items, it should be    What can I say? Pretty neat.
    Player housing and the story are both great and the reason why I play this game. Both have room for improvement of course, but like others already said, you won't find another mmo with such high quality out there.

    I think most stuff has already said by others and I pretty much agree in most cases.
    Player housing needs way more placeable items, it should be possible to place items on all other objecs, being forced to stay sub in order to kepp a house is not fun and it should be easier for all players to get a house, not just a handful. Apartments are nice and all, but compared to a house? Not so much.
    In regards to the story, again, I agree with other people when it comes to a certain prince. Why tease such a promising story arc for him with dozens of unanswered questions and then just end it? Major disappointment right here, in case he really doesn't show up again in the next expansion or at least give us hints, that he survived and will return someday. The way it stands now? Just disappointing.

    Though Endwalker and the devs deserve a solid 9, anyway for the joy this game gave me.    … Expand
  3. 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
  4. GrizzleCritic
    Mar 29, 2022
    8
    A somewhat flawed, but compelling conclusion to the stories FF XIV has been telling over the last decade.
  5. Onlyclassicvg1
    Sep 16, 2022
    8
    Contrary to legend, the first newspaper reviews of Vertigo were very good. It was the serious magazine reviews in "Time," "Newsweek" and "The New Yorker" that dismissed the movie. (Chicago Tribune)
    Vertigo's mesmerizing title sequence is by Saul Bass--who later did
  6. Luckyisblasted
    Dec 9, 2021
    8
    The music is amazing. The new areas beautiful. Even waiting hours upon hours to get into the server isn't that big of a deal unless you are a cry baby karen like those cry babies that gave the game zero. What is complete and utterly trash are some of the story Questa. The stealth quest is legit complete and total trash. The unknown imperial quest is legit worst than super man for nintendoThe music is amazing. The new areas beautiful. Even waiting hours upon hours to get into the server isn't that big of a deal unless you are a cry baby karen like those cry babies that gave the game zero. What is complete and utterly trash are some of the story Questa. The stealth quest is legit complete and total trash. The unknown imperial quest is legit worst than super man for nintendo 64. Some of these quests are actually so bad that it nearly ruins the entire expansion like wtf were they thinking with these trash quests.… Expand
  7. Iksoap
    Oct 2, 2022
    8
    Would have been nice to have a different ending. The way it ended the story of Zenos felt a bit pointless. Finally his character started to get interesting and then... gone again. Very disappointing, if he really doesn't show up again in the future.
    Other than that a solid expansion.
  8. Infu
    Jan 9, 2023
    8
    After finishing this game from ARR up to Endwalker I happily give it a 8 out of 10. Really, really good game with the best story of all mmos I've ever played and with lots of fun features.

    However it is not a 10/10, but again, an 8 is really good. Here are the few things I wish Square Enix would improve in the future. :) Player houing is amazing! However I don't like that you have    After finishing this game from ARR up to Endwalker I happily give it a 8 out of 10. Really, really good game with the best story of all mmos I've ever played and with lots of fun features.

    However it is not a 10/10, but again, an 8 is really good.

    Here are the few things I wish Square Enix would improve in the future. :)

    Player houing is amazing! However I don't like that you have to be constantly be subbed in order to keep your house. That's not how you should treat your players. Please make houses available for all players, not just a few, so players don't feel forced to keep subbed for each and every month. Also increase the number of items we can put in our apartment and house. Other than that housing in this game is simply amazing.

    Customization options for playable races.
    While the number of customizations is certainly more than in other mmos, which add like 3 hair colors every few years, it still is rather underwhelming. Especially considering face options you have way too little in ff14. The body sliders are nice, but the range between big and small could be bigger. On a personal note, I really which they would give an option to make the Elezen neck shorter. They kinda look like giraffes. Also the tail of Miquote doesn't really look good and rather like pixel mush.

    Graphics need to be more polished and I'm not really a fan of invisible walls either. It kinda breaks the immersion.

    Story:
    Only 2 things.
    First of, Haurchefant's end felt very unnecessary. Yes, it was very emotional, but I can't help but feel that it shouldn't have ended there. I love his "appearances" throughout the story up to Endwalker, but due to the unnessesary end I still wish he would come back somehow, if they are able to write such a story well.

    Second point would be Zenos. Especially with Endwalker I had high hopes for a redemption arc and it is sad to see, that his story went nowhere in the end. I still have a ton of questions about him, his past, his connection to Emet, why he and his father are bigger than everyone else... and many more. I feel like the end, even though it was very epic, was a let down and leaves you kinda hollow.

    But still, this is a very good game and I am looking forward what the future will hold for Final Fantasy.    … Expand
  9. Sandyo7
    Jan 31, 2023
    8
    I love this game!
    Coming from a very outdated and toxic game like world of warcraft, final fantasy is really a breath of fresh air.
    I love most of the story, player housing, the fact that this game actually gives you real gear, which is not just printed over you avatar's body, I love the fact, that we can even dye our gear, I really enjoy the gold saucer mini games, the feature that we    I love this game!
    Coming from a very outdated and toxic game like world of warcraft, final fantasy is really a breath of fresh air.
    I love most of the story, player housing, the fact that this game actually gives you real gear, which is not just printed over you avatar's body, I love the fact, that we can even dye our gear, I really enjoy the gold saucer mini games, the feature that we can play songs as a bard and I love the fact, that there is no racial segregation system in this game. Playing ff14 made me realise just how bad world of warcraft overall is.

    Not everything is perfect though.

    Player housing:
    The amount of items for apartments and houses are too few.
    The requirement of staying subbed to keep a house is really bad.

    Graphics:
    While customizations are very, very good in comparison to wow, there could still be more variety, especially regarding face options.
    Creatures in this world, and I am sorry to say that, look really ugly. I wish they would give animal npcs an overall overhaul. Ecept for Chocobos, who look gorgeous.
    Invisible walls feel really weird for me.

    Islands:
    Those little marionettes kinda creep me out. I really wish we could remove them and put our own npcs on the island.    … Expand
  10. Comirso
    Mar 15, 2023
    8
    I must say that the player housing system in Final Fantasy 14 is truly fantastic.
    The ability to own a home in the game and customize it to your liking is a great feature that adds a new level of immersion to the game. However, the process of obtaining a house can be quite difficult and limiting the number of placeable items can be frustrating. That being said, the overall housing system    I must say that the player housing system in Final Fantasy 14 is truly fantastic.
    The ability to own a home in the game and customize it to your liking is a great feature that adds a new level of immersion to the game. However, the process of obtaining a house can be quite difficult and limiting the number of placeable items can be frustrating. That being said, the overall housing system is well-designed and offers players a great way to express their creativity in the game.

    The storytelling in Final Fantasy 14 is also top-notch.
    The game's plot is complex and compelling, with a diverse cast of characters that are well-developed and memorable. The depth of the lore and the intricacies of the world-building are truly impressive.
    While the story arc of Zenos could have been longer, I still found it to be a satisfying conclusion to his character. Overall, the storytelling in Final Fantasy 14 is one of the game's strongest aspects, and it's what keeps me invested in the game.

    Another great aspect of Final Fantasy 14 is the community. The players in the game are generally friendly and helpful, and there is a strong sense of camaraderie among the player base. This makes the game much more enjoyable and creates a sense of community that is rare in other MMOs.

    The gear system in Final Fantasy 14 is also modern and well-designed. The gear progression feels rewarding, and there are plenty of options for players to customize their characters to their liking. It's great that the game is always updating with new gear sets and adding new ways to obtain them.

    While the graphics of Final Fantasy 14 are generally good, I do think that there are areas where improvement is needed. The animal and nature graphics could be more detailed and realistic, and the island sanctuary could use some improvement to make it more engaging.

    In conclusion, Final Fantasy 14 is a very good game due to its fantastic player housing system, deep storytelling, strong community, modern gear system, and overall immersive gameplay experience. While there are some areas where improvement is needed, the game's strengths far outweigh any shortcomings.    … Expand
  11. Regina781
    Mar 24, 2023
    8
    Endwalker is an absolute delight! From the fantastic story to the great characters, this game is a true masterpiece.

    The story is nothing short of epic. The action is intense, and the emotional payoff is incredible. And let's not forget about the characters. Emet-Selch is a standout, with his compelling backstory and charismatic personality. His interactions with the warrior of light    Endwalker is an absolute delight! From the fantastic story to the great characters, this game is a true masterpiece.

    The story is nothing short of epic. The action is intense, and the emotional payoff is incredible. And let's not forget about the characters. Emet-Selch is a standout, with his compelling backstory and charismatic personality. His interactions with the warrior of light are some of the most memorable moments in the game.

    Now, I do have to mention that it's a bit sad to see Zenos' story come to an end so soon as I saw other fans complain, too. Just when we thought he might finally have a chance at redemption and maybe even become a companion someday to the warrior of light like the scions, at least he was one step closer to that, they just take him out of the story. It's okay to take characters out of a storyline, but in Zenos' case, it just felt unsatisfying. There was still so much to learn about that character, and it felt like his story was just beginning at the end of Endwalker.

    But even with that disappointment, Endwalker is still a fantastic expansion that any fan of Final Fantasy 14 should not miss. With its charming characters, witty humor, and incredible story, it's a journey that you won't forget. 8/10    … Expand
  12. Geckolo
    Apr 27, 2023
    8
    Now that I've finally completed this game, I'm really happy to see so many positive comments here and I'd like to leave my own review.

    The most important aspect is, of course, the amazing story. I haven't seen such a fantastic story in any other mmorpg. Personally, I thought Heavensward and Endwalker were the best, but all the other expansions have very interesting elements as well.    Now that I've finally completed this game, I'm really happy to see so many positive comments here and I'd like to leave my own review.

    The most important aspect is, of course, the amazing story. I haven't seen such a fantastic story in any other mmorpg. Personally, I thought Heavensward and Endwalker were the best, but all the other expansions have very interesting elements as well.

    Like others, I'm a little sad that Zenos doesn't seem to have the opportunity to join the Scions despite his interesting development at the end of Endwalker. It could have led to a really interesting group dynamic, where they finally teach him how to behave more socially, and his body height would have led to some funny situations.
    Unfortunately, it seems like they've thrown that possibility out the window. It was really epic towards the end, but there should have been more with him afterwards.

    Especially since new characters like Zero can't really measure up and are too clichéd for my taste. I agree with my fellow reviewers on this point.

    Player housing is really cool, but I also agree with others who say that you can only place too few items in your house, and it can be pretty difficult to even get a house in the first place.

    The islands would be a nice method to allow player housing for all players, but they're still far from that. Basically, you can only move the same handful of buildings to different places, which is pretty boring. Since animals in this game don't look that good, it's not really fun to catch them either.

    Overall, though, I fell in love with this game thanks to the story, and I hope that it will get really good again soon after a rather weak epilogue to Endwalker, and hopefully some characters will return who unfortunately were written out of the story.    … Expand
  13. Nabers
    May 5, 2023
    8
    Final Fantasy 14 is the best mmo I have ever played.

    It has a unique and great story with fantastic characters like Nero, Gaius, Aymeric, Haurchefant, Emet, Hermes, Zenos, Graha Tia, Venat, Estinien, Y'Sthola, Alphinaud, Thancred, and so many more. While I, like some others here, would like to see more about individual characters, overall it's really incredible how much character    Final Fantasy 14 is the best mmo I have ever played.

    It has a unique and great story with fantastic characters like Nero, Gaius, Aymeric, Haurchefant, Emet, Hermes, Zenos, Graha Tia, Venat, Estinien, Y'Sthola, Alphinaud, Thancred, and so many more. While I, like some others here, would like to see more about individual characters, overall it's really incredible how much character development they show us and how much we empathize with the NPCs.
    I haven't experienced anything like this in any other game. So really hats off.

    Player housing is just so much fun once you get a house. It could be a little easier to get a house, and players should really be allowed to place more objects in the houses. While there is already a lot, it could still be improved.

    I'm not really a fan of the graphics, though. While there are beautiful places, the world seems a bit too artificial to me.

    Customization options are pretty good, but there's always room for improvement.

    I don't find the playable races particularly exciting. I would like to see more diversity there.

    The epilogue has been rather boring so far, with uninteresting new characters. For some, it may not be bad and may serve as a relaxing break after the action-packed expansion Endwalker, though.

    Raids, etc. are also available, but I won't comment on them as they are more incidental to me.

    I can really recommend this game to anyone who wants to experience a really good story and have fun with things like player housing and the like.    … Expand
  14. Unpslo
    May 23, 2023
    8
    I think giving this expansion eight out of ten points is quite appropriate. I agree with the people before me that the story in Endwalker was really well done.
    However, the quality unfortunately drops rapidly in the epilogue, after the main story where you have your big final battle and then return home. I see it very similarly to others here. The newly introduced characters are quite    I think giving this expansion eight out of ten points is quite appropriate. I agree with the people before me that the story in Endwalker was really well done.
    However, the quality unfortunately drops rapidly in the epilogue, after the main story where you have your big final battle and then return home. I see it very similarly to others here. The newly introduced characters are quite boring and very cliché. It's like having a moody teenager girl constantly complaining about being a victim and trying too hard to be edgy, that is now following you everywhere. Somehow, it lacks the spice after the main story. Even this whole "peace, joy, and happiness" between former enemies... it's just a bit too much for the past few months. I really miss the main story and the characters that were still present in it like Emet, Hermes, Zenos, Hythladeus... even Fandaniel was more entertaining than the new characters.

    But let's see what the next expansion brings. I think I'll take a break until then. I tried the new patch today, but unfortunately, it has the same problem as the previous ones. It's just not my cup of tea.

    But as I said, overall, it's a really great game with a lot of fun stuff to do.    … Expand
  15. Blaze8
    Jun 20, 2023
    8
    Un jeu fantastique. L'histoire est très captivante et émouvante, et c'est certainement la meilleure histoire parmi tous les MMO actuellement existants. Rien que pour cela, il vaut la peine de jouer à ce jeu. Il commence un peu lentement, mais il devient de plus en plus intéressant. Maintenant, après l'histoire principale d'Endwalker, cela devient un peu plus ennuyeux avec la nouvelleUn jeu fantastique. L'histoire est très captivante et émouvante, et c'est certainement la meilleure histoire parmi tous les MMO actuellement existants. Rien que pour cela, il vaut la peine de jouer à ce jeu. Il commence un peu lentement, mais il devient de plus en plus intéressant. Maintenant, après l'histoire principale d'Endwalker, cela devient un peu plus ennuyeux avec la nouvelle histoire centrée sur Zero, et je ne m'attache pas vraiment à ce nouveau personnage. Ils auraient vraiment dû garder Zenos, comme d'autres l'ont déjà mentionné, mais on verra comment cela évolue.… Expand
  16. Gazeru
    Jun 28, 2023
    8
    Overall, a really good game that brings a lot of joy.
    However, since I'm personally most interested in the story, I would like to express a few things about it. Although the story in Endwalker has become really good, in my opinion, some characters were somewhat neglected. Of course, with so many important characters, it's impossible to give them all equal attention, but it's particularly    Overall, a really good game that brings a lot of joy.
    However, since I'm personally most interested in the story, I would like to express a few things about it. Although the story in Endwalker has become really good, in my opinion, some characters were somewhat neglected. Of course, with so many important characters, it's impossible to give them all equal attention, but it's particularly evident with a certain friend and foe of the Warrior of Light. This character is just too central to overlook how Enix handled him.
    So much potential was wasted with him, and it's truly sad. There are dozens of unanswered questions, no insights into the character's development, or, as I have seen others mention, blatantly obvious questions like why he and his father are unnaturally tall. Fandaniel also hinted at things that suggest Emet might have experimented on him. Among other things, our prince repeatedly mentions the final days in his dreams, unlike others. There are just so many unresolved aspects about this character, and ultimately, it's disappointing that he was written out without much further exploration.
    I really don't understand why he didn't take Zero's place in the wol's group later on in the story to learn new things. It would have been a hundred times more interesting than what we have now.

    But well, that's actually my biggest criticism. I could add smaller things about certain other characters, but I suppose it would make this review too long.
    As I said, overall, Endwalker was still very good.    … Expand
  17. Hermoia
    Jul 21, 2023
    8
    A remarkably good game.
    The story is probably the best I've ever seen in a game. However, like others, I also want to criticize the ending a bit.
    It feels like they cut out a lot for Zenos. Essentially, he remains a blank slate at the end. Although he is very intriguing, and I was looking forward to learning more about him in Endwalker, they ultimately showed us very little about him.    A remarkably good game.
    The story is probably the best I've ever seen in a game. However, like others, I also want to criticize the ending a bit.
    It feels like they cut out a lot for Zenos. Essentially, he remains a blank slate at the end. Although he is very intriguing, and I was looking forward to learning more about him in Endwalker, they ultimately showed us very little about him. Very disappointing. Especially since when the moment came for a redemption arc to develop for him, they also discarded that option.

    And with him, unfortunately, they threw away the last interesting character. What followed with Zero, etc., is comparatively quite bad and not really interesting either. I have no idea what they have planned for the future, but I'm afraid that they won't be able to win me over again with the story since they removed pretty much all the interesting aspects. We'll see.    … Expand
  18. Vauri
    Aug 11, 2023
    8
    I am a relatively new FFXIV player and after completing the main story, I also want to write a bit about it. I agree with many points from other comments on this platform.

    The story is probably the best in the MMORPG genre that I have ever played through and other MMOs don't even come close to the quality of FFXIV. However, there are also many things that I don't consider to be as    I am a relatively new FFXIV player and after completing the main story, I also want to write a bit about it. I agree with many points from other comments on this platform.

    The story is probably the best in the MMORPG genre that I have ever played through and other MMOs don't even come close to the quality of FFXIV.

    However, there are also many things that I don't consider to be as good. As others have mentioned, FFXIV has a significant problem with killing off characters. Don't get me wrong, not every character needs a redemption arc, but it has happened so frequently that characters are killed off rather than given a chance at redemption that it has reached a point where I personally find it quite frustrating.

    This was the case with the Ascians, who were shot into the oven and then ultimately, as criticized by others as well, with Zenos. They killed him, then brought him back and you think, okay, maybe he'll finally get his redemption arc, only to seemingly discard him again. It becomes quite exhausting after a while.
    Now, after the main story, in the following smaller content updates, they introduced the new character Zero, who apparently is supposed to serve as a replacement... but provides a pretty poor substitute and honestly gets on your nerves more than contributes to the entertainment.

    So, that's really a point in FFXIV that bothers me. This constant killing off of characters. The new expansion has been announced and one can only hope that they will bring back some of the characters, because the current cast, which we have to live with until mid-next year... isn't my favorite.

    Now, that might have sounded very negative, but that's actually my main criticism. Otherwise, I wouldn't give the game an 8/10. Overall, there are many very good moments and I can wholeheartedly recommend this game.    … Expand
  19. Jessyi
    Aug 15, 2023
    8
    Amazing game!
    I love the story.
    Was really sad because of the end of Emet and Elidibus and really hope they'll return. Was very disappointed because of Zenos' end. Like... why bring him back, tease a very promising arc and an interesting development and then write him out of the story again? Really hoping we didn't see him the last time. Please bring him back and continue his story.    Amazing game!
    I love the story.
    Was really sad because of the end of Emet and Elidibus and really hope they'll return.
    Was very disappointed because of Zenos' end. Like... why bring him back, tease a very promising arc and an interesting development and then write him out of the story again? Really hoping we didn't see him the last time. Please bring him back and continue his story.
    Was a bit bored from the epilog, the stuff that came after the main story.
    Looking forward to the next expansion!    … Expand
  20. Poaka
    Aug 22, 2023
    8
    Final Fantasy 14 has by far the best story among all current MMORPGs. The quality when it comes to this aspect doesn't even come close in other MMOs.

    However, there are also things in FF14 that unfortunately bother me a bit. Especially when playing more modern games like Baldur's Gate 3. Of course, I know it's not fair to compare an RPG with an MMORPG. An MMORPG inevitably has to have a    Final Fantasy 14 has by far the best story among all current MMORPGs. The quality when it comes to this aspect doesn't even come close in other MMOs.

    However, there are also things in FF14 that unfortunately bother me a bit. Especially when playing more modern games like Baldur's Gate 3. Of course, I know it's not fair to compare an RPG with an MMORPG. An MMORPG inevitably has to have a single ending that's the same for everyone. In an RPG like Baldur's Gate 3, there's the freedom to provide players with an individual ending based on their decisions throughout their journey.
    Something like that is probably just difficult to implement in an MMO. But in FF14, there are so many moments where the wol/player character behaves in a way that's as foolish as can be, that it can be quite exhausting at times.

    As I've seen others complain about here, in FF14 it often ends with the enemy being defeated and that's more or less the end of the story. Instead of giving the respective character a chance for a redemption arc after the battle.
    If it happens once in a while... okay, you can't make everyone turn to the good side, but in FF14, it's a constant occurrence, which is why interesting characters are shot down one after another. Not really enjoyable... Especially in Endwalker, this was noticeable with Zenos, of course. This character is probably the definition of wasted potential.
    He was built up very promisingly, only to be thrown to the wind again in the end. An epic anime-style battle is cool and I did enjoy it, but then to just end it again and introduce new characters and enemies out of nowhere? Nah...

    And to get back to the WoL, here, you simply can't act freely. When the player is asked a question, you almost always have the choice between "Yes, I'll do that" and "Okay, I'll do that." The available options don't have any differences that would even remotely influence the course of the story or the relationships with NPCs.
    As I said, I know that the immersion and freedom present in Baldur's Gate 3 can't be fully implemented in FF14, but I still hope that with upcoming expansions, they'll bring in a bit more diversity. I also hope, like others, that they'll bring back some of their wasted characters.
    Currently, I find the story a bit bland with the newly introduced characters.

    I'm looking forward to the upcoming expansion, of course, but I think a bit of criticism now and then can't hurt either. Like I said in the first sentence, the story is really good, but you can't really derive much feedback from "everything is great," so I wanted to mention what I don't quite agree with.

    Still, a great game!    … Expand
  21. Jedral
    Sep 5, 2023
    8
    Endwalker is a really great expansion.
    The post-Endwalker experience, on the other hand, is... anything but great.
    I've read some of the reviews here and it seems I'm not alone in this opinion. The story's quality takes a sharp decline after the final battle against Zenos and the return of the scions to Sharlayan. It almost feels like completely new writers took over. They keep    Endwalker is a really great expansion.
    The post-Endwalker experience, on the other hand, is... anything but great.

    I've read some of the reviews here and it seems I'm not alone in this opinion. The story's quality takes a sharp decline after the final battle against Zenos and the return of the scions to Sharlayan. It almost feels like completely new writers took over.
    They keep throwing new enemies at us one after another and as soon as they appear, they're killed off. Sometimes even within the same patch, making it impossible to form any connection to the characters.

    Enix has unfortunately killed off all the previous cool enemies, but at least they had some lore built around them. The only exception is Zenos, who, as has been criticized here many times, was somehow left out until the end. Just when you'd expect his redemption arc to finally begin, he's removed again. A questionable decision, to say the least. As epic as the battle against him may have been, we were given almost nothing about this character.
    Given the high expectations around FF14's character building, it was a huge disappointment that this seems to be all there was to him.

    To get back to the post-Endwalker experience, as I said, new enemies are practically thrown at us and then wiped out in the blink of an eye. This is not what I would call high-quality writing.
    The only character who gets lore built around them is Zero. But Zero is such an unbearable edge queen that it's hard to get used to her. She constantly comes across as an emo who needs to be coddled by everyone because she's had it so tough. And that's all we get from her. The task of coddling her around the clock is not everyone's cup of tea. Certainly not mine.

    With the post-Endwalker experience, this game has somehow lost its spice.
    Well, let's see what the future holds. I would still recommend FF14 to anyone who hasn't yet experienced the really good story.    … Expand
  22. Mectonal
    Sep 9, 2023
    8
    Endwalker is truly an epic adventure. The great story told in this expansion had me captivated from beginning to end. Character development (for the most part, unfortunatly not far all important characters) and emotional highs are good executed.

    However, I must admit that certain aspects of Endwalker seemed questionable. It appeared as if some content had been cut, as noted by other    Endwalker is truly an epic adventure. The great story told in this expansion had me captivated from beginning to end. Character development (for the most part, unfortunatly not far all important characters) and emotional highs are good executed.

    However, I must admit that certain aspects of Endwalker seemed questionable. It appeared as if some content had been cut, as noted by other critics. This occasionally left a slightly unsatisfying impression, as I felt that some storylines were not fully developed.

    One of the highlights of this game in general is undoubtedly the player housing. The ability to customize your own home is a fantastic feature. However, I am disappointed that you are still forced to maintain a paid subscription to retain your house. This restricts the freedom to take breaks without the fear of losing your home, which, in my opinion, is not an ideal solution.

    As for the post-Endwalker patches, I must admit that they have a rather lackluster story. In particular, the character Zero did not impress me. I hope that in the upcoming expansion, Dawntrail, we can look forward to better stories and characters and hopefully without Zero.

    Overall, Endwalker is an impressive expansion with a gripping narrative for the most part. Despite some shortcomings in execution, I am excited about the future and hopeful for more epic adventures.    … Expand
  23. carl_xjones
    Jan 24, 2022
    7
    That whole "hope" thing was bordering on toxic optimism. I wish the game wasn't as black and white. That formula might be appealing to fans of Avengers but not to fans of more mature stories.
  24. dawni
    Dec 10, 2021
    7
    Cannot fault the music and design, OST is incredible and the world and dungeon designs surpass anything before, there are some absolutely stunning environments.

    Unfortunately the story leans on 'by the power of friendship!' as reasoning in some plotlines (overcoming obstacles and defeating enemies because you have friends, love and prayers is incredibly lazy writing IMO) and has fan    Cannot fault the music and design, OST is incredible and the world and dungeon designs surpass anything before, there are some absolutely stunning environments.

    Unfortunately the story leans on 'by the power of friendship!' as reasoning in some plotlines (overcoming obstacles and defeating enemies because you have friends, love and prayers is incredibly lazy writing IMO) and has fan service galore (not always bad).

    Pacing at the start is slow and boring for a while but eventually picks up. Drag along/follow the NPC is not the exciting action packed activity the devs seem to think it as, as they include a countless number of these quests. Also I don't think i'll ever meet a person who thinks a tedious stealth quest is fun or a good addition.

    Its definitely very enjoyable, and undeniably an incredible game overall, but the expansion is not perfect.    … Expand
  25. mcithegod
    Dec 9, 2021
    7
    The story started out slow but definitely picked up later into the MSQ; however, the gameplay during the MSQ is just not fun. This is the first expansion so far that has made me question if I actually enjoy FFXIV and my time would be better spent with a game I enjoy playing. Many of the MSQ quests have you holding the scions hands from point A to point B with no explanation on why you mustThe story started out slow but definitely picked up later into the MSQ; however, the gameplay during the MSQ is just not fun. This is the first expansion so far that has made me question if I actually enjoy FFXIV and my time would be better spent with a game I enjoy playing. Many of the MSQ quests have you holding the scions hands from point A to point B with no explanation on why you must walk and cannot use the Aetherytes. Others have you using stealth, where you'll fail if you're noticed but with no real indication on when you'd be noticed. Too many of these could easily be failed or having you go back to the start, thus wasting your time. I can understand why they made this change, so you felt more immersed and it feels more like a single player game, but to me they missed the mark. I hope they consider people who value their time going forward into future expansions. For context I have played on and off since the FFXIV beta and have always cherished this game and came back to it. I feel that everyone rating this a 10/10 is doing so strictly for the story.… Expand
  26. Pks4482
    Dec 14, 2021
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This review will be spoilery.

    First off, this expansion was a beautiful love letter to the prior FFXIV expansions and A Realm Reborn. Lots of exciting new locales to explore including the much awaited Old Sharlayan and the beautifully barren moon with some interestingly colorful facilities run by a few old friends from FF4.

    As always the music is superb from the absurd toybox-esque themes of Labyrinthos, to the gravitas-filled music that accompanies your journey through the latter dungeons, this is Mr. Soken at his finest. There are even several nods to the themes found in FF games of old scattered around.

    As for the plot, this is where things start to unravel. There are definitely strong emotional scenes which are enhanced by the strength of the voice actors employed. Though I found Cid rather jarring to listen to, everyone else does a beautiful job capturing and conveying the tone and emotions in their respective scenes. Many even brought tears to my eyes.

    Unfortunately, the plot is not without flaws. First, we have a big problem to discuss. A Zenos problem. (Second warning, big spoils ahead!) Zenos is a character I neither love nor hate. I can’t be compelled to do either because he only cares about one thing and one thing only. Fighting the WoL. That wouldn’t be a problem if Zenos had any depth of character, but every time he is on screen he does one of two things:

    A) Silently broods while the adults are talking
    B) Talks about getting strong and fighting

    And that’s it. I just can’t care about a character that can’t even be bothered to care about himself. He makes it painfully clear that he has no desire except to keep fighting until his blissful, nihilistic death. Wat? (Apparently he wanted to die so badly that he overcame death in a previous expansion to get strong enough to fight the WoL again so that the fight hopefully kills him.)

    Not only does Zenos’ singular goal persist from his intro two expansions ago, but he’s not given enough screen time to develop any other interesting plot or backstory regarding his presence and defaults back to his standard A/B actions listed above.

    So little did the creators care about Zenos that I think even they forgot he was a part of the plot. When Fandaniel summons Zodiark he initially intended to fight senpai Zenos so that both may embrace their nihilistic death together despite Zenos’ sole fixation with our protagonist. Instead Fandaniel in Zodiark form decides the WoL is a more interesting challenge and ignores Zenos as well. Zenos can’t be bothered to interrupt or intervene and promptly leaves the moon where the battle begins and ends with barely a word about seeking greater power to fight you (option B)

    (END GAME SPOILERS AHEAD)
    The world begins to unravel and the adventure goes uninterrupted by Zenos for the vast majority of the rest of the story. Only to pop back in to say “hey, let’s fight when I get stronger” (option b), a third time to reflect on some scolding Alisaie gives him as he momentarily expands his depth by an entirely new singular thought not his own (option B2?), and then joins the final fight to “help” by letting you ride on his back in Shinryu form while you fight the “final boss”.
    (I actually forgot Zenos was “helping” us in this fight until the end when the camera zoomed out enough to see below the platform. That’s how little I thought about Zenos this whole expansion)

    Top it all off with a heartfelt cutscene with the final boss that’s interrupted by an unnecessary (and uninspired) Zenos fight that kills the entire emotional flow of the ending before you can watch the credits and return home. With interesting mechanics it might’ve been forgivable, but it was an anticlimactic 1v1 fight with a character I wanted to leave behind.

    Zenos aside, the plot had some serious pacing issues with a necessary slow start before getting to the first dungeon, zooming off to light speed with no build up to a fight against Zodiark, in turn feeling anticlimactic for a fight we’ve been building up to for 4 expansions, coupled with some strange changes in tone with no ease between a few ultra serious scenes jumping straight into light hearted comedy. This expansion has so much to love and some beautifully written scenes that suffer from inconsistent direction, pacing, and awkward plot at times with characters that sometimes felt more like plot devices than meaningful beings with agency within their world.

    The lore build up of underlying workings and interaction between Aether and Dynamis seemed like it was being set up for something grand. Real problems to be solved, with a shift in the foundations of the physical principles of the planet continued its unraveling when Zodiark ceased to exist. Instead, the rug was pulled out from under us. In the eleventh hour, a brand new antagonist is introduced that has to be beaten to save the world long after Zodiark was discarded less than half way through the plot.    … Expand
  27. UmberLink
    Dec 27, 2021
    7
    Overhyped beyond belief, but still passable for the ones that enjoy the formula

    This being listed as a one of the highest rated games of the year just shows how how hard it is to make a proper meta scorer and how misleading most popular ones can be. The "game" is barely a game at all for a long stretch of its playthrough time. Some 80-90% (and no i'm not exaggerating here) of the    Overhyped beyond belief, but still passable for the ones that enjoy the formula

    This being listed as a one of the highest rated games of the year just shows how how hard it is to make a proper meta scorer and how misleading most popular ones can be.

    The "game" is barely a game at all for a long stretch of its playthrough time. Some 80-90% (and no i'm not exaggerating here) of the time in this expansion's first playthrough (the main one for the vast majority of people) is reduced to nothing more than WALKING and TALKING to NPCs. No this not just an "usual jrpg" or just the norm for the game (other expansions weren't like this), it's just the first sign of the under developed expansion that Endwalker ended up as.

    This in turn feeds into its horrendous pacing issues, the "game" spends huge amounts of time being uneventful and downright menial and boring and then bombards you with actual content for 1-2 hours before returning to 3-6 hours of vastly menial, mundane or inane content. All of this to say, that just like Shadowbringers, but worse, the overwhelming majority of the expansions drawn out story feels like padding/filler

    The big story points themselves in the second half of the game are filled with holes clearly introduced primarily to an ill thought through time travelling segment that was clearly made so the players could revisit a previous expansion's now dead favorite character.

    There is also just about zero tension as you know the game is incapable of inflicting true damage on its now crystallized main cast, it feels like a child's cartoon for the most part in both how impactful and how seriously you take anything happening in the story.

    Ultimately it'll probably be enjoyable for invested people like me, who has been playing since ARR's beta, but disappointing nonetheless. A 7/10 there if I had to rate it in isolation

    The actual gameplay in this expansion... is just about the same it has been since Stormsblood (the dumbed down version of Heavensward, essentially . The classes are vastly the same, some new spells but the core mechanics are the same or further dumbed down and with bandaid mechanics for the few mistakes you can even still make while playing the game. The lack of customization of both your class and gear specs remains, you're basically always linearly increasing your bland stats ... and that's it. The lack of homogeneity in tanks has been further solidified, yet again. The devs yet again ignored the overwhelming negative feedback on both scholar and DRK and kept the same (so much for the great caring dev team huh?).

    The endgame content, is yet again, basically the exact same with a new skin, the bosses and places' name, models and lore are different but it's still a few level cap dungeons, 4 raid bosses and a couple of trials, the exact same formula from 2014, they still don't have either more raid difficulties nor more bosses, despite earning several times more money from the game. The unwillingness to do anything but keep on the same stagnant cycle seems to be going nowhere.

    In essence for endgame PVE, you either like farming menial, brain numbing dungeons for no reason past the daily roulette, trials (after the first 10 times, they also are brain numbing) for the mounts (which you will get through very quickly) or the progression raid, which the vast majority of semi-dedicated groups will get through in less than a month. And that's it, no mythic+ small team challenging content, no challenging content outside of 4 raid bosses at all really, and you won't get more of it until 8-9 months from now. No meaningful side progression mechanics like you have in WoW in their faction talents or legendary gear. Just linear increases to bland stats like crit, skill speed,etc. That's all that awaits you in endgame

    The dev team successfully indoctrinated the player base into believing and thanking them for releasing less content under the guise of giving players a break , like players would ever be forced to do high difficulty content they don't like , which is the tragic cause of all of this

    PVP is doomed to fail until the day where they finally fix their netcode to eliminate or severely reduce the built in latency , which didn't happen in this expansion, and seems like it never will at this point.

    The only true improvement comes in the form of the best open world area design the game as ever seen. Despite being lackluster in explorability like always, it's a great improvement.

    The music and art style shine above all else as usual. The graphics engine shows it's age, as does the devs laziness with it, with the lack of proper antialiasing dirtying the game, specially in the open world where it creates noticeable and distracting shimmering in sensitive objects like tree leaves and stairs.

    A solid 6.7 overall for the expansion, play it if actually liked playing through the previous expansions or even just the trial. That's all there is, for better or worse.    … Expand
  28. DeWyntr
    Jun 26, 2023
    7
    An emotional end to the Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga, Endwalker marks the conclusion to a story ten years and more in the making. It wastes little time invoking the sentiment and meaning behind that within the story, the emotional beats all are hit, with the weight of time and it's passage behind every moment. The story of Endwalker itself is impressive for an MMO this old, one that I haveAn emotional end to the Hydaelyn and Zodiark saga, Endwalker marks the conclusion to a story ten years and more in the making. It wastes little time invoking the sentiment and meaning behind that within the story, the emotional beats all are hit, with the weight of time and it's passage behind every moment. The story of Endwalker itself is impressive for an MMO this old, one that I have loved since it's very beginnings despite the flaws I should add, but something about Endwalker just isn't right.

    While there is no doubt love, and quality in that affection when it came to development, it is plain to see that resources for the MMO are starting to thin. There is a lot of cut corners in Endwalker compared to most other expansions within the XIV, lacking features, entirely missing content, swathes of underdeveloped but highly teased landmasses and not to mention a somewhat lacking finale to a particular antagonist's story.

    I can't find myself blaming the game however, I think no amount of good writing would match the buildup of a decade's worth of storytelling, and now we're at the end of this particular thread I can't help but nitpick at the lesser details. All that was missed for features that weren't requested, all that is still left a mess despite so much time passing with which to fix it. I look toward the next expansion now, hoping that 7.0 will fix the glaring, aging issues that still permeat XIV. Endwalker was not the best of it's expansions, but it was a good one.    … Expand
  29. motanner
    Jul 13, 2023
    7
    Really good game!

    The story is amazing and most of the characters are very interesting. The new story arc with Zero is super annoying, though. They killed off pretty much all interesting antagonists and the new characters, including Zero, are really bad in comparison.
  30. Unoskd
    Sep 7, 2023
    7
    Endwalker has a very profound story about the meaning of life and is largely excellently written. We were even fortunate to learn more about Emet-Selch and the Ascians in general and that was really well executed.

    However, Endwalker is now the third expansion where I hoped we would finally, finally get some content about Zenos. And although the former prince offered some philosophical    Endwalker has a very profound story about the meaning of life and is largely excellently written. We were even fortunate to learn more about Emet-Selch and the Ascians in general and that was really well executed.

    However, Endwalker is now the third expansion where I hoped we would finally, finally get some content about Zenos. And although the former prince offered some philosophical remarks here and there, the context was once again entirely missing. We learned almost nothing about him.

    Only two things were teased: firstly, Fandaniel suggested that Emet may have performed some experiments on Zenos when he was still a child or perhaps even unborn and secondly, the fact that Zenos has been seeing the final days in his dreams since he was a child. While this is extremely interesting and provides ample room for speculation, perhaps even explaining his strength and body height, anyone hoping for an explanation will be bitterly disappointed once again. There was nothing further about the character.
    A significant letdown in my opinion and rather uncharacteristic for a game like FF14.

    Towards the end, you even have a dialogue with him where he seems to slowly recognize that he actually desires the life of the Warrior of Light and can't really stand his own life. And you think, okay, explanations will probably come in a redemption arc with the following patches... but again, nothing.

    Instead, the patches after the main story are rather... I don't know. Very mediocre, if not even bad. As others have already written, you don't really feel anything for the enemies that are presented to us after Endwalker. You're also not really given the opportunity to and Zero is too clichéd for my taste as a new character.

    For this expansion, I was really considering whether to give it a 7 or an 8... If I could I would give it a 7.5, because the majority of it was really good, the stuff after the main story however...    … Expand
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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.
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  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.
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