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. Lux7
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    11/10 game. A beautiful conclusion to decade old story. Everything is well crafter. Ahem! Although there is a few time travelled
  2. Cinnabee
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    You ever play a game and wish that you could experience it for the first time again because it was such an amazing experience filled with mind boggling twist and turns and wrapped up in a solid ending? This expansion held nothing back and explored some very deep topics that really made me appreciate how beautiful life is. I knew the moment they brought on the shb writer that we were in forYou ever play a game and wish that you could experience it for the first time again because it was such an amazing experience filled with mind boggling twist and turns and wrapped up in a solid ending? This expansion held nothing back and explored some very deep topics that really made me appreciate how beautiful life is. I knew the moment they brought on the shb writer that we were in for one hell of a ride.if I had to choose one game to replay again for the first time it would be Endwalker. It's so good it's making me go back and replay A Realm Reborn for the first time in 8 years. Also Soken KILLED it.… Expand
  3. Sweeper
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    They managed to bring a super epic end to their 10 year long story. The Story is simply amazing from start to end.
  4. PipPhysicsing
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    I have never truly cried from a game story ... before now. There are moments where I cried from horror, joy, even feelings I can't describe, the story is a masterpiece. They also took an already solid gameplay foundation and cranked it up to 11. All around this is the best game I have ever played. I can wholeheartedly endorse anyone at least trying FFXIV.
  5. rzkrwn
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    The pinnacle of Final Fantasy games.

    The story albeit a little convoluted but sucessfully finish on high note. The last part of the story felt depressing as we go deep into existential question of life and death. Dungeons are extremely satisfying, new element introduced, bosses are challenging at first but once you get good it felt easier. I am so excited for the next expansion, looking    The pinnacle of Final Fantasy games.

    The story albeit a little convoluted but sucessfully finish on high note. The last part of the story felt depressing as we go deep into existential question of life and death.

    Dungeons are extremely satisfying, new element introduced, bosses are challenging at first but once you get good it felt easier.

    I am so excited for the next expansion, looking forward to the story after Endwalker. Forge ahead, Warrior of Light!    … Expand
  6. Aervitel
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    This expansion has left me speechless and feeling empty (in a 'what now?' way.)
    Endwalker finished the arc in a beautiful way. It's the perfect resolution to this story. It's hard to even describe how I felt throughout this journey. I felt happiness, smiled like an idiot during moments of respite, cried, worried and felt despair.. and so much more, but I wish for others to experience    This expansion has left me speechless and feeling empty (in a 'what now?' way.)
    Endwalker finished the arc in a beautiful way. It's the perfect resolution to this story. It's hard to even describe how I felt throughout this journey. I felt happiness, smiled like an idiot during moments of respite, cried, worried and felt despair.. and so much more, but I wish for others to experience this. Joining the scions truly was one of the best decisions I've ever made.    … Expand
  7. Maneki
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    I have been playing this game for a couple of years now. Started around the start of Shadowbringers.
    When i went into the game i had low expectations as i was very new to the final fantasy genre.
    However, as i finished the base game "a realm reborn" and moved onto the first expansion "heavensward" i got instantly hooked in the story and narrative. When i then arrived to the second    I have been playing this game for a couple of years now. Started around the start of Shadowbringers.
    When i went into the game i had low expectations as i was very new to the final fantasy genre.

    However, as i finished the base game "a realm reborn" and moved onto the first expansion "heavensward" i got instantly hooked in the story and narrative. When i then arrived to the second expansion "stormblood" i just got further and further invested in the world.

    And when i reached Shadowbringers, which i thought was the studios "Magnum Opus", i was blown away by how amazing a story could be written.

    This game is perfect for me. The gameplay is fun, the story is one of the best i have experienced so far, and i have made friends for life. The music is legendary.

    Endwalker... was for me as a long time fan, and as a player who was gone through all the of story.. the perfect "ending" to the arc. The gameplay upgrades, the new abilities, the music, the new zones, the new enemies, the atmosphere, the story... Again.. The story and narrative... is godlike..

    I have never cried so hard to a game before, partially because of the story and game itself... but because of the way it made me care and invest myself.. Which is something i havent experienced before. I was so sad when i was to do the last quest.. that i sad and just... stared at it. I really didnt want to finish it.. knowingly that i was going to complete a year long journey..

    And even as i sit and cry as i write this.. The developers tell you through characters that is not the end. I have never had so much respect for a company before.

    It is perfect for me, simply perfect.

    There is a free trial of the game, for the base game and first expansion... basically months of content... completely free.

    I would always recommend doing that first. As i know that some people cant handle paying a subscription for a game, which is completely fine..

    But i would gladly pay my sub, for the rest of my life with a smile on my face. If it means that i will get as golden and perfect content like this expansion.    … Expand
  8. Tempeus
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    This is legit the best story i've ever experienced.
    I laughed
    I cried
    I was hyped

    Mad props to Soken for making one of the best soundtrack i've ever heard
  9. Fobo
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    All the expansions in the FFXIV series further improves themselves with RPG elements, exposition, and proper story telling and content. In Shadowbringers, most would assume that was the peak in story telling and for good reason. It was a great expansion.

    Endwalker somehow manages to perfect everything that Shadowbringer did good, with a very good finale and nearly everything is on point.
  10. Siplexus
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    People were wondering if they could Top Shadowbringers and Yoshi-P and the Team said "Of course we can" and they did
  11. Nookdk
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    Outside of the unfortunate queue times, when viewing the game outside of this the game is once again an easy 10. Some story elements felt somewhat rushed but not even that could blemish the game that FF14 has become.
  12. kylevs21
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    The story and scenery is just art! The last zone you experience is just beautiful, plain and simple. It still has all the great content people have come to love over the years as well but they still seem to improve upon what they create through adjusting to player feedback.
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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.
  17. 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
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. zclmayirkcafzsj
    Dec 19, 2021
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The story ties up many narrative threads developed over the years. However the penultimate villain/antagonist leaves much to be desired. The overall experience of the launch is also mired by login server stability issues.… Expand
  21. grot00
    Dec 11, 2021
    6
    A good end to a long and epic story. Sadly it has serious pacing issues, plot holes, ass pulled solutions, and underdeveloped plot points that end before they properly start. If they had more time, or maybe spent time on polishing these flaws instead of adding so much filler and stupid stealth/tailing mechanics it could have easily been a 9. Shadowbringers prepared the table for a fineA good end to a long and epic story. Sadly it has serious pacing issues, plot holes, ass pulled solutions, and underdeveloped plot points that end before they properly start. If they had more time, or maybe spent time on polishing these flaws instead of adding so much filler and stupid stealth/tailing mechanics it could have easily been a 9. Shadowbringers prepared the table for a fine dinner. Endwalker put a burger on it. A good burger mind you. But i expected much more. The only sadness and tears they managed to get from me is from how i feel they wasted and butchered the great story and characters Shadowbringers prepared.… Expand
  22. Severa
    Sep 8, 2022
    0
    Flanderized characters, no stakes in the story, toothless end of the world. This used to be one of my favorite game stories, but endwalker ruined it
  23. 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
  24. TsukasaHiiragi
    Mar 9, 2022
    5
    Pro's

    Great Story Amazing music scores Con's Forced dungeon and raid content for story progression Boring and needlessly tiresome arbitrary duty content Bosses often spam bullet hell style epilepsy inducing spam lines Terrible boss mechanics often having instant death attacks Very harsh for new players Excessive cut scenes after "every" quest completed Exceptionally toxic    Pro's

    Great Story
    Amazing music scores

    Con's

    Forced dungeon and raid content for story progression
    Boring and needlessly tiresome arbitrary duty content
    Bosses often spam bullet hell style epilepsy inducing spam lines
    Terrible boss mechanics often having instant death attacks
    Very harsh for new players
    Excessive cut scenes after "every" quest completed
    Exceptionally toxic community and fanbase
    Character progression and gearing is TERRIBLE
    Inventory management is horrible often requiring a $2 extra up charge for retainers

    This review is encompassing original ARR and all expansions, This is not a masterpiece, its hyper elevated by a hardcore rabid fanbase who think's SE can do no wrong because it's got the Final Fantasy name in the title, I'm sorry but for new players they need to be told the truth. This game has two sides to be told, one of new players and another for established players and I'll start with the former, for new players it is extremely harsh and unforgiving with barely any handholding, you are expected to join dungeons and raids with no option to skip, you MUST do them to progress the story and you are expected to know the strategies and mechanics otherwise you are most often one shotted, the instant death mechanics slowly get worse as you progress, early ARR mechanics are fairly forgiving but once you hit heavensward the mechanics on bosses ramp up significantly, often having cheesy or heavily scripted mechanics that almost always kill sprouts (new players) and often makes established players groan as it forces them to work much harder and/or write out a script of mechanic tips to help the new player merely survive in an often over the top, bullet hell style line of death spam. Later as you progress, FFXIV becomes merely sitting in a major city doing nothing waiting for a duty queue to pop.

    Another major issue is that your literal progression is directly tied to dungeons and raids, you are at the absolute mercy of other players signing up to do the content you NEED in order to literally progress, sometimes you could be waiting 20 minutes sitting around doing NOTHING, other times it could even be hours especially if its a trial that nobody is signed up for, and especially during off-peak times, this is a disastrous issue that SE ignores and tried to place a bandaid fix with Trust members in Shadowbringers which nobody uses because they suck and makes any dungeon run take 5 times longer than it should, no such luck for trials, eventually once the player population declines to a point that nobody does important story progression content, this game will shed players like a plague because you literally hit a brick wall without anyway shape or form to progress because, as I said before - you are 100% tied to progression via dungeon and raids.

    The content is so overly scripted it literally hurts, especially with bosses that for new players will die frequently until 'ding' they learn the mechanics and suddenly becomes a cakewalk, for higher difficulties like Extreme and Savage, HP becomes practically USELESS for most of the higher end raids because almost every attack one shots and the bosses literally become a game of memorizing where to stand, where to move next and the entire encounters become more of a highly scripted dance, SE overly gimmicks everything and the game suffers for it.

    Another issue is some solo duty content is so dang boring with the content so padded out to consume time by having some bosses have proverbially millions of hit points and have absolutely no skill required, you pretty much spam skills over and over, dodge the bullet hell enemy attack lines and pray you don't mistime a movement and get one-shotted forcing you to start from scratch and repeat mindlessly tiresome and arbitrary content.

    The story is amazing if dragged out to such excessive lengths it becomes a chore sometimes, especially when entering patch content where you are forced to spend days completing unrewarding content just to hit the start of a new expansion and start progressing forward again. Items and character progression is AWFUL, after you finish ARR and head into patch content you'll get a few quests which will immediately raise your IL (Item level) to 'help' new players who didn't raid on previous expansions be viable characters heading into new content, the rewards literally are some of the best for that expansion often making any other rewards kinder redundant and this practice continues with each expansion and post patch content.

    Clearly 5000 characters are not nearly enough to explain all the failures this game has which the community and other reviews completely ignore, this game is literally a love/hate relationship for people who play, YES! you can find some very memorable and inspiring moments here, but it can also be brutal and extremely frustrating, if you are thinking about joining - proceed with caution.    … Expand
  25. 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.
  26. ameermohamedtt
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    They did it. They made an expansion as good or even better than Shadowbringers.
  27. 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.
  28. 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.
  29. 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.
  30. 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
  31. ersonic
    Jul 6, 2023
    0
    De los peores MMO que he probado en mi vida
    Durante las primeras 40 horas te dan unas 800 misiones de las cuales 790 son coger un objeto del suelo, al intentar cogerlo aparece un bicho de la nada lo matas y caminas como 20 minutos a la siguiente misión. Así durante 40 horas con una historia mala a rabiar. 0/10
  32. 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
  33. Vorthrian
    Dec 22, 2021
    1
    If you're looking for a PvP scene in an MMORPG. Final Fantasy is not for you.
    If you like drawn out cut scenes and want to play an RPGMMO not an MMORPG, then this game is for you.
  34. Wolveyes
    Jan 3, 2023
    0
    This game is the biggest waste of time and treats its players as if they have zero intelligence. The battle system is horrible and boring. Everyone says the game gets better at endgame but that’s after literally hundreds to a thousand hours. Not worth it Final Fantasy is irrelevant in 2023
  35. Darxevn
    Dec 11, 2021
    6
    Great job gameplay, good zones, but rough around the edges with regular quality issues, and that is ignoring the server issues. The story is full of plot holes, jarring transitions, lack of character development, and just bad, tired ideas. Worst story of any expansion. I wouldn't characterize any of the other expansions this way. I see a lot of problems that are unique to endwalker. TheyGreat job gameplay, good zones, but rough around the edges with regular quality issues, and that is ignoring the server issues. The story is full of plot holes, jarring transitions, lack of character development, and just bad, tired ideas. Worst story of any expansion. I wouldn't characterize any of the other expansions this way. I see a lot of problems that are unique to endwalker. They try to paper over the nonsense with fan service, which works sometimes, but sometimes it's obvious that their own fanservice is creating some of the problems in the story telling. Lots of things don't make any sense. You can see the effects of covid on the development because the whole expansion feels like a fan movie created without a director. It feels like people working on their pet projects and just mashed them all into a product at the end without enough oversite to make sure everything goes well together. It's especially pathetic because it's the completion of a very long story and they clearly had a good storyboard concept for the expansion. But in the execution it's just feels like a bunch of bad decisions being made in work silos where there isn't enough supervision. Most will appreciate the fanservice in the story but don't look any deeper because it isn't pretty. I would've quit this game twice because of it's terrible story if it wasn't my MMO of choice, but there is still a lot of good content here if you ignore the story and other issues.… Expand
  36. 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
  37. MTong
    Dec 18, 2021
    2
    Average 3 hours to connect, only to get a bug (lose controller, lose sound) or a disconnect and start again from the bottom of the queue.
    Lack of endgame content : no raid, no expert craft, no tribe reputations.
    To be fair the story is good and some of the new dungeons are beautiful (especially the 3rd one), I would rate a 7 or 8 without the login issues, but so far it is just    Average 3 hours to connect, only to get a bug (lose controller, lose sound) or a disconnect and start again from the bottom of the queue.
    Lack of endgame content : no raid, no expert craft, no tribe reputations.
    To be fair the story is good and some of the new dungeons are beautiful (especially the 3rd one), I would rate a 7 or 8 without the login issues, but so far it is just disappointing and not enough content to be worth waking at 5 to skip the queue.    … Expand
  38. sentimentalBOI
    May 10, 2022
    0
    Square Enix has constantly engaged in anti-consumer policies for a while in this game. Their anti 3rd party program policy has become worse and worse while they get much greedier ever before selling tons of in-game items in the cash shop. It's not recommended to play the game right now.
  39. lamisho
    May 27, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the worst games ever released by square enix

    - ps2 level graphics (no offense to the ps2) with a dreary depressing color palette on the zones AND on armor. I expect a modern game to have fresh new quest armor that pops with color and fills you with excitement when you get it, but what you actually get is old re-used dull depressing armor that also has low res textures. MGS3 has more color than this awful expansion.

    - In terms of story everything before the zodiark fight is filler and everything after is also filler. The garlemald storyline feels like it was written by an edgy teenager. Even their patch announcement videos need to be 6 hours long and padded out for some reason.
    Oh and remember the overdramatic sendoff when you left the first implying that you wont go back there again? nah you just casually strut back there again like whatever.

    - If you just want to do the dungeons, y'know like just PLAY the GAME you have to waste 3+ hours of pure cutscene skipping just to get to the next dungeon. that would be doable if the game didn't look so dull and depressing.

    - this expansion has a mobile game marketing style where they excessively overhype the game and they aggressively try to sell you the game, which is a massive red flag.    … Expand
  40. 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
  41. 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.
  42. Ktota
    Dec 17, 2021
    2
    The game itself is 10 out of 10, but there is lots of problems when they launch a new expansion. Lots of queue, disconects, price too high and they charge you using all they can, buy the game, buy expansions, buy cosmetics, buy monthly subscription and here in Brazil we get ping 200+. I do not understand why they do not use scalable servers, like Amazon WS, it would be better for every one.
  43. jroseka
    Dec 21, 2021
    0
    Great story, fun gameplay, wonderful music. And none of it matters because login servers are **** They fully knew it was going to be like this and have done nothing of substance to alleviate it.
  44. Breat44
    Dec 18, 2021
    1
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Passage obligatory to continue the adventure of FINAL FANTASY XIV but for me this DLC is the worst since the release of the game, not worse than the 1.0 but the worst DLC.
    - Very few new skills and for the few that there are they are not great
    - The story, strong point of FINAL FANTASY is boring to perfection before the 5th new map
    - The speed of the mounts on the new maps can be increased but ONLY on the ground and therefore we end up going faster by galloping than by flying
    - Healers heal so little and tanks are so cardboard that 2 poor monster packs in dungeon and you have to be ready to smack invulnerability at any time

    In short, this DLC was a total failure for me and I am clearly specifying for me.    … Expand
  45. Talisa
    Dec 14, 2021
    3
    A step forward in story telling but a step backwards with everything else. Square Enix has continued to play it too safe in terms of content, never changing up the formula which is starting to get dull. Add that onto the awful stability of servers and terrible queues despite them being warned for years and you have a very lack-luster expansion launch fueled only by the fanboys that thinkA step forward in story telling but a step backwards with everything else. Square Enix has continued to play it too safe in terms of content, never changing up the formula which is starting to get dull. Add that onto the awful stability of servers and terrible queues despite them being warned for years and you have a very lack-luster expansion launch fueled only by the fanboys that think SE can do no wrong.… Expand
  46. SeaofDreams
    Dec 11, 2021
    2
    Takes 4 hours minimum to get past the queue only to do boring nonsense. There are hours and hours of cutscenes between levels 80-83 where nothing important happens. I was struggling to pay attention and not skip them. When characters start talking about "the power of friendship", you know you can pretty safely discount the writing. I have played every expansion up to this point. The launchTakes 4 hours minimum to get past the queue only to do boring nonsense. There are hours and hours of cutscenes between levels 80-83 where nothing important happens. I was struggling to pay attention and not skip them. When characters start talking about "the power of friendship", you know you can pretty safely discount the writing. I have played every expansion up to this point. The launch and writing have been bad before, but never this terrible. This expansion has made me embarassed to be a fan.… Expand
  47. woctaog
    Dec 12, 2021
    1
    Almost impossible to play, queue times can be as long as 3-4 hours just to get into the game during "peak hours" which SE defines as 12pm-12am. I can log in at 6am but that is not when I want to play video games. No idea how the user score for this game can be so high when it is so hard to play. SquareEnix had Endwalker pre-order data and 10 years of FF14 experience to figure out howAlmost impossible to play, queue times can be as long as 3-4 hours just to get into the game during "peak hours" which SE defines as 12pm-12am. I can log in at 6am but that is not when I want to play video games. No idea how the user score for this game can be so high when it is so hard to play. SquareEnix had Endwalker pre-order data and 10 years of FF14 experience to figure out how much server capacity they would need and they didn't come close.… Expand
  48. Omance
    Dec 12, 2021
    0
    FFXIV Endwalker should be renamed FFXIV queue Walker. Error code 2002 is the ultimate boss fight in this game, and good luck beating that unless you have something set up to keep you afk all day in game. Don't even bother paying a sub or wasting your money on this game. You will be stuck in 6 hour long queues and when you get near the front, you will get 2002 and go to the back of theFFXIV Endwalker should be renamed FFXIV queue Walker. Error code 2002 is the ultimate boss fight in this game, and good luck beating that unless you have something set up to keep you afk all day in game. Don't even bother paying a sub or wasting your money on this game. You will be stuck in 6 hour long queues and when you get near the front, you will get 2002 and go to the back of the queue line. So unless you like wasting time looking at login screen, stay away for at least 6 months… Expand
  49. Abaelardus
    Dec 29, 2021
    0
    Atm addon is unplayable. The best queue simulator. With monthly sub!!! Well done, Square Enix! The addon is simply unplayable due to the 3-8 hour queues (sorry, but I only have 1 hour to play in the evening). Best way to waste money... 3 weeks from start and addon still unplayable. And all compensation we got - 7 free days of sub.
  50. 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
  51. Seyta
    Jan 30, 2022
    0
    A bad expansion.
    Don't get me wrong, FF XIV is great, one of the best mmorpg ever, I play it since ARR (2013). But this expansion just sucks, there is nothing new at all compared to previous expansions. Square enix doesn't dare to inovate, they don't take any risks, it's always the same thing, the same schema.
    I understand some people like the stability. It’s the opposite extreme with    A bad expansion.
    Don't get me wrong, FF XIV is great, one of the best mmorpg ever, I play it since ARR (2013). But this expansion just sucks, there is nothing new at all compared to previous expansions. Square enix doesn't dare to inovate, they don't take any risks, it's always the same thing, the same schema.

    I understand some people like the stability. It’s the opposite extreme with retail WoW where Blizz tries to reinvent the wheel every patch but still.    … Expand
  52. Dragonknight12
    Dec 15, 2021
    1
    servers are very bad.
    Pre-order to play early.
    Pre-order bonus to get me to buy early is dumb is hell.
    voice acting is bad just like the last expansion.
  53. Poyaya
    Dec 16, 2021
    0
    Nothing new compared to previous expansions, the msq is not even all dubbed. All the queues preventing to play the game
  54. yasino21
    Feb 27, 2022
    3
    Is it fun? Yes. Is it in a playable state? Kinda. Should you wait until the patch that fixes the stuttering and FPS issues bugs and glitches ..

    So far Good but need improvements and better optimization.
  55. wouldnteven
    Dec 11, 2021
    1
    maybe game is not bad, but i cannot log, since i have a job so cannot start playing at 5 am. :( after work i can only see queues of 7000+ people and this 2002 error... and it is already one week passed and SE said they cannot do anything to the servers. In this case i give up. I cannot say the game you have to wait 5 hours just to login is good.
  56. 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
  57. 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
  58. loliance
    Dec 11, 2021
    0
    Awful queue issues on release, and are still issues as I type.
    2002 Error making it nearly impossible to login due to the game without any warning kicking you out from the queue, the queue is meant to keep your place, but it doesn't even if you try to log straight back in.
    Square Enix blaming it due to lack of server hardware available for purchase due to chip supply issues, however    Awful queue issues on release, and are still issues as I type.
    2002 Error making it nearly impossible to login due to the game without any warning kicking you out from the queue, the queue is meant to keep your place, but it doesn't even if you try to log straight back in.

    Square Enix blaming it due to lack of server hardware available for purchase due to chip supply issues, however this has little to do with the login servers, I do not mind waiting for hours in a queue to login but I do mind if the queue randomly removes me and makes me wait again. On the first weekend of release I tried to login for 8 hours without being able to get in.

    If you play early AM you can login and experience the game, unfortunately that is not possible for everyone. A bit disappointed with my main class being changed (summoner) and it doesn't flow very well and end up with 10s+ periods of using a filler spell while waiting for cooldowns.. lost the vast majority of my skills and had much less to replace it with.

    I will update this review as Endwalker progresses and look forward to Square Enix improving the servers or at least the queueing system.    … Expand
  59. KingGohan
    Dec 9, 2021
    5
    The new jobs are fantastic.

    The story has major pacing issues and from a story perspective does not land very well. As a 1.0 player this is probably from a story standpoint the most disappointing expansion of the lot. And it hurts to say because I love FFXIV but sorry this story just...isn't good.
  60. Madoyon
    Dec 11, 2021
    0
    Good luck to anyone logging in on a weekend 8 days past the Endwalker early access launch This is simply impossible unless you queue up early in the morning or late at night. I myself entered the queue at 12 pm GMT to be kicked with error 2002 four hours later and forced to start all over again with 6700+ people ahead when there were only around 140 left. Four. Straight. Hours. Went to aGood luck to anyone logging in on a weekend 8 days past the Endwalker early access launch This is simply impossible unless you queue up early in the morning or late at night. I myself entered the queue at 12 pm GMT to be kicked with error 2002 four hours later and forced to start all over again with 6700+ people ahead when there were only around 140 left. Four. Straight. Hours. Went to a dumpster. And I haven't even finished Stormblood yet. I don't care about Endwalker for now. I have almost two full expansions to complete before it. Yet there are people who just stand afk for days in Limsa taking that server capacity by using clicker software preventing you from being kicked for inactivity.

    As it comes to Square Enix:

    I find blaming the launch issues on semiconductor shortage and COVID a convenient excuse and insulting at best.
    This exp has been planned since well before the world fell apart. Once hardware started becoming a problem, SE had more than enough time to acquire it and get it up and running before this launch. Yes, there may be queues to buy the hardware now and you have to make orders in advance, but the player spike and queues were there 6 months ago in a huge gap between new content updates when servers are supposed to be half empty. What did they expect?

    They are using it as an excuse and nothing more. My guess is that there was a financial decision made not to add servers due to cost despite the fact that Endwalker sales were successful. Which yes, may be due to current world issues. And this is fine. I accept the reality of that business decision. What I struggle to accept is twisting it into this "oh poor us, we can't find hardware"

    The auto industry is suffering because of the sheer volume of chips they need. SE only required a fraction of that to add servers.

    There's nothing that can be done about it. It is what it is and I accept that. It just really upsets me that we are being fed, what I believe, to be a false narrative as an explanation.    … Expand
  61. GingerCat77
    Dec 11, 2021
    0
    It's a sad joke, European players can only create a new character late at night or very early in the morning after that queue is huge and every time after a while in the game an unexpected error pops up and you go back to the queue. Any other game developer would be pelted with s... for something like this, but this game is so overrated and full of funboys that nobody cares about it.It's a sad joke, European players can only create a new character late at night or very early in the morning after that queue is huge and every time after a while in the game an unexpected error pops up and you go back to the queue. Any other game developer would be pelted with s... for something like this, but this game is so overrated and full of funboys that nobody cares about it. Everyone explains only that this is normal after the premiere of a new expansion. No, it's not normal, not after paying the monthly fee and bought the expansion. The New World is in better shape than this s...… Expand
  62. ItDoGoDown
    Dec 13, 2021
    0
    The queue times are horrendous. You cant even play the game. Whenever you eventually get to play the game its alright.
  63. DerPinguin
    Dec 18, 2021
    0
    Unter anderem dieses DLC ist schuld daran, dass tausende Spieler nicht mehr spielen können. Statt ein neues DLC auf den Markt zu werfen, hätte man sich zuvor vielleicht eher den bis dato ohnehin steigenden Spielerzahlen widmen sollen.
  64. 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
  65. aerolizard
    Dec 11, 2021
    0
    can't play the game. queue for hours, crash during queue, crash in game and have to queue for hours again. would it be any other game/dev it would be drowning in sh#t right now but for the GCBTW everything is allright. that's not acceptable especially in a game where you have to buy the xpac+monthly fee+cash shop. they gave 7 days and that's a joke since i was able to play only 3 timescan't play the game. queue for hours, crash during queue, crash in game and have to queue for hours again. would it be any other game/dev it would be drowning in sh#t right now but for the GCBTW everything is allright. that's not acceptable especially in a game where you have to buy the xpac+monthly fee+cash shop. they gave 7 days and that's a joke since i was able to play only 3 times since the preorder launch 9 days ago. pacing of the story is slow as hell and it's basically an ishgard+tempest 2.0. music and zones uninspiring, great idea with all the escort and hiding quests to make things even slower.… Expand
  66. HunterSeeker
    Dec 10, 2021
    6
    A very epic ending to a long standing series. Some of job classes feel very similar to each other, but there's a good many of jobs to choose from. Expansion introduces some good concepts and some equally bad quest concepts. If you've played previous expansions, you'll know what type of content to expect. Unfortunately, their online infrastructure really sucks. You have really long waitA very epic ending to a long standing series. Some of job classes feel very similar to each other, but there's a good many of jobs to choose from. Expansion introduces some good concepts and some equally bad quest concepts. If you've played previous expansions, you'll know what type of content to expect. Unfortunately, their online infrastructure really sucks. You have really long wait queues and many errors that kick you out for no reason causing you wait 3 hours just to sign in again. It would be very enjoyable if the game were playable. I have to constantly look for work arounds just to play this game and it's frustrating when the game doesn't work.… Expand
  67. AbeAbul
    Dec 11, 2021
    0
    Not worth your money, login only possible late at night, game crushes once for every hour.
  68. Slempi
    Jun 27, 2022
    0
    Lame gameplay and derivative. World of warcraft with final fantasy mythos. Waste as an entry in the mainly series.
  69. iguesimvoting
    May 15, 2022
    0
    If it wasn't infested by bots that hinder progression at level 70 zones I'm sure I could enjoy this a lot more. Developers refuse to fix bot problems in Eureka zones.
  70. krims
    Dec 19, 2022
    0
    Extremely bad launch with a rabid fanbase that will swallow anything
    Netcode is subpar by 2010 standards, let alone 2022, lack of antialiasing and just in general the jankiness of this game is abhorrent
  71. Mercyow
    Mar 6, 2022
    0
    most reviews that you will see here are from people who will go and eat any kind of dog poo that square enix throws at them . the expansion is pretty bland and as compared to shadowbringers it is of very low quality . it is still better then wow shadowlands but if you gauge it according to ffxiv own metrics its a big disappointment.
  72. Tridus
    Dec 8, 2021
    0
    The reality is that the little I've seen of it is pretty good. When they get the server issues sorted out it'll probably be great. But right now I spend hours in the queue, get kicked out, sent to the back, and despite starting two hours before I wanted to play lose entire nights to the queue.

    The infrastructure can't handle the load right now. Until it can, it's impossible to recommend    The reality is that the little I've seen of it is pretty good. When they get the server issues sorted out it'll probably be great. But right now I spend hours in the queue, get kicked out, sent to the back, and despite starting two hours before I wanted to play lose entire nights to the queue.

    The infrastructure can't handle the load right now. Until it can, it's impossible to recommend the game unless you play in the morning.    … Expand
  73. Kirle
    Dec 9, 2021
    0
    If only i had not to wait HOURS to get in, just to get kicked for some error ten minutes later.. maybe i could say something good about the game
  74. vaivai
    Dec 9, 2021
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The mini-games in the main quest are too boring. I don't think it's necessary to include that kind of stealth game. I can only think that Mr. Yoshida's decision-making ability has deteriorated.… Expand
  75. Rognar
    Dec 13, 2021
    0
    The game cannot be played without waiting 4+ hour with chance of random disconnect during that time and you need start the queue all over again. So unless you have all day of free time AND willing to waste hours waiting, do not even consider this game.
  76. 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.
  77. bandgeek_44
    Dec 14, 2021
    10
    Endwalker is phenomenal and provides great closure to possibly the best story in any entertainment media in decades.
  78. 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.
  79. Nurya
    Jan 30, 2022
    10
    Literal masterpiece, alongside Shadowbringers this has been my best and most amazing experience in gaming ever
  80. RedRubber
    Aug 2, 2022
    2
    Disappointing and inaccessible to new players. Especially those who want to play with their friends who are already established. The most important of a multiplayer game like this is the ability the explore the world and play with other players. You will be very limited for a long time in this game. To get unlimited access to do that requires first completing a mandatory main story questDisappointing and inaccessible to new players. Especially those who want to play with their friends who are already established. The most important of a multiplayer game like this is the ability the explore the world and play with other players. You will be very limited for a long time in this game. To get unlimited access to do that requires first completing a mandatory main story quest that includes nearly 1,000 individual quests. Not recommended. This is the pits.… Expand
  81. Blackdog22
    Jul 14, 2023
    5
    The games changed a lot. If you look at the reviews everyone is talking about one thing when praising it. Story and single player accessibility. That's fine, is this weren't an MMO. When I play an MMO I dont want 500 hours of cutscenes and dialogue. I dont want to watch 3 hours of cutscenes to then do 10 minutes of combat thats so easy I dont even need to play my class.

    So lets get into    The games changed a lot. If you look at the reviews everyone is talking about one thing when praising it. Story and single player accessibility. That's fine, is this weren't an MMO. When I play an MMO I dont want 500 hours of cutscenes and dialogue. I dont want to watch 3 hours of cutscenes to then do 10 minutes of combat thats so easy I dont even need to play my class.

    So lets get into the actual gameplay, not the story, or how much of an anti MMO it is, but the actual game shall we?

    Classes mostly homogenized. They were actually fun in Reborn and Heavensword, but soon after they watered them all down and homogenized them. It feels like you are playing reskins of the other Tanks as a Tank with light flavor. Its terrible if you like unique design with player fantasy. Its too bad the one tank concept that is mirrored upon all Tanks is quite bland. In fact, they are all literally the same until you get to level 80+. Terrible, terrible pacing.

    Dungeons - Dungeons once upon a time felt like mini raids. They had hard modes, unique gear, one shot concepts, moving things in the world around to complete puzzles. You needed to chat and talk to each other, it was great. Now? They are made for zone to zone pulls. You walk in press a defensive and spam your AoE while everyone does the same. Great for efficiency or if you hate the group aspect of MMOs, but for people that actually enjoy learning with other people and not doing the same "collect and AoE" concepts, its really quite boring.

    Unfortunately for this game it seems to be full of people and catered to people who hate MMOs. Same as WoW has become. The genre is just kind of dead.

    In the end. If you hate MMOs and love single player MMOs this is the one for you! If you love generic design and braindead dungeon concepts buy this! If you like watching 3 hours of cutscenes to 10 minutes of gameplay BOY OH BOY are you in luck! If you hate playing games in general this games great. If you hate MMOs you will love it!

    bahh, what a sad genre this has become. Complete waste of its potential because MMOs became flooded with people who hate MMOs. Doesnt even make any sense.    … Expand
  82. 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.
  83. TemiT
    Sep 12, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I took a long break from this game and recently created a new character to play through everything again. Like others, I believe FFXIV is currently the best MMORPG, but it's worth noting that the competition is exceptionally poor. Being the best doesn't automatically mean deserving a perfect 10/10 score, as many have given here. That's far too exaggerated. Yes, FFXIV is very good, but it's far from perfect.

    One of the things that bothers me most about the story is that the WoL (Warrior of Light), the character you play, is largely a mindless person, who slaughters his/her way through the world. Sure, some enemies are spared or escape, but it's incredibly annoying to accept every quest without comment and eliminate every foe without asking questions.
    I might be spoiled by the decision-making freedom in Baldur's Gate 3, but the WoL often behaves naively and stupidly. If I had even a fraction of the freedom available in Baldur's Gate 3, I would have done so many things differently...

    The problem is, that I often don't feel like the hero that our character is supposed to represent in. Sometimes even the complete opposite.
    Zenos is a character that keeps popping up in reviews, so I'll use him as an example.
    For a long time, he was our enemy, but the moment he no longer has anyone telling him what to do, first his father, then Fandaniel, he literally doesn't know what to do with himself anymore. So, we're in the middle of an apocalypse in Endwalker that threatens to wipe out all life, and Zenos, who is as strong as the WoL, tells us he's willing to wait for us to save the world and we just let him go. How stupid is that? Why not ask him to help us at that point? Especially since he never had a true friend before and is constantly telling us, that in his mind we are friends. Why not show him what true friendship means?

    This also goes against what one would expect in a good anime/FFXIV, extending a hand to your enemy and winning them over to the good side.
    Zenos literally travels to the end of the universe to help us against a world destroying foe. And when he offers his help, there are exactly two responses for the WoL, both of which are completely inappropriate. One is "I don't want your help," and the other is something like "I don't care about you and won't save you, if you're in danger."
    How egocentric do you have to be to decline help in such a situation?

    Anyway, it doesn't matter what you choose in the game, as the outcome is always the same. Zenos helps us anyway, we defeat the world destroying foe together, he askes us for a rematch, but is willing to let us go, if we don't want to and what do we do? We kill him, which I wouldn't have done if I had a choice. The fight was cool, but I would never have wanted to kill him. A rematch, sure, but straight up killing him? Like... wtf. This would have been the time to show him that there's more to life than just fighting.

    This is just one of many examples that really bother me about the story. I only chose it because Zenos is so prominent in the reviews. I can also understand why. So much more could have been done with his story.

    So yes, FFXIV still has a very good and deep story, but as for the WoL as a key figure, I would wish for many things to be different. I know it's hard to implement such things in an MMO, but more freedom is definitely possible and should be urgently implemented in Dawntrail.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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.
    Read full review
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