Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward

 PC
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 1083 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 989 out of 1083
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 1083
  3. Negative: 69 out of 1083
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  1. Unoskd
    Sep 7, 2023
    8
    The quality of the story took a massive leap forward from ARR to Heavensward.
    A leading factor for this, of course, is the character Haurchefant and his fate, which likely affected many players.
    However, I must say that although it was a very impactful experience, it felt incredibly unnecessary to me. It would have been so easy as a player to intervene and prevent it, but instead, you    The quality of the story took a massive leap forward from ARR to Heavensward.
    A leading factor for this, of course, is the character Haurchefant and his fate, which likely affected many players.
    However, I must say that although it was a very impactful experience, it felt incredibly unnecessary to me. It would have been so easy as a player to intervene and prevent it, but instead, you just stand there and just watch it unfold.
    I imagine that as a tank or healer, you'd feel particularly foolish in that scene. So, it's quite frustrating in a way, but FF14 is obviously not Baldur's Gate 3, where you can act freely. Accordingly, you have no choice when the developers decide that you have to behave questionably in certain moments.

    Nonetheless, a really good expansion. 8/10 points.    … Expand
  2. Light_Ain
    Jul 25, 2023
    10
    The story went up a ton in the first expansion, really is just so good and big improvement from the slow start of the first part of the game.
  3. Keyxlime
    Jun 27, 2023
    10
    El equipo se lucio con esta primera expansion. Facilmente podria ser un juego individual de Final Fantasy. La historia, el soundtrack y la manera en la que trabajaron las cinematicas es de 100. Y el contenido Post-game solo se pone mejor. Cierta questline del Post-HW tiene una historia y tematica digna de Volver al Futuro
  4. Anthonyi
    Apr 7, 2023
    10
    Heavensward is a stunning expansion to an already incredible game. From start to finish, the expansion immerses you in a world of magic, wonder, and intrigue that will leave you spellbound.

    The expansion features an engaging storyline that builds upon the events of A Realm Reborn. From the mysterious Ascians to the political machinations of the Ishgardian nobility, there's always    Heavensward is a stunning expansion to an already incredible game. From start to finish, the expansion immerses you in a world of magic, wonder, and intrigue that will leave you spellbound.

    The expansion features an engaging storyline that builds upon the events of A Realm Reborn. From the mysterious Ascians to the political machinations of the Ishgardian nobility, there's always something new and exciting happening in the world of Eorzea. And Heavensward has Haurchefant. He alone is worth a 10/10.
    The addition of new dungeons, and raids also adds a new level of depth to the gameplay, providing even more ways to explore and conquer the game's many challenges.

    Of course, it wouldn't be a Final Fantasy game without a memorable cast of characters, and Heavensward delivers in spades. From the enigmatic dragon Nidhogg to the valiant Ishgardian knights, the game's NPCs are richly drawn and full of personality, making it easy to get invested in their struggles and triumphs.

    Heavensward is an outstanding expansion that takes an already good game to new heights. With its engaging storyline, and memorable characters, it's a must-play for fans of the franchise and MMORPGs in general.    … Expand
  5. Imopsie
    Apr 7, 2023
    10
    Heavensward had a breathtaking story, and I really wish I could play it again completely from scratch just to experience the story again.
    The characters in this expansion, especially Haurchefant, of course, were simply amazing, and the story has both heartwarming moments and ones that tear your heart apart because they are so sad. Overall, it's just a great expansion.
  6. Zinr
    Apr 2, 2023
    9
    One of the expansion's greatest strengths is its characters. Aymeric, Alphinaud, Estinien, and Haurchefant are just a few of the incredible personalities that players will encounter along the way. In particular, Haurchefant is a truly wonderful character, one whose kindness and selflessness will touch the hearts of even the most jaded players. His story arc is one of the most emotional andOne of the expansion's greatest strengths is its characters. Aymeric, Alphinaud, Estinien, and Haurchefant are just a few of the incredible personalities that players will encounter along the way. In particular, Haurchefant is a truly wonderful character, one whose kindness and selflessness will touch the hearts of even the most jaded players. His story arc is one of the most emotional and memorable I have ever seen in a game. I simply love that guy.

    Heavensward is an incredible expansion that builds on the strengths of the base game while adding new layers of depth and complexity. With its engaging characters and emotional story Heavensward is a must-play.    … Expand
  7. Roka
    Apr 1, 2023
    10
    Oh, Heavensward, how do I love thee? This expansion is a masterpiece that will take you on an emotional journey unlike any other. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be left in awe of the incredible storytelling.

    The story follows the Wol as they journey into the uncharted lands of Ishgard, where they'll face new challenges and meet new friends (and enemies). But it's the emotional    Oh, Heavensward, how do I love thee? This expansion is a masterpiece that will take you on an emotional journey unlike any other. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and you'll be left in awe of the incredible storytelling.

    The story follows the Wol as they journey into the uncharted lands of Ishgard, where they'll face new challenges and meet new friends (and enemies). But it's the emotional journey that really sets Heavensward apart.

    And let's talk about the characters, shall we? Haurchefant is one of the greatest characters you'll ever come across in a video game. He's charming, loyal, and just a tad bit naive. You'll fall in love with him from the moment you meet him, and his fate will leave you heartbroken. But that's the beauty of Heavensward - it's not afraid to take you on an emotional rollercoaster.

    The gameplay is as fantastic as ever. The music is also top-notch, with some of the best tracks in the entire Final Fantasy series.

    Overall, Heavensward is a must-play for any Final Fantasy fan or MMO enthusiast. It's a beautifully crafted expansion that will take you on an unforgettable journey.    … Expand
  8. KinimodYunmi
    Mar 3, 2023
    6
    Das zieht sich ganz schön und es gibt viele unnötige Gespräche, mich wundert´s, dass sie nicht jeden zweiten Satz sagen, dass sie noch eben atmen müssen.

    Es wird aber tatsächlich immer etwas besser, wenn auch nur langsam, allerdings war das Gebiet ganz am Anfang am schönsten. Ansonsten sind Drachen auch einfach immer eine gute Wahl. Was mich aber entorm ankotzt sind die Solo    Das zieht sich ganz schön und es gibt viele unnötige Gespräche, mich wundert´s, dass sie nicht jeden zweiten Satz sagen, dass sie noch eben atmen müssen.

    Es wird aber tatsächlich immer etwas besser, wenn auch nur langsam, allerdings war das Gebiet ganz am Anfang am schönsten. Ansonsten sind Drachen auch einfach immer eine gute Wahl.

    Was mich aber entorm ankotzt sind die Solo Instanzen, die sind viel schwerer als alles andere und man darf sie nicht mit seinen Freunden zusammen spielen, das ständige Auflösen der Gruppe ist total bescheuert!
    Man muss auch erst einmal sterben, damit man auf leicht oder sehr leicht switchen kann, wenn man es gar nicht erst auf normal versuchen möchte. Man kann sich zwar auch einmal sterben lassen, oft schaffen die erst paar Gegner das aber nicht und man reizt es hier komplett aus, dass Spieler so viel Zeit wie möglich wasten!    … Expand
  9. NN010
    Jan 29, 2023
    9
    Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward is a solid expansion & a huge step up over A Realm Reborn in terms of story, but it does still have some pacing issues and you can still see some growing pains in some respects.
  10. LastResource
    Jan 14, 2023
    10
    worth it and glad to play this game again. so much memories and nostalgia within this fourteenth game in the series. this expansion is breathtaking!
  11. MazrimTaim14
    Jul 31, 2022
    9
    this is were the game comes to its own. first time in 14 that i felt really playing a JRPG with the PC traveling with a band of companions

    story is great. and the game is starting to have the awesome moments

    judging the score based on ALL the content. main game and patches.

    end of 3.0 and 3.3 are there in the top moments for me.
  12. candidKlutz
    Apr 30, 2022
    10
    HW is the critically acclaimed expansion for a reason. By god am I glad that it was included in the free trial. As much as I did actually enjoy ARR, i might not have continued if it weren't for how insanely good HW is. The story of this expansion starts off strong on the heels of the post ARR content, and it only gets better and better.
  13. MoofiaBossVal
    Dec 26, 2021
    7
    The story is pretty meh. Unsatisfying conclusion to the Ul'dah plotline from ARR. The trailers for Heavensward promise an epic war against dragons, but it never really happens ingame. I wasn't really into the aesthetics of grey castles and knights in grey armor and grey dragons.

    However, Heavensward brings with it quite a lot of content, much more compared to later expansions, so I view    The story is pretty meh. Unsatisfying conclusion to the Ul'dah plotline from ARR. The trailers for Heavensward promise an epic war against dragons, but it never really happens ingame. I wasn't really into the aesthetics of grey castles and knights in grey armor and grey dragons.

    However, Heavensward brings with it quite a lot of content, much more compared to later expansions, so I view it more favorably.    … Expand
  14. Wweald
    Dec 15, 2021
    9
    ARR was already quite good, but Heavensward was a big step up. The characters and the story were much more compelling. And the story of Heavensward didn't feel like it dragged on like ARRs did. I think the areas in Heavensward arent as good as Stormblood and Shadowbringers, and both of those beat it in the dungeon and trial department as well. Although Heavenswards are still very good asARR was already quite good, but Heavensward was a big step up. The characters and the story were much more compelling. And the story of Heavensward didn't feel like it dragged on like ARRs did. I think the areas in Heavensward arent as good as Stormblood and Shadowbringers, and both of those beat it in the dungeon and trial department as well. Although Heavenswards are still very good as well, much better than ARRs.… Expand
  15. ZodaSoda
    Dec 13, 2021
    10
    Heavensward takes everything the team started in ARR and expends upon it, their talents increasing as they go along, This expansion is exactly what you could ask for after ARR and the story in and of itself is something any JRPG fan cannot miss. The Raid series is still one of my favourites to this day and if you know the music, then you know.
  16. Katzena
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    This is one the best expansions for FF14. It helped me get way into the game. Its amazing
  17. loliance
    Dec 11, 2021
    7
    In my opinion this is the best expansion.
    Good class balance, excellent raids, beautiful locations.
    Much better story than ARR.

    The main critic I have is that there just isn't enough content compared to other MMOs on the market.

    Still lots to be desired on making the story more "alive" though, the lack of voice acting in the vast majority of the Main Story Quests breaks immersion.
  18. Rodmund
    Nov 25, 2021
    10
    Отличное продолжение. Продолжайте в том же духе!
  19. TristanX
    Sep 26, 2021
    9
    Slower battle system than WoW remains. Contents are better than ARR. Currently with unlimited time trial up to Lv60, this game is priceless. Plenty of quality cutscenes and new classes. Just buy after you are done with the trial.
  20. Drely
    Aug 23, 2021
    9
    This game is so awsome! I'm enjoying every minute of it. Can't wait to reach Shadowbringers!
  21. TPLaMar
    Aug 22, 2021
    10
    Playing this first expansion this is a 10/10 easily. I can’t wait to see how the next 3 expansions progress. I’m all in.
  22. erazor2021
    Aug 18, 2021
    0
    If you don’t like the Trial / “Realm Reborn” take my word, you won’t like any of it…

    New players hope you are ready for 200+ hours of MSQ which is mainly reading text. I fell for the recent hype. To all the people who says “it gets better” seriously, what is wrong with you? This constant insincerity is what kept me going. IT DOESN’T GET BETTER (a least to the point it serves as a    If you don’t like the Trial / “Realm Reborn” take my word, you won’t like any of it…

    New players hope you are ready for 200+ hours of MSQ which is mainly reading text.

    I fell for the recent hype. To all the people who says “it gets better” seriously, what is wrong with you? This constant insincerity is what kept me going. IT DOESN’T GET BETTER (a least to the point it serves as a valid argument).

    I just finished Shadowbringers 5.5 MSQ, and let me tell you, this is an “interactive Novel” more than it is a video game.

    Sure with each expansion the game (novel) gets a little better, in terms of graphics, animations, storytelling, but the CORE of the game doesn’t change, it is still this outdated mmorpg tab targeting, with its main FOCUS on MSQ, which is basically walls of text.

    Your quests in order of occurrences is: talk, travel, click objects, kill NPCs, do dungeons/trials/story instances.
    They added one different mechanic in Stormblood lol, which is to “click stuff in FPS mode”.

    I can count the EPIC moments of the story in one hand! 3 of them were in Havensward and 2 in Shadowbringers (forget RR and SB).

    The main focus of this game is the MSQ, but the problem is; the MSQ is 90% fluff pointless writing and storytelling, you could cut out 80% of this writing and still get a concise accurate description of the story, albeit just more on point.

    What Square Enix is doing is inflating game time content with more and more text and sloppy animation screens, which I’m not kidding stretches the MSQ than it really needs to be. I’m not even talking about important background build up, I’m talking about content you won’t even remember because it served no purpose in the grand scheme of things. (Anything you wont remember a month from now isn't worth reading about).

    Because the MSQ is mainly storytelling, and single player orientated, why not just play better solo video games that are much, much better technically advanced in gameplay, like GTA 5, Witcher 3, red redemption 2, and hundreds of others titles?

    There were times I was so desperate to just “play” the game, because there is so few dungeons/trials and killing quests in-between all the walls of text.

    One could always pay a story skip potion, but the fact is MSQ is the focus of this game, the endgame is extra stuff. Players and Square have both said that MSQ is the focus of the game, and the more casual player base.

    WoW = focuses on repeatable endgame content after a short introductory (and often crap) storyline.

    FF14 = 200 hours of MSQ (at minimum) at which point you can cycle through some endgame content and get max ilvl gear fairly easily. But levelling others job/crafts, which has its own questlines seems be one of the most popular things to do.

    I won’t be buying Endwalker. People who enjoy reading fluff for hundreds of hours to see one good cutscene here and there, you do that, enjoy! I’ll watch it in a recap YouTube video and do more productive things with my life than read FLUFF MSQ content, which is intentionally used to extend game play time.

    “You can always make more money, but you can’t make more time” think about if you’re really enjoying that 200 hours or if you’re only enjoy small amounts of it. Whilst the epic moments were epic, the pain of going through so much unfun content to see it was not worth it. The balance is definitely not there.

    Even most fans think the post RR quests are so bad, yet square hasnt fixed it by just removing it for new players by using a short narration cutscene to bring players up to date for havensward. (And i heard it was even worse, oh dear God).    … Expand
  23. writethat
    Jul 23, 2021
    10
    I never thought an expansion for a MMORPG could make me feel so much emotion. All the praise Heavensward gets is well deserved, if anything, it deserves more. Absolute masterpiece.
  24. chocletymilk
    Mar 21, 2021
    9
    Heavensward. Was. Amazing. As someone that installed FFXIV just because I was bored and everyone said the free trial included a lot, Heavensward was what made me an absolute fan (and convinced me to buy the complete edition). The graphics improved, the new characters you meet in HW are still some of my all time favorites in the FF universe. There is a lot more voice acting than in ARR, andHeavensward. Was. Amazing. As someone that installed FFXIV just because I was bored and everyone said the free trial included a lot, Heavensward was what made me an absolute fan (and convinced me to buy the complete edition). The graphics improved, the new characters you meet in HW are still some of my all time favorites in the FF universe. There is a lot more voice acting than in ARR, and the missions and storyline are notoriously better written. It really got me on the edge of my seat at times and ontroduced a lot of new mechanics and fights that I didn't even imagine would be in this game. It also made me cry and get attached to the new characters. The new cities you discover are AMAZING.

    An amazing continuation to ARR and definitely the expansion that made me fall in love with FFXIV.

    And for free included with the free trial as of 2020!!!    … Expand
  25. saintninja
    Dec 12, 2020
    10
    Dragons. Many Dragons. Many beautiful mighty Dragons and dark knight. Good drama story and perfect continue of main game
  26. aetce
    Sep 18, 2020
    3
    tldr: great if you have friends and/or like lore.

    For an MMORPG, its not as resource intensive as something like GW2, which has an agenda to cook everybody's CPU. Even on laptops with a dedicated (low-end) GPU, you can hit a reliable 1080p60fps (granted you turn everything low), and even if you're playing on integrated graphics, its still playable. Kudos to the Square-Enix for putting a    tldr: great if you have friends and/or like lore.

    For an MMORPG, its not as resource intensive as something like GW2, which has an agenda to cook everybody's CPU. Even on laptops with a dedicated (low-end) GPU, you can hit a reliable 1080p60fps (granted you turn everything low), and even if you're playing on integrated graphics, its still playable. Kudos to the Square-Enix for putting a lot of customization into their character creation since if you're playing this game for the lore, you might as well take some time designing your character to look like an NPC in the game and mashing the "fantasy name generator" websites until you hit a name you like. (Honest opinion, I think this sort of phenomenon only happens in games like GW2 and FFXIV, I've yet to see anyone play other games where they name themselves into a character outside of joking purposes. I guess players really want to become part of the story. If that's the case, this is an alright game).

    Are the FFXIV veterans gone? Good, lets go to the actual review.

    For a game with a lot of skills for each class (and the other classes that the base classes later transform into), unless you're a healer or tank, you won't be using them for the most part. Sure, there might be a combat MSQ once on a blue moon, but its mostly a post office simulator in that you're carrying messages from one (complex) map to another (complex) map.

    On the positive, this game is very solo friendly -- if playing in open world is all you plan to do. If not, get yourself some friends and play as a tank/healer because the queue times for dps players in dungeons is 30minutes (you can make 10 whole bags of popcorn). But at that point, if you want to play solo, good luck. And if you have no friends and are forced to play solo, might as well switch to another class and regrind those levels.
    I guess the positive to these long queue times is that I was able to clean my room, and when I got back, I was still queuing (0 tank, 0 healer, 1/2 dps). What an amazing game!

    On the negative, why doesn't this game allow you to freely move around servers within a datacenter region? Siren's always full and you'll be sitting in queue for a while. Square-Enix seems like a smart dev team, yet they can't implement it. I mean, even the original Runescape back in the 2000's allowed you to freely choose worlds (and more if you're a paid player). FFXIV came out in 2010 (least what google says), and chugging along in 2020, still doesn't have it figured out.

    Lore wise, this is a nice game if you like games and stories. But if you're just want a game for stories and social interaction, you might as well play a dating simulator. Least that won't make you wander around an area for a long time because the objective is on the floor below you, but the map system is so complex that you cant figure out how to get down there. The combat in this game really feels like an afterthought. And why are there so many skills for all (is it 10?) jobs if you won't be using them most of the time. Hey, Square-Enix if you're reading this, just make this into a story book or something and save everybody's time, clearly the combat was an afterthought that you threw in there to appeal to the MMORPG community. In terms of other things S-E doesn't understand, the meaning of the word "Final". Final means "last", how did you manage to get up to 14?

    Lastly, if you're stuck and think you need help, you don't. If you aren't praising FFXIV like the community is, ignoring all the possible downsides, you'll get mocked at for trying to ask for help figuring out how to do X thing. But I guess when you've already sunk hundreds to thousands of dollars into the game, you gotta ignore the faults else that investment doesn't seem worth it /shrug.    … Expand
  27. Latorn
    Sep 2, 2020
    10
    It took a long time to reach this point, but the quality of the game soared and as I continued playing it just got better and better. Now that Heavensward is included in the free version of FFXIV there is no reason a Final Fantasy fan shouldn't give it a try and experience one of the best Final Fantasy stories of the modern era.
  28. yousuck1
    Aug 21, 2020
    0
    SucksSucks.,.................................................. ...................
  29. HomeroomTeacher
    Jul 28, 2020
    8
    Story wise this patch is currently the best for me while I'm writing this review, however I'm not finished with Shadowbringers yet. I enjoyed the lore so much, I rather slept 4-5 hours a day just to make progression. Significant jump after ARR both in production quality and gameplay or instances. Downsides is the pack of many filler quests which sometimes break the pacing of the game,Story wise this patch is currently the best for me while I'm writing this review, however I'm not finished with Shadowbringers yet. I enjoyed the lore so much, I rather slept 4-5 hours a day just to make progression. Significant jump after ARR both in production quality and gameplay or instances. Downsides is the pack of many filler quests which sometimes break the pacing of the game, hence I deducted two points from the game (and also there's still no quality PvP content). Flying mounts are a great idea, but goes pretty much useless, as you can only fly in an area after you finished main story quests for that region.… Expand
  30. Mohammed-alsheh
    Jun 21, 2020
    9
    outdated fights and dungeons , but amazing story and world i will not soon forget the awesome journey that is heavensward and neither should you .
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Awards & Rankings

13
#13 Best PC Game of 2015
48
#48 Most Discussed PC Game of 2015
61
#61 Most Shared PC Game of 2015

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
86

Generally favorable reviews - based on 14 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 14 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 14
  3. Negative: 0 out of 14
  1. RPG Fan
    Nov 5, 2015
    95
    An extensive and well-planned expansion that makes Eorzea an ever-more compelling place to get lost in.
    Read full review
  2. USgamer
    Aug 14, 2015
    90
    In addition to flying, players get an all-new storyline, new Primals, a brand-new raid dungeon, and three new jobs to level up. FFXIV still retains a few annoying issues here and there, but Heavensward is one of the best MMO expansions I've played.
    Read full review
  3. GameCritics
    Aug 9, 2015
    75
    The music is often phenomenal, the translation and dialogue are exquisite, and the world is one that's worth spending time in. However, it's all based on grind-heavy gameplay, and it's still subscription based. My advice is to buy it, burn through the new content, and then put it aside until the next substantial expansion is released.
    Read full review
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