Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers

 PC
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 1547 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,419 out of 1547
  2. Mixed: 26 out of 1547
  3. Negative: 102 out of 1547

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  1. Derex46
    Aug 29, 2019
    0
    Great story, and that's it. Awful job design ruins everything. Tanks and healers butchered, GNB after patch 5.01, NIN, DNC, SMN, RDM deals no damage, MCH is a bunch of bad ideas. I would recommend searching for other games first before going to this one.
  2. Arctics
    Aug 26, 2019
    10
    The best Final Fantasy game in 2 decades. The story will grab you and not let go, and you'll love every minute of it.
  3. vielinekr
    Aug 20, 2019
    9
    This is one of my favourite games of the year and it's one I'd encourage any previous Final Fantasy fan to consider. Besides the brilliant nods to the series past — adorable retro touches like pixel art character menus and classic game soundtracks.
  4. CrispyJakal
    Aug 17, 2019
    10
    Great Expansion, Story has only gotten better with XIV as time has gone on, great new features such as the trust system, personally loving the Monk rework making it a true powerhouse dps.

    No better time to come back to the game.
  5. hereismyopinion
    Aug 16, 2019
    10
    I love the story and everything about this expansion. If people here is reviewing the game based on the previous expansion then their reviews should be invalid. This is the not like any other MMO like Wow where you can skip cut scenes and dialogues and call the game decent. The story captivated me to keep playing the game and wanting more. It all adds up, the story make sense, theI love the story and everything about this expansion. If people here is reviewing the game based on the previous expansion then their reviews should be invalid. This is the not like any other MMO like Wow where you can skip cut scenes and dialogues and call the game decent. The story captivated me to keep playing the game and wanting more. It all adds up, the story make sense, the character keeps growing and it sucks you in. This is one of the best final fantasy game I have ever played and will continue supporting this game as long as they listen to their players. The community so far is less toxic than the other MMO game I played for almost 14 years. I hope that SE will continue the path they're going and succeed.… Expand
  6. Azsalyn
    Aug 16, 2019
    10
    I have played a lot of MMOs and a lot of RPGs, and none of them come close to the masterful storytelling that Shadowbringers brought to the table. The villain is one of the most relatable antagonists we've seen in an RPG to date, and while his methods may not be acceptable, they are completely understandable. The emotional roller coaster we got this time around easily rivals Heavensward,I have played a lot of MMOs and a lot of RPGs, and none of them come close to the masterful storytelling that Shadowbringers brought to the table. The villain is one of the most relatable antagonists we've seen in an RPG to date, and while his methods may not be acceptable, they are completely understandable. The emotional roller coaster we got this time around easily rivals Heavensward, or even strong single player RPGs like FFX, and storywise is simply the best I've seen in an MMO, period. The new zones have a beautiful aesthetic from the second you set foot in the First, all with truly memorable music from the brilliant Masayoshi Soken (Amh Araeng is a personal favorite theme!). The new characters wrench our heartstrings in just the right way. The combat has largely improved many of the flaws held by many of the jobs - MNK getting a 4th stack of Greased Lightning and being able to keep stacks up between pulls, BLM getting a single-target foul, more instants to assist mobility, and Umbral Soul to keep Umbral Hearts and Enochian up between pulls/transitions, MCH getting rid of ammo and heat system, and DRK getting rid of Dark Arts all feel so much smoother than ever - and that's only naming a few! The new jobs are both very fun and engaging and bring a lot of entertainment to the table, DNC especially being one of the most engaging and enjoyable ranged DPS jobs I've ever played, while GNB gives us an alternative to WAR as a dps-oriented tank that likes to give our healers heart attacks. Overall, I really have nothing negative to say except - GIVE BLACK MAGE ULTIMA NEXT TIME. Absolutely worth picking up if you're a fan of MMOs or RPGs in general!… Expand
  7. BryceSoker
    Aug 16, 2019
    7
    Ok, first of all Story is a goddamned gem, 11/10, beautiful, pulls all your heartstrings as long as you're already emotionally attached to the characters, one of the best Final Fantasy stories ever created, and by far the best MMO story I've ever experienced.

    Now that we got that out of the way let me tell you why this isn't a 10/10. Well for starters it's the formula. it is the same    Ok, first of all Story is a goddamned gem, 11/10, beautiful, pulls all your heartstrings as long as you're already emotionally attached to the characters, one of the best Final Fantasy stories ever created, and by far the best MMO story I've ever experienced.

    Now that we got that out of the way let me tell you why this isn't a 10/10. Well for starters it's the formula. it is the same formula that we already got used to over and over the years. The maps are still the same old, you do killing events for mediocre rewards that have no actual soul put into them, the maps feel static, dead.

    The classes got a bit of revamping but mechanical wise they are the same, except now they are normalized and each class does whatever te other class of the same type do for the sake of "balance". Well, it just made them boring. No, it did not make them faster to play as some in here might make you think, there are still GCDs and the rotations work the same way as before, the core class concept was not changed at all.

    The graphics, well, if you like the graphics from ARR, HW and Stormblood then you're gonna love the ones we have right now cause they are absolutely the same. MMOs nowadays upgrade their textures, meanwhile, FFXIV still is pixelated as crap. After 6 years they haven't updated their engine at all, they still have several limitations from FFXIV 1.0 and I doubt they are ever going to fix them until they make a new FF MMO. Seriously don't even get me started at looking at the game from above (flying) it looks like a game from 2008. Yes the art style is awesome, yes once you get used to it it gets a little better but whether you agree or not it doesn't matter, the textures are not in a place where a 2019 game should be.    … Expand
  8. leviathonlx
    Aug 14, 2019
    7
    When it comes to Shadowbringers if story is all you're looking for then this game is great and far better than the disjointed story of Stormblood and if that's all you're looking for then sure this game is pretty high up there compared to other MMO's which cannot compare as you sure as hell won't be playing WoW for the story.

    Almost every so called 'critics' review I read focuses on how    When it comes to Shadowbringers if story is all you're looking for then this game is great and far better than the disjointed story of Stormblood and if that's all you're looking for then sure this game is pretty high up there compared to other MMO's which cannot compare as you sure as hell won't be playing WoW for the story.

    Almost every so called 'critics' review I read focuses on how the story was great. And the story is good but FF14 is an MMO and not a single player RPG and so the game should also be scored on things besides just the one time story. Though if you do that you realize that ShB is literally just HW 3.0. If Blizzard were to have released 3 expansions in a row that all did the same thing (only 3 max level dungeons, no new side content, no dailies/wq, and just a 4 boss raid) they'd be absolutely destroyed by said critic but WoW is apparently just held to higher standards than mediocrity. There is no new type of end-game content or systems similar to what you'll get with a WoW expansion (regardless of your feelings on artifacts or Azerite at least Blizzard tries new things). Dailies are, as per usual, going to be relegated to patch content and overall all you'll be doing at max level is grinding tomestones like we have been for the past 6 years. You can grind FATE's for a bit to get things like pets which at least may somewhat help keep the outside world from becoming the barren desert it tends to become due to a lack of things like WoW's world quests and world bosses.

    Class change wise it'll depend entirely on what you play. If you're a healer you most likely will be pissed with this expansion as Square has decided to give up on balancing healers by just making them all exactly the same. I personally play a DRG and I found the job enjoyable with it's changes and the removal of skills that existed just for the sake of having a button like Heavy Thrust and the excessive role action skills.

    The 2 new races are something that my opinion on will develop as the expansion progresses. Currently viera and hrothgar only have 1 gender which in itself doesn't necessarily bother me but most the helmets in the game do not work on these 2 new races (I could just imagine the pitchforks the WoW playerbase would have if Blizzard were to release even allied races like that). Allegedly more helmets will become usable in later patches so we'll have to wait and see but then again the 'more customization' the viera and hrothgar were supposed to have to make up for the lack of helmets is not there and even helmets that are NEW with this expansion don't even work on the new races which is just unacceptable. A big negative is that hrothgar hair is attached to their faces and the only way to change that is to pay Square 10 dollars for a fantasia which is pretty scummy.

    World design I feel the game has at least improved a bit when compared to Stormblood but besides the more 'realistic' textures of FF14 the zone detailing is still leagues behind what Blizzards world design team is capable of but given the typical problems of having little reason to go out in the game world I guess that's less an issue. I like a lot of the music for the zones and dungeons/trials though places like Rak'tika are a perfect example of my issues with FF14 music due to how zones have just 1 day and 1 night track that runs about ~4 minutes that plays over and over which causes the music to get repetitive very quickly compared to WoW's far more varied (and sometimes better in my view such as Zuldazar's 8.1.5 pieces) music.

    Overall the expansion is actually exactly what I expected from Square given their track record and that's just yet more of the same but in a different locale. Patch content will add the beast tribe dailies and the side content but given Squares track record I'm sure those things will just be Eureka 2.0 and Palace of the Dead 3.0. Maybe Eureka 2.0 will be less boring to complete this time but we'll have to wait and see and I can't score a game on something we have no information on.. There's no denying it's still one of the best MMO's on the market along with WoW but I feel they need to start innovating and trying new things and the lack of anything truly new to do that I wasn't already doing in Stormblood a month ago and Heavensward 3 years ago and A Realm Reborn before that is why I feel this expansion is worth the score I gave it. I'm sure I'll get 'reviews not helpful' from this but thankfully you can't hide opinions you don't like here like you can on reddit.    … Expand
  9. chefocho
    Aug 12, 2019
    10
    This is the best MMO experiences Ive ever had. From the music to the MSQ and everything in between.
  10. vahn
    Aug 11, 2019
    5
    I wasn't really going to come back here: FFXIV is a game with a lot of potential, but an infinite amount of issues that truly makes it hard for me to enjoy, however the reason I came back is only one: the story.
    But I'll talk about that later.
    Anyway, what to say about this expansion: It's the same exact game you played in the last years with almost the same exact way of playing, which    I wasn't really going to come back here: FFXIV is a game with a lot of potential, but an infinite amount of issues that truly makes it hard for me to enjoy, however the reason I came back is only one: the story.
    But I'll talk about that later.

    Anyway, what to say about this expansion: It's the same exact game you played in the last years with almost the same exact way of playing, which is grinding tomes every week to cap get loot then wait 4-5 months for next dungeon, upgrade it to raid level, rage about eureka 2.0 and so on for the next 2 years. It's practically been the same since 2.0 with utmost precision, with really few modifications here and there, like how leves are only for crafting now, fates give a currency and few other things.

    The major changes I did notice is in the classes, as in they removed what made them unique and homogenized them into basically one role but with fancy weapons: the 4 tanks are practically the same, and so are the melee and etc, gone all of their unique traits that made them unique and instead they're all exactly the same, with maybe one or less move in their arsenal. In a way, I applaud this idea because this means now that all classes can be used, especially when they kept saying they weren't able (or were incapable or too lazy?) to balance them out so this means now that all classes viable. But this is an online mmorpg and raiding is relegated to the usual 8 man content: eventually, a meta will come out and only 8 classes will be the winners, while the rest...well that's your problem!

    Another nice addition is the Trust System, which is another name for the Squadron but without the pain to actually levelling your team-up: it's a nice addition if only you could use it in older dungeons, instead it's going to be relegated to 5.0 dungeons and nothing else. Too bad but I guess "data limitations" and such.

    But game issues aside, my main issue and the one that first turned me away from continuing, is the horrid community that everyone keeps praising but I only see hypocrisy and spite.

    Don't get me wrong on this: I don't think ALL of the community is bad, of course I'm sure 1 out o 10 is good, however, we're talking of a community that is so blinded by this game that they will actively defend anything they do, even if it's a broken mess. I played this game since 2.0 but I was never able to say anything negative without receiving extremely harsh backlash, being called mentally disabled, a tasteless one and even death threatened because of my simple dislike of the raids (I did coil btw). I will never understand what people see of good in this community: it's the same the others. I came into this game years ago with the promise of a better community, but instead, I got so frustrated and stressed out that I actively stopped trying to be making friends and move on with my day, never saying my real opinions in fear of being backlashed.

    Which brings me to the point I missed: the story, the major selling of point of this expansion.
    I didn't follow the story until now besides some snippets but everyone kept praising it for how good it is, and how it's like the second coming of Christ or something.

    I took the challenge and spent the next 2 weeks watching long, long, LONG cutscenes and tried to see what's going on after finishing it yesterday - and waiting nearly half an hour for the queue as well, I could only say one thing: "This story is just average".
    Let me say this: I did like the setting, I liked how it's not the same world and how it has its own culture and difference. and I liked some of its secondary characters too. I also did like a couple of lines and overall, I did feel it had something in it.

    But honestly, I just felt it was average: its plot is your generic "go there, do chores, kill bad guy of the land, repeat" for each zone until the end where you get to beat the OBVIOUS bad guy of the game, so obvious that the game tries desperately to sway your attention from him, and failing.

    The cast is BORING, they only have one emotion throughout the entire game (Gotta love Minfilia's constant whining...NOT!) and the enemies you first meet are so one dimensional that I was glad they were gone because they were just not fun.

    And I just will not understand how the game still thinks to trick me into believing that my character will die: this is a mmorpg, of course, I'm not gonna die you idiots! How am I gonna do endgame?! For the main cast it's a different story since some did disappear.
    Maybe they'll get rid of the whiny blondie so there's hope!

    Bottom line, I don't hate it but I don't like it either: I just played tons of better jrpgs in my long gaming life and I was expecting something at least on par to some of my favorites, but if this is the best they could do then I think I'll just go back to the JRPGs I know and love.

    See for yourself and draw your own conclusion. For me, it's just average.    … Expand
  11. kittyanya
    Aug 9, 2019
    10
    Shadowbringers? More like Feelsbringers. Amazing story, captivating characters, fun side quests, and so much more to do. There's endgame and still working on the game even after the credits roll. Come for the vierra, stay for Yoshi P.
  12. descrapto
    Aug 8, 2019
    10
    Best FF Expansion since Heavensward, amazing story, OST, Combact, voice acting. Everything in this expansion is the best on this. Been plaing since half of the life of Heavensward and it gets better the more you play.
  13. darxiv
    Aug 6, 2019
    10
    Shadowbringers shows that it is possible to have an amazing story in a MMO. Not only does this expansion excel in storytelling but it takes Final Fantasy into a whole new direction.
  14. Ren0117
    Aug 5, 2019
    10
    One of the best FF’s to date! The music, the story and the backstory for the story creates a masterpiece that game developers in the west can only wish to compare to nowadays due to corporate greed! Kudos to square, Yoshida - San, and the devs of final fantasy!
  15. Kezian
    Jul 30, 2019
    10
    FF14 is amazing ! If you never played it, download the free trial and see for yourself !
  16. Monjulie
    Jul 29, 2019
    10
    One of the best MMO expansions ever released. Story wise it rivals some the best FF stories in years
  17. Solemncollector
    Jul 28, 2019
    10
    The music alone deserves a ten. The rest of it does too. What an amazing expansion it’s a must play
  18. Shyngo
    Jul 28, 2019
    10
    This has been by far the best expansion launch in any MMO I've ever seen. And the game keeps improving as the devs listens to the community pleas, 10/10
  19. PapiCake
    Jul 27, 2019
    10
    The best Final Fantasy XIV expansion so far. An amazing and emotional story that I won't forget.
  20. dkcoffey
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    The game gets better with every expansion. The music gets better with every expansion. The story outshines the HW story in every way, making it the best story we've experience so far in the FFXIV universe.
  21. ripshocks
    Jul 26, 2019
    10
    The most amazing MMO i've ever played to this day. The release content schedule is stable and keeps on improving upon itself month after month, year after year. It's the best time to become a final fantasy fan.
  22. TomSheldrake
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    Truly a masterpiece that had me gripped from start to finish. It skipped a lot of the flaws that the previous expansion had by having a story that players felt truly invested in, without having to deal with odd story pacing.

    Would 100% recommend for any Final Fantasy fan.
  23. DestinyLord1134
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    This is easily the best game in the FF series in 10+ years. As always, I am enjoying the music, but the story is also top notch, and they brought new feel to several classes I play without affecting the core mechanics or causing more "bloat."
  24. Pandorazellas
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    Not only is this the best Expansion i’ve played in XIV, i’d go as far as to say this is also the best FF game i’ve ever played, and could even say it’s the best game overall that i’ve ever played. The music, the the visuals, the storytelling. It all left me one great big emotional mess. It’s going to be a long time before anything tops this game experience for me
  25. KaliHeart
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    Shadowbringers has an MSQ I want to relive countless times. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I questioned and reveled in each passing scene. I played solo, I played with friends, I took every opportunity I could to participate in all I came across and am still adoring in exploration.

    We've come so far since our earliest days in the Waking Sands, and I'll be damned if the game hasn't as    Shadowbringers has an MSQ I want to relive countless times. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I questioned and reveled in each passing scene. I played solo, I played with friends, I took every opportunity I could to participate in all I came across and am still adoring in exploration.

    We've come so far since our earliest days in the Waking Sands, and I'll be damned if the game hasn't as well. The voice acting, this expansion, was truly magnificent. Even side characters and NPCs had rich, expressive voice work that surprised and delighted each and every time I came across it. The sound track is incredibly immersive - Soken really went above and beyond to bring this situations, these locations and this story to life.

    Though it's hard to put into words, Shadowbringers, has a 'classic' fantasy feel though never once lacks for pacing. The storytelling speaks to the soul on a whole new level and come it's conclusion I felt the need to take a breath and processed all I'd witnessed; satisfied and emptied, both, with a strong desire to revisit past scenes with a different take. In an attempt to avoid spoilers, I'll not go into detail but the final 'zone' leading up to it's end was incredibly impactful - to feel a sense of nostalgia and sadness bordering on the personal for a place never before visited is uncanny, and it's the truest expression I found to describe 5.0.

    For anyone out there thinking of giving it a go, don't hold back.

    My opinion is that of one voice among millions, but simply said: Thank you. Thank you, Yoshi-P and the SE team for all the time and effort, the thoughtfulness and the passion you bring to game development and the world of Final Fantasy.    … Expand
  26. Advent2718
    Jul 21, 2019
    10
    This game has surpassed my expectations and has taken up all my free time since launch and early access. Amazing game by the developers and everyone who worked hard on this and amazing music from Soken.
  27. HyperTornado
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    All I can say is the story is insanely good and keeps me reeling in the entire time. The dungeons are super high budget and the world environment is gorgeous. Note that to get to Shadowbringers you must complete the previous expansions.
  28. jakkyr
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    I love this game already, but this expansion made me love it 1000x more, the only real thing that is a problem now is the healer category as I've heard, other then that every other aspect of the game has been vastly improved. Story is great, music is great. I hope only for the best for this games future, because it is in my personal top 3 for games of all time.
  29. Nucah
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    I've been playing FFXIV for around four yeara now and have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game. Heavensward was masterpiece and although Stormblood was good, I felt like it lost some of the magic that HW had.

    Shadowbringers brings back that magic and is driven by a phenomenal story with wonderfully acted cutscenes and a beautiful soundtrack by Soken. This hit all my expectations    I've been playing FFXIV for around four yeara now and have thoroughly enjoyed my time with this game. Heavensward was masterpiece and although Stormblood was good, I felt like it lost some of the magic that HW had.

    Shadowbringers brings back that magic and is driven by a phenomenal story with wonderfully acted cutscenes and a beautiful soundtrack by Soken. This hit all my expectations and more. If you're a fan of XIV or just a fan of the FF franchise, this is a must play in my opinion.    … Expand
  30. dinghole
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    I've been a fan of Final Fantasy 14 since day one but this expansion has been one of the most rewarding experiences I have ever had in a game.
  31. ryudoshi
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    The salty WoW fan boys coming in here leaving fake reviews are hilariously sad. Get a life you cretins.

    Anyway, Shadowbringers is incredible. This is the most Final Fantasy the game has ever been, it feels like an old school Final Fantasy game and that is saying something. The story of Shadowbringers is just such an incredible experience. The music and visuals are on point and jaw    The salty WoW fan boys coming in here leaving fake reviews are hilariously sad. Get a life you cretins.

    Anyway, Shadowbringers is incredible. This is the most Final Fantasy the game has ever been, it feels like an old school Final Fantasy game and that is saying something. The story of Shadowbringers is just such an incredible experience. The music and visuals are on point and jaw dropping. A lot of jobs got huge QOL upgrades.    … Expand
  32. Paladin82
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    Shadowbringers has great visuals and gameplay (my only significant criticism is healer balancing), but most of all the expansion's story is skillfully written and shown. It ties in the already robust FFXIV story and puts a bow on it. This is a well done expansion.
  33. Karness
    Jul 20, 2019
    10
    10/10 I love the plot and story line, it's one of the BEST Final Fantasy I've played in years. The expansion brought me into the story and made me apart of it. I love it!
  34. BigButz
    Jul 18, 2019
    4
    Reused assets galore, washed out and hard to look at backdrops for most of the expansion, terrible english voice acting. Soundtrack is a mixed bag with short annoying loops and some great buttrock toward the end. Story starts off the same uninteresting nonsense as usual but really picks up halfway through till the end, though the setup for the next arc is back to boring nonsense. As goodReused assets galore, washed out and hard to look at backdrops for most of the expansion, terrible english voice acting. Soundtrack is a mixed bag with short annoying loops and some great buttrock toward the end. Story starts off the same uninteresting nonsense as usual but really picks up halfway through till the end, though the setup for the next arc is back to boring nonsense. As good as you can expect from Square Enix really, but that doesn't warrant excessive praise.… Expand
  35. tecno64
    Jul 18, 2019
    10
    Some classes still need tunings such as astro, but the game is the best mmo ive played in a very long time. Strongly recommend it.
  36. fenrishero
    Jul 18, 2019
    10
    With a couple tweaks, you could take the main story of this expansion and make it it's own game, and it would be in running for game of the year, it's that good. Good voice acting, good music, and great writing.
    Mechanics wise, it's almost all positive: most of the class re-works were done well, and the two new classes are decently executed (Gunbreaker is a tank with an occasional DPS    With a couple tweaks, you could take the main story of this expansion and make it it's own game, and it would be in running for game of the year, it's that good. Good voice acting, good music, and great writing.
    Mechanics wise, it's almost all positive: most of the class re-works were done well, and the two new classes are decently executed (Gunbreaker is a tank with an occasional DPS rotation mixed in, and Dancer is a whack-a-mole priority class a la Red Mage). The one complaint is that healing is kind of a mess, with it now largely being hitting buttons to 'undo' damage from bosses and not about resource management and situational awareness as much.

    The Trust System for duty's lets you run dungeons with NPCs, removing the speed bump of queues for required dungeons as DPS. The NPCs generally do the mechanics correctly, though they can glitch. Still, it's a great way to 'learn' a dungeon before doing it with other people, and it does drop gear and XP, making it a solid leveling option. Trials still have to be done in groups of 8 players, but the difficulty is correct this time (no Shinryu level nightmares).

    If you've played this game, this expac is worth coming back for. If not, this is a pretty good place to dive in, provided you're willing to read some lore backstory to explain a couple things.    … Expand
  37. Chiaki_san
    Jul 17, 2019
    10
    The story of the new Addon is better than the most AAA single player game stories.
  38. GenericBlueToad
    Jul 17, 2019
    10
    I made an account this to rate this. This game left me feeling empty and sad in the way only truly amazing stories can. The characters are so incredibly written and voiced. The antagonist is beautifully crafted. The cutscene are animated perfectly to fit the scenes. This game made me connect so much even just with my own character. It's truly a masterpiece. I almost wish this wasnt an MMO,I made an account this to rate this. This game left me feeling empty and sad in the way only truly amazing stories can. The characters are so incredibly written and voiced. The antagonist is beautifully crafted. The cutscene are animated perfectly to fit the scenes. This game made me connect so much even just with my own character. It's truly a masterpiece. I almost wish this wasnt an MMO, because anyone who doesn't play ffxiv will miss out on this, and that's genuinely upsetting.… Expand
  39. Tarki
    Jul 17, 2019
    10
    Best expansion of ffxiv with amazing storyline, soundtracks, and map-design. Best mmorpg existing for now
  40. Kroshinator
    Jul 15, 2019
    10
    One of the greatest stories ever told in Final Fantasy franchise and one of the best mmo expansions ever released. True masterpiece.
  41. Genis94
    Jul 15, 2019
    10
    Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers isn't just a good MMO expansion. It's by far the best Final Fantasy game I've ever played. The combat system has been refined and retooled to be more intuitive with less unfun mechanics bogging it down, such as the removal of the ammo and heat systems from Machinist. The story in Shadowbringers is far and away one of the best RPG stories in years and isFinal Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers isn't just a good MMO expansion. It's by far the best Final Fantasy game I've ever played. The combat system has been refined and retooled to be more intuitive with less unfun mechanics bogging it down, such as the removal of the ammo and heat systems from Machinist. The story in Shadowbringers is far and away one of the best RPG stories in years and is full of twists and turns that challenge your preconceptions of the rules of the world as well as the morality of your struggle. Masayoshi Soken has also blown us away yet again with his OST, managing to implement all manner of musical genre into an ever-evolving game. Shadowbringers is more than worth your time, and I strongly urge new players to progress through the game normally rather than buy skips to jump straight to the endgame. Endgame isn't everything in XIV and the story loses a lot of meaningful impact by skipping it.… Expand
  42. iozay
    Jul 14, 2019
    10
    One of the best stories I have ever seen, great music and awesome gameplay :)
  43. PrimusSempra
    Jul 14, 2019
    10
    Just amazing.
    Thanks square for that Addon. It took mmorpgs to an another level
  44. plasticc
    Jul 14, 2019
    2
    This game doesn't deserve a score higher than 2, no matter how good anything else is, because content in it remains locked behind this utterly broken abomination that is the "housing" system.

    Two expansions with ZERO improvements into this problem, while content continues to be added locked behind something that cannot be accessed by over 98% of the people playing the game. Square    This game doesn't deserve a score higher than 2, no matter how good anything else is, because content in it remains locked behind this utterly broken abomination that is the "housing" system.

    Two expansions with ZERO improvements into this problem, while content continues to be added locked behind something that cannot be accessed by over 98% of the people playing the game.

    Square Enix can't or refuses to deal with this serious issue in the game. Most companies don't ship broken products. This is broken. You can dress up the house, renovate the walls and floors, add an extra floor and call it a new expansion, but you've forgotten the corpse rotting in the living room. Maybe fix the completely broken systems before releasing a new version of the game.    … Expand
  45. airankenhot
    Jul 13, 2019
    10
    Now it's the best mmorpg not just one of the best. I‘m ready for FF14 X nier:aotumata I can't wait
  46. Zeshinzx
    Jul 13, 2019
    10
    Having played many mmos and tons of rpgs over the years, this stands out as one of the best of all time, if not THE best. And the music scores are beyond amazing, I've found myself sitting just listening to the compositions over and over again. Would give it an 11 if I could.
  47. raigon25
    Jul 13, 2019
    10
    What a phenomenal journey how can they top this! the story, the music the gameplay is maddening that this is an expansion! and it well worth the money i'd throw hundreds at it I could.
  48. Nedkelly
    Jul 13, 2019
    10
    This expansion is really good, really love it.
    Changes to the jobs are really nice and diverse.
    I love new instances, the story, they even improved pvp.
  49. Gamer4life1985
    Jul 13, 2019
    10
    I will say I am a huge FF fan and have played every single game plus many more RPGs in my lifetime so far and Shadowbringers is arguably one of the best ever created. This story has been a massive build up for 9 years, including when it 1.0 was rough; and with each expansion SE continues to out do themselves and have created an absolute masterpiece. The bad guy is charismatic,I will say I am a huge FF fan and have played every single game plus many more RPGs in my lifetime so far and Shadowbringers is arguably one of the best ever created. This story has been a massive build up for 9 years, including when it 1.0 was rough; and with each expansion SE continues to out do themselves and have created an absolute masterpiece. The bad guy is charismatic, intriguing, and relatable; in other words human and you truly understand his motivations by the ending dungeon and trial. The rest of the story is heartbreaking, emotional, cheerful, and all those emotions that we crave from an excellent story.

    SE was a masterpiece you have created and I truly hope you are paying attention to all this praise. You guys have been doing wonderful the last couple of years and continue to be that with your future releases. Continue the great work. Can't wait for the Nier raid in 14 and the future content of this game especially.    … Expand
  50. SevenDevils
    Jul 12, 2019
    10
    The best FF storyline in two decades. Also, the best composer since Nobuo himself.
  51. Hekyuro
    Jul 12, 2019
    10
    This is truly a majestic expansion. The score, the stage and character design, the story (oh my, that story), character development, the dungeons and trials, and the pace of it are all amazing. This is by all means a step up from previous expansions and base game, which were great to start with.

    You will easily fall in love with Shadowbringers, it is such a breath of freshness and    This is truly a majestic expansion. The score, the stage and character design, the story (oh my, that story), character development, the dungeons and trials, and the pace of it are all amazing. This is by all means a step up from previous expansions and base game, which were great to start with.

    You will easily fall in love with Shadowbringers, it is such a breath of freshness and uniqueness into this game. It is a very emotional one, in all the positive kind of ways. Can't wait for what's to come!    … Expand
  52. Dieman
    Jul 12, 2019
    10
    Best expansion so far. They managed to improve everything the game has to offer. The story is amazing.
  53. pcgames
    Jul 12, 2019
    9
    Despite a consistently high standard in previous expansions, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers has defied all expectations to better all of them, even at this early stage in the journey. The darkest tale in the ongoing saga has proven to be the most inviting; with some excellent refinements to existing mechanics and some great quality of life improvements. Absolutely essential for FinalDespite a consistently high standard in previous expansions, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers has defied all expectations to better all of them, even at this early stage in the journey. The darkest tale in the ongoing saga has proven to be the most inviting; with some excellent refinements to existing mechanics and some great quality of life improvements. Absolutely essential for Final Fantasy fans and MMO enthusiasts alike.… Expand
  54. EevieRoseAmalee
    Jul 11, 2019
    10
    By far the best experience I have ever had in an mmo. Be it the narrative or the classes I have had so much fun with every aspect!♡
  55. Siricosirus
    Jul 11, 2019
    0
    The game has been slashed. How an expansion can offer not just less but remove previous things is shocking to me.
  56. lqid
    Jul 11, 2019
    10
    This should be the best FFXIV expansion! Only have some problems with some classes balancing issues but still worth a full mark.
  57. moriki
    Jul 11, 2019
    10
    I hesitantly tried this game, but turns out its the best story driven MMO ever, class fantasy is great, i tried dancer and enjoyed its mechanic so much, cant wait for future content.
  58. Devilish
    Jul 11, 2019
    10
    This will be the best MMORPG expansion you'll ever played. Story is top notch and Music is so so good.
  59. Eliitti
    Jul 10, 2019
    10
    The story is so good without a question the best so far in FFXIV history and the soundtrack is godlike.
  60. TRS122P
    Jul 10, 2019
    10
    Words almost can't do this game justice. Not only is this by far the best FFXIV expansion, it may be the best Final Fantasy story since X. This expansion shows why FFXIV is the best MMORPG on the market. Square Enix really takes the "RPG" portion of MMORPG seriously. Shadowbringers proves that you can have an amazing online game with a top-notch story. Naoki Yoshida has set a new, veryWords almost can't do this game justice. Not only is this by far the best FFXIV expansion, it may be the best Final Fantasy story since X. This expansion shows why FFXIV is the best MMORPG on the market. Square Enix really takes the "RPG" portion of MMORPG seriously. Shadowbringers proves that you can have an amazing online game with a top-notch story. Naoki Yoshida has set a new, very high bar for MMO's and RPG's in general.… Expand
  61. Psychopanch
    Jul 10, 2019
    10
    I've played a lot of MMOs in my day so I have to say just how refreshing it is to play one where the story takes center stage and delivers a cohesive narrative with aplomb. I was left speechless by the end of this narrative. Beyond that the QoL improvements and general gameplay as as strong as ever!
  62. exhalo
    Jul 10, 2019
    10
    The best mmorpg ive played since vanilla wow, and one of the best games ive ever played. Breathtaking!
  63. Treymok
    Jul 10, 2019
    10
    Greatest expansion yet! Well worth the monthly subscription cost. Love it!!
  64. Korav
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    Masterfully crafted in every aspect, this is peak performance and hopefully it stays that way for more expansions to come, don't hesitate and get playing!
  65. PowerGI
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    I have not played a game with a story that I truly enjoyed that much for a very, very long time. The fact that this is coming from a MMORPG is mind blowing. I had goosebumps the whole time. You need to know the story from the other previous expansions though to truly enjoy it at the max.
  66. Dryos
    Jul 9, 2019
    9
    Best game ever ! Story, cinematics, dungeons, boss, mecanics, boss, everythink in this extension was so nice.
  67. whizack
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    I didn't think that SE could top the storytelling in 3.0 or the cinematic work they did in 4.0. this expansion takes a significant step forward for the entire genre in both. the voice acting in EN or JP is fantastic and better represents modern storytelling elements for an RPG or an MMO. While there are some stumbling points like the weak lv 80 class quests and balance issues, these areI didn't think that SE could top the storytelling in 3.0 or the cinematic work they did in 4.0. this expansion takes a significant step forward for the entire genre in both. the voice acting in EN or JP is fantastic and better represents modern storytelling elements for an RPG or an MMO. While there are some stumbling points like the weak lv 80 class quests and balance issues, these are very minor in contrast to the vast improvements made to the gameplay and story.… Expand
  68. Jaybot
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    The developers of this game have truly outdone themselves with this expansion pack. The storytelling, new features and adjustments make this game feel brand new.
  69. Arbiten
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    Notice how the low scores for this game come from people not even talking about the story in a story driven game?

    You'd have to be crazy to score this masterpiece anything less than a 10. The music is incredible, the story invokes so much emotion. Joy, Sadness, Despair, Anger, all precisely inserted into the story at just the right time. Compared to other expansions, I felt the    Notice how the low scores for this game come from people not even talking about the story in a story driven game?

    You'd have to be crazy to score this masterpiece anything less than a 10. The music is incredible, the story invokes so much emotion. Joy, Sadness, Despair, Anger, all precisely inserted into the story at just the right time.

    Compared to other expansions, I felt the closest to the characters in this one. The twins bicker like siblings normally do, the group each have their own issues that they either deal with themselves throughout the story or require your help with. There's even opportunities for our ever stoic WoL to offer life advice during cut-scenes.

    The ending is a masterpiece, many mystery's that alluded us in the previous expansions get answered, but at the same time new mystery's are unearthed. This is by far the best story I've ever played and that includes the witcher 3.    … Expand
  70. LazIsOnline
    Jul 9, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I've never played an MMO that exceeded my expectations for an expansion or it's story. This is a first. From the story, to the visuals and soundtrack, the much needed buffs classes get in 70+ content to make them more fun to play. It has moments where it REALLY challenges the player to pay attention and know their class which is fantastic. No one should be bored doing content using a simple 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 rotation.

    THIS is what an expansion for any MMO should be, not gated story, not gated content that comes out when they get around it, a full experience ready to go with additional compelling end game content.

    If you're like me, and you have nearly every other class and crafting job to work through, you have MONTHS of fun to have. 10/10 would get hyped in Terminus again.    … Expand
  71. psdao1102
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    Just fantastic. The story/writing/voice-acting is on par with theatrical games, and blows any MMO story away. The big fights are difficult but rewarding, the skill rotations are fun and engaging (I play BLM for reference). The music is bar none.

    The only thing i can throw at this, is that if your brand new to this series, i still think you should go through the entire story... which    Just fantastic. The story/writing/voice-acting is on par with theatrical games, and blows any MMO story away. The big fights are difficult but rewarding, the skill rotations are fun and engaging (I play BLM for reference). The music is bar none.

    The only thing i can throw at this, is that if your brand new to this series, i still think you should go through the entire story... which will take a long time sorry to say. But if you enjoy MMO's its so worth it.    … Expand
  72. drunkoni
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    Considering this is the 3rd expansion in the series, with the first two having the best story in an mmo and best endgame respectively, it’s hard to imagine anything topping in either or both aspects. Well Shadowbringers does just that, as it has one of the best stories in all of gaming and while the true endgame content hasn’t come out yet, I haven’t had this much fun leveling in dungeonsConsidering this is the 3rd expansion in the series, with the first two having the best story in an mmo and best endgame respectively, it’s hard to imagine anything topping in either or both aspects. Well Shadowbringers does just that, as it has one of the best stories in all of gaming and while the true endgame content hasn’t come out yet, I haven’t had this much fun leveling in dungeons and trials in a very long time. This one definitely deserves a 10/10 for achieving what no other mmo’s have ever done: being a great RPG with a strong narrative and an mmo with fun and engaging gameplay that keeps the community growing and more importantly invested.… Expand
  73. Katsunei
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    Just finished the main story and I absolutely loved it. I've been a fan of FFXIV for years, but this expac still blew me away from content to story telling. I even believe this is the best FF put out in years.
  74. Ultimagara
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    I thought that Heavensward was pretty goddamn good, one of the better video-game stories I've played. I thought that maybe this expansion would be somewhere in between the last 2 expansions as far as quality and boy was I wrong. This expansion puts every other MMO, base game or expansion, to complete and utter shame. Everything about it, from the MSQ to the characters to the environment toI thought that Heavensward was pretty goddamn good, one of the better video-game stories I've played. I thought that maybe this expansion would be somewhere in between the last 2 expansions as far as quality and boy was I wrong. This expansion puts every other MMO, base game or expansion, to complete and utter shame. Everything about it, from the MSQ to the characters to the environment to the new jobs to the revitalization countless systems to the gameplay itself to the humor to the voice acting and everything in between, is fantastic. If you care about these types of games at all, AT ALL, and even if you don't - play Shadowbringers.… Expand
  75. Myricaria
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    It's time to share a few thoughts about Shadowbringers - spoiler free of course!
    It took me from Friday morning to late Sunday night (Head start] to finish the MSQ of Final Fantasy XIVs newest expansion Shadowbringers.
    From the very first moment the story grabbed me and never let go. It was a pure roller coaster ride full of emotions. I had to cry and laugh. I didn't expect the end of A    It's time to share a few thoughts about Shadowbringers - spoiler free of course!
    It took me from Friday morning to late Sunday night (Head start] to finish the MSQ of Final Fantasy XIVs newest expansion Shadowbringers.
    From the very first moment the story grabbed me and never let go. It was a pure roller coaster ride full of emotions. I had to cry and laugh. I didn't expect the end of A Realm Reborn to be beaten, but Shadowbringers did it. After the last scene was over after the credits, I sat speechless and howling in front of my computer, so good was the story. Without exaggeration I have to say: FFXIV has done a masterpiece, which doesn't need to hide from any single-player game. Even today the enthusiasm keeps me going. Whoever has never played FFXIV before, or who has never touched Shadowbringers before: Do it, immediately!    … Expand
  76. Star_Prince
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    I don't think you can ever have a perfect game, but this is getting really close to it. One thing that I was dreading before the release of this expansion is the pain to grind from level 70 to 80. All of the MMORPG games I played, it only gets more painful as they raise the cap to a higher level. However, I was wrong. I only did the main story quests, a few side quests, some FATEs, someI don't think you can ever have a perfect game, but this is getting really close to it. One thing that I was dreading before the release of this expansion is the pain to grind from level 70 to 80. All of the MMORPG games I played, it only gets more painful as they raise the cap to a higher level. However, I was wrong. I only did the main story quests, a few side quests, some FATEs, some roulettes, revealed most of the maps and I reached level 80! I omitted majority of the side quests and now I can start to do them with a second job.

    Great story, beautiful new areas, and wonderful music. I haven't try the new classes yet, but I heard they are fun!

    I think people who gave a negative score to this game are most likely those who prefer to play games that are fast paced, all actions with no stories. The type of games where the game is 100% about you, only about you and no one else. If that's you, perhaps you should stay away from this game. If you like to play a game where you can really immerse yourself in the story, get to know the other characters, enjoy the scenery and music while going through a game, you should definitely give this game a try.    … Expand
  77. Selunari
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    Just finished the Main Story. This is by far the best MMO Expansion I've ever played. The music is fantastic, the QoL changes are extremely good, and the story blows many other non-mmo Final Fantasies out of the water.
  78. Cavox
    Jul 8, 2019
    10
    Spoiler-free review, you have to experience it on your own.

    I've always thought that MMORPGs need to have an awful story by default. That it's just a checkbox to mark like in Hack&Slashes - where gameplay is all that matters. I was sure the story is a necessary evil to drive the player around to do quests or grind through the content. Years of playing World of Warcraft solidified that    Spoiler-free review, you have to experience it on your own.

    I've always thought that MMORPGs need to have an awful story by default. That it's just a checkbox to mark like in Hack&Slashes - where gameplay is all that matters. I was sure the story is a necessary evil to drive the player around to do quests or grind through the content. Years of playing World of Warcraft solidified that opinion for me.

    Naoki Yoshida (the director of FFXIV) and Natsuko Ishikawa (the writer) have proven me wrong.
    Not only FFXIV Shadowbringers has undoubtedly the best story ever written in an MMORPG, even better than universally praised Heavensward expansion from the same game, but also one of the best stories I have seen in any RPG I've played for the last decade at least. Not often do I have goosebumps during a cutscene in a video game, but Shadowbringers is just so good I'm not ashamed of admitting it.
    The music is also on the next level. Masayoshi Soken has again proven his mettle - he makes the highest grade video game music, on equal footing with Yasunori Mitsuda (Chrono Cross) and Nobuo Uematsu (FF series). It suplements the story of FFXIV in a way that when combined it truly deserves the unofficial title of KINObringers.

    The gameplay and graphics suffer a little bit in Final Fantasy, having to accommodate for console players. They're not bad, mind you - they just aren't at their full potential due to the PS3/PS4 limitations. But if I have to judge the expansion on its own it's still a perfect 10 for me. Worth every penny spent.

    It's made with love and care, which is especially impressive if you account that (allegedly) the game is made on a shoestring budget. It's an RPG first and MMO second, but it knocks-out the competition from the get-go and for me it reigns are the king of MMORPGs in the year 2019.    … Expand
  79. Ianas
    Jul 7, 2019
    10
    If you've reached Shadowbringers you've already invested a lot of time into the characters, but this is where a lot of that investment will pay off. Shadowbringers pulls on countless threads that have been woven into the world of Final Fantasy XIV and tightens the lore into a more cohesive whole than it's ever been, and for me that's where the biggest moments in Shadowbringers have comeIf you've reached Shadowbringers you've already invested a lot of time into the characters, but this is where a lot of that investment will pay off. Shadowbringers pulls on countless threads that have been woven into the world of Final Fantasy XIV and tightens the lore into a more cohesive whole than it's ever been, and for me that's where the biggest moments in Shadowbringers have come from. For all the time I spent attending Fan Fests or watching them in the middle of the night or sitting through translated live letters and parsing each word of interviews and press releases, I was still surprised by so many elements of the plot and the final acts left me simultaneously in awe and terror at the events that were unfolding in front of me, so masterfully brought back to life by Naoki Yoshida and his team. This was a story to rival the best in the Final Fantasy series for sure.… Expand
  80. Caen
    Jul 7, 2019
    10
    This expansion is a labor of love I've not seen in decades, it truly shines with its story, music, voice acting, and direction. It is an expertly crafted masterpiece through and through.

    The main villain is very special and well written, and the role quests have been a blast (I main a healer). I had lofty, almost impossible expectations for this game, and it delivered so hard, it not    This expansion is a labor of love I've not seen in decades, it truly shines with its story, music, voice acting, and direction. It is an expertly crafted masterpiece through and through.

    The main villain is very special and well written, and the role quests have been a blast (I main a healer). I had lofty, almost impossible expectations for this game, and it delivered so hard, it not only dethroned Heavensward for my favorite FF14 expansion, it overthrew Burning Crusade and Wrath of the Lich King as my favorite expansion for any MMORPG ever.

    This 10 is not given, it is earned.

    Thank you FF14 dev team for this masterpiece.    … Expand
  81. GauZanTa
    Jul 6, 2019
    10
    Amazing Experience! This is the best story since Hanvensward. And more than the other FF games of the past 20 years.
  82. Shekky84
    Jul 6, 2019
    8
    Good story an excellent MMO to get into, PVP isnt the best but devs are not trying to make an esport and the focus is on story telling and PVE content. The support is beyond terrible for this game if you accidently purchase something on the mog station good luck trying to get a refund or have the problem fixed for you.

    Other then that the game is excellent
  83. Lonegunspy
    Jul 6, 2019
    10
    Having played FFXIV since ver 1.0, I’ve seen the game change and grow over the years. It’s been a joy too see the game become something that was nothing but a instrument of frustration to the truly great game it is today

    Ver 1.0 was a mess, and I was ready to abandon this game. Having come from other MMOs I was not impressed to say the least, but when Yoshida came onboard and made his    Having played FFXIV since ver 1.0, I’ve seen the game change and grow over the years. It’s been a joy too see the game become something that was nothing but a instrument of frustration to the truly great game it is today

    Ver 1.0 was a mess, and I was ready to abandon this game. Having come from other MMOs I was not impressed to say the least, but when Yoshida came onboard and made his promises to the players, I was doubtful anything would happen, but it did intrigue me.
    What he did to make good on those promises, and weaving the disaster of the original game into the lore of the Calamity event (fitting name) was masterful. By the end of its lifecycle ver 1.0 was playable and enjoyable a miracle when given what he had to work with.

    After the servers went down, launching ARR after the long wait was like a breath of fresh air, ARR had pacing issues and such but compared to 1.0, it was amazing, and set the firmament for what was to come. The after story for ARR was painful, you could see Square was struggling with what to do now, since it was apparent pre ARR release they didn’t think the redux was actually going to pay off. As the months went on I played on, it was like any MMO I understood, Fuller grinds and such. I wasn’t terribly impressed, but I saw nothing different so played XIV as well as some other MMOs at the time.

    Heavensward came out and it’s narrative, was amazing. The atmosphere it set of the world, long standing cultural and literal warfare as the setting was moving. The story was subtle and we were given a deeper understanding of the world we were set in. The Post HW stories were brief but numerous and kept me involved.
    The storytelling had come to its own, and I looked forwards to what was to come. Stormblood came out and the pacing was so different from HW, the story wasn’t as nuanced but showcased a dichotomy where we weren’t focused on one area but two, expanding our view of the world two fold, and showcasing two opposite outcomes of war. We felt the urgency a bit too much as the pacing had us jumping in and out of two lands but it’s also where the character development started becoming unquestionably refined. Certain characters become beloved. Certain characters you should feel NO sympathy for, became human. The worlds NPCs became more than just the 2d characters and villains that serve no purpose than to play their part and fade away from the spotlight. The after story of SB especially showed that every character you meet probably has a history you may not expect. And we as the hero are allowed to glimpse that history and understand. Now with Shadowbringers, the storytelling has reached a pinnacle. From the magnificent send off from Stormblood, the last story arc and that final dungeon... we the players are thrust into a story that draws you in from the opening quest, and subsequent change in venue that quest launches. We’re presented a slow thought out world, where our conversations feel meaningful and the characters we meet are deeper than just a fetch quest placeholder. Don’t get me wrong, the quest is probably to fetch something, but you feel there’s a meaning for actually needing it to be done. Then almost immediately the game sets the stakes high, and inspires the player to want to be a hero. Want to make things right. Want to figure out a resolution as the problems are encountered. And these problems? These problems are set in such a beautiful crafted world, that changes so much as you advance from zone to zone. So very beautiful and complimented by a magnificent musical score. The most consistently great so far.

    All in all Shadowbringers interweaves all those elements. Characters, environment, music to create a story that makes you want to see how it ends. It rewards you emotionally as well as breaks your heart when appropriate, the world of shadowbringers, has that balance, and makes you want to believe you can make that difference, after all you are the Warrior of Ligh...Darkness...

    Taken as it is, the story is incomplete if you’re a new player, havingbto work Through all the last content may seem burdensome, but it’s so worth it. You are the hero here, imagine how many hours of your own lore you’re creating. Not just observing but actually creating a heroic history, with so many moments of pain and triumph that you will feel attached to your character, regardless if you have the best gear or not. It’s not the destination so much in XIV as the journey, and after Shadowbringers, you’ll want to see more than ever where the journey will go. The creative team shows their love for the game with Shadowbringers and has raised the bar so high, it will be difficult to keep up to par, let alone surpass it. But I believe Yoshi-P and the team can, and I want to see them succeed. And I intend to be there when they raise that bar higher still.    … Expand
  84. xmo28726
    Jul 6, 2019
    0
    -Skills were overpruned and rotations feel unnecessarily limited. Something is gravely wrong with the new healing spell values.

    -Main story quests only get you halfway through a level, leaving you to grind FATEs, dungeons and fetch quests for far too long. This gives an otherwise decent story a really janky feel. I was far from the only one complaining in general chat about the need to    -Skills were overpruned and rotations feel unnecessarily limited. Something is gravely wrong with the new healing spell values.

    -Main story quests only get you halfway through a level, leaving you to grind FATEs, dungeons and fetch quests for far too long. This gives an otherwise decent story a really janky feel. I was far from the only one complaining in general chat about the need to join in for fate farming groups.

    -New races lack displayable headgear, this makes otherwise iconic sets, such as red mage or black mage, feel much less so.

    -The OST is great, but you can get that off of Youtube.    … Expand
  85. LingShar
    Jul 5, 2019
    10
    FF XIV becomes greater and greater. Great scenario, great antagonist(whom i used to compete a lot). Antagonist deserves a lot of good words in his address. His story, his character it's all so great. And last part of scenario is breathtaking. What more can i say? - Music. Soken is genius, and music in this expanshion says th same. Design of location worse than in Stormblood, but stillFF XIV becomes greater and greater. Great scenario, great antagonist(whom i used to compete a lot). Antagonist deserves a lot of good words in his address. His story, his character it's all so great. And last part of scenario is breathtaking. What more can i say? - Music. Soken is genius, and music in this expanshion says th same. Design of location worse than in Stormblood, but still good. But design of last scenario dungeon is something amazing. About gameplay... I very like rebalance of classes. Trust system is best that they can do - NPC deal good dps, evade AoE and boss mechanics, (Urianger - best healer) and no awaitng in queue for dps, it's good step. So i receive many positive emotions through playing this expansion. Thanks to Yoshida, Soken and other creators of this masterpiece. Looking for new scenario patches.… Expand
  86. tjtj295q
    Jul 5, 2019
    9
    Before you buy simply because you see the RAVE reviews: DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IF YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT STORMBLOOD,

    You need Stormblood expansion to get the whole game then buy this game on top. Shadowbringers review: Pro: - Holy mother of god, the story layering and designs are simply sublime. Heavenwards was the standard. Shadowbringer just destroyed it and become the new    Before you buy simply because you see the RAVE reviews: DO NOT BUY THIS GAME IF YOU HAVEN'T BOUGHT STORMBLOOD,

    You need Stormblood expansion to get the whole game then buy this game on top.

    Shadowbringers review:

    Pro:

    - Holy mother of god, the story layering and designs are simply sublime. Heavenwards was the standard. Shadowbringer just destroyed it and become the new standard. It will be hard to top this. I honestly haven't felt this strong feeling of bittersweet for game story since Dragon Age 1 and FF10. Character development is simply through the roof. Only few parts of the plots are predictable, I got it right on the surface and they can twist it even further in depth yet still make perfect sense to their own lore.

    The boring story ground layout from 1.0 and average story in ARR really pay off.

    - The boss designs and difficulties are hiked up this expansion. Prepare for slaughter house....joking, not that bad it's doable. Alot harder to blind now, but not impossible.

    - Every class will have enhance area of effect abilities, so all role can enjoy the spectacle of monster annihilation without worring of TP limit.

    - High quality music and voice acting.

    - Trust system: the AI companions that you can choose to bring are quite reliable for you to level up or farm loot. (except AI DPS sucks ♥♥♥♥). So if you are playing DPS role which will usually have long que, you will find this quite useful.

    - Improve quality of life like more inventory increase, retrieve materia at 100% and convert blue and less unique gears from Stormblood down.

    Con

    - Job abilities update or rework: I'm starting to notice certain worrisome pattern for each class designs. By trying to make specific role doing purely their main purpose (Tank only tanks, Healers only heal, DPS only DPS), cross job synergies and uniqueness and cooperation start to overlap greatly. Especially range DPS and healers take a huge hit. Scholar and Astrologist to be specific

    While it is not as bad or disastrous, going further than this will surely become one. Alot less people play healers now noticeably. Looking at roles in need in roullette for a week now and the amount of tank and DPS are much higher than healers than healer. I hope I'm wrong and this disparity ease up in a month like before.

    - Optional quests are not creative as usual.

    - Main story quest fillers: annoying and boring at times I'd say. Certain beast tribe that is meant to be annoying is REALLY ANNOYING! They really need to get out of delivery, emote, killing kind of quest sheesh. MMOs are always like this. More voice acting would be nice.

    - If you are mainly for PvP, this is NOT a game for you.

    - A lot of job fantasies such as Bard singing aspect, effects like Foe Requeim and their mana usage for singing is gone....this makes me really salty as a Bard main.

    - Certain terrain drawing like the whale island....somehow I jump and got stuck. Other than that, no bugs. One mission activation error to so restart the client. Other than that, that's about it.

    Conclusion:

    - Yes, get the damn game. They sincerely put alot of work in this. The quality worths the price. Most of its flaws are typical MMOs as a genre. I am quite certain if you are already story invested person, you will LOVE the game.

    - I'm sure they will rework jobs and rebalance them again next expansion again anyway. If the community don't stab themselves and ask to monotonize all the jobs into 3 roles, then this game will live a long time.

    I want to get it an 8 like HW, but since I know there will be some trolls or other rival MMO fanboys coming in, I will heighten the score for abit    … Expand
  87. Dustybrown
    Jul 5, 2019
    10
    The best Final Fantasy story I’ve ever played. I am just completely blown way. The music is incredible, the new zones are beautiful. The dungeons are amazingly designed. Even the voice acting is amazing. You can see how much hard work the dev team have put into this game and it really shines through. An excellent expansion to an already fantastic mmo.
  88. Mogster
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    Simply the best expansion released for FFXIV. It has come to the point where you can consider FFXIV's story as one of the best FF stories out there.

    ShB comfortable **** on a lot of RPG stories in the last decade or so.
  89. zaftgun
    Jul 4, 2019
    6
    A review by a real player: (the positives are all bs or fake)

    Simplified skill system with minimal new content. To drag things along, 14 million exp is required to level. To attain this you will need to repeatedly grind a single instance over and over and over. Essentially time wasting. The quest system is more than 10 years old and incredibly clicky. The character motions are just    A review by a real player: (the positives are all bs or fake)

    Simplified skill system with minimal new content. To drag things along, 14 million exp is required to level. To attain this you will need to repeatedly grind a single instance over and over and over. Essentially time wasting.

    The quest system is more than 10 years old and incredibly clicky. The character motions are just there to waste time and have seen zero improvement from the very beginning of game release.

    The entire game is made to drag things out with extremely little actual content to enjoy. Not recommended for anyone old or new.

    Mostly reused music with very slight differences. New tracks mostly does not fit the scene and environment. The quest complete sound effect is horrifying.    … Expand
  90. Jugo88
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    Amazing game. Love what they've done with the healers this expansion. Keep it t up
  91. Kohlmanb
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    Shadowbringers is the best mmorpg expansion that we've seen in many many years. SE knocked it out of the park with this one.
  92. Tonigiri
    Jul 4, 2019
    9
    This expansion to FFXIV is the best one yet! I couldn't believe this level of quality could even be reached. The world, the character development, the music and story especially were top notch this time around. It does feel slow if the story isn't what you're interested in. Many, many long cutscenes and dialogues. This entry solidly made me realize that this is a Final Fantasy game firstThis expansion to FFXIV is the best one yet! I couldn't believe this level of quality could even be reached. The world, the character development, the music and story especially were top notch this time around. It does feel slow if the story isn't what you're interested in. Many, many long cutscenes and dialogues. This entry solidly made me realize that this is a Final Fantasy game first and foremost with great multiplayer elements to go along with it. I can't wait to see how they top this.… Expand
  93. brunoblr
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. What Squareenix did with all story is awesome! Probably the best xpec released counting all MMO in the market so Far!… Expand
  94. Xandis
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The story in this expansion is better than most of AAA titles from last few years… Expand
  95. Steviejd
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Best expansion for an mom ever! Easily can carry it self as one of the best Final Fantasy stories ever told.… Expand
  96. novidcat
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    Too good for an mmo.The most final fantasy game I have played in last decade.
  97. apexprime
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    Just when I thought that it couldn't get any better. So much heart has been poured into this expansion.
  98. Khalindra_Nela
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    Absolutely the best Expansion FFXIV has to offer! The whole Expansion is a roller coaster of emotions from the start to the end ! If ur into the story. I strongly recommend to not buy the jump potion if you are a new player! You will miss out on a lot of the story wich leads up to Shadowbringers wich kinda brings all of the stuff that happened before to its conclusion! And theres moreAbsolutely the best Expansion FFXIV has to offer! The whole Expansion is a roller coaster of emotions from the start to the end ! If ur into the story. I strongly recommend to not buy the jump potion if you are a new player! You will miss out on a lot of the story wich leads up to Shadowbringers wich kinda brings all of the stuff that happened before to its conclusion! And theres more Adventures after!… Expand
  99. Valinov
    Jul 4, 2019
    10
    I made an account just to rate this. I finished the main scenario quests a couple hours ago and I have no words that can truly describe just how epic it was. If there was a way to say "wtf" and "holy sh!t" at the same time, I'd be shouting it until I lost my voice. The dev team has outdone themselves in every aspect. Bravo
  100. ArturPKMN
    Jul 3, 2019
    10
    The new classes, the soundtrack of each new region, the immersion, the maps, the new dungeons and the history ... everything is incredible. Square Enix is outdone! Great MMO!
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best PC Game of 2019
23
#23 Most Discussed PC Game of 2019
9
#9 Most Shared PC Game of 2019

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
90

Universal acclaim - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 24 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 25
  3. Negative: 0 out of 25
  1. Cubed3
    Mar 27, 2020
    70
    The active story events of ShadowBringers are good fun, but due to the grinding nature of the genre, it suffers from some terrible pacing issues. If you are invested in FFXIV, this DLC will probably excite and please you. It's a fun but forgettable romp that runs just the wrong side of boring during its hours-long retelling and bland A-B mission style. If this tickles your fancy, be sure to start and play with a team of friends - it will easily be 10 times more enjoyable, if infinitely longer.
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  2. Multiplayer.it
    Sep 15, 2019
    90
    Shadowbringers is not just a fun and juicy MMORPG thanks to some intuitive design choices and amazing dungeons and encounters, but also a different take on the overindulged "hero saves the world" story with lots of twists and turns.
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  3. Game Informer
    Aug 15, 2019
    90
    Shadowbringers is the best expansion yet for Square Enix’s MMORPG, a world that comes alive in the player’s hands, with weight and gravitas moving you through every whimsical corner. Old-fashioned quest design and color-dodging combat add a dull tinge to a truly magical landscape, but those imperfections can’t keep down the scale and scope of excellent environments, grandiose bosses, and majestic music.
    Read full review
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