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. Sharess_
    Jul 2, 2019
    10
    Honestly I've played a LOT since Shadowbringers has released (pre release on 28th) and I've finished all the MSQ (Main Story Quests) and It's been a hell of a ride. Voice acting and story line are ON POINT!!!

    On release there are 8 dungeons and 2 big boss "Trials" as well as 2 lesser Big Boss Trials included with the expansion as well as 5 zones you can obtain flying in right away (Not    Honestly I've played a LOT since Shadowbringers has released (pre release on 28th) and I've finished all the MSQ (Main Story Quests) and It's been a hell of a ride. Voice acting and story line are ON POINT!!!

    On release there are 8 dungeons and 2 big boss "Trials" as well as 2 lesser Big Boss Trials included with the expansion as well as 5 zones you can obtain flying in right away (Not wait 7 months and have to do a buncha BS, looking @ You WoW)

    Also with Shadowbringers it brought a complete revamp to the games combat system and healing system. It made all the jobs (Classes) WAY more fun to play which is awesome. Looking more and more like a fast action MMORPG.

    Each zone ingame is gorgeous in Shadowbringers, all the music is amazing, the game is more fun to play than ever and jobs are more balanced. What more could you ask for to be honest.

    So some people give low scores it seems because it's expensive because they have to buy initial game plus this expansion. Other games make you buy initial, prior expansions and then current expansion.

    At least FFXIV Lets you buy Game + All prior expansions for one low price and then allows you to buy current expansion when you get to it.    … Expand
  2. PMS_Jordan
    Jun 7, 2021
    10
    I have well over 1,000 hours in this fantastic MMO. It is my favorite Final Fantasy story as well as my favorite MMO of all time. Shadowbringers is straight fire baby! Best expansion by far! I don't know how Endwalker will top it, but I believe in the Dev team. 10/10 would recommend.
  3. Rikori
    Sep 5, 2020
    10
    Absolute masterpiece, honestly the best MMORPG online I've ever seen. The story is the best thing about the game.
  4. Lovely_TimeLord
    Dec 21, 2020
    10
    First of all I wanna say I'm a guy who love play everytime of game online or not and I played a lot of mmorpg over the years... that said, I feel cursed for never playing final fantasy XIV...

    Shadowbringer is for me the best game I've ever played, just brilliant. It had been a long time since I had seen something so puzzling and magnificent. If you came here looking to know if it's    First of all I wanna say I'm a guy who love play everytime of game online or not and I played a lot of mmorpg over the years... that said, I feel cursed for never playing final fantasy XIV...

    Shadowbringer is for me the best game I've ever played, just brilliant. It had been a long time since I had seen something so puzzling and magnificent.

    If you came here looking to know if it's worth playing. YEA!
    But if you are going to start in FFXIV play without haste, forget that the game is a mmorpg, enjoy the story as if it were an offline game and you will not be disappointed    … Expand
  5. mokoantic
    Jul 20, 2020
    10
    Took me too long to start playing this game, and i loved everything about this game: the jobs, the combat, the dungeons, the raids, the community, the world, the story ........

    I played the base game and the three expansions and loved them all. But i think Shadowbringers is the best all around.

    Must play for mmo players.
  6. Wweald
    Dec 15, 2021
    10
    Amazing expansion. Has the best areas, cities, characters, story and dungeons of the game imo. I think Stormblood wins on trials by a tiny bit. Shadowbringers and FFXIV in general is one of the best experiences in gaming.
  7. wildinstict
    Jul 27, 2020
    10
    One brings shadows, one brings the light....enough said...just buy the game. Its story is extremely good
  8. MSB1
    Dec 18, 2020
    10
    The greatest MMO expansion ever made by a long shot. It's going to be a tough, if not impossible, task for Yoshi and his crew to top this one. The story ramped into something truly beautiful and amazing with a main villain that was relatable and charismatic without being the usual 'cliché charismatic guy', giving a beautiful and fitting end to the story arc that it closed. The world,The greatest MMO expansion ever made by a long shot. It's going to be a tough, if not impossible, task for Yoshi and his crew to top this one. The story ramped into something truly beautiful and amazing with a main villain that was relatable and charismatic without being the usual 'cliché charismatic guy', giving a beautiful and fitting end to the story arc that it closed. The world, characters and story were just fantastic, beautiful visually, and well written. The music per the usual was also A+ and some of the best you'll find in gaming.

    Something FF14 has always done infinitely better than WoW is class balance which they constantly listen to feedback on and make tweaks on to try to line jobs up better with one another based off their utility or lack therefore. All of them are performing pretty well and Monks just got an excellent and much needed rework . You can play any job in here you desire and feel like you're pull your weight, whether through the powerful buffs or sheer nuking power. And that's a formula that has continued to stick true in Shadowbringers. They just continue to excel at balance. If it looks fun, play it. You'll have value in groups or savage raids in the end.

    To those of you that play WoW and may be reading this wondering if this could be a breath of fresh air to you after the crap show that's Shadowlands the answer is yes. ESPECIALLY if you love a well written story and characters. The Expansion may be drawing towards a close in a few months, but it's still very much worth getting into. Especially now that ARR's story has received a much needed pruning that will make the level 50 slog from ARR to Heavensward (Where the game truly starts to shine.) much more manageable. That slog was often the defeat of many people trying the game out. But stick through till Heavensward and you'll be justly reward going onwards.

    I should mention that the classes and savage/ultimate raids are quite unlike anything you're used to in WoW. The classes are more in depth and have deeper and longer rotations. A slightly longer GCD than WoW helps out a lot with this and for 'weaving' abilities inbetween them that are off it. If you like the fast playstyle of WoW over a slower one, I would recommend looking into Ninja as a melee or Summoner as a caster as they have many abilities to weave that makes them feel faster. There's tons of resources out there such as The Balance discord to help you on the way and learn the ins and outs of these as well as many youtube videos. And there's easier options of the 'holy trinity' if you don't want to play anything too complex. White Mage (Healer), Red Mage (DPS), and Warrior (Tank) come to mind there as examples. The dungeons are quite easy, Mythic + in WoW is going to be more of a challenge. But the Savage/Ultimate raids are a completely different ballpark from WoW that requires a good, coordinated group and being good at your job as you have many mechanics to go through all the while keeping your dps/healing up to task. One death, especially in ultimate, can spell the difference between victory or a wipe/enrage. And it will also make you a hell of a player over in WoW after spending some time with it. Dodging mechanics in WoW is a joke after learning to dodge some of the mechanics FF14 throws out you in those high end raids.    … Expand
  9. Katzena
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    Probably one the best expansions from the game, i'm conflicted if i liked it more than endwalker or not as this point. but i loved everything about this expansion
  10. Tonarestriga
    Jul 26, 2020
    9
    Only two content patches in and there has yet to be an end to the content. The dungeons are gorgeous, the raids are amazing, the crafting and gathering systems are still their own slice of annoying. I cannot wait to see what YoshiP and his team come up with next but one thing is for sure it is going to be action packed, content packed, and one heck of a ride that I cannot wait to go on.
  11. eugenji
    Oct 9, 2021
    10
    Mit Abstand das bisher beste FFXIV Addon.
    Tolle Geschichte Super Musik
    Nier 24er Raids
    FF7 Weapons als 8er Raids
    … Wer wollte zB Rubin Weapon nicht auch mal in „modern“ sehen ;)
  12. Wulfo
    Dec 27, 2020
    10
    This expansion had me crying my eyes out. Everything from the story, characters, music, dialogue, everything is brilliant. The only bad thing about this expansion, is that it set the bar so high that I don't think it's possible for the next expansion to be as good as this one.
  13. sable10
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    This expansion cemented my love for this amazing MMO. Fantastic story telling, memorable zones and characters. I was sad to leave it when Endwalker was announced. Super great expansion!
  14. gamingtime
    Jan 25, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Honestly the best expansion of the game imo (haven't played endwalker, but the experience will be quite hard to surpass). The music is great as always, especially the dungeon final boss battle theme (Insatiable) gives me chills when hearing it first time. The story was fantastic! The despair and struggle of the first's people portrayed throughout left quite an impression. I was amazed that SE decided to make an extra map just for telling the story of Emet-Selch, but it really did the work nicely. I can still remember the sense of loss and loneliness when reaching the recreated undersea amaurot.… Expand
  15. BugabooJones
    Aug 14, 2020
    10
    Just finished patch 5.3, this is without a doubt, the greatest Final Fantasy story ever told. And it sucks because most people wont ever experience it.
  16. ShogunSHUN
    Dec 4, 2020
    10
    The best MMO out there! Undoubtedly shadowbringers was a surprise, beautiful landscapes, captivating characters, fantastic fights, and let's not forget the soundtrack, incredible!
  17. Dulera
    Dec 4, 2020
    10
    One of the best gaming experiences from start to finish I have ever had. This expansion cements FFXIV as not only The best MMO currently operating but also one of the best Final Fantasy games in the series.
  18. Hieronymous
    Dec 14, 2020
    10
    Phenomenal story arc which leaves you wanting for more. Shadowbringers also brings some welcome changes to class skills by making them more streamlined and coherent.
  19. Daisylanning22
    Dec 16, 2020
    10
    Gorgeous spell animations, every healer can brez (looking at you wow), class balance is immaculate, and god damn can SE tell a story. I was sobbing for half of this xpac and most of the patch content. Cute world events, glamour, housing and great raid/dungeon encounters, this game is perfect.
  20. ganassa
    Jan 3, 2021
    10
    This game just keeps getting better and better. I cannot wait for the new classes of the next expansion and the continuation of this epic saga.
  21. Countrefresh
    Feb 6, 2021
    10
    One of the most unique and delightful rpgs of all history, not just mmos. This is the only rpg on the market where you can pick up for 300 hours and feel like it’s one giant story despite being segmented expansion packs because even in the 300th hour are themes and clues from the first expansion become major plot points.
  22. shinnaileron
    Feb 12, 2021
    10
    best, amazing story gameplay and everything , nothing even close to ff14, not even WOW
  23. KP1994
    Dec 9, 2021
    10
    It's kinda ironic that this 2019 Final Fantasy Fourteen Shadowbringers is much better than 2013/2018-? Grand Theft Auto+Red Dead Online not to mention remind me to 2020 Hades PC too.
  24. jokerdamate8
    Dec 10, 2021
    10
    Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is one of the best video game experiences, period. The story of the game thus far has slowly been rising in quality, but in this expansion, the growth was exponential—so much so that it has become one of the best video game narratives I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The foreboding tone, the themes of indolence and finality, and the overallFinal Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is one of the best video game experiences, period. The story of the game thus far has slowly been rising in quality, but in this expansion, the growth was exponential—so much so that it has become one of the best video game narratives I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing. The foreboding tone, the themes of indolence and finality, and the overall "feel" were very consistent and executed to nigh-perfection. Supporting this narrative was a cast of characters that felt more real and relatable than any before, with the returning Scions truly feeling like a group of companions and friends one can rely on. It must be said that no few tears were shed in some scenes and character moments. Gameplay-wise, it is more of the same which is not a bad thing; in fact, some dungeons and trials still stand out as fun and interesting.

    Shadowbringers was the expansion wherein I finally told myself, "That FFXIV might be among the best JRPGs I have ever had the joy playing".    … Expand
  25. grot00
    Dec 11, 2021
    9
    Perfect expansion. If only devs could muster up some courage and finally kill some major npc. The only thing this story lacks is some stakes, actual risks.
  26. Torexid
    Dec 11, 2021
    9
    Great story and great music. Definitely worth the money and so worth playing!
  27. Lux7
    Dec 11, 2021
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Ver good … Expand
  28. forsakee
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    easy 10/10 best mmo - good story and good savage fights. only thing lacking is good pvp
  29. Deadalia
    Dec 11, 2021
    10
    This game is juste amazing. The story is probably one of the best we ever had in FF games. The new map is also amazing. Can't tell more without spoil but this game is for sure one of the best MMO and one of the best final fantasy
  30. RCSabin
    Dec 12, 2021
    9
    What a phenomenal expansion.

    Story takes a while to pick up and become interesting but since it went on a darker tone and cutscenes are pretty great you don't mind as much as in Stormblood. Once it does pick up its a blast until the end.
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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.
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