Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood

 PC
User Score
9.1

Universal acclaim- based on 993 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 890 out of 993
  2. Mixed: 39 out of 993
  3. Negative: 64 out of 993
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  1. Kennyamr
    Jun 28, 2017
    10
    This is the best story, in my opinion, since the start of game services.
    Excellent characters, world, maps, quests.
    Tons of stuff to do, content everywhere, new ways of leveling, great dungeons, amazing music, impressive battles.
    This is, without a doubt, one of the best Final Fantasy games available, not only best MMO but best Final Fantasy overall.
  2. Kamui22
    Jun 20, 2017
    10
    best mmo actually,nice story,Good dungeons,maps and content I recommend it

    El mejoro mmo actualmente,buena historia,buenos dungeons,mapas y contenido muy recomendado
  3. Genis94
    Jul 4, 2017
    10
    Although plagued by server issues during the early access release (this was revealed to have been due to a DDoS attack), Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood has delivered an amazing experience for players of the MMO genre. From a new compelling story about liberation from tyranny and the hardships of war, to completely revamping jobs and adding new mechanics, the game has improved by leaps andAlthough plagued by server issues during the early access release (this was revealed to have been due to a DDoS attack), Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood has delivered an amazing experience for players of the MMO genre. From a new compelling story about liberation from tyranny and the hardships of war, to completely revamping jobs and adding new mechanics, the game has improved by leaps and bounds.

    Gameplay: Stormblood has made several balance changes to PvE and PvP, not least of which is the abandoning of the Cross Class System in favor of a new Cross Role System. This means you no longer have to level something like Thaumaturge in order to be a good healer with Swiftcast, as that is one of your options in the Cross Role menu. PvP has now been given a normalized stat and skill system, resulting in matches that are more heavily reliant on player skill than before, and thanks to the increased potency on almost all skills, PvP has become less of a stalemate fest.

    Graphics: FF14 is still a game that is very appealing to look at and the new zones continue to impress with their level of detail and visual fidelity for an MMO. From different textures to show erosion on rock, to the interesting architecture of Ala Mhigo and Othard, the art team continues to deliver.

    Music: Masayoshi Soken hasn't let us down as he continues to find ways to take a leitmotif and spin it in several interesting ways throughout the different zones and battles. The Royal Menagerie having one of the most climactic themes of any battle yet was wholly appropriate given the scale of what you are undertaking at the climax of the story. I found myself getting so hyped that I would occasionally sing the small chant from the main theme of the expansion during boss fights.

    If you're a fan of MMO's Stormblood is a fantastic expansion that builds upon an already strong foundation, and with amazing raids like Omega and Ivalice coming out soon, there's always more content to keep the game fresh on the way.    … Expand
  4. Monochr0m3
    Jun 20, 2017
    10
    Despite the early access issue (raubahn and pipin savage), the content of the expansion itself is very very good. I can say it's one of the best MMO expansion I've played and I played a lot of MMOs.

    - Story: The pacing is tighter and more streamlined than Heavensward, almost no filler or unnecessary detour in the main quest. Although I prefer the setting and setup of Heavensward,    Despite the early access issue (raubahn and pipin savage), the content of the expansion itself is very very good. I can say it's one of the best MMO expansion I've played and I played a lot of MMOs.

    - Story:
    The pacing is tighter and more streamlined than Heavensward, almost no filler or unnecessary detour in the main quest. Although I prefer the setting and setup of Heavensward, Stormblood has various twists and unforgettable moments, I'm excited to see where the story will unfolds in 4.x patches.

    - Gameplay:
    The two new Jobs (Samurai and Red Mage) are AWESOME. Tried both of them a lot in Palace of the Dead and they play very fluidly with interesting mechanics. Red Mage in particular seems very enjoyable to play, they got the jack of all trades role right. While Samurai is pure DPS monster with zero utility to the party, skill wise it is a bit harder than other melee DPS since you have to keep track a lot of things. The battle system changes they introduced is also mostly a success and make old jobs more streamlined (a bit dumbed down, but understandable, WoW had worse skill pruning).

    - Music:
    No comment needed here. Still reign supreme as the best MMO music.

    - Endgame:
    Can't give full impression on the endgame since raid is not out yet (2 weeks from now). The only endgame content currently is 2 Extreme Primal which I haven't tried yet.    … Expand
  5. itti18
    Jun 29, 2017
    10
    heavensward expansion was great , stormblood is even greater

    story is very well designed and very engaging , new zones and music and jobs are all amazing
    I want to thank the development team for this masterpiece and hope they keep on making this game better
  6. ZodaSoda
    Dec 13, 2021
    10
    While feeling like a weaker story than its predecessor Heavensward. the actual quality of Stormblood is leaps and bounds better than ever, the cutscenes, the dialogues, the character building, the world building, Stormblood is VERY good in a lineup of Expansions that are also VERY good and the other expansions are bolstered by its existance and willingness to focus more on world buildingWhile feeling like a weaker story than its predecessor Heavensward. the actual quality of Stormblood is leaps and bounds better than ever, the cutscenes, the dialogues, the character building, the world building, Stormblood is VERY good in a lineup of Expansions that are also VERY good and the other expansions are bolstered by its existance and willingness to focus more on world building than many players may not enjoy as much as it drags on.… Expand
  7. Malgarios
    Jul 5, 2017
    10
    The two new Jobs (Samurai and Red Mage) are AWESOME. Tried both of them a lot in Palace of the Dead and they play very fluidly with interesting mechanics. Red Mage in particular seems very enjoyable to play, they got the jack of all trades role right. While Samurai is pure DPS monster with zero utility to the party, skill wise it is a bit harder than other melee DPS since you have to keepThe two new Jobs (Samurai and Red Mage) are AWESOME. Tried both of them a lot in Palace of the Dead and they play very fluidly with interesting mechanics. Red Mage in particular seems very enjoyable to play, they got the jack of all trades role right. While Samurai is pure DPS monster with zero utility to the party, skill wise it is a bit harder than other melee DPS since you have to keep track a lot of things. The battle system changes they introduced is also mostly a success and make old jobs more streamlined (a bit dumbed down, but understandable, WoW had worse skill pruning).… Expand
  8. Maofdis
    Jun 20, 2017
    10
    Some negative comments are false. They really improved the game with this xpac. It is way better than heavensward content wise and system wise. All Jobs have changed in a better way (some more and some less). Even Cutscene animation is looking better now and with the graphical improvent ff14 is looking prettier than before. Stormblood is a truly great xpac for ff14 and a great in general
  9. Kezian
    Jul 30, 2019
    10
    FF14 is amazing ! If you never played it, download the free trial and see for yourself !
  10. EevieRoseAmalee
    Nov 30, 2018
    10
    FFXIV is one of the games I just can't stop playing. I recommend this game to anyone, and I have easily put more hours in this game than 99% of any game I have ever played. If you're a final fantasy fan that is on the fence about an online Final Fantasy because you think they are suppose to be offline please do not be. FFXIV is worth it! It not only has it's own world but almost everythingFFXIV is one of the games I just can't stop playing. I recommend this game to anyone, and I have easily put more hours in this game than 99% of any game I have ever played. If you're a final fantasy fan that is on the fence about an online Final Fantasy because you think they are suppose to be offline please do not be. FFXIV is worth it! It not only has it's own world but almost everything from previous titles! If you are missing Final Fantasy and need something to suite your mmo sweet tooth this game is by far the best mmo on the market!… Expand
  11. Katzena
    Dec 12, 2021
    10
    Not my favorite expansion cause I dislike Lyse, but the story was still good! There were a lot of feely and funny moments!
  12. BetaReviews
    Nov 26, 2020
    10
    Amazing story. Graphics has a great emphasis on attention to detail from scenery to character.
  13. TPLaMar
    Aug 22, 2021
    10
    I didn’t think this one would be better than the Heavensward expansion, but it was just continued excellence in game design and story telling. 10/10, and a loss for words this is an MMO
  14. 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.
  15. Light_Ain
    Jul 25, 2023
    10
    Stormblood is a little long for my liking but the setup it makes for the future is incredible. Some might not like how long it is but the payoff in the later expansions it sets up is worth it ten times over.
  16. TristanX
    Sep 26, 2021
    9
    Square Enix makes this expansion with care. Top quality contents. Just buy if you love ARR and Heavensward. Battle system still on the slow side.
  17. agent_smashing
    Jul 6, 2017
    9
    I very rarely feel the need to review on here, but I was compelled this time.

    Can we just talk about how far this game has come? This expansion brings the best story yet, two fan favorite classes, gives the combat more options for most classes and expands on the battle mechanics in new primal battles, dungeons, and raids. I've tried out Dark Knight through to level 70, Red Mage    I very rarely feel the need to review on here, but I was compelled this time.

    Can we just talk about how far this game has come? This expansion brings the best story yet, two fan favorite classes, gives the combat more options for most classes and expands on the battle mechanics in new primal battles, dungeons, and raids. I've tried out Dark Knight through to level 70, Red Mage (simplistic but fun), and I've experienced all of the PvE content of the latest patch, I can say without a doubt that FFXIV has only gotten better and more refined with time.

    This game does what it always has but it does it now better than ever, bringing it up to the quality of World of Warcraft easily, and one of the best dev teams you've ever seen in a game. Bravo, well done.    … Expand
  18. saintninja
    Dec 12, 2020
    9
    I don't like theme of Far East. But hey! This expansion wake up my interest to this culture! Storytelling grow up again and more challenge and beautiful contents awaits! Bravo
  19. marcosbravo1991
    Jun 21, 2017
    9
    Better than Heavensward in my opinion. The gameplay is smoother, classes updates makes more sense now.

    I found the history of Heavensward a bit confusing, in this new expansion, it seems to have a more defined line. The new classes are super fun to play and soundtrack keeps amazing like ever The only problem was the early acess congestion with large queue's. i hope that we can log    Better than Heavensward in my opinion. The gameplay is smoother, classes updates makes more sense now.

    I found the history of Heavensward a bit confusing, in this new expansion, it seems to have a more defined line.
    The new classes are super fun to play and soundtrack keeps amazing like ever

    The only problem was the early acess congestion with large queue's. i hope that we can log in easily on the upcoming weeks :)    … Expand
  20. lenpup
    Jun 24, 2017
    9
    The combat changes are excellent and welcome upgrades making combat more interesting and fun. Already the best PVE mmorpg out there, the new content is gorgeous and epic and interesting. PVP is more fun, crisp, responsive, and consistent than ever. The two new classes are fun and unique.

    The two new dps classes have left the already unbalanced dps/tank/healer ratios in the game way    The combat changes are excellent and welcome upgrades making combat more interesting and fun. Already the best PVE mmorpg out there, the new content is gorgeous and epic and interesting. PVP is more fun, crisp, responsive, and consistent than ever. The two new classes are fun and unique.

    The two new dps classes have left the already unbalanced dps/tank/healer ratios in the game way further out of whack leaving dps players in duty finder queue for outrageous periods of time. A design mistake that everyone has been waiving red flags about for months. I pray SE's gamble that the population will settle back at an acceptable ratio pays off. Otherwise they'd better have another tank class in the works!!!!!!!!!!

    Yes, there was a technical snafu (bad decision) that left most players completely unable to progress the main story after just a few steps, for the first 48 hours of early access. I myself was furious and still to some extent am. I will never forgive SE for leaving such a short-sighted design choice in place without comment or correction for fully half of the early access period, and still no public acknowledgement or apology for the foolish mistake. That said, if you're writing your review or quitting the game based solely on that long-corrected issue, your opinion is worthless to me, authors of these raging 1-star reviews.    … Expand
  21. s3renity
    Oct 24, 2018
    9
    Still the best MMO RPG available right now, and probably the best I've ever played (and I've played them since Lineage 2). The sheer vastness and complexity of this game make it almost always interesting to log back in and play for a few hours. And so I have been doing, from the release of this expansion up til the current patch (as of Oct 2018).

    Graphics are better than they have been    Still the best MMO RPG available right now, and probably the best I've ever played (and I've played them since Lineage 2). The sheer vastness and complexity of this game make it almost always interesting to log back in and play for a few hours. And so I have been doing, from the release of this expansion up til the current patch (as of Oct 2018).

    Graphics are better than they have been before. They ditched ps3 support in an effort to allow for bigger areas and other graphical improvements and it shows. It is still a FFXIV, so the aesthetic is the same, but new areas, new skill effects, and new instances are absolutely great.

    Music is great, as it has always been. A bit too militaristic in some places for my taste, but plays into the overall theme of the expansion. And the new themes for new primals and other trials are beautiful, each better than another - and with such variety I haven't heard in not only other MMORPGs, but other games in general.

    New jobs (classes) are pretty good too. Even though they only introduced two dps, they differ enough to make for an interesting experiment (my main hasn't changed since ARR). My only complaint about them is that they don't feel complex enough on higher levels, but that's the situation with many other jobs. Speaking of which, the ability rework is not the highest point of the expansion. Removing and reorganizing many of them was necessary b/c there were just so many, but I feel they could have done better. Expansion to core kits for many jobs do not feel like natural progression, instead it often feels like a few new abilities have been plopped on top of a fleshed out class. All in all, most of it works out well and slight corrections since the initial release have improved the situation anyway.

    The lowest point of the entire expansion is probably the story. It's not bad - it's just not Heavensward level of epic. Heavensward had me logging in to continue main story with almost religious zeal. Characters were authentic, values rang true and the adventures were immersive (even if they dragged a bit towards the end). Stormblood's story is interesting, fun, the cast is diverse and there are some plot twists here and there but it feels somewhat uninspired. Still good, but not excellent.

    Additional content, like raids, trials, and dungeons, are pretty great. They are masterfully done and differ amongst themselves enough to keep you interested. While they follow pretty much the same script as before, they offer aesthetic variety and different mechanics so I was never really bored. To be fair, I think this is the part that has improved the most since ARR and I am happy devs are just getting better and better at it.

    The community has always been one of the reasons I kept playing for years. People are just nice and toxicity is limited. That said, with the game becoming a bit more popular, this has changed slightly with SB. It's still miles ahead of WoW though, so if you want to find friends online to do cool stuff with, this is definitely your game.

    Finally, I'm not a big fan of the most recent additions and changes to the game. Eureka especially feels dull. Luckily, there are so many other things to do this is really not a problem.

    Can't say much about PvP b/c I never really had time to try it ^^.    … Expand
  22. Mohammed-alsheh
    Jun 21, 2020
    9
    the expiation had it's fair share of launch problems but the actual content is actually quite phenomenal i enjoyed every bit of it , just remember this is an mmo it's not fair or reasonable to not expect grind for levels or a soft cap on gear THERE IS NO MMO THAT DOESN'T HAVE THAT , or even soft mmos so please be reasonable other than that the content that was provided was quite awesomethe expiation had it's fair share of launch problems but the actual content is actually quite phenomenal i enjoyed every bit of it , just remember this is an mmo it's not fair or reasonable to not expect grind for levels or a soft cap on gear THERE IS NO MMO THAT DOESN'T HAVE THAT , or even soft mmos so please be reasonable other than that the content that was provided was quite awesome not only in presentation but in execution as well… Expand
  23. candidKlutz
    Apr 30, 2022
    9
    Don't let anyone tell you that this expansion is bad, or even the worst one. While I wouldn't say it's quite as incredible as HW, it's still very much enjoyable. Every single character is enjoyable.
  24. Imopsie
    Apr 7, 2023
    9
    Stormblood introduces the new antagonist Zenos. He is the first person in the game who truly instills fear in the player, as at first you have absolutely no chance against him and are completely at his mercy.
    Without wanting to spoil too much, we owe our lives to the fact that Zenos sees something in us, the player character, that he himself does not quite understand. His confused    Stormblood introduces the new antagonist Zenos. He is the first person in the game who truly instills fear in the player, as at first you have absolutely no chance against him and are completely at his mercy.
    Without wanting to spoil too much, we owe our lives to the fact that Zenos sees something in us, the player character, that he himself does not quite understand. His confused musings, in which he wants to see us both as a friend and an enemy, as he is still the prince of the Garlean empire, make every encounter with him truly interesting, and you want to learn more about him and why he cannot feel any joy except when he meets us.
    Unfortunately, his story is unusually short for this game, which is really puzzling to me. We learn almost nothing about him and only scratch the surface.
    In general, this expansion is much more ominous than the previous one, as it deals directly with war and its consequences.    … Expand
  25. BO3DYX
    Jul 22, 2017
    8
    Subscribe became too expensive for players in Russia. But despite this, we haven't tech. support in native language, we haven't localization, we haven't servers in Russia.
  26. sharkman265
    Jul 8, 2017
    8
    Updated Review : Its been about 2 weeks since the launch much of the bugs have been finally improved same with server stability , still some issues are around (some server congestion and login ques) how ever I have spent my time getting my character to level 70 and enjoyed the Story (main quests) very much what is annoying is the fact that Square Enix released 2 new classes which are bothUpdated Review : Its been about 2 weeks since the launch much of the bugs have been finally improved same with server stability , still some issues are around (some server congestion and login ques) how ever I have spent my time getting my character to level 70 and enjoyed the Story (main quests) very much what is annoying is the fact that Square Enix released 2 new classes which are both DPS (Damage Per Second) which results in long que times for the duty finder (Tanks and healers always get in Duties right away when using the DF) with that said wish they released a healer or tank class not just DPS classes , with that said it brings me to the next part of my review the classes (well just 1 since ive yet to start working on the other) the new class Samurai is unique , it uses a combination of monk style combos and the ninjas ninjitsu system also its a heavy hitter (does very high DPS) alas you start the samurai at level 50 so you got to get that up 20 levels to level 70 which can be grindy ive managed to level up twice in a 6 hour period (long DF que times) and several Palace of Dead fail groups (randoms via DF) so Experience farming is kinda tough starting at level 50-60 (level 60-70 is easier cause you can do lvl 60+ dungeons which award tons of EXP)

    The Zones are absolutely gorgeous (especially the Ruby Sea and the Stepp's)

    The Sound track is very well done as well (Especially the Lakashimi fight) !!

    Cons: Is the final Trial Duty (very hard even for a veteran like me) the mechanics are somewhat complicated especially when the corners start pulsating and you dont know where the safe spot is (you get hit and its insta death)

    My Initial Review below (was originally 2 stars)

    "After the initial Launch of the game FFXIV ARR they had massive server issues and problems (this is ontop of 2 closed betas and 1 open beta) that was 3-4 years ago , i then gave them benifit of the doubt cause it was their first launch of the new IP but after Heavensward i gave it a 5 because of the same issues aka server and bugs , now with Stormblood with all the issues on Early access and some now affecting official launch , ontop of the developement team not doing anything to resolve the issues only apologizing and twiddling their thumbs this is getting a 2 out of 10 due to the fact customer service sucks and we pay a $15 a month subscription to this game ontop of shelling out another $40 for this expansion , i will write an updated review later but for now this is my review in progress so far !!!"    … Expand
  27. EGAndrade
    Aug 8, 2017
    8
    An uncommunicaded increase in Steam subscription price less than one month after Stormblood release, making people pay from 60% to 300% more, making the subscription even more expensive than the base game itself. Now SE has decided to revert the price change from Aug 16, to Oct 16 and give affected players 30 days bonus on sub time for the inconvenient, which shows its team still valuesAn uncommunicaded increase in Steam subscription price less than one month after Stormblood release, making people pay from 60% to 300% more, making the subscription even more expensive than the base game itself. Now SE has decided to revert the price change from Aug 16, to Oct 16 and give affected players 30 days bonus on sub time for the inconvenient, which shows its team still values its player-base.
    This expansion recycles some of the 3.0 previous formulas into 4.0 (yeah, I'm looking at you under-water flying) but without an equally powerful story as Heavensward's. Stormblood is still at its beginning tho, so it has lots of time for improvements.    … Expand
  28. Wweald
    Dec 15, 2021
    8
    Stormbloods very good, but it's more on the level of ARR instead of Heavensward and Shadowbringers. The trials are amazing, the best of the game imo. The dungeons are among the best as well. I like most of the characters in Stormblood, but the pacing is awful on some parts it drags on similarly to ARR. The plot is good but not great like the other expansions.
  29. MazrimTaim14
    Jul 31, 2022
    8
    would have been a lesser score for me if not for the patches. main story got bland by dividing it into two regions but the patch stories and content made it for me.

    people might forget the tons of content the expansion brought due to not liking the main story quest of 4.0 but i did have a hell of a time although the empire plot could have gone another way but it did help set up the    would have been a lesser score for me if not for the patches. main story got bland by dividing it into two regions but the patch stories and content made it for me.

    people might forget the tons of content the expansion brought due to not liking the main story quest of 4.0 but i did have a hell of a time

    although the empire plot could have gone another way but it did help set up the big bad of the next expansion    … Expand
  30. chocletymilk
    Mar 21, 2021
    8
    This expac is for my fello Lyse stans. Story wise I think it's a lil less exciting than HW, MSQ got reaaally repetitive there for a while. It's not bad by any means, but def not the best. Some of the new zones added are really really cool, others not so much. The story is a lot more war/politics based and less fantasy epic battles. All in all it's 100% worth it for some main character'sThis expac is for my fello Lyse stans. Story wise I think it's a lil less exciting than HW, MSQ got reaaally repetitive there for a while. It's not bad by any means, but def not the best. Some of the new zones added are really really cool, others not so much. The story is a lot more war/politics based and less fantasy epic battles. All in all it's 100% worth it for some main character's developments, new races and characters, zones, mechanics and stuff, they added some really cool new stuff to the gameplay here.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

11
#11 Best PC Game of 2017
54
#54 Most Discussed PC Game of 2017
55
#55 Most Shared PC Game of 2017

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
87

Generally favorable reviews - based on 21 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 21
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 21
  3. Negative: 0 out of 21
  1. Cubed3
    Jan 2, 2018
    90
    Stormblood is simply amazing. Not much more can be said about it. With a very well-crafted story, some tense and epic battles, two new classes, and wonderful zones, saying anything else would ruin so much of the expansion and what makes it great.
    Read full review
  2. Game Rant
    Aug 21, 2017
    90
    Do yourself a favor and lose yourself in the world of Hydaelyn for a good month at the very least. You won’t regret it.
    Read full review
  3. Everyeye.it
    Jul 25, 2017
    90
    Kugane's eastern atmospheres did a great job at Eorzea, which has never been so attractive.
    Read full review
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