It’s finally here – the end of Endwalker. In patch 6.55, we finally say goodbye to Final Fantasy XIV’s latest expansion, after two years of saving the universe, fighting physical incarnations of despair, traveling through rifts between dimensions, and marveling at strange grapes. It’s been one hell of a ride, but where is the game going now as it prepares for the next chapter of the upcoming Road to Dawn expansion?
Endwalker sees the game concluding the story of Hydrin and Zodiak – a saga ten years in the making – and delivering surprising population growth that resulted in the need for several new servers. This finally resolves why the shadowless menace that has been plaguing players in A Realm Reborn, Skyward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers do what they do. It was the perfect ending and release from ten years of tension. How can Square Enix follow suit?
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In Endwalker’s latest update, we’re starting to see the seeds of the next adventure, as we travel to the thirteenth world – reflecting the world of Scion that has succumbed to darkness – to stop it from breaking into our own. In the grand scheme of things, this may be a relatively short adventure, but it also holds huge potential for the future. Not only do we meet new goth girl favorite Zero, but the game once again proves that traveling between worlds is possible. It also ends things on a high note – even in the darkest places there is hope for a fresh start. Just like “FF14” opened up new directions and new adventures for the next expansion pack.
Dawntrail is a huge shift in tone compared to the likes of Endwalker and Shadowrbingers. Instead of fighting for the future of the kingdom/world/universe, we are preparing for a short trip across the ocean to see what is out there. It’s a more upbeat and fun position.
The end of Endwalker in version 6.55 also gives us some idea of what we can expect. After being introduced to the energetic Wuk Lamat and instantly falling in love with her, we finally met a female Hrothgar (the next new playable race), we also got to see a new Pictomancer at work, and little scholar Krile finally joined us The battle comes after years of sitting on the sidelines (although there is the possibility of some infighting with the Descendants as Thancred and Uriang have been summoned to Tural by the competing parties). Hopefully by the end there won’t be any bad blood between us and we’ll be able to embrace it at some point. This may be just a small preview of what’s to come, but it helps build excitement for what’s to come.
The final chapter of the Endwalker expansion also marks the end of the raid. The past two years have provided a range of excellent high-end and casual combat, whether it’s a single boss battle-style trial or a particularly good 24-man Alliance raid, where players can take on Eorzea’s 12 major gods. Frankly, there’s a ton of challenges to take on right now, and if you’re a little shy about trying out the harder Brutal versions of combat, now is the perfect time to give it a try. Equipment has also become stronger, so the first few battles are now more approachable.
However, hardcore raiders may find themselves a bit overwhelmed – the last patch before the next expansion is when things are at their quietest. Unfortunately, there won’t be any new challenges to test out until Summer and Road to Dawn are released. The Mandeville Arms is also a disappointment, although the story surrounding it is pretty hilarious.
The latest step in the Relic quest (FFXIV’s best weapons, built over time) is just a simple case of trading tombstones for the items you need, so there’s not a lot of effort involved – it doesn’t bring the same It feels like the same achievement as the previous expansion. This is an area that feels a bit disappointing. I understand why the developers did this; the previous version was too rough, but this expansion thing has gone too far off the rails. Hopefully Naoki Yoshida and his team can strike the right balance, now that all the groundwork has been laid. Still, at least this time I was able to accomplish more than one of them, even if it wasn’t something to show off anymore.
While there’s plenty of casual content to keep most players entertained, such as a light-farming island sanctuary and a Final Fantasy XVI crossover event in April, it’s still going to be a long wait until summer for most players. Now might be the perfect time to take a break and come back refreshed for your new adventure with Dawntrail. Just don’t leave it for too long, Final Fantasy XIV’s future looks incredibly bright.
