In this episode of my massive Let’s Play Gameplay Playthrough of Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers, it’s time to finally bring the Scions home.
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TITLE: Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
DEVELOPER: Square Enix
PLATFORM: PC (Steam)
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is the third expansion pack to Final Fantasy XIV, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) developed and published by Square Enix for Microsoft Windows, macOS, and PlayStation 4. It was released on July 2, 2019, two years after Stormblood, the previous expansion. Like its predecessors, Naoki Yoshida served as director and producer and Masayoshi Soken composed the soundtrack. The expansion pack was released as a standalone product for current players; for new players, the “Complete Edition” that originally launched with Heavensward was updated to include all expansions including Shadowbringers.
Shadowbringers takes place on the First, a parallel dimension that has succumbed to apocalyptic collapse. Players are transported to this world and embark on a quest to restore vitality to the ruined land. They are joined by old comrades who have been trapped on the First, as well as Emet-Selch, an immortal villain who aims to harness the First’s desolation to trigger a mirrored calamity on the player’s home world. Emet-Selch accompanies the player, confident in the success of his plan regardless of the player’s meddling. In addition to adding new areas, the expansion pack increases the level cap, debuts two character classes and two playable races, and introduces the ability to explore dungeons with non-playable “Trust” companions.
Shadowbringers was well received upon release and earned nominations for “Expansion of the Year”. Critics praised the story as well as the game’s accessibility to new players, both of which were focuses during development. In December 2019, Square Enix announced that the title had reached a cumulative total of 18 million player accounts. As with its predecessors, major content patches were scheduled for every three months. These updates expanded the main story, added new features, and premiered secondary storylines including a crossover written by Yoko Taro that features characters and elements from Nier: Automata and the Restoration of Ishgard, a long term campaign to rebuild the embattled nation in the aftermath of the Dragonsong War. The third major content patch had its release delayed by two months due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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A fitting title for the episode, considering that it consists almost entirely of goodbyes. My favourite being Seto’s and Lena’s. Farewell First of the reflections, it was a wild ride. As expected, G’raha officially joins the Scions without the pesky issue of crystallisation getting in the way. And continuing with the good news, the Scions keep their wardrobe which Urianger in particular being evidently pleased. But as always, things aren’t all good. Asahi, or rather his corpse piloted by the new crazy on the scene Fandaniel. I thought Emet at the start was slightly unhinged, but this piece of work is clearly a few cartridges short of gunblade. Forget the Joker, I’m getting major FF6 Kefka vibes for this lunatic. Guess Elidibus and the rest of the Unsundered were holding his mania in check. And with him and his seemingly copious amounts of money backing Zenos, this is not going to be pretty. Though his evident exasperated boredom with Fandaniel is amusing. Nevertheless, these 2 are a lot more unpredictable and dangerous than those we’ve thus faced even if they are likely less powerful than Hades or Elidibus. No plan, no goal, just a roaring inferno to accompany a burning stage for Zenos’s little dance of death.