Within the wake of saving the universe from a time-ending calamity, the query that is still for the world of Remaining Fantasy XIV after the occasions of 2021’s Endwalker growth is: How can we transfer on? This query units up the quests instantly following Endwalker’s climax to develop into an arc that completely acts as an epilogue to every thing that got here earlier than, punctuated by a wonderful character within the type of newcomer Zero. With a decade-long overarching narrative additionally having come to an finish in Endwalker, the post-expansion “patch quests” function an excellent blueprint for the way forward for the sport.
To get it out of the best way, I do know I’m late to the social gathering. As I’ve documented already, I’ve just lately been making my means via FF14’s many expansions and haven’t fairly made it to Dawntrail but. Put up-expansion patch quests are nothing new. As expansions sometimes have two to a few years between them, the crew at Sq. Enix doles out smaller story and content material updates to tide gamers over. With previous expansions, these patch quests have typically labored in two components. The primary wraps up the story of the previous growth and the second units up the following. For Endwalker’s patch quests, the crew had a singular alternative to buck that system, because the growth’s launch served as its personal finale and an ending to the overarching Hydaelyn-Zodiark saga of the MMO’s previous ten years. That meant that the Endwalker patch quests could possibly be their very own contained story.
The brand new freedom turns the post-Endwalker quests right into a mini-expansion of its personal. They introduce new characters, locales, dungeons, and a giant dangerous for Warriors of Mild to cope with. However, in order to not begin fully from scratch, the story offers with the Void, a world engulfed by darkness that has come up every now and then prior to now. It’s a setting that has all the time appeared prime for an growth, and whereas this isn’t fairly that, the smaller method works to its profit.
The Void is a world misplaced. Now engulfed by darkness and ravaged by beasts corrupted by that energy, it’s successfully past saving. It’s a distinction to a lot of what now we have encountered prior to now of FF14. Shadowbringers launched us to a world referred to as the First, which was engulfed by gentle and on the point of demise, however could possibly be pulled again with our assist. Right here, nevertheless, we’re confronted with a world that our limitless heroics can’t do a lot for. It’s there that we encounter considered one of its denizens, Zero. Like the opposite inhabitants of the void she is cursed to a deathless existence. Within the years since her world was misplaced she has shed a lot of her recollections, and her humanity with it. After we first meet Zero she is a chilly, uncaring one that has one thing in widespread with Endwalker’s antagonist; each see existence as an limitless cycle of struggling with little to justify it. But as a result of she can not die, Zero can’t get the remainder she yearns for.
The majority of the post-Endwalker patch quests see us dragging Zero round as we attempt to rescue an ally from the Void whereas additionally managing restoration efforts after the nearly-avoided apocalypse on our personal world. In distinction to your entire MMO’s story as much as that time, the Endwalker patches relegate your hero, the Warrior of Mild, to a supporting position. That is Zero’s story, and it’s a great one. After spending a whole growth crammed with existential dread and defeatism, serving to somebody who has given up hope for a greater life is extremely cathartic. It’s principally a narrative about studying the ability of friendship, a cliché concept if ever there was one, but it surely does this with sharp writing and great character moments for its main woman, and let’s be actual, Remaining Fantasy has by no means been delicate with its themes.
The story additionally parallels Zero’s journey with that of the individuals of your world. In life, Zero was a loner who believed she couldn’t belief anybody and needed to work to save lots of the world on her personal. It’s the identical downside that the patch quests’ main villain has, but it surely’s additionally one that everyone making an attempt to get again to a traditional life goes via. That is finest exemplified once you go to the individuals of Garlemald, a now-fallen nation that lengthy served because the MMO’s evil empire. Now, they’re below occupation from you and your allies, and whilst you have the very best intentions, they’re not so keen to simply accept your assist. Either side must put apart their delight to maneuver ahead collectively, as it’s the solely means they will each rebuild. The state of affairs has a profound impact on Zero, who displays on her personal alternative to show down the assistance of a pair of heroes hoping to stave off the top of their world earlier than it grew to become the Void.
In the end it’s revealed that the surviving member of the duo she encountered so way back is the arc’s massive villain, Golbez. It’s a poignant second for Zero, through which she realizes how a lot her closed-off lifestyle has impacted these round her. She isn’t accountable for the Void fully, however she does really feel a brand new sense of guilt and missed alternative. If solely she might have reached out a hand again then. The patch quests don’t fairly stick the touchdown of their predictable finish to the battle at play, however as a personality examine of Zero, it excels. When Zero is lastly in a position to deliver a spark of sunshine to the Void, it’s a mirrored image of how now we have introduced a spark of hope into her life as effectively.
Although there’s solely about half as many quests right here, they convey a way of narrative influence and journey worthy of a full Remaining Fantasy 14 growth. Following Endwalker, I nearly hoped that smaller, extra centered tales grew to become the brand new norm for the MMO. After all, that isn’t what occurred, and proper now hundreds of gamers are exploring the grand new growth, Dawntrail. However primarily based on what I’ve been listening to about its construction, it could at occasions really feel extra such as you’re taking part in a collection of episodic mini-expansions, and to me, that seems like a great factor.
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