Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Reviews
...Heavensward takes Final Fantasy XIV's reborn realm and takes those high emotions from Patch 2.55 and twisting them into a beautifully dark Final Fantasy story while also polishing many aspects of the gameplay to make the game both more accessible and enjoyable.
As a title, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward is polished. It might not always get everything right, but when it does, it does it pretty damn well. It’s an example of developers finally finding their footing and taking a game to its limits. Even if those limits are the consequence of a rather shameful disaster.
What more can really be said? Everyone was expecting a nice and self-contained story at best, a bit of a romp, and nothing exceptional. Getting a well-crafted story, developers learning how to up their game to create intense battles from their prior experiences, and so many other improvements, was simply not expected. There is a distinct rift in quality between the base game and this expansion, and considering A Realm Reborn was already very good, this new rift showcases just how great Heavensward is.
But as I said, these three issues are incredibly minor when considering the sheer scale and variety of content in the game, and they haven't stopped me logging over 300 hours in total play across Final Fantasy XIV and now Heavensward. I don't use the five-star rating to describe the perfect game. As per our scoring process, a five-star score is like a five-star hotel; it's a deluxe experience that offers something meaningful well beyond what most games do. But Final Fantasy XIV has genuinely developed into the best MMO on the market as far as I'm concerned, with its brilliant post-game content and now, with the additional Heavensward content, the best is just getting better. This game is a compelling argument for the continued validity of the subscription model for MMOs.
All in all, Heavensward made for a great expansion for the game, and is a great springboard for things to come.
We couldn't have asked for anything better than Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward. It comes packed with a staggering amount of content that will leave players overwhelmed in both quantity and quality. It contains a storyline that's highly entertaining and rivals most RPGs in length, three new jobs that are more than welcome additions and flying mounts that help revolutionize traversal in Eorzea.
[I]t doesn't take long for fatigue to set in when they're the only two dungeons, and when there's almost nothing else to do at 60 beyond farming tokens to get your next set of gear
Heavensward reconfirms Final Fantasy XIV as one of the best MMORPGs out there.
An extensive and well-planned expansion that makes Eorzea an ever-more compelling place to get lost in.
Final Fantasy XIV Online: Heavensward & Final Fantasy XIV Online: Stormblood are prime examples of how you should follow up a great opening chapter in a multi-game game like Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn. The time spent with Final Fantasy XIV Online now feels like it is really getting somewhere instead of just one long introduction. While Final Fantasy XIV Online: Stormblood doesn't quite balance the leveling experience with the story questline, everything comes together as an overall amazing experience leading into Final Fantasy XIV Online: Shadowbringers.
Treading water is exactly what we have here with Heavensward. Besides ingenuity, Heavensward doesn't necessarily fail in any regard.
All in all, you'll literally get hundreds of hours of gameplay to do, with more content added roughly every three months. This is hands down the best MMO on the market currently, in my opinion, and I think every Final Fantasy fan should at least play it through. Even if you're not the type to join clans, it's a game you can play almost exclusively solo except for a couple bosses and some mandatory dungeons. If you have been waiting on picking up Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward there is no better time than now to pick it up. It's a solid 4.5 out of 5 for me.
Yoshida and his team has cemented FFXIV's place amongst the MMO titans that dominate today. They're not going anywhere - if any new MMO is going to see a decade plus lifespan, it's this one. Don't wait another second - Final Fantasy XIV, along with Heavensward, is an MMO you need to be a part of.
Some may argue that the current generation of MMORPGs is filled with throw away imports that focus on monetization over quality. While that seems true for most of 2015's releases Final Fantasy XIV's expansion Heavensward bucks that trend and proves that there is still room for subscription based MMORPGs on the market that are not named World of Warcraft.
Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward felt mixed. Interesting story that started a large-scale conflict was spoiled by the slowness. Exciting new classes for each combat role is great, but controversial pantheon of tribal gods are not left us in awe as Titan or Leviathan. Highly complicated and overburdened combat system and the uneven balance of battles and dungeons also do not benefit the project.
Review in Russian | Read full review
A gorgeous, stirring, mechanically solid, feature-rich expansion to what is the best MMO in years.
The beautiful new areas, incredible story, and massive additions to existing content make Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward an amazing package. Despite some minor annoyances, the overall amount of additional, enjoyable content proves to be highly entertaining for those who have exhausted Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn. Whether you're a newbie or a returning adventurer, there's no better time than now to give the brilliant world of Eorzea a shot.
Final Fantasy XIV newcomers might have to jump through hoops to access the new content, but believe us when we say it's worth the effort.
The Heavensward Stone & Steel and The Scars of War art books are a must have for any Final Fantasy XIV fanatics. The art is gorgeous and detailed, and while the latter book doesn't have as much artist commentary as I would like, both give detail into each artist's process.
Even so, the vast majority of Heavensward is outstanding and it's easy enough to endure the occasional slow patch. A Realm Reborn was an impressive revival when it launched in 2013, and Heavensward elevates the game to an even higher level. Rarely do expansions feel so fully formed. A Realm Reborn is no longer a grand apology, but instead a fantastic Final Fantasy game in its own right.