Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Reviews
Shadowbringers is the most balanced add-on for Final Fantasy XIV yet. The DLC makes a few missteps, but the magic of the new story and areas make up for it. The adjustments to the game invite new players while the new content entertains the veterans.
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If you are waiting for any negatives, I simply don’t have any. It’s entirely possible that a game of this type will not be for you, and especially when it comes to a monthly subscription. But for those who are enthusiasts of the genre, that is no real barrier to entry. This was simply the perfect release for me, and is now my favorite MMORPG experience of all time. The one issue they might have going forward is how to continue at such a fantastic level. It is a really difficult balance to make a single player story feel so immediate and important in an MMORPG setting. And one casualty of that process is that I now love the First so much, that I don’t even want to go back to the Source. Of course, there are much worse problems to have in a game. And as the story of Shadowbringers continues, there will be more story hooks that will lead us back into the Source. This is a meaty RPG on its own, but the structure of Final Fantasy XIV expansions is always that you get about half of the story up front, and the other half will progress across the next two years leading into the next expansion. Even what is here more than justifies the $39.99 expansion price, but the continuing story also makes it satisfying to keep renewing that $10-$15 a month subscription fee. It’s much more than busy work, they truly care about this game and they always listen to their community. There is just nothing more you could ask for a MMORPG, and this is the new standard for which other developers are going to have to reach for in order to have any chance with us switching over to something new.
Shadowbringers is the highest point of Final Fantasy XIV to date and it brings some much needed changes, two exciting new classes and an unforgettable story that rivals even the very best Final Fantasy stories. An excellent music score elevates the package higher and with the promise of a 24 man raid series based on Nier Automata, there’s a lot more to look forward to.
With Shadowbringers, Final Fantasy XIV does more than just cement itself as one of the best –if not the best – top-tier MMORPG’s today, but also the best Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy IX.
FFXIV: Shadowbringers is a tale that shows us how much we need the Darkness, how balance must be kept in check, how vulnerable we all are, and how we can’t stand alone. We need others to guide us and help us push through all the things that would get in our way. This expansion is the amalgamation of what we could ever want in an adventure and what we could probably ever want in a Final Fantasy game. So come hither future Warrior of Darkness, join us in our epic and dark tale of friendship, hope, despair, wild and crazy banter, death-defying battles, and become one of the next Shadowbringers!
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is outstanding, and the pinnacle of Final Fantasy XIV so far. All of its elements blend beautifully for not only one of the strongest MMORPG experiences going, but one of the strongest RPG experiences full stop.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers has had the smoothest launch of any MMO I’ve ever seen[...]The amount of polish that we’ve seen in other aspects of this expansion also shine through with some great quality of life (QoL) adjustments.
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is a step above anything that has come before it. The perfect blend of captivating gameplay and a truly memorable story that rivals those heralded by fans for decades. It’s time to step out of the shadows and become what you must Final Fantasy XIV; the best MMORPG in the world.
Final Fantasy 14 set a high bar with its previous expansions, but Shadowbringers stands above the rest. Expected additions come in the form of new regions and the new jobs, Dancer and Gunbreaker. Both bring their own flavor to the game, though the Dancer is the standout. More importantly, Shadowbringers tells a tale that not only contains some meaningful real-world connections, but also provides an experience that's firmly Final Fantasy-esque. Great writing, solid voice acting, and an excellent soundtrack wrap Shadowbringers up in a package that should satisfy Final Fantasy 14 fans and neophytes alike.