Within the wake of saving the universe from a time-ending calamity, the query that continues to be for the world of Ultimate Fantasy XIV after the occasions of 2021’s Endwalker enlargement is: How can we transfer on? This query units up the quests instantly following Endwalker’s climax to turn into an arc that completely acts as an epilogue to the whole lot 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 ideal 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 not too long ago been making my approach by means of 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 3 years between them, the staff at Sq. Enix doles out smaller story and content material updates to tide gamers over. With previous expansions, these patch quests have usually labored in two elements. The primary wraps up the story of the previous enlargement and the second units up the following. For Endwalker’s patch quests, the staff had a novel alternative to buck that components, because the enlargement’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 might 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 take care of. However, in order to not begin totally from scratch, the story offers with the Void, a world engulfed by darkness that has come up infrequently prior to now. It’s a setting that has all the time appeared prime for an enlargement, 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 known as the First, which was engulfed by gentle and on the point of demise, however might be pulled again with our assist. Right here, nonetheless, we’re confronted with a world that our infinite heroics can’t do a lot for. It’s there that we encounter one among 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. Once we first meet Zero she is a chilly, uncaring one that has one thing in frequent with Endwalker’s antagonist; each see existence as an infinite cycle of struggling with little to justify it. But as a result of she can’t die, Zero can’t get the remaining 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 the complete MMO’s story as much as that time, the Endwalker patches relegate your hero, the Warrior of Mild, to a supporting function. That is Zero’s story, and it’s an excellent one. After spending a whole enlargement stuffed 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 facility of friendship, a cliché thought if ever there was one, but it surely does this with sharp writing and fantastic character moments for its main girl, and let’s be actual, Ultimate 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 standard life goes by means of. That is greatest exemplified while you go to the individuals of Garlemald, a now-fallen nation that lengthy served because the MMO’s evil empire. Now, they’re beneath occupation from you and your allies, and whilst you have the very best intentions, they’re not so keen to just accept your assist. Either side must put apart their delight to maneuver ahead collectively, as it’s the solely approach they will each rebuild. The scenario 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 tip of their world earlier than it turned the Void.
In the end it’s revealed that the surviving member of the duo she encountered so way back is the arc’s large villain, Golbez. It’s a poignant second for Zero, during which she realizes how a lot her closed-off lifestyle has impacted these round her. She isn’t accountable for the Void totally, 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 research 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 properly.
Although there’s solely about half as many quests right here, they convey a way of narrative affect and journey worthy of a full Ultimate Fantasy 14 enlargement. Following Endwalker, I virtually hoped that smaller, extra targeted tales turned the brand new norm for the MMO. In fact, that isn’t what occurred, and proper now 1000’s of gamers are exploring the grand new enlargement, Dawntrail. However based mostly on what I’ve been listening to about its construction, it could at occasions really feel extra such as you’re enjoying a collection of episodic mini-expansions, and to me, that seems like an excellent factor.
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