Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker

There and back at it again

- By Oscar Taylor-Kent

Only crystal heads need apply. Buying this expansion and paying extra for a story skip would be like paying to read-only Return Of The King. Sure, what’s here is great, some of the best work the FFXIV team has done even, but it’s a culmination in every sense of the word.

Endwalker takes on the difficult task of, well, walking the end. While the MMO will continue, this wraps up the ten-year-long story arc charting Hydaelyn and Zodiark’s power struggle and does it while celebrating every previous expansion. If you have a favorite supporting character, they’ll probably be honored here.

The problem with loose ends is they tend to scatter, and while Square Enix manages to weave even bit parts together into meaningful moments, the stitching can sometimes feel a little hasty. You’re looking at roughly 50 hours of the main story, about the same as past expansions, but with double the plot beats. The Final Days you’re trying to halt are far from a straightforward threat. Multiple moments feel large enough to be climatic, which makes it difficult to settle into a conflict. The same goes for villains. Much of the game doesn’t have much of an antagonistic presence. It ends up feeling meandering. Fans (like us) will love the adventures before things ultimately come to a head, but it lacks the tight focus that made previous expansion Shadowbringers such a delight.

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