Patch 7.5 of Final Fantasy XIV has arrived, and just in time for the launch, MeinMMO editor Alex wanted to sacrifice his break to check out the finale of the Dawntrail alliance raids. What awaited him ignited hope for upcoming content.
Attention: There will be some minor spoilers about the fights ahead. So if you want to be completely surprised, you should not continue reading.
Right on patch day, I launched Final Fantasy XIV during my break to get a feel for the new content. I spontaneously decided on the new alliance raid, which will conclude the Dawntrail series. The content was quickly unlocked, and as a healer, I quickly found a group.
I expected something similar to the previous two raids, but the new one, especially the final fight, was supposed to show me where the journey with the newer content of Final Fantasy XIV could still go. Because here everything was combined that makes the game so good in my opinion, and it provided a fresh feeling.
The best of Final Fantasy XIV in one fight
But let’s start from the beginning. Already the first setting and the first fight are really fun. The boss humorously rhymes to himself, and the additional ley lines create quite a bit of chaos. While this is nothing new, it is still enjoyable. This is followed by various reunions with old acquaintances and relaxing interludes with trash mobs, which are at least accompanied narratively, making it all more engaging. However, there is also nothing that has not been experienced before.
Nevertheless, the bosses play out solidly and entertainingly and are especially presented in a fresh way, as the raid series around the 12 in Endwalker has already demonstrated. But none of this had yet led me to itch to share my experience with you.
What made the difference was the final fight. Since I don’t want to take away the moment from you entirely, I will refrain from screenshots here, but let me tell you: I didn’t expect something like this. The whole arena was really well done and was divided into 2 parts. However, not how you might know from fights like the trial of the Diamond Weapon or the extreme trial of Shinryu back then. But…different. You will see what I mean.
The moment you stepped into the battle arena felt incredibly magical this time. You knew: This will be chaos. And so it was. The mechanics were mostly just more of the old, but the dynamics of the fight felt different than usual. Faster, more chaotic, smoother somehow. A similar feeling to the latest Arkadian raids crept in and mixed with something else.
I felt more engaged in the fight; it felt livelier than before. When it came to the phase transition, it also became clear to me why. What had occasionally been present throughout the expansion was excellently implemented here. The entire staging of the fight involved players in the events and gave actions additional tangible meaning through corresponding mechanics.
This resulted in a fresh dynamic that cleverly combined the strong storytelling of the MMORPG with the choreographed dances. An epic tale in the midst of the fight, similar to trials, but taken a step further. I certainly got a taste for more and hope that the developers continue to expand on this in the future – and considering the final boss, the chances for that look good.
And speaking of fresh wind: It won’t be long before the Beastmaster, a new limited job, comes into play, which many players have been waiting for. So too MeinMMO author Nico Scheibel, for whom this class means the end of a dry spell: FFXIV is bringing a new class soon and finally lures me back to Eorzea after a long break
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!