After a “slight delay” caused by circumstances all of us around the world are familiar with, the highly anticipated Final Fantasy XIV Online: Endwalker is finally arriving this month. For the unfamiliar, Final Fantasy XIV is currently one of the biggest MMORPGs on the market alongside a little-known game called World of Warcraft. And Endwalker is the biggest and most anticipated expansion release yet since it all began 11 years ago. So check out this preview why you should play this expansion.
So, What’s All The FF14 Fuss About?
Final Fantasy 14 fantastically blends the co-op and online aspect of MMORPGs with the deeply encompassing storylines of the traditional Final Fantasy RPGs as we know them. Creating the perfect solution for passing the hours and days while being stuck, uh I mean, enjoying a vacation at home. This is exactly what yours truly will be doing when the early access goes live on December 3rd (official release on December 7th).
Additionally, this expansion is said to be the biggest one yet in terms of sheer content, and it will bring a conclusion to the current storyline about Hydaelyn and Zodiark that has kept players in suspense since its release.
“I Know All That Because I’m Playing FFXIV Already, Tell Me What’s New!”
For active FF14 players, the story and features are already well known of course. So Endwalker needs to give us familiar players something to look forward to, like a huge plot twist or impressive ending. Because of that, the expectations are high. So, what is actually new in this expansion? Here’s a list for you, check it out:
- A new playable healer class: Sage.
- A new damage dealing class called ‘Reaper’ which, as the name implies, wields a scythe.
- You can now level up to level 90.
- You can now create male characters of the Viera race.
- New cities and areas to explore, including Old Sharlayan, Radz-at-Han, Labyrinthos, Thavnair, Garlemald, and Mare Lamentorum.
- New Beast Tribes: The Loporrits and the Arkasodara.
- New dungeons, raids, alliance raids and trials.
- A new player housing area: Ishgard.
- A new Animal Crossing-esque game mode called Island Sanctuary.
- New gear and crafting recipes.
What I’m Most Excited About Endwalker
I’m a simple guy. Meaning, I simply can’t wait until I get to experience the new story campaign together with friends, as well as challenge the new dungeons and raids. If I have spare time left after completing all that, I’ll likely have a go at leveling additional classes to the new level cap. What I’m less excited about though – if previous expansion launches are anything to go by – is that I’ll likely have to spend a fair bit of time queuing simply to get online. An unfortunate side effect of the sheer popularity of the game.
Why Now Is The Time to Start Playing FFXIV
If you’re not a player yet, and you’re reading this article, you might be tempted to give it a go. I can highly recommend it – it’s free to play up to level 60, no subscription or payment required! This includes the base game and the first expansion, Heavensward. For reference, that’s over 100 hours of free content. Whether you enjoy playing solo or together with friends, Final Fantasy 14 has got you covered.
If you need some help along the way, don’t be afraid to ask around: the best gaming community of 2021 is there to guide you. The FFXIV community is known to be one of the friendliest in the online gaming space, so if you’re ever stuck on a quest, need some advice on your class or just need some backup going into a difficult fight, just ask around!
There’s never been a better time to start playing – except for the odd server queue wait times – so why not give it a try? The game is available on PC, PlayStation 5 and PlayStation 4, so if you’re stuck at home during the holidays, it’s definitely worth checking out!
Give Final Fantasy a Try - You Won’t Regret It
To conclude all of this. If you haven’t tried Final Fantasy 14 yet, but you like the series and/or MMOs, this is your sign to start playing. As I said, the game is free until level 60, so you’ll have plenty of gameplay hours to figure out if it’s the right game for you. If you have played FF14 already, including the other expansions, then Endwalker is a must-buy. The much-anticipated end to this story, lots of new areas, features, raids, a higher level cap and much more.
By the way, my character’s name is Steven Seagal (as you can see in the screenshot above) and I’m playing on the Odin server. So if you see me swinging my axe around, feel free to say hi and have a chat!
Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker
- Release date: December 7, 2021
- Playable on: PS5, PS4, Windows, macOS
- Developer: Square Enix
- Genre: MMORPG
- Trailer: Endwalker Launch Trailer
