1529: The Whorleater

I imagine only a few of you reading this will give a toss, but Final Fantasy XIV version 2.2, aka Through the Maelstrom is out today. I haven’t had a lot of time to play with it so far, what with having to do pesky work and then go out to Japanese class this evening, but after we’ve had dinner I’m going to spend some time with it tonight.

I have had the opportunity to at least unlock the Glamour system I talked about a few posts ago, and from there begin assembling my own custom outfits for my high-level classes. So far I’ve put together some rather fetching ensembles for my Black Mage and White Mage classes — Black Mage looks rather classy in a figure-hugging black skirt, white thigh-highs, black velveteen gloves and a low-cut black coatee with a lacy white collar; White Mage, meanwhile, is clad in what I can only describe as a slightly slutty tennis player’s outfit, eschewing the usual frumpy robe of level 50 white mages in favour of a snug-fitting, bone white hempen camise up top and the borderline-indecent Cleric’s Culottes (aka the tiniest miniskirt in the world) down below.

I followed my unlocking of the Glamour system with the unlocking of the new dance animations — I know where my priorities are, huh? — and after dinner I’ll be delving into some of the more meaty new content. For now, it’s time for dinner; I’ll update this post with some pics and additional thoughts later.

—

Okay, I forgot to take any pics, but I’ve done the three new dungeons, and they’re a lot of fun. One of the best things about much of Final Fantasy XIV’s multiplayer content is how most of it eschews the straight “tank and spank” approach seen in many MMOs. It’s a very movement-heavy game, and success in boss battles is dependent on knowing any special mechanics that might be in play along with having the ability to avoid incoming attacks.

A particular highlight was one of the bosses in the new Hard Mode version of the Brayflox’s Longstop dungeon. Initially appearing to be a rather simple fight against a tough goblin, it’s not long before the fight becomes highly chaotic, with exploding mines dropping into the battlefield and criss-crossing the arena with Bomberman-style cross-shaped explosions. Alongside all this, the boss is hurling stuff at you and summoning additional enemies, each of whom lock their attention on an individual party member, necessitating a quick takedown. You really have to stay on your toes and pay attention.

Another particular highlight was the final boss of the same dungeon, which had several different phases: hurling damage at it, staying out of its way as it careened around the outside of the arena, and using area-effect skills to push back swarms of bombs to create a safe zone in the middle of the area. Again, it’s another fight where you really need to pay attention to what’s going on around you rather than simply going through the motions of triggering the same skills over and over again.

It’s the skill-based part of Final Fantasy XIV that, for me, distinguishes it from other MMOs where you might have a bit more character customisation. Everyone at level 50 in Final Fantasy XIV has the same abilities and probably very similar stats, too; the main distinguishing factors between individual players are pure skill and the equipment they’re wearing. A skilled player in slightly lower-level gear will pretty much always beat a well-equipped player that is not very observant or not very good at dodging. We’re not talking the level of dexterity and timing required by something like Dark Souls, for example, but it’s pretty close in some fights — the challenging battles against Titan being probably the best examples.

So far I’ve barely scratched the surface of the new content. The three new dungeons were great fun and I can see myself running them lots of times, particularly as the rewards on offer are pretty good. Tomorrow and over the weekend, it’s onto the main story content and the long-awaited continuation of the hilarious and bizarre Hildibrand quests, which have proven to be a highlight of the new content in both updates so far.

In case it wasn’t clear, I continue to be super-impressed by Final Fantasy XIV. The fresh injections of content, the constant improvements to the game experience in response to player feedback and the great community of players I’m lucky enough to be able to enjoy the game with — it all adds up to one of the most satisfying gaming experiences I’ve had for years. For those of you thinking of joining the fray when the PlayStation 4 version arrives in April, I look forward to showing you around Eorzea!