Personally I loved Endwalker, and I feel its msq is done wonderfully (some pacing issues but thats my preference)
Zodiark was used as a very specific and very traditional Final Fantasy plot device, aka “Here pay all your attention here” only to have the rug pulled out at the last minute and reveal a bigger threat, and that the threat you thought you knew was an asset the entire time.
FFX did this with Sin and Yu Yevon, IX did it with Kuja and Garlond and then Kuja and Necron.
XV did it with the Empire and Ardyn, 8 did it with Edea and Ultimecia, Golbez and Exdeath, on and on and on.
So wasn’t too surprising as a long time FF fan.
Anima was never said to be a trial and truthfully some random primal is not a threat anymore and hasnt been for some time. So i was fine with Anima being a dungeon boss and there’s still some tragedy there in Varis becoming Anima and being used as the very thing he hated so much.
Zenos’ family life was never important. It wasn’t important to him and didn’t matter to us. He fulfilled his role in the story as a nuisance and to once again put him in classic ff scenario. He’s the Seifer to our Squall, the Kuja to our Zidane.
This expansion ended not as a fanfare to the franchise but a fanfare to itself and it’s long journey.
