Shadowbringers Impressions Thread

My impressions may be a bit rambling and stream of consciousness style. Partially since I'm writing them on and off at work ha ha. It's a lot to digest, and there's a lot I wanted to cover. The first section of this was completed a while ago, but starting at "Rak'Tika Continued" was done after I'd completed the entire expansion. Apologies for any misspellings, FFXIV Lingo has sadly not been added to spellcheck. Hope you have some fun reading it, otherwise I pray my shouts into the ether are heard by some hungry Voidsent.

Needless to say for a thread about impressions of the entire storyline, SPOILERS AHOY!

On a side note, other than the Healer Role Quest I haven't done too many of the sidequests. Pretty much Aether Currents and nothing else.

Opening Setup

The opening setup stuff was a bit slow, although somewhat understandably so. Compared to Stormblood, where the player can be assumed to know the nature of the Garlean Empire and its occupation, much of the First consists of unknowns. There's a lot to introduce between the nature of the Crystal Exarch (who's still mysterious, terribly mysterious), the Crystarium itself, the nature of the First, and all of that stuff. Agreeing with Anonymoose, there are quite a few plot contrivances and conveniences which felt a bit cheap, but none of them were huge dealbreakers or anything like that. Kind of wish that the Scions had clone bodies produced for them rather than being Ghosts, but it's where we're at. Speaking of which, I'm actually loving ghost Ardbert! Him being far more chill and dorky than one would expect makes him a lot more endearing, and the sadder things that happen with him later on are nice. All in all a fine introduction, if a little slow. I kind of knew the opening would be slow after where the previous patch ended, although it wasn't as bad as I would have thought. Splitting up the plot here was mostly just to help server stability, but it was a fun little choice.

Kholusia Pt 1

I thought that the Kholusia part was maybe a little long, but holy cow did I enjoy it! I love messed up Sci Fi/Fantasy Dystopias, and with Kholusia they really delivered! I love just how broken their society is. It's a weird, decadent form of Socialism/Fascism where some people have everything and everyone else is (literally) begging for the scraps. Best boy Alphinau himself points out how their system is totally unsustainable, and how they're poised for a fall. I loved how the rich and poor have a weird, toxic codependency going that adds more flavor and really paints their society in an interesting light. Creepy clowns, bizarre morality, implied cannablism, it was all pretty great! I also liked how the Chais actually seemed fairly nice. It made it clear that it's not necessarily that the Kholusians (even the rich) are inherently evil, it's just that their system is so broken that they're going to get people hurt regardless. Which is honestly how a lot of systems work in the real world, but that's a story for another forum. I also enjoyed our introduction to Vaughry, he's got quite the design, and I always like pathetic manbaby antagonists. Good ole Alphy got to throw some serious shade too. It is a little funny that we can just go back there for sidequests though ha ha.

Ahm Areng Pt 1

This was a much shorter scenario, but it was fun seeing some of the alternate history antics. The idea that in this world the Kobolds are actually an exceedingly friendly merchant race was really fun, even if it's bizarre to see so many without their helmets. They remind me a lot of the source goblins, which made their later reappearance in the Healer Role quest enjoyable. I could kind of guess where the plot was going for this section, but the ending of it was more graphic and horrifying than I expected, and it generally worked for me. The sheer bleakness of the Inn of Last Journeys was remarkable, even if there was a bittersweet hint to it given just how kind the Carers truly are. Still, the section does a good job truly showing the plight of the First's Denizens and the nature of the Sin Eater threats, which indirectly makes Kholusia's actions make a lot more sense. All in all a short, but sweet, section.

Bridging

I guess they were really concerned about server load, since it took a LONG TIME to finally get to a dungeon. Still, it was definitely a fun one. It had a cool, horrifying atmosphere, and trying it out with having Alphinau and Alisae (optionally) around was pretty enjoyable. There were some fun Sin Eater designs, and the visual of Kuribu fighting a bear and then you having to fight at sin-eater-ified version of it was pretty cool. Having to put down Tesleen with Alisae in the party was also added fun. The part before that of them treating you like a random soldier was a little funny given your status, but also a bit weird. Didn't exactly endear me to Lyna either. The part after that with Night Returning, Role Quests becoming available, and the new intrigue with Eulmore was fun though.

The lore about the Minfilias was actually a pretty fun twist. I tend to enjoy those sorts of weird situations, even if this one reminded me a bit of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It looks like First Minfilia (henceforth referred to as Minifilia) is shaping up to be a bit of a different character than her source counterpart, and I'm curious to see exactly where they'll go with it. I was really confused at first when the Exarch mentioned the Chrystarium soldiers handling it though ha ha. I actually thought for a bit we weren't going to go do the cool mission. Ran'Jit is freaking cool as hell. I'm glad they could fit in a more human antagonist this expansion (Vaughry only sort of counts) and he's every bit as cool as one would hope. Kung Fu is a combat style we haven't really seen many antagonists use in the story, which made him catching weapons and doing sweet kicks on the Scions all the more fun. He's a minor antagonist in the big scheme of things, but I have to admit I was disappointed that he didn't get to jump hundreds of feet in the air.

Il Mehg

I was worried initially that Il Mehg would be a bit of a repeat of the Sylph section from A Realm Reborn or the Moogle section from Heavensward. A silly nonsense part meant mainly to cheer the protagonists up featuring goofy harmless NPCs. However, I was pleasantly surprised since Il Mehg poured a hefty dose of horror into the proceedings. The Fey are just as mercurial and cruel as they are in the ancient myths, which made interacting with them a lot more fun than I was expecting. Seeing Thancred Bad Dad was a most unique experience, although I imagine he'll turn around by the end. Also Urianger is still great, and even better now that he's not wearing a 1.0 outfit. He's also much nicer to Minifilia than Thancred, which was endearing. It's hard not to feel bad for the girl given her backstory, although I'd like to see a bit more of her personality too. The idea that Minfilia/the Oracle is tired of burning through hosts also makes for a nice contrast to how the Ascians carelessly kill their hosts and start over. It does create some nice melodrama with Thancred though, and makes his hatred of Minifilia understandable if sad. I'm sure he'll eventually move on and grow as a person though.

The 'Quest for Four Relics' bit felt like a little much, although it gave us a change to interact more with the (ADORABLE!) Fahn and Nu Mou which was a treat. The Nu Mou were so sweet and nice, especially after the cruelty of the other Fey Races. The Fahn on the other hand, had a wonderful new dungeon. The theme of illusions created fun especially as the entire world changed around the players, while there were some exceedingly enjoyable bosses. The section with the illusory walkway is hilarious with other players, and I love how they programmed in different reactions for the Trusts. The twist at the end with the Fahn deciding to just kill you was fun, and I loved how they actually called back to one of the random abilities you obtained in Stormblood. Also it was nice seeing how Ishgard is basically canonically 'home' for the Warrior of Light, even if it makes me consider returning to the awkward Elezen Model...

The section with the Amaro afterwards was a clear 'cooldown moment' but it was fun and kind of sweet to see Seto and his interactions with the ghost of Ardbert. After that we got to move onto Titania, who was pretty cool. The horror movie introduction to her was a nice touch. Her fight had some actually pretty difficult patterns which was good to see, and it had all of the flavor and spectacle we've come to expect from Trials. Her changing the arena since she was bored and summoning giant plant monsters was sweet, as was her generally playful, giggling attitude. All in all a very lovely trial. Feo Ul taking on the mantle of Titania was a cool resolution to that issue, although it would have been nice if the player could at least express interest in becoming a Fey King ha ha.

The resolution of the storyline with a Mook Horror show put upon poor Eulmoran soldiers was an enjoyable if dark time, truly showing how nightmarish attempting such a thing in the Fey Realms would be. All in all I super enjoyed Il Mehg, and having Fey Allies for whatever sort of final battle we have will be fun.

Rak'Tika Beginning

Solus/Emet-Selch is fun. Oh so very fun! I mean, he's still pretty obviously evil (which is probably for the best since it would hardly be a twist) but him just hanging out with the heroes snarking back and forth is just oh so very much fun. I loved the part where he waxed lyrically about the good old days of running the Garlean Empire. Excitingly, it also means I don't actually know his endgame yet, although I imagine we might be fighting him at the end of the expansion or during the patches. Comparing himself to Lahabrea was also nice ha ha.

I was kind of expecting the 'Matoya' thing with Y'shtola to be just 'her using a differnet name' BS, but hoping for something more interesting. It's hardly a dealbreaker, but it's sad to see it was just to build hype in a trailer. There were a lot of fun directions they could have gone with that, and it's a right shame they didn't do anything with it. It is kind of interesting to see Y'shtola leading a cult though! She never struck me as the faithful type, which might make her leadership interesting, even if it's basically just that she's pragmatically using them against the Sin Eaters. Either way it's good to have her back.

Healer Role Quest ~74

I want to definitely say that I'm quite enjoying the Healer Role Quest! I was really worried that it would be boring, but between the bits of dwarfen lore and the fun antics of Giott it's really been rather fun to watch! The comedy beat of him purposely getting torn apart by a wolverine was fun, especially with the comical descriptions. In general the Healer quest is more comical than I would have expected, which is probably warranted given the generally darker tone of the main story. Still not complaining though, especially when you get brews that 'make you want to curse nature itself' and 'taste like sheer terror with a hint of feet.' The idea of a Sin Eater using healing abilities is a rather cool, scary idea which makes the threat feel a bit more serious. The idea of Giott telling you about Lamitt and a lot of it turning out to be lies or misconceptions is also makes for some fun drama. Seems like the Warriors of Darkness really can't catch a break. That being said, I am still disappointed with the Role Quests in general, since they don't seem particularly meatier or of terribly higher quality than their Class Quest predecessors. Maybe they're a bit more backloaded, but otherwise they don't seem like a great replacement. I also have a friend playing the Tank quest which seems much more boring. Still, enjoying hanging out with Giott!

Rak'Tika Continued

The Rak'Tika Greatwood was probably one of the weaker areas in my estimation. Part of the problem is that we've seen big forests before, and the swampy nature of it wasn't terribly more impressive than say, Camp Tranquil. Story wise it was also a bit weaker than previous and later segments (with one exception that comes later). That being said, being weaker than other areas doesn't mean quite as much as it did in Stormblood! Indeed, there was a lot of fun and interesting stuff to be found in the Greatwood. The Night's Blessed had a much more developed culture than I was expecting, including how they originated as the Church of Light. It demonstrates just how much the world has changed, and the idea of the Soulstones creating the night sky in their pools was a rather beautiful imagery. I like how FFXIV lets us explore different cultures and spend a quest just seeing a religious ritual. I also enjoyed the sort of reveal that our character was turning into a Sin-Eater, something which paid off in really cool ways as the expansion went on. Still, the Night's Blessed part of the Storyline was mostly things we had seen before, and I was a bit sad that the concept of different names didn't really come up much. The Great Serpent of Ronka was adorable though!

Moving onto Fanow, I was a little disappointed to see that the Vii were not terribly different than the Viera. It's understandable since we haven't really gotten a chance to see what source Viera are like, but when the Kobolds and Lalafell are crazy different on the First it's a bit sad. Still, there were some fun antics here and there in their village, and it was a truly gorgeous place. The Indiana Jones exploration was a pretty fun duty, although I kind of wish that there were a few more proper puzzles. Having Ran'Jit show up proved that a kung fu monster is still a fun threat to have to deal with, although the way he killed his own subordinate was a bit twirly mustache for my tastes. Still, the whole resolution to that scene was cool, especially since there were previously dark implications that Y'shtola was simply taking advantage of the Night's Blessed, and this instead proved just how much she cared about them. I was a tiny bit annoyed that they did a 'fake death' (something which was hilariously abused in Stormblood) but with the wind it was pretty obvious.

And it led to Emet-Selch actually being able to help, which was pretty fun. The way he casually talked about doing something impossible was fun, as was his admitting that it was literally just to get the Scions to trust him. Emet-Selch continued to knock it out of the park this expansion, proving himself to be funny, enjoyable, and oddly sympathetic. After saving Y'shtola it was a pretty quick fast track over to the Dungeon, the Quitana Ravel. It was a beautiful dungeon, and I enjoyed that some of the mob pulls even had mechanics! I wish I'd gotten the full set of Ravel gear though, it looked way better than the next free MSQ set. It continued to show just how well SE has mastered dungeon design, and the last area with the waterfalls was especially gorgeous. The design of the Sin Eater Boss was a cool, classical Chimera too which was fun. With another Lightwarden defeated, we had much bigger revelations in store!

The story of Hydelyn and Zodiark was pretty cool to finally see laid out for us. I liked the way Emet-Selch waxed so lyrically about Amaurout, something which would pay off big time later on. I loved the Cave Painting Aesthetic for the scene, it created really striking imagery both during the dungeon and during this scene. Emet-Selch casually revealing that all of the Ascians were tempred by Zodiark in the process in the dialogue after that was pretty cool and really brought the whole Hydelyn/Zodiark conflict back to the Primal Dynamic from earlier in the series. Also it's nice to see how they fit into the cosmology proper. I also liked how he basically left out why one side created Hydelyn. It's a half-truth that is perfect for someone just trying to get the Scions on his side. I'll discuss more of those ideas in the Amarot section below.

Bridging/Chrystarium Pt 2

I'm not sure if this bridging section was entirely necessary since we'd already established how big of a threat the Sin Eaters were throughout various parts of the expansion. Still, there was a lot of fun to be had in various parts of it, especially just how bleak and dire things got. Lyna screaming and falling over to the ground was a nice touch, it shows just how worn out and tired even the proud folk of the Chrystarium were. Ardbert continued to get a bum deal, and seeing him desperately try to help but not be able to was pretty sad. Poor guy just can't catch a break. Still, while ultimately unnecessary to the plot, the Solo Duty was fun, especially since it was cool to have one take place across an entire zone. Also it was fun to see Vauthry's message, which shows just how weird, out of touch, and arrogant he is.

The discussion in the Chrystarium showed once again how fun Emet-Selch is in his 'friend nobody likes' role. After that it was fun to see the characters resolving to still go forward, and then back to Ahm Areng. What could await them in this fantastic land of post apocalyptic adventure?

Ahm Areng Pt 2

A Trolley. That's what awaited them. Fixing a blasted trolley. This was probably the portion of the storyline that annoyed me most. It was an almost literal broken bridge situation. They did manage to fit some of the themes of the expansion in there, but it was all rather dry and boring. It was an obvious time wasting endeavor in an expansion that largely managed to make such things feel not so time-wastey. Especially since they repeat some of the same points but make it actually cool later on, and take far less time. Probably the most annoying part of the storyline to me.

That being said...the more important half of the story here really hit well. The Minfilia/Thancred Melodrama worked out all of its major emotional beats, and they hit pretty hard at the same time. I was surprised earlier in how Thancred actually turned out to be a bad dad, and it was nice to see the payoff here. Both of the characters sort of tragically misunderstood the other, and I liked seeing Minifilia's apprehension and fear during the whole endeavor. As a heroine who had really weird circumstances and all of the hopes of the world thrust upon her it kind of just...worked. Urianger being a good dad was a nice touch, providing the emotional support she so desperately needed at just the right moment.

Ran'Jit's appearance and the Thancred RP duty was a bundle of fun! It was nice to finally see Ran'Jit's actual motivations, ones which proved him to be a dark foil of Thancred himself in the expansion. The idea that he had raised up Minfilias repeatedly only for them to get slaughtered in an endless war added a nice sympathetic core to the character, and the payoff with him still trying to control her versus Thancred being finally willing to see her live her own life was very gratifying. Also I want to be a man with Dragon Powers. Holy cow Ran'Jit is cool. Following that we had the equally gratifying payoff of Minifilia and Minfilia finally meeting. It is a little funny to think that Minifilia was so worried about that legacy when Minfilia's legacy in the fanbase is tarnished, but storywise it worked. Also set up a LOT of theme stuff that would be echoed with Emet-Selch among others later. Minifilia becoming Ryne was also cool, especially how she got the orange hair and everything. Annoyingly that was slightly tarnished for me by someone on Reddit not putting spoiler tags on a picture to demonstrate how trusts de-leveled though. Also the two characters having different names is a blessing for us Lore posters...

The dungeon was probably one of the less impressive of the Expansion, although it was cool to have the 'gang back together' as it were, and to see how Ryne's starting to fit within it. She's still adorable, and it's nice to see her precociousness and nervousness next to our more experienced adventurers. The boss of it was cool though, especially how it repeated its own mechanics on its nails. Afterwards the bridging was fairly limited as we heroically moved into Kholsuia, and much more fun content.

Kholusia Pt 2

The opening to Kholusia was suitably ominous, with the mind controlled populace and everything. It was especially fun to go to the various NPCs around Eulmore and see just how much their dialogue changed, especially the classic 'What do you do here/What is this place' NPC. The reveal with Meol was something I expected, but was also suitably disturbing. Having Vauthry panicking like a baby and psychically screaming to order them all to attack like Zombies was enjoyable, as was the Solo Duty of us storming the city. Thank goodness they have the "you're not killing them really!" animation though. Taking down the twin Jesters was a nice touch too, also proving that there were those who approved of the Regime even with all of its excesses. The final battle with Ran'jit was a little underwhelming, especially since we had a way harder, more thematic, and cooler duel with him in the Thancred fight. But it was at least heartening to see that Ran'jit's final thoughts were of the girls he raised. If only things had turned out better maybe he wouldn't have stuck with Vaughry's peace. Speaking of Vaughry, he continued to prove himself one of the most enjoyable villains of the expansion, although I'm predisposed to manbaby antagonists. The scene of him just sitting in his chambers pounding back Meol was suitably creepy, as are his panicked justifications of his actions and desperate desire to believe everything would be alright for him. It added a sort of innocence (heh) to the character that would be paid off later. Alphinaud ripping into him was fun to see as well. The first phase of his transformation was cool too, especially the baby-like cream and a godsdamned extra face opening on his body.

I was really worried in the scenes afterwards they would excuse the sins of Eulmore a bit too much with Vaughry's mind control, but was glad to see that they weren't let off the hook. Alphinaud continues to be one of the best and coolest Scions, and shaming the nobles of Eulmore was cool. I imagine they'll have more to do with that plotline later on, but it was cool to have some closure on it. Afterwards we moved onto the Mount Gulg part of the storyline. Scenes of people coming together to do the impossible are always fun, and it was nice to have everyone come together. The reveal that Chai-Nuzz is actually this world's version of Cid was a cute surprise, although I should have guessed from the Daedalus Stoneworks seeming similar to the Ironworks. I enjoyed his lack of confidence and apprehension compared to Cid's wisdom and bravado as well, and the 'duty' where you have to find a way to cheer him up was an adorable. I kind of hope he and the Stoneworks shows up more in the patch storylines. The Dwarves were also suitably adorable, and I enjoyed doing much of the Ironbeard Builders FATE chain (I need to get that Frog robot mount later!) with the also fun touch of you actually not killing the Goggs. Seeing their Beast Tribe chain will be a treat. This part was basically a better version of the Trolley part of the storyline with the FREAKING COOL payoff of a GIANT ROBOT FIGHTING A MOUNTAIN. Also I was annoyed earlier that we didn't get the Fey to help, but the return of the "why didn't you call on Feo Ul already!" running gag was fun. I wish they had shown more of Pixies and Amaro ripping Sin Eaters apart, but alas, budgets are not infinite. The quieter scenes of getting an adventure with the Exarch were a nice touch too, even if he was just tossing out Death Flags left and right lol.

Speaking of mountains, Mt. Gulg was an incredible dungeon. The set pieces with the Giant Talos smashing up hordes of Adds before they get to you was super cool, and the visual of climbing up a giant golem was fun. Vauthry angrily yelling throughout the dungeon (and buffing ads) was a nice touch that added both to his character and the flavor of the zone. The transition to Vauthry's heavenly kingdom was gorgeous, even if it took some clear inspiration from areas of Nier Automata. It reminded me a bit of Griffin's kingdom in Berserk, and made sense as the 'perfect world' of an innocent megalomaniac child. On a side note I wish I had the Forgiven set before running into the dungeon/story scenes. My dwarfen robe looked so silly. The bosses were a treat, with the second one proving especially creative. I loved having to watch the cubes to figure out where to go. The final boss was suitably beautiful, although I got confused on some of her mechanics.

Afterwards was the suitably epic confrontation with Vaughry. I appreciated how Alphinaud directly compared himself to the big arrogant baby, and it was fun to see Vaughry's confusion at what was going on and why these pesky heroes were opposing him so much. As for the Trial itself...gosh the team knows how to make a cool one. The song was gorgeous! It was Artcore! ARTCORE! It might have been my favorite trial of the expansion. The Vaughry form wasn't the most exciting, but the transition to Innocence with the bursts of light (and Raidwides that made my healer sweat) was hyper cool, especially with all of the screaming. His beautiful angelic form afterwards was something to behold, with him still arrogantly screaming about his own magnificence. I was also glad that it was a full phase change so my group's wipe didn't set us the whole way back. It was suitable for a 'fake final boss'. Although part of me wonders what it would have been like if Innocence wasn't spoken about in the Fan-Fests. After the battle it was good to find out his backstory, and Vaughry was just the pitiful villain that I loved and wanted. He was set up for failure from the start, corrupted even as a child to be the monster he would become. The fact that he couldn't understand where he went wrong in the end was sad to see, especially since such a fate befell more sympathetic characters like Ardbert.

Afterwards we had the payoff of our characters about to become a Sin Eater. I almost wish they went a little more gruesome with it, but the whole scenario added a fun ticking clock element to the story, and I liked that even our characters weren't really immune. I enjoyed the Exarch's voice acting during his 'evil reveal', where it's so obvious he's just trying to give the Scions an excuse to let him die. Y'shtola seeing right through the deception, and Urianger trying to go along with it were nice bits of characterization too. The Crystal Exarch was exactly who I expected, not that I'm complaining or anything. The option to call his name was fun, and the meta element of having an oft forgotten (outside of this forum anyway) character in a story about memory and legacy was a nice touch.

Of course, this is when Emet-Selch jumped in to throw a wrench in everything. Him just using a freaking gun for it was enjoyable to me for some reason. The voice acting really sold his sheer disappointment at this turn of events. Him also commenting on how his plan was just to kill the Scions if they didn't go along with him, and that he genuinely wanted them to be allies was also exciting. It was ironic in a narrative sense that getting shot in the back saved the Exarch's Life, but that's just where we were. With Emet-Selch coming to the fore, the story was starting to enter its final chapter.

Bridging/The Chrystarium Pt 3

Having our characters be slowly dying and the Eternal Light returning was a drastic turn and nice loss of hope in the storyline. However, the scenes afterwards with Ardbert were touching, and proved again just how much I loved our ghostly companion in this adventure. Feo Ul coming back to help in our darkest moment was a nice reversal of the usual jokes about us not asking for her assistance, even if her mischievous offer was cute and funny. Learning more of the Crystal Exarch's backstory was a nice touch, especially seeing post-apocalyptic Ishgard continuing the acknowledgement that it's our character's canon "Home". The idea of memory and legacy was also proved here, with the Disciples of Sid going further and further to save the world. The 'Chrystarium Townsfolk are Resilience' scene wasn't the most necessary, although it was fun how they acknowledged that anybody not living under a rock would be able to figure out the Warrior of Darkness's identity. The sendoff with the Scions was much more gratifying, proving once again how this expansion really manage to expand them well.

The Bismarck scene was another 'random cool idea', but was a particularly fun way to get between point A and B. Feo Ul being the one to help was cute, especially after Urianger's more dramatic take on the situation. After that it was time to move into the Tempest, and the end of the expansion...

The Tempest

The Tempest was a pretty sweet area because of how Whimsical and Magical it was. The music helped a lot in this, although I did feel bad for the Sahaguin (Er, Ondo) given how much we messed up their homeland ha ha. Exploring the deep trenches was a treat, as was finding the ruins of Amarout. This portion was 90% buildup for what would come next ha ha. Still, it was fun to go adventuring with our Scion friends in more cheerful circumstances before the big finish.

Meeting alternate world Gerolt (who has a comically similar name) was pretty funny, although it was really disappointing that giving a goofy guy inspiration was the payoff for our Rolequest. Like, it was basically a joke! I was expecting something a lot cooler and more dramatic when I heard that we had to complete the Role Quest in order to continue the main plot, and it was really disappointing to find it was so stupid and barely referenced which Role quest we completed. I'll write a section on that later, but it really bothered me. Thankfully there was so much good to come right after I didn't have to dwell on it ha ha. At least I got nice pretty class armor so I wouldn't look silly for the rest of the expansion...

I was confused as to when I heard people loved the final area a ton, although I later understood why...

Spoiler Area

Amaurot. Holy cow Amaurot. When I finally completed the arduous journey to get there I was honestly amazed. The sight of a practically modern city filled with magic and the like was pretty breathtaking, one of the prettiest sights in a game with lots of pretty sights. It's proof that the team can do a lot even with less high fidelity graphics, and it was important to understand just how beautiful the first civilization was. This was also where the lore tumbled into incredibly cool territory, with a strange utopian society. The idea of them just being able to make any concept real was a fascinating idea, and I really enjoyed how it resembled Plato's (or more accurately Thomas Moore's) Utopia. There were also a few implications here and there that it might not have been as perfect as it seemed, but it was just incredible to see. I was a bit disappointed by the presence of a few enemies here and there though. Still, meeting with the Shades and learning about this glorious society was awesome, and it really made Emet-Selch's desperation to get it back make sense. The idea that it was mostly an illusion to sate his incredible loneliness also added a melancholy air to the whole affair, as did the idea that this was right before the apocalypse. It was a suitably dramatic area for the final part of the story.

After the beautiful exploration, we got a chance to confront Emet-Selch again. This confrontation was intriguing and also kind of sad. The voice acting did a good job of demonstrating how tired and sad he is, especially given the idea that he tried to relate and live with ordinary people. The depressing idea of the Amaroutine sacrificing 3/4s of their population only to be destroyed and forgotten is also depressing, and one can easily sympathize with his desire to reclaim it all, no matter the cost. Still, with the constant themes of rebirth and letting life move on within the expansion (to be ruminated on later) it was obvious that the Scions would still be opposed. I did love the way his rhetoric reflected the imperial entities he shaped as a nice touch, and the final discussion with the Scions nailed home their characters. Being able to quote Harchefaunt to Ryne was a wonderful moment.

The dungeon of Amaurot. Holy cow that dungeon was incredible! Seeing the beautiful city we had just explored plunged into apocalyptic destruction was an incredible sight to behold, with poor Amaroutines desperately running away, horrifying enemy designs, and entire buildings collapsing onto the arena. It was a visual spectacle that was only equaled when we zoomed out and saw that the devastation was literally world spanning. Emet-Selch's dialogue throughout it was suitably ominous and gave the dungeon the feeling of an old story finally retold.

After that was the final final confrontation with Emet-Selch. I liked the Scions each having their own cool moment against him before being repelled. I saw some complaints that this was more of the fake death stuff...but it didn't really feel that way to me. Them making their final stand while our character is almost literally breaking apart was fun, especially with the little hope spot with Ryne being so cruelly taken away. The final idea of going together with Ardbert at our side (literally within us) was a great payoff. Gra'ha Tia coming back and giving us the coolest explanation for having allies in the final fight was a nice touch.

The final Fight had all of the majesty and spectacle that one would expect, and was really cool. I like how one of his moves referenced Titanomachy, the battle between the gods and titans. It was a fitting name for a battle between old and new. Oddly it was easier than I might have expected given Shinryu's infamous difficulty, but that might have just been because I got better than before. I did have to use a Healer LB3 though, which made for a fun hope spot before the Active Time Maneuver lol. The dramatic light rising event and final DPS check felt suitably heroic, so kudos to the battle content design team.

Endings and Stinger

After the thrill of the battle (of which I needed a few minutes to calm down from lol) it was time for the emotional conclusion. It was a little weird that Thancred got a cooler moment with the Auracite than the other Scions, but it was still fun to see them come back. The final blow on Hades being Ardbert's axe felt extremely appropriate, and brought a smile to my eye. Emet-Selch's death was also suitably sad, with him just desperately wanting us to remember even as he noticed that the Warrior of Light is likely a reincarnated version of his friend. The final image of the 'true' ruins of Amaurot was haunting given their original magnificence. Emet-Selch was dead, and knowing he was gone was saddening.

The ending epilogue of the heroes returning to the Chrystarium was a nice bit of fun and humor after the dramatics, and it was fun to catch up with everyone back at the Crystarium afterwards. The last little talk with Gra'ha Tia was suitably Gratifying, and I look forward to see where the plot is going with him.

One of the Stingers (presumably setting up Eden) was not the most interesting, but it was sweet seeing Ryne about to go on adventures and Thancred being by her side.

The other Stinger though...that was a bit of a shock. I haven't discussed too much of the Source Shenanigans (will probably talk some in my other info post I'll write later) but this part was pretty crazy. It was certainly a fun, exciting scene, especially as Zenos pointed out how he doesn't care at all about the Garlean Empire, Amaurot, or the Ascians, but I also have some bad feelings about it. I kind of worry that Zenos won't be as interesting a villain as Varis was, having at the very least less complicated motivations. I'll have to wait and see, but I might have preferred if Varis stuck around a while.

Seeing Elidibus panicking was some fun payoff though. Given just how lonely Emet-Selch was, how bad must it be for Elidibus, who remains the only un-sundered person in all the shards? Him desperately trying to keep things together was a uniquely sympathetic moment for him, and I really look forward to seeing what they do with him next.

Healer Role Quest (+SCH)

All in all a truly excellent little questline! Giott proved to be exceedingly fun up until the very end, and even had a really amusing 'Samus is a Girl' moment. Seeing her adorable appearance contrasting her gregarious persona was perhaps a bit old-school, but cute and well executed enough. The bigger emotional beats of shame and disappointment given the true status of Lamitt's banishment worked wonders too, especially when one can find a literal giant monument commemorating the cruel Dwarfen leader who kicked her out. In a story about legacy and the past, having a story about how it gets distorted and forgotten was perfect. Giott had some nice growth too, although most of the time they were still their fun, goofy self. The final trial had a nice comedic edge to it with Giott throwing helms on enemies, and the final phase had some fun moments as Giott celebrated your friendship. It was a good fun time, and the final confrontation with Lamitt's ghost/spirit was touching and worked as a Healer questline.

I have issues with role quests in total that I'll discuss later, but this quest was great!

The level 80 SCH quest was a bundle of fun as well, and provided some nice payoff to our many levels. It was fun checking in with Surito Cairo and pals, and I like how we used the knowledge from our adventures on the first to give Setoto her adorable Lalafell body. Alka Zoka was as fun as always, and I'm glad we could at least get this even if it's not a replacement for the full class questlines we used to have.

In my next post (whenever I manage to get to it) I'll talk some more general thoughts on the expansion including themes, thoughts on characters in their totality, and more!