Endwalker was "meh" (for reasons other than technical issues)

[Sclair0]

I think your takes are quite valid, but I took things very differently. While they were overused I mostly loved the escort and stealth quests in the MSQ because they gave me a much closer experience to the story than just running to orange zone after orange zone.

I knew the whole time we'd be getting the scions back, but that didn't undercut the sentiment for me in the ending. I also really liked the Garlean zone stuff, I think it really captured the themes of struggling to move on. They were blatantly stupid as fuck that is true, but in a way I found very human rather than just plot stupid. (There is a bit of plot stupidity though, I felt like Hades and Hermes in Elpis reacted to Meteions report very strangely given the circumstances.)

Absolutely agree on Ultima Thule and Omega. It was obvious from the outset. The same is true of the Moon and Y'shtola revealing the rabbits benefactor is the forum. Obviously the devs know we can figure it out so if there needs to be a moment of 'revelation' at least let us bring it up since we've been aching to point it out since getting to those zones.

[TheMightyMollusk]

Absolutely agree on Ultima Thule and Omega. It was obvious from the outset. The same is true of the Moon and Y'shtola revealing the rabbits benefactor is the forum. Obviously the devs know we can figure it out so if there needs to be a moment of 'revelation' at least let us bring it up since we've been aching to point it out since getting to those zones.

With the Moon, I felt like Y'shtola just outright saying it despite the Loporits trying to build it up was hanging a lampshade on how obvious it was. It felt like the writers knew we'd figure it out almost immediately and used it to make a point about how out of touch the Loporits are.

My biggest issue with the story as a whole is that I don't feel like Zenos really adds anything. But then, I don't feel like he's really added anything to the game since the Royal Menagerie, so that was to be expected. The pacing was also a little shaky at a few points. But overall, I'm mostly satisfied with it.

[ScarletDevil]

With the Moon, I felt like Y'shtola just outright saying it despite the Loporits trying to build it up was hanging a lampshade on how obvious it was. It felt like the writers knew we'd figure it out almost immediately and used it to make a point about how out of touch the Loporits are.

My biggest issue with the story as a whole is that I don't feel like Zenos really adds anything. But then, I don't feel like he's really added anything to the game since the Royal Menagerie, so that was to be expected. The pacing was also a little shaky at a few points. But overall, I'm mostly satisfied with it.

I was honestly thinking the same about Zenos while playing. Like "ok where is he? He was so hyped in all promo materials that we saw!"

But...it is exactly as you said it. He doesntt add much and that is honestly the point of the story of his character. And self-admittedly so by him.
He craved only and ONLY a fight with a powerful opponent, that beings us as the strongest one on the star. And not any fight, but the hardest fight which means the closest to death or straight up on live and death.

Yes, that is all. That is all about him, Zenos, and his life and story. There is nothing more, nothing less and he describes exactly that in the dialogue before and after your duel.

I think it was a very nice touch as ending of the expansion and Endwalker. An epic fight to end it all with another powerful foe, that is but different than the all so mighty, sophisticated and poetical one we fought before....an epic fight that is/turns actually a simple brawl between 2 adventurers that burn inside for a great challenge against a strong opponent...something basic and intrinsic to an adventurer and fighter.

At least that is how I got it. A simple fight between two warriors fighting so intensely and hard that their lives are on the line...after a poetic fight against a deity-like entity that not only claims to be but can influence a major part of the universe and the natural flow of life/death with a major sophisticated history/story behind it all.

[yajnaji]

If so many people "like" and agree with op wtf y'all doing in a forum of a game you consider "meh"?

I don't understand, please enlighten me.

Also please leave the game and give your place in the queue for people who actually enjoy it.

[Endver]

If so many people "like" and agree with op wtf y'all doing in a forum of a game you consider "meh"?

I don't understand, please enlighten me.

Also please leave the game and give your place in the queue for people who actually enjoy it.

You can totally enjoy the game without loving everything in it. It is not to love everything or to hate everything. I don't really like the Endwalker story for very specific reasons, but I still liked the music, the effort they put into the cutscenes, and all that. The OP just wants to chat and share a different point of view, and I don't see why it shouldn't be here just because it's not a positive feedback. Developers and writers also need this kind of reviews too, my friend.

It's kind of weird to read that someone shouldn't be here just because they don't share a positive review on a story. Seriously, you just feel bad after this.

[HyoMinPark]

If so many people "like" and agree with op wtf y'all doing in a forum of a game you consider "meh"?

I don't understand, please enlighten me.

Because people are allowed to share their criticisms? I can say that I enjoyed the story, but I have my own criticisms of it in terms of pacing, lost potential with regards to certain story elements, and stuff inserted into the story that made very little sense/were way too jarring in terms of scene tone. I’ve played this game for over six years. I’ll offer my criticisms as I see fit. Loving a game doesn’t mean blindly proclaiming everything about it is perfection.

Also please leave the game and give your place in the queue for people who actually enjoy it.

No.

[Cithaerias_pyropina]

If so many people "like" and agree with op wtf y'all doing in a forum of a game you consider "meh"?

I don't understand, please enlighten me.

Also please leave the game and give your place in the queue for people who actually enjoy it.

I actually don't have Endwalker and I have not done the story, I also care not for spoilers as I am legitimately only getting the expansion because of Jullus and him alone, like I did Shadowbringers with Ardbert (I am the kind of person that watches a show or movie or reads a book for one or two very specific characters and once they're gone I'm out). I know full well what happens and how meanderingly slow the expansion starts, looking at you Old Sharlyan. I know just how little the writers spend in Garlemald and Thavnair. If Thavnair didn't exist the story would have been relatively unphased as a huge majority of the expansion is spent in Elpis and that absolutely unnecessary Old Sharlyan lore dump at the start.

Endwalker is riddled with slow escort quests and stealth quests, that of which are both the two things I loathe in games, which would have ultimately tilted me into cutscene skipping, thusly I read spoilers. I am very prone to being MSQ tilted to the point of cutscene skipping thanks to ye olde ARR and Astrologian being locked behind its entirety. Shadowbringers was the first, and probably going to be the only, expansion where I actually did watch everything, had to keep a vigilant eye out for surprise Ardbert cutscenes, and even then the story was captivating at nearly all stages. Endwalker though? Yikes, gonna be like Stormblood all over again. I have my ESC key primed and ready for all parts not Elpis, Garlemald or Jullus related as I have absolutely no interest in the lore behind Sharlya or Thavnair. My interest in ascian lore has been waning for quite some time but I'm willing to give them a second chance. That part at the very end of the post credits scene with, what I assume is, bird-form Meteion flying around Mor Dhona actually did make me feel something so I'm also willing to give that shoehorned character a chance, although she's on thin ice.

[Kuroka]

Absolutely agree on Ultima Thule and Omega. It was obvious from the outset. The same is true of the Moon and Y'shtola revealing the rabbits benefactor is the forum. Obviously the devs know we can figure it out so if there needs to be a moment of 'revelation' at least let us bring it up since we've been aching to point it out since getting to those zones.

There were multiple instances where i really felt insulted for being made this dumb...

[FoxyAreku]

I liked a lot of moments in endwalker, but it sure did have a lot of filler-was more noticeable than any other expansion for me except ARR itself. And it was also very jarring how little actual gameplay there was. Outside of the quota 5 dungeons and 2 trials, I basically never did anything but watch cutscenes. That was lame.

Good story overall but I don't understand people saying it's amazing or the best story ever told, it was just okay for me. Shadowbringers, Heavensward, and Stormblood back when they were current were more fun and resonated with me more (and they all had actual gameplay), but each their own.

[ReynTime]

I liked a lot of moments in endwalker, but it sure did have a lot of filler-was more noticeable than any other expansion for me except ARR itself. And it was also very jarring how little actual gameplay there was. Outside of the quota 5 dungeons and 2 trials, I basically never did anything but watch cutscenes. That was lame.

Good story overall but I don't understand people saying it's amazing or the best story ever told, it was just okay for me. Shadowbringers, Heavensward, and Stormblood back when they were current were more fun and resonated with me more (and they all had actual gameplay), but each their own.

That's also a very good point. Even if you exclude "filler" from it, the pacing was still very bad because even ARR broke the chain of just reading dialogue/watching cutscenes with actual combat far more often than Endwalker... On top of ARR dungeons being simply better designed, bosses aside.