Soooo these relics... lets talk.

[Roda]

I very much like the more minimalistic designs.
I hate it when armors and weapons get overdesigned into these huge cumbersome modern art pieces.

[Jettinson]

I may be in the minority here but I really really like the new Relics. They are kinda my favourite Relic Final Stage. Just because they are not so extremly over the top. And I totally love this holographic Crystal Design

I sound like crazy when I say I have no interest in the Anima DRK and I enjoy some of the HW relics (I love the BRD one for example)

I wish the MCH had some better effect because I love the model though

[Infindox]

I actually like some of the designs of the ShB relics at the end (RDM, DRK, BLM, WHM come to mind). There are some stinkers (those books....) but overall they didn't make me regret wasting all the time I did like the Eureka ones did.
Also interestingly the PLD shield has the Legacy logo on it... Odd.

[Denishia]

As someone who dislikes 90% of the bows despite BRD main, who only liked Zeta of the relics (Hated every step of Anima, didn't bother with SB) and disliked the first two steps - I'm pleased. The color scheme of the glow is not my usual colors at all, but as someone who prefers a glow that doesn't overpower the weapon model, the ShB is a delightful and refreshing change of pace. It offers a completely different aesthetic, and we should have variety.

[Metallus]

I was really only interested in the GNB, and even though the model looks good, those floating teardrop crystals completely ruin it for me. I wish there was a way to get rid of them. I would even settle for a 530 version without the crystals and the blue glow.

As far as the other weapons are concerned, I find most of them revolting. The machinist's and dragoon's ones look like some low lvl dungeon drop. And again, those teardrop crystals are just ugly. They look cheap and made of plastic and I wish I could disable them.

[MicahZerrshia]

I like the understated light on them instead of the insane particle effects of previous weapons, I thought the ARR relics had the light nearly perfect because they enhanced the weapon and didn't overwhelm it like other other final weapons.

But that being said, the weapons themselves were also beautiful on their own, and these are...not. They are very bland and boring looking and then the lights they did add just look like pieces of colored glass glued on top. Think 5-minute crafts.

I know, as a dnc main, that I am going to glam the previous step, without the light, overtop of this one because it was amazingly beautiful. As for the other 3 I have complete up to the last step, I am not sure if I will finish them at all, I mean tbh they are just glam pieces come November anyway and even if I would finish them I would just glam over them again anyway. So why bother?

[km0s]

Seems like the art team has gotten bit by the guild wars bug ?

Instead of spending time A/B testing out new designs, it's far easier to re-use/rehash older art models and then just start adding increasing levels of glow and colors.

I get it though - it's a financial decision. When times are tough and resources are restricted, art is the first thing to get axed.

[Ultimatecalibur]

I agree OP, I've barely bothered with relics this expac when they've been something I always looked forward to. Ever since we got the Hydatos relics I've started feeling pretty iffy about the team that are designing these. I don't know what happened but the relic models prior to Law's Order are really good for almost every single job and the effects are also really good for most of them too. What went wrong?

Ever since 2.45 and the transition from Relic Nexus to Zodiac Weapon, the devs have been alternating between new model and new glow. This actually gives the player base a greater variety of weapon models options than ARR's Unfinished Relic to Relic Nexus steps with all the pallet swaps and glow variations.

Seems like the art team has gotten bit by the guild wars bug ?

Instead of spending time A/B testing out new designs, it's far easier to re-use/rehash older art models and then just start adding increasing levels of glow and colors.

I get it though - it's a financial decision. When times are tough and resources are restricted, art is the first thing to get axed.

The relic weapons have always had unique models and then had glows added.

[Hyperia]

Fancy glow effects are mostly reserved for Ultimate weapons now, so don’t expect anything amazing like previous relics. If you want the super fancy glowing weapons, you will have to clear Ultimates.

[Kaworu]

The main problem is the glow for me.

Just look at Paladin's Relic, it's like a finished version of the weapon, while the others are lacking the glow.

If all of them could have that same kind of glow that the PLD does, it wouldnt be an issue at all.

Some weapons look totally incomplete. SMN and SCH are just horrible...

BRD is ok, but lacks the glow too, same with every other relic.