Lack of depth, padded, horrible pacing. Good characters, a decent cast that were used horrendously and not given time to cook and develop, aside from QIBRUC PIBIL (even that was rushed, where was our Zoraal Ja & Bakool Ja Ja cook off?). It was rushed and slowed down at the same time, and while it had good moments they were too far apart to cover the bad parts. Glimpses of potential that just dulled down to mud because of said bad pacing. Felt like I was watching a shonen anime at some point, which irked me. Also why bother bringing the scions if you end up using them as emotionless puppets that barely react to things with emotion? Are they even characters anymore? Do they feel angry about anything? Or are they just exposition vendors? Hell, seeing Koana's outburst was super refreshing.

Zone music was decent, Tuliyollal music was an ODD CHOICE to say the least, and the "happy happy joy joy" off-tune sang disney song at the end? Whoever chose to okay that, should be fired.

After a while of thinking, all I could think of was. "Is this why Endwalker was just one expansion, is this what they rushed for? Is this why we couldnt get Garlemald but destroyed it offscreen? Only to rush again to deliver a mediocre at best story?"

TLDR:

- Good zones, a definite improvement (open more buildings up, why bother making a town if you can only enter one building, that's not how MMO's should work, its about exploration and freedom. Not limiting the player)
- Graphic update is decent
- Nice bossfights
- Mediocre music, bordering on bad in some examples
- Fire the writers, and hire new ones
- SAME OLD BORING QUEST DESIGN

5.8 / 10