Why Endwalker Is FFXIV’s Best Expansion Yet

Final Fantasy XIV’s expansions have progressively gotten better (though many fans consider Stormblood an exception to this rule), with the most recent expansion Endwalker taking the crown and making FFXIV one of the most popular games of 2021. A lot of fans credit the success to Natsuko Ishikawa, who was promoted to lead writer for Shadowbringers and retained the role for Endwalker. While Ishikawa certainly deserves the praise she’s gotten, a number of other factors also contributed to Endwalker’s impressive debut.

[Warning: Story spoilers for FFXIV: Endwalker are below.]

Square Enix announced early in 2021 that Endwalker would bring an end to Hydaelyn and Zodiark’s tale, concluding the decade-long story arc. Fans were relieved to learn this did not mean the game as a whole was ending – on the contrary, FFXIV is slated to begin a new story with Patch 6.1. Players are anxiously awaiting news on what this new adventure will entail, but the anticipation for the future hasn’t stopped them from recognizing just how great Endwalker is.

Like any other FFXIV expansion, Endwalker added new combat jobs, a new story, new music, and new zones. It also gave fans many quality-of-life improvements, which make the gameplay more enjoyable. While these types of changes are expected in any expansion, Endwalker went above and beyond with them, carving out a place for itself as FFXIV’s best expansion yet.

Endwalker’s Story Is FFXIV’s Best Story Yet

The philosophical depth of Endwalker is unparalleled by everything that came before, including past expansions, raid content, and FFXIV‘s Dark Knight job questline. In Garlemald, the tragic story of Licinia and her little sister gives players a great deal of perspective and a grim reminder that one man’s hero is another man’s villain – though the Warrior of Light is celebrated as a hero in Eorzea, they are feared in Garlemald. Then, between Meteion’s nihilism and Hydaelyn’s faith in mankind, the player is forced to confront some of the most troubling real-life questions about the meaning of life and the inevitability of death. These are huge issues for a video game to tackle, but Endwalker pulls it off expertly.

Another part of what makes Endwalker’s story so impactful is the thoughtful development of new and existing characters alike. For example, despite only being introduced around halfway through the expansion, Meteion is a compelling and sympathetic antagonist, and the confrontation with her builds to an exciting ending for FFXIV: Endwalker. Players are made to feel a personal connection with Venat, who is essentially introduced around the same time. Meanwhile, Urianger, who’s been a major character since the beginning, reveals he’s been under great emotional strain from the difficult decisions he’s made in the name of duty. Then, in a beautiful moment that leaves very few eyes dry, the veteran Scion gets closure on his lost love Moenbryda.

The best decision Endwalker’s developers made about the story was to end it. Some game companies have a tendency to milk a profitable product for as long as possible, which often results in the story being stretched too thin and fans feeling disappointed and frustrated with the direction it takes. Instead of following that path, Square Enix used Endwalker to bring FFXIV’s entire story arc so far to a satisfying conclusion that feels natural. Ending a decade-long story beloved by millions of fans is no easy feat, and the development team deserves to be commended for pulling it off so well.

FFXIV: Endwalker’s New Additions Raise The Bar

The new zones added in Endwalker are some of FFXIV’s best. Sharlayan’s elegant grandeur draws players in, and one could stare at Ultima Thule’s mesmerizing sky for hours – most likely while waiting for FFXIV‘s Chi FATE to spawn. There’s even a beauty to Garlemald, which is little more than a barren wasteland by the time players get to visit it.

Not only does Endwalker’s soundtrack introduce some new masterpieces, but it expertly weaves in older themes as well. This is evident in “Footfalls,” which plays in the expansion’s cinematic trailer and includes key musical moments from Heavensward, Stormblood, and Shadowbringers. Endwalker also makes excellent musical and lyrical use of “Answers,” A Realm Reborn’s cinematic trailer theme song.

Sage and Reaper, Endwalker’s new jobs, have been popular from the day they became available. Much of the initial hype has worn off, with many players returning to their previous main jobs, but it’s still relatively easy to find a Reaper or Sage main. Both jobs have been performing well compared to others, and there aren’t many widespread complaints about them.

Endwalker Improves FFXIV’s Gameplay

The decision to remove belts in Endwalker was a great one, and it was met with little to no resistance from fans. Rather than allow the invisible items to keep hogging up precious armory chest space, the slots were repurposed to give fans more room to store weapons and rings. Small but pragmatic improvements like this helped give Endwalker better gameplay than FFXIV had before.

FFXIV’s Trust System was also improved in Endwalker. While it’s still more efficient for players to grind out dungeons with a group of players than with a group of faithful NPCs, it’s considerably less frustrating when the NPCs throw in at least a few AoE attacks, and this is one improvement fans have noticed since Endwalker’s release. Additionally, players get to use Trusts in Endwalker’s second trial, and this adds an extra layer of immersion as well as convenience.

Another popular change was the reduction in the number of aether currents required to unlock flying in older zones from Heavensward through Shadowbringers. This makes it somewhat easier for FFXIV players who aren’t caught up yet to navigate the world, and it enhances their ability to stay focused and immersed in the story as they journey to Endwalker. The number of necessary aether currents for new Endwalker zones like Labyrinthos remains the same, so players will still have to put in a bit of work if they want to unlock flying in the newest areas.

FFXIV: Endwalker Isn’t Perfect, But It’s Better

Endwalker wasn’t without its faults, of course, as there’s no such thing as a perfect game. Emet-Selch, the Shadowbringers villain most fans consider FFXIV’s best antagonist, was a tough act to follow, and unfortunately, Endwalker’s Fandaniel doesn’t hold a candle to him. Additionally, while some fans can’t get enough of Zenos, many others felt like he overstayed his welcome and should never have come back after his defeat in Stormblood.

But Endwalker’s biggest problem wasn’t its story – it was the congestion that plagued it for weeks following the opening of its early access, forcing players to wait in long queues that often surpassed two or three hours. There wasn’t much Square Enix could do about it since the insufficient server space was primarily due to a worldwide semiconductor shortage, but the issue was still a major obstacle holding the game back from being even more successful. Still, the players who patiently tolerated Endwalker’s congestion were rewarded with a phenomenal journey (and some free game time).

Overall, though Endwalker had some problems, these were greatly outweighed by its strengths, and it managed to rise above Shadowbringers – an expansion many fans thought could never be outdone. Similarly, it’s hard to imagine how anything coming in the future might possibly reach the same heights as Endwalker. But, if fans have learned anything from the game’s story, it’s the importance of looking toward the future with hope – and that’s exactly what they’ll do for Final Fantasy XIV’s next chapter.

About The Author

Alyssa Brandt
(19 Articles Published)

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Alyssa Brandt is a freelance writer based in Washington who recently graduated with a BA in English. She grew up in a family of gamers, and she spends most of her free time playing RPGs. When she isn’t busy getting too much screen time, she likes to play music, go thrift shopping, and think of creative excuses to avoid exercise.

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