CousinGreg

I'm very mixed on this one. The positives are getting to explore new areas and cultures. The negatives are how big some of the areas are, how much filler there is, and how little I felt I got to truly know some of the people. So pacing issues. If you like crafting, then spearfishing is introduced here. It is a mini-game set at an underwater gathering node which is kind of interesting. The negative though is this spear never gets an upgrade. Red Mage and Samurai were introduced in this expansion which are both favorites. The job quests for both of these are very good compared to some others as well. The new housing area is beautiful. The biggest negative for me is the same as most others: Lyse. Loud, obnoxious, and stubborn. It's like all her experience with the scions as well as her brain were hidden in that mask she wore. When that came off, so did the rest. She saw what happened with the Crystal Braves, but she still acts the same as Alphinaud. There are also a lot of JRPG tropes in here that aren't my favorite like fighting the same character(s) one last time at the end of the game or a segment. I can honestly say that the only character I liked in this entire expansion was Hien and his retinue. Ala Mhigo is some of the most painful content out there to the point where I would need to buy a story skip if I wanted to level a 2nd character. The idea of replaying this makes me nauseated. That said, the content definitely picks up post-MSQ leading into Shadowbringers. Characters are more interesting and there's a lot less Lyse as well.

Great game to break the previous Final Fantasy mold. I've always had a hard time getting into FF games since many of them start off very slow. I find it difficult to want to play an RPG or care about characters just because they exist and that seems to be the expectation for many FF titles. I love that this game gives you a reason to care up front about these characters. Positives are the combat system. I know some don't enjoy it, but I'm not a major hardcore gamer and it was easy to grasp. They do include accessories you can use to make the game a bit easier, but there is no auto mode like in some other SE games. The only negatives I felt were the world exploration. The world will change a bit as you do side quests which is nice, but the hunt system was a bit of a chore. I do wish there were a better variety of music in the game. I remember wishing there were some sort of "treasure" or other reasons to explore as well since the world is beautiful. Otherwise a good story and great game play.

There's not a lot to say that other's haven't. It's genuinely a wonderful start to the end that is Endwalker. It does a great job of reaching back to 2.0 and even the trailer for 2.0. Ishikawa has done an amazing job here of not just starting to find a way to make old elements relevant, but also character development and making you care about all of these Scions who have come and gone from your player character's life over the years.

I tried. I really tried. I never played the original game and to play these old games you need emulators or to buy an old system. This seemed like a good option. Unfortunately, it really feels like this game was more made for those who played the original and already know the story. I got almost to the end, realized I was hating every second of this, didn't feel connected to any characters, and was just playing in hopes of more info. When the trailers for the next part of the series came out I realized I was not going to get the payoff I was hoping for and quit. From my understanding characters and scenes were added not in the original. It is a bit obvious and feels out of place even for me who hadn't played the original. This feels like a money grab for the people who enjoyed the original on SE's part. I guess it's easier than taking the risk by creating an original new story.

Do you like Final Fantasy games? Then you would probably like this one. What makes an FF game? Moogles? Primals? Chocobo? Slow story that gets better an the end inexplicably? Well it's got all that! Enough of the jokes. This is a decent restart and (according to some) retelling of 1.0. It's not really bad so much as the cut scenes are kind of long and often unnecessary for the future of the plot. They have cut out a lot of those scenes and tried to trim it down, but in some spots it is still not quite enough. The game explains some things to you, but not everything. Sometimes the things it explains are something that apply to every MMO (like bag space and quests) while leaving important side quests or how the job system works up to content creators or guides to suggest. It's still a bit of a mess, but it's not horrible. It's not as bad as a couple of the future expansions at least. It's definitely worth it if you are okay with that slow burn that Final Fantasy games typically provide. This time though that slow burn lasts quite a few expansions.

I really enjoy this game, but I probably enjoy it because I don't feel the need to play it constantly. The story is no less weak than Genshin and the gameplay is fun. All Gacha games are pretty much equal at this point, but some are just harder to get into than others. I don't feel I need any specific character to beat content. While people say the same about Genshin, those same people spend a lot of money on pulls. The starting world in this game felt much more "alive" for me than Genshin's did as well. Genshin felt very wide open, empty, and boring. I do like the pull system better here and more clear than in their competitor. Also, people who would give a negative review because they like another game are just dishonest and insecure people. I'm an adult with a full time job. None of these companies are paying me, I'm not on the board of directors. I have a very fulfilling life outside this game. Maybe if others did the same they wouldn't need a game to define them as much, could try other things, and maybe learn to appreciate some variety.

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]

[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]