Operation Backlog Completion 2026

An Epic Adventure in Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward

 Reviews, Video games  10 Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Jul 282021
 

It’s been two years since I beat A Realm Reborn, and yesterday I also finished the first Final Fantasy XIV expansion, Heavensward (which is now included in the free trial).

Heavensward gets a lot of praise from fans, and the quests building up to it after A Realm Reborn started out slow but then reached levels of suspense where I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

(In between A Realm Reborn and Heavensward, I also met Hildibrand, a character at the center of the funniest quests I’ve seen in the game so far. That was definitely a highlight.)

And of course, Heavensward is set in Ishgard, the land of holy knights and dragons, so how could I not be interested?

I enjoyed the plot of Heavensward much more than the plot of A Realm Reborn, and it felt like there were less times where I had to run back and forth on busywork quests instead of actually advancing the story. It also gave me a new favorite Final Fantasy XIV character and some pretty exciting moments!

While I wouldn’t rank it up there with my favorite Final Fantasy games like some people do, it was still really good, and my enjoyment of the story might have been hindered slightly by how long it took me to complete.

(I’ll try not to drag out the other expansions quite as much.)

I’ve stuck with my same class through my entire playthrough so far, but in Heavensward I finally improved my own gameplay by switching over to gamepad controls, which I found to be more intuitive for combat. Making a few small changes like that also helped me enjoy the game much more.

Meanwhile, there have been plenty of entertaining seasonal events and other optional parts of the game that I enjoyed quite a bit. Most recently, I did a special event quest at the Gold Saucer that makes you investigate a crime without any quest markers, so you have to search for the information you need to piece together the correct answer.

I intended to take a break from serious Final Fantasy XIV playing after finishing Heavensward, but it ended on a note guaranteed to drive me forward to see what happens in the patches!

And so for the foreseeable future, it looks like my Final Fantasy XIV adventure will continue! Here’s hoping for exciting stories ahead!

Final Fantasy XVI’s Scenario is Complete

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Jul 122021
 

We have yet to see more from Final Fantasy XVI, but it sounds like development is going quite well.

In a broadcast about Final Fantasy XIV (which I didn’t watch since I don’t want to see spoilers for the later expansions), Yoshida discussed Final Fantasy XVI briefly after Yoko Taro joked that he wants to write its scenario.

According to the translations here, Final Fantasy XVI’s scenario is complete and voice acting has entered the final stages – including the English voice acting.

They want their next reveal to include combat and other features that haven’t been shown yet and want it to be the sort of trailer that makes everyone want to get the game after seeing it.

Apparently they were surprised by the number of people who expected it to be shown at E3, since it wasn’t announced as part of their lineup. It probably won’t be featured at TGS, either (although it sounds like that isn’t completely out of the question). Once everything for the game is set, we’ll get to see it.

While I’m dying to learn more about Final Fantasy XVI, I don’t mind this approach. It’s good to know the scenario is complete, and I’ll be looking forward to that eventual trailer. I hope they’re still able to show it this year.

Some people seem to be taking this as a sign that the game won’t be out for a long time, but the voice acting being in its final stages makes me think the opposite. Maybe the release date isn’t too far off after all.

How do you feel about this approach to Final Fantasy XVI, with the developers waiting for one big reveal instead of a slow release of information? When do you think we’ll see Final Fantasy XVI?

Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier Live Stream Set for May 7

 Video games  No Responses »  Tagged with: , ,
Apr 302021
 

Square Enix has announced a live stream about Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier for May 7 at 7 AM Eastern Time.

The live stream will be in Japanese, but the Twitch stream will include English commentary.

I have no interest personally in First Soldier, since it’s a mobile-only battle royale. Nothing about that really appeals to me. However, the live stream announcement says there will also be new information about Final Fantasy VII Intergrade at the end.

Intergrade is the upgraded version of Final Fantasy VII Remake for the PS5, which includes a new DLC episode starring Yuffie called Episode INTERmission.

I’m very interested in INTERmission, but the DLC is PS5-exclusive. My list of reasons to want a PS5 is gradually increasing, but not enough yet to push me into actually getting one. That could change soon, depending what is announced in the months ahead (especially with E3 approaching).

Meanwhile, I’m looking forward to May 7 much more for what will happen a few hours later at 10 AM Eastern Time – the end of the Judgment Day countdown. The new footage has become increasingly obvious, so it’s almost certainly a sequel announcement.

Are you interested in Final Fantasy VII: The First Soldier? Will you be watching the live stream?

 Older Entries  Newer Entries