Stormblood Review
I'm a Dragoon main who began his adventure in the 2.4 era of A Realm Reborn. I am decidedly casual player, but one who likes to dip his feet in everything he can, within reason. I got drawn into the story, the characters, the world, and the activities. And to those ends, and more, Stormblood is a resounding success.
Without spoiling too much, those who finished the Heavensward patches know that we've been preparing to finally do something that has been hinted at since about Level 20 of A Realm Reborn. We're going to liberate Ala Mhigo and Doma to boot. As a result the story is incredibly focused. Stormblood focuses on the Garlean Empire with practically no diversion. We also get to meet some incredible new bad guys who make us pine for the dignity and temperance of Gaius Van Baelsar.
The journey will take us to the Fringes, Peaks and Lochs of Ala Mhigo but also on a journey across the sea to Othard, which is where we get our first look at the larger world map. After an amazing first dungeon in the middle of the Sirensong Sea, we arrive in Kugane – the new city-state hub of Stormblood. The clear Japanese aesthetic is strong with this one and it features some unique climbing areas which go hand in hand with the new Sightseeing Log entries. The residential area of Shirogane is great if you have the gil to buy a plot of land, with a central market district that is especially beautiful, but at launch you cannot purchase apartments yet.
Our journey into Othard proper across The Ruby Sea is where we learn how to dive. This was one of the game's key selling points as underwater exploration has always been a part of some of the most beloved Final Fantasy titles. However, like in those other games, it's better in concept than it is in practice. There's no underwater combat, and really nothing to see apart from some pretty scenery, so it is in reality just another place to do fetch quests, albeit much slower. There is one optional dungeon beneath the waves accessible at Level 63, but to access it you must dive to the bottom of a massive trench which is honestly a little tiring – even on a flying mount (which can traverse the undersea areas).
Speaking of said dungeon, the sidequests in Stormblood are actually noteworthy. Yes you will have dozens of random kill and fetch quests but each settlement has one character who unlocks a chain of four sidequests which tell a story about their plight. The best part about these is that once you complete the quest lines for these individuals new quests will pop up which will link two of them together and neatly tie up both of their stories. These are the kinds of sidequests we needed so much more of. As far as leveling goes, these sidequests offer reasonable EXP, FATEs now offer better rewards for their time than they did in Heavensward, and even trash pulls in the dungeons aren't too bad. Dungeon and FATE farming remain the best way to fill out your levels in terms of speed, but the sidequests and Hunts will get you there too if you prefer solo play.
The game is geared to ease new players in, and you will find that you can accomplish most of the story without any reference to video guides. It takes a slow and steady approach and re-teaches you the mechanics of each type of attack at a fairly non-challenging pace. If you're a hardcore veteran you might find it a bit too easy for your taste, but there are some unique boss mechanics and some truly incredible Primal fights to look forward to. And if you're still not satisfied the final boss is one of the toughest main story quest fights ever conceived. So far the endgame content relies on two dungeons and two EX Primals to farm Primal Gear and Tomestones of Verity. The endgame dungeons are actually quite fun, each offering a unique flavor and one of whom features a surprising guest which fans will enjoy immensely.
I haven't mentioned the Red Mage or Samurai as I don't wish to step on the toes of AvecAloes's upcoming article discussing the various jobs (with help from all of us in the community), but I will say that they graciously start off at Level 50 and allow for wildly different DPS styles. Samurai gives us a pure damage dealing machine, at the cost of practically nonexistent utility, whereas Red Mage lives up the hybrid hype, serving as a solid combination of support, healing and DPS. Both are quite fun to play as and both are relevant to the story.
Lastly I need to mention the game's soundtrack: it's fantastic with a fresh combination of the far east and battle hymns aplenty. There are also some nice little motifs stuck in for veterans, notably a slight homage to Shadow's theme tucked away in one of the recurring story themes, and a full on remaster of Cyan's theme (both from Final Fantasy VI). This is not unexpected, as FFXIV relies heavily on Final Fantasy VI in many ways that are self-evident.
So in conclusion, how does it fare? Well there are some missteps. So far diving is a let down and the “Raid Actions” item is cute but so far has not been implemented that well. It's hard to look at these things and not think “gimmick”. And at times the areas don't seem quite as impressive as the ones we got to explore in Heavensward. But apart from those truly minor complaints everything else about this expansion has been a hit. The new content is fun, the story is gripping, the characters are top notch and the new areas are fresh and fun to explore. I am looking forward to seeing how things grow from here.
Final Score: 8.5/ 10