Shadowbringers' eclectic cast is one of its best strengths. If you hate fetch quests in MMOs, Shadowbringers unfortunately has those in spades but I hardly cared because the context of those quests-and the cutscenes that often followed-were so enticing. It's these long and meandering character arcs that make my adventures feel MMO-sized, like if Game of Thrones was a high-fantasy anime.ĭespite being an MMO, Shadowbringers does a remarkable job of emulating that golden era of JRPGs through well-written dialogue and evocative cutscenes. When the hero Arbert first appeared all the way back in Heavensward as a minor character, for example, I never could have imagined the pivotal role he would grow to have in Shadowbringers. Characters, lore, and story beats that have been left to simmer for years suddenly boil over in dramatic narrative twists and turns that make this 50-hour journey an absolute rollercoaster. Though previous expansions have always been a direct continuation of the main story, the scope of Shadowbringers is almost dizzying by comparison.

Shadowbringers' success is, in part, owed to the way Square Enix has carefully built the world of Final Fantasy 14 over these past six years.

Final fantasy 14