The latest Final Fantasy XIV expansion had fans so excited that servers could hardly contain it -- and rightfully so. Endwalker has been a considerable success both with fans and critics and has only made FFXIV more popular. While the server issues were inconvenient, it shows just how stellar the story and gameplay are, never mind the new soundtrack. Overall, it's a great wrap-up to the long story of The Source and the Ascians who have been plaguing it since A Realm Reborn.

Final Fantasy XIV has followed the story of the Ascians, a small group from an old world, which has led to uncovering all manner of secrets and conspiracies, even leading to an all-out war. Endwalker's story is the culmination of the Scion's work to keep Eorzea by preventing the Final Days and discovering the world's true nature. Along the way, there are some great new dungeons and trials to experience as well as new areas, races and side stories. It's not always a perfect ride -- few games are. But the tight story and gameplay improvements make up for it.

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Moment with Y'shtola in Endwalker

One of the biggest gripes about the expansion didn't have to do with its content at all, but the influx of new players and those returning because of FFXIV's current hype. When the Early Access for those who pre-ordered went live, servers became overloaded, causing long login queues and crashes for many, particularly those on high-population servers. Wait times have since come way down but may rise back up now that account registration and games sales are resuming. If anything, this issue is more of a testament to how good Endwalker and FFXIV are in general.

Endwalker has quite a bit of it in terms of actual content, most of which is tied to the story. It begins where Shadowbringers' post-story ended, investigating new Ascian plans and dealing with a significant threat that could end Eorzea's world, as well as others. Shadowbringers had quite a bit of praise for its story, although it had its share of issues. Endwalker fixed this rollercoaster pacing with its lows only being near the beginning of the expansion. Things pick up quickly once the explanations of new lore and a few unnecessary extra heart-to-hearts are out of the way. As always, the new lore builds on what's been previously established but adds a few twists that are entirely brand new and will have players wanting to know more while also tugging at heartstrings.

This time around, there are several emotional points not just in events with characters but in the story's overall theme. It's a heavy story that centers on loss, bonds forged, existential dread and growth, but Endwalker's darkest moments are well contrasted by its sweetest. Even when the story is at its gloomiest, the Scion's roles add the right amount of fortitude and hope to get the point across without feeling overpowering. Everything that happens throughout the expansion builds up to the final area -- not just the end boss -- which is a very dark place that tells its own tale. There are also hints to other connections along the way that may surprise players and could provide some great side stories or more lore for the future.

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The past world of Elpis in Endwalker

As part of this new journey, players will get to experience plenty of new places, both previously spoken of locations like Sharlayan and completely new areas. At first, this may seem disjointed, but it all comes back around to tie into the main story. Every area is distinct with a unique tone, dictated by their appearance, music scores and story setup. For example, Sharlayan is a big city with structures players have seen in Idyllshire, featuring calming colors and a gorgeous oceanside setting. However, its buildings are more modern, and the city has a sense of urgency, dictated by how busy its scholars and inhabitants are shown to be throughout the story.

There are plenty of new characters in Endwalker, too, as well as some very old friends and fan favorites. These characters help to shed light on the mysteries and have their own arcs and growth, which make them feel more important. While Endwalker does wrap up FFXIV's story with the Scions and Ascians, it still leaves plenty of room for future adventures in the series.

For those who aren't into the story, Endwalker still has plenty of content to explore, but those purchasing Job Boosts or Scenario Skips may find themselves having some difficulty in Duties. FFXIV's Duty difficulty is built up across expansions, introducing a variety of mechanics as players progress, and Endwalker is no different. The new dungeons and trials provide a good level of challenge from their bosses, with the new Pandemonium raids being the hardest. Players will need to get their mechanics and footwork down to be successful. The usual systems are also in place, like Tomestones, FATES, Gemstones and the next level of crafting and gathering, giving players plenty to do outside of the story.

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Zenos as the Reaper class in FFXIV.

Of course, the big appeal for returning players is the two new classes, which have mostly been a hit. The Reaper and Sage classes can be unlocked at level 70 and have their own questlines, like other classes. Sages are the new healers and have a playstyle mainly focusing on shields and damage output, although they have their fair share of traditional heals. They can be tricky to get used to and, because they start at level 70, it can be a challenge to get used to it and jump into a Duty.

Reaper is a new DPS class with a lot of flair and a similar aesthetic to Dark Knight. It's got a hack 'n slash playstyle that's fast and feels great to play. A lot of the hype for the Sage class has died down since its announcement, but the Reaper remains fairly popular all around. There's also still a lot of excitement for the new playable male Viera, as it was previously a female-only race.

There have been a few other minor changes to the game that, for the most part, have been significant improvements, like the addition of a map to Aethernet fast travel in cities and the streamlining of some class skills. Gearing up is also a little easier, with players receiving a free set of armor for reaching a certain point late in the story, helping them get ready for more challenging trials and the new raid.

Overall, Endwalker is not only the perfect wrap-up to what has been a long and fun journey in Final Fantasy XIV but a great addition to gaming in general. It tells a story that has much more meaning by exploring a genuine fear that most people confront at some point. The broader world that ties into it is exciting to explore and learn about, especially alongside such great, well-written characters. It doesn't hurt that this expansion has a pretty great soundtrack to do this all to as well. Whether you're a longtime player a new fan playing catch-up, Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is a ride worth experiencing.

Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is available now on PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. 

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