Meeting sky high expectations
The real test of a good MMO is in how convincing its world feels. In how it creates a vast sense of place, in how its inhabitants feel like they actually live there. After all, once the story is over and you’ve ‘finished’ it, it’s the quality of the setting that’ll keep you coming back.
Eorzea had transformed itself into a land well worth visiting even before this expansion, but instead of falling short like so many have in the past (hello World Of Warcraft’s Mists Of Pandaria), Heavensward exceeds expectations. It brings nine new zones to A Realm Reborn, each one far bigger than anything that came before it. With so many different areas to explore, from the gothic city of Ishgard to the spectacular, winged tower of Zenith, when diving in it truly feels like you’ve entered a completely fresh frontier.
The sheer scale of the world encourages exploration, especially when each area has so much personality to it. Western Coerthas could have so easily been a generic snowy wasteland, but instead it’s filled with little details that hint at its history. Old fortresses and farms from when the area wasn’t quite so chilly now lie abandoned and entombed in ice, while clutches of military camps are scattered around strategic points as they try to reclaim the land from the dragons. Despite its obvious fantasy trappings, this feels like a real place, and even the NPC inhabitants seem deeply connected to it. (A word of warning for anyone playing on PS3 or ageing PCs: these large areas are still present and correct, but they do take a lot longer to load in.)
The main storyline guides you through each new environment, picking up directly after where A Realm Reborn left off. After dealing with betrayal and shocking nastiness in the city of Ul’dah, you start off with a sombre walk into Ishgard. Once completely sealed off to the outside world, it has opened its borders to you, the Warrior Of Light, in the hope that you’ll aid the state in its war against the dragons.
Prime time
It’s a bit of a slow start compared to the gasp-a-minute finale of ARR, but things quickly pick up as you make unexpected alliances in your attempt to broker peace for the wyvem-besieged city. Soon you’ll find yourself just as hooked as you would be by any grand tale in the Final Fantasy series. The return to fetch quests during quieter moments as you learn the lay of the land can feel like a step backwards at times, but it’s no deal breaker. This is a new adventure after all, and you’ll be getting yourself embroiled in epic eight-man Primal fights soon enough.
Speaking of which, encountering the towering, insect-like samurai Ravanna for the first time is an especially dramatic moment. After an epic battle with a new ally (we won’t spoil who), it’s then your turn to face him. With his four swirling blades and room-filling attacks, it’s a seriously challenging fight – and it’s also a great example of the tweaks Heavensward has made to keep its fisticuffs fresh. Ok, so boss arenas are still circular to prevent people exploiting corners, but the developers have found different ways to test you. In the Ravanna fight, for example, you have to keep an eye on where the fence around the edge of the arena is breaking so you don’t get knocked off, and you need to dash to safe spots while also staying as far apart from your teammates as possible to mitigate his attacks. It all sounds a little complicated, but there’s a natural flow to it as you dance your way around the room, ever wary of the dangers, while landing as many strikes as you can. It can feel a bit like ballet, but with a very slightly higher risk of death.
Kill skills
To complement the tweaked combat design, all of the main classes have also been given an overhaul. Heavensward sees the level cap jump from 50 to 60, and with that rise comes a host of new skills. Each one adds something a little different to the way you play. Monks, for instance, rely on chaining moves together to ‘stack’ their offensive strength, but this often gets broken during lulls in long battles, so they can lose power. However, now they have new moves to compensate for that downtime, allowing them to maintain their charge, or loose it all at once with a devastating strike. It’s an incredibly useful addition for those that like punching things, but other classes don’t fair quite as well. Bards in particular are feeling stung, as their attack output hasn’t been raised at the same rate as the rest – expect a fix soon to level things out.
There are also three new classes to try, falling into the classic MMO triangle of defensive, offensive, and healing. While each one helps to bring variety to older party line-ups, the tanky Dark Knight is the clear favourite, and with good reason. With their huge two-handed swords and impressive, moody skillset, playing as one will make you feel like an absolute badass. The Astrologian is also a hit, with the card-drawing mechanic adding a satisfying layer of risk alongside their traditional healing magics. However the offensive Machinist falls a little flat by comparison. While managing their gun turrets is extremely satisfying, the ammunition-juggling mechanic has some noticeable balance issues. Much like the Bard, the new skills here just don’t seem to slot together quite as neatly as they should.
With so much to see and do, it’s not surprising if you feel intimidated by it all, especially as you’ll have to get through the impressive 60+ hours of the A Realm Reborn storyline before you can even start Heavensward. But the expansion won’t mind waiting if it takes you a while to get there, and changes for new players will help see you through a little faster, including experiences boosts and dungeon queue priority. The base game is a fine thing in itself, and makes a great introduction for those who’ve never played an MMO before. And with such a welcoming community, absorbing yourself into its world is a pleasure even if you decide not to invest in the new areas.
With so much on offer, any balancing issues are forgivable, and while Heavensward does require a sizable time investment, it’s well worth it. The storyline is sufficiently gripping that it’s not shamed by the rest of the Final Fantasy series, and its world is so rich that sightseers will exhaust themselves before they exhaust it. It’s high time you booked yourself a tour of Eorzea.