Final Fantasy XIV (Guide in first post)

Final Area of the Final Zone (don't watch the vid if you haven't cleared MSQ):


Akademia Anyder:

Man it really disapointed me that we end up killing Emet-Selch, I was REALLY hoping that his ultimate goal with us ingesting the light was to turn us into an Ascian. He made mention that there were 3 people that were currently alive, we killed one and that left 2 more, himself and that other guy and it takes one or two of them to bring one back.

Really salted me that they basically gave us the lore for their world, showed us that Emet-Selch is basically conflicted in the path he should take in causing the rejoining, and then they were like, "Naah fuck it, kill the shit out of him!"

Just basically felt like a poor mans ending to a story.

I feel like the story would have had a LOT of potential to basically have him Ascian-lite the player. Maybe at the end of the expansion in prep for the next expansion. Something where it's like, "Now you are part of the solution!" because I feel like once the last Ascian is dead...we are kinda at a dead point and they will be doing what WoW is doing with their Lore...retconning the shit out of it.

The conflicted part comes from the quest line in the last area where the figment of the ascian he created that sits and talks with you for a bit mentions how he used to be kind and brilliant, basically a quiet personality driven to extremes by the event that ripped everything he cared about away from him. The phantom even mentions that the likely reason why his character had more sentience than other phantoms was likely only because of something super simple like Emet-Selch being distracted during his creation. Then you have the end battle with Emet-Selch being fairly easy. Compared to the other bosses the default fight for Emet-Selch was simple. I dunno, the whole time it felt like his character was searching for basically ANY reason to not kill you. Like your character had more meaning to him than his goal basically. I mean he basically says as much near the beginning with all his statements involving the light and how "Sure you can win this time because NEXT time you won't be here to save them from the light." He was generally just more interested in the main character and also passing on personal information that was more along the lines of emotionally trusting the main character set me in thinking, "Oh damn, he may actually be a long form character for a couple expansions!"

I dunno, it just felt like they were given an amazing character to work with and they just dropped the ball for a cheap "KILL THE ASCIAN!" moment. Whereas we could basically have had a much more impactful long form character.

Same applies with the warrior of darkness, like they built him up into something important but I feel like the money-shot for him was he holds our hand as we throw his axe...yay?

I mean at least with the warrior of darkness we can continue on with him since he's still following us around, I THINK.

If the warrior of darkness just pooofed and now he's gone, I'll be SUPER salty since they had a chance to make him poof in a meaningful way with the building of the light and Minfilias words to him that his time isn't yet during the flood where all his friends were basically poofing before his eyes.

That's kiinda what I'm saying though, because we kill Emet there isn't really much else to speculate on him. It's such a missed opportunity IMHO.

I had hoped that MAYBE we were going to get a scene that Emet wasn't really dead and was basically just testing us but that went out the window on the Moon scene where the last Ascian basically says, "Whelp guess I'm the last one then.."

Ahh well, guess i'll have to stick it out and see what lore they come up with, the story in-general was pretty impressive this go.

I really loved the takes of "Evil...but..." that they were doing with the big bads. Like Vauthry or whatever basically being a sacrifice due to actions beyond his control, made you just pang for feels a bit. Like, damn, I'm killing this person not because they wanted to be a sin eater but because Emet basically gave this unborn kid the ultra middle finger. Just felt so amazing, I love when as the player I'm conflicted about the actions I just took. Most MMOs these days are so safe it's silly. "GO HERE, KILL EVIL THING, IT'S EVIL AND CORRUPTED!" No real emotion behind it aside from maybe Arthas back in WotLK.

PRETTY SURE that he is in one of the last cut-scenes when we are walking back into the main city AFTER emet slaying and everyone is cheering us. He is "there" walking towards his friends. I don't know if that's a "He's gone" moment or if it's more like he wished his friends were there to greet him after this event.

If his "Death" is simply being an axe to be thrown, I'll be salty. I feel like they could have made that much more meaningful such as:

*Fight Ends - All players knocked to their feet*

The light is now madly fluctuating and we are about to turn

Emet is clearly mortally wounded

Warrior of Darkness is there watching it all unfold

*Flashbacks to Minfilia stopping the flood of light*

Warrior of Darkness then takes the light from us to materialize slightly to the point Y'shtola and Ryne can actually "See" him

Warrior of Darkness delivers the final blow, extracting the light.

It would have basically been the same outcome as now but with a more meaningful end to the Warrior of darkness. I mean as is, those other heroes that were there at the crystal tower weren't really THERE...their aether had been spent holding the flood of light, so if anything they were just illusions or him wishing they were there.

I did think the Mini Ardbert was a cool touch but...lore wise doesn't fit since the kid is clearly not young and TECHICALLY Ardbert died a hundred years ago and his spirit JUST faded (if we go with that theory) 10 second before we see Mini Ardbert.

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OH that reminds me on the "Emet isn't fully evil" thought.

When we lose our light they make mention that our soul isn't tarnished as it once was before. Like the entire process of fighting Emet served as self sacrifice on Emet's part in order to extract the light AND fix the soul.

I dunno, I know this is broken record territory now but I think that if Emet is gone it's a really lost opportunity.

I liked the lore but...I dunno I'm so conflicted if it was good or just average.