Well as you have probably seen Mike is off galivanting around Blizzard HQ for some reason this week, so it's only appropriate that my ass is stuck back in the office editing this bad boy 😂. In all seriousness though, we know it took a while to get this done - but good news is now we are up to date, we can start getting into some deeper subjects which should be good fun.

@kimaclaret

Жыл бұрын

Thank you, Chris! I've been so bored this week.

@Tsuna_SoulSilver

Жыл бұрын

Thanks you for the amazing video. I actually got teary listening to the whole thing. I'm trying my hardest to hold it off just because I'm at work atm 😂.

@Demonmack0

Жыл бұрын

I did NOT seeing this video coming :O

@originalghoul3738

Жыл бұрын

Going to Blizzard again I guess money can buy looking the other way but a women did commit suicide and they shared her V pic around the office, so I guess all Mike said was just hot air, sad.

@Demonmack0

Жыл бұрын

@@originalghoul3738 screw off and stop pretending you are some high moral creature.

There’s actually a line towards the end of the expansion that heavily implies that not every civilization Meteion found was nihilistic or already gone, but that the ones she found caused her to push those emotions as an empath onto the others she found. Creating an escalating feedback loop.

@lethargicwizard

Жыл бұрын

There's a couple notes in The Dead Ends that suggest this as well. On Ostrakon Octo, it's heavily implied that Meteion's appearance from beyond the stars, and the desire to appease her, led to the civil war that destroyed their planet. And more potently on Ostrakon Deka-Hepta, it very much feels like the despair she felt when she kept asking her question and not getting a satisfying answer may have radiated outward to the detriment of their entire civilization. The resemblance between Meteion and Ra-La, their winged harbinger of death, is absolutely uncanny.

@n18ritti

Жыл бұрын

yeah, the one where an entity self terminate instead of answering her question makes this clearer, also Alphi said this to Meteion before the twin sacrifice

@Erikson564

Жыл бұрын

That was pretty much my take aswell, because she is so attuned to emotions, the unlucky first few depressing civilizations they found, just caused her to start homing in on similar kind of emotions she sensed throught the universe

@Slade951

Жыл бұрын

@Bunlieve my first theory was sending out Meteions made some bad space creatures to locate us. Later changed to it took over Meteions. Then I just accepted that Meteion was crazy.

@gmoddude12

Жыл бұрын

im also pretty sure the biggest problem with all the places she found was that she found ones already destroyed which if you ask me is the fate of all civilizations one way or another many of them probably where happy at one point but she focused on the moments she caught

To me the point of the Scions "sacrifice" was never to make you think they would die forever, but to show their complete trust in the warrior of light, their friend, to push on without them and save everything, to push through despair and reach for the hope they have left. People who complain miss the entire point of that section when they say everyone should have died

@KevinSatron

Жыл бұрын

they could've done better during that section because it feels weird

@ReddeSpectre

Жыл бұрын

Said it better than I could. Thank you.

@Snowflash38

Жыл бұрын

The game is very clear that you will be able to bring them back, Yshtola out right says it after Estinien. The game is not trying to "trick" you into thinking they are dead, but that they must stay gone to allow you to progress.

@tjongdavid1921

Жыл бұрын

Sure, maybe, you never know, what with all the sad music and the sacrificial dialogue the scions was saying. What they did is manipulating me and forcing me to feel a certain way without earning it. And I don't like it.

@timcrowder2535

Жыл бұрын

@@Snowflash38 Except Y'shtola also outright says to NOT do that. I never thought they were going to all stay dead but to say that the game wasn't at least *trying* to get you to second-guess whether that was the case would be disingenuous.

I think maybe you're not supposed to relate to Meteion. She was a flawed creation with the innocence of a child, sent on a mission to find the answers to a question with a flawed premise, to appease a broken man. No answer She could have found in the cosmos would have satisfied Hermes, because the answers he needed were back at home. She was essentially set up for failure.

@spambaconeggspamspam

Жыл бұрын

^This one right here

@jacobb5484

Жыл бұрын

She’s basically the personification of existential depression. While you’re meant to empathize you don’t really need to relate with her.

@DaDuJuGo

Жыл бұрын

I probably don't want to know what it says about me but I at multiple points thought she might have a point and be right 😂 In my mind the Ancients proved her point with their endless sacrificing and Eorzea didn't exactly strike me as a special case in destroying itself sooner or later. Even in RL it might be argued that the earth would be better off without the humans on it slowly killing it. Maybe I'm too much like Hermes already 😳Good thing I don't have a Meteion. Yet.

@lethargicwizard

Жыл бұрын

@@DaDuJuGo The main difference between you and Hermes is that you live in a society that believes in mental health therapy lol. But you're not wrong to identify with Hermes, because he had some good points about significant flaws in ancient society.

@scrapox217

Жыл бұрын

Oh you're definitely meant to relate to Meteion. Maybe not you specifically, but to many people, especially those battling depression, her point of view is very relatable. Which makes the message of this expansion all the more important.

I did not have a good early life, and in Meteion I saw too much of myself. Naivety crushed by reality, comfort found in rejecting the pain of disappointment. I found her journey deeply relatable, and at times it felt as though the game was speaking directly to me. The moment that impacted me the most I've never seen mentioned. At the very end, after restoring hope to Meteion, she says something along the lines of, "And who knows, maybe we'll meet again someday. Miracles happen every day, do they not?" It completely broke me. Even typing it out brings tears to my eyes. When you're that deep, even the smallest things really do feel like miracles, and the pain of losing them is just too much. It's easier to turn away. To find the courage to hope again after enduring so much just breaks my heart. It's something I have to remind myself to do every day. Maybe it wasn't a story for everyone, but for the people who needed to hear it, I think it was really powerful.

@InsanityReborn

Жыл бұрын

Word.

@tangentkatz

Жыл бұрын

You summed up my experience perfectly. My two siblings also play FFXIV, and after Endwalker we had a very cathartic conversation because of Meteion's story.

@Teramoix

Жыл бұрын

All of this. Everything here. It reminded me of my struggle with depression, and all the pain that came of it. Winning against it with hope, love, and laughter. Endwalker spoke to me on a deep level that Shadowbringers just didn't.

@Keira_Blackstone

Жыл бұрын

Meteion reminds me very much of my younger sibling, who suffers terribly from crippling depression. I am -very slowly- dragging them through the MSQ for this game because I have a desperate hope it will somehow help, and failing that at least they'll know that I see their pain and will always be there for them.

@SemperVII

Жыл бұрын

@@Keira_Blackstone They're lucky to have you

I love that part with Graha in Radz at Han also. He closes his eyes, and when he opens them again, he’s the Crystal F’ing Exarch.

@JDSleeper

Жыл бұрын

One of my favorite moments in the expansion. I can imagine him doing the exact same thing during a Sin Eater attack on the Crystarium early on.

@seekittycat

Жыл бұрын

It's followed by my least fav moment however where he tells a person who just watched his son get crushed to death to "calm down". I'm like bruh that's not how you do it

@thesunthrone

Жыл бұрын

@@seekittycat No, that is exactly what you do to a person dazed by shock who is also in mortal danger. They are trapped in a state of utter pain where no logic works, and they cannot even really comprehend what you're saying. You give them something to focus on - your voice, give them some simple task to do so that they get out of the imminent danger - and afterwards you can address what happened in earnest. G'raha handled that situation as well as it can possibly be done.

@1LuvMLPFiM

Жыл бұрын

Crystal "Gigachad" Exarch

@proy3

Жыл бұрын

I was so proud of G'raha in that cutscene. I literally cheered out loud lol

The fact that you couldn't relate to Meteion is actually incredibly interesting to me. I'm not a Nihilist, but I've suffered from Major Depressive Disorder and, while I knew Meteion was categorically wrong, I could very much relate to the existential dread she was feeling and the conclusion she arrived at. As doors close around you, as a human being, you tend to fail to see those that remain open and turn to yourself as the only possible answer for your despair. Some people use that as a motivation for self-improvement, others use it as a motivation for destruction, most often self-destruction, though at times it spirals into something much darker... You need only look at mass murders. Meteion and her plight did the opposite for me, they elevated the story further and her redemption resounded in me. The two sides... The dark and despairing self vs. that little, singular voice that, at times, clears away the clouds and brings forth reason and, as the despair is vanquished, that voice becomes louder and louder. It felt like a metaphorical tale about battling one's own demons, it felt like a decade and a half of my life had been put into a metaphor and the feelings I felt were so vast and different... Sadness at Meteion's despair, anger at her actions, disbelief at the conjectures she drew and the answers she obtained, happiness at her redemption yet most of all... It was cathartic. Edit: The fact that Yoshi-P managed to fit the Fermi Paradox into FF in such a realistic way was absolutely mindblowing to me. After all, one of the most common answers for the paradox is that any sufficiently advanced civilization's likelihood of self-collapse is directly proportional to their technological and scientific advancements.

@balover214

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for sharing your story! I completely agree with this, as it resonated with me too, having spent a couple decades battling depression. This storyline felt like it told my story and gave me the answer it took decades to find at the same time, if that makes sense. The moment with the people of Palaka's Stand, when they spoke the words of the Divinity, was another similar moment. Yes, life is ugly and painful, but "see your life for what it is. How the hardships make you strong..." FF told a deep, impactful story of life and death, despair and anguish, and how to find hope through life's little moments. As corny as it could have been, I personally felt like they told it with realism and honesty instead of making a Disney-like singalong about happiness over despair or the like. I hope your journey continues to bring more joy than pain, as those feelings of depression don't usually go away. We just learn how to listen less deeply and keep walking. ♥

@Poldovico

Жыл бұрын

Same. The biggest difference between Mike's reading and mine is I think the significance of Elpis. We did not plant the seeds of the Final Days by showing Hermes he was not alone. I firmly believe things would have gone no different without us on that front. Where we made a difference is we planted that seed of redemption with Meteion. We showed her that despite it all we can still hope, and that's why in the end that seed can quicken and open the way to the Endsinger. My understanding is Hythlodaeus and Emet-Selch did not make Ultima Thule inhabitable when we summoned them. Meteion's hope did that. They simply created the Elpis flowers which awakened it, and I think that works because of what we showed her all those millennia in the past.

@yu-xl1jy

Жыл бұрын

Although I will never understand it, but my wife on the other hand actually think meteion is right. Because she is an animal lover and she believes humanity is like a plague on earth destroying the environment and hurting animals, nothing humanity touch is benefiting the planet. Nothing I say to her can change her mind and she would actually be happy if everyone is gone including herself as long as it is a painless death

@maxrusty3596

Жыл бұрын

I feel the same way to a lesser extent about Zenos. Some people say hes super shallow but the dude never could relate to anyone or understood what happiness was...he didnt understand how everybody could just accept to trudge threw the tedium that was existence. Having been severely depressed in the past i found it very relatable. Ive seen reactors just hate him and not understand and i think to myself if u cant relate to zenos uve probably lived a pretty lucky life but u should be able to understand him reguardless.

@KirionF

Жыл бұрын

@@maxrusty3596 Zenos is honestly my favorite character. Between his villainy borne from apathy and resentment at a life that was given to him from birth to the absolutely pristine voice acting, I adore him. I memorized the entirety of his dialogue from his Ultimatum appearance to the very last breath because I found his 'not quite redemption' arc to be brilliantly written and voice acted superbly.

I do not think they intended the Scions "sacrifices" at the end to be viewed as something final. But rather them finally being able to give Hermes and Meteion the answers they were looking for. Why do you live? And with each answer, they forged a path with you together. It kinda goes back to the song "Answers" that is sung from Hydaelyn POV. At the end she starts chanting, "Answer, Answer, Answer together." And this fits well with Meteons reasoning in the end "What they live for, what gives their lives meaning... There was never a single answer."

@selpharessecret3899

Жыл бұрын

It is kind of impressive how good they implemented the song that was never intended to be used that way.

@ChaoticPKK

Жыл бұрын

Yeah their recurring use of an Answer, be it giving one or seeking one or what-have-you, through the expansion was wonderful. They had a whole heavy-handed "Venat walking along while the song plays and she practically just tells you what each verse means" bit and it still somehow only added to whole thing. Plus the Hydaelyn theme being called "Your Answer" harmed me in a major way

@tubewatcher68

Жыл бұрын

Yes, I agree it was not intended to be final - to the player - simply because of the way it was done. But I think that one of the most impactful things here was that the Scions did not know. They were prepared to sacrifice themselves, and did so willingly, so that you, the Warrior of Light could continue the fight and they had total faith in you and the fact that you would succeed.

@nahuel3433

Жыл бұрын

@@selpharessecret3899 Well its a song about the meaning of life, sung partially by Hydaelyn And Endwalker as an expansion is about life and its meaning. With Hydaelyn having a key role. So really connecting the 2 is not that hard considering the both tackle the same question and they both reach the same answers.

@Ganey16

Жыл бұрын

To add to that, they literally tell you right away that you have a way to bring them back. The tension is cause by the how, as you currently cannot, and the fact that you need to continue with the monumental task alone

I literally played through everything from the end of Elpis to the end of 6.0 in one sitting because I couldn't just leave it, bawling like a 6 year old the entire time. No shame. This game fucking got me.

Honestly the only thing I can say about the sacrifice of the scions at the end: It doesn't feel like it was done to shock or to actually make you worry about them being gone for good. Clearly they're coming back. I just took it as a show of how, ultimately, their trust in you is absolutely unshakable and absolute. They trust you to be able to finish the job no matter what.

@jacobb5484

Жыл бұрын

The way I saw it, it was meant as a capstone to their character arcs and values. Each confronts the antithesis of their personal journey before clearly denying it. Even before Endwalker was released they made it clear the scions wouldn’t die. It’s not presented as a tragic death or sacrifice but a triumphant stand against despair.

@celfhelp

Жыл бұрын

@@jacobb5484 i agree with that last bit. to me it definitely felt like a statement/demonstration of conviction, not an actual sacrifice by any stretch

@Wastingsometimehere

Жыл бұрын

Y'Shtola even says you can bring them back, but don't. Pretty much explains what has to happen is not the end.

@Miranox2

Жыл бұрын

Yep, it's strongly implied that they can return. There was a chance that one of them may die, but not in such an anticlimactic way (vanishing into a puff of smoke).

@craigdyas1091

Жыл бұрын

It's also a great bait and switch as you're fully expecting to summon them first, but you actually summon Emet and Hythlo

I know it's such a small thing, but putting your WoLs name at the end of the credits was such a nice touch. I played the game from ARR all the way until Endwalker in one go over several months, the credit at the end just felt like a personal nod from the devs saying thanks for playing.

@Tioko

Жыл бұрын

Yes! And what I loved is that they made Meteion fly by in the exact way you needed to notice that text, just because it’s the way human attention works :) I wasn’t paying attention to text until then :)

There is a line near the end of Shadowbringers. It's during the section where we are building the giant talos and the Crystal Exarch sneaks off to speak to us alone for a moment. I forget the exact quote, but he says something to the effect of "When you reach a point where you question all of your choices, the voices of everyone you have touched will come to remind you of the difference you have made." The final walk to Meteion feels like that moment.

@AlalaCrisp

Жыл бұрын

Just too add, during 5.3, G'raha pretty much foreshadowed the entirety of Ultima Thule with one quote: "Yours is a long road my friend and it stretches to beyond places imagining. And there may come a day where you forget the faces and the voices of those you've met along the way. On that day, I bid you remember this -- no matter how far your journey may take you, you stand where you stand by virtue of the road you walked to get there. For times of hardship, when you fear you cannot go on. The joy you have known, the pain you have felt, the prayers you have whispered and answers, they will forever be your strength and comfort."

@SmoothAsFelt

Жыл бұрын

@@hokagejason4732 Really? When you're making that last walk you can't see the faces or names of any of the characters. You hear the words and each of those words came from a moment in your journey that made your journey what it was. There was happy quotes, sad quotes, people relying on you, people helping you. The only thing that kept you walking forward was the road you walked to get there, and the actions you took to affect those around you. Not to mention the obvious "stretches to beyond places imaginable" we literally went to the edge of the universe

I loved seeing the characters sacrifice themselves in Ultima Thule. Not because they died, but it put on display just how much these characters had changed. We knew we had the power to bring them back. Y'shtola herself says, "You can bring us back, but you mustn't!". They didn't die for no reason or without explanation. Each one was a stepping stone. A stepping stone for us, the Warriors of Light to move ahead, no matter what. It was a test of will for us, as Meteion pointed out. What are we without our friends? And the answer is, we're never without our friends.

@cnkclark

Жыл бұрын

It was an expression of ultimate faith and hope that made us the antithesis to everything Meteion represented. On wings of hope, you rise up through the night Higher, o higherrrrrr

As far as Meteion goes, by the end of Endwalker I was under the impression that Meteion had inadvertently caused many of the civilizations she visited to give in to despair after finding many other dead civilizations. In fact, I am pretty sure Meteion herself hinted at that after her defeat.

@Moheeheeko

Жыл бұрын

They said at some point that in some cases her asking "the question" in some places caused them to think about their lives, and drove them to dispair.

@Miranox2

Жыл бұрын

@@Moheeheeko I don't think it was the question that caused despair. What people are talking about is the negative dynamis that Meteion absorbed from fallen civilizations. This dynamis was then released and this drove some civilizations over the brink. You can think of Meteion as a sort of sponge for dynamis, absorbing and releasing it.

@selpharessecret3899

Жыл бұрын

Well at least in the world with the robot wars she was unwanted the catalyst for the final war, because both sides saw her as a sign that they follow the rightful way. It is really worth to read the notes in the final dungeon.

@nahuel3433

Жыл бұрын

@@Miranox2 I think that's an overestimation of her powers. The only reason she can do something as the endsong is because all the Meteia are together AND she built something like Ultima Thule which gives her even more dynamis from the shades to work with AND she also absorbed people's souls and feelings into her own. There is no way a single Meteion on a star can just affect the whole planet to the brink. They were already at the edge.

@Miranox2

Жыл бұрын

​@@nahuel3433 As far as we known, she only absorbs dynamis, not souls. The "egg" contains the souls. Anyway, it probably wasn't a single Meteion that affected planets. Their song should affect more than just 1 planet considering how large the range is. Alphinaud also has a line about her "inadvertently ushering" someone to their doom, but it's not clear what he meant.

Sometimes it's the little things. You've just gone to moon, killed Zodiark, You've just played venat's walk, finally shown Metieon that there's still hope, and then they put your name in the end credits. It's like Yoshida always says in the Rising event. They *treasure* their players. Isn't it nice to feel that you're appreciated for a little more than your $10 a month?

@jaeusa160

Жыл бұрын

Ala Mhigan Soldier: "It's the little things, don't you think?"

@Poldovico

Жыл бұрын

If you care about your art and you care to share it, you probably care in some small way about those you end up sharing it with.

@InsanityReborn

Жыл бұрын

​@@jaeusa160 Man, that line was so much more powerful than many people realize, there's a reason he fell apart upon hearing it.

@jaeusa160

Жыл бұрын

@@InsanityReborn I was right there with Jullus in that moment. T_T

@Keira_Blackstone

Жыл бұрын

this right here is why this game has me as a loyal fan for life. They truly care about making the game as good as they possibly can, not because they'll make more money, but because it's a labor of love and they want their players to have the best experience possible.

At the part of the scions sacrifice, i don't think it was them trying to "raise the stakes" i interpreted it as them sacrificing themselves at a moments notice for you the player. Just as you would for them. They've put so much faith and trust in you to get the job done at that point in the story.

@DaDuJuGo

Жыл бұрын

It's a good way to word this and I agree. The sacrificing part was meh, but the unwavering trust they all have in you, the ideals they would die for or Alisae who even moments before poofing away worries about WoL more than anything.... It represented every Scion so well. The moment you are alone, you know they'll be back before long but you still feel alone and heavy.

@thomasrobinson6320

Жыл бұрын

It's also a direct Parralel to Emets choices. The Scions sacrifce themselves for the good of everything. The entire time they are gone, the WoL can use Azem's crystal to bring them back. You have the power to bring back your loved ones. But if they do, if they give into despair, and that desire, everything ends. It's a time where the WoL being something of a self insert is kind of a downside, because as written, it's a very testing character moment for the WoL. It links to the final walk as well - your friends have gone, and given themselves for you. But you're not alone, they are still with you, and always will be. And from a meta level, the player has the same choice - You have to keep pressing ahead to save them. If you find it too hard, too distressing, and give in. They stay gone. So I agree, it's not a 'raising the stakes' - it's the culmination of EW themes. It's the time the WoL has to deal directly with despair, and keep walking. EW to me is far more focused on exploring it's themes than any other expansion - all of the zones revolve around it, and explore it.

@jacobb5484

Жыл бұрын

Thematically it also acts as the capstone to their character arcs. Each of the scions is faced with a clear dark mirror to their personal journey and they each provide a clear refutation to that worldview based on how they’ve grown.

The thing I like most about Garlemald as a storytelling choice is that, for years, the common thought was we'd have to conquer or defeat it in some way and we'd be celebrated as liberators of the people and feted as heroes. Much of the community assumed that that's where the story was headed after 4.3 and Tsukuyomi. And instead, we ended up with a story about the power of propaganda and about the prejudices of the elder generations being transmitted to the younger like some sort of sickness. Extremely bold subversion of our expectations, and it worked better than the other would have by far.

Im so glad there is someone who understood the significance of the two sisters. So many people read this same segment and can only feel hatred for their stupidity, but i only felt pain at the tragedy of the situation and the depths of despair to the helplessness i felt. Extended: Also for Meteion; I think people who argued with you with Meteion misconstrued the argument. She didn't find darkness entirely at every civilization, she found some which chain effected into other copies emanating the despair to others and other civilizations. She and her sisters were the domino. It's very apt given how we saw the final days arrive : the ease of spread of that despair. When someone turns into an abomination, it's when the despair settles in their hearts, which is exactly what meteion specialized at doing, despite being designed to observe positive emotions. It also plays into Hermes naivety; he designed them to absorb all emotion, not just positive and that is how it domino effect the rest of the universe. I think that's a really easy key fact to overlook, but it also lines up to why she states in the end why she can't be forgiven for all she has done. It wasn't just because she devoured planets, she was talking about her role as a facilitator to this galaxial depression. Hope this pov is heard; meteion didn't find only despair, but it was easy to pick out and spread.

@WanderingVtuber

Жыл бұрын

Isn't there also a psychologial phenomenon where negative emotions are faster to garner and stronger than positive ones? I could swear i heard that when we talked about Social Media and the upsides and downsides in school but I couldn't remember the name if this is a phenomenon. But that could also impact Meteions journey heavily, that the despair she found weight more than any happyness she could find

@vornamenachname6282

Жыл бұрын

Garlemald was such a misery and thats exactly what was intendet

@balover214

Жыл бұрын

@@WanderingVtuber I think that despair they saw also became the meteions' own despair, infusing all they saw with sadness, as they said "hurting, hurting" "so much pain...hate". Like people who suffer from deep depression, even positive things can feel negative when seen from that point of view. So maybe the Meteion sisters started a hopeful journey, but fell into their own despair when seeing wars, famine, plague, and death engulfing some of these worlds. That way, even worlds where beings no longer lived became sources of pain when those beings may have led happy lives. Their lack of existence fed more into their despair, and all the possibilities for why they no longer lived became more important than the lack of information about how they actually lived and died.

@DontGiveUp_Skeleton

Жыл бұрын

I never blamed her for thinking death was the solution. She existed around people that celebrated it, death was an objective to people in Elpis. Hermes noticed the cycle of life-suffering-death and meteion noticed the despair, she didn't need to be possessed of it to come to her solution. Just as Hermes said to her, if she learned to "walk the earth" she would have had more conflict in her actions.

@lens_hunter

Жыл бұрын

To me it really drove home that while the leaders of a nation might seem like monsters, the people are just people.

OMG that opening with the yellow hat was so well done lol.

It's also interesting to consider, in reference to "is there really no hope left in the universe?" being a question, AS we are in Elpis, Midgardsormr is *in transit towards Etheirys* with his seven eggs. He is on his way AS we are dealing with Meteion. There WAS hope still, and it lived in Midgardsormr as he flew with only his eggs for company, seeking a world where they could settle and thrive.

Sounds like you had a great time, super happy for ya! As for me, I'm over the moon to see what other kinda of lore content I can make for this game now that the Hydaelyn/Zodiark ark is over. A brand now journey awaits us my friend!

@kimaclaret

Жыл бұрын

Looking forward to your thoughts on where we are headed, too!

@cnkclark

Жыл бұрын

Given where things stand as of 6.2, as a FFIV fan I am super hyped.

Not only was 14 my favourite RPG. It is my favourite piece of entertainment, be that book or movie or music.

@Keira_Blackstone

Жыл бұрын

it is seriously the best story I've ever experienced, even if it's not perfect, it's so heartfelt and genuine.

I too loved the stealth mission. The point was to make you realize just how weak the imperials and any other average person may be compared to yourself, Zenos, and the other Scions. I feel this whole zone's purpose was to make you experience what the "other side" feels and they did a great job with that. And I don't think we are meant to completely believe a fictional story is real or relate to it completely. If we did that we would only play games based on non-fiction. There is actually a phenomena where people reach a life goal and become depressed or lose direction. Just because we don't understand that phenomena doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I viewed this whole thing as related to who become depressed due to a loss of life goals and have issues finding new meaning in their lives. And I would never see myself on Emet's side. Never. Being on Emet's side is the inability to deal with the inevitable changes in life and change is the only constant. To me that is a weakness to not accept the changes in life and learn to deal with them one's self.

@Poldovico

Жыл бұрын

I think not even the average Eorzean is that weak. Gotta remember the Garleans can't manipulate Aether. While most of the people of Etheirys have the potential to become as strong as us (minus 1/8th of extra rejoining), the Garlean we inhabit is basically on the level of someone from our reality in the world of Dragon Ball.

@RifterDask

Жыл бұрын

Aside from boiling hatred for Zenos, the foremost thought on my mind during the stealth mission was "Haha, people are going to complain about this SO MUCH." It's rough, but if you respect the situation and consider every move before you make it, you'll clear it one try.

@mukakruda8474

Жыл бұрын

Not even entirely compared to the Scions, we get to be Thancred who has had many cinematic moments portraying maybe he's close to the WoL's strength, but we see that actually he also struggles to fight more than a few soldiers on his own. Even the Scions cannot fathom just how monstrous the WoL is. And it's something I really wish they'd explore in the future with Garlemald now in a shakey alliance with us because they're most like to raise the question "what if the WoL turns on us?" what could anyone do? There's so much interesting political stuff we could get tied up in I'd actually like to see discussed

@danilooliveira6580

Жыл бұрын

well.. not exactly, physically they are stronger than Eorzeans, don't forget that Lucia is a Garlean and she doesn't have any magitek helping her, even if she is an outlier, she is pretty strong. the problem is that the ability to use magic will always give you an edge, even in hand to hand combat.

@cthulhuhoops

Жыл бұрын

>to me that is a weakness yes. yes that's the point.

As much as I disliked playing it, I think the Garlemald body swap part was very instrumental in setting up the expansion's overarching theme of hope and determination in the face of overwhelming despair. I didn't pick up on it in the moment but in retrospect, it was really poignant

@ogrimbothesour2976

Жыл бұрын

also gave you a look at what it was like for all the garleans fighting this savage 'warrior of light' rampaging through their bases.

@MegaAndyGG

Жыл бұрын

I understand that Garlemald is brutal and dark af, but i love it. It's experience for sure!

@kimaclaret

Жыл бұрын

I absolutely appreciate that quest way more in retrospect. At the time, I was totally freaking out though.

@Slade951

Жыл бұрын

I like it from the beginning. Maybe because I love Zenos and when he say have a taste of what he had to go through, I was so into it.

@ianhorne9594

Жыл бұрын

I was stressing the whole time during that part. Mostly because I was afraid of a scenario where zenos hanging out with the Scions while we, the soldier of Garlemald being shunned away from them

Gosh I am so happy that you gave this game a chance, a real chance. It's been so awesome watching your journey, not only through FFXIV, but also the older titles, as well. The evolution of your stream/channel has been a wonder to behold, and I hope you are as happy as you seem to be. (I also hope that Dragonflight is as time friendly as it sounds because I'd love to see you continue to work your way through The List) As for Endwalker, it was the perfect capstone to an amazing arc. It may not have blown me away like Shadowbringers, but like you said, it made everything better and left me excited for the future. It was certainly impactful; even this video talking about it brought me to tears multiple times. The Scions I'm Ultima Thule, though... I understand the issue people have with it. For me, though, it did add weight to the fact that if I fail, they are gone. Of course it's a game, and even if I fail, I can try again, but they trusted and believed in me enough to take that chance, and that means something.

I liked the scion sacrifice in that it was the burden of the chosen one. Everyone was willing to sacrifice themselves because YOU had to make it. It was placing that burden even harder on your shoulders.

@DatDirtyDog

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, we knew they would be back as no way they will kill all of them off at once, But they didn't know they would be back when they volunteered to sacrifice themselves for you.

@cutespacedragon1012

Жыл бұрын

I like this take. Yes, their sacrifice demonstrates their hope and the trust they place in you. In contrast though, it amps the feeling of despair as once again it is bitterly, soul crushing-ly all up to you and you alone. No one on the star could even come close to comprehending the burden our WoL has to wrestle with as the one who holds life or death in their hands time and time again. It's cruel and only the memories of those depending on us and their hope allows us to make it there. If someone actually died, I think that would just spark shock and anger more so than despair.

@steakdriven

Жыл бұрын

At this point the warrior of light has constantly been the one to escape While others stood behind to sacrifice themselves. To have it happen again would have been terribly painful. Which is why it feels so God damn good When The Warrior clicks the controller and drops it. My turn. I've got this.

@TankSenior

Жыл бұрын

Yeah that was exactly what I was thinking at the time, I felt so bad for the WoL at that moment - Everything always ends up on their shoulders and just has to bear all the hardship and emotion. I don't play FFXIV as a self-insert game, to me the WoL is a character that is part of the world that I just happen to walk alongside with throughout their story and life, I absolutely adore the character.

No longer shall man have wings to bear him to paradise. *Henceforth, he shall walk.*

@Rakka5

Жыл бұрын

One of the best examples of an actually well-written strong female character. And they did it in a SINGLE ZONE.

@darrencopperwell1406

Жыл бұрын

Very little about Venat is 'well written' and large swathes of established lore had to be rewritten in order to conveniently make her the exception to numerous limitations and rules.

@vortex3833

Жыл бұрын

@@Rakka5 So a good written female character is a genocidal psychopath? How does that work?

@TaigaSaejima1

Жыл бұрын

@@Rakka5 She sure was well-written. Stole all of zodiarks hard work, did commit genocide and got away with it on top of being praised as a hero.

@Zakjuh

Жыл бұрын

@@Rakka5 Good post. Ignore the seething Zodiarkbabs.

You know after recently playing through the MSQ a second time - that part at the end with scions hit a little differently for me. The first time I played through I was sleep deprived and very, very emotional. I understand why a lot of people felt there was a bait and switch/hollow sacrifice. The 2nd time I took my time and realized it's really more of a trust fall than a sacrifice. They take turns solving the small puzzles Meteion set up for us - all believing that it is us that can make good choices/pull us all through at the end , that we will catch them. That perspective does not feel hollow for me - just different than if they'd all sacrificed their lives and didn't come back (of course). I really hope that Mike got his gatherers leveled up so he can continue the UT story via the new tribal quests. I'm seriously enjoying them!

@juggernaut93

Жыл бұрын

Yes, he's been doing the new beast tribe on stream.

@qamarqammar7629

Жыл бұрын

I took this the same way. Each Scion can solve their part of the puzzle based on what they have gone through in their own life and the WoL could never have done this alone. It is their way of playing a meaningful part in the final battle. It was clear to me from how quickly Thancred was gone. The Ultima Thule side quests and tribe are a wonderful follow up for sure!

@rabid_si

Жыл бұрын

And it's worth noting that we as the WoL complete the cycle at the finale by having our own moment of "Guys, don't interfere, I've got this one." when we send them all away when confronted with the Endsinger. And the scions are just as mad at us and happy for our return when we finally show back up.

@qamarqammar7629

Жыл бұрын

@@rabid_si Yes, it's perfect.

@FrankysABoysName

Жыл бұрын

@@rabid_si That's a really good point!

Also, you didn't mention the melody of the Ultima Thule. It's beautiful. Also, nearly every actual song with words in the game is sung from the perspective of someone. And the vocals only appear once G'raha sacrifices himself. If you remember, in the beginning, ARR and Crystal Tower, he used to be a bard. He has a good singing voice. And it's him, singing to us on the wind, that he can hear us, he can see us, unbroken are promises we made so long ago. He is here, they are all here, and they are with us, through us they live.

@cthulhuhoops

Жыл бұрын

oh god i LOVE how the song gets layered each time you lose someone. that thancred's sacrifice not only puts the literal ground under your feet, allowing you to stand, but is the entire 'backbone' of the song, its original melody, is just so perfect :(

@tikiwiki7428

Жыл бұрын

he was an archer not a bard, i think the perspective was the warrior of light honestly if were going to give one to the song

@deprest5555

10 ай бұрын

thats great insight, its not obvious that he's a bard really because the archer to bard class identity shift is extremely out of the blue lmao

@incognisance4293

7 ай бұрын

I don’t see it that way, but pretty cool idea.

I do love that you were unable to relate to the Meteia, as the irony is that the entirety of Ultima Thule is them getting frustrated at not being able to relate to us. Meteion’s sisters had to assume the emotion and shared experience of those who had died, were killed, or were suffering so certainly that cruel reality would change them. It is similar to the argument of euthanasia, you want the suffering of a loved one to end, and if they saw life and rebirth itself as suffering, then lost in space alone and scared without anyone to show them in hope or happiness despite suffering, you can certainly see why they came to the conclusion that they are helping their dear creator Hermes by ending all life itself. Hermes created a lot of Meteia but not enough to scour each star in the universe, they are only getting a glimpse. Given her aging, one could assume Hermes has been up to this for maybe 10 years or so (Metion would have needed to grow into the girl so she could communicate the shared consciousness) and the sisters each were given a destination, so they must had been visible stars only. Considering he had to watch Meteion experience death itself each time on of her sisters flew into a black hole or whatever cosmic mess, I dont think he’d be doing this millions of times. Even we could look at the star surrounding our own planet and I doubt we’d find life that is within 10 light years. It’s isn’t that they only found death in the universe, it’s that they stopped looking after reaching a conclusion. She was even going in numeric order which makes me think maybe dozens or hundreds of her sisters were created (one for each visible star?), but not more than that. Elpis (prehistory) is a very long time ago so who knows if this was simply early in the universe’s cycle and less life existed then as it does in the modern era of Eorzia. I am also curious if she is meant to be a commentary on Twitter, aka the shared consciousness. The negativity that her sisters were exposed to skewed their outlook on life.

There is a flaw with your take on Metion. She found some planets that were already dead, but she caused others. When she collected despair from the dead stars, she shared that with the still living ones she came across and pushed them over the edge. Which in turn generated more despair, which caused more civilizations to fall, which caused more despair, and so on. At some point, she didn't realize she was doing it, but she was eventually deliberately sharing her gift of non-existence

22:10 thats something that I was particularly thinking about: I dont think that *all* civilizations she found ended in despair. But rather that the few that like the people on Etheirys still had hope and were still trying to find a way towards a better future ultimately succumbed to Meteion's Song of Oblivion and died out in their own version of the Final Days. I do think some Meteions found hope, but the overwhelming despair caused them all to destroy every single bit of it until only Etheirys was left. I forgot where that was but I do remember there being a line in the main story somewhere that does hint at this (but Meteion herself would never tell us that)

@Poldovico

Жыл бұрын

The various sections in the Dead Ends have notes explaining how the societies who encountered Meteion interacted with her. At least the war civilization and the Ra-La civilization collapsed into despair precisely as a consequence of their enocunter with Meteion.

I knew they weren't staying dead in Ultima Thule. For me, it was all about the character growth they had throughout the series and their ability to overcome the despair being a direct result of that.

@jacobb5484

Жыл бұрын

That’s how I saw it as well. Even before it was released, they clearly said in interviews no scion would die. Instead of being a tragic sacrifice, it’s a triumphant capstone to their character arcs.

The Venat scene was seriously so powerful. It really also plays the "Your god is the bad guy all alone!" trope and turns it on its head. That said, you can still see why the Ascians considered her an enemy because from their point of view, Venat committed genocide. She isn't pure good, but she is on your side.

@Turamwdd

Жыл бұрын

And yet, she was evil even in the eyes of those she sacrificed for. She caused millions upon millions of people to die from lacking of medicine and healers, from natural disasters and war. Instead of allowing Zodiark to have one big cull and then the world repopulates, she let the worlds spin further and further into pain and death. She was a bigger mass murderer than Zodiark would have been .

28:53 I was so distraught from losing Thancred, and then Estinien to realize that they would come back. My only thought was "oh god, they're killing them all". I was mentally in a very bad place when I played through endwalker, so losing them, even if it was momentarily, felt like a crushing weight.

@ChainedFei

Жыл бұрын

Yet with the weight of a thousand, thousand worlds..... you can walk on.

I really makes sense with Graha, he's lived so much longer than any leader in the story, and directly had to deal with a world on the brink. Also not every civilisation Metion discovered had fallen to despair, her very presence multiplied existing feelings causing her to destroy the ones that might have made it.

@taldir5228

Жыл бұрын

I think that when he slammed hiss Staff on the ground in that cutscene, eberybody instantly knew that Exarch is back if only for that moment. I felt So proud for him at that moment

@scrapox217

Жыл бұрын

I honestly don't like the theory that Metion destroyed those civilizations, because it kind of muddles the point. There is no "making it", there is no happily ever after. It will end, be it quickly and painless or in despair, be it through self inflicted annihilation or the heat death of the universe. Saying Metion did it, feels like a cop out to me and kind of misses the point. "A quest to find your purpose, knowing your end is assured"

G'raha really did get a well-written story and I love the commitment to not just have him move forward as this playful, starry-eyed boy again, but remember who he was before and how that effects him now. His speech gets me every time.

@christiansolid1098

Жыл бұрын

OMG his speech always brings me to tears ...nobody else does it..not even Yshtola wich is my favorite

@tibowmew

Жыл бұрын

@@christiansolid1098 Same. Urianger is my favorite and I was just floored by the emotion in G'raha's

The only point I wish I had your insight on is the ending moments both before and after the final confrontation with Zenos. To me, that was a moment where the messages transcended from beyond the game and tried to ask you, the player, what is it all for, and that's just another piece of ffxiv that will stick with me forever. As always, thank you Mike and team for the excellent video, cheers!

@Cous1000

Жыл бұрын

I'd also include in Elpis when Venat asked, 'has your journey been good?' That question made me cry so much, because I started remembering the struggles from 1.0 up til that point in time. So many memories made in my journey.

Thank you for making this video. It really sums up so many things I love about the story of EW. On a side note, the story took on a whole new personal meaning for me this year. I'm insane and hiked all 2,194.3 miles of the Appalachian Trail this year. About 600 miles in, I ended up breaking up with someone I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, and it completely turned my journey (and my life) upside down. Completing the hike was something I've wanted to do for years, long before I met my ex. So I had to do it, and it was the hardest thing I've ever done. Some days it was enough to simply put one foot in front of the other, but the story of EW actually helped me finish, and THAT scene with Venat still brings me to tears every time I watch it.

Endwalker was so sentimental and sincere and devastating and beautiful. I still tear up hearing some of the music.

Honestly, the bit about Meteion only finding dead or dying worlds could easily be a condemnation of observation bias. The universe is way too large, much larger than Hermes could ever have managed to conceive, who knows how many worlds are out there? Anyone can make it look like something happens all the time if they present the information a certain way, and the Meteia had no realistic chance of visiting every world in the universe. Her whole premise is just based on her own observation bias; she didn't personally see (you know what I mean) any living world, so there obviously cannot be any. But I can't tell if that's intended writing, or if it's just a plot hole...

Many stories have a message of fighting for hope, and the ever lasting battle vs. Nhilism. But none has ever hit it right like XIV. I am a better person because of this game. I've become a more hopeful, stronger person because of this story. That is powerful to me, meaningful to me.

Slight correction on the Garlean front: Solus was Varis' grandfather, not his father (his father, Solus's favourite son, died shortly after Varis was born and Solus always saw Varis as a disappointment because of that), and one of the physical-exclusive anthology stories makes it very clear Varis has never cared for Zenos, even when he was a toddler having nightmares, which was likely because his wife died giving birth to him.

@tciddados

Жыл бұрын

For the nightmares, do you mean Zenos was having nightmares because of his mother's death or what? Not having access to the physical story, I would assume the nightmares he was having would be the fall of Amaurot, as he's mentioned dreaming of it since he was a child, not just because of his mom's death.

@redwitch95

Жыл бұрын

@@tciddados I actually misremembered the detail. The introduction from Zenos' POV says he was alone basically from birth as "his lady mother succumbed to illness [...] and his lord father was seldom present". Though the story is mainly about Zenos (age 12) being physically abused by a tutor Varis hired at threat of killing his whole family, and Varis knew about the abuse (Zenos describes it as "a twisted trial"). Does end with Zenos killing the guy, but it's still incredibly dark. And yeah, my phrasing wasn't great, I meant Varis likely didn't care for him because his wife/Zenos' mother died

@tciddados

Жыл бұрын

@@redwitch95 Ah, got it, thanks.

@DatDirtyDog

Жыл бұрын

Sure not technically his father, but as you say Varis's father died so it's more than likely he would of grown up seeing the Emperor Solus as his father figure.

@joeyburkhalter1

Жыл бұрын

@@tciddados From what I understand regarding Zenos' dream: He had them since before he could remember and it is implied that they are similar to the dreams that Amon had all of his life before he was raised to the seat of Fandaniel.

On the topic of the scions disappearing in Ultima Thule, I never really understood the "backlash" (?) against it being a bad fake out. For me, when I was playing through it I felt like the loss of each of your closest companions was the way in which the writers were trying to impart that attrition of despair upon you, when you aren't actually part of these civilizations. Ultima Thule is a place that has eroded even the mightiest of races to laze around and lament until their time comes. You aren't meant to truck through it and enjoy the lore - the deeper you go, the lonelier it becomes. In my opinion, the "Endwalker walk" section would've been less impactful had you just coasted through the zone without casualties. You're meant to feel alone, cold, and clinging onto whatever memories and inspiration you can. You're meant to feel like you might not have enough in you to overcome the next obstacle, which is why the subversion of expectations with the summoning of Hythlodaeus and Emet is so great, because you instinctively assume that you're going to be bringing back the Scions, which is kind of a nice interaction with the player in the sense that ever since you moved on from Elpis it kind of felt as if your time with Emet was over. For me, it was never about them "dying", it was about being alone and worn down. You had to press on with or without your comrades, of course they weren't going to kill them off but I also wouldn't have felt as if we could just waltz on through Ultima Thule unscathed. I feel like that's where some people felt like the deaths were a fake out that didn't land very well, because their expectation wasn't aligning with what the writers had intended. Now whether or not that's a poor bit of writing is up for debate, but I myself enjoyed the ride through Ultima Thule even though I knew the Scions weren't really going to die.

@Lyu-Phy

Жыл бұрын

Some other comments already said it perfectly, but it essencially is just the ultimate catalyst for their character development, their final and unbreakable resolve and connection to you. It's not meant as a topic about the literal death of these characters, that misses the point.

@DawnAfternoon

Жыл бұрын

For me, while they were honest with their fake out, they didn't do anything to it. I know they will come back, so my investment to their "death" was pretty much nonexistent. They took a narrative risk but there's no narrative reward out of it. It felt like they took a risk just for the sake of taking a risk. That harmed the arc and puts it squarely under Galremald and Elpis.

Preach, you are an absolute monster for making me watch ‘the walk’ again.

i dunno why i was teared up most of the video just to hear you talking about feeling the game... and remembering my gameplay... i keep telling people...play this game... like when i tell then to watch the best movie i ever seen, just play the game, for the story, if you dont like the community or w/e its ok, but enjoy the story...is nothing short of a MASTERPIECE

Meteion worked for me because I don’t think the intention was for her to be 100% relatable, since she wasn’t fully a person (at least initially), her narrative was kinda similar to classic sci-fi stories involving A.I. and robots. The thematic metaphors of Endwalker were on fully display with illustrating Meteion’s tragedy, that Hermes gave her “wings to fly but didn’t teach her to walk” very much parallel Venat’s judgment for humanity “to walk” (having to “walk” meaning many things but especially the ability to accept/confront suffering and forge ahead and not surrender to despair, and not merely just avoid it). Also I don’t think it can be really said the WoL’s time loop caused the Final Days, as Hermes had already created the Meteia and sent them into space well before the WoL arrived in Elpis, so Meteion would have gone off the deep end regardless of the WoL time traveling or not (which evidently happened in the version of the past the timeline Exarch!G’raha came from since the in that timeline the WoL dies before ever time traveling). The Scions sacrifice also worked for me because similar to what Preach described, while I was suspicious when Thancred “died”, as soon as Estinien sacrificed himself I knew for sure none of the Scions would be permanently killed off by the end, and I think the devs and story expect and understand that, and instead the point of that final plot line isn’t meant for us to fear for the characters final fate, but empathize with our player-character, the WoL, the hardship of having to forge ahead even as we’re increasingly isolated (which Alisaie basically iterated herself before the Twins sacrificed themself). Definitely agree with the sentiment that Endwalker elevates ShadowBringers, but I think I personally prefer Endwalker just a little more (as Preach said S+++ to S++) than ShadowBringers due to not only Endwalker being a great narrative on its own grounds but how it ties-ups and together the entirety of what came before in FFXIV not just the previous expansion and is able to make its landing so well.

About the whole Endwalker's theme about despair and the will to live, I think that everything is pretty well hinted during the MSQ. Emet-Selch himself is telling Hermes that his question (what is the purpose of life ?) is flawed by the simpled fact it is asked. Meteion asked this to many species that were already in a pretty bad mood for several reasons, reinforcing her negative dynamis (given that she is a lot affected by it, because of her nature of entelechy). And then when she met pretty "normal" species (overrall happy about life), she used akasa to end life in the whole universe because she didn't see the purpose of it. This is very interesting because dynamis was at first pretty underrated (on Aetherys it is very weak, just a LB in a fight lmao) but we might not realise that wielding it is VERY VERY powerfull (unless your planet is shrouded with aether) and can easily cause an entire civilisation to die in despair. I was personnally heavily impacted by the story because I guess we all thought at first that the apocalypse was either our fault or alien's fault or whatever where in reality it.... is life itself. I mean, of course Hermes triggered the whole thing but eventually it would have been done by someone else. The true Endwalker's antagonist is LIFE itself, which is suffering and that's precisely why we should continue walking (according to Venat

About the scions sacraficing themselves, I think it was the more running home that they would give their life without hesitation to save everyone and their sacrifice, we were given the oportunity to see how they would actually feel facing death. Like a lot of people say they would sacrafice themselves for others, but when it comes to it, would they really. The scions did and without hesitation if they knew it was the only way to save everyone. I think the sacrafices were a testiment to their character. Some probably knew they would come back, but what if they don't is still there. Like Y'shtola, even knowing she could be brought back, she told the WoL not to waste the power of the creation magic we had left on her. I don't think the sacrificing was very much about them dying, but more of a run home to say, "Yup, these are the scions. They are what we always thought they were and here they are at the end of the universe willing to let themselves be wiped from existence to save the people they have always been fighting for. ". I didn't really put it the best way, but this part of the story is what really solidified their characters for me as the actual heroes of Etheirys, even passed all the other shit they have done in the past. Like yeah they were heroes for all that too, but they did get fame and money and more power, whether they were seeking it or not, but here they would have never been acknowledged or known or have gained anything at all even after death, except with the knowledge that they save Etheirys. Because like I said, they were practically wiped from existence, and they faced that head on with everything they stood for.

I think a bit part about the sacrifices towards the end is viewing it from an in-universe perspective instead of as a player. Sure, narratively, it's very obvious they're not gone for good, but to those characters at that moment? They're putting all their hopes with you, with no promise of success. They have built such a foundational trust in the WoL over the years that they are willing to lay down their lives just to make sure you get a sliver of a chance at your shot. This wasn't just going to go nap in the corner while you took care of business- they were being wholly annihilated with only their hope surviving. I think it's easy to trivialize that gesture due to the predictable nature of the narrative.

SO hyped about any future lore speculation and theory crafting videos you may do!

The thing with 14 for me is it doesn’t feel like a game with expansions (although I did always have the wait to carry on) it’s one long cohesive story/adventure like the way Tolkien originally wrote lord of the rings before it had to be broken up into 3 books

@kitethetwinblade

Жыл бұрын

I've literally said this. Especially when talking about Stormblood - it's The Two Towers. It's the "middle chapter" that has to happen in order for the climax and resolution to hit.

@tarkett8529

Жыл бұрын

@@kitethetwinblade I always think Stormblood gets unnecessarily shat on, while not as “good” as Heavensward or Shadowbringers it’s still a good expansion in its own right

@Zakjuh

Жыл бұрын

@@tarkett8529 I mean, I do think 4.0 was meh, but the post-patches were pretty stellar.

long over due but it was worth the wait. "to find the strength to continue when all strength has left you" I really needed to hear this today

I'm so glad that you enjoyed this as much as I did. Been waiting on this video and even watching some of these cutscenes was enough to make me tear up. Absolute masterpiece of a game.

I’ve been waiting for this video for so long! It has been an amazing journey. I’m glad you gave it a chance

You had me crying right at the beginning with the memories and the hat. I'm glad you enjoyed the story so far and I hope I will continue here to support you and watch you go through the rest of the expansions this game has to offer us. Forge ahead, my friend!

Venat hit me hard. G’raha hit me almost as hard, saying goodbye. He wasn’t even my favorite, but I was ugly crying for his goodbye and Venat’s walk of suffering.

@Zakjuh

Жыл бұрын

How did they manage to make such a good character in basically just one zone and a few other side-appearances.

When Emmet appeared in Ultima Thule and remembered I cried my eyes out. In ShB we had to fight each other. His goals could not align with my goals. Conflict unavoidable. But now we could be at the same side. Fight together as allies and equals. And his story could come to a close. I also felt a sadness for him that everything could have been avoided had he remembered.

I believe that the Coco brothers back in the thaumaturgers questline needs recognition to keep you interested through the beginning of ARR, never forget that bussy

Loved following your journey ! Thank you for the experience

Absolutely loved my own play through of Endwalker and then watching yourself and others play through it. It's great to see how people react differently to parts of the story and choose different dialogue options etc. Being able to laugh and cry together with stream is what makes it so special. This is why I love video games, especially RPGs!

Something people aren't saying in the comments is that I feel like the Meteions and The Endsinger are 2 completely different entities. We know Meteion. The sympathetic girl in Elpis. And while she does get overwhelemed by despair and falls to it, the Endsinger is much more than the meteions. She says herself that on every planet she visited she took the peoples feelings even those that were dead and she took them into herself. In fact so much so she created an entire dead star worth of souls of people so she could stop their rebirth and even made perfect recreations of these peoples. The Endsinger is everyone of them "We die in pain, we die in suffering, who are you to live?" That's not the words of the metions. It IS the words of the mishmash of countless civilizations that fell into despair that the meteions collected and assimilated.

Another fantastic video, Preach. I would love to see a long form video covering the Hildibrand questline.

You certainly must play the Omega Sitequest after the ending. It gives more insights and is just wholesome.

@kimaclaret

Жыл бұрын

Oh he's done it. He's also doing the tribal quests (which are lovely, imo). These videos are playing catch-up.

@andysaelind401

Жыл бұрын

He did do it :)

@cifercero

Жыл бұрын

He has played it. He cursed the devs for the unfairness of that specific song placement. xD

@selpharessecret3899

Жыл бұрын

@@cifercero glad to hear :), anyway really advice all other people that did not play it to do it.

I think in terms of understanding Meteion and why she fell to nihilism, it helps to remember that she's a hivemind. It's not that she suddenly gave up on everything, she's a collection of many Meteions, most of which found desolate civilizations and each fell into despair. When they connected into their hivemind, the despair felt by each one ate on the despair of the others, so to speak, and it increased exponentially. This resulted in the Endsinger. At least, that's how I saw it.

I totally understand your views on Meteion. As for me, being a nihilist myself (and wasn't doing too well at the time), I was really fascinated how they would tackle nihilism in this story. I really connected with her as someone who wished the best for everyone but couldn't find happiness along the way. Being there on the journey with them, trying to save a world that might not deserve saving, being in awe as the adventurer in me stirred - I absolutely loved it. And it even took me out of my rut to make videos again ^w^

@Lyu-Phy

Жыл бұрын

I think part of the reason why the final walk up the path to Meteion didn't hit Preach the way it did others was because he went through the story in 6-7 months. I've been playing since 2 patches before HW so every single one of those voice lines hit me with nostalgia because it had been so long since I heard that voice or that line.

@Acrysalis

6 ай бұрын

I think the real reason is different things affect different people differently… lol. I also blasted through the story in 6 months but the walk with the voices hit me really hard

GREAT video! Appreciate and adore the emotion you share. The BEST part is the last sentence confirming that you will be here for the future and not going anywhere. :)

Crazy to think I remember clearly watching preach try to figure out the pixie fight in shadowbringers before he even played the game and now all this time later he’s finished the whole game and loved it.

The moment I cried the most was when Urianger met Moenbrydas parents. I still tear up just thinking about it.

It's been so cool to watch this journey, how you feel about Endwalker and the game more generally really resonates. Great job on the review.

I have been waiting for this video for so damn long. FINALLY, we have it.

Gigakawa knows exactly how to play our heart strings.

My feeling regarding the Scions "dying" was that you were absolutely intended as a player not to believe they were gone for good. The sequence was more about showing each character confronting despair with their unique strengths. I didn't feel like the writers were trying to fake me out. The Scions and WoL themselves were portrayed as believing everyone might potentially be dying for good, but I never got the sense that I was supposed to buy into it.

What a video preach, I feel like I just relived the experience i had through you again a second time, I love how much you have not only actually digested the story but also are in a position of having very strong opinions on the events that forth came. Many of which are the same as my Opinions, it shows a testament to how well the story was written.

As soon as you started talking about the scene between the twins by the train just thinking of it brought tears to my eyes, what story in any medium has this kind of power.

You just mentioning Ardbert and Seto made me teary eyed, that is how powerful this story's elements are. :)

The point of Ultima Thule wasn’t to make you think they were never coming back. It’s to show us all of their growth. That they are able to take these incredible risks because they know you will come through for them.

As someone who has dealt with mental health (and been institutionalised) nihilism has, from personal feelings to others, been in my life. So Meteon hit hard. The question was, because the song was timeless, were the catastrophes she saw caused the devastation she saw? Also, of all the Meteons, only one saw hope in Hermis. So out of all those bodies was our ability to defeat the mass of Meteons, was that one that had hope, and love for Hermis the crack that allowed us to win? Definitely from start to finish ARR-Endwalker is one of my favorite RPGs. Zenos'' ending... I thought it ended abruptly and without a bang, but I think that was a testament to his character more than the story overall. My wife started playing it over a month ago, and she has wanted to grind the msq. We just hit Shadowbringers and she loves it. We've tried playing WoW a lot but the story is such a cluster she never could get into it. Can't wait to get her reaction when we finish 6.0.

Aww I was expecting something on Matsya and the baby and the Thavnair Final Days moment but oh well For me, the last "sacrifices" hit me not was because its sad, but how much they trust you to finish the job and they trust you to bring them back, that's why G'raha wanted you to promise a bunch of things to do with him in a future adventure.

i also see endwalker and shb tied together overall and i just consider endwalker the "better" expansion because it makes shb better and it doesnt have a terrible ending like many long lasting series tend to end up which i feel is rare in itself

@Peashooter521

Жыл бұрын

i felt the ending was pretty terrible but to each their own

I was hoping you talked a little for about Hermes/fandaniel. He is the epitome existential dread… Personally I never thought Hermes was inherently evil. I just think he was a super depressed person who was disillusioned with his life. He couldn’t find meaning in his existence, and the existences of the lives he was in charge of. He tried to use Meteion to find that missing link externally, and when he couldn’t, he just gave up on everything.

@taldir5228

Жыл бұрын

Road to hell is paved with good intentions :/

Finally this video. Wish we got more content like this. Full reviews/thoughts on all the games Mike plays

Finally it's here, been waiting soooo long for this video!

Thanks to Venat's 'walk' I now can't listen to Answers without tearing up. I literally can't. It infused it with so much more meaning it's just painful and beautiful

@AGrumpyWitch

Жыл бұрын

Thou must live, and die, and know 😭😭😭

@Cous1000

Жыл бұрын

Likewise. Answers and Flow, I can't help but shed some tears every time. And the worst part, they know how to make scenes more impactful by using music. So all the times you hear those songs or their renditions/reprises have been at pivotal/really important moments.

@TaigaSaejima1

Жыл бұрын

Yes, her walking through the remains of all the people she killed, how emotional.

@kimaclaret

Жыл бұрын

Gosh I love how relevant this song became.

@celfhelp

Жыл бұрын

what blows my mind about Answers is the fact that they were able to forge a perfect connection between it and Venat/Hydalyn AFTER the fact like the lyrics to that song were written before ARR came out, WELL before the Endwalker story was even the seed of an idea, but it connects effortlessly instead of writing it in an obvious way, they made it feel completely intertwined, as if it had been the story from the very start, and knowing that that's NOT the case makes the writing even more remarkable

I’ve been waiting for this. Even if I watched you play the ending I still looked forward to it

Fantastic Video, i've enjoyed your journey so much and I look forward to taking the journey with you into the future of XIV

The thing that got me the most about the whole Garlemald area is how eerily it echoes both the geography and architecture of where I live. It felt almost too real in a way that was deeply disturbing and yet absolutely beautifully heartrenching. The fact that squeenix is able to make this fantasy RPG feel so real with real world situations and motivations for the characters is mindblowing to me. As I said, its heartrenching in the very best way because it makes you think and reflect. I am the child of immigrants from a country that many, to this very day, blame for world war 2. My experiences of remembrance day( I live in Canada) were very different than many as my family is of German descent. I was called awful names because I said that my grandfather was part of the German army- not that he had a choice in being drafted. The effect of propaganda and brainwashing was intrinsic to my experience growing up. To his dying day my grandfather said that Hitler was the best thing that ever happened to past world war 1 Germany until he( Hitler) went absolutely crazy, . To put things into gameplay terms, my family would have been from Garlemald. My paternal Uncle was part of the Hitler Youth movement. I have cousins who were part of the Communist Party in East Germany up until the wall fell in 1989. I remember watching that on TV. The whole zone of Garlemald felt so impactful to me that it is actually hard to play through.

About the Scion sacrifice, I don't care that it was predictable they'd come back storytelling-wise, I still cried since their sacrifices were beautiful, the amount of trust and hope they show on you.

I can't relate with Meteion until I think of them as kids being send off to a war zone to take pictures like a journalist. Then they came back psychologically scarred and some grew up to be serial killers.

Great intro. This was a great wrap-up video. Well done.

I absolutely bought into the Scions sacrifices. I knew they were coming back, but the fact that so did G'raha, the guy who tried to sacrifice himself multiple times before now but we kept just saving him anyway, really invested me. For me, it was never a case of "will they survive," but "how." And getting them back with the emotional catharsis from the flower field scene was just perfect.

As an existential nihilist, Endwalker had a heavy impact on me and my beliefs as a nihilist. It taught me that even if life ultimately had no meaning, we make meaning for ourselves. Simple or complex as we want. We make our own way.

I loved Hermes' and Meteion's characters but you are right about resonating with someone who has lost something you can relate to as being more impactful. You get more empathy for Emet even if it's a tale as old as time.

@Keira_Blackstone

Жыл бұрын

I love Emet, but I certainly resonated more with Hermes. I've felt that despair and rage at the people around me, all seeming to be blissfully unaware at how horrific their society is when viewed from the outside. How little people around me seem to value the the lives and wellbeing of others. how it just drives you crazy that no one else around you shares your values or sees what you see. He created meteion because he felt completely alone in his misery, he was desperate to find something to hold onto, something to ground him, to make him believe it was all worthwhile, and when that failed spectacularly it drove him over the edge.

scenery are very well done in endwalker. for exemple the Venat cinematic after elpis. when we saw here crossing Emet way, it's full of symbols. she walk forward, Hythlodaeus going backward sacrificing himself and Emet just standing here alone and bitter between the two path. that was the choice of men of elde.

Loved your play through, and your take on the game--with very valid criticisms! Thanks for being a part of the community!

I remember the moment when i killed Zodiark in the MSQ, i was like " thats it ???.. Is the story over now ?" . But oh boy were we all wrong. I loved the story from start to finish and the fight against Zenos at the end with " Footfalls " running in the background i was so hyped like i was never before in my life. I felt joy fighting him.. not as an enemy or someone who was hated by many. I actually grew fond of him and i was sad that it was the end of him. Overall Final Fantasy XIV has the best Story i've ever read / played in my life. The emotions i felt playing this game were insane

@catierambles

Жыл бұрын

I went from "Let's f'in goooooo!" To "That was a bad idea. That was A REALLY BAD IDEA HOLY SHIT THAT WAS BAD IDEA." pretty darn quick after Zodiark

I don't think the Scions sacreficing themselves to pave your way was just there to up the ante and create drama. I feel like it was more about the gesture from their characters standpoint. All of them put their hope in you and are glad to make sure you can take the next step. It just shows how much faith every single one of them had in you the player. While I knew they wouldn't kill them all of at once, the fact that the game made me doubt it every now and then during Ultima Thule is what makes it so powerful.

@frank3le

Жыл бұрын

Yes, I think this is exactly what they were going for. To show that every scion trusts and cares for the WoL so much that they're even willing to sacrifice their own lives and answer Metetions question just for us to press on and forge ahead against her. We all knew they were coming back, Y'shtola even says so. It was just hard to watch them go that made it sad.

@MizukiTheUnderPro

Жыл бұрын

@@frank3le The travelers journey is recorded by those who are there to witness it. Someone should bully Mike into playing PErsona 3

Fantastic video, Mike and team. and ya, so many feels with FF14. EW was icing on the ShB cake. So glad so many of us share this epic storytelling!

At last! It's been killing me all year watching the expansion updates and me knowing what has happened, but Mike is sitting there going back and forth on theories as he catches up. I'm so excited to see that he is caught up! Such a great game!