This game is Beautiful. It has moved me in ways that I can't explain with words. It's so intimate. With each character you feel the real people behind them, exploring the very meaning of life, exploring the concept of growing older and past your parents, death, loss, sacrifice. Yet it never really feels like a fictional story, because it's not. At it's core, it takes a deep look into the darkest and brightest corners of life itself, putting you in the drivers seat rather than an established main character. It draws parallels to the events of life none of us can escape, and all of us can intimately feel deep down. Love, Death, Joy, Pain. It's incredible a game can make me feel so vividly, and only one so masterfully crafted with love could do that. I'm not the kind of person who gets attached to media, I usually see through a lot of the businessy stuff and just tend to enjoy things for what they are, but every now and then something comes along that is artistically deeper. Something that speaks to my soul. I can count on one hand the amount of times this has happened to me. This is one of those times. I have made the decision to let this game seep into my life on a deep level. It has become a part of me, and that has made the experience all the more profound. To have spent these past months/years playing this game has been a blessing. I truly truly needed it when I found it. And even all that doesnt do it justice. So, let us walk forward unto the end :) 吉田直樹さま、どうか我が愛しきフェオウルのペットを作ってください Pint より
Really glad you're enjoying this-- it's a special experience that not many other MMOs and JRPGs can really offer, we're super glad to share the journey with you and walk to the end!
i think stories that is really attached close to home really hits the spot.. it shows that ishikawa may also have experience the same thing with her life as well... these are absolutely gems.. and we thank them for reminding us that we can hear feel and think.....
I truly think that the reason people usualy do not spoil Endwalker and Shadowbringers MSQ is because words are cheap when compared to the experience of living the thing. Although your description was the best, we know that feel. I cant put that into words.
Well said. And to think your journey is far from over. Thank you as always for sharing this amazing moment with us as you walk to both the end and the beginning of hopefully many more wonderful experiences.
I really love how she switches between "you" and "thou", indicating the difference between Venat and the role she performs as Hydaelyn. At first she is a little taken aback to actually see you, and so she breaks character of Hydaelyn a little... and she does so again in the end, with tears in her eyes. It's such a lovely touch.
@@debrucey Wouldn't she then use the plural pronoun "ye" if she spoke to the group, to keep in line with the use of "thou"? No, I think the difference is deliberate.
@@thesunthrone ye and you are both plural in Middle English. They are different gramatically, ye is subject and you is object, but they both merged into “you” well before thee/thou fell out of use. “ye” isn’t used very often in FFXIV that I can recall. Characters that speak in Middle English normally use “you” for plural.
@@debrucey That may well be true, but Urianger uses "ye" in Stormblood as his parting words before giving Alisaie her RDM sword, and that's an example off the top of my head.
Yes! I remember Pint asking in an earlier stream why "the Sharlayan theme" was playing in the Venat duty. The galaxy brain leitmotif move by Soken and co. being that that's _Venat's_ playing in Sharlayan instead.
I got spoiled that Hydaelyn was a trial before I did Endwalker due to a RU-vid recommendation. So I went into Endwalker thinking, "Hydaelyn is going to betray us, Hydaelyn is a bad guy, etc." It hurt so much when I got here and realized how much she loves the people of Ethyris and that she had so much hope for us.
As a long time Final Fantasy Fan, I knew the key Concept of mostly every Final Fantasy is, that either you fight a religion from the very beginning of the game OR that you are lead by a diety who will eventually betray you. …so from the very beginning I did not trust Hydaelyn. But after this, I loved her with every five of my heart and regretted my distrust I in her! 😭😭😭😭
Most people thought we'd have to fight Haydaelyn all the way back in ARR and HW. She just seemed TOO good. And, well, Square's usual MO of having us kill god.
Remember getting a little emotional after doubting Venat/Hydaelyn the entire 3.2 to EW, because how suspicious she was. It was only when we met Vytra and how he explained that his father aka Midgardsormr trusted her, that I started to really think. Then Elpis happened and I just couldn't rid myself of "what if she is lying" or "She is totally planning something", only to be met with a kind woman who literally was given the worst cards to play. Rest in piece Venat.
I never understood this mentality tbh. It's like how people say SHB reinforced their doubt for her because the light was bad. Yeah because the ASCIANS flooded the world with light. Not because of her, she literally stops it but somehow she's a baddie.
@@LordeMata but we literally know that's not true back in ARR because of Shiva and Ramuh. Ramuh wasn't hostile, he wanted the Sylphs that confided in him to be left alone and Shiva was just armor over Ysale and had no will of its own.
I never thought Hydaelyn was lying. I did, however, think she got corrupted after Zodiark's death (dissipation?). A misconception for which I put sole blame on MrHappy when he renamed one of his Endwalker guide videos "Hydealyn Extreme Trial Guide", also plastering the same words on the thumbnail, a mere 3 weeks after the start of Early Access, in a time plagued by login queue issues. Mizzteq's equivalent guide is still titled "The Minstrel's Ballad: [REDACTED] EX2", mind you.
@@Crusina I doubted her because we still didn't know why she sundered the world. We learned the reason in EW. We also learn that all primals are bad for the world because they tend to suck the aether. The entire shadowbringer expansion was like "are we tempered too?".
Urianger scene hits hard because it's the first time he expresses emotion openly. When you realise he is the way he is because he struggles with expressing emotions normally. Hiding them away with his olde English. I know people with autism who struggle the same way, and Urianger reminds me of them. Beautiful scene.
I love that during Hydaelyn's big attack with the crystals, in the midst of the blinding light her silhouette looks like her image in the Qitana cave mural of her striking Zodiark. She hits you with a mini Sundering.
@@acgearsandarms1343 Makes me think of all the "Step on me Mommy" memes. Oh, Internet. 🤣 But yeah, it's a great consistent signature. God I love this game.
It's shocking how quickly they can build up great characters. Venat, Emet, Hythlodaeus, etc are so well developed but they actually have a tiny amount of screen time. It's amazing storytelling.
Them choosing to subvert the trope of "Parents angry at the hero / the heroes party for the loss of their child" is what makes that hug for Urianger stab you right in the gut. All the build up makes you completely unprepared for just how HUMAN a reaction her parents have. Of course they don't blame Urianger, cause they know Moen was just as important to him as she was to them. It's one of the most realistic depictions of a family mourning the loss of their child with that child's significant other that I've seen in a game IMO.
it is also Moenbryda's writer just absolutely SAVAGING the writers who summarily killed her off for the sake of building up No-Name Von Onlyexistedforonepatch,, now that she's the main writer of the whole story talking about what an awful, pointless, tragedy it all was, how she was a real person who deserved respect, and how she was literally the only characterization Urianger had it's a beautiful lemons into lemonade moment, complete with getting some lemon juice into someone you don't like's eyes
legit i was happy that the only thing they were upset about was that Urianger kept running from them, basically. though i honestly wish we'd had MUCH more time with Moen so we could have TRULY imprinted her on our hearts before she got capped. would probably make me hate Minfillia a little more though...
@@LordRobaZe remember that one ascian who killed moenbryda, kidnapped minfilia, then we immediately killed him, and then minfilia died in the next patch anyway yeah neither does anyone else, they just had him kill moenbryda in the hopes it would give him some kind of impact. ishikawa understandably holds a grudge.
There were so many moments in Endwalker that made me introspective. Cutscenes or dialogue that made me remember the journey I had been on to get here over the course of my 8 years of playing. Not just in-game, but in real life as well. I have never felt as strongly connected to a game as I have to this one. If someone had told me 8 years ago when I started that this game would affect my life in such a large way, I never would have believed them. I want everyone to be able to experience the same thing that I have, but it's such a hard concept to get people to believe. If someone hasn't experienced it, it's extremely hard to convey to them. It's not just a game to me and to several other people; it's a piece of art. It's therapy. It's the greatest story I've ever been a part of. This game has changed me, like it's changed several other people - it's inspired me to try and be a better person. That's pretty good for a "shitty-ass weeb game."
Doesn't matter how many times i watch the Urianger and Hydaelyn scene, it just tear me to pieces every time. To this day i still can't believe how much it hit me and how something so beautiful as this can exist in a game.
Just imagine for the people who played since the start like me. After all these years getting this expansion. I was heartbroken after this specific cutscene, gone after all these long years.
Endwalker is a eucatastrophe. A joy that brings tears because it does not erase the sorrow of the tragedy but weaves it into itself. We do not forget. *We remember it differently.*
Yeah, we want her to stay with all our hearts.... but she's so TIRED. She just worked the longest, most miserable shift in history. It was literally MOST of history. Time to sleep.
"I feel like it would make me like Venat more than any other character in the entire game, and then make her dead whenever it gets around to it" Definitely not paranoid enough.
It's definitely satisfying to see a lot of the people we helped along our journey help us finish the ship. Such a wonderful payoff for doing those sidequests along the way. 2:05:51 I absolutely loved this dungeon, such a wonderful trip through memory lane. I love how FFXIV managed to make the afterlife still a relatively hard place to get to so once we finish the dungeon, we don't just suddenly have an easy backdoor to the underworld where we can go chat and hang out with the dead whenever we wanted - sometimes less is more. Seeing our departed friends helping us along the way through the dungeon for possibly one last time was such a nice way to show that they are always with us. Kudos to Jeremy Ang Jones for his amazing voice performance as Zodiark, Hermes and Amon in this expansion. The guy seems really busy right now, but I hope he'll find the time to pcik up and play FFXIV again, or at least save his vods on his OnlyFandaniel Twitch channel. 3:03:56 Oof, that was unfortunate. And to think you Trusted them with this trial. The A.I. for the trusts is definitely hit or miss.
The AI for this trial takes hits on purpose because they can't tell what's going on. If you follow Y'shtola she dodges all of the aoes cause she can see the aether
@@gbtygfvyg Yep, because of her sight Y'sh is basically Daredevil at this point which is why I always follow her whenever she's available to pick during trusts.
@@Salt_Mage Definitely. As wonky as their A.I. can be, I love how consistent their behavior is in relation to their character. Like how Alphinaud prioritizes healing Alisae above everyone else, or like how Venat prefers to run on foot instead of teleporting when doing the mechanics of the first boss of Ktisis.
It feels so validating to see you have a similar reaction lol. Getting to experience something so real and so positive coming out of a bad place really hits different. Walk in the light of the crystal, friend.
The way these artful creators allowed players the agency to truly be the Warrior of Light is absolutely masterful. Watching a fellow player on their journey is like an ancient watching a fellow Amaurotine finish their great work and return to the star. It is always beautiful.
The more of the side quests and stuff you did the more people show up, i feel sad for the people that just sped through the game because there is just so much there.
I think the only major thing he was missing was Void Ark, which only really has a different pilot in the manacutter. So of all the things to miss, that one was probably the least -missed
This was my favorite part of the game cause it resonated so hard with IRL. It helped me to look at the good things in life and what I could do to make things better then fall to despair and depression.
i cried too, how she talks, about every one of them - she watched our turmoil, our fight with destiny, it all just bring different dimension to first song we heard - why do we suffer
Answers isn't just about the video game, its about all of us. All of us plead unanswered in silent hours to know why must we suffer... Lands that stretch beyond the horizon, skies that you could drown in. And amidst it all a people... silent yet strong. They are my love. My purpose.
The Urianger reunion scene hit me so hard and unexpectedly. I was ugly sobbing so hard I had to take a break and step away from the game for a while. But not too long because it was at launch so I would be kicked and have a 6 hour queue if I didn't get back in time 😛
Seing a streamer react to this scene for the 1000th time I was able to hold it in. But the raw thoughts and his cracking at the end had me bawling because by god I can understand him so good. I had the same thing with FF14. It hurts so good and makes you think. A game that touches you so deeply is a rare thing these days. Bless you Pint and I hope you will enjoy it till the end! ♥ And the many years yet to come!!
Thanks for this, Pint. It really brightens my day when you post and I have some time to spend with you (and chat) and experience this again as though for the first time. I agree with you, this is one of the most impactful and well-told stories I've ever known.
It was a nice touch with the game muting the BGM after the trial so that you could take the time to process what just happened. Sometimes the lack of music can be just as impactful as a powerful melody.
It isn't just a game anymore. It is a world, a world that you are part of. Every decision made in the game design, the script writing, it's to make you feel as if YOU are the Warrior of Light, the Big Damn Hero, the person that's feeling the downs and the ups of the story. Everything, it's not for some NPC that was given special importance, it's for YOU. YOU are the most important part of FFXIV, for without you, there wouldn't even be a game. Whether you're a 1.0 veteran or someone who just stepped into this world, you are the most important person in this game, bar none. This is why everyone who was sucked into this world loves it so much: because we ARE Eorzea, we were there for every triumph and despair, for the greats and the small. And to close out this chapter with Answers? A magnificent surprise that reminds us of where we came from, and how far we came.
Feel the same Pint. I'm sitting here crying all over again, with you, on this. And forever more, it just takes part of a song to bring it all back. F-ing amazing stuff.
Yay! I've been seriously enjoying watching you play through and getting to know you. You have such a good take and its always interesting hearing your thoughts. 😊 also Happy Valentines Day 😘
Not to undermine the ending, it was really nice hearing your closing thoughts and emotions, but damn the Urianger scene hits so hard everytime. What a game, what a goddamn game.
Yeah, Venat's exit is great, but Urianger stole the show for me this expansion. I tear up every time. My man finally got some closure after all this time.
Some of the dialogues from the game and sentences I will remember forever Instead of grieving someone's death, to celebrate their life - I rememeber this every time when I hear about passing away of people I know
Yeah, I felt that. Especially during COVID, it was something that really hit home. Gave me a reason to hope again, and gave me so much emotion. Just a reason to continue existing. Helped me set my mindsets straight about my own problems and despair. It might be just a game, but the narrative helped me re-evaluate a lot of things I've taken for granted at that time, to not lose sight with what I have.
When EW came out, I was so over the quest of running around and finding ppl to hang out with the lopporits. Hated it, wanted it to be over, and it left me completely vulnerable for the next cutscene to come out of nowhere and gut punch me
Everything about these cutscenes and your commentary is beautiful and true, but I think what really activated my tears was your FC waiting around to hug you when you returned. Very touching moment to see TT_TT I'm so happy you've found peace within this game and a community to support you through it
Happy to relive everything with you, I feel like our experience with this particular moment was very similar. Glad you found this when you needed it, there's a little more to enjoy so take it all in, and walk to the end!
I really can't wait for the next Pint video about this experience. It will definitely be the video that I'll keep watching over and over again. People really need to experience the beauty of FFXIV's story. As a player who just started a year ago and beaten the whole campaign, if I would answer mommy's question to me in Elpis, it was all worth it and I never regretted a single transaction I did for this game.
Warning: Spoilers for Heavesward, but I don't think you should worry if you're already watching videos of Endwalker. Still, due diligence. Within my personal life, I've considered myself to be the toughest person I know, emotionally. So imagine my disbelief when I was pushed to the limit with this game's story. It first happened a few times in HW, with the deaths of both Haurchefaunt and Lady Iceheart. Up until then, I only let my eyes sting, but resisted the tears, for they seemed unnecessary "for a video game". There were a few other moments like that along the way, but none of them hit as hard as EW. It wrecked me, and I silently cried for several minutes for every emotional scene. From the death of Venat, to what happened at the end of the expansion(don't want to chance spoiling Pint, so I'll keep it vague), I realized that the story is in actuality an experience; and there is no reason I should not cry. It more than well deserved it. From that point on, I decided that I should take a page out of this story and adopt some of it's taught values into my own life. Needless to say, I developed as a person as a result; in a way that I am happy with. I would probably be in a mire of monotony and meloncholy if it wasn't for this game, and I am both glad and grateful for its existence, and for it to happen to land on my lap. Deepest thanks to SQEX and the FFXIV team for giving us, the world, a gift we probably didn't deserve, but definitely needed.
I was so happy that we got closoure on Moenbryda in Endwalker, she was such a fun character, and it was such a bittersweet moment, the first in Endwalker to make me cry.
I remember the lvl 89 trial destroyed me in ways no other game has been able to, I stopped playing for over a week and after that I did not continue the MSQ until I felt better about what I had to do.
She says the spell's effect won't last for very long, but damn how many times have I watched that scene by now, and I take the vuln just like the first time, maybe more even, since I've gotten more time to think about it with every rewatch.
I understand Pint, FFXIV acutely resonated with me as well. This game has a way of weaving its story into real life and seeps into your being. Life - Death the journey was never meant to be easy or fair, but there is always HOPE. Surround ourselves with Light and at journey's end you hope to say..."it was good"....thank you
the second trial was really neat, the fact they did it doable with trust is also nice (granted to get trust with ultima in ARR but still) however unlike normal fight with bot allies, they do not know the mechanics on the first few attacks, except y'shtola cause aether vision. bots being bots, they do give you 2 free ko resist, however with some mechanics, like stacking, red mage will yeet away from everyone if it was going somewhere befor the stack marker, and they can't track the player as well as they track themselfs, so stack markers on a player would often result in them running to the middle and hoping you will as well. i had a few attempts at it untill i could understand what is going on due to being so used to either ground markers, or ability that is like "what is right" or "what is left" to dodge stuff, but being able to complete it with bots, that have lower damage then players, actually felt like a trial as opposed to a one sided beat down. on that note, i do think the last trial for 6.0 do not have item level sync, i would reccemand doing it with minimum item level enabled as gear add in 6.1 and so on make it too easy for my likings.
Its "just a game" that makes us feel like were all the same. We want the same things, have the same feelings, desires and hopes, and we end up leading different lives based on our choices and what happens to us. But were all the same when everything else is stripped down to its core components.
Goes to show you just how much Venat was willing to give up everything. The other Ancients still got to return to the star, become one with the lifestream, and have their souls reincarnate. Venat will not get that luxury - having become one with Hydaelyn rather than separated herself like Elidibus, she has become a Primal. She will dissipate into aether, never incarnating again.
when we meet venat in elpis she's already old as fuck and likely would have otherwise returned to the star of her own accord soon after if not for her learning of her duty to become hydaelyn, she needed to finally rest.
They never recon the zodiark crystal, its hidden under the arena in the zoiark fight, you need to go to the edge of the arena and look down and use the g-pose camera to see it, but it is there.
Hydaline had been dying since Ultima was cast at the end of ARR. Minfilia's sacrifice prolonged her survival for a time but her death was inevitable. This trial was the last bit of her remaining power, used to test whether mankind was up to the challenge to take on Mieteon. If not mankind should flee although even fleeing would be another temporary folly since there was nowhere to run to and thus dispair would have taken mankind eventually. This trial was her putting her trust in you, that you might be able to find the better path.
