"I take it this is your prey, but why does it still live? Surely it is no match for you. I would have thought you to be above something so banal as despair. Am I mistaken?"
Before: "Tch! I've made it to the end of existence, I'm not faltering now." After: "....remind me to thank Tataru.....her armor held up wonderfully....."
@AmphiDsf but it was. Just because it was only the same sample doesn't mean that the rest of it wasn't arranged to match with it. It's not a whole vocal arrangement if that's what you mean, and you'd be right
@@Amphidsf I'm wondering then, if this isn't the final form of this song, what battle they could unleash the whole thing for. I can only think of one possible situation which would merit it... A trial versus Azem Maybe he claims our WoL powers from us in the end, setting us up to not be OP going into the next arc
@@katomamundara8106 I saw someone made that joke when I did this trial the first time yesterday! I was all like, "huh?" So that was what that meant! LOL
@@sorimachi8738 I kinda wanna do a gag, as a tank. The add refills our LB bar, I want to make out like I used one of our two LBs accidentally too early(specifically during the add) so every newcomer shits themselves while I announce profusely that I'm sorry for wiping on the second crash while it appears again. 😆 Given, if a DPS doesn't use it first 😂
I slightly felt bad for Livia and Rhitahtyn in aethereal sea. Like we beat gaius 'good' but these guys died for his cause "twice" and he doesn't even believe in it anymore. Like damn
*Meteion:* Why can't you see the limitation of living?! *WoL:* *No!* That's YOUR limitation! You sit here in your closed-off universe, obliterating other lifeforms like you're some kind of queen! *Alphinaud and Alisae:* He's right! We Eorzeans used to have people much, much bigger than us! For their sake, we'll move forward! *G'raha Tia:* The spirit of life is limitless! I've staked everything on its greatness, too! *WoL:* Mark my words. This crystal will pierce a hole in the universe. And that hole will become a path for those that follow after us. The dreams of those who have fallen. The hopes of those who will follow. Those two sets of dreams weave together in a crystalline pattern, turning and wending a path towards tomorrow. That's Eorzea! That's the Scions of the Seventh Dawn! *My crystal is the crystal that creates the Heaven's Ward!* **Sorairo Days intensifies**
I love that this is isn't just makers ruin though. It's combined with what I consider meteions theme in a sense. The wings of hope part. Screams meteion pre evil
not to be pedantic but nihilism is accepting that our lives *dont* need a grand purpose, her 'philosophy' is called Fatalism, and that's why she literally has a move called Fatalism lol
im pretty sure thats why the mechanics get way easier in this phase, its like a hype moment that could be ruined if you had to do too much critical thinking
@@AA-lf4mk its also a kind of improved take on the last part of the King Thordan fight, after you survive his limit break. He actually just starts flailing his sword around. Likewise, Endsinger is just slapping you with her wings for most of it.
I think my favorite part of this is that the Scions created a shield over you. They succeeded in doing what they couldn't do at the end of 1.0. Louisoix would be happy.
Luey is my favorite character in all of Final Fantasy 14. It is a shame the character did not get more spotlight. The bottom three starting with the worst would be 1. That one conquerer who created Sapphire Weapon. 2. Alisae and Alphanad's father. 3. Alisae
Not only did Venat's hope for humanity lead for this, so did Louisoix's. From the inception of the sundering and the creation of A Realm Reborn. A hope that strong bonds could conquer all.
@@BearWitch_Project Yep! That's part of why this hit me so much harder. Rather than putting their faith into a binding for Bahamut, they are protecting their last hope for humanity: you. Also the realization that this game, much like us, survived a whole decade through its own trials.
If FF14 was an Isekai anime it would be titled "That one time I started out picking mushrooms out of a tree and ended up fighting a cosmic deity of despair while riding on the back of a combat sexual dragon."
The issue is more that North Americans can't understand the whole "power of friendship" troupe. It's a real thing in more collective cultures such as Japan. People there find there sense of self in their relationships and therefore think upon them in times of trouble to persevere. We are just a bunch of self-centered assholes who can't understand the troupe from cultural differences lmao
Hythlodeus would be going nuts and cheering, while Emet feigns disinterest and looks away with a roll of his eyes... Before glancing back every so often and tapping his finger on his arm to show he's actually super into it and just doesn't want to let it show.
@@Archris17 As much as I'd like to also say venat would be cheering, she seemed like a very calm type but unlike Emet not afraid to show her emotions so I think she's just standing there smiling, maybe whispering a few words of encouragement/hype and maybe tensing just a tad every time an ability nearly grazes us.
The interesting thing is that after the Scions protect the party with the shield, Meteion gets panicked and start to unleash repetitive attacks as if she couldn't understand what is happening....a moment of desperation...
I've seen some comments before go "The final phase is way too easy" but that's exactly the point. The second phase is, quite literally, all about you. That's when the boss hears the boss music. When they are the one panicking. And they did it perfectly IMO.
@@bretmiller2952 I'm also glad that the final phase was so easy, because there's no way I'd have been a functional human enough to do more complex mechanics with tears in my eyes. lol
Endsinger: You gifted them escape, and left yourself powerless. Bereft of the synergy you claim is your strength. WoL: I don't know how many times I have to say it. I am *never* alone.
We will stand against fate. - Alphinaud No matter the cost! - Alisaie We've been here before... -Thancred Many a time. - Uriange Thus do we know... - y'shtola To never give up. - Estinien For hope will shine again! - G'raha'tia
@@FlorenceFox it so satisfied after my team survive a lot of dead and heal and rez in first phase become this phase it just amzing everything go to We have to win this!
The player's never gonna get an LB4 cause LB4 was Elidibus' attempt to recreate the dynamis overload using aether. LB3 is the most powerful dynamis attack we'll ever have. Though it would have been fun as hell to have unlimited lb3's and have people just using them constantly til Endsinger was finished. I mean we're in a realm of pure dynamis where aether can only exist because we believe it can, empowered by the prayers of our comrades and the hope of all souls in existence wishing for happiness. What *better* time is there for a permanently-filled lb3 bar?
@@clintmatthews3500 yes and the ship "ark" looks like the ark gurren Lagann, there is a drill weapon for Dragoons, there are quotes which are references (we believe in hydaleen that believed in you, etc.), Dynamis is like spiral power and more.
Fighting against a deity that is powered by basically despair and fights by flinging celestial bodies at you, having a former enemy facilitates you fighting that deity, and a fist fight at the very end? Very much so.
What I love most of all is that we're not JUST blindly rejecting the endsingers answer. We go through what Meteion goes through, we build an understanding and after all of that we can still keep our conviction and come to a different answer - hope. Its not naivete that fuels us but our experience, our journey.
Yeh! And in the end, we do overcome the determination set before mankind. Unlike the ancients who sacrificed more and more of themselves to achieve the future they desired, proving they lack respect even for their own lives, even against the sheer improbability of it we never sacrificed anyone. We scoured our memories and fought against fate until we found a way forward without resigning ourselves to letting our friends die for victory.
Still looking forward to finding the other six pieces of hermes' soul and drop kicking them into the ground repeatedly for how he did that poor birb wrong.
My favorite part of the overall narrative of Final Fantasy XIV is that hope is important and not the product of the naive or childish. The world fucking sucks, we'll suffer, we'll cry, we'll face Despair... And we'll tell it that it has no power over us.
I really like the subtle detail of Meteion's desperate flailing in this phase. Not only is she desperate to end all suffering and wrought by despair, but she is also basically a child and lacks the ability to handle her powerful emotions. This phase is her final tantrum.
Yeah, I felt really bad for her. She only did what Hermes told her to do, and answered his question in the only way she could. I don't consider her a villain, just Hermes.
What I really love is that the goal of this fight isn't to kill Meteion. She's just a victim of a burden that was to much for any one person to bear. Your job isn't to defeat her, it's to show her hope.
@@TheBonkleFox I just thought she survived at the end when you the Scions disband at Mor Dhona then you see the bird that looks exactly like her fly around.
@@Frostfang_Piglet We... don't actualy see metion after our battle with Zenos. An only mention of her is that she told the scions that we were right behind her. So yeah, it is possible she's the bird
I don't think Meteion was ever truly a villain. At the risk of sounding pretentious, the only real villain in Endwalker is nihilism. The whole story is one big treatise against nihilism. Fandaniel seeks to end all life because he has been deeply affected by humanities cruelty, and this is compounded by his memories as Hermes. Hermes, similarly, sees the cracks in the "perfect" existence of the ancients and takes issue with it. He creates Meteion to try and find meaning in his increasingly depressing existence. Meteion is simply an unfortunate consequence of Hermes struggles. She's certainly an antagonist, but I wouldn't call her a villain. Just a victim of despair.
I literally screamed oh my god at that point and my neighbors probably worried about me. Followed soon after by 'JESUS CHRIST SOKEN CALM THE FUCK DOWN' when the vocal part kicked in.
@@_kalia in the End of an Era/Answers cutscene, the Scions are shown praying for Louisoux using the power of the Twelve to seal Bahamut in the same manner as they are praying for the WoL here
Just in case, I'll leave this here... "Our song of hope, she dances on the wind higher, oh higher E'er our vows endure, and remain forever strong Standing tall in the dark do we carry on On wings of hope, you rise up through the night higher, oh higher Carrying our song, cradled fast within your arms That its chorus might ring for all"
I wonder if Midgardsormr sang a more somber version of this to his clutch while seeking his "last bastion of hope" after fleeing his crumbling planet...
I know it was never their intention, but Endwalker coming two years into an isolating and exhausting pandemic made the game resonate all the more. There were times I was just in tears as I could relate the emotions of the characters on screen to what's happening in real life. This song wrecked me when it started playing.
I think there is some element of intentionality to it. Much like how Soken created the Seat of Sacrifice theme while fighting cancer. Art is never created in a vacuum.
@@clintmatthews3500 Climate change too Just generally manmade problems becoming apocalyptic because we overestimate how much the world can support us, that's what the first section was
I was running this for the first time on Discord. When "our song of hope" started, we all hyped up as frenzied apes and begun singing the lyrics loud af in a chorus. I fckng love this game.
@@ModestSusanooh an earth-shattering reveal. It explains so much about how we've survived up to this point, being able to harness this great, unknowable force (at least to everyone in current-day Eorzea). The sheer depths of our determination, letting us reach deep to topple incredible beings who could never imagine that such power exists. Practically everything we ever face is composed of incredibly dense AEther, meaning it has no clue what an LB bar would even begin to look like, or what it would be capable of. Not even the ascians could handle this
As a tank who went into this blind I used LB3 for the first meteor and then afterwards immediately doubted myself thinking crap maybe the first one we mitagate and then the second one we LB, was fully prepared to be wiped and then the scions saved our ass and it was the hypest shit ever, god I love this game...
I blind tanked this too and I got the warrior LB3 off with like a tenth of a second to spare before the wipe, and watching the ground rise up to meet the meteor and save the party while everyone in chat went “WE LIVED???” Into this part of the fight, I dunno if that’s gonna be beaten by anything else tbh
I distinctly remember seeing her charge up the second one, look at my mitigations on cooldown one by one, then seeing the Limit Break not even at 1, and saying out loud "I have nothing left for this..." It was a really fitting emotion, in hindsight.
@@Luxai To me last dungeon and trial are visually and mechanically better than Shadowbringers ones, but that doesn't help enough with beating that absolute banger of a villain. Emet is just too charismatic and quirky. And he had better build up due to, in my opinion, problematic pacing of second part of Endwalker. Also Zenos should either die after initial duel or have a talk like last one much faster so he could evolve into something less shallow.
@@haganame1240 Yeah, Meteion just feels weird, like somebody shoehorned their anime OC into the plot, and overused tropes like villain is actually big sad on the inside or friendship is magic isn't helping. Too little focus on the struggle to survive against the final days, and the scions dying had zero impact since the game wasted no time in basically telling you outright that they would come back.
@@Luxai she is not a boss. Endsinger is collection of her sisters and other worlds emotions of despair, pain and death. So like despair incarnate with a help of dynamis.
This part hit real hard with how panicked Metion's actions become. She's clearly lost all sense of reason and is just wildly flailing at us trying to piece together what is going on. To me it also really shows that Metion never was a fighter. Her main form of defense when exploring the universe was to either run or hide and that becomes abruptly clear as she just flails hopelessly at us here.
The way she's just swiping at us and then in the lead up to the crescendo she just curls up and releases not a song of oblivion but a scream of despair. It really gave me that feeling that the sorrow she's been harbouring is so powerful it's become her only hope and she's struggling to let it go. I think anyone who has wallowed in depression before can relate to how voilently you can react to being forced to accept the hardships that come with striving for true happiness. The gentle embrace of nothingness versus the painful struggle of hope.
Endsinger isn't actually Meteion, though. She escaped and was pleading with it as the blue starbird. The Endsinger is the manifestation of all the despair she collected and nurtured. It's like she had a petri dish of bacteria and fungus that she gathered and it overgrew and became a complex lifeform all its own.
@@mjs3188 She is a congregation of Meteions. The blue bird was manifestation of a part that we managed to convince at this moment, but she was nothing to despair left in the nest
I lost someone I loved very much in a most abrupt way only a few months before Endwalker came out. The talk with Venat and the final trial hit so fucking different man. When youre grieving its so easy to forget all of the wonderful things and good people you have in your life.. I still have grief, but im super grateful that this one came out when it did. Thank you, 14
I'm sorry it happened but glad this helps. I do ended thinking the whole deal of this expansion was depression and grief. And they handled it masterfully.
Same here. Especially on the walking quest. My tears gushed remembering a late friend who died days before my birthday this year. ;-; this expansion hits deep in the feels but im really happy this helps me move forward thanks to this game
This song represents that best of moments in any Final Fantasy game; when the villain has thrown everything they have at you, when they've gone on and on and on about the futility of life/love/existence (delete as approrpriate) and yet you just...keep...fighting. The fact that you not only keep fighting for something they deem worthless but are actually winning because of it stupefies them every single time. Always great.
@@DarthAlphaTheGreat I mean kefka won and had nothing left for his ambition, the party was scattered around the world and probably MIA if you dont go after them, but yeah he won and he got his wish that was to die and the world was destroyed/dead in a sense and would never be the same again
This feels so much like when Proof of a Hero hits while fighting Fatalis, suddenly you are the wild force of nature and the boss is just trying to survive you.
Honestly, I still love getting this in roulette. I've even specifically qued up for it since clearing it just to do it again, and love doing it with new people (I always go tank so I can be sure they get the LB the first time - much more epic than wiping because no tank was expecting it, lol)
The fact that Song of Hope without a doubt represents the Scions and all of our allies (Hell, the entire planet, just listen to the lyrics) while Maker's ruin is obviously the Hero of Light's own theme, completely drowning out any remnant's of the Endsinger theme, is also just wonderful musical storytelling.
I like how the "Wings of Hope" can refer to the dynamis being influenced by our supporters, the Ragnarok that carried us through the Sea of Stars, or goddamn Zenos literally carrying us through this fight, depending on your interpretation
As a being born of despair and pure nihilism, Meteion could only panic and become desperate in the face of overwhelming strength born of hope. The WoL at that moment fights on behalf of all the souls of Etheirys; past, present, and future. They fight as they always have, for those they've lost and for those they can yet save. We made a promise to find our own way and save our star, and nothing would stop us from keeping those promises.
I saw a late friend of mine in Emet. A grump yet was there to help others, and offer words of encouragement. When Emet encouraged us to seek out new adventures before we set off to face Meteion, it reminded me so much of him. (Confident in us we'd see things through, and wanting us to see more of what life has to offer -for we inherited the will of Travelers, have we not?) I ended up crying, all the way through the Endsinger trial -because how could I stop after what felt like seeing my late friend again after so long, hearing him tell me to keep moving forward? Words can not capture the love and appreciation I felt in those moments.
I think I know how you felt, and im so glad thats the message you took as well. I lost my mom in late september to late stage cancer. It was in venat that I felt her the most. We may never meet, but I hope youre able to move on and have a wonderful life like your friend would have liked
Something I love is how the Endsinger’s attacks become frantic and she starts flailing about trying desperately to stop you and deny the power of your Hope in the face of Despair.
The background also shows this as well. Her Darkness of Despair is trying to fight back the brilliant Light of Hope. A good contrast to ShB where the last glimpse of Light was trying to fight back the overwhelming Darkness.
I loved this also with Thordan as well, as soon we still stand after his long attack with all his knights, he starts swiping is sword desperately, really broken stance on him. While Thordan is very easy, I still enjoy it for its visuals and feeling.
@@gvenelran6116 Back in 3.0 proper, Thordan's fight was actually challenging and you could wipe if you didn't have the DPS to take out the Knights in time during the transition phase. Endsinger, likewise, can be quite difficult if you have new players that don't really know the mechanics and can still be slowed down a bit by player gear (this is becoming less prevalent as people continue to gear up and so can carry newer players if they get it in a roulette). I don't think it's quite up there with Shinryu in terms of launch difficulty. That fight was brutal at Stormblood launch because you got your level 70 AF gear from your job quests, which weren't mandatory, so you had tons of people coming into the trial with sub-70 gear who couldn't survive some of the raidwides and couldn't kill the adds fast enough.
It wasn't until I watched this fight back that I realized the way the Scions were praying was a throwback to when they were praying to the Twelve to imprison Bahamut again.
The simplicity of this Expac is amazing imo. The big bad isnt some benevolent god. Its a harpy esque little girl suffering from depression. And Depression truely is the greatest evil of them all.
This reminds me of a meme I found somewhere. I think it was originally a joke, but it hit me a certain way. It started as a joke, "What if we picked Star Trek races for professions they should be really bad at?" like a Vulcan emotional support or something. But then someone said "What about Klingon psychologist" and someone posted after that something incredible. I don't remember the exact words, but something to the effect of: "In fighting suicide and depression, you fight against a powerful foe, one which never sleeps, one which may be given no quarter, one which, if you show even the slightest weakness, will pounce. It is an unending battle against an implacable foe. And any warrior who fights it is among the most worthy and honorable of us all, having earned their place in Stovocor (Klingon Valhalla)" I was like "But...that doesn't seem ill fitting at all!" To fight and overcome the literal embodiment of despair itself...
@@SubduedRadical Reminds me of the Klingon lawyer on DS9 who made the courtroom his "battlefield" and source of honor. While the traditional warrior is obviously heavily favored, it looks like Klingons can still find honor in other fields as well. I find that commendable.
God I loved this moment. That moment when you go from fighting the boss to becoming the boss; you're no longer struggling to save everyone, she's struggling just to survive.
What's funny about this is when zenos shows up and reality starts shaking as he breaks through and rams metion. Speaking for metion I was like this is totally a "Why do I here boss music?" Moment! Turns out zenos was just the DJ playing our boss music while we fight. Lol
@@edwardnowakowski5990 Finally? Maker's Ruin has been our theme since ARR, returning during our showdown with Lahabrea in HW, copied by Omega to understand us, cemented by the slower version that plays in ShB during Ardbert scenes, and brought to full glory in this moment. It's always been there.
Yup, and the shield they created is a parallel with Ultima's fight at the end of Praetorium. But this time, is not a goddess shielding you, but your friends XD
Players during Heavensward: Man I love how king Thordan swings his sword hopelessly after his LB. But it feels too short to see it sometimes. Endwalker: How about a whole phase dedicated to it?
Really? I was far to frustrated with how much of a health sponge she was more than anything. Thordan and Hades at least had the integrity to go down quickly during their final desperate struggle but she overstayed her welcome and since I really didn't feel any sympathy for her since I viewed her as little more than a Necron clone, I was completely dry eyed during it.
@@silverstrider2046 i think it was because of your comrades praying for you that everybody started tearing up, i didnt even notice her health during the first run.
That big AoE assault is such *chef's kiss* because in so many fights, it feels like the DPS and Tanks are the ones fighting the boss, while the healer is just topping everyone off, but here... When that happens, the Healers feel like they are directly nullifying her shots, and it's her power against their power.
People who were excited for Endwalker freaking out over the Song of Hope, but you really gotta appreciate how the lyrics of Maker's Ruin really tie it all together. Get it? _Together?_
@@HimeBurrito No that's a mashup a lot of songs like Ultima and Wyrm's Tail and Invincible and Dragonsong, etc. Maker's Ruin is the song that plays during turnabouts normally, like versus Ascian Prime and is commonly thought of as the boss theme of your Warrior of Light and their supporters because it's about fighting together and dying together in the light of the crystal and has big comeback energy.
Not only that; Endsinger's design (especially when you see it from the sides) has a look that's really reminicient of Zeromus's first form (when you use the Crystal on him). And like in FFIV, in FFXIV the first time you see that form she wipes the damned floor on everyone. Then you see their prayers, both a callback to the sages of Mysidia in FFIV and also the 1.0 reference to praying to stop Dalamud.
I love how Urianger's prayer at 1:00 is just like, "yeah, she always does this shit, I'm gonna put on some tea, talk to you guys in a few when she's back"
9 months ago I got the free trial for this game expecting to just dick around with some friends and uninstall soon after. Yet here I am now at 4 in the morning crying my eyes out on my desk and enjoying every fucking second of it. god I love this game
People meme the "have you heard of the award winning game" line but they really put endless effort into it, and while it has a slow start, SHB and EW are absolutely top tier for me, easily rivaling single player games. They rebuilt the game, put the story threads together and then brought it all to such a satisfying conclusion. So rarely do you have games that, over almost a decade, manage to pay off like this, but FFXIV could do it because they knew this story was coming to an end and they got successful enough that they could allow themselves to make a fresh start with a fresh story and bring this one to a fantastic end. Say about Square Enix what you will, but Yoshi-P and Business Division 3 have a goddamn infinite amount of passion for the game and it freaking shows.
@@Gremlyne The "Have you heard of FFXIV" meme is like a gardener who plants the same seed into the ground which will grow into a beautiful flower later on. Sure, the same joke for the 82nd time gets buried into the ground, but the people who play it afterwards to understand end up enjoying the plot and possibly crying. If not they, then the others around them who caved in to see what the fuss was all about. ...Probably explains the Sprout Icon for new players now that I think about it. They cry enough, it grows up to be plucked, having reached a full growth - As a game and story player both.
Literally the same exact thing happened to me. I picked it up at the beginning of July, got through stormblood around november, then stayed awake for 40 consecutive hours to finish shadowbringers before endwalker during thanksgiving break. Hit patch 5.3 and cried my eyes out more than I have for 10 years on no sleep. Legit one of my favorite experiences ever. Then EW OMG its so good. After this journey I feel like I've experience the adventure of a lifetime in 6 months. I cried sporadically through the entrance to the final dungeon continuing into the final fight, and through the credits. This game got me through a very tough time, and I love it way too much.
We fought basically the physical version of the apocalypse, in a void of nothingness, on the back of a dragon. The warrior of light has to be the greatest hero in final fantasy history.
All FF go very far, but I think you're right. Lightning from FF XIII was the contender, having fought the littéral God of Creation, but I think the WoL topped that achievement. The Endsinger was, without a doubt, a threat of universal proportions.
Ngl, doing this as a dragoon and star diving the second the “song of hope” bit played was the most powerful feeling I had this expansion… ofc until “that, I can’t deny” solo duty
For me, it always syncs up so well with Phoenix as Summoner. Not only have we taken up Archon Louisoix's legacy, but his Circle of Knowing has joined with us as they did with him, finally succeeding his hopes for the people of the world. Can't really think of a better way for it to line up...To call forth the warmest memory of the man to aid me in striking back against the dark of despair.
Any of the big jumps or proccing Nastrond at that part feel so great! First time for me I did Dragonfire Dive. And I got that same high you're talking about.
When this started to play, I just flatout started crying xD I love this part ;; I did this as a summoner, and when the Scions prayed for us, summoning Demi-Phoenix truly got another meaning.
I totally feel the same way about getting invested in my job like that! Being a dark knight, and all the themes of using your despair as reason to keep fighting made it so satisfying using all these dark moves with my shadow Frey at my side in order to destroy pure sorrow. It gave me a sort of elation that I never thought a piece of art could give me. Just seeing a visual representation of conquering this existential depression hits home.
Omg same. I’ve been in love with the “our song of hope” part ever since hearing it in the trailer, so when it finally showed up in phase two of the FINAL BOSS BATTLE I started sobbing and yelling into my mic XD
I was convinced that my group had lost when it all faded to black. Then the guitar hit, and I just lost all semblance of control over my emotions. I was an absolute mess for the next hour. So fucking good.
@@Deadflower20xx God, I went dancer this expansion after hearing the "song of hope she dances on the wind" and had the same emotional attachment. I wasn't HUGE on the dancer questline but the fact they dance to lift the darkness from the hearts of those who watch them REALLY felt like it hit hard this whole expansion. T_T I also lost my shit and nearly died like an idiot when I heard the song of hope chorus because I got too excited
2:02 i love how they don't add they lyrics right here bc so many of us know that it's "One brings shadow, one brings the light. Two toned echoes tumbling through time". When it was said that after Endwalker we would unlock the true meaning of each song she wasn't kidding lol
We will stand against fate. - Alphinaud changed his fate by changing his ways and as a person. No matter the cost. - Alisaie has always been determined to do the right thing, no matter the cost. We've been here before... - Thancred has felt this way before due to his difficult past, but now has hope. Many a time. - Urianger felt alone all his life until he learned to open up to people. Thus do we know... - Y'shtola has learned a lot on her quest for knowledge. To never give up. - Estinien gave in to revenge once before, and will never make the same mistake again. For hope will shine again! - G'raha was a symbol of humanity's last hope, once in the Eighth Umbral Calamity timeline and again as the Crystal Exarch in the First which made him resilient and hopeful.
This very moment absolutely destroyed me and built me back up again. Everything about Endwalker mirrors my own personal journey throughout life so far. I struggle with serious depression and have lapsed into nihilism quite often in the past. Meteion is me in my darkest hours, while the Warrior of Light is my own will to survive and push past my personal limits that ultimately brings me out of it. The Scions? Well, they are my wonderful friends who have supported me every step of the way. I have never cried so much in my life. Playing through this expansion was a transcendent experience. It was catharsis incarnate. Thank you Squeenix, Yoshi P, and the FFXIV Dev Team. Thank you so, so much.
I myself have struggled with depression and suicidal thoughts, and this expansion hit especially hard. But the underlying message of hope brought tears to my eyes, and reminded me to never give up. May your suffering ease and light and love find their way into your life.
In the Japanese vo, te Endsinger has this creepy deep adult female voice with reverb, but when she falls at the end with her last sentence about "where is happiness" her voice slowly changes to that of a little girl's - Meteon's. Goddamn the attention to detail in this game.
OH SHIT!! *gets nuked, nuke is blocked by the powers of hopes and prayers, phase 2 theme kicks in* Oh Endsinger, DO YOU HERE BOSS MUSIC?! AS I DO AND IT'S NOT YOURS!
"'This can only end in misery and desolation." No, we shall live on and create our own meaning, and you can almost feel the Endsinger's doubt when she speaks the line. God I love this game.
Really like that they did the King Thordan thing where after you survive the big attack, she just starts swinging wildly and youve already pretty much won at that point
Literally the worst part of this fight. Portraying a boss first as an omnicidal threat to all existence, and then turning them into a total pushover ruins all believability. But then, this does come right after the deus ex machina trainwreck of ultima thule, so not really surprising at that point. Just disappointing.
Endwalker and Shadowbringers are equal to me, for different reasons. Endwalker really pulls towards the game's "Epic badass moments" far better While Shadowbringers grabs your heart and tears it right out. Both insanely strong in their respective field.
@@Mortal_Indeed This is actually a great way to put it. Shadowbringers is amazing on its own, while Endwalker requires the story up to that point to give it the context it needs, but holy crap, does it ever use that context as amazingly as possible.
@@ZanAzoth I will not deny. Shadowbringer had some heartbreaking moments and I was ugly crying over a freaking NPC I just met 2 minutes ago ends up being killed off. As you just saw how much of a good person they were. End up being turned into a monster (Yep you know who I am talking about). To have an ending that was bitter sweet. Though will agre that Shadowbringers is its own self-contained story. Being...well...it kind of was if you think about it. It had some points that tied it to the main story but you could easily seen it as its own game. To now Endwalker. FF14 Dev Writers are fucking evil fuckers. I was in tears throughout most of the damn story. Then, this fight and the second phase. I was ugly crying and needing to fight. All because it was so damn beautiful. Yet it was the fight AFTER that was a good closure to a lot of plot threads. Yet, the story never ends. There is more to discover and more challenging enemies to fight. See you out there...Adventurer.
Me: "Oh no she's using a crazy bullshit ultra move I should use tank lb3 it!" *USES TANK LB3 LIKE A FUCKING BOSS* Me: "I AM A GENIUS!! AHAHAHAHAHAHA-" Endsinger: "and now like all of my mechanics, I shall repeat this mechanic." Me: "OH NO!!" *All the scions tank lb3 it for me instead with the power of their literal thoughts and prayers* Endsinger: "HOW?! HOW ARE YOU NOT DEAD?!!" Me: "THE FERMI PARADOX IS NO MATCH FOR THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP!!!!!!!"
I was today years old when I realized the purple (representing despair) and gold (representing hope) are having themselves a DBZ beam battle in the background.
Our song of hope, she dances on the wind higher, oh higher E'er our vows endure, and remain forever strong Standing tall in the dark do we carry on On wings of hope, you rise up through the night higher, oh higher Carrying our song, cradled fast within your arms That its chorus might ring for all
That works but I think the song's referring to us. We're clashing against the Song of Oblivion, the Endsinger. From a philosophical standpoint and considering the context you could consider us, the Warrior of Light the Song of Hope, the Hopesinger. We're carrying everyone's hope, song on our back. The "That its chorus might ring for all" probably refers to the fact that if Meteoin came out on top Etheirys doom would've been all but set in stone and many more would come to perish.
This was def the best expac for me. I get it Emet was absolute brilliance in ShB, but working with him in Endwalker as a true ally and learning the real history of their people was 10/10 the best. As for the “slow pacing” I think it worked for the game very well, and I didn’t feel rushed or like I had to always be in the action. Taking the time to learn about the areas, and the people in them while building up to the finale was only slightly shy of perfection. I already knew the Scions were coming back. I don’t think the point was to make you think they weren’t. It was to show us the true value of friendship and to show us the lengths others may take for us as we grow to care for one another. Which was a wonderful lesson to be reminded of. I think many complaints of this expac are just people over thinking rather than just letting it come to them naturally.
I liked the slow. I expected a bit epic conclusion and we got that eventually. But this expansion is more of a rumination on finding purpose in life and a meta examination of the ten year journey that brought final fantasy 14 here. I didn't expect it and i loved it.
Honestly, the minute Maker's Ruin started playing, I broke. I was very moved by many of the events that led to this fight, and the epic medley of the first phase. But that song, a favorite of mine from ARR, followed by Song of Hope and our fellow Scions cheering us on... it's so emotional you know?
All thanks to Momma Hydaelyn. She watched us grow, packed us a lunch, then sent us on our way and now takes a well deserved rest. Holy shit dude, what a tale for the ages in mmo history.
