Square Enix will be launching the early access today for Final Fantasy XIV Shadowbringers. Players who have pre-ordered their copy of the new expansion will be jumping in today, and there may be others who are on the fence, not knowing what this is all about. Here’s why this is FFXIV’s biggest expansion yet.
New Gunbreaker Class
Late last year FFXIV players were celebrating when the Blue Mage job arrived. It was a fan favorite in the Final Fantasy franchise, and Square Enix are going to be introducing another. The Gunbreaker is set to be the newest Job in the game come the Shadowbringers expansion. The gameplay involves tanking, and the Gunbreaker uses the Gunblade as a weapon, with magicked ammunition dealing slashing damage to enemies. The job will not require any other classes, and apparently its quest can be picked up in Gridania at level 60. The class and its look is based on Final Fantasy VIII’s Squall.
New Viera Race
Square Enix also unveiled the newest race coming to Final Fantasy XIV. The ever popular Viera – and that iconic outfit – are both available when the Shadowbringers expansion launches. To the uninitiated, the race and outfit combo looks like a sleazy attempt by the game to boost subscriber numbers. This couldn’t be further from the truth. The Viera race first appeared in Final Fantasy Tactics Advanced. The race is predominantly female, with only a handful of males. This will definitely shake up the dynamics of FFIV in the future when it comes to character customization.
New NPC Trust System
FFXIV lead Yoshida also revealed a brand new gameplay system known as the NPC Trust system. It allows players to take various Shadowbringers NPCs with them into dungeons to run it as a solo experience. This is a pretty big feature that many players who prefer solo experiences may enjoy. For group lovers, don’t worry as the match making group finder tool will still be around and viable.
Alliance Raid Series With Creators of NieR Auto/Dragon Quest
For end-game players, a new Alliance Raid series has been announced. Guest Creators for the series are Yosuke Saito and Yoko Taro, who’s projects include NieR Automata and Dragon Quest. Therefore, it’s pretty exciting to see what the raid will encompass, and how this match-up will mix together. 2018 saw FFXIV team up with Monster Hunter: World, so 2019 could be another excellent year. Players can start pre-ordering the Shadowbringers so what are you waiting for?
Contiunation of the MSQ
Patch 4.5 left us with a cliffhanger, and we’re dying to know what’s next. The FFXIV story has evolved from being bland in AAR to one of the best, engrossing MMO tales in the market today. With great writing full of plot twists and ego-boosting scenes, it’s hard not to get excited for Shadowbringers. Plus, after many years of being the Warrior of Light, we now get to see a much darker side. Embrace the Warrior of Darkness.
