Common Sense Media Review
By Marc Saltzman
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Excellent, darker expansion to online adventure.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
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Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers
What's It About?
The next chapter in the Final Fantasy XIV saga is now available in FINAL FANTASY XIV: SHADOWBRINGERS, which is an expansion pack to the popular MMORPG -- a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. The game adds plenty of new content including fresh story elements, environments (such as several new dungeons), races (including beast tribes), jobs, and more. In fact, this new add-on includes previous games Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward and Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood -- but be aware this expansion requires Final Fantasy XIV Online Starter Edition (A Realm Reborn) to play the game (which costs about $15 a month for the subscription). Without giving away too much -- especially as the plot becomes much thicker in this new chapter -- the story follows the ominous threat of war that has blanketed the fictional world of Hydaelyn, as six nations now stand allied against the Garlean Empire and its imperial armies. The Warrior of Light comes face-to-face with Zenos -- an old and long-forgotten enemy -- which might prompt a transformation into the Warrior of Darkness. Players will need to deal with the evil Ascians, creatures called Sin Eaters, and an alternate dimension called The First. Along with the option to tackle dungeons solo while fighting alongside prominent characters with the new Trust system, other features of Shadowbringers include a level cap increase from 70 to 80, new 8-player raids and alliance raids, as well as new items, achievements, and music.
Is It Any Good?
To call this MMORPG a meaty undertaking would be a serious understatement. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is a darker climactic end to this dramatic adventure, which caps it all off with a deep, compelling narrative and tons of new content. It's certainly worth the investment, especially if you don't have the other expansion packs. Players will eat up the story, which is tied to traveling to an alternate dimension to become the Warrior of Darkness to right the wrongs in the regular world. You'll be reintroduced to players who've debuted years ago, but now play a much more substantial role. You'll also unlock new areas and races (like the bunny-like Vi) -- all tied to the story -- so it really does feel like this thought-out plot is tightly woven into the gameplay. To compliment the strong dialog (and better voice acting than in past expansions) are cut-scene anime sequences you actually want to watch and not skip through.
New jobs (classes) include Dancer and Gunbreaker, which are fun to explore, and quite different from one another. The new dungeons are also worth calling out (including an underwater area), so players will easily enjoy solving these quests. The combat remains rewarding, using might and magic, with new raid bosses to fight, requiring good cooperative play with your party. The game does suffer a little from some balancing issues with the battle system that might frustrate some players. For instance, strong party members tended to lose to weaker foes, but most of these issues (tied mostly to spellcasting) were addressed a recent update. Overall, this Final Fantasy XIV expansion is the best yet. Fans of this game should most assuredly pick up Shadowbringers for an explosive continuation of this popular MMO.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers affected by the lack of blood shown in battle sequences? Would the violence be intensified if the combat was more graphic and realistic?
Why is it healthy to have a good online and offline balance? Is it easy to set screen time limits with a game that has so much content to keep you playing for hours?
Game Details
- Platforms : PlayStation 4 , Windows
- Pricing structure : Paid
- Available online? : Available online
- Publisher : Square Enix
- Release date : July 4, 2019
- Genre : Massively Multiplayer Online Game (MMOG)
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Friendship
- ESRB rating :
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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