Even the critically acclaimed MMO Final Fantasy XIV (you know the meme) puts out the occasional dud patch from time to time. Generally, this doesn’t become a pattern, and later patches make up for earlier weaknesses. After patch 7.1 turned out to be one such dud, at least in terms of the story, I had high hopes that patch 7.2 would ratchet things up a notch. Let’s just say I am not disappointed. Seekers of Eternity boosts the intrigue dramatically and sets the stage for what could be a pretty satisfying conclusion in patch 7.3, all while mostly maintaining Dawntrail‘s excellent encounter design. So let’s dive in!
Patch 7.1 ended with a shocking twist: the previously thought dead Queen Sphene has returned and encourages the citizens of Alexandria to become Endless. There’s also a mystery woman who appears in Living Memory, and Seekers of Eternity quickly confirms that she is indeed who you think she is. The early part of the patch does some great character and world-building as we get our new addition up to speed and simultaneously see how the Alexandrians are handling recent events. Said new addition is fantastic, and I hope she sticks around for a while. Midway through, things get exciting, as the person pulling the strings makes his debut. I won’t spoil his identity, but he’s a somewhat unexpected and yet interesting villain. I don’t know if he’ll end up feeling as compelling as past Final Fantasy XIV bad guys, but I’m looking forward to seeing how his grand plan comes together. The patch ends with a bang, too, so the stakes are properlyset for a great showdown in patch 7.3!
Before moving on, I want to briefly mention that Seekers of Eternity features a lot more voice acting than we usually get in a patch. This could just be because the developers coincidentally felt most of the scenes deserved voiceovers this time, or it could be a sign that they are moving toward more voice acting for main story quests in general. I certainly hope for the latter. Having voice acting in almost every cutscene is a breath of fresh air in a game like Final Fantasy XIV, where the decision on whether to include voices can sometimes feel random and thus stunt the emotional impact of the story. Here’s hoping our beloved Final Fantasy XIV voice actors get even more time in the booth going forward!
Of course, Seekers of Eternity also adds new gameplay. The Underkeep sends players to an aptly named underground castle that longtime series fans will no doubt recognize. It’s a simultaneously somber and nostalgic experience, especially with the piano rendition of a particular Final Fantasy IX track accompanying the journey. The bosses all require players to pay attention to their surroundings to dodge mechanics, and while the second boss may be a little too easy, the other two are decently engaging for a first run.
Almost immediately after completing the new dungeon, players encounter Seekers of Eternity’s new trial. If you’ve seen the promotional screenshots for the patch, you already know who the boss is, but it’s still cool to square off against such an iconic and beloved character, even if her name and form are a little different. The trial itself is quite busy, even on normal mode, and the Extreme version is noticeably more difficult than usual for the fourth trial in an expansion. It’s not insurmountable though, and experienced players should still be able to conquer the trial without too much grief. The biggest issue with the fight is that the color choice and design flourishes for certain mechanics can be difficult to parse. There’s a lot of red on red, and you have to identify which parts of the arena are colored differently to know where to go. This can be challenging enough for a player with no vision issues, but those with certain forms of color blindness will likely have an even harder time. Final Fantasy XIV does have colorblind options, of course (on PC), but it would still be nice if the readability of some mechanics had been a higher priority in development.
As an even-numbered patch, Seekers of Eternity also unveils the next 8-man raid tier. This time, we’re taking on the cruiserweight division at the Arcadion, and just like the last tier, we have four quirky characters to challenge. The fight design remains fantastic and demonstrates the strength of this raid series. Each opponent, arena, and even theme song is unique and feels fresh. The first two battles in particular are playful and whimsical, which is a far cry from the drab seriousness of Endwalker’s Pandaemonium. The mechanics are a lot of fun to learn, and as always, I eagerly anticipate the joy and pain of clearing the Savage versions. Finally, the story definitely ups the ante, with some interesting revelations and — dare I say it — heart-wrenching twists. No spoilers, but let’s just say there are some feline minions that broke me.
Last but not least, some quality of life changes are worthy of mention. First, Seekers of Eternity continues the process of adding the optional A Realm Reborn dungeons to the Duty Support system. The Sunken Temple of Qarn gets the NPC treatment this time, but I can’t wait until patch 7.3 tackles Cutter’s Cry (because I hate it [Editor’s Note: You’re not alone!]). Second, this patch makes it a little easier to get around by giving players a persistent Jog buff after their Sprint buff wears off. The speed increase from Jog is less than Sprint and falls off if you enter combat, but it’s nice to have an otherwise indefinite boost when you’re running around Final Fantasy XIV’s large areas, particularly in cities where mounts aren’t allowed. Finally, Seekers of Eternity extends the graphical updates brought by the previous patch to post-A Realm Reborn areas, providing at least some visual improvements to most parts of the game.
All in all, Seekers of Eternity has been a much more enjoyable experience than its predecessor. And we haven’t even seen all of the patch’s planned features. In late April, we get the Cosmic Exploration “lifestyle content” for crafters and gatherers, and a month after that, battle classes get their turn with the Occult Crescent. These are highly anticipated, large-scale additions to the game, so I’ll have a separate review this summer to give them the consideration they deserve. In the meantime, I hope players find some new favorites in this patch’s content. I know I have!
