Recent reviews by BadZ

Ho boi, this game took it's time to build up. Being greeted with the most cringy scene straight out of Sailor Moon and goofy dialogues all over the opening act, I shed my tears of sorrow and happiness through 240 hours of Main Scenario till I faced the most epic climax in Shadowbringers.
This game has a slow start, but it certainly needs it. Even though early enemies have cartoonish motivations and lalafaels always break any immersion, cuteness and lovableness of this world charm you and make you invest in their tiny stories. You build friendships and drag your archnemesis through the whole plot, thus allowing their characters to grow and develop. And when the time comes for one of them to pass on, be it a friend or a foe, it always is a hard blow, as this world has no pure evil, just 2 entities denying each other existence. It always hard to judge ones you're fighting against, as you can sympathize them. And yet you fight. For ones you couldn't save. For ones, you yet can save.
This game is about characters and hardships. How usually we are the very source of our doom. How being on the verge of death, broken and powerless, people can still stand up and fight back with a force of a cornered animal. It's about comrades at arms, about exceeding your limits and sacrificing yourself for them to live. That even the greatest hero cannot stand against his enemy all alone till the very end. And how in the hour of need you will be rewarded for ties you've made, for ones you've saved.
This game is full of emotion and philosophy, allows to view wars and politics from individuals perspectives. It has a deep lore, full of mystery. And I was shocked to learn how much Real Reborn's story has foreshadowed the events of Shadowbringers. Final Fantasy XIV is a quality fantasy.
So, if you like deep lore, thought out epic fantasy story, focusing on character development, you should try it, especially as it's free up to 35th level (out of 80). Real Reborn story line is mediocre, sometimes can feel like a chore or a filler. But don't skip it! Take your time and immerse yourself, and it will pay out later, as character will constantly be making their come backs, and bonds you've forged through Real Reborn's story will enrich these moments a lot.
Ending of RR patches is where you will feel most pathetic, and from this very point and into the 1st expansion, Heavensward, it becomes better and better with a galloping pace. Being close to ending of the Stormblood I could not imagine how Shadowbringers can compete. And yet it made its huge leap forward and delivered an even better story.
This game can be played almost like a single player with few essential to Main Scenario party challenges, which pose no difficulty, especially for a DPS role. I won't say anything about gameplay mechanics, they have their ups and downs and really depend on ones taste. I found an unending world of possibilities in the post game and it deserves its own post, but I haven't explored it properly yet. Nevertheless, the game is great just for its story, and everything else is a very sweet bonus.

По всем пунктам улучшили оригинальную часть, сделав боевую систему игры увлекательной. Средненькая история, но которую хотя бы можно читать, тонна фансервиса для фанатов Fate (людям не знакомым с франшизой игра может не понравиться). Разнообразие умений слуг, приличный ростер их самих, парочка новых механик.