Ultimate Myth 14 is constant. That can be an strange option to describe an MMO given the tumultuous stigma of the style, and doubly so making an allowance for the sport’s travesty of a release in 2010, however not anything captures what Ultimate Myth 14 has achieved with its A Realm Reborn re-release and now two expansions higher than consistency.
Sq. Enix manages month to month, patch to patch, to control participant expectancies after which ship on or above them. The Stormblood growth, now greater than a month previous its release on each PC and PlayStation 4, is not any exception. Stormblood is wealthy with the top of the range content material lovers have loved around the ten primary content material patches and Heavensward growth driven out for the reason that MMO’s relaunch.
Stormblood delivers gamers clear of the cold city-state of Ishgard and into the throes of 2 other areas’ revolutions – Ala Mhigo and Doma. Therein lie two new playable categories, the Crimson Mage and Samurai, two new Primals, 8 dungeons, and Sq. Enix’s maximum compelling storytelling but. Broader adjustments to the sport itself have additionally been made, transforming the combat gadget and bettering every task, and as anticipated from an MMO growth those core function additions handiest scratch the outside of what Stormblood provides to Ultimate Myth 14.
Tale stays the lifeblood of Ultimate Myth 14 within the Stormblood growth. The Ala Mhigan revolution has remained at the outer edge of the crusade for the reason that MMO’s starting, with Doma’s career by way of the Empire rising in prominence for the reason that Au Ra Yugiri led a bunch of refugees to Eorzea. Stormblood drives the Warrior of Gentle headfirst into each conflicts after a combat between the traditional Omega Weapon and a brand new horrible primal threatens to upend the stalemate between Garlemald and Eorzea. It is a exciting battle that ties in combination the whole thing of Ultimate Myth 14‘s tale up so far.
But the big name of Ultimate Myth 14: Stormblood is surely its major villain, Imperial Viceroy Zenos yae Galvus. The Ultimate Myth franchise has a pantheon of superior villains, from Sephiroth to Kefka, and Zenos merits a spot of honor amongst them. Zenos’ unending hunt and his willingness to chop away weak point even from the Empire drives the Warrior of Gentle ahead and turns Zenos into the participant’s maximum daunting foe. The encounters that includes Zenos slowly drawing near the Warrior of Gentle, a relentless, looming juggernaut of obscene chronic, are a few of Stormblood‘s maximum memorable moments.
Except Zenos, new characters together with Hien, Yotsuyu, Fordola, Condrad, and the tribes of the Steppes in reality convey Stormblood‘s settings to lifestyles. Sure major forged participants don’t seem to be reasonably so compelling, however the supporting forged greater than makes up for it.
In all probability most enjoyable, Stormblood, not like Heavensward, wraps up its major storylines nicely. There is not any cliff-hanger conclusion to be discovered months into the long run. Stormblood guarantees that long term of Ultimate Myth 14 is mysterious, a welcome and exhilarating marvel.
Sq. Enix invested closely in revamping Ultimate Myth 14‘s combat gadget for Stormblood, however in observe it will have to be acquainted sufficient to any returning gamers. The reworks get rid of some useless complication, like cross-class talents, and goal each steadiness and task individuality. For essentially the most phase, Sq. Enix delivered on its priorities handily, regardless that positive jobs have admittedly struggled with overly harsh nerfs. However the majority of jobs in Stormblood stand tall, distinct in visuals and magnificence if no longer mechanics.
Now not coincidentally the 2 jobs that best possible constitute Sq. Enix’s aspirations with the task adjustments are the 2 new additions, Crimson Mage and Samurai. Every task’s movements float into others in distinctive techniques, the Samurai the usage of high-power katana mixtures, and the Crimson Mage blending black and white magics with melee assaults. Each jobs really feel rapid and thrilling to play, however simply as importantly glance unbelievable in movement. The Ultimate Myth myth is actual.
The understated spotlight of Ultimate Myth 14 stays the power to switch between categories and jobs on a unmarried persona. Whilst leveling every personally continues to be a headache in Stormblood, that accessibility of with the ability to transfer on the click on of a button stays one of the crucial MMOs maximum compelling options, and leveling them is wholly price it. Finishing every task’s distinctive quests fills in a slice of tale throughout the international that might differently have by no means been spotted – and that comes with the crafting categories, too. Whilst Stormblood does not function many distinctive quests according to task, they are one of the vital best possible non-campaign tales within the sport.
If there is complaint to be made relating to Stormblood it begins with the loss of dangers taken. Maximum all of Stormblood‘s achievements stumble upon the well-trodden trail that Heavensward wrought prior to it. Tale, dungeons, Primals, Tomestones, raid, Savage problem, it is all reflected in construction from begin to end-game. Stormblood, regardless of its stage of high quality, has problem status aside.
Stormblood‘s warning contributes to a good larger downside, rising extra important with every growth: Stormblood is a problem for returning gamers and outright unwelcome to new gamers. The consistent launch of recent patches method dozens of hours of back-content to churn via prior to arriving at Stormblood‘s starting. For gamers which are seeking to get their pals to sign up for them, it is a drawback many would possibly not be prepared to move. Sq. Enix did get started providing microtransactions to skip content material and leveling in Stormblood, however that turns out an unfair value to be expecting from gamers.
Those criticisms, whilst wholly legitimate, are negligible past circumstantial frustrations. The MMO stays price experiencing, tale and all, from stage 1 throughout the expansions even for brand new gamers, and the loss of dangers is ignorable as long as the content material on-hand stays remarkable. Then again, those problems will proceed to compound with every new risk-averse patch and growth launch. Nobody’s anticipating any other Calamity, however with the sort of gifted workforce operating on Ultimate Myth 14 there will have to be some refreshing new concepts to be discovered.
With the discharge of the Stormblood growth, Ultimate Myth 14 stays one of the crucial best possible MMOs in the marketplace, and oddly sufficient it is an MMO whose maximum compelling asset is a big, dramatic tale crusade that is in large part single-player. If all you probably did after buying Stormblood and resubscribing was once play throughout the crusade after which unsubscribe, it will be nicely definitely worth the undertaking. The tales of Lyse and Ala Mhigo, of Hien and Doma, and maximum of all of Zenos yae Galvus, are every extremely compelling.
Past the tale, there is so a lot more thrilling content material to be discovered. Sq. Enix fills Stormblood with gorgeous settings to discover and intriguing characters to satisfy. Kugane, one of the crucial two new social hubs in Stormblood, is also essentially the most visually spectacular MMO metropolis but discovered. Sq. Enix places such glorious element into each and every aspect of Ultimate Myth 14 and every growth turns out that significantly better than what got here prior to, and that is the reason no longer even delving into the social environment of the MMO, which is openly pleasant and repeatedly entertaining.
Do your self a prefer and lose your self on the earth of Hydaelyn for a just right month on the very least. You will not be apologetic about it.
Ultimate Myth 14: Stormblood is out now for PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Sport Rant was once equipped a PC replica of Stormblood for this evaluation.
9/10
