FINAL FANTASY XIV: ENDWALKER
M MORPGs aren’t designed to end – and if they do it’s not with a bang but a whimper, as player numbers dwindle before servers are unceremoniously shut down. Of course, Final Fantasy XIV, now at its most popular with over 24 million registered users, is far from over. Its latest expansion is comparable to Avengers: Endgame, which merely draws a line under one phase of the MCU before the next begins.
Having settled aeon-spanning conflicts, liberated nations and gone to another world entirely, you have to wonder where this epic MMORPG can go from here. But as we wander the opulent, isolated city of Old Sharlyan and take a mount through the vibrant geography of new India-inspired region Thavnair, FFXIV continues to boast arguably the strongest art direction of any MMORPG. That’s not limited to beautiful environments either, as we finally take the fight to the Garlean Empire’s doorstep, its ruined capital looking even gloomier than Midgar.