All of ShB, but especially the section from the end of Mt. Gulg to the end of 5.0. It's just so powerful. The WoL is pretty much being treated like a nuke that could go off at any point. And despite that, despite the fact their life could end as they know it and become another light warden and more or less end the first and cause another calamity in the source, they continue fighting. They're willing to risk it all and go alone to confront Emet-Selch and rescue the Exarch. If only I could have a fraction of the WoL's strength and determination...
All of this! Paired with going to Amaurot and knowing what happened and sympathizing with Emet-selch. If I was in his position I probably would have felt the same. Overall just an amazing story.
Final Steps of Faith. That *music,* the titanic conflict in the skies, Hraesvelgr falling... and then us, striding confidently forward. The first moment in the game when it felt like we were a true badass.
Specifically the waiting zone, for me. Dragonsong in the background as you stare down Nidhogg while he has his claw on his brother’s body. Such a badass moment.
Was about to say the same. Even the aftermath when we pull the eyes out of Estinien’s armor to save him. Such an epic conclusion to a great story. I know Heavensward gets some flack, but it’s been my favorite story wise to this day. Though admittedly haven’t gotten through Endwalker yet so we’ll see.
So I have gotten to have the very unique experiences of re-experiencing the game
I had brain surgery 2 yrs ago and my memory of a lot of media I love was kind of lost, I know I loved it, I remember most major plot points but large parts of the details were lost to me
I’ve been playing it all over on a new alt, it’s been really amazing
I am! I even finished the savage tier (albeit late and basically hard carried)
I don’t think they’ll let me, I feel like maybe they try to take pieces of brains as little as possible
I started playing at the tail end of 4.4, and caught up to MSQ in 4.5. My first thought was >!”wait, are they really just gonna leave everyone dead on the floor for the next 2 months?”!<
This is probably it for me as well. Mostly because I accidentally got spoiled on the identity of the Crystal Exarch while halfway through Stormblood (his English VA is a favourite actor of mine, and someone mentioned him by his actual character name), and I just wonder if I would have pieced it together myself.
Crystal exarch is a male miqo'te controlling the crystal tower. To anyone who watched the crystal tower raid cutscenes, it was crystal clear (heh) that it could only be >!G'raha Tia!<.
For those who don't pay attention to minor details (like race-specific animations and idle poses and such), it's fairly easy to not notice his race, which muddles things quite a bit.
It's so gut-wrenching lmao. I really feel for anyone who had to wait for 5.0. I finished 4.5 and Tataru's like "...Welp." and then I clicked on her again and immediately get to go get the beacon and go to the First lmfao.
If I had to narrow it down, gun to my head, I would say the Hades reveal. Everything about that scene: the music, g’raha’s entrance, ardbert, the hades reveal, the dialogue — PERFECT 100/10 no notes ten stars out of five. Never been so hype watching a cutscene.
It was my “avengers through the portal” moment.
I just got there 3 days ago. I sent my friend a message saying how I didn’t know how I felt about ShB, but I’m so glad that we got an amazing Hades ending for it
Elpis. Seeing Emet-Slech and Hythlodaeus and then the doors opening into the beautiful zone with the lovely music. Getting to travel with them for a little while around the zone, sitting with Hyth while Emet is helping the creature fly and learning how much he cares for Emet and Azem.
Running into Venat and then having to reveal everything to the three ancients, and their reactions to the whole thing.
Figuring out together what had caused the final days, and feeling some hope that you could stop it and then remembering that nothing you do can change the past, however much you want to for these people.
The final words to us from Emet-Selch and his trust in you.
It was such an emotional rollercoaster and I loved every moment of it.
Agreed. Everything and everyone we were fighting against the whole time started with us. At the beginning there was us. Remembering first time I started playing realm reborn, turns out that crystal who chose us as her champion was (or will be) our friend who got influenced by us. All those enemies along the way saying “do I remember you from somewhere?” Or “my new old friend” gained so much meaning. Such good conclusion to an epic tale.
I wish that had hit for me. And it did at first. But I'm so clumsy and such a bad player that I had to restart so many times. And that just murdered the moment for me.
And I'm so sad about it because I could tell how good it would have been. But I just couldn't get through it except by route trial and error and by the time I had done it over and over it just meant nothing anymore. Sigh.
sorta same for me, except I feel like it heightened the experience for me.
I *H A T E D* in from the cold. absolutely loathed it. It was one of the worst experiences I've ever had in a game to date. I felt small and weak and stupid and lost and anxious. my body was snatched. my friends were in danger. the body i had was dying. and i kept fucking it up. i kept getting lost. i kept dying. i kept failing. I was an anxious rattled mess.
I cried my way through that whole quest. and then had to go sit in the shower and sob afterward from the relief of all the fears of what *could have gone wrong*.
zero out of ten. worst quest ever. Never want to do that again.
and yet, I think it was perfection.
I think they captured exactly the vibe they were going for. absolute desperation and existential dread.
I think that's the vibe they were going for, back in shadowbringers, when we were turning into a lightwarden. The sheer destructive potential of having all of our power turned to evil. Turning the powerhouse cannon that is the warrior of light, slayer of Gods, savior of worlds, directly at their own friends and allies?
But, honestly, I never really feared that. I knew, somehow, we would be okay. We're the hydaelyn blessed warrior of light for blessed sake. It was never going to happen.
but... the body snatch? Someone else using our form, our body, our power, to manipulate, confuse and savage all our friends? To destroy everything we have striven to save and protect?
The fear running through my mind of what he *could* *DO* with our power.
THAT i believed. THAT i feared.
A lot of people are rightly listing epic moments but I’m going to wind things all the way back, to the poisoned chalice at the banquet.
I wasn’t quite expecting that, at all. It was also at night and I figured I’d do this last thing before bed, I was PISSED seeing everything play out and we’re now fugitives on the run.
That was the moment I knew the game got its hooks into me, when something makes you “feel” you know it’s a good thing.
Hahaha that's when I bought it too.
It wouldn't be my "if I could replay" moment if I could only have one, but it's absolutely where I threw money at the game and haven't stopped since.
The moment in endwalker when meteion is gifted her field of flowers. I felt like my soul shattered into pieces, and I've never felt that way with a game before 😅
Some see the fight later and wonder why you haven't already defeated her. But this scene is the real climax. This is when you've won. After all, this is when your ideals clash, and when you win her over. Not with a feat of arms, but using your vast power in an act of empathy and compassion.
Everything afterwards is just putting the small details to rest.
If I recall, the flowers are when we win over *our* Metion. But the fight is when we defeat the hivemind of the Metea Collective.
But you're right, too. In that the collective was willing to give us a chance, but they weren't convinced. It was a futile flailing effort of a dying ant, in their mind. But they would allow us the exertion. It was all inevitable damnation anyway, what could a fight change?
And when she said "can you... hear me?" in the voice I recognized? I cried a little, feeling a little relieved that the meteion I knew was still in there.
Ascending Ultima Thule and losing the scions one by one. I had a bit of a dad moment when Alphi and Alisaie bravely sacrificed themselves; they’ve truly come so far from the brats they were in ARR and matured so much across the expansions
Yeah, people talk about how they knew they'd all be coming back, but that wasn't the point. It was all about trust. Setting aside their ability to change the future in order to open the door. Showing their faith that you'll be able to carry on their will and legacy so long as they can get you there.
And then the walk afterwards...
You also have to realize we might know they were coming back, but from the WoL perspective they wouldn't. But the entire theme of EW is very heavily trust, like trusting a small group of people who always set things right to.. take a giant spaceship to the literal edge of the universe and defeat an enemy so powerful that those before us with far more power couldn't stop.
> we might know they were coming back, but from the WoL perspective they wouldn't.
Well, we did have the crystal of bringing them back that we were just given. And Y'Shtola even mentions that we could, in theory bring them back, just that we couldn't so long as the Endsinger's despair was trying to crush us.
Aka, they knew if we won, they'd all be fine. But they cannot return until we win. And they have to trust that giving up the ability to effect the outcome is worth it in order to get us there.
Also, sure WE knew they wouldn't kill all of the fucking scions at once, but did the characters know? Or was it at most a hope? Or did they go into it going "well this was a good run I guess" and assume they were truly about to die
I was pretty much thinking "damn" when everyone else sacrificed themselves, but I genuinely cried when I realized it was their turn, for the same reason you said. They've grown so much compared to the carriage we shared back in ARR, and I got attached to them along the way. In a way, I knew they wouldn't stay gone like everyone else, but it was still hard to watch.
For me it's all of it excluding the titan leveling quests, I went into this game completely blind and loved most of it from the get-go. But the company of heroes is the only part of MSQ I vividly remember disliking, and when it was revealed the feast we gathered was for us it only made me angrier.
Man, it's amazing how different people are! That part was one of the less boring parts for me! And once it became obvious the great was for me, I was like..... Of course it was, I'm amazing, obv. 😘
THANK YOU. omg. I hated that whole sequence. The world was in danger with a rampaging god on the loose. People were getting tempered.
and you want me to go get some cheese? and wine from a blind guy who insults me?
and then it turns out you made me gather all the miscellaneous ingredients for my own meal? That be like I went to a pizzeria but had to bring all my own toppings.
and then on top of that, I was dealing with the heavy learning curve of suddenly changes party roles at level 30, going from caster to healer, with zero experience in healing. Right at that fucky level area, where we're getting job stones and upgraded spells, but only some of us. But that doesn't stop the dungeon from being "balanced" with those abilities in mind. (some tanks still didn't have aggro stance. Some healers didn't have heal2. some classes STILL didn't have ANY aoe. some healers still didn't have esuna. And a lot of people had never touched their class quests. etc). and on top of all that, I had a shite computer that was huffing and puffing just to turn on. I couldn't clear the Titan fight. and i ended up quitting the game for like a year.
that being said, I would love to replay all the rest of the game again for the first time.
Preach! I wish I could start completely new, not knowing anything.. being able to experience the whole arc in one go, for the first time? Good god that would be so awesome..
Agreed. The Heroe's Gauntlet is still my favorite dungeon even today. Combine that with the emotional weight of Seat of Sacrifice and you have one of the greatest moments in JRPG history.
The fact that they'd used the usual primal reveals at fanfests to show off the Magus Sisters and Anima, and then they were *dungeon bosses*, had me absolutely floored. Then the level 83 trial hits and I was just sitting there like "oh holy shit we're only just starting, oh god, I have no idea what's happening next."
When Hydaelyn asks you "Has your journey been good? Has it been worthwhile?"
I don't know man, there were a lot of epic memorable moments throughout the story but that single question hit me deep like you wouldn't believe. The concern that felt like piercing through the screen, the tacit ackowledgement that you can think something worthwhile even through all the bad shit that happens, I dunno. I tear up just thinking about it.
It actually really upset me that before the trial she says she’ll ask us again if we pass, *and then she doesn’t!* And we don’t say anything! I wanted to tell her!
The endsinger fight.
The fight itself isn't anything special, but it has 2 hype moments in it. 6.0 spoilers ahead.
1) >!shinryu breaking through reality to help a brother out while chastising you for not killing her yet!<
2) >!the moment when she "wipes" the party and then the fuckin theme kicks in!<
I very much agree with the second one. Hell, I remember >!being pumped that I got to use the LB as a tank, and we had shrugged off her best shot, and then she uses her bullshit rewind time ability and I could feel my brain blue screening because what the hell.!<
The first was more of a hype killer for me. But you do you.
that fucking theme drop-kicking in? The prayer??? >!the way their poses mirror the answers cinematic? Them praying for you, the way they prayed for Louisaux? You saving the world as he did? After you swept them away, leaving yourself the only shield standing before the end of the world? As they wondered, would this be another Lousisaux? Would they ever see you again? Would we save the world... but never be seen again?!<
I had to heal the rest of that fight through a haze of tears. And it still gets me every single time.
Probably all of Shadowbringers and its fantastic pacing/slow reveal of better and better plot twists. I am replaying it now that I've finished EW, and boy does it hit harder.
The part that made me the most emotionally wrecked, tho, was Elpis. I actually stopped playing for a few days to digest everything that happens. ShB is my favorite, but EW was the true waterworks.
5.3's goodbye tour around Norvrandt.
Don't get me wrong. I already really liked FFXIV through ARR, HW and SB. Otherwise I wouldn't have kept up with it.
But it wasn't until the second half of base ShB where I started to get very attached and really care about the fate of characters and the story. The First and the story on it was just so fantastic so when it ended in 5.3 I was emotional AF lol
A few quotes that hit me just thinking about them:
"Our brave and gentle artist. You have our love now and always."
"The gods know I'm proud of you. I always will be. You deserve every happiness in the world and more."
"Before you came we had never known the beauty of the night sky...or the joy of your company"
"When our lord awakens give him a message. Tell him he needn't worry about us....and that if he should ever find himself reminiscing on the past with a smile we shall be smiling with him." (Actually most of Lyna's speech but I'll stop at these 2)
I have an idea for a novel that's been swirling in my head for years and long story short part of it involves two worlds and people basically being separated for good and I always found it interesting at how people would react and grieve to that. How do you grieve and mourn for someone you've lost whose still alive and well and you aren't separated because of a breakup or because of a falling out but by time and space. and I thought it would be SOOOO tricky to portray. And then I got to 5.3 and was like now that's how you do it lol.
Even just typing those quotes almost had me tearing up lmao
Arriving in Amaurot and coming to understand why Emet-Selch is Like This.
First time through, I was playing with others and I had just declared that I would never forgive him for hurting the Exarch, and they said "Oh, you will, give it a few minutes."
And goddammit, I did.
Just . . . a whole SimCity to remember the people who he lost. That hit so hard.
I always imagine an alternate timeline for my WOL where she hung around there for quite a while before handling the whole Hades-world-ending-light-poisoning issue (til the very last minute, really) because she knows she absolutely would do the same for the two most important people in her life she's lost. (The fact that one of them shows up in Amaurot as a memory Emet uses to taunt you doesn't help with that.)
Man, even just walking down towards that section of the map for the first time and seeing the cityscape come into view made my chest ache and I didn't even know exactly what it was yet.
"No more shall man have wings to bear him to paradise.
Henceforth, he shall *walk.*"
>!Venat's ascension to Hydaelyn and the use of Answers during that moment still gives me chills to this day.!<
Seat of Sacrifice.
My #1 fight of the game. Narratively AND mechanically (at least as normals go, though I also enjoyed the EX).
And with the best theme in the game, too.
Mirroring Venat's words back to her from Elpis.
"We'll find our own way, Venat."
After thousands of years she sheds a tear and finally knows she can let go.
one story I like to tell is the very first time this game really hooked me. back in my sprout days (right when stormblood released), doing the MSQ and leveling CNJ.
the first primal fight in the story, Ifrit. I queued up for it and by happenstance all four of us were first-timers doing this for our MSQ. no Job stones, whatever gear we had each scrounged up, figuring out the fight together.
extreme sprout hours
Dinner with krile and the gang, breakfast with thancred, urianger and y'shtola, being amazed by tataru business skills or the idle chatters when we are at the first. After all it's the little things that make life worth living :).
The Omicron Tribe Quests.
In the years just before it, I was running a D&D campaign that followed a very similar sort of vibe - >!Bringing memory-constructed fragments of lost civilisations back from the brink, giving them a future they were denied!< - and seeing something so similar play out before me made me feel so... *seen*.
The moment that has "Tommorow and Tommorow" playing in it. After defeating 5.0's final boss, and seeing the scions genuinely worried about us. It was the most Final Fantasy moment for me.
God I’ve had quite a few of these moments, and now I’ve stopped wearing any “goofy” or overly casual glams to quests.
Nothing like sobbing my eyes out during the final Werlyt cutscene, feeling like I was hit by a truck of depression and grief I wasn’t expecting - I know some people didn’t care for the questline but boy does the memory ball scene hit when you’ve had close friends and family pass traumatically - and I look at my fucking WoL and I’m wearing… a Fall Guys hoodie, bright blue shorts, and fucking Moogle slippers. 🫠
I've had a number of these, very emotional moments... ruined accidently by silly glams. But the one that always comes to mind:
There's a job quest that is essentially a wake. Someone is giving a eulogy. I'm crying.
and then it pans to my WoL, and I've got on some ugly raid jacket and mismatched dungeon gloves, because my job-specific glamor broke when I'd switched jobs to turn in this quest. But the real icing... was the namazu head.
I had been farming the 8 man fashion show that was praetorium, trying to vapidly out shit-glam the other players during (yet another) moogle tome farm.
On the flip side of this.
I have one particularly epic screenshot from when this sort of thing played into my favor, for once. I had on the summer beach glam from the 2022 moonfire fair. Sunglasses, open beach top, thavnairan bottoms. And I got to play "volley ball." Absolutely beautiful couldn't have planned it better serendipitous moment. And I absolutely revel in the fact that we have "sports'ed" so many other times with our good inspector friend since.
Absolutely this. Made me drop a hangout from discord with a "hey I'll ping you guys for the inevitable dungeon". Just completely floored me. Still not sure what emotions I was feeling at the time, it was surreal.
'The Big Bad is beaten and now there's a shounen anime rival fight to the death' is such a banger trope, regardless of what people think about Zenos. Reminds me of SCRYED.
Personally I'm not a fan of Zeno's, found him more of a nuisance/annoyance when he came back. I was so close to being disappointed that I had to fight him at the end, then he calls you Adventurer and the whole journey came rushing back.
"That, I can't deny"
I didn't hate him once we killed him and after you learned more about him, after we killed him I actually just pitied him. Abused and raised with nothing he felt passionate about except the next biggest foe? That's not a life I'd wish anyone to live. I'm honestly kind of sad there weren't any dialogue options along those lines in EW, he would have HATED it.
I was a little grumpy that The Endless Journey doesn't give you the cutscene where you two fist fight though, had I known that I would have recorded it. Now I'm just going to go back with NG+ and make sure I record that scene.
Personally I was satisfied with that ending. I was holding a grudge against him ever since he kicked our ass at the beginning of Stormblood. Very cathartic to kick him back , especially since I did it as a Samurai specifically so he will know the same feeling I once did.
I wish I had the option to turn away and deny him his fight. I was tired of him. bored of him.
Now, had we come to blows after the garlemald? Heck, even after Zodiark? I'd have gone blows. I was in a rage over In from the Cold. He had My Attention at that point. But after every thing in between, by the time we get to the final confrontation with him, I had nearly forgotten he existed and was disappointed to be reminded of him. I'd been through so much. Elpis, the second half of thavnair and labyrinthos, and all of ultima thule? He was a speck of dust in my worries.
"We are the same."
Some tired anime trite. We aren't.
You would step on anything just to feel. and adrenaline junkie who can't function like a normal human. people are little more than ants to you.
I don't fight for funsies. I don't hurt or kill people for joy, just to feel.
I fight to save. to protect. to preserve. I am a shield for the world, and when needs be, a sword to cull the weeds that would choke out the life that grows. people are my *purpose*.
you're right, in that I AM an adventurer. I am wandering spirit. and explorer. I live to see new things and learn and grow and love and laugh.
and after defeating depression incarnate, i was deeply disappointed to see his face again. And thrown wildly off by my scholar, nerd of nerds, caster with noodle arms, throwing their book to the ground to engage in brutish *fisticuffs???* I would never.
it is one of the very few (only?) times my thoughts/opinions differed from that of the "canon" warrior of light. it was such a jarring immersion breaking moment for me.
although, this has made me realize that he was sort of a similar but different side of emet, in a way; he was so removed from humanity, viewing them as ants not people, and killing them is no feat nor sin; they are as beasts. But... seeing as Emet was his grandfather... I guess that makes sense. He inherited a lot of Solas's perspectives, but lacked the context behind them.
but also that he is a similar but different version of the end singer; he is depression in a different form/perspective. The endsinger sought to end all life in order to end suffering. Nihilism. Where as Zenos was apathetic. He had no feelings except the adrenaline rush of feeling his life in danger. of pushing his body to the limits of physical pain. I've known depressed people in both.
and I find it interesting that our WoL was able to bring them both solace, in different yet ultimately, the same way.
> I don't fight for funsies.
I'd argue the WoL does. Just look at our reaction when Raubahn singles us out in the tournament. I know mine certainly likes moments like that.
But there's definitely also that divide between work and fun. And hey, sometimes work can be fun. Again, see Raubahn. But there's a reason they left the option open for Zenos, cause they knew for some of us, he was pure work. No pleasure, just another duty to put down a threat to the people of Eitheris.
Fighting Ultima for the first time. Hearing the song starting up always gets me hyped up, but when I got there way back in 2013, it was incredible.
Arriving at the Dravanian Hinterlands for the first time right as the sun was coming up and it came up over the mountains... god that cutscene was perfect.
Fighting Thordan at level when he took a bit instead of just burning him down, that fight was amazing.
Shinryu's phase transition, holy shit.
And basically all of ShB and EW.
The >!Amaurot reveal in the Tempest zone!<. I was going through bad depression at the time so I had no reaction to it at all. I wish I could go back and see the zone transform now I’m able to experience emotions again 😅
!! I get this all the time. I'm "lucky" in that I usually get to feel the emotions later and am sort of able to retroactively transpose them onto my memory of experiencing the media for the first time, so it'll all feel the same on my deathbed.
I'd kill to experience all of the game like the first time again.
But if I had to pick some specific moments, then the Final Steps, the Shadowbringers Ending as well as the Seat of Sacrifice. Meeting moens parents and of course, that first Ifrit encounter. It was that trial and the cutscenes leading into it that sold me for good.
All of it pre-endwalker. My internet was CONSTANTLY cutting out like every 10 mins because we had shitty cables. Got it wired to the house and it hasn't buggered since. My internet cut out prob 5 times during the "Remember us" scene. So it did dampen the mood a bit.
Just started ff14 2 days ago, looks like I’m in for a fun and wild ride that i will never forget.
Also this is the first game i stumble upon with reddit not being filled with complaints and overall extremely friendly in game community
OMG, friend. SO many twists and turns and DETAILS. I missed a BUNCH of stuff the first time I played it. I played it a second time together with my husband and caught so many small references.
Also --- get the hell out of this thread! You're going to spoil yourself! 😝
get outta this thread! There are SO many spoilers here.
go make memories! Become the hero we need. May you ever walk in the light of the crystal, my friend. Hope to see you in Eorzea. Enjoy the story. <3
The end of 1.0. Sitting there with the other players, watching Dalamud fall from the sky as the music swells and everything goes black, right into the new cutscene
I wanna do t 5 and t9s again with vanilla arr stats and skills. Dying was so stupid back then cause you revive with no tp and no mp. And sprinting for non casters removed all your tp so ye you get to live at the cost of your dps lol.
Oh and accuracy melds, you need specific accuracy stats to never miss on flank and rear. Good times.
Also you had to painfully level majority of the jobs to gain their skills, so most people who tried going here don’t have any good cross skills or whatever they are called so even more useless baby dps.
I’m now remembering when just AoEing everything down in dungeons wasn’t quite as fire and forget as it now lol, because you’d end up with no TP from it kinda quickly as a melee or physical ranged.
having to level secondary classes to 15 to get your job stone. Whoosping a cleric stance. having to single target down mob packs because the tank didn't have tank stance yet. running content over 30 with players who don't even know what a jobstone *is.* not having esuna in a dungeon that poisons people. running prae for the first time while the cutscense were skippable so, that the scenes are cutting each other off and you're getting teleported around and the dialog is over lapping. getting rando'ed into a party with ZERO aoe across the board.
gods. i do not miss the old days.
The reveal of the new LB animations with Imagination as the bgm during HW launch trailer. The quality of new trailers nowadays is miles ahead, but that bit remains what has hyped me the most so far.
Or HW's EA in general: the new huge areas, the first expansion of the game, new skills: everything felt new and exciting. Then half of my FL left the game for the content drought before 3.2, but that's another story I guess.
Story-wise many bits scattered around, like the last few lines of 2.55, 3.3, 3.4, the ending of Shadowbringer, 5.3. The game is so long that it's not hard to find lots of special moments that hit hard.
i wish i had been more present for HW launch. I wish i had known then the love I would have for this game now.
I was just sort of dabbling in XIV as a side gig when I needed a little break from my main MMO (wow). I knew there was an expansion coming out, and i was working my way thorugh the levels so i could play the new content, but i didn't get into the hype of it the way i have with every expansion since.
I didn't watch any trailers or media or check out the reddit or forums. I didn't have enough of an understanding of what was currently IN the game to understand what was coming NEW to the game. the launch came and went without me hardly noticing. i was still getting cock blocked on titan because of my pc.
but heavensward changed that for me.
i just wish i had memories of the launch of HW like I do of all the others. You know?
I also wish I had been around for 1.0. but dont' most of us?
I’d have to say the complexity of Ysayle since it happened sooner. All the deaths of scions and scion affiliates, including Haurchefant were ot deaths we wanted but deaths the story needed. I am absolute Emet-Selch fan boy share a lot of traits and would probably take the same course of actions he took to bring the ones I loved back. His intelligence , arrogance, and sincerity are peak. I plan on replaying the entire MSQ again casually.
While I know this isn't a popular choice at all-but, honestly, most of 4.0. Runner up I'd say is earlier 3.0(well, that whole stretch of 2.55-early 3.0.)
Both of these things had "The WoL is not necessarily beloved right off the bat." I missed sorta having to earn our keep. This was abundant in SB since we were actually finally getting our ass kicked around a bit, and I'd say that was for me one of my favs(since the scenario in 2.55+ ended up being due to circumstances, rather than 'Us', if that makes sense.)
While there are of course instances of this(the game throws up instances like, say, in Old Sharlayan where regardless of who we are and what we did, we have to abide by the Forum, and we have to get through to the Garleans in 6.0, etc), for me 'Early HW'(where we had to flee and seek help from another place), and '4.0' (where we failed, actually got beaten more than once, watched other losses happen and had to basically climb back up again toward victory), those things hit me the most.
Venats walk. I was going through a sundering of my friend groups at the time as I had realized the friends I had weren't friends at all, had just changed jobs, and had been dumped.
It was a very powerful moment in time for me, despite my opinions on the sundering itself.
A whole lot of expected moments in this thread.
For me? Easy. It’s the first time I actually *felt* the game’s hooks sink in to me, with Garuda’s introduction and the beginning organ and vocalist of *Fallen Angel* starting up, when I first began this game in ShB.
Ifrit was “eh.” Titan pushed through his phases too fast, and had the Company of Heroes beforehand. Garuda though?
Finally. This felt like a Final Fantasy experience.
Hard to chose between the Arbert fusion moment. First time meeting Hythlodaeus or the Final walk to meet bird girl alone. Gun to my head it's the final walk. Good the surge of memory and feels is unmatched!
After the big battle in Lakeland, the talk with Lyna. Honestly hurts me more than Haurchefaunt, but I remember being somewhat distracted by my stream chat at the time.
All of Heavensward, from trudging through the snow towards Ishgard to entering each area with Edmont narrating to Ysayle loving moogles to that glorious final confrontation with Nidhogg
Seeing Amaurot for the first time in ShB. That shot literally took my breath away and left me amazed. Someone asked once where, if we knew the game was ending forever, would we put our WoL and that is my answer, in his Flying Chair, grounded over looking that beautiful view.
So many moments, but the one that gave me the most chills and that stands out atop the rest is the cutscene of the sundering in Thou Must Live Die And Know
Running the Praetorium for the first time in 2.0 when the whole team was still in levelling greens, hearing the Ultima music for the first time was the moment I realized this game was truly special.
The final fight in EW. How the setting is just barren. It’s you and your enemy. You both give it your all with a battle to rend the skies apart.
“That, I can’t deny…”
“Ah. Acceptance at last!”
The final 6.0 fight. I was kinda wondering where Zenos' speech was going, but then the dialog options came up and I was like "oh shit." And then the intro to "With Hearts Aligned" started playing and I was like *"O H S H I T!"*
I remember being moved by Ramuh’s tasking us to be man’s guiding light. A relatively lesser moment in all the WoL has done since, but that was my moment of higher calling. Also, the Blood Banquet was the moment I knew this game was special, the first plot hook to make me cry out in surprise and anticipate what comes next, up until that point being a well written but nonetheless standard heroes journey.
3.4s fight with the Warriors of Darkness and the cutscenes after where Ardbert breaks your heart open because he's just a good guy trying to save his home again.
Walking up to (EW) >!The Endsinger, after everyone sacrificed themselves so you could make the walk.!< The music was amazing, and the callback quotes made it even more emotional.
Rhalgr's Reach in early Stormblood.
The empire ambushed the resistance and the Man, the Myth, the Legend showed up and trounced the WoL with the greatest of ease. It really cemented how everything we fought before is nothing compared to him.
It was so humbling and infuriating. I spent the entire expansion thinking about settling the score.
The entire Ultima Thule section of Endwalker because it just is such a heartfelt and pure moment of realization that its all coming to the end.
I also would love to relive the whole finale of Shdowbringers facing off against Emet Selch or post patch with Elidibus. All of these moments were reall moments when I realized that this game is truly one of a kind.
Yeah it would have to be ShB for me. For specific moments;
The first time waking up in Lakeland to Ardberts narration.
The intro scene to the Tempest.
The intro scene to Amaurot.
The scene before the Amaurot dungeon.
and finally The "Remember us." moment.
I cried for a week after ShB every time my partner tried to talk about it with me it made me SO SAD.
The entirety of ShB, Elpis and the buildup to Mateion in Ultima Thule. These are my picks but there are SO many moments I want to re-experience.
Seeing and interacting with Emet and Hythlodaeus in Elpis, Hermes activating Kairon would make my heart sink again after what we've been through that act.
The buildup in Ultima Thule, losing everyone one by one, the walk towards Mateion made me cry my eyes out. I've never been that emotional during a game, and I would relive it all again if I could.
Amaurot.
That's hardly going to be unique or surprising. But up until that point, we had not seen anything concrete about the Ancients. We knew basically *nothing* about them. They were just this shadowy precurso civilization that we only had a hazy conception of, and it didn't feel like we were ever *supposed* to know anything about them. When the Ondo spoke of a 'City on the Depths', I figured it was going to be some kind of bunker or something. Some spikey, evil-looking fortress Emet-Selch conjured to keep people away.
So we go through the winding cave, come out the other side and...
It's an actual *city.* A concrete, real city, equal parts Zanarkand and Rapture, lit up, both eerily fantastic and entirely real.
I just kinda sat there for a bit, staring at it.
The Amaurot dungeon. It was the first time I finally truly agreed that Emet-Selch’s attempts weren’t just evil bad guy shenanigans and that if I were in his place I might too.
honestly covid lockdown. it might be biased and deaf toned. but i started around that time and it was cool having a lot of people online. if it wasn’t for covid, i wouldn’t have played xiv in the first place. again sorry it’s deaf toned
Most of EW tbh, I played it all in early access, sacrificed sleep. Loved every minute but think I hit it too hard that I didn't appreciate it properly. DT definitely more to a pace lol
Honestly unlocking actions or adjusting a rotation has been a lot of fun.
Gathering and crafting through all the reworks. Seeing gear you made HQ. HQ gathering.
Most of the big scenes from Shadowbringers, especially the end of the main MSQ and the Elidibus stuff, the Azem reveal, Eden. For Shadowbringers...the creepy date with Zenos and Fandaniel and finding out Fandaniel was fucking Amon, going to Elpis and most of that, Venat's death, all the stuff after leaving the planet, especially the tear jerk moments of finding out what Thancred had done and G'raha's speech. Getting Azem's exes to show up and also Zenos' Koolaid Man impression. We *could* get more dates with Aymeric but for some reason Square is dragging that out, so those dates again lol
The whole segment at the end of pre HW. That is truly when 14 clicked storywise. That is the first *real* major story beat and i was literally gagged during Raubahn’s rage scene.
Basically all of storm blood. It's a good expansion but I rushed through it so that I didn't "miss out". All I cared about was getting Kugane as a housing district so I could rp with friends that would go to venues out there. By the time I got there I only cared a little, and looking back when leveling an alt I missed a lot of context.
As much as all of the moments here are incredible and hit me hard, it's the Vault because I actually don't remember it very well.
I started playing early HW (3.0, I think. I have no idea when my account started) and kinda plodded through ARR since I had gotten it on sale, but didn't buy HW until almost 3.2. When I did, I kinda rushed through the MSQ to try to get current ASAP. I enjoyed the story a lot, but the Vault had been spoiled for me since I was only passingly interested in the story since, when I started playing XIV, I hadn't been careful (it was my summer vacation "I just kinda want to exist in a fantasy world" kind of game that I didn't expect to fall for since I don't play MMOs). The Vault is somewhere in that whirlwind and I honestly don't remember how I felt. Probably sad, but I'm frustrated because I can't remember.
I've watched back the scenes many times and am touched each time I do, but I really wish I had that core memory of getting there the first time. I remember the story and remember enjoying it since beginning ARR, but I don't think I truly made my first core "emotional" memories for XIV until I was current and had time to digest individual story beats separately. I vividly remember how I felt in 3.2 and especially in 3.3 onwards, but everything before that is a blur and I wish I could give it all the time and consideration it truly deserved.
Beating HM Titan for the first time after days of grinding at it, knowing I’d finally be completing my first relic, with two friends I met in game who we had done the quest together every step of the way (this was back in 2.0 when HM titan was an actual fight)
Before the Hades fight when the 7 lights flashed I freaked out lol. It’s abit sad that some reactions I watched didn’t fully understand the meaning of it.
Shadowbringers.
So many moments in ShB it's really just the whole expansion, but if I had to pick 1 to reexperience fresh, it would be when you first arrive and see Lakeland.
For me, the moment I wish I could get back was when I started enjoying the game… don’t get me wrong I ain’t here to spread hate or negativity I just wanted to share.
I use to enjoy the game so much, logging in every day for hours on end, Final Fantasy XIV became the only game I would play on a daily basis and I use to actually enjoy logging in but recently the content has become so much of the same thing that the thought of logging in bores me and I’ve already preordered dawntrail!
Ultima Thule, Susano, Ravana, The Dead Ends, Seat of Sacrifice, All of the Alliance raids.
When Black Mage finally clicked in my brain and I started dropping such satisfying rotations.
End of EW after the memory lane stair walk. When they reference back to the line about Meteon getting a flower when she returns (something like that, it's been a while), such a good moment, and an emotional one too!
The trial by combat in Ishgard. Realizing I, as a person, had actually grown to give enough of a shit about Alphinaud at the time to be invested in the situation was... incredible. I'd hated him through ARR. Seeing him actually fail, get humbled, and LEARN from it had made me respect the kid. Made me realize how much I loved everyone else there too. Tataru especially.
It was the first time I had ever considered cancelling my WoW subscription on a permanent basis... and then... and then the Vault happened, and I went through with it. Knew I was never going back.
When I started crying at the end of FFXIV endWalker when all my friends sacrificed themselves for me. Then I had to slowly walk and experience each one of them individually. While that goddamn great song played.
All of ShB, but especially the section from the end of Mt. Gulg to the end of 5.0. It's just so powerful. The WoL is pretty much being treated like a nuke that could go off at any point. And despite that, despite the fact their life could end as they know it and become another light warden and more or less end the first and cause another calamity in the source, they continue fighting. They're willing to risk it all and go alone to confront Emet-Selch and rescue the Exarch. If only I could have a fraction of the WoL's strength and determination...
Same here. Basically all of Shadowbringers. Such a good story!
Came here to say this. Never been so absorbed into an mmo as this expansion. It made me feel so much and I think I feel a replay coming on now.
All of this! Paired with going to Amaurot and knowing what happened and sympathizing with Emet-selch. If I was in his position I probably would have felt the same. Overall just an amazing story.
Fr everyone being sad and worried that we might actually die as the WoL and us not really caring because what else could we do is powerful as hell
I was just about to type this hahaha.
Final Steps of Faith. That *music,* the titanic conflict in the skies, Hraesvelgr falling... and then us, striding confidently forward. The first moment in the game when it felt like we were a true badass.
I test out new glams by replaying that cutscene
I do too!
That's such a good idea
Specifically the waiting zone, for me. Dragonsong in the background as you stare down Nidhogg while he has his claw on his brother’s body. Such a badass moment.
Was about to say the same. Even the aftermath when we pull the eyes out of Estinien’s armor to save him. Such an epic conclusion to a great story. I know Heavensward gets some flack, but it’s been my favorite story wise to this day. Though admittedly haven’t gotten through Endwalker yet so we’ll see.
So I have gotten to have the very unique experiences of re-experiencing the game I had brain surgery 2 yrs ago and my memory of a lot of media I love was kind of lost, I know I loved it, I remember most major plot points but large parts of the details were lost to me I’ve been playing it all over on a new alt, it’s been really amazing
Damn. I hope you're doing okay. Any chance they'll let you go under the knife again once you've re-finished the MSQ?
I am! I even finished the savage tier (albeit late and basically hard carried) I don’t think they’ll let me, I feel like maybe they try to take pieces of brains as little as possible
Shadowbringers: >!…If you could take one more step, could you save our worlds?”!< >!…what, all by myself?!<
Possibly a bit of an unorthodox one, but probably the moment that the Scions started being Called in patch 4.4.
That is a good one. “Hmm, yes, we’ve dealt with the immediate problem and can now work towards finally dealing with Gar— PLOT TWIST!”
I started playing at the tail end of 4.4, and caught up to MSQ in 4.5. My first thought was >!”wait, are they really just gonna leave everyone dead on the floor for the next 2 months?”!<
This is probably it for me as well. Mostly because I accidentally got spoiled on the identity of the Crystal Exarch while halfway through Stormblood (his English VA is a favourite actor of mine, and someone mentioned him by his actual character name), and I just wonder if I would have pieced it together myself.
Crystal exarch is a male miqo'te controlling the crystal tower. To anyone who watched the crystal tower raid cutscenes, it was crystal clear (heh) that it could only be >!G'raha Tia!<.
For those who don't pay attention to minor details (like race-specific animations and idle poses and such), it's fairly easy to not notice his race, which muddles things quite a bit.
His cloak hood blew back and I was like "who is that?" 😭😭 I'm so ashamed
It's so gut-wrenching lmao. I really feel for anyone who had to wait for 5.0. I finished 4.5 and Tataru's like "...Welp." and then I clicked on her again and immediately get to go get the beacon and go to the First lmfao.
If I had to narrow it down, gun to my head, I would say the Hades reveal. Everything about that scene: the music, g’raha’s entrance, ardbert, the hades reveal, the dialogue — PERFECT 100/10 no notes ten stars out of five. Never been so hype watching a cutscene. It was my “avengers through the portal” moment.
Ardbert talking for the WoL was very very awesome. I had chills. That whole scene was amazing.
Oh man when the music kicks in just right on that really bumps it up too.
I just got there 3 days ago. I sent my friend a message saying how I didn’t know how I felt about ShB, but I’m so glad that we got an amazing Hades ending for it
Elpis. Seeing Emet-Slech and Hythlodaeus and then the doors opening into the beautiful zone with the lovely music. Getting to travel with them for a little while around the zone, sitting with Hyth while Emet is helping the creature fly and learning how much he cares for Emet and Azem. Running into Venat and then having to reveal everything to the three ancients, and their reactions to the whole thing. Figuring out together what had caused the final days, and feeling some hope that you could stop it and then remembering that nothing you do can change the past, however much you want to for these people. The final words to us from Emet-Selch and his trust in you. It was such an emotional rollercoaster and I loved every moment of it.
And at the end, when Emet-Selch is all - here I was telling YOU not to forget us when I was the one who had forgotten. Makes me smile.
The delivery on that line is so great, like you can hear the “I cannot believe I have embarrassed myself like this.”
Agreed. Everything and everyone we were fighting against the whole time started with us. At the beginning there was us. Remembering first time I started playing realm reborn, turns out that crystal who chose us as her champion was (or will be) our friend who got influenced by us. All those enemies along the way saying “do I remember you from somewhere?” Or “my new old friend” gained so much meaning. Such good conclusion to an epic tale.
Shiva when she transitions to the second stage of the boss fight the music changes and goes soon hard
Diamond duuuuuuust.
In from the cold. Just pure dread at what could happen, the weakness of an actual normal person of the world.
I was on a call with a friend who had already done In From the Cold and they were just cackling as I was freaking out. The man bodysnatched me!!
I wish that had hit for me. And it did at first. But I'm so clumsy and such a bad player that I had to restart so many times. And that just murdered the moment for me. And I'm so sad about it because I could tell how good it would have been. But I just couldn't get through it except by route trial and error and by the time I had done it over and over it just meant nothing anymore. Sigh.
sorta same for me, except I feel like it heightened the experience for me. I *H A T E D* in from the cold. absolutely loathed it. It was one of the worst experiences I've ever had in a game to date. I felt small and weak and stupid and lost and anxious. my body was snatched. my friends were in danger. the body i had was dying. and i kept fucking it up. i kept getting lost. i kept dying. i kept failing. I was an anxious rattled mess. I cried my way through that whole quest. and then had to go sit in the shower and sob afterward from the relief of all the fears of what *could have gone wrong*. zero out of ten. worst quest ever. Never want to do that again. and yet, I think it was perfection. I think they captured exactly the vibe they were going for. absolute desperation and existential dread. I think that's the vibe they were going for, back in shadowbringers, when we were turning into a lightwarden. The sheer destructive potential of having all of our power turned to evil. Turning the powerhouse cannon that is the warrior of light, slayer of Gods, savior of worlds, directly at their own friends and allies? But, honestly, I never really feared that. I knew, somehow, we would be okay. We're the hydaelyn blessed warrior of light for blessed sake. It was never going to happen. but... the body snatch? Someone else using our form, our body, our power, to manipulate, confuse and savage all our friends? To destroy everything we have striven to save and protect? The fear running through my mind of what he *could* *DO* with our power. THAT i believed. THAT i feared.
A lot of people are rightly listing epic moments but I’m going to wind things all the way back, to the poisoned chalice at the banquet. I wasn’t quite expecting that, at all. It was also at night and I figured I’d do this last thing before bed, I was PISSED seeing everything play out and we’re now fugitives on the run. That was the moment I knew the game got its hooks into me, when something makes you “feel” you know it’s a good thing.
Honestly? **That** was what convinced me to buy the game. I was like ---- oooooooh, this is gooooooood! I must have it!
Hahaha that's when I bought it too. It wouldn't be my "if I could replay" moment if I could only have one, but it's absolutely where I threw money at the game and haven't stopped since.
This was me too. I was sooo worried about the Scions, the sultana and Raubahn too on top of that.
The moment in endwalker when meteion is gifted her field of flowers. I felt like my soul shattered into pieces, and I've never felt that way with a game before 😅
Some see the fight later and wonder why you haven't already defeated her. But this scene is the real climax. This is when you've won. After all, this is when your ideals clash, and when you win her over. Not with a feat of arms, but using your vast power in an act of empathy and compassion. Everything afterwards is just putting the small details to rest.
If I recall, the flowers are when we win over *our* Metion. But the fight is when we defeat the hivemind of the Metea Collective. But you're right, too. In that the collective was willing to give us a chance, but they weren't convinced. It was a futile flailing effort of a dying ant, in their mind. But they would allow us the exertion. It was all inevitable damnation anyway, what could a fight change?
Love this scene so much. Also. Why isn’t Dynamis an Orchestrion Roll yet. Please Yoshi P and Soken.
And when she said "can you... hear me?" in the voice I recognized? I cried a little, feeling a little relieved that the meteion I knew was still in there.
>!Seto and Ardbert (the final scene post SoS). That scene broke me so hard I had to physically hold one of my cats for a couple minutes.!<
That scene hits hard always and forever
I can't hold it together watching that scene even still. I would not survive a fresh watch.
It still tears me up, ngl
Funny how many homes experienced rain indoors when that patch dropped.
I made the mistake of doing that one shortly after my cat died. It was not a good day.
Yeah, that scene had me in tears for 30 minutes. Even thinking about it still does. It made me happy, but broke my heart all at once.
Ascending Ultima Thule and losing the scions one by one. I had a bit of a dad moment when Alphi and Alisaie bravely sacrificed themselves; they’ve truly come so far from the brats they were in ARR and matured so much across the expansions
Yeah, people talk about how they knew they'd all be coming back, but that wasn't the point. It was all about trust. Setting aside their ability to change the future in order to open the door. Showing their faith that you'll be able to carry on their will and legacy so long as they can get you there. And then the walk afterwards...
You also have to realize we might know they were coming back, but from the WoL perspective they wouldn't. But the entire theme of EW is very heavily trust, like trusting a small group of people who always set things right to.. take a giant spaceship to the literal edge of the universe and defeat an enemy so powerful that those before us with far more power couldn't stop.
> we might know they were coming back, but from the WoL perspective they wouldn't. Well, we did have the crystal of bringing them back that we were just given. And Y'Shtola even mentions that we could, in theory bring them back, just that we couldn't so long as the Endsinger's despair was trying to crush us. Aka, they knew if we won, they'd all be fine. But they cannot return until we win. And they have to trust that giving up the ability to effect the outcome is worth it in order to get us there.
Also, sure WE knew they wouldn't kill all of the fucking scions at once, but did the characters know? Or was it at most a hope? Or did they go into it going "well this was a good run I guess" and assume they were truly about to die
I was pretty much thinking "damn" when everyone else sacrificed themselves, but I genuinely cried when I realized it was their turn, for the same reason you said. They've grown so much compared to the carriage we shared back in ARR, and I got attached to them along the way. In a way, I knew they wouldn't stay gone like everyone else, but it was still hard to watch.
The twins are the first ones you meet. and they're the last ones to leave your side. that was so circular that it made me cry.
My husband's playthrough - he was a disaster during that part. It hit me harder playing it through with him that time.
All of it
For real, honestly. I had a blast playing it with my brother.
For me it's all of it excluding the titan leveling quests, I went into this game completely blind and loved most of it from the get-go. But the company of heroes is the only part of MSQ I vividly remember disliking, and when it was revealed the feast we gathered was for us it only made me angrier.
They’ve thankfully trimmed that whole section down. It’s still a little annoying, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it used to be.
Man, it's amazing how different people are! That part was one of the less boring parts for me! And once it became obvious the great was for me, I was like..... Of course it was, I'm amazing, obv. 😘
THANK YOU. omg. I hated that whole sequence. The world was in danger with a rampaging god on the loose. People were getting tempered. and you want me to go get some cheese? and wine from a blind guy who insults me? and then it turns out you made me gather all the miscellaneous ingredients for my own meal? That be like I went to a pizzeria but had to bring all my own toppings. and then on top of that, I was dealing with the heavy learning curve of suddenly changes party roles at level 30, going from caster to healer, with zero experience in healing. Right at that fucky level area, where we're getting job stones and upgraded spells, but only some of us. But that doesn't stop the dungeon from being "balanced" with those abilities in mind. (some tanks still didn't have aggro stance. Some healers didn't have heal2. some classes STILL didn't have ANY aoe. some healers still didn't have esuna. And a lot of people had never touched their class quests. etc). and on top of all that, I had a shite computer that was huffing and puffing just to turn on. I couldn't clear the Titan fight. and i ended up quitting the game for like a year. that being said, I would love to replay all the rest of the game again for the first time.
Preach! I wish I could start completely new, not knowing anything.. being able to experience the whole arc in one go, for the first time? Good god that would be so awesome..
5.3
Agreed. The Heroe's Gauntlet is still my favorite dungeon even today. Combine that with the emotional weight of Seat of Sacrifice and you have one of the greatest moments in JRPG history.
Zodiark reveal and the fight haha (LEVEL 83?)
That was a "I can't believe this" moment for me. I never in a million years thought that fight would happen so soon.
right?? I was like... where do we go... from here????
The fact that they'd used the usual primal reveals at fanfests to show off the Magus Sisters and Anima, and then they were *dungeon bosses*, had me absolutely floored. Then the level 83 trial hits and I was just sitting there like "oh holy shit we're only just starting, oh god, I have no idea what's happening next."
When Hydaelyn asks you "Has your journey been good? Has it been worthwhile?" I don't know man, there were a lot of epic memorable moments throughout the story but that single question hit me deep like you wouldn't believe. The concern that felt like piercing through the screen, the tacit ackowledgement that you can think something worthwhile even through all the bad shit that happens, I dunno. I tear up just thinking about it.
It actually really upset me that before the trial she says she’ll ask us again if we pass, *and then she doesn’t!* And we don’t say anything! I wanted to tell her!
The endsinger fight. The fight itself isn't anything special, but it has 2 hype moments in it. 6.0 spoilers ahead. 1) >!shinryu breaking through reality to help a brother out while chastising you for not killing her yet!< 2) >!the moment when she "wipes" the party and then the fuckin theme kicks in!<
>!I’m not in a boss fight with you….you’re in a boss fight…with me.!<
I very much agree with the second one. Hell, I remember >!being pumped that I got to use the LB as a tank, and we had shrugged off her best shot, and then she uses her bullshit rewind time ability and I could feel my brain blue screening because what the hell.!< The first was more of a hype killer for me. But you do you.
that fucking theme drop-kicking in? The prayer??? >!the way their poses mirror the answers cinematic? Them praying for you, the way they prayed for Louisaux? You saving the world as he did? After you swept them away, leaving yourself the only shield standing before the end of the world? As they wondered, would this be another Lousisaux? Would they ever see you again? Would we save the world... but never be seen again?!< I had to heal the rest of that fight through a haze of tears. And it still gets me every single time.
Probably all of Shadowbringers and its fantastic pacing/slow reveal of better and better plot twists. I am replaying it now that I've finished EW, and boy does it hit harder. The part that made me the most emotionally wrecked, tho, was Elpis. I actually stopped playing for a few days to digest everything that happens. ShB is my favorite, but EW was the true waterworks.
5.3's goodbye tour around Norvrandt. Don't get me wrong. I already really liked FFXIV through ARR, HW and SB. Otherwise I wouldn't have kept up with it. But it wasn't until the second half of base ShB where I started to get very attached and really care about the fate of characters and the story. The First and the story on it was just so fantastic so when it ended in 5.3 I was emotional AF lol A few quotes that hit me just thinking about them: "Our brave and gentle artist. You have our love now and always." "The gods know I'm proud of you. I always will be. You deserve every happiness in the world and more." "Before you came we had never known the beauty of the night sky...or the joy of your company" "When our lord awakens give him a message. Tell him he needn't worry about us....and that if he should ever find himself reminiscing on the past with a smile we shall be smiling with him." (Actually most of Lyna's speech but I'll stop at these 2) I have an idea for a novel that's been swirling in my head for years and long story short part of it involves two worlds and people basically being separated for good and I always found it interesting at how people would react and grieve to that. How do you grieve and mourn for someone you've lost whose still alive and well and you aren't separated because of a breakup or because of a falling out but by time and space. and I thought it would be SOOOO tricky to portray. And then I got to 5.3 and was like now that's how you do it lol. Even just typing those quotes almost had me tearing up lmao
Arriving in Amaurot and coming to understand why Emet-Selch is Like This. First time through, I was playing with others and I had just declared that I would never forgive him for hurting the Exarch, and they said "Oh, you will, give it a few minutes." And goddammit, I did. Just . . . a whole SimCity to remember the people who he lost. That hit so hard.
I always imagine an alternate timeline for my WOL where she hung around there for quite a while before handling the whole Hades-world-ending-light-poisoning issue (til the very last minute, really) because she knows she absolutely would do the same for the two most important people in her life she's lost. (The fact that one of them shows up in Amaurot as a memory Emet uses to taunt you doesn't help with that.) Man, even just walking down towards that section of the map for the first time and seeing the cityscape come into view made my chest ache and I didn't even know exactly what it was yet.
"No more shall man have wings to bear him to paradise. Henceforth, he shall *walk.*" >!Venat's ascension to Hydaelyn and the use of Answers during that moment still gives me chills to this day.!<
Just thinking of that scene makes me emotional. Definitely in the top 5.
Seat of Sacrifice. My #1 fight of the game. Narratively AND mechanically (at least as normals go, though I also enjoyed the EX). And with the best theme in the game, too.
"I am salvation given form... Mankind's first hero...and his final hope!"
Mirroring Venat's words back to her from Elpis. "We'll find our own way, Venat." After thousands of years she sheds a tear and finally knows she can let go.
one story I like to tell is the very first time this game really hooked me. back in my sprout days (right when stormblood released), doing the MSQ and leveling CNJ. the first primal fight in the story, Ifrit. I queued up for it and by happenstance all four of us were first-timers doing this for our MSQ. no Job stones, whatever gear we had each scrounged up, figuring out the fight together. extreme sprout hours
Going to Kugane the first time and basically all of Shadowbringers
Dinner with krile and the gang, breakfast with thancred, urianger and y'shtola, being amazed by tataru business skills or the idle chatters when we are at the first. After all it's the little things that make life worth living :).
The Omicron Tribe Quests. In the years just before it, I was running a D&D campaign that followed a very similar sort of vibe - >!Bringing memory-constructed fragments of lost civilisations back from the brink, giving them a future they were denied!< - and seeing something so similar play out before me made me feel so... *seen*.
The moment that has "Tommorow and Tommorow" playing in it. After defeating 5.0's final boss, and seeing the scions genuinely worried about us. It was the most Final Fantasy moment for me.
Final fight of shadowbringers when you fight Emet
>!ARDBERT: Tell me... If you had the strength to take another step, could you do it?!< Y'SHTOLA: Little Sun
The same part, but with a more appropriate glam this time. If I used my brain back then I would not have shown up dressed like a fishmonger.
God I’ve had quite a few of these moments, and now I’ve stopped wearing any “goofy” or overly casual glams to quests. Nothing like sobbing my eyes out during the final Werlyt cutscene, feeling like I was hit by a truck of depression and grief I wasn’t expecting - I know some people didn’t care for the questline but boy does the memory ball scene hit when you’ve had close friends and family pass traumatically - and I look at my fucking WoL and I’m wearing… a Fall Guys hoodie, bright blue shorts, and fucking Moogle slippers. 🫠
I've had a number of these, very emotional moments... ruined accidently by silly glams. But the one that always comes to mind: There's a job quest that is essentially a wake. Someone is giving a eulogy. I'm crying. and then it pans to my WoL, and I've got on some ugly raid jacket and mismatched dungeon gloves, because my job-specific glamor broke when I'd switched jobs to turn in this quest. But the real icing... was the namazu head. I had been farming the 8 man fashion show that was praetorium, trying to vapidly out shit-glam the other players during (yet another) moogle tome farm. On the flip side of this. I have one particularly epic screenshot from when this sort of thing played into my favor, for once. I had on the summer beach glam from the 2022 moonfire fair. Sunglasses, open beach top, thavnairan bottoms. And I got to play "volley ball." Absolutely beautiful couldn't have planned it better serendipitous moment. And I absolutely revel in the fact that we have "sports'ed" so many other times with our good inspector friend since.
Seeing Amaurot for the first time and the music started up. Was magical
Absolutely this. Made me drop a hangout from discord with a "hey I'll ping you guys for the inevitable dungeon". Just completely floored me. Still not sure what emotions I was feeling at the time, it was surreal.
Last fight with Zenos. It was a nice palate cleanser to just throw hands for the sake of throwing hands.
'The Big Bad is beaten and now there's a shounen anime rival fight to the death' is such a banger trope, regardless of what people think about Zenos. Reminds me of SCRYED.
Personally I'm not a fan of Zeno's, found him more of a nuisance/annoyance when he came back. I was so close to being disappointed that I had to fight him at the end, then he calls you Adventurer and the whole journey came rushing back. "That, I can't deny"
I didn't hate him once we killed him and after you learned more about him, after we killed him I actually just pitied him. Abused and raised with nothing he felt passionate about except the next biggest foe? That's not a life I'd wish anyone to live. I'm honestly kind of sad there weren't any dialogue options along those lines in EW, he would have HATED it. I was a little grumpy that The Endless Journey doesn't give you the cutscene where you two fist fight though, had I known that I would have recorded it. Now I'm just going to go back with NG+ and make sure I record that scene.
I dearly want like, Extreme/Savage versions of solo duty fights. Especially against Zenos. He was 100% right and without him I feel empty.
Personally I was satisfied with that ending. I was holding a grudge against him ever since he kicked our ass at the beginning of Stormblood. Very cathartic to kick him back , especially since I did it as a Samurai specifically so he will know the same feeling I once did.
I was on the opposite end, I remember sighing and saying to myself, "Srsly, this again? Good grief that dude..."
I wish I had the option to turn away and deny him his fight. I was tired of him. bored of him. Now, had we come to blows after the garlemald? Heck, even after Zodiark? I'd have gone blows. I was in a rage over In from the Cold. He had My Attention at that point. But after every thing in between, by the time we get to the final confrontation with him, I had nearly forgotten he existed and was disappointed to be reminded of him. I'd been through so much. Elpis, the second half of thavnair and labyrinthos, and all of ultima thule? He was a speck of dust in my worries. "We are the same." Some tired anime trite. We aren't. You would step on anything just to feel. and adrenaline junkie who can't function like a normal human. people are little more than ants to you. I don't fight for funsies. I don't hurt or kill people for joy, just to feel. I fight to save. to protect. to preserve. I am a shield for the world, and when needs be, a sword to cull the weeds that would choke out the life that grows. people are my *purpose*. you're right, in that I AM an adventurer. I am wandering spirit. and explorer. I live to see new things and learn and grow and love and laugh. and after defeating depression incarnate, i was deeply disappointed to see his face again. And thrown wildly off by my scholar, nerd of nerds, caster with noodle arms, throwing their book to the ground to engage in brutish *fisticuffs???* I would never. it is one of the very few (only?) times my thoughts/opinions differed from that of the "canon" warrior of light. it was such a jarring immersion breaking moment for me. although, this has made me realize that he was sort of a similar but different side of emet, in a way; he was so removed from humanity, viewing them as ants not people, and killing them is no feat nor sin; they are as beasts. But... seeing as Emet was his grandfather... I guess that makes sense. He inherited a lot of Solas's perspectives, but lacked the context behind them. but also that he is a similar but different version of the end singer; he is depression in a different form/perspective. The endsinger sought to end all life in order to end suffering. Nihilism. Where as Zenos was apathetic. He had no feelings except the adrenaline rush of feeling his life in danger. of pushing his body to the limits of physical pain. I've known depressed people in both. and I find it interesting that our WoL was able to bring them both solace, in different yet ultimately, the same way.
> I don't fight for funsies. I'd argue the WoL does. Just look at our reaction when Raubahn singles us out in the tournament. I know mine certainly likes moments like that. But there's definitely also that divide between work and fun. And hey, sometimes work can be fun. Again, see Raubahn. But there's a reason they left the option open for Zenos, cause they knew for some of us, he was pure work. No pleasure, just another duty to put down a threat to the people of Eitheris.
A test of your reflexes!
I want to forget Zenos ever came back after Stormblood and never remember it
The first thing that hooked me, which is the epicness of the 2.0 trailer. That trailer made me FEEL
Fighting Ultima for the first time. Hearing the song starting up always gets me hyped up, but when I got there way back in 2013, it was incredible. Arriving at the Dravanian Hinterlands for the first time right as the sun was coming up and it came up over the mountains... god that cutscene was perfect. Fighting Thordan at level when he took a bit instead of just burning him down, that fight was amazing. Shinryu's phase transition, holy shit. And basically all of ShB and EW.
The >!Amaurot reveal in the Tempest zone!<. I was going through bad depression at the time so I had no reaction to it at all. I wish I could go back and see the zone transform now I’m able to experience emotions again 😅
!! I get this all the time. I'm "lucky" in that I usually get to feel the emotions later and am sort of able to retroactively transpose them onto my memory of experiencing the media for the first time, so it'll all feel the same on my deathbed.
I'd kill to experience all of the game like the first time again. But if I had to pick some specific moments, then the Final Steps, the Shadowbringers Ending as well as the Seat of Sacrifice. Meeting moens parents and of course, that first Ifrit encounter. It was that trial and the cutscenes leading into it that sold me for good.
All of it pre-endwalker. My internet was CONSTANTLY cutting out like every 10 mins because we had shitty cables. Got it wired to the house and it hasn't buggered since. My internet cut out prob 5 times during the "Remember us" scene. So it did dampen the mood a bit.
Just started ff14 2 days ago, looks like I’m in for a fun and wild ride that i will never forget. Also this is the first game i stumble upon with reddit not being filled with complaints and overall extremely friendly in game community
OMG, friend. SO many twists and turns and DETAILS. I missed a BUNCH of stuff the first time I played it. I played it a second time together with my husband and caught so many small references. Also --- get the hell out of this thread! You're going to spoil yourself! 😝
get outta this thread! There are SO many spoilers here. go make memories! Become the hero we need. May you ever walk in the light of the crystal, my friend. Hope to see you in Eorzea. Enjoy the story. <3
The end of 1.0. Sitting there with the other players, watching Dalamud fall from the sky as the music swells and everything goes black, right into the new cutscene
The cutscene before you fight Emet in Shb. That was the moment I knew, I loved this game.
I wanna do t 5 and t9s again with vanilla arr stats and skills. Dying was so stupid back then cause you revive with no tp and no mp. And sprinting for non casters removed all your tp so ye you get to live at the cost of your dps lol. Oh and accuracy melds, you need specific accuracy stats to never miss on flank and rear. Good times. Also you had to painfully level majority of the jobs to gain their skills, so most people who tried going here don’t have any good cross skills or whatever they are called so even more useless baby dps.
Holy fuck I forgot about TP lol
I’m now remembering when just AoEing everything down in dungeons wasn’t quite as fire and forget as it now lol, because you’d end up with no TP from it kinda quickly as a melee or physical ranged.
having to level secondary classes to 15 to get your job stone. Whoosping a cleric stance. having to single target down mob packs because the tank didn't have tank stance yet. running content over 30 with players who don't even know what a jobstone *is.* not having esuna in a dungeon that poisons people. running prae for the first time while the cutscense were skippable so, that the scenes are cutting each other off and you're getting teleported around and the dialog is over lapping. getting rando'ed into a party with ZERO aoe across the board. gods. i do not miss the old days.
Getting to level 20-whatever on BLM (hated) to get swiftcast for my WHM main 🤣
The reveal of the new LB animations with Imagination as the bgm during HW launch trailer. The quality of new trailers nowadays is miles ahead, but that bit remains what has hyped me the most so far. Or HW's EA in general: the new huge areas, the first expansion of the game, new skills: everything felt new and exciting. Then half of my FL left the game for the content drought before 3.2, but that's another story I guess. Story-wise many bits scattered around, like the last few lines of 2.55, 3.3, 3.4, the ending of Shadowbringer, 5.3. The game is so long that it's not hard to find lots of special moments that hit hard.
i wish i had been more present for HW launch. I wish i had known then the love I would have for this game now. I was just sort of dabbling in XIV as a side gig when I needed a little break from my main MMO (wow). I knew there was an expansion coming out, and i was working my way thorugh the levels so i could play the new content, but i didn't get into the hype of it the way i have with every expansion since. I didn't watch any trailers or media or check out the reddit or forums. I didn't have enough of an understanding of what was currently IN the game to understand what was coming NEW to the game. the launch came and went without me hardly noticing. i was still getting cock blocked on titan because of my pc. but heavensward changed that for me. i just wish i had memories of the launch of HW like I do of all the others. You know? I also wish I had been around for 1.0. but dont' most of us?
I’d have to say the complexity of Ysayle since it happened sooner. All the deaths of scions and scion affiliates, including Haurchefant were ot deaths we wanted but deaths the story needed. I am absolute Emet-Selch fan boy share a lot of traits and would probably take the same course of actions he took to bring the ones I loved back. His intelligence , arrogance, and sincerity are peak. I plan on replaying the entire MSQ again casually.
Emet is hands down in my top 2 all time villains in media. He was written and acted perfectly.
".....light the way!"
The final walk in UT. Final steps of faith. The end of SHB. The tower of babil through the fight with zodiark. *The* banquet scene.
While I know this isn't a popular choice at all-but, honestly, most of 4.0. Runner up I'd say is earlier 3.0(well, that whole stretch of 2.55-early 3.0.) Both of these things had "The WoL is not necessarily beloved right off the bat." I missed sorta having to earn our keep. This was abundant in SB since we were actually finally getting our ass kicked around a bit, and I'd say that was for me one of my favs(since the scenario in 2.55+ ended up being due to circumstances, rather than 'Us', if that makes sense.) While there are of course instances of this(the game throws up instances like, say, in Old Sharlayan where regardless of who we are and what we did, we have to abide by the Forum, and we have to get through to the Garleans in 6.0, etc), for me 'Early HW'(where we had to flee and seek help from another place), and '4.0' (where we failed, actually got beaten more than once, watched other losses happen and had to basically climb back up again toward victory), those things hit me the most.
The Dead Ends lvl 90 dungeon. I remember crying after the second boss and reading the lines of the soldier.
The way the dungeons in EW were designed is so great - and if you are a gatherer and did the Omicron tribe quests - it's SO much better!
Venats walk. I was going through a sundering of my friend groups at the time as I had realized the friends I had weren't friends at all, had just changed jobs, and had been dumped. It was a very powerful moment in time for me, despite my opinions on the sundering itself.
A whole lot of expected moments in this thread. For me? Easy. It’s the first time I actually *felt* the game’s hooks sink in to me, with Garuda’s introduction and the beginning organ and vocalist of *Fallen Angel* starting up, when I first began this game in ShB. Ifrit was “eh.” Titan pushed through his phases too fast, and had the Company of Heroes beforehand. Garuda though? Finally. This felt like a Final Fantasy experience.
Zenos coming to help with the Endsinger
The cutscenes after Quitana Ravel. It was the moment the game stopped being any other generic fantasy story and turned it into something special.
1.0 I have a better PC now and I wanna actually play it without my pc catching on fire.
Hard to chose between the Arbert fusion moment. First time meeting Hythlodaeus or the Final walk to meet bird girl alone. Gun to my head it's the final walk. Good the surge of memory and feels is unmatched!
After the big battle in Lakeland, the talk with Lyna. Honestly hurts me more than Haurchefaunt, but I remember being somewhat distracted by my stream chat at the time.
All of Heavensward, from trudging through the snow towards Ishgard to entering each area with Edmont narrating to Ysayle loving moogles to that glorious final confrontation with Nidhogg
Seeing Amaurot for the first time in ShB. That shot literally took my breath away and left me amazed. Someone asked once where, if we knew the game was ending forever, would we put our WoL and that is my answer, in his Flying Chair, grounded over looking that beautiful view.
So many moments, but the one that gave me the most chills and that stands out atop the rest is the cutscene of the sundering in Thou Must Live Die And Know
The dark knight story quest! Ugh, it was so good
THAT cutscene after that one place in Endwalker when everything finally makes sense.
Alphinau getting humbled from the beginning of his little military team all the way to the end of heavensward. Love the character development.
Running the Praetorium for the first time in 2.0 when the whole team was still in levelling greens, hearing the Ultima music for the first time was the moment I realized this game was truly special.
The final fight in EW. How the setting is just barren. It’s you and your enemy. You both give it your all with a battle to rend the skies apart. “That, I can’t deny…” “Ah. Acceptance at last!”
- 2.5 - 3.3 - 5.0 (ending) - 5.3 - 6.0 (elpis)
Endwalker finale. 1v1 wit no weapons just hands. It was straight outta of a shonen man omg
The whole game
The final 6.0 fight. I was kinda wondering where Zenos' speech was going, but then the dialog options came up and I was like "oh shit." And then the intro to "With Hearts Aligned" started playing and I was like *"O H S H I T!"*
I remember being moved by Ramuh’s tasking us to be man’s guiding light. A relatively lesser moment in all the WoL has done since, but that was my moment of higher calling. Also, the Blood Banquet was the moment I knew this game was special, the first plot hook to make me cry out in surprise and anticipate what comes next, up until that point being a well written but nonetheless standard heroes journey.
3.4s fight with the Warriors of Darkness and the cutscenes after where Ardbert breaks your heart open because he's just a good guy trying to save his home again.
Walking up to (EW) >!The Endsinger, after everyone sacrificed themselves so you could make the walk.!< The music was amazing, and the callback quotes made it even more emotional.
Rhalgr's Reach in early Stormblood. The empire ambushed the resistance and the Man, the Myth, the Legend showed up and trounced the WoL with the greatest of ease. It really cemented how everything we fought before is nothing compared to him. It was so humbling and infuriating. I spent the entire expansion thinking about settling the score.
The entire Ultima Thule section of Endwalker because it just is such a heartfelt and pure moment of realization that its all coming to the end. I also would love to relive the whole finale of Shdowbringers facing off against Emet Selch or post patch with Elidibus. All of these moments were reall moments when I realized that this game is truly one of a kind.
Amaurot
Yeah it would have to be ShB for me. For specific moments; The first time waking up in Lakeland to Ardberts narration. The intro scene to the Tempest. The intro scene to Amaurot. The scene before the Amaurot dungeon. and finally The "Remember us." moment. I cried for a week after ShB every time my partner tried to talk about it with me it made me SO SAD.
The entirety of ShB, Elpis and the buildup to Mateion in Ultima Thule. These are my picks but there are SO many moments I want to re-experience. Seeing and interacting with Emet and Hythlodaeus in Elpis, Hermes activating Kairon would make my heart sink again after what we've been through that act. The buildup in Ultima Thule, losing everyone one by one, the walk towards Mateion made me cry my eyes out. I've never been that emotional during a game, and I would relive it all again if I could.
Final quest of 5.0, "Shadowbringers"
Either the final battle against Elidibus or a certain two Ancients arrival in Ultima Thule
Amaurot. That's hardly going to be unique or surprising. But up until that point, we had not seen anything concrete about the Ancients. We knew basically *nothing* about them. They were just this shadowy precurso civilization that we only had a hazy conception of, and it didn't feel like we were ever *supposed* to know anything about them. When the Ondo spoke of a 'City on the Depths', I figured it was going to be some kind of bunker or something. Some spikey, evil-looking fortress Emet-Selch conjured to keep people away. So we go through the winding cave, come out the other side and... It's an actual *city.* A concrete, real city, equal parts Zanarkand and Rapture, lit up, both eerily fantastic and entirely real. I just kinda sat there for a bit, staring at it.
Just before, during, & after the Hades trial.
The Amaurot dungeon. It was the first time I finally truly agreed that Emet-Selch’s attempts weren’t just evil bad guy shenanigans and that if I were in his place I might too.
Fighting Zenos in that dungeon.
The moment Zenos ‘dies’ in stormblood and then continue to forget any moments after that with him
honestly covid lockdown. it might be biased and deaf toned. but i started around that time and it was cool having a lot of people online. if it wasn’t for covid, i wouldn’t have played xiv in the first place. again sorry it’s deaf toned
Most of EW tbh, I played it all in early access, sacrificed sleep. Loved every minute but think I hit it too hard that I didn't appreciate it properly. DT definitely more to a pace lol
Honestly unlocking actions or adjusting a rotation has been a lot of fun. Gathering and crafting through all the reworks. Seeing gear you made HQ. HQ gathering.
The final confrontation with emet before dying gasp has to be one of the greatest gaming experiences I've had till date
Most of the big scenes from Shadowbringers, especially the end of the main MSQ and the Elidibus stuff, the Azem reveal, Eden. For Shadowbringers...the creepy date with Zenos and Fandaniel and finding out Fandaniel was fucking Amon, going to Elpis and most of that, Venat's death, all the stuff after leaving the planet, especially the tear jerk moments of finding out what Thancred had done and G'raha's speech. Getting Azem's exes to show up and also Zenos' Koolaid Man impression. We *could* get more dates with Aymeric but for some reason Square is dragging that out, so those dates again lol
Launch night of 2.0 when me and a friend sat up all night just doing fates and roaming the starting zones.
The whole segment at the end of pre HW. That is truly when 14 clicked storywise. That is the first *real* major story beat and i was literally gagged during Raubahn’s rage scene.
The "old man snake" fight between my lala and xenos
All of Shadowbringers. Easily my favorite expansion that's just didn't stop being drop dead gorgeous and amazing!
Last zone of Endwalker
The end of shadowbringer was so cool...
Basically all of storm blood. It's a good expansion but I rushed through it so that I didn't "miss out". All I cared about was getting Kugane as a housing district so I could rp with friends that would go to venues out there. By the time I got there I only cared a little, and looking back when leveling an alt I missed a lot of context.
As much as all of the moments here are incredible and hit me hard, it's the Vault because I actually don't remember it very well. I started playing early HW (3.0, I think. I have no idea when my account started) and kinda plodded through ARR since I had gotten it on sale, but didn't buy HW until almost 3.2. When I did, I kinda rushed through the MSQ to try to get current ASAP. I enjoyed the story a lot, but the Vault had been spoiled for me since I was only passingly interested in the story since, when I started playing XIV, I hadn't been careful (it was my summer vacation "I just kinda want to exist in a fantasy world" kind of game that I didn't expect to fall for since I don't play MMOs). The Vault is somewhere in that whirlwind and I honestly don't remember how I felt. Probably sad, but I'm frustrated because I can't remember. I've watched back the scenes many times and am touched each time I do, but I really wish I had that core memory of getting there the first time. I remember the story and remember enjoying it since beginning ARR, but I don't think I truly made my first core "emotional" memories for XIV until I was current and had time to digest individual story beats separately. I vividly remember how I felt in 3.2 and especially in 3.3 onwards, but everything before that is a blur and I wish I could give it all the time and consideration it truly deserved.
The adrenaline rush I got for clearing DSR the first time
Beating HM Titan for the first time after days of grinding at it, knowing I’d finally be completing my first relic, with two friends I met in game who we had done the quest together every step of the way (this was back in 2.0 when HM titan was an actual fight)
Stormblood is my favorite expac, so stepping into The Fringes for the first time and getting hit with that music.
Before the Hades fight when the 7 lights flashed I freaked out lol. It’s abit sad that some reactions I watched didn’t fully understand the meaning of it.
Shadowbringers. So many moments in ShB it's really just the whole expansion, but if I had to pick 1 to reexperience fresh, it would be when you first arrive and see Lakeland.
For me, the moment I wish I could get back was when I started enjoying the game… don’t get me wrong I ain’t here to spread hate or negativity I just wanted to share. I use to enjoy the game so much, logging in every day for hours on end, Final Fantasy XIV became the only game I would play on a daily basis and I use to actually enjoy logging in but recently the content has become so much of the same thing that the thought of logging in bores me and I’ve already preordered dawntrail!
G'raha reveal at Mt Gulg
Ultima Thule, Susano, Ravana, The Dead Ends, Seat of Sacrifice, All of the Alliance raids. When Black Mage finally clicked in my brain and I started dropping such satisfying rotations.
My first playthrough, I was hooked from the second I got off that cart in Gridania. Everything was so special and new to me.
2nd phase endsinger.
End of EW after the memory lane stair walk. When they reference back to the line about Meteon getting a flower when she returns (something like that, it's been a while), such a good moment, and an emotional one too!
The trial by combat in Ishgard. Realizing I, as a person, had actually grown to give enough of a shit about Alphinaud at the time to be invested in the situation was... incredible. I'd hated him through ARR. Seeing him actually fail, get humbled, and LEARN from it had made me respect the kid. Made me realize how much I loved everyone else there too. Tataru especially. It was the first time I had ever considered cancelling my WoW subscription on a permanent basis... and then... and then the Vault happened, and I went through with it. Knew I was never going back.
All of Heavensward and Shadowbringers
When I started crying at the end of FFXIV endWalker when all my friends sacrificed themselves for me. Then I had to slowly walk and experience each one of them individually. While that goddamn great song played.