Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Patch 5.2

Weeks in an Updated Eorzea / First Impressions

A few weeks ago, Square Enix released the second major patch to coincide with their mid-2019 release of Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers which launched on Windows PC, Mac and PlayStation 4 platforms. As with 5.1, there were a few clear intentions from the outside with Patch 5.2 – Echoes of a Fallen Star. This includes delivering the second round of Eden raids (Normal and Savage), begin their release of brand new trials (Normal and Extreme), continue the main scenario and provide further improvements for crafters as part of an ongoing overhaul of the system.

There’s still more to come over the coming months in sub-patch content. I have now had a few weeks to experience most of what the patch has offered both in 5.2 and 5.2.1, and would like to share my initial observations on the longevity provided by this patch so far.

NEW EDEN’S VERSE RAIDS OFFER SUFFICIENT CHALLENGE AGAINST CLASSIC PRIMALS

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The most significant inclusion in even-numbered patches for Final Fantasy XIV is the four new eight-player raids which each offer a Normal and Savage variant. While some expert players may have raced to see whom could complete these the quickest, the four battles at savage level represent weeks if not months of learning by endgame players as they work through mechanics and DPS barriers. In Patch 5.2, this new content comes under the Eden’s Verse header, encompassing Fulmination, Furor, Iconoclasm and Refulgence. Each is aptly named to represent the enemies which lie within.

Understandably when they relaunched Final Fantasy XIV, Square Enix kicked off their main scenario quest and first set of trials in ‘A Realm Reborn’ with iconic Final Fantasy summons as Primals. These included Ifrit, Garuda, Shiva and Ramuh. The issue is that many years later, classic figures in the franchise are now only available as part of aged-content. With how the storyline of Edenscape has progressed and it taking place in an alternate reality, the development team have impressed by progressively been bringing back these old faces with many complicated challenges behind them. 

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The first set of raids introduced in 5.0 brought back Leviathan and Titan, which at the Savage-tier brought weeks of headaches, trial-and-error and fun to my friends and I. This time players get to experience the four primals mentioned above across three battles, with the fourth (third in order) being something completely new. Each is a step up in difficulty to its predecessors, with a more substantial focus on positioning precisely around the field, being aware of things in your peripheral and praying to the gods which control game lag to ensure you aren’t needlessly knocked out by a 1-hit-KO.

In my opinion, E6S particularly isn’t pug friendly and best done with a static or close group of friends. For the first time, while playing Final Fantasy XIV after weeks of failed “To Clear” parties, I found myself getting angrier and angrier, perhaps toxic as small mistakes could quickly kill a run amid a tight DPS check.

I want to highlight the new songs featured in the Eden’s Verse Raids. Ramuh’s Theme Twice Stricken was a fantastic techno-heavy remix of the original boss theme I was not initially fond of. The final battle’s theme Return to Oblivion makes the latter half of the fight all the more special, and if it were not for A Long Fall would be my favourite song this expansion. These are both some of my favourite songs in the game from composer Masayoshi Soken.

A CLASSIC FINAL FANTASY VII ENDGAME BOSS SEE’S NEW LIFE IN EORZEA

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For those not looking to dive straight into some of the hardest end-game content, work has recommenced on releasing new sets of standard and extreme level trials – which will be available on a patch-by-patch basis. Kicking things off very fittingly to coincide with Square Enix’s release of Final Fantasy VII Remake, an alternate version of Ruby Weapon has been written into Eorzean lore. Previously a super boss of FFVII, it now finds new life as a dangerous warmachina used by the Garlean Empire to break a stalemate with the Eorzean forces.

It is clear that the development team have been hesitant in the past to release any content pertaining to Final Fantasy VII compared to other numbered instalments, which have seen their final bosses released as Savage content both in the Alphascape and Edenscape raids. While I doubt we will be seeing Sephiroth as a raid battle anytime soon, it was nice that they threw in a homage or two mid-battle, such as classic text boxes.

The battle itself offers ample challenge, giving competent groups a fair few hours of learning to tackle the mechanics. Given it is split over two segments with a checkpoint in the middle, I would argue the battle offers a greater challenge than most Extremes, requiring you to always be on your feet in preparation for a new mechanic or rectify another players screw up. The battle offers i485 weapons, better than the current crafted gear, so it helps serve as a foundation for the patch’s progression into Savage.

ITEM LEVEL INCREASE SEE’S A GRIND FOR NEW GEAR, BUT ALSO MANY NEW GLAMOURS

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If there is one thing that my Take That (In-Game) Snap article series has sought to highlight about Final Fantasy XIV, its that glamour is the real end-game. Across Patch 5.2 and 5.2.1, many new equipment pieces and corresponding glamour to work into plates. The glamour on offer is of a much higher calibre than Patch 5.1 in my opinion, with many gorgeous, fantasy-inspired options from the crafted monk/samurai gear (pictured above) to the new Kupo Gear from Coffer o’ Kupos which finally delivers royal livery befitting every crown you have collected since launch.

My only argument is that the 8-player Raid Gear is forgettable, and while I usually find one piece of equipment to add to my ensemble, I already know everything I collect for use will be glamoured over. On the other hand, I want to congratulate the development team for deciding to make all the Eternal Bond gear unisex rather than forcing characters to wear outfits based on their in-game gender. It is a little change which makes the ceremonies a little more considerate of those involved. making these ceremonies a little more friendly regardless of orientation. This is only the second time they have done this to outfits, the first being the Golden Saucer Bunny Uniforms. Here’s hoping there is more of this to come!

THE NEW DUNGEON IS… YEAH

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While the main scenario quest doesn’t have the level of climax that Patch 5.1 had, it continued the narrative of the Shadowbringers storyline well and hints at more exciting things to come for the Warrior of Light/Darkness and their companions.

Following the development team’s approach to offering only one dungeon per major patch, this time around players are treated to Anamnesis Anyder, taking players even further into the depths of The Tempest. While this dungeon has one of the most impressive starts to a dungeon, or at least most unique, my interest quickly fizzled out as it became an overall generic-looking dungeon with simplistic music and forgettable battles.

RAIDING MECHANIC IMPROVEMENTS ARE VERY WELCOME! JUMP INTO BATTLE QUICKER!

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Raiding can be a high-intensity, high-pressure situation from the start. Not only do you have to ensure each player is properly assigned a position on the field, but squabbles over which macro to work with and where to precisely place waymarks can take precious minutes in an already stressful situation.

Improvements in Patch 5.2 are minor, but do a lot to help with assigning positions to each party member and placing down waymarks. Two additional waymarks “3” and “4” are now available, with up to eight comprising of 1-4 and A-D able to be placed simultaneously. Did you find a waymark setup worked for you in a battle? You can now save up to five pre-defined waymark placements, each of which can be assigned to a particular stage. For pug raiding, this means you have a waymark setup to compliment your macro. Are you working with a static? There is no longer a need to worry about wiping due to one marker being a pixel off!

WITH EVERYTHING ELSE….

These are some of the highlights I found within this patch, although depending on your playstyle you may find more value with the continued improvements to the Gathering/Crafting professions, changes to class mechanics or the new Ocean Fishing instance. You can read a full patchnotes for this update HERE. I am not an active crafter or gatherer myself, so cannot comment on these changes.

This is not all the content being released under the 5.2: Echoes of A Fallen Star banner. Patch 5.25 due in the next couple of months will enable the Resistance Weapon questline “Save the Queen: Blades on Gunnhildr“. The quest is expected to be akin to the Anima or Eureka questlines, which is expected to bring a lot of replayability with it going forward.

While Patch 5.1 wow’ed with the first instalment of YoRHa: Dark Apocalypse guest curated by Yoko Taro, Patch 5.2’s strength is in the replayability generated by additions/improvements to core FFXIV features. While The Copied Factory can feel like a grind after running it so many times, this Savage content in particular offers much more longevity as you improve your kill times, find ways of pushing that extra DPS and eventually unlock some sweet ilvl 500-505 gear.

Sam
Sam
Founder of The Otaku's Study. I have been exploring this labyrinth of fandom these last fifteen years, and still nowhere close to the exit yet. Probably searching for a long time to come.

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