Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers Reviews

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is ranked in the 99th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
94 / 100
Jul 23, 2019

Coupled with a striking new world to explore, Shadowbringers' poignant and character-driven story is one of the best in the entire series.

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Kyle Campbell
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Jul 12, 2019

Shadowbringers has only further solidified XIV's status as one of the greatest Final Fantasy games ever made.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 12, 2019
Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers - Easy Allies Review video thumbnail
9 / 10.0
Aug 15, 2019

Stale mechanics and features can't bring down an epic experience featuring cool characters, incredible bosses, and a spectacular soundtrack

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Polygon
Top Critic
Unscored
Jul 9, 2019

Final Fantasy 14: Shadowbringers is one of the best MMOs available for both fans and newcomers

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GameSpot
Top Critic
9 / 10
Jul 9, 2019

Even though some ambitious additions need a little refinement, Shadowbringers' fearless execution pays off in spades.

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Unscored
Sep 13, 2019

Shadowbringers’ story is triumphant, the artistry inspiring. There are rough patches—pacing woes and overzealous changes to beloved jobs—but Shadowbringers rises above those stumblings. It cements Final Fantasy XIV’s place within the series alongside cherished titles like Final Fantasy VII, and it marks the absolute redemption of an initially troubled game.

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Jul 9, 2019

Final Fantasy 14 set a high bar with its previous expansions, but Shadowbringers stands above the rest. Expected additions come in the form of new regions and the new jobs, Dancer and Gunbreaker. Both bring their own flavor to the game, though the Dancer is the standout. More importantly, Shadowbringers tells a tale that not only contains some meaningful real-world connections, but also provides an experience that's firmly Final Fantasy-esque. Great writing, solid voice acting, and an excellent soundtrack wrap Shadowbringers up in a package that should satisfy Final Fantasy 14 fans and neophytes alike.

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Aug 9, 2019

An abridged telling of the story up to Shadowbringers when you use a Tales of Adventure would go a long way towards smoothing the process. As of right now, I can’t recommend Shadowbringers as a direct starting point for Final Fantasy 14. Instead, play through the base content a bit and get a feel for it. You’ll thank yourself later.

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9.5 / 10.0
Jul 2, 2019

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is more XIV, and right now that's something I'm still happy with. The story delivers with its effortless whimsy and urgency, the battles are filled with spectacle, and the core fundamentals have only gotten better over time.

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4.5 / 5.0
Jul 8, 2019

Shadowbringers solidifies Final Fantasy XIV as the best MMO on the market.

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DualShockers
Vanessa Brangi
Top Critic
9.5 / 10.0
Jul 9, 2019

Become the Warrior of Darkness in Final Fantasy XIV's most epic expansion yet.

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Jul 3, 2019

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is the strongest start to an expansion since Heavensward.

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9 / 10.0
Jul 17, 2019

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a pretty cool game. Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is an awesome extension of it, adding features that further distills the game's core appeal and adds an entire new game of shockingly excellent storytelling in terms of scale and quality. I don't really know what happens between those two points yet, and I have a long road of Final Fantasy XIV ahead of me yet. But after my experiences so far in learning the game, experiencing its latest expansion, and seeing just how much I have left to see and do, well, I'm in it for the long haul.

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Jul 30, 2019

The question that every Final Fantasy fanatic asks is probably whether it's worth taking on all the extra obstacles, just to experience another epic adventure. As an online role-playing game, it requires a standard monthly subscription and each individual expansion also has its price. Looking past that detail, Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is yet another excellent game in the series, albeit a little too suited to online gaming to attract exactly all puritans.

Review in Swedish | Read full review

Wccftech
Top Critic
9.3 / 10.0
Jul 30, 2019

Accessibility and potential to solo aside, Shadowbringers continues that redemption saga that began with Final Fantasy XIV 2.0. The greater emphasis on story and solo play mean that even the players that haven't dipped their toes into an MMORPG recently could still get in and enjoy Shadowbringers, although much of the new content can't be experienced until level 70.The links above are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, Wccftech.com may earn from qualifying purchases.

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GameMAG
Top Critic
9 / 10
Aug 7, 2019

Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers is the quintessence of everything that the FF: Online team has learned in six years. A great story is so much more interesting than of the last single games of the series. Deep mechanics, an atmospheric world and a huge amount of content absorb all the attention, forcing you to stay in the project for a long time. Shadowbringers is not just an exemplary extension of this popular game, but also the best project in the genre for many years.

Review in Russian | Read full review

9 / 10.0
Jul 12, 2019

Shadowbringers delivers on all fronts, offering up great new instances, vast new zones to explore, and a new storyline worthy of almost any best-of list. Despite its few early day hangups and minor missteps, Stormbringers excels on almost all counts.

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8.6 / 10.0
Jul 9, 2019

Thanks to a substantial story developed along the ten new levels available and to the rather well-built antagonists, Shadowbringers manages to bring the player to moments of tension, epic battles and espionage missions, allowing himself some dramatic moments that make us almost hope history took an even more tragic turn.

Review in Italian | Read full review

PCMag
Top Critic
Sep 13, 2019

Final Fantasy XIV is one of the best MMORPGs on the market, and is easily one of the best Final Fantasy games in the series. It's packed with content, including an engaging narrative and quirky quests that are an absolute delight.

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