Heavensward Expansion Arrives For 'Final Fantasy XIV'

For the Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn fans in the house, today is a very exciting day. Fresh off a final demo last week at E3, as well as an Early Access program for a few lucky players who started last Friday, the game's first expansion, called Heavensward, is finally available to the general public.

Aside from the increase of the level cap from 50 to 60, the expansion also has a few more features in store to keep players happy in the new realms of Ishgard, Dravania and Albalathia. The first of these is the introduction of a new race. The Au Ra are believed to be descendants of dragons, as evidenced by the horns on their heads and the scales on their bodies. The height between the male and female Au Ra is another visible trait, with males towering over their female counterparts. The race is further divided into two tribes: the secluded and nomadic Raen and the aggressive and expansive Xaela.

There's also the introduction of three new jobs to further increase your role when taking on enemies with a group. The Dark Knight holds a two-handed greatsword and provides a tank-like role in combat. On the other hand, the Machinist will be able to attack enemies from afar thanks to a combination of turrets and firearms. To keep both classes alive, the Astrologian will take on the role of a healer, using the power of the stars to keep allies healthy and strong in combat.

For the first time in the game, we'll also see flying mounts. In the past, only land-based mounts appeared in the game, but the expansion will see players take to the skies. Also, Free Companies (similar to guilds in other MMOs) will also have the ability to construct airships, which will allow a group to explore uncharted areas. As usual, there's also new gear and recipes available for every class with the expansion.

On the enemy's side, there are a slew of new enemies, including two notable bosses: the primals Bismarck and Ravana. The two beasts are worshipped by their minions, the Vanu Vanu and Gnath, respectively. If that's not enough of a challenge for you, there's also the new dungeons to explore, as well as a raid featuring the mechanical giant Alexander, a boss well-known throughout the Final Fantasy series.

One final milestone for the new expansion is that it also marks the online game's introduction to the Mac. The game has only been available on PC, PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 3, so it was only a matter of time until Mac owners had the chance to try out the game on their iMacs and MacBook Pros.

Heavensward will cost players an additional $39.99. If you're still working your way through the original game, A Realm Reborn, note that you have to finish the main storyline quests, which were added at the end of March with patch 2.55. Only then will the game provide you with an introductory quest for Heavensward, which brings you to the gates of the new realm of Ishgard.

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  • CelicaGT
    No mention of the new DX11 launcher?
    Reply
  • Snipergod87
    The expansion is a lot of fun, and I am close to the new level cap. I think its great that they didn't release all the new end game content immediately, staggering it after launch so people don't feel rushed to hit 60.

    Dx11 does add graphical enhancement but hits GPU's pretty hard, completely maxed out (Manually tuning settings beyond high) my two GTX 770's occasionally have struggles.
    Reply
  • tical2399
    The expansion is a lot of fun, and I am close to the new level cap. I think its great that they didn't release all the new end game content immediately, staggering it after launch so people don't feel rushed to hit 60.

    Dx11 does add graphical enhancement but hits GPU's pretty hard, completely maxed out (Manually tuning settings beyond high) my two GTX 770's occasionally have struggles.

    Really? I have a single 980 sc, with and additional 60 MHz on the clock and 200 MHz on the memory and I get between 85-100 fps on dx11. I'm on 1440p. 2x 770s would hold there own against a single oc 980. Maybe its a cpu thing or something, like in Mor Dhona.
    Reply
  • Snipergod87
    16110305 said:
    The expansion is a lot of fun, and I am close to the new level cap. I think its great that they didn't release all the new end game content immediately, staggering it after launch so people don't feel rushed to hit 60.

    Dx11 does add graphical enhancement but hits GPU's pretty hard, completely maxed out (Manually tuning settings beyond high) my two GTX 770's occasionally have struggles.

    Really? I have a single 980 sc, with and additional 60 MHz on the clock and 200 MHz on the memory and I get between 85-100 fps on dx11. I'm on 1440p. 2x 770s would hold there own against a single oc 980. Maybe its a cpu thing or something, like in Mor Dhona.
    I am thinking it is an SLI thing, as the GPU's dont go over 60% typically, it only has problems in area with alot of water, which still bugs the heck outta me, as 2x 770's (4GB) and a 4770k is more than enough.
    I play at 1920x1200.
    Reply
  • mikelim2000
    More than likely another weak story and boring gameplay with grind galore
    Reply
  • Zaranthos
    Flying mounts, I heard World of Warcraft was adding those soon. How many customers did you lose on that epic fail Blizzard?
    Reply