There are some games that never manage to recover from disastrous launches, and are unable to win back players despite massive overhauls and updates. Luckily Square Enix's Final Fantasy 14 was able to overcome its lackluster launch and reinvent itself in version 2.0 a few years after its first release, which was met with a much more positive response from fans and critics. Now, almost nine years after its second lease of life, Final Fantasy 14 is still going strong with a large playerbase and recent updates that are tinkering away at the base game, providing new content for players.
Final Fantasy 14's recent patch 6.1 has made some welcome changes, including an almost complete makeover to one of the previously unpopular dungeons in the game, Thousand Maws of Toto-Rak. The first major patch following Final Fantasy 14's Endwalker expansion, titled Newfound Adventure, has brought with it tons of new content as well as updates to existing gameplay. One of the biggest changes that came with patch 6.1 was the overhaul of Final Fantasy 14's PvP, including a brand-new game mode for players to enjoy.
Final Fantasy 14's New PvP Mode
For an MMORPG, getting a good PvP system in place is vital. Final Fantasy 14's PvP has undergone some changes over the years, as Square Enix continues to address balancing issues, adapt the mechanics, and add occasional new content to keep things fresh and exciting.
The most recent update brought with it a whole heap of changes; from new job-specific Limit Breaks (with PvP's Adrenaline Rush being renamed to match its PvE counterpart), to the addition of Common Actions. There's a new reward system called Series Malmstones, damage modifiers have been adjusted, and Job gauges won't be displayed. Some changes are more cosmetic and just tweak existing features, whereas others are more extensive.
One of the most interesting changes is the addition of a new PvP mode called Crystal Conflict. This mode won't be available straight away for everyone and will require players to have completed the "A Pup No Longer" quest, but anyone who has already completed the mission can play the new mode as soon as their game is updated. Crystal Conflict sees two teams of five players competing to control a Tactical Crystal, which they must move towards their own goal point in order to win. This mode replaces the Feast — the team deathmatch mode removed during patch 6.1.
Crystal Conflict is designed to be "played casually," and individual player levels or roles will have no impact on the mode's gameplay and won't give specific advantages. However, there will still be skill-based matchmaking involved in the new PvP mode, including Casual, Ranked, and Custom matches in order to make things balanced and accessible for players of all levels. Patch 6.1 will also let players earn new gear, titles, and mounts in PvP thanks to a collaboration with a popular Japanese TV show called Garo.
How Crystal Conflict Measures Up
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Crystal Conflict's fun and frantic gameplay is similar to a few other online multiplayer modes and will let players undertake its soccer-style challenge in three arenas: Palaistra, Volcanic Heart, and Cloud Nine. Final Fantasy 14's new PvP mode has a lot of similarities to Overwatch's Escort mode, where two teams of players must either move a payload across the map to their objective point or attack the team that is attempting to do so. While Final Fantasy 14's version of the payload mode involves both teams frequently switching roles depending on who's in charge of the crystal at a given point, Overwatch's mode includes more fixed roles and has slightly more complex maps and added challenge.
Final Fantasy 14's new PvP mode is also reminiscent of other objective-based multiplayer modes, like Titanfall 2's Capture the Flag. This is a classic game mode featured in many multiplayer titles and sees players attempting to steal an enemy object and return it to their base. This mixes elements of offensive and defensive gameplay, similar to Crystal Conflict, and moves the emphasis away from killing or attacking other players in order to win the game. Again, Crystal Conflict is a slightly more simplified version of this, as it doesn't require the same levels of subterfuge or strategy.
Crystal Conflict should be a fun addition to Final Fantasy 14, and will add a casual aspect to its other multiplayer PvP modes.
Final Fantasy 14: Endwalker is available now for PC, PS4, and PS5.
