FFXIV Endwalker: Botched Potential The Watcher

The Watcher was a fascinating, yet underutilized asset in the game.
Today, I'd like to take a look at this missed opportunity from Endwalker, and see what options we have moving forward.
Final Fantasy XIV: Online is property of Sqaure Enix. I have no claim to it.
Link to Zodiark: A Fumbled Finale Part 2 below
• FFXIV Zodiark: A Fumbl...

[@ChrisA426]

6:30 - That would bring me back so fast! I love it!

[@durantes]

It would be a lot of fun, wouldn't it?

[@MissKashira]

I thought about the Watcher. I thought about how sad it is to have most of your soul and memories taken away and then left on the moon without purpose as it seems you've simply been forgotten. I don't even know if he's been left with enough personhood to even want for anything, including to want for an end to a miserable, lonely existence.

[@durantes]

And now that his purpose is complete, he’s genuinely left with nothing but to wait for someone else to give him meaning again. It’s pretty horrific, honestly.

[@VizerPS]

risky venture, criticizing the ff14 story, but i appreciate it. the story has good emotional beats, but the worldbuilding and writing doesn't stand to scrutiny. it's pretty anime

[@durantes]

Yeah. And not a good anime. It’s definitely not a popular opinion. But EW really was that bad. I just couldn’t keep quiet any more.

[@Titanxzero1]

​@@durantesI mean I still liked it but yeah...

[@b.h.4249]

I also always feel so disappointed and melancholic when visiting the Watcher or other remnants of the Ancients' culture. Square's strong unwillingness to enage with them any further than absolutely necessary drove me up the wall in Endwalker and it continues to do so in Dawntrail. The channel Echoes of Etheirys also has made some wonderful videos on similar topics, very much worth a watch. My biggest gripe, though, will always be Venat. God, they executed her so horribly in EW and the fanbases' and devs' constant celebration of her causes my anger at her writing and its wide-reaching consequences and implications to flare up regularly.

[@SirVyre]

The Elementals were confirmed to be products of Elpis in Elpis sidequests and Myths of the Realms. We just didn't tell Gridania because... telling people the truth is bad, mmmkay. Will definitely enjoy hearing you tear into kratocrat barbie. As far as The Watcher goes... I don't really see him as missed potential in the same way. He is literally just a shade, made by Venat, and so he doesn't even actually have his full faculties. He doesn't even know his own name. He is an even more polluted source of information than the shade version of Hythlodaeus.

[@durantes]

Oh, I’m aware of all that about the Watcher. That’s precisely what I’m criticizing about EW’s writing. There was so much more that could have been done with a bit more effort exerted. Hence the title, botched potential. And he’s hardly the only one.

[@FubukiShiromiya]

Please keep at this, your analysis is amazing and I wish I could play the version of the game where the writers had incorporated your feedback into their ideas.

[@distantworlds3308]

Good video. Looking forward the up coming videos you mentioned.

[@kyoai]

The Watcher turning his attention to the planet and spotting remote locations for us to explore sounds like an awesome idea, I'm sure there would be enough for at least for an Alliance/Raid/Trial series. And the locations don't have to be large continents, just single maps where the point of interest is. Heck, he could continue the post-Endwalker story by spotting spacetime-rifts on the planet surface that might lead to other reflections or even completely other locations.

[@NotRealAkira]

I'm actually interested in what you will have to say about Venat and Endwalker in general. I enjoy the expansion overall, but I do have many writing, gameplay and pacing issues with it. It could have been a lot better.

[@durantes]

Yeah, it could’ve. And just wait. I got a lot to say about that psycho woman.

[@AA-ph5dj]

I'm so glad to see others being critical of Endwalker.

[@durantes]

Same. I only know of one other channel so far. Hopefully DT won’t make the same mistakes.

[@ashleysmith38]

Its an interesting take but everyone whos played endwalker that ive met seems to have enjoyed it also always remember charecters could be lying or remember more as time goes on as you said he was created by a control freak

[@durantes]

I know mine may be the less popular opinion. But there is a lot of problems with the writing and characters. I hope you stick around and see what those issues are.

[@ashleysmith38]

@durantes im not saying its not interesting just we havent got the whole story yet so it doesnt always age well i mean people didint like ff14 original and realm reborn devicive but through updates and expations things have been built on improved or retconed into a stronger naritive its the problem with any ongoing media it happens in nearly any book series i bet Tolkien even did it to some degree and that guys world building was nuts i find it best to comment stronger opinions at the end in my personal veiw but obviously i did find this content engaging i would prefur more nuance (sorry obout lack of punctuation and spelling feeling lazy and dyslexic today)

[@durantes]

@@ashleysmith38 Heh. No worries about the spelling. I gotcha. And fair enough. We'll just hafta see what happens next.

[@dddgx05]

i bet this guy hated pandaria too.

[@durantes]

You mean from WoW? Never played it Though the advertisements reminded me of Kung Fu Panda. Very whimsical.

[@Pikaru-c4u]

So I just beat endwalker 2 weeks ago. Everyone kept telling me be ready to cry….never happened. The main cast had died multiple times at this point, why in ultima Thule would I think they died? I feel like the msq was as dreadful as arr, it was fetch quest after fetch quest for hours and when they added gimmicks like thancred stealth mission and the search for the robot parts was so bad, my cousin used a skip. I’m don’t understand when people say ff14 is the best story in gaming. I don’t wanna be a jerk but what are they playing or what haven’t they played? Ff14 is every fc game mixed with kingdom hearts. Idk I have such a love hate with story. When I notice sometimes the plot is the same as other games I played but worse I’m like “fc community is nutz” I thing people need to stop glorifying this game. The fun parts are the content outside the msq but the issue is u gotta okay the msq to do it

[@th3urbangeisha696]

Venat was a monster, so I am not surprised that she didn't give the poor Watcher much context or restore any of his memories. Gods, I hate EW so much. So glad to see more criticism of how shit everything about the expansion was. From the horrible writing to the literal retelling of FFIV, start to finish, everything about EW sucked ass. You could tell Yoshi P was not involved in EW as he was consumed by 16. I am not excited in the least about DT. Nothing about the story looks remotely appealing. I'ma play it, though. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy your vids ♥

[@Very_Bord]

The hilarity of the statement of YoshiP being consumed by FF16 is that... 16 was also ass.

[@th3urbangeisha696]

@@Very_Bord I can agree that parts of 16 were ass, but I still feel EW was worse.

[@SanctusRexGAVIAL]

It gets worse when you remember the fact that there's multiple timeliness. Timelines where Venats gamble failed her existence. Original Eight Embral Calamity? Fucked. Multiple timelines Alexander ate the planet? Fucked.

[@Pikaru-c4u]

@@Very_Bordit wasn’t and it told the story of the crystals and the Simmons way better than 14 does. Once again it’s the same exact plot as ff14. Square has had juvenile for almost 20 years. They refuse to grow as story tellers and it shows in the story. How is it every square game has the same story?

[@Pikaru-c4u]

@@SanctusRexGAVIALI hate timelines, square loves them cause every series they currently have has some sort of time travel or alternate universe. The wierd thing is they can’t get it right in anyone of thier games