The Fall and Rise of Final Fantasy XIV | Episode Five | End of an Era

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Watch the FULL End of an Era cutscene here: • FINAL FANTASY XIV: A R...
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FINAL FANTASY XIV © 2010-2017 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved.

[@graceggale]

That smile Louisoix has on his face after the deed is done.... gets me every time

[@mrlionX]

And it angers me that his son condemned his actions. Go fuck yourself, Fourchenault. If it wasn't for him, Eorzea wouldn't exist how we know it today.

[@kraosdadafusfus8034]

There's more to that scene afterwards. He single-handedly broke Bahamut like cheap glass and became a Primal so strong his existence as such had to be suppressed, lest he become a threat in the future..

[@FomorViceroy]

I'm glad our footage was able to contribute this. We were there all throughout the final night and unsure what was going to happen. At that point in the game's lifecycle, server crashes were still the norm. We were all used to it. The biggest issue was Square-Enix allowed EVERYONE to come back, so the servers were overflowing with players. Still a very exciting time to witness regardless. Our channel has a massive backlog of footage from that era. Feel free to check it out.

[@saber2802]

I bet when it gave that final crash, it was like "Ah, just another crash, alright." And then that cutscene happened. Holy shit I can't imagine the shock.

[@PrinceRapthorne]

I never knew (having just started playing about 4 months ago) that the developers put so much love, effort and attenton to detail in to tthe transition from FFXIV to FFXIV ARR. To think that they went through so much effort to preserve continuity and engage the community while essentially rebuilding the game from the ground up is bloody amazing.

[@craigsommerville3863]

Yeah, makes me wish I actually played 1.0 in the later stages. I may be wrong but it seems like the biggest comeback in gaming history.

[@xeoneex]

I watch this and kinda get sad, I played as much as I could bare, and it wasn't long maybe a day or 2? I feel horrible though cause I wish to have been part of that end Y_Y. Needless to say I respect everyone that was able to stomach the game and make it to that moment :P. I guess I can just pretend to be in it but.

[@nogitsune4452]

8:20 "And there, in the midst of all these pictures, one image sticks out..." Me: "Male Miqo'te?"

[@shadowpod13]

YES!!! I wasn't the only one thinking that! My main is a blue furred Male, Miq'ote, WHM.

[@Reycied]

Mine is a ninja. BLUE-FURRED MIQO MASTER-RACE.

[@tessajalloh3914]

i was there in cartenau along with my fellows, fighting off hoards of garleans until the final five minutes, when our server couldnt' take any more, and most of us were kicked out, unable to get back in again. We said our farewells, we gathered our wits. And then we saw that final cutscene on the lodestone. And all at once, we declared we'd be back again when A Realm Reborn was released. And though not everyone stuck together, we all leapt back into Eorzea for beta, and release. Reforging old bonds, and creating new ones.

[@noahclark3449]

dont know how anyone could bear the play the first version of the game for more than an hour tbh

[@dre4mwalk3r]

Damn ninjas cutting onions.

[@popnkiba]

I was there! Tsuga Lem - Balmung I hung around Cartenau with my LS, trying my best to kill some garleans between getting disconnected. We were all in team speak and trying to coordinate so that we could kill things as a group. The final time I logged in I decided to just teleport to Limsa, so that I could witness the servers going down. I saw the final message that appeared, and got d/ced. We all watched the cutscene together, and I think everyone was really put out, but also so inspired. I think that cutscene captured all of our feelings from the last week of the game. It felt like we'd never see some of our friends again, but that the game was going somewhere good. I think that the video says it best, it was a really unique and special event, and I think without having spent a lot of time in 1.0, and without having played the game with a great group of friends, it's probably difficult to appreciate how the end of 1.0 felt.

[@JonborgVA]

thats pretty cool its a like real life event

[@rynne1104]

This is so emotional. So immersive. A completely separate world woth wat sounds like life events. Wish i was there 😭😭

[@ChouhouinNeko]

we SHALL build a Gobbue wall and make the monsters pay for it!

[@bluesthemighty]

I'm shocked you didn't bring up the server message that said " "Confound it! We' ve lost contact with the main host!" Because honestly, that was the creepiest and saddest thing said.

[@ZaWarubro]

chibiace what did that mean?

[@DarkMastaC]

it was actually a play on words. Mor Dhona was the big battle site during the last few hours of the game. At this time some Grand Company NPCs were present on the battlegrounds along with the players. A few minutes before the servers went down, said NPCs lost linkshell contact with there commanders. This is actually reinvisioned in a few CSes in 2.0. thought from the leaders side. The GMs played around with spawning constant monsters as well as giving server messages to make a dramatic situation unfold.

[@redcloud16]

I got teary eyed from this vid. I was there at the Cartenau Flats when the servers were destroyed by Bahamut. I can't wait for the continuation of the series!

[@Neoarchon]

🫡 warriors of light like you are the reason we have the Eorzea we love today, so thank you!

[@curagaifrit6829]

It must have been amazing to witness.. ive never heard of a game doing something like this. Its so unique and epic. I bet you cherish that moment

[@redcloud16]

@@curagaifrit6829 I very much do. Every day I'm grateful I got to experience it

[@SubduedRadical]

Gotta comment again just to say: That haunting rendition of Answers EVERYWHERE with that moon and clouds and lightning/thunder?!?! WHY DO MMOS NOT DO THIS KIND OF THING MORE OFTEN? Ridiculously epic.

[@icarusavery5691]

The end of the world doesn't come along very often, tbh.

[@MistyKathrine]

@@icarusavery5691Most MMOs eventually sunset but most don't do it in such an epic fashion.

[@kos-mosxenosaga2492]

I was there in the Goobue wall.

[@b4lderm]

that ending day sky with the song running in background the and the thunders, i cry every time

[@popnkiba]

Yeah, I'd log on for the final event, and it just felt so hopeless. It felt like there was something we were SUPPOSED to do (lots of people prayed to the twelve stones), but nothing was working. We all knew that something bad was going to happen when Dalamud hit, but didn't know what it was. We were just there, witnessing the end of our game, it was really surreal, and sad.

[@Telris86]

And it also was one of the most epic gaming experiences ever in my opinion. I'll never forget these last moments of 1.0.

[@Larryzaur]

Your editing and production is absolutely phenomenal! Thank you so much for this series, it's so enjoyable to watch! :D

[@goodguyguan3412]

Larryzaur Heeeeyyyy cool beans seeing you here. Love your vids dude, keep it up and good luck!

[@jacobnamod3034]

I knew i wasnt there, but the emotion was real, I can imagine what it was like, the new Devs really did the fans Justice in a Realm Reborn, What an amazing transition.

[@stripedrakun]

I have to say, preparing for the 1.0 to shut down in that epic fashion deserves the highest respect. The way they slowly foreshadow it all, the way Dalamud gets bigger, the way players even get bad dreams when they log in after logging out from the game, and finally, of course, the visually extremely realistiv end scene... wow. Just wow. So many well-made details. They really let 1.0 get down with the biggest bang.

[@riezexeero7392]

This is what the critics of the game won't understand, the ending of 1.0 is very deep and emotional. It meant a lot to the players who stayed and had faith for the games future. Great work on the video.

[@Keshin4539]

That End of an Era cutscene is always so powerful. Especially the final days of 1.x. To see people fighting so hard, their personal stories joining together to fight off seemingly endless waves of evil, only to have it all come crashing down... such a terrifying and beautiful moment. I wish I got to play 1.x (never had a good PC or PS3 at the time), but seeing all that makes me love FFXIV even more. Too many words for all this, not enough space to express it all ^_^.

[@Caydiem]

The last cutscene actually played before the servers were shut down. For the people that weren't kicked off beforehand that is.

[@Leoofmoon]

the defence duty sounds like something that would be fun to being back.

[@Cillranchello]

Hamlet was the number one thing I hoped was coming back in 2.0.

[@Drzsuaveboy93]

id love for it to be a seasonal event thing like give us a week to prep using our crafters and have people sign up for guard duty and what not then give us a big battle at the end of the event that rewards us with cool event goodies

[@Leoofmoon]

Drzsuaveboy93 h ell number it down to one area a week. Have that place need to be defended and anyone helps during that week get points twords a goal and reward. Boom this system becomes a great weekly contribution you have crafters and gatherers leveling and newbies helping while veterans command and assist.

[@piedpiper1172]

Hamlet was genuinely fun. It was harder than any current duty roulette, dropped interesting gear, and was a unique vision for the fundamental vision of the game where combat and non combat classes coexist.

[@BrokenArrowX]

God damn.. I just started playing this game about two months ago but all the effort SE has put into the end of 1.0 and the transition to A Realm Reborn really gives me the chills. Any other game developer would have probably just said "fuck it" and shut down the servers once the game population declined like this, but SE really pulled off a great ending. You can give them a lot of shit about the state of the game at release and during most of 1.0, but they really got it together and delivered a better game.

[@onioncultistlordoftheonion8315]

considering i tear up everytime i see that final cutscene, i'm actually kinda grateful i didn't play 1.0 at the end because it would've destroyed me.

[@nicholasanello7322]

Shoutout to my character in the gridania coat @10:18! Found this series through the poscast. Loving it so far. Hilarious to find my character had a cameo in it.

[@vincentsantos8605]

The great wall. I remember that so well. I actually shed a tear remembering how everyone came together for that.

[@NeverIsLupus]

I just started FFXIV fairly recently. I tried to do my own research because I heard the game started off horribly. Your video series has been excellent in learning the history of the game. This information is hardly collected anywhere else online (in one place).

[@SorasShadow1]

I only started a month & a half ago & I'll freely admit that watching the "Answers" video for the very first time straight up brought me to tears, even with no real context aside from having watched that narrated intro earlier, the power of that performance & the effort that clearly went into that cutscene just blew me away. Thank you so much for this series, I watched a large portion of the No Clip doc but tbh there were just so many interviews that it got difficult to really get a feel for 1.0 itself, which is what I actually wanted in searching it up, yours is way more digestible & it focuses on exactly what I'd been looking for.

[@FoxFireStorm]

(Also final note, you also had Garleans getting inside the city and sometimes, the GMs had fun spawning Nael's-- if not outright controlling him. It got hilarious) Either way, great video and I found myself crying at the end in memory. I still can't listen to the Dalamud's music without getting goosebumps and remembering...

[@boodboodjiu]

This is crazy! I’m a new player to A Realm Reborn and never knew the crippling history behind the scenes at SE, nor could I have understood what the opening cinematic was all about until I saw part 5 in this series, it gave me goose bumps watching your video and the fantastical narration of what had actually transpired. It must have been an unique and epic moment for those who were present to witness the end, but like a phoenix, SE pulled through with a truly immersive and beautiful game to bear the name Final Fantasy. I have always been a fan of the franchise, but ever since FFXIII, I found the fantasy had changed changed in someway, I thought I might be getting too old for it, until I started FFXIV. Thank you so much for this, I really appreciate what I was able to learn about this game. FFXIV is awesome! ✌🏻

[@commentsforthealgorithm]

Watching these videos really pulls ARR together. I am in current content and ready for 6.0 and somehow felt like I never fully understood ARR. Thankyou for this. This really filled in the gaps for me

[@keithnaori9923]

Am I the only one who had to shed a tear watching from episode 1 to 5 how everything involve ? I am new player of 3 months... I was interested in history of the FFXIV since I heard it was bad before.... ah... Yoshi-P I know now why everyone loves him so much ♥ Wow... So as new player, the story was based not on mindless npc... but actual players... so fascinating... omg.

[@geekwares5037]

I just started playing and omfg this makes everything about this game mean so much more. I wasn't there but I can feel the emotion the passion. The cutscene means so much. The story of this game being saved is so amazing and inspiring I only want to play it more.

[@renskedaemen8872]

i love how they gave it their all as the game ended. thats the thing i loved finding out about a realm reborn, that dalamuds descent really happened. that fellow adventurer you just met in a dungeon might've actually been there during the final moments, mightve actually talked to louisoix before his death. in a way, 1.0 is to 2.0 as louisoix was to alphinaud and alisaie. enduring countless suffering, you perish, and while part of you might be gone, another part still lives on and we can learn a lot from looking back

[@Spee33]

This series is AMAZING

[@ulibarriL]

My goodness. These videos are what's it like to have the echo. I wasn't there. I didn't start until 3.1, and the tears won't stop flowing from my face. It's like I can feel and hear everyone all at once and it's unbearable. This isn't necessarily a bad thing in this case. I'm very happy to see this retelling of the end of 1.x, and you have done it so well. The rate I'm swiping tissues can attest to that. Thank you!

[@ppyporpeem]

of all things to cry to ; w ; i just wanna go dogeza in front of yoshi p for being able to turn all of this around despite not being a 1.0 player, the answers cutscene gets me every time. So much emotion, so much love. I can't Thank you so much for telling us the history of what ffxiv was. Thank you.

[@kitari3655]

Gahhhh, the chills. You really nailed that build up.

[@yrsa7637]

I already love FFXIV so much but watching this just makes me love it even more. I am sad to admit i gave up really early on 1.0 but i have been back strong since 2.0.

[@flameofanor1415]

Holy shit I've never played FF14 and I'm still so damn moved by all this. I wish I witnessed all this .. Amazing series, sub well deserved.

[@EternalButterfly03]

I'm not sure what to say right now, I really love this series! You are doing a world of good bringing the legacy of FFXIV into a tangeble and understandable video series! I've always loved the FF series, but I had no idea all of this was going on in the XIV world. This video moved me to tears... it must've really hurt to watch the world that you lived and played in be burned and destroyed, knowing you cannot do anything to stop it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for making this series. Thank you all for your hard work. And good luck with the next projects to come, I will happily watch them all! Though my account is not active at the moment, I will come back to FFXIV!

[@garethrogue]

this was sooooooo fucking good. 10/10, will recommend!

[@AnimeSquirrel]

I think I would like to see the hamlet system make a return.

[@DanateDMC]

Yeah that seems like a great fun

[@BSmitty3663]

I'd like this 100 times if I could. I can't express how much I appreciate you making this series. Thank you!

[@ShivaServer2009]

I was in tears when you got to patch 1.23B. I remember feeling the excitement of fighting stupid strong NMs inside and outside city limits. I remember the devs allowing us to ride our mounts inside the cities! That was awesome! I remember fighting multiple spawns of Nael van Darnus alongside other various dungeon bosses and overworld NMS. I remember also...after final save and the servers came back up we all rushed to log back in and all went outside to look at the sky and the haunting music. It made us all so sad. We knew it was coming, but when the realisation hit that it was there after what seemed like a fast 2 yrs of 1.0, it was pretty sad. We worked to save that game, kept playing it from beta til the very end those core players we were. I still actually miss it. It was unique once it got better, it was a great game. I even got kicked out of my af3/magian trial armour and weapons group in ffxi because I wasn't spending all my time there, I was splitting it between both ffxi and ffxiv and they tried to dictate which game I should be in. April 2012 was when I quit ffxi to focus fully on finishing crafting, gathering and anything else that would be discontinued content in 2.0. I literally finished my final craft ARM to 50 1 hour before final save, declining one last Skirmish run and AV run for darklight farming. Sometimes I wish I'd gone on those 2 runs, because had I known that those epic 1.0 dungeons would become the shadows of their former glory and that skirmish would vanish and the weapons would become ALC craftable, I would've gone on one last hurrah. Every time I hear that haunting rendition of Answers, I get chills also. I remember those final days of 1.0 every ffxiv anniversary event. I was in Carteneau trying to fight Garleans, but the servers were so overloaded I crashed before I got the message that some lucky ppl were able to capture where you "lost contact" with your grand company linkpearl. We knew that version of ffxiv didn't have longevity, it just came too fast for some of us. We were supposed to get Titan and Leviathan but the tsunami shelved those 2 primals. Instead we got the Moogle fight and then Garuda.

[@TifaIA]

Your videos are getting better and better! Thank you for a wonderful episode 5. While I know many MMO fans look to how WoW blew up Azeroth in preparation for the Cataclysm expansion as "the best" in releasing new content, it didn't hold the same sentiment and compassion like FF14. When 1.0 ended, it felt like a kick in the gut. All that time spent building up our characters, our forces, and we failed. But with it came hope that we can make up for our mistakes - that Square Enix could make up for their mistakes - and we could all try again. This episode did a great job of capturing those feelings.

[@MythicMagus]

Thanks for putting these videos together! I'd heard about the XIV v1 ending event before but I never knew about the build up leading to it. As someone who only played v1 for a month(and then quit because I couldn't stand it), it's very interesting to learn about what happened in the months afterwards. I COMPLETELY agree about the "End of an Era" cutscene that SquareEnix released at the end of v1. I don't know if I'll ever get to watch a more meaningful cutscene than that one. Without the "End of an Era" cutscene, I don't know if I would have ever come back to XIV. It was so amazing that it made me give the game another chance despite despising it SO completely. Some time later, I received an invite to ARR's beta weekends and from then on I was hooked. I was completely amazed at how much Yoshida had transformed a game I hated into what I now consider the best MMO I've ever played. The man is a miracle worker.

[@duramirez]

Watching this now, actualy made me come to tears. 😫

[@FoxFireStorm]

The only thing I'd like to add in here, from a story PoV is that while it was the 7th Legion who was doing this and Nael Van Darnus, with the Emperor's approval. Gaius Van Baelsar was against the entire plan and actually aided the player once in order for them to gain the information needed TO stop Nael Van Darnus. Though Gaius had plans that he would conquer Eorzea, one way or another, he would rather not conquer a land of burning ash and a fully broken, if not massively dead people.

[@williamradke4290]

I loved watching this series, being someone who only joined FF14 last year this was great for me to learn what it was like when the game first started. I'm glad I chose to play this game cause its so much fun, Yoshida deserves all the credit and more for making such a flop into a shining star.

[@FlyingDwarfzz]

I havent watched the ep yet, but before i do, i wanna say to you lads how happy i am that you are making these series. I only started FF14 recently, and i have often found myself wondering how the game had gotten to its current form. This series is exactly what i was looking for. So thank you for taking the time to make it. Im looking forward to your other two series you announced in this vid, too.

[@brian184998]

Absolutely love the lore of ffxiv 1.x into 2.x, can't think of anything that comes close to it.

[@levimcdowell8953]

Your videos are amazing, and im glad to finally get to know the story behind 1.0 FFXIV. While you all were fighting for your lives in Eorzea, I was still stuck in Vanadiel trying to overcome one final obstacle that was the Rhapsodies. Was sad to leave that world behind, but Glad to help rebuild the realm of Eorzea today.

[@styxrtp]

I was there at the end of 1.0. Name was "Little Troublemaker" from Gugnir. The login screen was counting down the time. I remember fighting at Carteneau Flats and you would get wave after wave of Garlean forces attacking, servers pushed to their limit and barely able to see what was going on around you, having huge latency for spawns. Then, after the battle, we all stood and waited, as the system messages counted down the time. Then, we were kicked out to the login screen. I can't recall correctly, but I believe the login window contained the link to the "End of an Era" video. Some time after that, we were given the "End of an Era/A New Beginning" video that shows the characters getting transported 5 years into the future. one thing you did miss though was Caravans. they acted like 2.0 leves where you had to escort a chocobo caravan from a camp to another, and get attacked along the way.

[@styxrtp]

It still brings a tear to my eye when I watch that video.

[@Minusoh]

I never gave XIV any attention until Heavensward had come out, but looking at the final moments of 1.0 is just... haunting. I kind of wish I had been a legacy player. I'm looking forward to Remnants and especially Chronicles of a Realm. I don't know why it took me this entire series to do it, but I've finally owned up and subscribed to you guys. Keep up the amazing work.

[@OmniEthereal7]

Not enough words can help describe fully how much of a great service you have made to all the FFXIV players in remembering (or in this case forgetting) the history of a failed game. Both players who have been there, and players who have wondered what was it like before the relaunch into ARR. It really also felt like one of those Icons episodes back in the old G4 channel on cable TV, which also coincidentally had an episode of the history of Square Enix and Final Fantasy, so this series really is great on multiples of fronts. I'm sure I'm saying the same thing everyone said in the comments and all, but I'd want to say that this series really informed me on the state of FFXIV before the restructure and how everything came up to be from the launch to the shutting down of the game. We may not play/see XIV 1.0 today (nor do we miss it), so this is something we have needed to be reminded of or look back on to all those seeking out more lore in the game. As for Stormblood, we may never know what else lies in the state of the realm. Edit: I also forgot, I really love the pacing, the presentations, and the small bits of humor in each of these videos!

[@bakubread9308]

Nothing makes me wish I was born earlier than I was like hearing about the End of Eorzia. But alas, I was twelve at the time. I didn't know what FFXIV was, let alone did I have a computer capable of running it. Even so, having started playing just a month ago, its quickly becoming one of my favorite games.

[@12tanuha21]

FF XIV also earned the world record for the longest end credits during the Fanfest in Frankfurt ^^

[@seighart419]

With the combat the way it was in 1.0 I shall quote Patrick Star "He's just standing there.... menacingly!!!"

[@SCHPhoenix]

I subscribed when I saw the first episode. As someone who wanted to know what happened this series has been very educational. They're really well done and while I wasn't there, it gives me a sense that I was. Thank you!

[@255bb6]

I just started playing the game for 2 weeks. Been watching FF14 documentary and your videos recently. Now I understand the meaning of the opening scene in 2.0. Man, very emotional.

[@rossmallo]

I only joined in 2.1-2.2, can't remember EXACTLY when, but...It's still incredible to see the game become the glorious thing it is now after the mess it was before. Watching how it regained popularity and then did the big reset is...almost somber in a way, but...wow. Thank you so much for going to all this effort to document this. Also, does anyone else think that that Defense thing should be brought back? It kind of looks like they tried in a sense with Diadem but just goofed up completely, but it has so much potential.

[@bonetower]

Ugh the FEELS! I remember being apart of the Gobbue wall with that haunting music, I stayed up late just to see the end of a game that i was falling in love with...And yes i was one of the morons still fighting to the last breath (and getting my butt kicked)

[@sakuraskye002]

I just downloaded the game, haven’t even played, yet this somehow still makes me emotional.

[@Lordoftheapes79]

Those final moments will stay with me forever.

[@fighterroah]

I was there for the first few patches of 1.0, and then left because i got bored, when i heard the announcement for A realm reborn i was really excited, and then one day i go and check the lodestone and there was that trailer. I was incredible emotive for me, and i feel really sad for not being there for the final moments. Man, i still get goosebumps when i watch that final cinematic

[@n3rdstrength]

Wow, this was the best one yet. I had no idea so much detail and thought was put into the change to 2.0. I am so jealous that I wasn't there to experience it, it must have been amazing. Thanks for the video!

[@ebrules]

I wasn't there for this game's end, but I have been there at the very end of an MMO, so I can actually really empathize, and I can really see how amazingly they finished the old game before bringing the new one.

[@1Caja]

Holy shit that was epic. I wish I could've witnessed it. I got goosebumps just from listening.

[@TeKDeLorean]

Excellent work.. Thanks for reminding me the good (and bad) times I had in 1.0. For all the frustration, I feel lucky to be able to say I "was there".

[@RS-th7ej]

it still give me the chills the last part of your video.. AWESOME!!

[@sonomaabg]

I wasnt there at the end of 1.0 but we, myself and members of BlueGartr of FFXI, we were there at the beginning, early developers alpha and beta. Experiencing it was a crazy time of confusion and honest anger. None of us kept playing XIV 1.0 though, none of us were there for the end of it, and honestly, most of us wanted it to die, we were so angry and upset with how we were treated as a community that was told our voices would be heard. Our feedback and begging would be ignored. Honestly a large portion of BG players from FFXI days wouldnt ever play FFXIV. I would wager maybe half the shell decided to move on, the rest either stayed in XI or just faded away.

[@UmatsuObossa]

I was there from open Beta to the very last moment...and you are absolutely right about the atmosphere. The most epic gaming experience ever to be had, and I feel sad for all those who chose not to be there.

[@Fae-Star]

The fact they went through the effort to make lore reasons why and how the world resets is just amazing

[@mspeter97]

I still think making the game's reboot canon with all this scenario and all was a magistral move

[@somedude1324]

Le Docteur it’s absolutely brilliant.

[@jaysoncastillo5580]

thanks so much for all five episodes. I am a 2.0 player and had many questions and this series answered mostly all of them. i wished i had been there for 1.0 at the end. Seriously. Thank You!

[@MissAshley42]

I wish I'd been there to see it. What a way to go! I've experienced the City of Heroes sunset and watched the shutdown of The Matrix Online live, but this game's closure is in a class all its own.

[@amalanparty]

I've always wanted to try FFXIV 1.0 when I heard of it being released. I played a bit of FFXI and enjoyed it when I could, and was wanting to do the same with it. Since it was only on PC, and with how much heard how bad it ran on most computers, I was pretty down to not experience such a thing. Despite that, I did follow some news about it, but not all, about FFXIV during its 1.0 days and the release of 2.0. It took me almost 3 years after trying a free trial on the PS3 and failing to stick to it that I decided to try again, this time with something powerful to actually run it. I have no regrets doing so, and while I'll look back, watching these videos, and think of how much I could've loved/hated this game, while also being so invested in the lore. I never want Eorzea to die, and neither do I want the adventures to end with my many friends along the way to continue guiding me.

[@Sketchblopp]

"The moon is getting bigger!" "This is no moon."

[@nitewarden]

Dang, I have to give Yoshida and his team enormous props. He really understood the spirit of the MMORPG. For the Square team to put this much effort into bridging 1.0 to 2.0 in such an interactive way speaks to his team's deep understanding of what makes these online experiences so special. All the developer time and the cinematic team effort towards this final act of 1.0 blows my mind. This is how you repair a brand's reputation. Crap, I also spoiled the relaunch storyline by watching this but I'm 4 years behind anyways.

[@TheTigersAreHere]

Great video. I was there with my (now FC) linkshell members. We fought hard in mor dhona for a few hours until the lag was just too much to handle then most met up in front of Ul'dah to take a ton of screenshots as the game went offline.

[@MRorizs2]

To be honest I was so out of the video game scenario at the time all this happened to 1.0 that I didn't even know there was a FFXIV. being fair, my country didn't care to do any reviews or news article on the game either. I only got to know about it from the trailer during the beta test for 2.0 and I was like "I really need to play this game" so I tried the beta and got chosen for phase 3 of the tests (this was when the combat system was finished). After that I became obsessed with seeing how 1.0 used to be. I remember reading an article saying that Sqex's CEO admitted that if 2.0 wasn't successful, they would have to cease operations, and this broke my heart. I've been a final fantasy fan since I was 6 when I played Final Fantasy IV, so I felt like I should really play and give feedback as much as possible. Little did I know what a massive MMO this game would become after release, even to the point of competing with WoW and setting 2 Guinness records. I hope Stormblood will keep the standard!

[@Zaki_Arx]

"but from the ashes of 1.0, a realm reborn rose like a pheonix..." Hah, i just finished Bahamut Final Coil T3 and T4 yesterday, this sentence fits very well haha...

[@Longlius]

Man, Hamlet Defense sounds so cool. I wish we got stuff like that in the current game.

[@zolmation]

So well done! What a great series

[@TheOriginalMomos]

I'm glad I wasn't able to play during 1.0, but I kinda wish I was there for the final moment of FFXIV 1.0. It sounds like a truly unique moment that FFXIV: ARR will never be able to replicate.

[@wickedvahndyl]

Great job on the entire series! Thank you for doing this!

[@joakimdahl5044]

Fantastic video as always!!

[@cablecing]

I still LOVE that song in T13 it was such an amazing feeling to beat Bahamut back with that song wonderful song playing in the background. Good reminder good memories good video.

[@Shadow3883]

In the last moments of 1.0, I was in Mor Dohna with the Garleans. I was with Kippy Loopkin (my character being Shadow Sama) when they pulled the plug on the server.

[@AmauryJimenezEsc]

wonderful series keep it up!

[@mhiggs8001]

I really like the way you’ve been doing these with focusing more on the game and how it played back then, because I forgot a lot of it . Actually I Just came back to the game after 5 years and felt nostalgic and wanted to see how it used to play. I too was there the night Dalamud fell from the sky. Ty so much these are great!!! The haunting music playing, and I agree with you about that cutscene, it was and still is an awesome scene.

[@mrgexia2729]

I waited so long for this video finally! Love this!

[@Draknoir]

Thank you so much for these videos.

[@nickflig]

Such an amazing series, thank you for this.

[@narxx00]

Amazing ...love all the episodes.. and you editing skills makes my watching them over and over

[@mikuzochi4861]

Wow, this is just so epic. Wish I was part of it. And Most developers should really follow this game's example.

[@SkyeHDD]

Been anxiously awaiting this new ep. Keep up the great work!

[@johnsky4382]

Good job, love this series! Keep it up! Look forward to the two new series!

[@Fellwinter]

This was a nice series mate. Good job.

[@SprocketAudio]

Wow.. this is beyond great.. thank you! :)

[@chiahsienwu6936]

Thank you for this series. This series is AMAZING

[@Ephremjlm1]

This was so cool. I cant wait for the next bit of content. Great job my man!

[@hikababy6368]

These videos are so amazing!!!! Keep them coming! PLEASE! I almost started crying because you make it so clear how impactful everything was. Thank you.