STACK #152 Jun 2017

GAMES FEATURE

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Those of you looking for your next Final Fantasy fix will want to check out the latest drop of content for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn – Stormblood . Words Alesha Kolbe

A nnounced at last year’s Fan Fest, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood will mark the end of support for the PlayStation 3 edition of the game, launching only on PC and PS4. The follow up to Heavensward , Stormblood will add new story content, two new jobs, as well as new raids and dungeons for Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn fans to enjoy. You’ll adventure around the new area of Othard – which will include the new city, Kugane, the only port open to foreign trade vessels. And it’ll be up to you to liberate the city states of Ala Mhigo and Doma from the nasty Garlean Empire – the antagonists of the main game. In Stormblood , your player level cap will be increased from 60 to 70, and your inventory will get a handy little expansion as well. The two new jobs being introduced are the red mage and the samurai. Red mages

With the two new jobs comes the addition of swimming and diving to your kit – yeah, really. You can even dive while riding flying mounts in some places. Keep an eye out underwater for some previously inaccessible NPCs. Stormblood will also introduce new beast tribes, and new primals for them to worship. One of these is the Ananta – an all-female tribe residing in the mountains, who worship the primal Lakshmi. Of course, what would an FFXIV expansion be without new raids. The new high-level raid, The Bend of Time – Omega, will see the return of the main story’s Omega in full force. You’ll have to wait for the game to be released to discover the full truth behind the mystery of The Bend of Time. The new Alliance raid, Return to Ivalice, on the other hand, was developed with the assistance of two special guest creators. Yasumi Matsuno from Final Fantasy XII wrote the raid’s surrounding story; Keita Amemiya the lead boss and monster design. But wait, there’s more. Stormblood will feature new dungeons, as well as new residential district Shirogane. Your player character will have access to new gear

are ranged magic DPS attackers that are highly mobile and dangerously proficient with close-range attacks. Red mages can also link multiple spells together using chainspell, and follow those up with melee attacks, making for a pretty deadly foe. Samurai, on the other hand, are katana-wielding badasses that favour melee attacks, and can store energy within their swords to unleash special attacks. Red mages can also link multiple spells together using chainspell, and follow those up with melee attacks, making for a pretty deadly foe

and crafting recipes, and you’ll even be able to furnish your homesteads with twice as many goodies as before. All this and more is waiting for you in the realm of Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood on June 20.

• Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood is out June 20

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JUNE 2017

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