Closing Fantasy XIV’s newest replace noticed Sq. Enix give critical gamers a brand new “final” raid to beat. The previous few days have been a whirlwind as teams attempt to be the primary to finish the raid, often called Dragonsong’s Reprise, and new developments in regards to the potential revival of a dearly departed ally have solely introduced the neighborhood’s pleasure to a fever pitch.
Dragonsong’s Reprise revisits Heavensward, the 2015 enlargement that’s nonetheless thought of a excessive level within the Closing Fantasy XIV story. Amongst different issues, Heavensward elevated Haurchefant Greystone, the bastard son of an Ishgardian noble who turns into quick associates with the participant, from aspect character to fan favourite. Tragically, that friendship is minimize quick when Haurchefant shields the Warrior of Gentle from a shock assault, succumbing to his accidents in one of many sport’s most touching cutscenes. He’s stunning and he’s my boyfriend.
As Haurchefant’s demise was a pivotal second within the Heavensward storyline, gamers naturally relive this tragedy throughout Dragonsong’s Reprise. As a substitute of taking part in out through cutscene, nonetheless, the raid portrays Haurchefant’s sacrifice mechanically. He seems throughout a lethal enemy assault to guard the social gathering, who can solely watch as his well being bar depletes to nothing.
However gamers are satisfied there’s extra Haurchefant’s cameo than meets the attention.
Take, for example, the Dragonsong’s Reprise quest textual content, which speaks of an “alternate conclusion” the place “a pricey comrade is spared his tragic destiny.” Who else may this imply, Haurchefant truthers instructed themselves, however the good boy himself?
It felt like virtually everybody was satisfied that there should be one thing in Dragonsong’s Reprise that may enable people to reimagine the moments main as much as Haurchefant’s demise. We simply wanted to attend for high-level gamers to get far sufficient into the raid to be taught extra.
That dam broke yesterday night when raiding group Ideas Per Second uploaded mysterious footage from their behind-closed-doors makes an attempt. In some unspecified time in the future, the clip teased, Dragonsong’s Reprise shows a cutscene of a clock winding backwards accompanied by narration that mentions “a track of creativeness transcending.”
Not like different teams, the members of Ideas Per Second don’t stream their gameplay, so spectators have been once more left to invest. The main idea was that reaching a sure level in Dragonsong’s Reprise would flip again time to a earlier battle, giving raiding teams one other alternative to save lots of Haurchefant.
Extra developments got here a bit over an hour in the past courtesy of Krile, one other main raiding group. Upon finishing the fourth-phase boss struggle, Krile was handled to the identical cutscene Ideas Per Second shared yesterday and returned to the second once they have been shielded by Haurchefant.
The group’s shock at this flip of occasions was captured stay, however as nobody knew what to do, they fell again on the methods they’d already discovered concerning the encounter. They beat the boss, watched Haurchefant’s demise, and have been then positioned again into the raid’s regular development. No matter wanted to be accomplished within the new time loop apparently didn’t occur.
Once more, theories abound over the proper option to proceed. It was quickly identified that, when you return in time, the group’s restrict break meter tops out at two shares as a substitute of three, indicating that using a robust stage three restrict break could also be required to save lots of Haurchefant. Whether or not this implies shielding him with a Tank restrict break or reviving him with a Healer restrict break stays to be seen, however saving up that power goes to make phases gamers thought they’d discovered far more tough.
As of now, raiding teams are nonetheless contending with Dragonsong’s Reprise. Krile spent a bit little bit of time replaying the preliminary Haurchefant section for any clues as to methods to save him the second time round, however to no avail. It seems as if people might want to, as at all times, trial-and-error their method by way of the raid to be taught extra, and people of us with out the talents to strive ourselves are left cheering them on.
If you wish to observe alongside as effectively, go to Twitch stream MogTalk for a stay take a look at a number of teams’ progress.
Raids like Dragonsong’s Reprise are literal retellings of earlier adventures, described to gamers by an NPC stand-in for Closing Fantasy XIV producer Naoki Yoshida often called the Wandering Minstrel. Regardless of your truly being there, this bard usually exaggerates your tales, which is why the revisited battles are a lot more durable than they have been the primary time round. As such, any turning again of destiny will possible stay wishful pondering relatively than a brand new plot level within the sport’s overarching story.
Irrespective of the end result, it’s simply good to think about a world the place Haurchefant’s nonetheless round.