FFXIV OST Amaurot Overworld Theme ( Neath Dark Waters ) SPOILERS
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- čas přidán 2. 07. 2019
- Spoilers ahoy.
Was actually a little bit dumbfounded when I first got here. Unsure if I'm supposed to feel happy or sad or what; it's a bizarre, fantastic, tragic place. Also I'm aware the title is silly.
Find the rest of the FFXIV OST here!
• FFXIV OST
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According to interview with Soken, the original idea for Amarout's theme was to have a much more epic feeling to it like other end game zones. But the main writer Natsuko Ishikawa insisted to compose a much more somber and quiet piece and that's how it was borne. The clock sound was also Soken's idea which Ishikawa absolutely loved.
The clock ticking is genius; it'd have been great without it but it really just brings it to a new level (both of meaning and feel).
I too love the clock ticking, it's always interesting seeing how people choose to incorporate such things into their songs, same goes for Carillons on the occasion they show up in a song.
Remember us..
Remember... that we once lived...
Emet-Selch did nothing wrong
Felt so bad for him twords the end, I mean I wasn't trying to die just so his time could be again. But I felt that pain
Ascians life matters!
Legit made me feel bad for him. Had the circumstances been different or another way to restore their home and people, we might have been allies. By the end I feel like the hero and villain understood each other to their base core even after all that clash and conflict.
Good night Emet. My enemy. My friend.
@@KakaowyKruk he just missed his peeps
24/7 lo-fi ascian beats to cry/study to
To remember that they once lived
Aren't those the same thing?
Germ Warfare!
*We cryyyyyyyyyy*
*We cryyyyyyyyyy*
*We cryyyyyyyyyy*
I want this so haaard qwq
I wish this zone was one of our main cities
Definitely broke my phone smashing the like button on this comment... I couldn't agree more...
sure ! just stop doing your WoL work and let the rejoining happen , and this place will become a ctiy state
@@maxmax-pi7kw I think you meant WoD huehuehue
@@maxmax-pi7kw I read that in Emet-Selch's voice
I disagree, it would have trivialized the tragedy that befell Emet Selch's world. Its a lovely zone that should be a memorial and testament to the ascian's existence.
the ticking really gets me here... the whole city is living on a time that's transported from the past, a time where there's no tomorrow, so the spirits are actually preparing for an ending that will never come...
茅野花咲 Well, eventually the magic will fade now that Emet-Selch isn’t sustaining it any longer, though there’s no telling how long it will last (years? Decades?)... But will they all just fade away together, or will they realize what’s happening (again) before the end?
I feel like, if nobody else, Hythlodaeus will realize what’s going to happen to them, and that saddens me.
I actually viewed it more as the ticking is count down to its destruction without the citizens realizing it.
I think that adds on an extra layer to the impending destruction that we see in Amorout.
I also kinda felt like the ticking clock represents the Warrior of Light/Darkness’s time running out because of the corruption of the Light inside them.
There was only one being you met in there, a slip of the thought on Emet's part, who knew that he was only a projection and aware that the city itself was at a time before calamity struck. He alone would be the one that would know what was really going on for however long the false city remained in Tempest.
@@ColorOfSakura Really interesting. Everyone's got a different viewpoint on the ticking! When I heard it, it made me think of how long Emet has waited to bring his people back.
In monochrome melodies, our tears are painted in red...
Bleeding... to the edge...
Deep inside we're Nothing more than scions an' sinners
The ticking just... puts emphasis on not only the city's end, but also your transformation into a Sin Eater.
Very true for both👍 If only time could be manipulated..
And also to all the time emet has spend more or less... Alone. It's impressive that he's managed to stay as true to his old self as he has, minus of course the whole murder aspect.
@@nicholaschang1 This comment aged pretty well I'd say ~.^
Interesting interpretation. Mine ( influenced by now knowing Endwalker and the Final Days ) is that Amaurot is a city that's out of time, just like the Ancients were as the end of days was upon them. Emet is hanging onto a desperate reconstruction past, the moment right before disaster, and the ticking watch is like a hanging sword of Damocles threatening that it's all going to end soon. A memory frozen in time right before the end.
I felt so, so sad running around this lovely place. It's a monument to Emet-Selch's incredible loneliness. Doesn't excuse the things he's done, but it really helps you understand.
That feel when you're so lonely you name yourself "Solus".
I think that's why Emet is one of my favourite villains. His crimes are unforgivable, he's a villain through and through by our standards, and he had to be stopped. But... Despite that, as Alisaie says, "Would I have done any different?"
Emet-Selch did nothing wrong.
@@anonymousxaela761 hope you played EW. You might have a different pov
(No EW spoilers the following is all in ShB) The Ascians literally just wanna restore their people who sacrificed themselves, and restore their people and return to their perfect world that was at peace and where they were immortal and powerful. For them the calamities from merging a shard, and the deaths of those on the shard are just a necessary evil, to bring back what was theirs to begin with. They were there first. To them, we're the villains. Hence the themes between the warrior of dark and the warrior of light and blurring the lines of good and evil.
We've had Ishgard restoration
We've had Doma restoration
But we'll never get Amaurot restoration ,for it was all but a Dream :'(
and The Least we can do...is to Remember it.
God this is sad.
:(
It's not like the rest of... hm... actually no, I don't think Norvrandt is _that_ covered in potential restoration sites. Full-on "Norvrandt Restoration" is most likely, if I'm remembering things right.
@@StarshadowMelody Norvrandt restoration was basically eden
Well, we kinda half get one.
When a particular "Mornful Voice of Creation" is defeated, that means all the souls within him are released. They can move onto the star and enter the aethyeal sea and be reborn. They might not remember their old home, or their old lives, but they'll be reborn into the new shards and have the ability to live again.
Everytime we fall, we can rebuild and continue to move forward. But for Amaurot, we can only move on.
This place had an aesthetic that I never thought would ever be in this game and I'm glad that they made it work as well as it did, because it's probably one of my favorite areas in the entire series as a whole
Who would've thought Ascians were patrons of Art-Deco? Does that mean they are 1920s New Yorkers?
Amaurot Apartments when?
@@danielh4295 Apparently Deco was their thing! This was incredibly clever of SE, as 1920s New York is so iconic and so much of the architecture and interiors still exist. Some of the lobbies for instance give the illusion that I have seen them only yesterday. The emotional connection for the player is very well done but not at all manipulative, since it is so obvious. They have done very well in creating us an enemy whose heart we can understand.
I know. The entire zone looks like you're exploring New York City and hotel buildings. It's so surreal yet beautiful when combined with a world of high-fantasy. Or should I say of....
*Final Fantasy.*
This area gave me the same feeling I get when I go to downtown Pittsburgh (since I've never been to NYC yet). I love coming here to just afk because I love that feeling so much.
"Come now, Is this truly necessary? Surely you know who we are."
HEY GUESS WHAT, THIS HURTS INFINITELY MORE, HALFWAY THROUGH ENDWALKER. Pain. Pain. Pain.
I miss emet
We Life for SUFFER
The more the WoL will remember, the more it will hurt.
This zone is so amazing. It's like a painting of a dead loved one Emet has been working on for 10,000 years. So sad.
So, at first I was kinda sad there are only a few quests here and no real reason to come back. But on days like today, I really appreciate it. One of the busiest days on the server and visiting Amaurot still feels...lonely. Its quiet, and empty, and tragic, and I love it more than anywhere else in the game.
Even now in Endwalker I come here and it's barren
@@bossface3650 That is the charm of Amaurot. A place frozen in time, existant and yet an illusion.
That and the architecture and design is stunning.
I still have the Amaurot aetheryte set as my return point if I die, so one the (excessively rare) occasion it happens and I'm not rezzed I can enjoy the music again ^^
I still go to the Crystarium to log off when I want some peace and quiet. Or chill in Amaurot whenever I'm queueing up or crafting stuff. After a long day ... it just feels like home
What I love most about the piece is the ticking clock. Sometimes you're enjoying the melody so much that it fades out briefly, but it's calls itself into attention once again, which mirrors what the spirits are experiencing. They know the end is near, but continue everyday life like normal. However, that thought, that ever looming ticking clock 'till the end of days, is always there in the back of their minds. Ready to resurface.
Tomorrow is always coming, they must prepare for the final day. Forever.
That's why this piece is so special and sticks with you. It's the perfect metaphor.
A city of ghosts, captured in time. Appropriate that we have this ticking clock that keeps stopping and resetting.
The city out of time, in both meanings of the phrase.
The fact that the song ends with a single note highlights this.
It also represents the wol time running out with there curroption
Square enix: hey we heard you like cool final zones. So we put a cool final zone inside your cool final zone so you can be in a cool final zone within a cool final zone. (Plus the dungeon after)
The World That Never Was vibes
The first half of Tempest wasn't all that great. It had the cool factor or being at the bottom of the ocean, but that's about it. It wasn't until Amaurot that it became truly amazing.
@@TheSlammurai Still better than Amh Araeng. I thought Tempest had some cool glowy undersea features in caverns etc.
@@polydipsiac Ahm Araeng was alright. At least it had one of the best field themes in the expac.
More like... Hey we heard you like cool zones so we made the final zone lame and bland, yeah just go through that barrier and down that tunnel to see the really lame part *P S Y C H E*
jic the sarcasm doesn't read, this was the biggest on a big pile of mindblowers.
Instead of being terrifying or awe-inspiring, the music in this zone is comforting and nostalgic. This was ES's final memory of happiness.
The feeling of coming to this city the first time man. You can tell they had an expansive civilization. It reminds me of Outer Wilds, or Zanarkand, except instead of getting to walk around the crumbled ruins you get to actually walk the streets of the city, seeing what their buildings and processes looked like at their most magnificent and (almost) get to see what it was like to actually live there, except it's going to die, none of the residents are aware of this and you're the only one who knows they're already long gone. I think that feeling, of walking around a place that is about to be destroyed, but no one knows it, they sort of know somethings coming but don't know it will be the end, and you're essentially just reminiscing on their past in the now, it's a powerful feeling and seems anytime a game does it it evokes it. I wonder what instinct it comes from because it seems to touch on something native to humans
I think someone touched on it, "hopeless nostalgia", a memory that is right there, you can see it, feel it, but you can't bring it back, and it hurts even more knowing how great it actually was and since you are experiencing it again you know it's not just your rose-colored lenses, so your emotions don't fade away when you realize it's just a memory like they usually do, you can plainly see it's still a perfect scenario. It's always just one step behind you. It's a very unique feeling I think, sort of like in childhood stories where they reach a new world through a cave, then when the adventure's over they leave and the cave/tree/hole whatever has lost all it's magic. The place is gone forever, but you can see the cave and you feel the memories, but walk in and it's just a normal cave, it'll remain a memory forever and there's nothing you can do to bring it back. Or, the feeling you get when you finish a game/show and realize your adventures with those characters is over, you experienced the journey, and they're right there, but revisiting it is just a pale imitation of the past, and you can plainly see how good the journey was.
Funny you mentioned Outer Wilds because I felt that in Endwalker instead.
I couldn't help but feel the same thing, it was like landing onto Brittle Hollow all over again
I thought of Bioshock
That last sentence really hits home. Experienced it a lot. This feeling of wanting "more" but knowing there isn't more, and while you also know you can replay or rewatch or reread it, it just isn't the same thing as experiencing it freshly, with new eyes, the first time around. You know this or that character will die and there's nothing that'll change that. You know what will happen and can reminisce, feel the same things again, but you know now how it will unfold, you've been down that road before. It's ... beautiful in its own way, but there's this sadness to it.
It's a peculiar sort of melancholy, and Amaurot somehow captures it very well.
I already was pretty happy with The Tempest. The story was going well.
Then I saw this place. It left me speechless. Shadowbringers msq took me through a whole host of emotions, especially for your own character, and I'm finding it hard to find something I didn't like. Bravo, xiv team.
Imo either yshtola should have 'stayed dead' (although it was kinda necessary to bring her back so that emet selch becomes sympathetic to us) or thancred should have actually died. I just hate the plot armor thing they used in the msq, only the caretaker in amh areang died (and that brutally wtf) but she didn't have as much meaning to us like haurchefant or papalymo in hw for instance. I even felt worse for tsuyu dying, because tgere was more buildup to it. Just look at how haurchefant still is etched into our hearts and how that moment will never be forgotten. I kinda had hoped for that, because then Shb story would have been better than HW for me, but since plot armor happened i sadly have to say it only is on par with HW, if i'm generous. But nonetheless it's a pretty fucking awesome story that left me speechless at many points
@@zackr.7628 I think they intended for Thancred to die there, but were forced to keep him alive because he's the only tank available for Trust.
Zack R. So you’re judging the story because nobody died from the main cast?lmao. They dont need to kill a character to make a great story. Expect plot armors in every fantasy stories, idk where you have been living at but, it’s a thing and can’t be avoided otherwise the story would have ended or will get stuck, won’t progress.
@@King-2077 what? What you say makes no sense at all because in hw multiple ppl died, we also "lost" minfilia in arr and got cut off from most scions before we found then again in hw too. And i judge it because well they do "kill" or at least make it seem like someone dies and then they're like "HAHA i fooled you all along!" Plot armour is fine somewhat and i can understand that you have to have some of it to drive a story or to somehow beat the bad guy that was so overpowered but you know, there is only so much plot armour you need. And faking a situation is just making me lose interest in their narrative
@@zackr.7628 I have to respectfully disagree. While your point about Thancred seemingly was going to die is valid, I fell for it too. That scene served as the climax of his entire character arc that has been building since Heavenward and throughout Shadowbringer (Believe me, I paid close attention). The hateful and self-deprcating part of Thancred "dies" and he finally was able to let Minfillia go. Therefore it's not a fair assessment to say that scene exists just to fool people Thancred was dying. Besides correct me if I'm wrong but, there's no point in killing further Scions unless you want the short shock value.
My reaction to entering this area for the first time was just simply “Wow” and then the music started to kick... left me utterly speechless. Bless Soken, man deserves the biggest of raises after this expansion.
Soken is good but he's always been good. The writer is the one that needs a massive raise because she brought the story to the same level as the music.
I'm worried for when he eventually retires, who will they get to replace him? I mean he's surely got protege but it just won't be the same.
@@halofira7 i really wouldn;t worry, he''s only in his mid-40s, and composing music is a lifetime endeavor, because, as a composer, you always have something you want to write. he'll always be around becuase he loves what he does, and you can tell because of how great his compositions are
Max Grant nobuo is still going at it strong, I don’t see why soken cant do the same. He’s dedicated to his work so I don’t see him leaving anytime soon :)
@@WaifuProtector Nobuo hasn't actually been that "strong" lately. He only occasionally does music now, due to undisclosed illness. At the same time, though, I see Soken as a worthy successor to Uematsu.
Utopia - ✓
Underwater - ✓
Creepy Ass Giants - ✓
1940's Vibe - ✓
Madman Creator - ✓
Rapture, is that you?
but without the drug addict hobos
@@granmastersword Fun fact: Ascian did have recreational drugs in their time
Plus on the naming of Amaurot and the places within being inspired on Thomas More's book which is literally called "Utopia"
Nice profile pic to see under an FFXIV video
As I was standing on the cliff about to go in the city for the first time I thought Emet was going to say something like "I chose... Amaurot!"
My best friend made me aware of quite the poetic background of all this..since i was not familiar with greek mythology all too much:
How we fought "Hades", it should probably had clicked by then..Hades who was lonely in the Underworld (Amaurot), missing his friends, family and loved ones after he was put down there by Zeus.
Since he was that lonely he started to collect souls (Spirit Citizens) rebuilding his former home. Hades then kidnapped Persephone (in our case the Exarch)
Then in the fight against him how he has faces on his body and such, most likely of his loved ones, his halo which represents he sees himself as their savior. The faces on his wings indicating that those are in his memory and motivating him to do what he does.
I think it is just beautiful.
I've likened the WoL to Demeter myself. The one who brought darkness to the world and fought Hades to bring Persephone (Exarch) home.
Exactly, the line of 'brothers dream of a dark tomorrow' tied everything together. It's even more tragic that Emit forgets that Amaurot was never 'dark' to begin with, his vision is (zodiarck)
The whole city is a reference to Utopia. As in, the original Utopia, by Thomas Moore. Amaurot is the capital of the island-nation of Utopia. The thing where they all wear the same clothes to foster community spirit is lifted straight from there, as is the name "Hythlodaeus", the traveller who found Utopia and spoke of it to the author-insert writing the book.
@@jacks1368 That's fantastic... makes me like it even more.
Hades wasn't put in the underworld by Zeus. He, Zeus, and Poseidon drew lots to see who would get the heavens, the seas, and the underworld (with the Earth being left to man). It was just random chance that he got the underworld.
I miss Emet-Selch everytime I hear this.
Stay strong. Keep the faith. At duty's end, we will meet again. We will. We will.
This zone and story line has really changed what it means to have an mmo story that matters. Others just don't even feel like they are trying. I really hope they get this writer on future FF projects.
Your wish has been granted!!
@@mkw3980 yeah boiis
Knights of the Old Republic has a really good campaign too, especially the expansions. I have heard the class stories are hit or miss tho, I got lucky with light side sith inquisitor
@@mkw3980what do you mean by that
I won't lie, when I first saw this zone and heard the music it actually made me cry because it was so beautiful and tragic.
I keep going back there just to see it and listen... and remember.
i do this too, being there is calming
Gonna register the atheryte there as favorite so I dont have to spend as much getting there, I do a similar thing when I'm bored.
It's weird, because objectively speaking I know I'm not actually my character, but Amaurot still makes me feel a little bit...idk, homesick?
Which I suppose is a testament to the quality of the writing for this game, that it can make people empathize with their characters on that level.
Yup. This is my new spot to craft
Same on everything.
Like Broken Angels, wingless, cast from heaven's gates...
Our slumb'ring demons awake
We only fly when falling, falling far from grace
Hell take us, heaven can wait
@@amahgio our lives a message In a bottle cast to sea
_Disgrace untold and unseen_
I love the art deco like architecture of the Ascian capital.
What I wouldn't give to have a city like this to live in in Eorzea.
Art deco is right, my first thought upon seeing the city was 'holy shit the final dungeon is Rapture.'
Art Deco is such a daring choice from the designers. And it worked with aplomb.
A modern city? Closest we have is garlamold. But we got to see that in cutsceens and its.. well over steam punk ish really. But to find a working city like this on the source above ground? Ho boy.
this is something i wanted garlemald to look like, but i doubt that will happen really now...
@@raiverns9620
Aye what cut scenes they show of garlemald looks like some kind of run down former Soviet era crap hole.
Thematically, it feels like it blends elements of nostalgia, sorrow and also a new beginning. Like you're remembering times that you can't take back, no matter how hard you try, but you have to say goodbye to keep moving forward.
i feel so sad for Emet Selch :( we could.have been friend in another life (and looks like we even were)
It s even better than that
We could have been allies if we could have shown him that life as it exists in the game is still life that deserves to exist and to be saved even if it s not what it used to be when ascians civilisation where all alive. He would have been our friendly neighbourhood ascian.
Yeah, he was pretty mad at MC. Kept yelling about how he broke bread (presumably with MC) and sired children. Definitely some drama there that we didn't fully uncover in time.
Spearman I think that "broke bread" part is on how he assisted us in many ways in our journey in the first, while sired children part is him in the source, but one thing is almost crystal clear, we were his best friend in the original Amaurot, and it is by the irony of fate that we came to stop him from sacrificing the world yet again
Mathy this zone has a sadness to it
@@FerrickAnima I took it as him referring to the lives he has experienced in the 12 thousand years, mingling with mortals only to see them repeatedly age and die while he continued on, reinforcing the fact that they were never going to be able to replace what he had lost
That little smile he gives you before he ...
But also me:
Seeing this zone for the first time, finding out what it means and it's history, brought on emotions that I don't feel often. I can't stop going back and just walking the streets. I really hope it won't be ignored and that we'll have some other reason to go there in the future.
If tradition holds true for 14, then the relic quest will be here
@@JamesTheTurnbull One of the NPCs for the aether current quests also mentions androids so it looks like the NieR 24-mans might be based here too
If the Eureka equivalent is exploring this city I would be euphoric
@@curio_sphere I might actually do Eureka in that case
@@JamesTheTurnbull Definitely might have to do with the whole creation process with one of the Ascian locals.
I finished ShB a few days ago and I've been thinking about it, and about something it made me realize.
The First is a dying world. Yes, that's easy to say but i think i never really understood these words until i did the Alisaie quests on Amh Araeng. There's this quest, named "The Time Left to Us". I guess everyone knows which quest this is, but in case you don't, is the quest where Halric goes missing and where Tesleen becomes a sin eater.
After finding Halric, Tesleen manages to save him, though at a great cost. Her own life.
She says that no one should die in pain, the time left to us is precious. We should find happiness wherever we go.
She gives Halric a bit more of time, because she lost someone too. Maybe Halric will never understand why she did it, maybe he will never wake up, maybe it wasn't worth it to save a life that was doomed to end in such an horrible way, a slow death that destroys your memories, your feelings and all that was once dear to you. But she lost someone, too. And that loss was what gave her a path in life, a mission of her own, she knew that pain and she didn't want to see someone she loved to suffer.
And then there's the Ascians, brilliant god-like beings, but they're long gone too.
Haurchefant, Ysayle, all the friends we've lost, and all the shards that the Ascians destroyed.
The Time Left to Us is this song, the sadness in it, the clock in the background. And I'm not talking about "us" in the game, I'm talking about us, here, in the real world. We all have a timer above our heads. As persons, as a race, in the same way that the Ascians disappeared, we will disappear too. The time left to us is precious. We should find happiness, wherever we go.
In all my years of playing video games, this is probably one of the most hauntingly beautiful tracks I have ever heard.
Possibly my favourite theme in the whole game, with the context of the city and emet selch it's just so damn good! Any villain where you think "if that was me, I'd have done the same" is the best kind of villain
When I first stepped into Amaurot and heard those clicks and the music started playing. I felt so much sadness because the music forces you to understand, this was once an highly intelligent ancient civilization that was lost. Everything Emet did he did because he has love and care. Something we did not understand all because he was an ascian.
There's something nostalgic about Amaurot, it feels like someplace I've been before. When I was really, really young. Maybe that's what they were going for when designing this area.
Even as someone who grew up in the country (and still lives in the country) I felt that same pang of nostolgia weird how that works
It feels like raw nostalgia for Zanarkand for me
have you seen any starshowers recently
Well, considering revelations about the Warrior of Light in 5.3...
I was immediately reminded of the insignificance I felt the first time I was in Downtown Seattle at Night. It was cold, quiet, and extremely daunting.
Wandering around with at that similar feeling of being lost and insignificant was really impactful for this zone
The music in this zone was already haunting and wistful, but after To The Edge it just hits completely different.
I was utterly blown away when the 5.3 Trial started and I recognized the music.
You spend a couple hours going through the streets of this city, talking to memories of people that once lived there and then shortly thereafter, you get to watch it all burn.
The clock ticking is just too much. Not because it's bad, but because in this context, it really reminds us that these proto-Ascians(?), as fake as they are, lived these moments in anticipation (or lack thereof) of the end of the world. Nobody deserves that kind of dread, man.
What's worse than dying? Living forever on the edge of death waiting for peace that will never come. What's worse than that? Having eons of suffering forgotten. That was emet's pain. That was his burden to bear. :( Brutal. I'll be honest I cried my eyes out.
I love their take on the Zanarkand of FFXIV. A dream city, lost to time, hidden in the sea.
I get it, Emet-Selch. What's here is a shade, yet it's still absolutely gorgeous. Yes, your world deserves to live. But so does ours, and only one can.
Oh, what a tragedy to burn such a beautiful place again...
@Lady Wanderer Yeah, he was 100% prepared to die. Especially now that 5.3 came out, it became more apparent that he prepared everything once his death comes, even Hythlodaeus was probably in his plan, being the single phantom that knows what's going on
@@screwed8182 That's some Sozuke Aizen level thinking right there, mate! LOL
We are the Villains. They were here first.
@@marshinz5696 Hard to really call us the villains when it was a subset of their own people who decided that the new life springing forth after Zodiark fixed the world was to have as much right to exit as that which came before. We did not make the decision to cast down the people of Amaurot, some of them did, all in the name of preserving the new life of the future.
Finally Ascians are getting the recognition they always deserved
In the end, everyone wants to save their own world in their own way .
I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't the quiet, almost overwhelming melancholy of this zone. I've rarely seen this kind of atmosphere done in a game, and never in an MMO.
I'm kinda sad there's no quests here after you do the ones for unlocking flight. I wanted to see more of the inner workings of this society.
I'm sure they'll add beast tribe quests lol
You know, that kind add those mysteries flavour to it, if you learn so much about them that will definitely reduce the fun.
Yeah, after doing about 14-15 side quests for the Sahagin 2.0, I was pretty bummed that they didn't spread them better. Gotta get those oranges, make a stew and get enough bones to build a ladder.
The feeling when you get to The Tempest: eh, is this it? Is this the final zone? I mean, it's fine, but sorta feels like just a random Stormblood zone.
The feeling when you get to Amaurot: yeah, nope, sorry Azys Lla, you aint' the best final zone anymaro. Nope. No way.
Amaurot looks absolutely stunning even from the distance after the fog lifts. So damn gorgeous. And the music! This really has been the best expansion.
Juho Penttilä My thoughts exactly.
Almost like Yoshi was like: here's a generic Stormblood zone. Not that best but it's enough for you guys....SIKE HERE'S A CITY WITH PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN AN EXISTENTIAL CRISIS FOR ETERNITY. CRY.
My jaw hit the floor when I saw the city for the first time, and I couldn't close it until after the end of the story. I was utterly floored by the incredible quality of this expansion.
Everyone: This theme is so great. How can they possibly make it better?
Soken: Hold my sake
Seeing and walking around Amaurot for the first time was one of the most impressive and moving gaming experiences I’ve ever had.
Absolutely one of Soken's best, period,
It's simple, catchy, and relays the emotions perfectly. I started crying getting to this area as it plays off the field theme so well and seeing the city is just amazing.
But even more so getting to explore, and seeing the interactions between people is just fantastic. I loved going to the office and seeing them talk about their creations and what it means to be a creator. It's really deep and gave me chills. The sidequest conversation between the two discussing if they should intervene in a conflict outside of their zone always gets me. with how they analyze it. It's looking at it from the perspective of a god, and it adds so much weight to the ascian lore.
The song itself is just beautiful and I cannot wait to hear it either be done live at a fanfest or just included on the next duality style album.
I think really what was the most flooring about the whole thing was the pacing and buildup being perfect. You get to the Tempest, which was a neat zone on its own, it had a very surreal feeling; the bottom of a deep ocean without the water made it feel like an alien world in another alien world. You see the ruins, start putting pieces together because of how they're made of nothing like anyone's ever seen, and figure where you're going is to a much larger ruin. Okay, standard final fantasy stuff. And then we get this. You really feel the impact of what once was compared to what is. Between that, talking to the shades, and hearing Emet-Selch talk about it, it just blows you away.
Those bass piano chords are so good. To me they convey the sheer size of the towering buildings and inhabitants. Slow and sedentary but awe-inspiring nonetheless.
I wasn't expecting for Amaurot. I saw Emet-Selch mention it and I couldn't help but wonder what it looked like, how were it's people.
Then The Tempest came. The first Aetheryte, looking ancient, felt like it's been there for eons. The ruins around it, faded, only hinted that there were people before in there. A long time ago.
Then Amaurot. I felt in awe, I loved their civilization and their customs. But everything comes to an end, one day, and so did them.
And just so, ended 5.0: with the end of the world as we never got to know.
It's incredible how this became his Theme in EW
"Our lives a message in a bottle cast to sea" man I just now get that line the phantom city's in the ocean goddamn I love this game
"Satisfied?"
(lays down and cries*)
Finished the story yesterday night, the first few notes of this made me tear up, this place and this music are so beautiful... Most memorable zone in all MMOs I've ever played, period.
i’m going to completely honest and say that previously i didn’t care at all about the ascians or the hydaelyn/zodiark conflict but this expansion added so much weight behind them besides just the tired old “light vs darkness” trope and i felt so much going through this city... seeing its people and what they went through that forced them to summon zodiark. i cant wait to see what future patches bring
That's why I like this expansion. The line between truth and fiction isn't so clear now.
And yet it did a great job of making sure who you knew the bad guys were, while adding a plot twist that technically isn't.
I love that Darkness isn't inherently evil and Light isn't inherently good. But that's been true for a while now in FF14. It's the fact that the dark Ascians aren't one note anymore which I love.
Azyza yea but the future patches will lead to the source and the empire. Im guessing it will be like stormblood expansion next and then expansion after that, explore the ascian’s time and how calamity befell them, giving more background to hydaelyn and zodiark and also the 14 ascian leaders.
@@bainbonic Darkness and light were made by the ascians themselves when faced with a calamity. It's only unfortunate that they might not have realized the dangers of zodiark tempering them before the theory of that even existed.
It’s been a while that I’ve been this awe-struck with a game’s area before. The gentle music, the blue lighting, even the sidequests all compliment each other in creating this serene yet tragic city.
Listen to my story. This might be our last chance.
yume mirai that was my first thought as well, and then I showed it to me sister and she was like “Oh my god it’s Zanarkand!”
Ahahahahahaha!
I was so taken aback by this area and music that i simply stopped using mounts here since no mount would fit into this area without breaking my emmersion...
Then 3 half naked viera came riding on giant elephants
I thought the Regalia Type-G went well (as long as I kept the mount music off of course) because maybe it's just me but I had a few FFXV vibes.
The ticking is FFXIII-3 vibes for me lol
I'm honestmy so glad I discovered this zone a few days ago when very few ppl had reached it, it was so empty and immersion was perfect
I turned off the mount music so I could listen to all the amazing Shadowbringers music uninterrupted
@@qrogan799 glad im not the only one getting a FF13 vibe here. the whole city reminded me of Valhalla
@@rolder50 I turned off mount music 2mins after getting my company chocobo.
Arriving at Amaurot for the first time was the most magical moment in the game to me. After finishing ShB, I couldn't come here for several months without getting emotional. This track is perfection
I get real "The World That Never Was" vibes from this place, only with more depression.
I got a real Tartarus from Persona 3 vibe from this song, which given how melancholy that game is (under all the Japanese hip-hop), fits perfectly with this area.
When I first arrived at Amaurot, I felt two things...
1) "Holy shit this is so cool"
and
2) "I have a strange feeling that this is where my character is supposed to be."
This song just has that feeling of Nostalgia slapped into it despite it being my first time hearing it and it felt so odd and calming to me.
I will never forget what it was like first entering this zone and doing the quest line here. Probably the most engrossed I've ever felt in a MMO before... I didn't want it to end.
Behold....my newest afk and crafting area zone
Perfect to do that, it being where the people gifted with the power of creation reside
I remember I used to go craft in peace in the Zenith for much the same reasons.
I'm sad that this isn't the new final town area. It's so much cooler than Eulmore, and you can easily explain why tomestone vendors would be here.
@@RenaRoseheart
Unlikely, given that the Tomestones are just ancient information packs, the Amaurotians probably have no need for those given that they're already an extremely developed civilization that can materialize creatures and objects at will(including said Tomestones, thus reducing its value to at best an afterthought).
Eulmore on the otherhand has plenty of rich people who's first project together was literally creating a mountain sized golem, who's creator is looking for ways to revive and revitalize the Stoneworks, thus very likely will be looking through those Tomestones for information on doing so.
Could a depressed person craft THIS?!
This song really helps me with my anxiety. I instantly fell in love when i recently made it to this point in sb. Its such a soothing song and it just feels so good to listen to. Theres no big upbeat booty rock no super hard core instrumentation just the piano and the ticking beat. This is actually one of my favorite themes in any game honestly.
Its so pog
Honestly may be my favorite area. It gives me some weird Ghibli/Spirited Away vibes. Everything is so weirdly familiar yet so absurdly alien. Beings unfamiliar and uncanny yet clearly humanoid, a city bustling yet dead, a song both peaceful and unsettling to accompany it. Sitting down at the admissions office and just talking with a being who knows the world is about to end as if it's an everyday occurrence. Shadowbringers story had it's faults to me but overall spending time here just makes me feel at home in a weird way. Like I stepped through a portal to a world completely adjacent to ours.
What if it actually is?
Glad I'm not the only one getting Ghibli vibes. The whole area, mixed with this music playing makes me feel so melancholic. They really outdid themselves this time.
That train vibes. So familiar yet so empty. Full of joy, so does the sadness.
A Realm Reborn: Holy f*ck, those Ascians guys are horrible! It's an even bigger threat than the Garlean Empire! We need to stop them!
Heavensward: So the Ascians were the ones behind Thordan's madness... They keep getting worse. We need to hurry and destroy them!
Stormblood: Ascians? No time to care about those guys, we have TWO ENTIRE COUNTRIES to free from the Garlean tyrrany!
Shadowbringers: AYYYY EMET MY MAN WHAT'S GOOD? Me? Nothing much. Yeah, uh, can you tell me more about the Ascians? I'm really interested! What? No, I'm not being sarcastic! Now GIVE ME THAT ASCIAN LORE!
Yeah thats about how it went for me.
My friend recently beat SHB, and he made a really good point about this area. These days, the area is near devoid of players and it added so, SO much to the atmosphere. It was more akin to a liminal space at that point. It was just me, him and another friend. Just us three, walking the streets of a cold, dead city miles underwater, far away from any hub or train party.
This area still hits as hard, if not harder now that EW is out. This area truly is a masterpiece.
I had the same emotions when I first ventured here. As you progressed MSQ and learned about the backstory of Amaurot... .. the music made it that much more tragic. It's a wonderful, magical place and though Eulmore is a good end game hub... it would have been interesting to see this place as the end game hub instead. However, having this place be empty of adventurers intensifies the emotions and experience traveling through here. It's weird but I come here often whenever I'm queue'd up for Eden. I find a good spot to /sit and /ponder with a good view of Amaurot.. what once was.
God forbid the day i ever stop playing FFXIV..... but if i do..... i want my final log out to be here....
Out of all the songs of final Fantasy XIV this one stuck out the most to me
Ticking sounds will forever be one of my favorite things people use of percussion. Especially with what it feels like when you get here in the story. Theres the short time you have left personally if you fail, the short time the city had before its destruction, and whats almost its own form of time travel through Emets memories, stuck at one point while everything moves on around him, including those hes had families with in the shards.
On another thought, It makes me wonder how many of his sires ended up like you or zenos.
One day, maybe we can build our Amaurot in the real world. Free from suffering and strife, a world where everyone can know peace and work for the betterment of their fellow man...
satan rules this planet, never gonna happen.
@Klonkus whatever you say satanist, god has us
One good thing about doing the ShB MSQ later than other people was being almost alone in this giant city with these tunes
Yeah. I don't think I saw a single other player here when I went through it a few months ago
Still returning here from time to time while i study for my thesis :D
UPDATE: I graduated on the 22nd October (Computer Science) ^^ The thesis project has become my new job ;) Can't wait to jump into the game and finish Endwalker!
In the end, the Ancients were as flawed as the shards.
ENDWALKER SPOILERS BELOW
Endwalker showed us the Ancient world wasn't a utopia. It was far from perfect. The Ancients had so much, yet they gave and took life without a second thought--apart from Hermes. In some ways, they were just a less war-like version of the Allagans, who found humor in cruel jokes and experimentations because it was happening to "lesser" beings.
Emet loved his people, but he also idealized them without telling you the whole truth--that even in the "perfect" Ancient world, there were schisms. There were people that felt it was morally wrong to just offer up the new life created by the first offering to Zodiark to resurrect their bretheren--that this new life deserved a chance to live the same as the Ancients, themselves.
Amaurot was a beautiful, haunting reminder of a past that never was, really. It was never the "perfect" world filled with perfect people that Emet portrayed. It was just another world, with all kinds of flaws underneath the surface. One that was so detached from basic emotion that they were destined to become just another world that Meteion's song would lead into oblivion.
I love this.
The metronome (assuming, it’s ticking faster than a clock and it’s in time to the beat)adds to an already fantastic piece.
Soken is an amazing composer.
I'm just amazed at how many incredible songs are in the expansion. I've not bought a soundtrack before due to funds, but will do everything I can to afford the Shadowbringers one! What awaits us with raid and Nier stuff?
Honestly, the amazing soundtrack has totally reinvigorated my feelings for the game, alongside the incredible story.
This whole part of the storytelling was masterful. The melancholy captured by this theme is perfect. Being from NYC the setting really hit me hard and felt super familiar.
I remember when I first arrived to this place, my jaw dropped and I just remember sitting there taking in the sights as I ran around on my chocobo feeling so small in this Memory of a once peaceful and phosphorous civilization. This is truly the most amazing zone in the game, you can feel the heart ache as you walk around and you can almost hear the echos of those who used to roam the streets talk. If you go around and read the dialog you can feel a strange calm that broods into borderline fear of an end that has already come. You witness the true love and care put into each detail into the illusion that Emet-Selch created to try and keep his home alive. Shadowbringers had its dull moments, from reused ideas, to poor options in dialog , and even the occasional annoyance with a solo duty, but in my opinion what I think they did absolutely right was the characters, and you see it through Emet the most.
This gives many vibes, most of which are between KH2 in Asthetics and SMT in Music
Only realizing that you can hum Thunderer's (Ascian Boss theme) main hook to this theme at 0:17
Being someone who played everything from ARR to Endwalker within the span of around 3 months the emotional whiplash I experienced was pretty extreme. But what I found to be the biggest whiplash was my opinion the ascians.
I had absolutely no sympathy for the ascians at the start, even emet selch was no exception at first, I even jokingly referred to him as Hitler for a time because he founded garlemald. But that one phrase, remember we once lived, broke me inside. These ascians weren't just one note villains, they were people who had lives that they just want to go back to deep down, and I've antagonized them and even killed some. It hurts man, and it only becomes more painful as I learn more about the convocation before the sundering.
Idk why I felt the need to write this mini essay about my opinions on the ascians but it's not like anyone will really see this.
Your camera work has gotten REALLY GOOD. That intro was tight.
I love this part in the story and how well the music goes along;
You're probably only hours away from becoming a Lightwarden, you dont know if you'll survive the fight, all you can do is press on to what may be your final moments, and not only that you get to see the world the ascians once had and question whether this is a fight worth doing.
Shadowbringers really hit it out of the park, not only does it have the best story of any expansion, it also stands up there as one of the best stories in the series as a whole; i honestly dont know if they can top this one.
Playing ARR trying to take down the bad guys and foil their plan, getting here and realizing there were no bad guys ;-;
This place reminds me so much of both Zanarkand and the World that never was. it is SO WEIRD!
This was my favorite theme of the entire expac. I NEED this orchestrion roll.
Is it an Orchestrion roll?
i would like to know too. anyone?
We never know until >patch 5.0
I think they added it to the new treasure map dungeon
The theme gives of a nighttime in New York during winter vibe.
i love how nostalgic the music sounds, i think its meant to spur confusing feelings
i also love how emet-selch spoke so personally with the warrior of light, like he wanted the warrior of light to succeed so an alternate path might appear
my theory is, the warrior of light we play is one of the fragmented pieces of emet-selch's old friend hythlodaeus - why else would he be the only one to see ardbert, just as you can?
Hythalodeus states that he can't see Ardbert, only the outline of our soul, which is why he states we were one, and that he would expect 'them'(ancient-WoL) to have such a fate.
My Theory, however: We were apart of the convocation of XIV, and when they were making plans to save the star by summoning Zodiark, we couldn't stand for as many lives it would take, and so we resigned from the council to 'seek' another way.
The way of course was to summon Hydaelyn, which the battle caused the sundering, and in the momentary aftermath, possibly foreseeing the events which would occur ultimately gave ourselves to Hydaelyn whom sundered us, 'blessed' us, and scattered us onto each shard to serve as their protector to stop the now Ascians from rejoining the shards.
I love the album that your PFP is from :)
Sometimes while I wait in the duty queues I just wander around this zone listening to the music.
I was feeling really underwhelmed when I first walked into the Tempest. Then I saw the ruins. Then I saw Rapture in a fucking Final Fantasy game. And then I heard this music and did the side quests. Jesus Christ my heart man.
When the story unfolds…and u learn why Amourot is there…u learn why the music is so melodic and sad….. “Remember that we once lived…” 😓
The first time I went here, there was absolutely not a soul other player in sight. It was such a solemn, helpless feeling of being there.
I swear this place is literally just the FFXIV equivalent of Dream Zanarkand from FFX
It basically is, just that instead of an entire population this one was sustained by a single and very lonely man.
I thought of that immediately
the first thing i thought of when i saw it was Rapture, but i definitely see Zanarkand too
"This world is not yours to end. This is our future. Our story."
I'm convinced that the fake Amaurot we explore is a reference to Dream Zanarkand. Especially because the "Our story" quote is a reference to Titus from FF10 as well.
「覚えていろ…私たちはたしかに生きていたんだ…」
Byエメトセルク
When i first came up to this place, i was in awe. The raw scale of it along with the backdrop just had me saying Wow.
can we just talk about how beautiful that the pan out and circle is. And that I'm just now writing about it.
I need this Orchestrion roll, this music is just outstanding!