Great moments in PC gaming are bite-sized celebrations of a few of our favourite gaming recollections.
Last Fantasy 14
Developer: Sq. Enix
12 months: 2013
I’ve by no means taken video games very critically. I am not aggressive, I do not min/max, and I steer nicely away from something that entails rating my talent. Not less than, till I attempted my first savage raid in Last Fantasy 14.
I’ve performed the MMO on and off since 2014, however I might all the time comfortably cease proper earlier than issues acquired too tough. Saying that, I do have obscure recollections of queueing for Leviathan Excessive in goddamn responsibility finder again in A Realm Reborn—an endeavour that took 90 minutes to queue for after which an additional 90 minutes to finish. I had no idea of “high-end” content material again then, blinded by my want for a fiery blue horse mount. I might by no means grind for one of the best gear, and by no means stray too removed from my comfy, informal path.
Then got here Endwalker. Issues had been totally different. I wasn’t the only real remaining member of a useless guild as soon as occupied by my previous work colleagues. I used to be on a brand new server, with a brand new guild that truly performed the sport. We journeyed via the enlargement’s story collectively, wrapping up in a bit over per week. Then got here the query: “When are we doing the acute trials?” Once more, my solely expertise of those was a single run motivated by a horse.
Tentatively, I agreed. We started with the second excessive trial, spending our Christmas week collectively clearing. I wasn’t excellent. My worry of therapeutic exterior of informal content material had me change from my white mage essential to dancer. I did not have my rotation down, mindlessly smacking whichever button was lit up, however I realised I wasn’t too unhealthy at memorising boss patterns. It was truly fairly rattling thrilling.
January 2022 got here and with it savage raids. More durable variations of regular story-based raids, and the second-hardest factor within the sport after final raids. This time, I used to be ready. I might frolicked brushing up on my rotation, practising on placing dummies and lurking in Discord server The Steadiness. I meticulously researched mechanics, purchased raid meals and potions, and acquired able to deal with the toughest factor I might ever tried in FF14.
I spent over per week dying to mechanics time and again, attempting to determine who was going incorrect and the place. Nailing my rotation and determining when to assist the healers with mitigations. Adjusting to all of the totally different strangers who we met in occasion finder, every with their very own strengths, weaknesses, and beliefs on how issues must be accomplished. Some events went higher than others, after all. We hit enrage quite a few instances—an invisible 10-minute timer that wipes the occasion when it runs out—and it was disheartening to die with the boss at lower than 1% HP.
However then we did it. We frickin’ did it! The display light to black, and a cutscene of the boss being felled performed. It is precisely the identical because the one which performs for the conventional model, however seeing it this time round was a lot sweeter. I’ve by no means thought-about myself succesful sufficient to play ‘onerous’ variations of the video games I really like, and but right here I used to be. The method of studying, bettering and ultimately defeating the boss was a surprisingly addictive journey. Seeing each myself and my buddies progress, cheering one another on and consoling one another via deadly errors introduced us all nearer.
I am nonetheless but to clear a savage tier. The time dedication proved an excessive amount of, and occasion finder burnout is actual as hell. However nothing will beat the satisfaction I felt at clearing that first savage raid. Realising that yeah, I used to be truly adequate. Victory tasted candy, however a newfound perception in myself was an entire lot sweeter.
