Final Fantasy 14's funky new roguelike mode has me hyped for Evercold's combat revamp, which'll be a winner if it's even half as weird
Who let the dogs out?
Final Fantasy 14 has introduced a new Beastmaster limited job, which allows players to tame and use creatures in combat. The job's core combat mechanics involve pairing up axe strikes with specific monster abilities to form combos. However, the game's overworld grinding doesn't showcase these mechanics effectively. The real standout for the Beastmaster is the Crucible of the Unbroken, a limited job's roguelike mode.
This mode combines straightforward bosses with a strategic minigame that has the author excited for Evercold's upcoming combat revamp, Evolved jobs.
Evercold's Evolved jobs aim to reintroduce job identity to existing jobs by giving them something weird. The Paladin will get defensive abilities they can parry with, unlocking huge punishes if timed moments before a powerful blow lands. The Dragoon will get an ultimate jump ability and potentially 90% damage resistance while airborne. These updates could potentially revolutionize FF14's combat design, making it more reactive to encounters and less about hitting buttons every two minutes.
The Crucible of the Unbroken provides a glimpse into this experimental approach. Players are given 10 of their collected pets to bring into the run, each with a trick ability, a tempered release ability, and a borrow ability. The author found the crucible to be a compelling experience, forcing players to be deliberate in their choices and often putting together custom strategies for each fight.
This level of depth and strategy in the crucible gives the author hope that Evercold's Evolved jobs will be equally unusual and engaging, potentially shaking off the dust on Final Fantasy 14's combat design.
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