Originally set to launch in the summer, the Nier Reincarnation FFXIV story has made its way into the stylish action mobile game slightly ahead of expectations. Now available in even the global version, it's safe to say that most FFXIV fans won't get to experience it without a time commitment they're not willing to make. For that, we've pieced the story together below.
The Nier Reincarnation FFXIV story brings Emet-Selch - a surprise hit antagonist from the Shadowbringers expansion - back into the limelight, shedding more details on a character who was integral to the FFXIV storyline even in the release of the Endwalker expansion at the tail-end of last year.
If you haven't played the game already, our Nier Reincarnation tier list could help you make a start. On the FFXIV front, we have this week's fashion report answers, and a little insight into who the Knight in Black could be.
What Is the Reincarnation FFXIV Story?
The Nier Reincarnation FFXIV story is told through four cutscene chapters, with a boss battle sandwiched between the final two.
Chapter 1
The first chapter covers the basics of the time of the Ancients, when Emet-Selch and his kin lived in an eternal paradise where they used magic to conjure up what would later be the world's common creatures.
Two friends join him as he stands in the land's capital Amourot - presumed to be Hythlodaeus and Venat; two key figures present for the journey that would soon spell the end of their world.
Chapter 2
The second chapter begins with the sudden destruction of the planet - the Final Days - a phenomenon that turned the ancient's creation magicks against them, forcing the once-peaceful people to uncontrollably add to the ranks of demonic creatures running rampant across their paradise.
Emet-Selch and his kind devise the plan to summon Zodiark to stabilize the star, incurring the summoning cost of half of its remaining population.
Spurred to further sacrifice their kind to have Zodiark fix the broken world, the people, once united, decide to look to the future instead, summoning a god of light to oppose the other.
The ensuing battle lasts for days, until Hydaelyn, the god of light, strikes so hard as to break both the god and the world itself, splitting it into the fourteen worlds - or Shards - we know of today.
Chapter 3
Chapter 3 of the Nier Reincarnation FFXIV storyline tells of how the sundering broke the souls of its people as well, beginning the saga of weakening power Emet-Selch and his convocation eventually look to repair through nefarious means throughout the FFXIV storyline.
As he tries tirelessly to restore his past paradise, the other sundered souls carve out their future through an endless cycle of birth and death, pushing the remaining ancient into a long battle to regain the community he lost.
Chapter 4
Taking place after Emet-Selch takes on the form of Hades and instigates a boss battle, this final cutscene shows the Ancient looking down on mankind with a tired stance. In the rabble, he spots the coloured aura of a long-lost friend, presumed to be the Warrior of Light: one who holds the shattered soul of Atem - the title once held, and rescinded, by Venat.
Nier Reincarnation FFXIV Summons
If you're here, we assume you're not actually playing Nier Reincarnation yourself, but have an interest in the FFXIV side of things. For that, we've included a tweet from user EENIX, which includes the character designs used in the crossover gacha.
All in all, no part of the Nier Reincarnation FFXIV crossover event spills any additional details of Emet-Selch's long and tiring journey. There's no real character development beyond what's covered in Square Enix's MMORPG, and no real story-laced franchise crossover like what Shadowbringers enjoyed with characters like 9S and 2B throughout the three-part raid series.
Even still, with a character as memorable as Emet-Selch - whose effect on players even surprised the original writing team - it's another sombre sendoff for the troubled soul. To view the simple cutscenes yourself, Twitter user and RPG Site senior staff writer HDKirin recorded the lot. If you have five minutes to spare, they're worth checking out.
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