FFXIV Patch 4.4, Prelude in Violet, went live today! It brings two new dungeons, a new trial, four more raid encounters to end the Omega series — and, of course, a traditionally encyclopedic list of patch notes.
What has arguably been touted the most ahead of this patch is the continuation of the Main Scenario, which promises to set the stage for the next expansion. Warriors of Light can continue their journey in the Rising Stones in Mor Dhona by speaking to Alisaie. Thancred brings news from Garlemald, spurring the Scions to head to The Burn, where players took control of Alphinaud at the end of 4.3.
Handily, that scorched wasteland is also the first dungeon of the patch. The second is rather more unrelated. If you have a degree of morbol induced PTSD, look away now, because St Mocianne’s Arboretum is back with a hard-mode variant. You can make your way back there with a quest, The Secret of the Ooze, that kicks off in Rhalgr’s Reach.
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Meanwhile, the Four Lords series returns with Suzaku. You’re summoned back to the Reisen Temple in the Ruby Sea to quell the rage of yet another auspice. This time, it’s a very angry phoenix, and she’s not very happy to see any would-be benefactors. The fight itself is absolutely gorgeous, and like Byakko before it, there’s some really cool, never-seen-before mechanics even on normal mode. (Hope you like Dance Dance Revolution!)
Head down to Tamamizu and pick up The Fire Bird Down Below to kick things off. Beating the fight and completing the quest will unlock the much more difficult extreme version, as well as a humming emote; Once you’ve heard the music, you’ll know why.
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On the subject of more difficult fights — and what a lot of us have been waiting for — the final chapter of the Omega raid series is here. Way back at the start of this year, we saw things end on a cliffhanger, with most of our allies incapacitated or worse. Now it’s finally time to take the fight to Omega itself. You can kick things off by speaking to Jessie in Rhalgr’s Reach.
I know many speculated that Alphascape would be FF7 themed (following on from Deltascape and Sigmascape, which were FF5 and FF6 themed respectively), including me. Sadly, it isn’t; just O9, the first stage, stems from a previous game in the series. That’s not the only the only surprise in store for players, however...
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All of the above comes with the usual smattering of smaller updates. Stormblood treasure maps can now take players to the Shifting Altars of Uznair, a roulette-style realm where instead of picking doors you’re pit against monsters decided by the spin of a wheel. Anniversary celebrations have been added for those who’ve undertaken a Ceremony of Eternal Bonding, and Grand Companies have been updated with an additional rank, while FCs can build more submarine parts.
Housing has received an update, with more furniture now available to purchase, as well as mannequins for displaying and selling armor/glamour sets. You can also categorise your house so that somebody browsing through the list of estates in a certain ward can see if, for example, you offer shopping or an immersive, RP-style experience. Samurai, Black Mage and Red Mage have all received potency buffs, which should bolster their overall damage output, while actions such as Passage of Arms and Asylum immediately apply their effects instead of waiting for the animation to play out.
This list isn’t close to exhaustive — you can read the full patch notes here, but even those are missing a few recipes / new drops / system changes. The best way to get a full picture is to jump in yourself. All in all, Prelude in Violet looks like a great patch so far — and that’s without sharing any spoilers.
