Summary
Final Fantasy 14presents many challenges for the players who embark onits perilous main quest, making for an unforgettable adventure. One of those elements is trials, which are sprinkled throughout the main scenario quest and some designated side chains. Usually, trials portray the Warrior of Light battling against an extremely powerful opponent that can merit its own separate battle.
Each trial is a singular boss, and 8 players face off against them, dealing with mechanics and finding the right strategy for each foe. In A Realm Reborn, trials were usually reserved for powerful primals, but eventually, more various creatures began to be introduced into the trial formula. The game has many amazing trials, and each can create a unique atmosphere and flow to its battle.
10Porta Decumana
Face Gaius’s Ultimate Weapon
This trial will leave an impression on the player as it concludes the first major storyline in the game,A Realm Reborn. It sees the Warrior of Light clash againstImperial LegatusGaius van Baelsar as he controls a powerful Allagan warmachina, the Ultima Weapon, empowered by a mysterious ascian.
This battle has two phases, before and after unleashing Ultima. In the first, the players will see glimpses of past primals that they fought and the Ultima Weapon absorbed. The second phase sees the player fight against the Weapon amidst the burning Castrum, creating a memorable conclusion to the base game’s story.
9Akh Afah Amphitheater
The Battle in Icy Plains
A trial introduced in patch 2.4 introduces the character of Ysayle, also known as Lady Iceheart, the subject of this trial. She is an extremist who opposes the Theocracy of Ishgard and allies herself with Dravanian dragons. By the time of the trial, her motives and nature remain unclear, yet she hints at her desire to end the cycle of hatred.
The trial itself uses multiple tactics to leave an impression on the players. It uses two distinct musical themes and creates the trial’s atmosphere by relying on abilities related to ice, which relay the nature of the character. It also serves as a proper introduction to Ysayle, who will become a key character inHeavensward.
8Seat of Sacrifice
The Emissary Unmasked
A trial introduced in patch 5.3 pits the player against Elidibus, theEmissary of the Ascians. By this point in the story, he is the last of the Unsundered, and defeating him would end the Ascian cause. For the battle, Elidibus transforms and takes on the form of the Warrior of Light from the originalFinal Fantasy.
This trial is set in the Crystal Tower, a familiar place from A Realm Reborn, along with an antagonist who has been present since multiple expansions ago. Elidibus calls out for warriors of the past to aid him as he conducts his final stand against the player. The trial’s only flaws are that it relies too much on callbacks and feels repetitive after Hades.
7The Dark Inside
The Primal of Hope at the Service of a Madman
This is the first trial inEndwalker, which reveals one of the most important primals inFinal Fantasy 14,Zodiark, primal of hope and darkness. The fact that such a figure became the subject of the first trial surprised many players, making them wonder where Endwalker’s story would go.
As for the trial itself, it combines Zodiark’s dark powers with the maniacal nature of its new host, the rogue Ascian Fandaniel. Zodiark strands the player on a cubic platform, rotating reality around it, and attempts to blast the player from above, imitating the coming apocalypse. Overall, Zodiark is a chaotic and impressive fight against the Elder Primal.
6The Royal Menagerie
An Enemy and the First Friend
This is the final trial of theStormbloodmain story. It has the player battle the main antagonist of the expansion, thebloodthirsty Garlean Prince Zenos yae Galvus. Throughout the expansion, Zenos showed little to no care for politics or warfare, only focusing on the thrill of each individual battle. The Warrior of Light becomes an exceptional opponent for him.
Zenos turns into Shinryu, a dragon-looking primal that quickly takes off to the skies. This challenging battle has Zenos take the player to the skies far above Ala Mhigo and use wind and other elemental abilities against the player. Shinryu creates an ultimate test for the players that passedStormblood.
5The Cinder Drift
A Blast from the Past
A trial introduced in patch 5.2 and part of the side quest chain “Sorrow of Werlyt", tellingthe story of Gaius van Baelsar. The Ruby weapon initially seems reminiscent of the Ultima Weapon. It presents a remix of the old Ultima theme and utilizes the same explosive abilities that would make players remember their battle against Gaius. However, after bringing its health to zero, an unexpected twist awaits.
The Weapon activates oversoul and has a grotesque silhouette of Nael van Darnus emerge from its back. This is shocking to new players, and they are thrown directly into phase two of the battle, which sees the battlefield change as it prepares for the fall of Dalamud. Despite it being optional, the shocking nature of Cinder Drift earns it a spot among the best trials.
4Singularity Reactor
Knights of the Round Table
The final trial ofHeavenswardwas commonly seen as exceedingly exceptional back in the days of the expansion. In it, the player battles against Archbishop Thordan, who takes on the form of his ancestor and twelve knights. The Warrior of Light faces insurmountable odds in this battle yet still emerges victorious.
The battle has the player fight against Thordan. When his health is low, he retreats and sends his knights to attack, creating a chain of impressive action with each knight demonstrating his unique abilities. In the end, Thordan unleashes the full extent of his power but fails to crush the Warrior, creating a very satisfying moment.
3Castrum Fluminis
A Tragic End to a Life of Misery
Many ofFFXIV’s antagonists are known for possessing a tragic backstory and being multi-dimensional characters. Yotsuyu, the boss of this trial, is one such person. After suffering severe physical, mental, and sexual abuse during her life, she turned her anger towards the people who once turned a blind eye to her suffering.
Stormblood’s patches show Yotsuyu after she lost her memory and reverted back to her innocence, but this was short-lived. After regaining her memory, she becomes the primal Tsukuyomi and challenges the player. The fight consists of multiple phases, transforming the Castrum into a far-eastern vista with moon-based attacks and ghosts of Yotsuyu’s past.
2Final Steps of Faith
The Wrath of a Thousand Years
This trial, introduced in patch 3.3, is the dramaticculmination of the Dragonsong War. It is a battle against a vengeful dragon named Nidhogg, who now has both of his eyes. He begins by facing off against his brother, Hraesvelgr, but eventually, the Warrior of Light must take up arms and challenge the dragon himself.
The encounter has three distinct phases. The first one creates an emotional impact by playing Dragonsong, the main theme of Heavensward’s expansion and story arc. The battle also incorporates Estinien’s form, showing Nidhogg getting more rageful with every phase. The final part of the battle presents the full extent of his fiery fury.
1The Dying Gasp
The Climactic Battle Between Past and Present
The battle that defines the ongoing storyline ofFFXIVis the one againstAscian Hades, whom the players only knew as Emet-Selch up until the battle. This battle happens after the Ascian cause is revealed, and the players know and understand Hades’s motivations, making it a tragic occurrence in which only one civilization can survive.
Mechanically, the battle represents Hades and his brethren’s struggle to recreate their destroyed world and bring back their people. Hades uses dark aethereal magic and summons projections of his fallen people, culminating in him transforming into an avatar of darkness resembling Zodiark himself.
