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emrylurkeroftheloch · 3 months ago

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DRK Thoughts - A Solid B At Best

This write up will naturally include spoilers for all of the Dark Knight questline from 30 to 60, so please be warned. It also includes spoilers for the end of post ARR, so please be cautious! With that said, let's begin, shall we?

Dark Knight is often heralded as one of the best quests in Final Fantasy 14. Indeed, this is how it was introduced to me - highly recommended, suggested to be done the moment it was unlocked. I was told it was an incredible storyline, one that had to be experienced, and was best experienced as soon as possible. It was with this context, and precious little else, that I went into this questline.

I found myself disappointed.

I commented to my dearly beloved, who had recommended this questline to me, that I found it a worse version of the rogue's guild. It is at its request that I am performing this write-up of my thoughts, and that I am sharing them with you all. She also encouraged me to push forward, to complete it up until level 60, and see how I felt after that. And so, I did! Here are my thoughts, and my insights into the Dark Knight Questline, and why I personally find it to be a solid B Tier at best.

Before we delve deeper into the matter of the Dark Knight Questline - Shortened to DRK questline from here on for our convenience - I feel it is important to provide some insight into who I am, and my experience with this game. So, hello, my name is Piralos, I am from the north of England, and I think people should be nice to each other. I knew of final fantasy 14 before beginning this, of course, you'd be hard pressed to find someone online who didn't. However, before beginning the game, I had no knowledge of the story, or the ideas there within. The Bloody Banquet, as I've found out it was called, took me entirely by surprise, and it is off the back of this that I engaged in the Dark Knight storyline.

However, at the beginning of this storyline is not where we shall begin. As those who have played the story well know, the DRK questline is split into relatively distinct parts. The first covers level 30 to level 50, whilst the latter covers level 50 to level 60. These will be abbreviated to 30-50 and 50-60 respectively, for convenience. Our focus shall be on the latter portion of the storyline for the first part of this write up. Now, let us begin.

DRK 50-60: A Dad, A Daughter, And A Stranger Walk Into A Bar

As those who have played, during this portion of the story, you are accompanying the dark knight Sidguru and his ward, Rielle. It plays out as a rather classic story - a father figure and a girl bereft of parents, naturally leading to found family dynamics. A well loved archetype, seen in a number of popular pieces of media - Logan and The Last of Us spring to mind especially as recent examples of this done exceptionally well. We join them on this journey as they battle against Ishgardian knights, and ultimately discover the truth of Rielle's origins, and her legacy.

Now, with our stage set, let's move to our analysis! First, I'd like to begin with some of the things that I quite enjoyed about this questline.

Rielle, as a character, was downright exemplary. Her story arc of her finding her voice was stirring and delightfully well executed - to see her grow from a meek girl to someone willing to stand up to her own mother was a delight. Indeed, she carried the story for me - not only in so far as she was the driving force for it, but her characterisation and growth were a delight to experience. Her anger and frustration towards Sidurgu for simply using her to facilitate his own vengeance, her anger towards her mother, her learning to speak for herself, it was a delight.

On a similar note, I found the ending scene to be downright gorgeous. From a shot composition perspective it was incredible, and Rielle finally standing up to her mother, this woman who has caused her so much grief, and to find her own voice? To reject her mother's world, her mother's vision, and to speak for herself? It was incredible! Indeed, so to was Sidurgu's character at the end of this. His mercy, mirroring his lack of such earlier in the story, out of a desire not to have Rielle suffer the same trauma he knew was incredible. At first, I wasn't a fan of this ending, but it was pointed out to me by my beloved that, in his execution, he was prioritising Rielle's wishes over his own, showing his own growth. This only serves to further elevate an already gorgeous scene - one that, at time of writing, is easily among my favourites from this game.

However, this also elegantly brings us to some of the features of this story that I was less fond of. Most critically, I found Sidurgu abbrasive, rude, and I found his shift at the end abrupt and frankly rushed. Furthermore, the execution of the ending, with Sidurgu stating that they will be going back to Ishgard, I found to undermine the growth just shown. Sidurgu is so full of rage throughout the story - indeed, his arc is about learning what it means to be a Dark Knight, and where that power is drawn from. Whilst this seems like it would set up a compelling narrative, I find it suffers from a critical issue - one that becomes all the more obvious when we compare the DRK 50-60 questline to other pieces of media that cover a similar archetype.

Compare, if you will, the characterisation of Sidurgu to that of Logan in Logan, or Joel in The Last of Us. They are both father figures, thrust into the lives of their young wards, the only one who can protect them from those that would harm them - and forced to commit incredible violence in order to do so. However, our latter two protaganists have something critical that Sidurgu lacks. They are shown being soft. Joel demonstrates this in the incredibly well known opening of TLoU - a gut wrenching scene in which he attempts to get his own daughter to safety as the appocalypse breaks out, and she ends up dying in his arms. This moment of softness from him, paired with his open grief, endears us to him. We see him not just as a gruff arsehole, but a man who has suffered, and has hurt. We know his suffering as though it is our own. This is a pattern we see again in Logan. Our titular character spends the early portion of the movie looking after an aged Professor Xavier, who is losing control of his psychic powers. We see him hurt and harmed, and yet still be kind. He is old, and worn, but he still makes efforts to be kind despite it all. Once again, this endears us to him, especially in the later portions where he has to fulfill the role of a gruff father figure. We understand his pain, we know his history. We know he has this depth to him, we have born witness to it, and so we come to appreciate his gruffness as the facade it is.

Not so for Sidurgu. Certainly, that softness could be inferred, but it is never shown. I would go as far to say as it is never even implied. The only Sidurgu we ever see is a gruff, shouty, angry arse, who's main focus is delivering retribution upon those who hurt him before. He has anger, and that anger is certainly justifiable, but we never see a level of softness to him. I understand this is something the other translations fix, but we are discussing the English version - and in this version, the version of Sidurgu we get is abbrassive and angry. The closest we get to softness is the scene in the inn, where he offers Rielle another apple - which reads more like a fumbled attempt to apologise, than any actual display of kindness or softness. If the softness is there, it is like a shot of a city populated with faceless figures. It is implied to be there, but never explored. Never given any depth beyond the promise that it exists, never truly shown.

This, I find, leads to Sidurgu feeling abbrassive and frustrating to deal with, without any of the softness to endear us to him before this occurs. Instead, he is simply aggressive and angry at all times, until there is a sudden switch at the end.

"But Piralos", I hear you cry, "what about the moogles?! What about the moogle scene?" Let's talk about the Moogles.

Moogles, Bathos, and Tone

The moogle portion of this questline is one that I find equal parts frustrating and incredibly entertaining. The latter is due to the quests that they have you departing upon - collecting flowers, defeating monsters, and ultimately facing them to rescue Rielle. It is a delightful little jaunt, one that would be well at home in the early portions of ARR - which is exactly the reason I take issue with it.

I'll not keep you in suspense, dear reader - the moogle section undercuts the narrative tension of the piece, and throws the tone completely out of the window. I personally drew the comparison to the Trolls scene in Frozen - those who are familiar will recall it takes place during what is meant to be a time of incredibly high stakes. One of the main protaganists is about to die unless they find how to save her, and so they go to these mystical trolls! Except the trolls break out into song, and it's all joyous. All the tension the narrative had just built up was shattered in a single moment. So to did I find the moogles - in a critical moment in the story, where we're aiming to find out the truth behind Rielle, and what it means to be a Dark Knight, we go and visit… The fluffy idiots.

Now, I must note, I have no dislike for moogles! Indeed, I find them incredibly entertaining, and endearing in their delightful stupidity. The King Mog quest was one I took much joy in fulfilling, and I find that moogles are often sources of naught but joy. Which is exactly the issue with them, in this moment.

The moogles undercut the narrative tension of the story, by interrupting this escalation with their rampant silliness. They perform something known as bathos. Those who have seen modern marvel movies will know it well, the undercutting of tension with a quip or a joke or such. It oft speaks of writers lacking confidence in their own writing, in their narrative tension, and so they seek to undercut the jokes the audience makes by making mockery of their own works.

Now, I don't believe that this is the case here. Rather, I feel like the inclusion of the moogles is simply what can be generously called a mistake. They undercut any weight the narrative holds, and ultimately undermine the story being told.

Consider, perhaps, if instead of heading to the moogles as the third visit, had we visited them second? The tension of the narrative had not been put so high, and so instead we find ourselves enjoying this brief moment of levity before things become more serious. Perhaps we visit them, and they direct us to Gridania, which then leads us to the ultimate escalation, and the ultimate danger: Visiting the dragons. Here, perhaps, we finally discover the truth, and finally learn what it truly means to be a Dark Knight.

This kind of escalation, I feel, would have both used the moogles better, and enabled the narrative to keep its tension as it escalated. Reaching these draconic heights, risking it all to gain this information, and then having to face Rielle's mother? Having these beliefs put to the test? It would, in my humble opinion, far better use the narrative tension of the story.

However, despite all of these critiques, and the numberous issues I draw with the DRK 50-60 questline, I do still hold that it is a decent story. Far from the best, but it is a far cry from the worst thing this series has produced. The base narrative is enjoyable, Rielle is a fascinating character, and there are the bones of an incredible story within this piece. Overall, whilst I don't believe the story deserves the praise it gets, I do believe that it is a very solid questline - it would be at home alongside other pieces such as the Miner's Guild questline, or the Thaumatuge's guild questline.

Of course, this is only half of the story. Let us delve deeper into the darkness, dear reader, and discover what is required to reach this point.

DRK 30-50: Don't You Want To Go Apeshit?

Ah, here we are. The Dark Knight 30-50 questline. The one people seem to be oh so fond of, the one that introduces Fray, the Dark Knight slain by the temple knights. We begin by collecting his spirit stone, and then begins our communion with him. As I understand it, this is the portion of the story which hooks people, which draws them in, and keeps them interested.

I hated it.

Now, perhaps that isn't fair. Hate is a powerful word, and I don't honestly believe this quest is deserving of that title. It was, however, an incredible slog to get through. The questlines were at best frustrating, and Fray as a character was edgy, hateful, and all around more of an annoyance to converse with than an excitement. Were it not for assurances that things got better, that this storyline was worth sticking with, I don't believe I would have ever finished this questline. As much as I would love to dive straight into the issues I had with it, some context is first required.

This questline shares an overarching theme: These people are weak, they are taking advantage of you, and you should be angry about it. This is an idea that comes up multiple times within the storyline - most obviously in the Little Ala Mhigo quest, where you are asked to slay some monsters that are terorrising the locals, and in the La Noscea quest, where a merchant asks you to retrieve his stolen merchandise. In the former, Fray - your mentor on this journey - critiques the people of Little Ala Mhigo for being weak, and mocks them after being terrified when you return, covered in the monster's blood. In the latter, the merchant complains after you destroy his merchandise, covering it in blood, and demands you pay 50%. Fray viciously insults him, and the guard standing nearby has to calm you, saying he's certain the merchant has learned his lesson.

Now, both of these quests share another feature as well - both are the result, not of personal failings on the part of the quest giver, but that of the society around them. The merchant in La Noscea tries to petition the guards for help, but they are all spread too thin, due to mismanagement. It is their job, but there are none to do it. In Little Ala Mhigo, the refugees have been rejected by the city of Ul'Dah - something which comes up in an earlier quest, where you have to save some of the young refugees from getting themselves killed in an ill thought out rebellion. Had these people not been failed by their govenments, neither of these quests would be required.

However, does Fray ever acknowledge this? Indeed, does the questline ever acknowledge this? No. It simply says that we should be angry at them for being weak, angry for not being strong enough to simply solve these issues themselves. Now, this belies an issue I find throughout this whole questline, but I'm getting ahead of myself. The issues I draw with this questline are two fold, and they must be addressed as such. One regarding the metatexual context around it - that is, how the questline intersects with me, the player - and one regarding how it interacts with the player character, the Warrior of Light.

The Issues: Metatexual - No, I'm Not Mad

The DRK 30-50 questline seems to be attempting to draw upon some resentment and anger within the player - resentment towards the game, towards the quests it has asked of you. This I found confusing in the first, and all the more frustrating as the quests continued, and you were forced to agree with Fray, forced to engage in this resentment and hatred. This, in hindsight, is deeply amusing and rather ironic - the questline most meant to address frustration within the player base, causing deep amounts of frustration!

This does, of course, beg the question - what frustrations is it attempting to draw upon?

At first, I had no real answers to this. After all, nothing in this game had caused me all that much frustration - if it had, I would have simply quit before reaching this point. However, discussion with others enlightened me - people found the sidequests frustrating. Collecting flowers, defeating enemies, being asked to do these with no real seeming purpose behind it. These are, apparently, often regarded as chores, tasks one simply must do.

This baffled me. After all, we are playing the "doing tasks game". Why would you complain about doing tasks, in the doing tasks game? Is this not what you signed up for? Apparently, for many, the answer is no. No, they view these quests as chores they must do, in order to engage with more of the narrative. This is honestly wild to me - after all, if it is just the narrative you are after, why not simply watch a let's play, or a stream? Or simply read the story?? Why spend so much free time doing something you hate, when you could do something you enjoy?

The other frustration people seem to often express is with the Titan questline. For those unfamiliar - or who have simply purged it from their mind - before you are able to fight Titan, you have to do a series of quests for the Company of Heroes. They are the only other people who have ever faced Titan and lived, and have no desire to send an adventurer they don't know to their doom. Y'shtola complains of these pointless tasks - something I have been informed echoed the views of many of the players - but I never truly understood the levels of frustration people express?

The first quest was fine, though nothing memorable. The same is true of the second, though it did begin to tickle at frustrations. However, upon being assigned a third, seemingly pointless, quest, it became clear. This was simply this game's version of the Karate Kid "Wax on, wax off" part. A series of seemingly pointless activities, all ultimately designed to test and train you, and ensure you are ready to face Titan. Indeed, the game confirms this! This makes sense, from a narrative perspective. These heroes, who were among the strongest of their time, and at their peak at the time of the fight, barely survived. Why would they be willing to send an untested adventurer to face Titan, with nothing but assurances that you're able to do it?

Additionally, this series of quests both introduces you to the former members of the company, and to the perils of facing Titan - it escalates the stakes, by showing you what happened the last time someone dared to face this primal. By showing you this, it serves to raise the stakes higher and higher - why would someone be frustrated by this, when it only serves to hype up the upcoming fight all the more?

Of course, this was explained to me as well - apparently, people regarded these quests as pointless filler, wasting their time whilst Titan was a threat. A notion I cannot agree with, but a perspective I can see. Indeed, the game even acknowledges it, with Y'shtola's insistance that you are wasting precious time.

So, with this lack of frustration established, where does this leave us with the DRK 30-50 questline, from a metatexual perspective? Well, it leaves us with the game trying to reach for resentment that isn't there - and, upon not finding anything, forcing it to exist there instead. It removes agency from you as the player, it forces you to agree with Fray. You're given dialogue options, you're given choices, but both are naught but agreement. You're given a false choice, forced to agree, forced to go along with this resentment you never felt.

It leads to it feeling forced and contrived, drawing upon resentments that never existed, bitterness that isn't there. It feels like the story has suddenly taken a turn for no purpose other than to simply engage in what can only be described as being edgy. It asks the player, aren't you tired of being nice? Aren't you tired of these weaklings bothering you with their problems?

Of course not. I signed up for exactly this. Once again, this is the doing fetch quests and killing monsters game. Why are you mad about doing these quests, in this game?

Indeed, it does bear mentioning, that this makes the Moogle section deeply entertaining. The questline spends all of this first half addressing this apparent frustration people have with doing pointless gathering and monster killing quests, and then, what does it have you do, at the height of it's narrative tension? Why, pointless gathering and monster killing quests, of course! It does entertain to no end that this apparent best quest holds such a contradiction within itself - I'd like to believe that the writers recognised this as well, but I find myself doubtful. Alas.

The Issues: Textual - Why Did You Join?

So, we have discussed the metatexual issues, but what of the in universe ones? What of the issues with the story itself?

Well, for this, let's look at the things that Fray presents your frustrations with. These 'weaklings', demanding your time with their menial tasks, tasks others should be sorting. However, as we've already addressed, these aren't isssues caused by the people in need! They're structural failings, caused by lack of government organisation - explicitly in the case of the merchant, and implicitly in the case of Little Ala Mhigo. Indeed, the story has already covered how Little Ala Mhigo is full of suffering, abandoned and failed by Ul'Dah, and deeply wary of strangers, given how many have brought them harm.

Why would our Warrior of Light come to resent these people for their struggles? Why would we hate them for being weak?

The answers I have recieved to this are two fold. The first, and most common one, is that they feel entitled to your time, when you have more important matters to attend. Indeed, you are the great primal slayer, the warrior of light, a force beyond any other. You've faced the Ultima Weapon and an Ascian, and have survived both. Why do they bother you with their little problems?

To this, I find, the retort incredibly simple. For one - what more important matter do you have to attend? If it is the main story, are you not neglecting it already, to perform these acts with Fray? And, for a second, if you come to resent them for asking these things of you - why did you become an adventurer? Was it for fame? Fortune? Simple wanderlust? Did you not sign up to perform such tasks, to help those in need? Indeed, is your name not known throughout the land? Are your coffers not richer than that of the greatest king? Have you not gotten to journey to distant lands, seen corners of the realm that you otherwise never would have?

Why did you become an adventurer? Was it not to help people with matters such as this?

The second answer I hear often is that it is that these people feel entitled to your time. That they feel entitled to demand your help, demand your strength. That, even if you are happy to help, doesn't it become tiring, to help so often?

To this, I find a different answer. First and foremost, you are able to refuse. You're able to ignore quests, you're able to walk away - hell, you're able to simply focus on doing the main story and dungeons if you so wish, and never engage in any of the side content! Secondly, to the notion that it becomes tiring - the Warrior of Light is one of the strongest forces to ever exist upon this world. They were able to face an Ascian and not just survive, but defeat them, banish them from this mortal realm (for a time). These mere monsters that terrorise others are child's play for them. The game even acknowledges such, with Fray making note that such pathetic monsters offer no challenge!

So why, then, would the Warrior of Light find frustration with this? The Warrior of Light, who for so long, has been happy to help others? Where would this resentment towards the people come from - people who are hurting? Who are suffering?? People who are just doing their best to survive? People for whom defeating these monsters is a herculean task, where facing them might demand a squadron of guards, and yet you dispatch them with the ease of kicking a football back to some playing children?

I find issue with this resentment because I find no resentment - not towards these people who are hurting, these people who are suffering, just as you are. These people who you fight to save.

No, if the resentment is anywhere, it is towards the governments. Towards Merlwyb, for not managing the yellow jackets better and ensuring that merchants weren't being robbed. Towards the syndicate, who would let the refugees of Little Ala Mhigo suffer so that they might have another coin within their coffer. The resentment is not towards the individual, but towards the systems that mistreat them - just as those systems mistreat you.

The Redeeming Part - Sucker For The Classics

Of course, I'd be remiss to discuss the DRK 30-50 questline without mentioning the ending. For all of my issues with this storyline, the ending unambigiously rocks. Facing off against your inner darkness, against this resentment that has built up, in a "battle inside the mind" esque moment? Especially with your friends coming out to support you and back you up? I'm a sucker for that kind of thing, and this fight is no exception. Despite all my issues, this ending absolutely rocks - and is honestly one of the only parts, if not the only part, of the 30-50 storyline I found enjoyable. I don't have much commentary to put here about this, it's just a really, really cool scene. If you didn't see the twist coming, I'm sure it is an incredible reveal - I predicted it shortly after you were told the merchant had had enough, but it's still a delight to experience. A shame about the rest.

A Deeply American Story

Throughout this whole questline, something had bothered me. Something squirmed in the back of my brain, something about it that just felt off. It wasn't until I had almost finished the entire questline that it clicked - the whole thing was deeply American in it's execution. From the rage it tried to draw out to the place the anger was directed, it all felt incredibly American.

The most obvious example I can give is Fray's mockery of the people you help for being weak, and his questioning of why you help them. The implication here is, of course, that they should simply solve these problems by themselves. That they should simply 'Pull themselves up by their bootstraps', simply fix it themselves. Blaming the systematic failings of the whole matter upon the individual, and placing the blame entirely upon them… It is an incredibly American narrative.

Nigh every issue you are faced with over the course of the level 30-50 questline, from the temple knights attacking a girl, to the refugee at Little Ala Mhigo, to the merchant who had his goods stolen, all of these are the result of systematic failings. The temple knights are able to get away with their crimes because the Holy See allows it, provided they brand someone involved a heratic. The refugees have been abandoned by Ul'Dah. The merchant has been failed by the Yellow Jackets. Every single one is the victim of a systemic failing, and yet Fray cares naught for that - only that they are weak, and you are strong.

This is, perhaps, the greatest failing of the Dark Knight questline, to me. It promises a story of justice, of being willing to do what others won't, of crossing lines and being willing to sacrifice to save the weak… And then mocks them for that same weakness. It promises Noblesse Oblige, and instead delivers Might Makes Right.

A Solid B At Best

So, where does this leave us? The Dark Knight questline is far from the worst thing that has been put to ink - even within this game - but I feel it hardly deserves it's title as (One of) The Greatest Job Quests. It is riddled with flaws, and whilst there is the bones of an incredible story in there, the story at current simply falls short of what it could be.

If you're looking for a storyline about doing justice, and saving people, without being a hero? Do the rogue's guild questline. It covers the idea of doing good without being a hero, it has the found family, and it uses levity well, rather than having it undercut the narrative tension. It even features the guild leader telling a kid "Be good, listen to what your mother says, and you'll never have to see us."

Dark Knight ultimately feels like a promise that failed to be delivered. What is present is decent - especially in the latter half, but I cannot in good faith say that it is anything above a B. The first half is a slog, and both halves have far too many structural issues.

Thank you for taking the time to read through all of this, dear reader. If you have any feedback or critique, I only ask that you are polite, and do take care not to spoil anything. I am still in Heavensward, and would love to experience more of the game as blind as possible.

If you're interested in my thought on any other job or guild questline, please do let me know! I'd love to write up my thoughts on it!

#final fantasy 14 #final fantasy xiv #dark knight #essay #idk I think this is allowed that tag #it's like 5k words #5152 including the title!!#pira rambles #my gf asked me to type up my full thoughts on this so #woe. perspectives be upon ye

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