Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward Officially Opens the Gates to Ishgard

Happy true release of Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward!

Today's the day of the official release, though many of us who've pre-ordered have been playing over the weekend thanks to the early access program.

Alongside the release is the 60th Letter from the Producer, brought to you, of course, by Naoki Yoshida.

Heavensward is the first expansion pack to Final Fantasy XIV, featuring a plethora of additions, including a new soundtrack brought to you by the combined forces of Masayoshi Soken and Nobuo Uematsu. This story leads adventurers into Ishgard, right in the midst of the Dragonsong War.

From playing so far, I can say that this plot is an improvement over A Realm Reborn's story. Additionally, there are new voice actors and actresses, new dungeons, a new playable dragon-like race called the Au Ra, increased level cap from 50 to 60, new abilities, flying mounts, new primals, and three new jobs--dark knight (tank), astrologian (healer), and machinist (DPS, support that is based off Final Fantasy Tactics)!

If you want to know everything that has been included in the expansion, you can read the 3.0 Full Patch Notes here.

To quote Yoshi P on the launch:
 

"Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward marks the beginning of the second season of our journey through the vast Final Fantasy XIV universe. Having laid a strong foundation in A Realm Reborn, we are extremely excited that Heavensward will build upon the new diverse gameplay and content that continue to be the hallmark of the online Final Fantasy experience."

Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward is available now at the Square Enix store and other retailers for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 systems, Windows PC, and Mac for $39.99. The physical Collector's Edition, which contains a dragon statue, is available for $129.99 and the digital Collector's Edition is $59.99. New accounts will receive a 30-day trial, but once the trial ends, you must pay $12.99 a month.

All I can say is, look forward to an enjoyable, unforgettable experience.