Encyclopaedia Eorzea volume III

by Square Enix

Synopsis:

The third volume of the official Final Fantasy XIV lore books, written and compiled by the Final Fantasy XIV development team! This deluxe hardcover tome comprises records of adventures that transcend the bounds of space and time, from the ancient world to the very stars above.

Offering an astonishing amount of information covering the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions, this third volume of Encyclopaedia Eorzea brings readers further into the realms of the global hit video game. Hundreds of richly illustrated, full-color pages present detailed explorations of the events that occurred in Etheirys, Norvrandt, and the sea of stars, as well as comprehensive descriptions of their histories, peoples, lands, and more.

An unending source of knowledge and inspiration to all those who seek truths across and beyond our star.

As ever, Encyclopaedia Eorzea‘s third volume is a wonderful expansion/repository of the lore for Final Fantasy XIV’s increasingly complex world. This volume covers the places and peoples of the Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions, giving us titbits of insight into the history of the First (the world we occupy during the Shadowbringers expansion), and the life of the Ancients (which impacts most heavily on the Endwalker expansion)… along with the lives of other tribes and peoples we meet along the way, like the Lopporits.

If you’re a casual player, you might not be interested in reading cover-to-cover, but it can be useful for a quick recap of the plot or of characters. Even being a relatively non-casual player, some of that stuff was helpful to me because I’ve forgotten some of the incidental characters.

If you’re a fan of the Ancients, there’s some fascinating stuff here about them. For example, Venat’s sword — and the fact that while Hythlodaeus may call himself a middling mage, he’s in fact very adept with aether. It provides a bit of additional insight on the characters, for sure, including the beloved ambystoma (listed ahead of Hermes, in fact).

The book comes with an insert giving you a code for the Wind-up Forchenault minion for your FFXIV account, which I have redeemed promptly!

Rating: 5/5

Encyclopaedia Eorzea volume II

by Square Enix

Synopsis:

Dedicated to those for whom the pursuit of knowledge is a never-ending journey.

In the mere two years since the release of our first official lore book, the world of FINAL FANTASY XIV has grown to encompass not only the untraversed corners of Eorzea, but the far-reaching lands of an entire new continent to the east. With new horizons come new discoveries, and so it is with great pleasure that we bring you the second volume of Square Enix’s best-selling Encyclopædia Eorzea, containing 300 pages of newly compiled information on the realms we proudly call our second home.