Final Fantasy XIV’s Variant Dungeons, explained
Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker’s patch 6.25 is here, and introduces Variant Dungeons with it. A bit similar to older duties in Final Fantasy 14, each of these dungeons tasks players with exploring mysterious paths and fighting dangerous enemies. Besides mastering a whole new system, Variant Dungeons have multiple difficulty tiers, which can challenge even the most dedicated players. Of course, you can get great gear and other items for your efforts. Here’s everything you need to know.
Variant Dungeons are duties players can run solo or in groups of up to four players. To start, you’ll need need at least one job that has reached level 90 and the minimum item level of 575. A characteristic trait of these dungeons is their branch system, which presents you with multiple routes, each one including different enemies and scenarios.
Every time you complete a different path, you’ll receive new pieces of information regarding the place’s lore. This info is registered in the Survey Record, which can be accessed on the V&C Dungeon Finder menu. Since paths change depending on the choices you make, you’ll need to run Variant Dungeons more than once and explore different choices to have a complete experience.
Another important system: Variant Actions. Whenever you’re in a run of a Variant Dungeon, you’ll have access to a set of skills meant to compensate for the lack of one or another job in the party. For example, if you’re playing as a monk, you can use the Variant Rampart — based on the Paladin’s mitigation skill — to protect yourself while tanking an enemy.
In case players are looking for bigger challenges, it’s not a problem. Once you complete Variant Dungeons, you’ll unlock Criterion Dungeons — basically the Hard- and
Read more on polygon.com
