When the timeline shifts to the Storm Surge, the part where the airships are using their spotlights to search for/help survivors _really_ hit me hard for some reason. Sphene really did love her people.

Sphene, to me at least, feels like the epitome of the phrase, 'the road to hell is paved with good intentions.' This whole dungeon cemented to me how much she loved her citizens, sacrificing her own life if it meant saving even a few of them. And makes it all the more of a gut punch how far in extreme lengths the 'memory' version of her is willing to go for her people. Leaves me with the perfect feeling of 'if only there was another way'.

For those who've played FF9 and remembered enough, did anyone else felt like Sphene was effectively like a really tragic what-if Garnet/Dagger? A version of Garnet who never met Zidane until it was too late (if at all), and was left with a terrible fate? "Sphene" also being named after a gemstone laid the base, but this thought first took root for me between the lonesome queen's envy of Wuk Lamat and the WoL's party of companions and how she voiced many times if only she met Lamat sooner. It's like the opposite of one of Garnet's final conversations with Zidane, about how she was glad to have met him and gone on the journey she did. Then we have the similar characters who don't always come across as such: for Steiner, we obviously have Otis who is another loyal rusty knight; for Vivi, young Gulool Ja with his "let me come too" feelings echo similar lines from the young mage; and for Zidane, I think the part is in fact played by Wuk Lamat herself - she's got the tail, is adopted, is cheerful, and even has a sibling as the villain. All of whom encountered her too late. In FF9, Garnet was likewise a kind royal who struggled to do right by her people, and could've died either during the Eidolon extraction ritual or Kuja's attack on Alexandria. The big difference is, she had Zidane and the party to save her, a party who helped her to grieve the losses she faced and to mature as someone more than just a queen, and ultimately came out of it stronger. In FF14, wildly different magic-scape notwithstanding, the living Sphene had only Otis and her knights, but they weren't enough. While the AI Sphene is chained down by the system to ever only be a queen of a confined world for an unsustainable process, more lonesome than ever. She could only regress. As a fan of FF9, seeing what became of Sphene, while fascinating in terms of literature, stings my heart. Dawntrail's scenario isn't perfect, but the writers this time still did pretty good.

A Disney Princess story... ...that went horribly wrong

Amaurot. The Dead Ends. Baron. Another world that we are too late to save.

"How far would you go to protect someone you love?" This question played in my head throughout my time with Sphene

I will not deny that I was in shambles when the "dungeon unlocked" message appeared on my screen, FF9 was the first game I ever played and seeing it now in XIV fills me with joy.

1:40-2:30 is just bliss. Theme is called A Trail Unending and there is an orchestrion

I couldn't dps properly on the first pull because I was sobbing. FF9 my beloved.

The one thing I always admired about the final dungeons from ShB to DT is how narrative driven they are and how each section between bosses proceeds the story going forward or tells a story of its own in each area.

1:41 Had me floating out of my fucking chair during the dungeon, if one thing is always quality between every expansion it's the OST

I love these story telling dungeons a lot. Hate that people have these criticisms of these dungeons being "another amarot" with bad faith tones. These dungeons really sell the visual story telling of someone that went through a lot of tragedy and invoking a feeling dread and panic when we physically run through a catastrophe. Keep it up ff14.

The FF9 nostalgia hit like an absolute truck in this dungeon and the area connected to it. I'm so happy to see it being integrated into FF14

I loved this song since they used it for the job trailer and I waited through the whole expansion to hear it. And when I got to this dungeon I literally gasped when it started to play. This may be my new fave OST from the game overall. It is so good!

The first part where you see Alexandria in its prime, what a gorgeous place and how sad it ended...plus the FFIX nostalgia kicking in, another banger dungeon!

bro the transition between alexandria pre and post first boss is actually sad... Also, we got jebaited so hard on eliminator lmao...I was expecting it to be a trial

The part where your path is blocked until you watch Sphene's airship explode hit me particularly hard

Man, they just keep on killing it with these final dungeons, don't they?

A TO THE L TO THE E X ANDRIA, ENDLESS GONNA RISE UP BOOM LIKE THUNDER

From 1:42 to 2:29 is how it feels to achieve nirvana This is by far the best track in this DLC hands down

Really love the last zone showing the construction of Everkeep. 1:44 part played so well what it.

I loved the vibes of this dungeon. I got chills with the airships calling out for survivors.

Tanking through tears is hard :) 1:43 is an irl tankbuster

This song got me in the feels, crazy how part of it makes me feel so nostalgic yet there is no reason why. One of the best tracks. It’s so amazing!

Was so happy when I got to this, loved how this was used in the trailer and was waiting for it to pop up. Honestly I was anticipating it to be used in a post-MSQ dungeon. But this is better.

My heart ;-; seeing FF9 so represented makes me feel so good

In any other game, this would be a random battle theme for your protagonists. But here, YOU'RE the random battle; Sphene really WAS the hero of another story.

It's kinda crazy just how good this expac has been, :3

When 1:40 hits, I can't help it. I just get so hyped and sad at the same time. This, along with its zone and trial counterparts, has easily become one of my top 5 ffXIV tracks. Soken really outdid himself with this whole expansion.

The hate for this is so forced. They hit it out of the park with this. They’re truly just getting better and better with every expansion 🙌🏼

After hearing this in the job trailer and launch trailer, I was wondering when this would appear. Was not expecting it here. I had to do a double take. Wonderful track.

Something about the fact that Everkeep is built on and around the original Alexandria Castle makes me feel so mournful.

This song is phenomenal-- and this dungeon needs to become it's own town or player hub

This sounds somewhat similar to Fodlan Winds from FE Three Houses and I love it

One of my favorite dungeons, amazing how the scenery and music complement each other so well.

IMO this was my favorite of the “end of the alt world” dungeons

This dungeon is gorgeous, but it's so weird to me going into a dungeon with the same name as my birth name. It's just... an experience.

"A Trail Unending" Orchestrion

When they played this music for the Red Mage in the Job Trailer I immediately added it to my Red Mage playlist. I think it fits the job so much.

I'm. Shrieking, crying, trembling. And I don't care if it sounds dumb, because FF9 is *that* entry in the series for me. It really doesn't help that 1:55 on gives me incredibly strong Maria and Draco vibes even if I know it's not inspired by it, so I have two heartstrings being tugged at the same time. Fully imagining this world's version of Tantalus playing as they fly just out of sight of where we are, and we're just hearing that as we run through.

When they advertised Eliminator in the live letters, I had no idea it would show up here of all places

Ahh yes, another final story dungeon compromising of a long dead people during the calamity that wiped them from existence, who I feel compelled to help but with the uncomfortable knowledge that there's nothing I can do but watch their final moments unfold right in front of my eyes. I see the gut punch coming and I just take it every time, sasuga yoshi

A perfect recreation of Alexandria… and we have to witness the end of it. Well done at stabbing me in the heart CBU3.

id been waiting to hear where this song would play in the msq from the very start, when i heard bits of it in the theme of the final zone i knew i was in for it

Nice little nod to FF13 with the l’cie creature design 3:58

please make a longer loop of this :D

Now this is a lovely subversion. In every single FFXIV expansion's launch trailer, they've always used the final boss theme in it for some reason (excluding Zodiark's in Endwalker). Looks like they just used the final dungeon instead.

Ever since i first heard this theme in the Job Action trailer, i was eager to hear it at any moment in the MSQ. But when I first reached Living Memory, i remember recognizing its leimotif in the overworld theme, and the chills i got realizing that the theme i was so eager to hear in game would be the final dungeon.... Man, probably the most memorable thing to me.

best dungeon theme in the msq, i think. soken and team do not disappoint. ❤

Crazy feels

I just finished the dungeon. Perfect timing 😎

As a fan of ff9 and the parallels of Sphene and Garnet really hit home. As a commentor below said; Sphene is a tragic version of Garnet, one that we were too late to help/save. She really loved her people and did anything to save them even at the cost her life and her "memory" followed that to the point to do anything possible.

The song is struggling so hard to become Melodies of Life at some parts 😭

Soken cooked again. Outdid himself again.

Sphene is the one antagonist in FF14 that I truly wish we could've saved, we could've done so many great things together with her and the Alexandrians.

Time to do something you can't ever unhear now: While listening to this one song, imagine Fire Emblem Three House's main theme about to play at any moment during it.

Wol = Beatrix Wuk Lamat = Zidane Sphene = Garnet Otis = Steiner Krile = Vivi Ghara tia = Eiko Erenville = Amarant just my thoughts of what if IX and XIV would be connected with each char.

Citizen: Your smile means all is right with the world. Sphene: If I smile, it is because you all smile for me. :(

Pain💔

Really love the motifs. This should be Daiki Ishikawa. He already did such a good job arranging "Of Countless Stars" in The Dead Ends and I think he's the perfect guy to make final dungeon themes since Endwalker. It's just a shame that Ken Ito disappeared after Shadowbringers considering he also did a good job arranging "Mortal Instants" in Amaurot among many other tracks.

Ah, so this is where the music from the trailer came from where we heard VI's Opera theme! 1:55

This is how they share that they are making a ff9 remake without actually showing us

I'm hearing bits from aria di mezzo

Maybe next expansion we'll have Lindblum

I like 3 phase of dungeon when everything turns into a digital mess

SSSS WoL

Is this an original song or a reprisal of a FF9 song?

Able to post the Living Memory theme?

I dont play FF9 but why there are comments about it in this bgm? Is it remixed theme from FF9?

"Thanks Meteion..."

Love the music but why would you not play with double cross hotbar?

I guess they really don’t know how to make final dungeons where it isn’t memory lane of fallen civilization.

Bland nostalgia bait level.