Over the last few expansions, Final Fantasy XIV has impressed us time and time again. FFXIV’s story isn’t the only impressive thing about it, though. It also has an extensive list of dungeons - totaling in at seventy-four. Some fall short from glory while others rise to the occasion. With so many dungeons to pick from, which are indeed the best? Here’s a top ten of the best dungeons in FFXIV and why.

10. Bardam's Mettle 

The Stepp home to Bardam's Mettle where only the bravest of warriors test their might.

You come to Bardam’s Mettle to prove yourself as a warrior of the Steppe so that you may complete in the Naadam. This dungeon is here to test the Warrior of Light’s strength and ability. From the very beginning, you find that this dungeon is here to test you as a player. 

Bardam’s Mettle makes it into the top ten because:

• It is the first test of player ability, with its second boss being a mechanics check for the players.
• You will quickly know if you are undergeared here as the enemies hit harder than players are used to in previous dungeons.
• The build-up before this dungeon of how dangerous it is and the true sense of accomplishment once it is beaten.

9. The Tam-Tara Deepcroft (Hard)

The creepiest wedding you will ever crash.

You’ve heard people have been invited to a wedding for a dead man. A man that died trying to follow your path no less. The Warrior of Light comes back to Tam-tara, where the couple’s hearts were shattered, only to find true horror inside. A broken-hearted maiden will do anything for her lost loved one, it seems.

This Dungeon makes it to nine on my top ten because:

• This is the first time you see the real dangers of the adventuring life. 
• Once the dungeon has been completed, you have a chance to see Edda Pureheart’s ghost in the world.
• This dungeon forces the party to work together on the mechanics, or they will face certain death.

8. The Vault

Sickness must be purged!

On your quest to help Sir Aymeric and bring the truth of the Dragonsong war to light, you’ve learned of the church's lies and deception. Ser Aymeric is imprisoned for suspected heresy by the archbishop to cover up the lies. Just when you think it’s over a loss, no one will soon forget, breaks your heart. Remember, “A smile better suits a hero.”

This dungeon makes it eight on my top ten because:

• You start to see the corruption in the world and just how cruel it can be.
• This dungeon is the first “heal check” you run into. If the healer can’t keep up, it’s going to be a long dungeon.
• Completely unforgettable. The cut scene at the end of the dungeon leaves a lasting impact on your heart. 

7. The Burn

A vast wasteland of ash and the aether is dead. 

The Burn is a place where aether is gone. That isn’t sand or snow, that’s ash. Everything here is dead, even the air. Except for the monsters that want to kill you to eat the aether you’ve brought into their home! Tread carefully because this is a dangerous wasteland that people haven’t stepped foot on in years.

This dungeon makes it to seventh on my top ten because:

• It’s unique in being that nothing here is alive aside from the monsters.
• The final boss has mechanics that are unique to just it, which is uncommon in this game. 
• Going through this dungeon, you can feel just how dangerous this place is supposed to be, to the point it makes even the player feel on edge.

6. Mt. Gulg

Vauthry's hiding place atop the mountain - just as pure and holy as he believes he is.

You’ve brought the people of Kholusia together to help you make your way to the top of this mountain. The build-up and suspense of finally dealing with Vauthry and seeing if the Warrior of Darkness can survive taking in more light. This fight could decide everything for both the first and seventh umbral worlds. You climb Mt. Gulg, not knowing what to expect and receiving the surprise of a lifetime. 

This dungeon makes it to sixth on my top ten list because:

• The build-up for this dungeon is something we have yet to feel for any other. 
• The stark contrast of the mountain versus the palace Vauthry has created shows you just how pure and godly he truly believes he is.
• The mechanics. This dungeon puts to the test most of the mechanics you should have learned at this point in the game.

5. Doh Mheg

The beauty of the fae isn't to be trusted if you are to survive this place.

On your quest to save the first, the Warrior of Darkness must collect the fae relics. You talk to the creatures that protect one of these relics, the Shell Crown, and they agree to give it to you. But only if you join them on some “thrilling sport,” they say. You go into their domain to find beauty and danger lurking around every corner.

This dungeon makes it to five on my top ten because:

• This is by far the most aesthetically pleasing dungeon in the game.
• The transitions in this dungeon are effortless and flow amazingly.
• The final boss has a unique parkour mechanic that you can’t use your class abilities to cross over.

4. The Ghimlyt Dark

Explosions and fighting all around, you must clear the way to the frontlines of this battleground.

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The battle for Eorzea is at its peak. You, the Eorzea alliance, the scions, and comrades from the east have all come together for this massive battle. Hoping to finally be rid of the Garlean scum that have invaded the homes of those you care about, you take to the front line of the battlefield. Fighting Garleans and their mechas, the Warrior of Light clears the path towards an unlikely victory.

This dungeon makes it to fourth on my top ten because:

• You get to see the impact war can have on an area. The dungeon is dark, and there is fire everywhere as you try to traverse through the trenches of warfare.
• NPCs are in this dungeon fighting as well. A unique design for sure is that you see these NPCs are just as invested in winning the battle as you are.
• The final boss is a glory to behold. The siblings you fight are a force to reckon with, and they know it as they stop mid-fight just too high five each other. Sure of their victory.

3. The Twinning

Tread carefully as you explore because this tower is not the same as before.

Now that things in the world have calmed down, researchers are delving deeper into the crystal tower. Not very far in, they find that there are guardian contraptions set about to keep people out, and an aetheric disturbance is being detected from within. The Warrior of Darkness is asked to go inside and clear a path for the researchers and to investigate the disturbance. Inside, you see how much the crystal tower has been changed from what it once was when you had last seen it.

This dungeon made it to third on my top ten list because:

• The difference between how this tower looks now versus when you stormed the place before truly hits home on how long it has been and the technological advancements made.
• The last boss is a reskin of Alexander, makes sense as Alexander was capable of time travel. In contrast, this contraption is inside a tower that traveled worlds and time. 
• The last boss’s room. If you look at the walls of the last room, it almost appears that you are looking into other times or dimensions, which works well with the lore of Alexander and the crystal tower.

2. Akadaemia Anyder

A place of learning has found that some magicks are too great, even for them.

You’ve heard stories and whispers of a giant bird-like creature haunting The Tempest. Your search for the creature takes you back to Amaurot and into the Akadaemia Anyder. This place of research is where the giant beings of the past had tried to perfect the godlike art of creation magick. Something inside the institute has gone terribly wrong as you are met with the researchers running for their very lives.

This dungeon made it to second on my top ten list because:

• You see that Emet Selch’s magical copy of his homeworld is changing now that he is no more.
• The first and last bosses in this dungeon are actual original designs and not reskinned old enemies. 
• The music. You have this classic, smooth jazz playing on what sounds like a scratched record to signify a place of dignity having messed up desperately. 

1. Amaurot

“Just as prayer gives rise to primals, our dread made manifest our deepest fears.” - Emet Selch"

The Warrior of Darkness has traveled to the depth of the ocean to save the Crystal Exarch from Emet Selch. Emet Selch knows you plan to slay him, but first, he must show you his truth. For nothing he does is without reason. He shows you how the original world, his home, was destroyed by their own hands.

This dungeon sits at the top of my top ten because:

• The dungeon itself is a story being spoken to you by Emet Selch as you work your way through.
• The world around you is falling away while fires are flaring up to signify; this truly is the end of days.
• In the last part of the dungeon, you can see the world from space as it is burning bright on one side. You can see that the world is already lost, for the rest is black as death.

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