FFXIV PSA: You can restore Living Memory post-MSQ via New Game Plus

If you’ve reached the end of the Dawntrail MSQ in Final Fantasy XIV, you’ve likely reached a sad realisation: the final zone is no longer alive, and it’s actually a horribly depressing place to be once all is said and done. 

Not only are we now forced to live with the guilt of our choices, however necessary those choices were, we’re also faced with the gloomy grey setting whenever we return to Living Memory. I speak from experience when I say that this is never more true than when undertaking the Shared FATE grind in the area or unlocking Aether Currents. 

However, there is a way to bring life back to Living Memory, and it doesn’t involve any quests or much effort. 

How to temporarily restore Living Memory in Final Fantasy XIV

If you’re hoping to bring some color and life back to Living Memory, all you need to do is utilize the New Game+ feature that’s already a part of Final Fantasy XIV. 

This feature allows you to relive previous adventures, either through beginning a previous expansion all over again or reliving side quests. You do all of this at your current level, with your current gear, and you’re not locked to the regions which were unlocked at the time. 

To prevent the overwhelming sadness that is Living Memory at the end of Dawntrail, open up New Game+ through the Duty menu and select the second tab. This will bring up all of the previous expansions, split into parts for you to redo. 

You’ll want to select any part of the Endwalker MSQ and click commence, but you won’t be able to do this from an area added in Dawntrail, so make sure you head to any area which was available during Endwalker. Once you’ve commenced the New Game+, you’ll see this in place of your usual quest indicator:

Now, you’re free to travel to Living Memory and it will be much the same as it was when you first arrived. This gives you the chance to really take your time and explore, listen in on some of the conversations between the Endless who once lived there, and remember why you enjoyed the area to start with. 

You can still complete FATEs, and they’ll still count towards your Shared FATEs. Hunt Marks will still appear and you’re free to level up Jobs as you would outside of New Game+. 

Hopefully, a future patch will introduce a way to restore Living Memory in a more permanent way. But until then, if you’d rather have some color in your adventures, this is a good way to do it.