With Valley IV secured, The Endministrator (Chloe Eves, Zenless Zone Zero), Perilica (Jane Jackson, Wuthering Waves), and Chen (Rebecca Hanssen, Stellar Blade) made their way to Wuling City to aid one of Endfield’s staunchest allies. Along the way, they encountered Tangtang, the Supreme Chief of Quigbo Stockade. Arknights Endfield 1.1 [Old Deep Water Dies, by Rising Tide It is Denied] returns to the stockade as things turn bad for Tangtang, and the safety of the region is put into jeopardy.
When the story first introduces Tangtang, the character is a largely comical element in the tale. Her goofy personality and care-free attitude gave the impression of someone playing at being “Supreme Chief” as much as actually being one. However, it is clear from the get-go that she does truly love and care about the Stockade. In particular, her big bro, Ruan Yi.
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The largely playful energy Tangtang exhibits throughout her initial appearance perfectly sets up her return. With Quigbo in grave danger, and Stockade traitors teaming up with Land Breakers to first capture Quigbo, then attack Wuling, the tragedy that Arknights Endfield 1.1 becomes casts a poignantly contrasting role for the young character. As she struggles to come to terms with what is happening, she must look to both herself and her true allies for the strength to endure, even after the smoke has cleared.
Recontextualizing Tangtang and Mi Fu helps expand the world around them in Arknights Enfield 1.1.
While Tangtang stands at the epicenter of the emotional crater the story forms, she is far from the only person affected by the narrative’s events. Mi Fu returns for a large role in the opening half of the update, as well. Her casual antagonism toward Tangtang in the 1.0 story has a similar effect on her character as Tangtang’s does. With true danger at their doorstep, we get a clearer picture of how Mi Fu feels about both Tangtang and the Stockade, as well as her deep history with them.
The recontextualizing of both characters in the main story not only helps them individually but also serves as a great vehicle for expanding the world around them. Much like in the game’s first narrative, Arknights Endfield 1.1 never loses track of the side characters that make up the bulk of its world. The tragedy unfolding in Quigbo is something the whole community feels, and the player sees and is made to understand that.
The main narrative’s central theme, which propels all this chaos and pain to play out, centers on vengeance and the unending cycle of violence it can lead to. How the checkered past between Wuling and Quigbo created the opportunity for the current-day tragedy feels painfully real. The depth some characters go to conceal plans for nearly a decade in the name of revenge drives home the powerful impact death and violence can have, even as it compels victims to perpetrate the same mistakes again.
1.1’s epiologue-style tale reinforces favorite story elements from the base game.
The biggest surprise that Arknights Endfield 1.1 delivers with its narrative comes after the dust of the main story has settled. With the main traitor force broken, it seems like things should revert to normal. But they haven’t. With agreements made with the Land Breakers and pain still borne by many, Tangtang discovers that one close to her is still trying to stir up trouble with Wuling. This causes her to once againr each out to the Endministator for help.
This epilogue-style tale reinforces one of my favorite elements from the 1.0 story. Rather than defeating the villain and moving on, the narrative lingers, showing the aftermath of the previous battle. Allowing for a fuller understanding of what the impact was for both the people of Quigbo, as well as Tangtang herself. Seeing the lessons the Supreme Chief learned from the main fight makes it feel much more meaningful, and will hopefully set the stage for further growth from her as the ongoing narrative unfolds.
While the bulk of the tone is on the heavy side, the story does allow for a few well-timed moments of levity. Coming mostly from Chen and the Endministrator, the duo continues to showcase how many chuckles they can elicit from their ever-perilous circumstances.
Arknights Endfield 1.1’s new areas deliver a grander scale.
The only place where one can complain about the narrative is at the beginning. The story does take a little bit to get going. This time is propped up by the good characters and writing, so it’s not bad, but the story feels a little hesitant at first.
Beyond the story, Arknights Endfield 1.1 brings numerous other elements to the game, such as the new area, which represents Quigbo Stockade itself. The area feels perfectly in line with the previously introduced regional elements associated with the stockade, just on a grander scale. The water wheels powering the stockade are enormous, some even serving as elements in a platforming segment.
The multilayered area design perfectly nails the appearance of an unplanned construction project. Every path and space feels as if they grew organically with the stockade over time. However, it balances this appearance with reasonable layouts that keep the player from getting completely turned around.
The 1.1 final boss brings a new level of hype.
Framing the makeshift construction and rusty building elements is the expected lush green environment of the Wuling Region. Despite the rough handiwork of the Stockade, the vibrant greens and majestic falls that surround the structure lose none of their luster, creating a couple of jaw-dropping vistas.
From a gameplay standpoint, Arknights Endfield 1.1 brings a new level of hype through its final boss. The multistage fight offers a fair amount of challenge, especially if you aren’t paying attention to the surroundings. There is an important trick that is easy to miss if you let yourself get overwhelmed by the onslaught of projectiles that threaten you during the boss’s second stage. Once discovered, however, the fight is much more manageable.
This approach to difficulty works really well for this style of game. Since players will want to face off with the boss again in Re-crisis challenges, the boss’s nature will make those fights easier to clear, without sacrificing the challenge of the initial encounter.
The new ore at Quigbo Stockade adds some variety to the gear assembly process.
And speaking of gameplay, Tangtang is the latest cryo character to join the game’s roster. Her abilities are fun and feel significantly powerful. Her ultimate freezes all enemies in a radius around her, including bosses, making her a great setup character that can buy you some breathing room from overly aggressive enemies. There is some sequencing to keep track of when playing her, but nothing too complicated if you focus.
The biggest thing to remember is that you want to wait for Tangtang’s enhanced battle skill to be available rather than using her standard. If you have lots of arts users, which you most likely will with her, the added arts susceptibility her enhanced version grants is worth it.
The other big addition is a new ore that can be mined in Quigbo Stockade. This new mineral comes with new factory elements to utilize it, as well as new gear that requires components made from it to craft. These new facilities also bring some changes to the established assembly lines, adding a bit of variety to the gear assembly process.
Arknights Endfield 1.1 delivers a strong first addition to help set players’ expectations.
While on the topic of the factory, I need to acknowledge how much this sometimes maligned element of the game continues to grow on me. In the past, I have tolerated the mechanic, finding joy in my successes in using it, rather than in the act of getting it to work.
However, returning once more to set up new lines for the new ore had me actually enjoying the puzzle aspects of getting things to work right. Figuring out how to run more conveyor belts and place equipment in the snarled snake’s nest I’ve already haphazardly constructed was genuinely enjoyable.
Arknights Endfield 1.1 delivers a strong first addition to help set players’ expectations. An engaging story that builds out both the world and the cast makes for a great centerpiece. Add on a gorgeous new area, a boss that feels different from what we’ve gotten before, and a new playable character who is fun and effective, and there seems to be plenty of reason to be hopeful where the game’s future is concerned.
Arknights: Endfield is available now for mobile, PC, and PlayStation 5.
