Review: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

A review of the massively popular MMORPG from Square Enix based on the legendary Final Fantasy JRPG series

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Heavensward – Opening Movie | PS4, PS3

Final Fantasy XIV was first released in 2010. After the initial release failed, a new team was assigned by Square Enix and it was re-released as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. This MMORPG is one of the most popular and highly rated games in the genre and for good reasons; there is very little wrong with it and it’s perfect for fans of the Final Fantasy series.

Creating a MMORPG based on a well-established series is no easy task; yet, Square Enix has successfully done this and, as of July 2016, the game had 6 million players. It blends the standard MMORPG gameplay features with the classic Final Fantasy gameplay that fans of the series love. Following a lengthy, prosaic yet quintessential Final Fantasy starting game sequence, the game also has an opening cinematic scene and features a range of cut scenes throughout the MMORPG the flesh out the story as well as introduce the player to the vast and detailed world of Eorzea, a location painstakingly crafted and breathtakingly gorgeous in presentation.

The game is set in Eorzea five years after the events of the initial release of Final Fantasy XIV, wherein the Warriors of Light escape the terrible maelstrom by traveling into the future. Players take the role of a Warrior of Light with the intention of rebuilding the world after the destruction caused by Bahamut’s release from his lunar prison; in addition to this, the Garlean Empire, a magi-tek wielding nation-state with imperial ambitions, threatens to invade the region.

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As to be expected from this genre of game, players can create and customize their own avatar at the game’s start. Final Fantasy XIV has five distinct races from which to select, with each having both unique abilities and appearances. Selecting between the two clans available for each race will change the avatar’s appearance slightly to suit that clan. At this point the player can select from 8 unique classes. Classes in the game have a bigger impact than in most other MMORPGs, as they determine the starting city for the player. Additionally, each class is better suited to certain races; however, players are not locked to a particular race-class combination.

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Aside from the gameplay defining selection choices, there are plenty of options available for character customization; FFXIV features options that are typically lacking in the MMO genre such as build or height. These options are interesting but the system is underdeveloped; there are limited options available for each choice and few physical attribute sliders. The level of customization in the game could be improved. As a result, characters often look very similar to each other in the game world.

One of the best features in the game is the cross-class ability mechanic that allows players to easily switch between classes by changing their weapon; there is also a way to permanently switch class by completing a main story quest. It allows for high customization and every class can be customized and leveled independently from the player’s main class; players have complete control over every class in the game and can access any of them whenever they wish. This mimics the classic Final Fantasy “jobs” system. The class customization doesn’t end here, as there are specializations available for each class so that players can gain unique abilities to further tune Final Fantasy XIV to their playstyle. Some classes in the game even have sharable skills that work with other classes in the game.

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The game features a useful Active Help System that explains the basic game mechanics to new players; this is a great feature for players who are new to MMORPGs and the system also allows Veteran players to skip the game mechanic tutorial. Not enough games in the massively multiplayer online role playing game genre allow players to select their control method for the game but FFXIV allows players to use a controller if they wish. These are great features for players who are new to this type of game.

Players can expect to see the standard types of quests found in MMOs; these include doing classic quests such as killing enemies in grinding quests and also helping various NPCs by completing chores. It also features a unique quest system called Fully Active Time Event (FATE) which spawn around the world that take players to new places such as dungeons and provide special rewards.

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There are plenty of opportunities for combat and it is highly engaging. Players fight in active time battles (ATB) where each ability is on the screen to display their cooldown timers. Battles require players to actively watch for telltale attack signals so that they can dodge the incoming attack.

Players don’t need to engage in the PvP but it’s certainly still there, there are PvP designated areas in the world which are split into two options: Wolves’ Den and Frontlines: The Wolves’ Den is much more casual where players fight in 4v4 deathmatch style battles and Frontlines pits 72 players in a large-scale team-based battle to claim outposts and gain points.

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The PvP in the game is extremely limited and anyone mostly interested in this section of MMORPGs will be very disappointed with the game. It does feature quite a bit of PvE content however with a range of dungeons, wold bosses and raids which can be completed with a party.

Sadly the weakest area in the game is the communication systems between players; the chat service in the game is almost non-existent and switching between the different in-game chats is very awkward. Whispering other players doesn’t always work which makes finding other players to party with rather difficult in the game. There is a strong community outside of the game however and the official forums are a great place to find potential party members. Other MMORPGs such as World of Warcraft are typically very strong in this area and provide a variety of methods to quickly contact other players in the game.

While Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is one of the best MMORPGs ever developed, it falls short in quite a few areas; the weak PvP and communication systems can be enough to frustrate players and even a good reason to avoid the game. There’s a lot of great content in the game but some of the quests fall victim to the classic grinding seen in other games of this genre.

In the end, FFXIV is a solid MMORPG which fits nicely into the Final Fantasy universe and follows the same standards seen in the main games. Despite the issues the game has, Final Fantasy fans will certainly enjoy this game and most MMORPG fans will find it fun also; for most players, it’s worth playing after the 30 day free trial is up and is certainly worth the subscription fee.

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Other articles on DEMAGAGA about Final Fantasy XIV:

E3 2014: Final Fantasy XIV – A Realm in Peril Trailer

Final Fantasy XIV: Limit Breaks Trailer

Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn – A Tour of Eorzea, Part 1

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