Overall Impression
Final Fantasy XIV has a lot to offer especially for gamers that enjoy long story driven experiences. The story can be a slow burn until everything is setup and the characters and world are established, but the payoff for it can also be rewarding with story moments that will resonate with you for a long time. This is due to the development of an interesting and endearing cast of supporting characters, an epic soundtrack and for the most part a pleasant experience during coop portions of the game with battles that feel epic. There’s a lot of content here with an interesting mix of classes and activities in the end game phase that are not all combat related. Altogether, it is a unique offering in the MMO genre where story is actually a primary driving point and the end game can be more than just combat.
Target Audience
This game will appeal to those that really enjoy an expansive and story driven experience. There are a lot of cutscenes and even though it can be skipped overall those that are likely to enjoy the experience and stick with it are those that also enjoy the story, characters and themes that are explored. It can’t be understated that there is a lot of story content. It can feel a bit overwhelming if you are starting out from scratch and the initial chapters aren’t necessarily as well done as some of the newer expansions. You really have to know if you’re interested in this type of long form story telling as it encompasses a majority of the main questline. The good thing is that there is also plenty of other content that you could be drawn to many of which doesn’t necessarily involve combat.
Gameplay
The core gameplay loop is pretty standard compared to most MMOs but the difference is the focus on narrative and on side content that feels different. For much of the experience you’ll be going through the main story quest, completing objectives on the world map while you are slowly introduced to new components of the game. You’ll also develop a character, go through basic combat and also group content in the form of dungeons and boss encounters.
The group content is fairly well setup. You can queue up based on the role you want to play. This ensures a well balanced party is available to tackle the content. Overall coop etiquette in my experience was also pleasant for most encounters and having people just leave before the encounter was usually very rare. I think this is because overall there are certain rules that can prevent you from re-queuing if you are dropping out of instances frequently. There also seems to be an unspoken social understanding that you should be pleasant and complete the content you are signing up for. Of course everyone’s experience in this area is highly subject to your own personal encounters but in the hundreds of hours I’ve spent in the game the majority of it was very pleasant in the multiplayer experience.
Combat is interesting with an array of difficulties that cater to more casual and hardcore players. Each job feels quite unique and during combat you work through a certain rotation. The array of jobs and roles makes learning new jobs quite fun and also gives players the option to jump into a certain role that is required for content. The core trinity of tank, dps, healer/support is also present here.
There’s a wide range of different combat encounters. This includes the usual quest objective, to dungeons, boss and raid encounters. Combat usually ends up being like a puzzle asking the player to pay attention to enemy mechanics in order to survive and defeat bosses. This style of combat makes even regular dungeons interesting as you have to pay attention and react appropriately. It can be challenging especially on your first go but that’s also what makes the content fun and interesting. Altogether there’s a lot on offer that let’s you aim for content with a range of difficulty levels from casual to more hardcore.
PvP can also be fun even at a casual level. There are various encounters from large scale pvp to smaller team based encounters. Surprisingly you can enjoy this even at a casual level. Skills and interactions in PvP are usually different than in the PVE side allowing it to be properly setup for this style of encounter.
In addition to the combat jobs, there are non-combat roles that allow you to gather resources or craft. These jobs are also quite unique. Each role is setup with something fun. For example, when mining for resources there is a small mini game that makes the task surprisingly addictive. It’s these small touches that make the game feel different.
There is also an array of end game type activities that are all non-combat related. For example, you could purchase an apartment or home and design/decorate it. This type of customization and personalization is what makes the game really stand out. Not only is it surprisingly fun to design a space but it can become a long term end game activity with the ability to gain or save up for certain assets to create the space that you’ve always wanted.
Along the same lines is the ability to get cosmetic items to customize your character’s look. This usually comes in the form of drops that you can get in certain dungeons or through other activities. The sheer possibility of outcomes is impressive. I know for many players this can become a primary objective for playing the game. The more a game allows creativity and personalization the more the player gets to express who they are and really connect with a game that is personal and meaningful.
There’s also a range of fun miscellaneous activities. For example, there are treasure maps that players can obtain. You can then organize or participate in treasure hunts where each player supplies one map and all players in the team can benefit and run the map. The map itself is a fun and light hearted adventure, but what makes it special is a fun side activity that you can do with friends you’ve met in-game. This is just one example of what can make this a unique experience for those open to meeting others in-game.
Multiplayer Experience
The multiplayer experience is setup quite well allowing most players to easily participate if they choose. This is one of the aspects of the game that you have to experience to really understand what makes it different. There’s an unspoken culture that for the most part people are pleasant, helpful and kind especially in the more casual content like dungeons. This is a combination of the games culture combined with a queue system that allows you to select the role you want for the specified content and penalties for dropping out of content early.
There are various ways to connect with other players. You can join a linkshell (chat group) or go farther and join a company (guild). Linkshells can be a good way to jump in on specific content without feeling that you have to commit to more interaction or feel obligated to be more involved.
This game can allow you to experience everything you want to in an MMO if you’re open to connecting with others. If you are open to cooperating with other players your experience in this game can be vastly different. Having a group of people that have similar goals that you resonate with is something special. There’s a variety of content that you can tackle and if you can find the right team that matches your personality this can be an incredible experience. In my time with the game I was able to experience every type of content I wanted to explore in an MMO.
Narrative
The narrative is expansive and everything you would expect in a JRPG experience. There’s a lot of world building with vast regions, kingdoms, politics and conflict. At the heart of it all is a core cast of supporting units that interact with your character as the central protagonist in the story. One of the best aspects of a final fantasy title is the chemistry and comradery of the supporting cast and it’s no different here. Core cast members each have their own unique perks and idiosyncrasies that make them charming and intriguing. The story itself can feel slow to start especially in the beginning of the game and in the early expansions. However, the journey is epic and one that leaves a lasting impression.
This is quite a feat especially in an MMO.
Art & Design / Music
The art design is very much in line with a Final Fantasy title in the era it was originally created. There’s a stylized realism mixed with an anime like aesthetic to the visuals that lean towards muted palettes with splashes of colour to draw attention. Faces are clean while armor and gear are detailed and textured. Much of the intrigue with this style of game is the ability to customize your character with a range of outfits. Environments and architecture are grand drawing inspiration from medieval eras with a mix of high fantasy and science fiction. The cinematics even to this day are epic and well crafted. The in-game visuals can look dated by modern standards, but for a game that originally released in 2014 it still looks decent.
The music is special. There’s nothing better than facing a boss than with an anthem that matches the world ending stakes that are at play. FFXIV does this consistently through its many expansions. The featured songs are just as epic as the boss encounters themselves. This makes the triumphs and victories all that much sweeter. The original soundtrack is poetic, expressive and the perfect match that sets the tone for the narrative and battles. It may be one of my favorite soundtracks in all of gaming. Altogether, there’s a mix everything from orchestral, rock, electronic and folk.
Challenges
One of the core components to decide if this is for you or not is if you resonate with the narrative. Can you enjoy this experience without enjoying the story. Absolutely. However, players that are more likely to resonate the most with this game are those that like the narrative, the style of how its delivered and the themes that are explored. It can feel like a slow build especially in the early phases of the game. It’s one of the reasons the original game was rebooted. The world is vast with political conflicts and rivalries that are explored in detail. In addition, the ratio of narrative to gameplay in the main story quest line leans heavily towards narrative similar to other JRPGs. This is why it is critical to understand your own preferences for story as it can have a major impact on your experience with this title.
The other core factor that can profoundly impact your overall experience is whether you decide to approach most content solo or with a group. You can make your way through most of the story content as a solo player as the queueing system is well designed making it easier to do. However, if you do decide to get to know people in the game and develop connections the entire experience can be transformed. You’ll be able to tackle a large variety of the content (even as a casual player). This one aspect that completely transforms the experience. It’s why the MMO genre was created in the first place. But it can heavily depend on who you meet and if you resonate and connect with those you come across.
Closing Thoughts
FFXIV is an epic adventure set in the Final Fantasy world. The range of activities is vast. The array of jobs to master combined with challenging combat encounters and non-combat related end game activities make for a satisfying experience. Those that resonate with the narrative style and themes are in for an epic adventure with some of the best songs in all of gaming.
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GAME DETAILS
PLATFORMS: PS4/5, PC, macOS, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch 2
RELEASE: 2013
DEVELOPER/PUBLISHER: Square Enix
GENRE/TAGS: MMO, RPG, Fantasy
TARGET AUDIENCE: MMO fans that enjoy more than just combat and are also open to multiplayer experiences.
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