Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn

 PC
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 2236 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,673 out of 2236
  2. Mixed: 169 out of 2236
  3. Negative: 394 out of 2236
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  1. zeigdo
    Sep 5, 2013
    2
    really wished i would of enjoyed the game after spending a few hours of trying multiple character to lvl 20 ish ive noticed that the game has a huge lack of action ive had alot more fun with free mmos out there then this subscription based game. The overall graphics are ok the story is alright the cut scenes and voice acting for the little parts that have some are pretty bad.
    like    really wished i would of enjoyed the game after spending a few hours of trying multiple character to lvl 20 ish ive noticed that the game has a huge lack of action ive had alot more fun with free mmos out there then this subscription based game. The overall graphics are ok the story is alright the cut scenes and voice acting for the little parts that have some are pretty bad.
    like most people mentioned you cant really access the game since release because of servers full and no queue system, witch is very annoying.... its normal to have issues at launch day but they said something like they didn't expect so many people playing but they didnt see the amount of sales before game come out weird
    anyways maybe this game will improve but the game doesn't feel up to date graphically and fun wise for today's gaming maybe if it was 7+ years ago     … Expand
  2. MellerYeller
    Sep 5, 2013
    5
    Is this better than the 1.0 version? Absolutely. However, it basically just went from terrible, up to mediocre. It's an amazing difference by comparison to the old one, but comparing it to more recent MMOs, it lacks any and all substance. It's basically just the skeleton of a modern themepark MMO because it has your basic functions like quest hubs and boring combat, but absolutely nothingIs this better than the 1.0 version? Absolutely. However, it basically just went from terrible, up to mediocre. It's an amazing difference by comparison to the old one, but comparing it to more recent MMOs, it lacks any and all substance. It's basically just the skeleton of a modern themepark MMO because it has your basic functions like quest hubs and boring combat, but absolutely nothing past that. These kinds of MMOs don't cut it anymore with a more and more particular MMO audience. There's nothing special here other than Final Fantasy styling, so it is basically babby's first MMO and most likely forgotten entirely with in a few months.… Expand
  3. Klun
    Sep 5, 2013
    3
    After 2 Years and this being the second launch of this game and they still cant manage to grant access to the player is a huge fail... Now lets skip the server problems and jump to the game "

    The Customization is awful, very limited options and went you jump into the game world everyone looks alike... The fights are still slow and in the safe zone with nothing special, charming or    After 2 Years and this being the second launch of this game and they still cant manage to grant access to the player is a huge fail... Now lets skip the server problems and jump to the game "

    The Customization is awful, very limited options and went you jump into the game world everyone looks alike...
    The fights are still slow and in the safe zone with nothing special, charming or new.
    The graphics and sounds are the only improvement and the reason of my 3 Score points.

    Overall for a "reborn game" that has a full entry price /monthly fees and one of the best developer of fantasy experience is just sad, especially when you take into consideration others MMo games more polished and Free    … Expand
  4. Nakts
    Sep 5, 2013
    0
    This game is an admitted WoW clone in Final Fantasy skin, the quests are boring and time consuming, Skinner box anyone, the combat is terrible, and the game was too easy, before they made it easier.

    Graphics: It's pretty, but being based in the PS3 platform, that will likely not last. Music: Fairly unmemorable, nothing seem to stand out at all. Gameplay: It's pretty horrible, if    This game is an admitted WoW clone in Final Fantasy skin, the quests are boring and time consuming, Skinner box anyone, the combat is terrible, and the game was too easy, before they made it easier.

    Graphics: It's pretty, but being based in the PS3 platform, that will likely not last.
    Music: Fairly unmemorable, nothing seem to stand out at all.
    Gameplay: It's pretty horrible, if you're looking for something different, look someplace else.

    Bottom line: they took everything good about MMOs and made it simple to the point of stupidity, this may actually qualify as baby's first MMO with difficulty level being nil and the game holding your hand at all times.

    On the other hand, the game is being run by people who'd rather work on new things to add to the already broken pile, they already have with their errors and server cues, rather than fix what's broken now.    … Expand
  5. bakr48
    Sep 5, 2013
    10
    This game really is amazing. Everything about it is beautiful. From the characters, to the environments, to everything. It is all meshed together to make you feel like the entire world is real and alive. Great job Yoshi P
  6. Fonjo
    Sep 4, 2013
    10
    Final Fantasy ARR is a completely different game from the original release. I would probably give it a slightly lower score than a ten but someone has to counteract all of the unreasonable people who gave the game a one within the first week of launch. Yeah, Square messed up the launch pretty badly but they admitted a fault and took care of it.

    The game is a joy to play and while it    Final Fantasy ARR is a completely different game from the original release. I would probably give it a slightly lower score than a ten but someone has to counteract all of the unreasonable people who gave the game a one within the first week of launch. Yeah, Square messed up the launch pretty badly but they admitted a fault and took care of it.

    The game is a joy to play and while it does have many small flaws, it has the spark that many MMO's seem to be missing lately. The dev team also seems genuinely interested in providing the best experience for their fans. Sometimes it just takes time to get the kinks worked out. Great game.    … Expand
  7. djkal
    Sep 4, 2013
    10
    Server and login issues seem to have been fixed and I can now say this game is a solid 10. I love the gameplay. Leveling up is a lot of fun compared to WoW. Grouping is quite painless compared to most MMO's I have played. Beautiful game overall.
  8. Quinma
    Sep 4, 2013
    7
    This is a solid MMORPG. Everything content wise is very well done and the community is mostly a lot of nice old school gamers who go all the way back to EverQuest and FFXI.

    Graphics are enjoyable, story line cut scenes are great. I love a MMO that actually has a story. +3 story +2 content +1 graphics +1 community Other than the story it is a pretty standard MMO. -1 for the    This is a solid MMORPG. Everything content wise is very well done and the community is mostly a lot of nice old school gamers who go all the way back to EverQuest and FFXI.

    Graphics are enjoyable, story line cut scenes are great. I love a MMO that actually has a story.

    +3 story
    +2 content
    +1 graphics
    +1 community

    Other than the story it is a pretty standard MMO.

    -1 for the release technical difficulties.
    -1 for not creating any new amazing content that no MMO has done yet.
    -1 price

    And yes i did just make up those arbitrary numbers but they represent how I feel about the game.    … Expand
  9. Stoff3th3m4n
    Sep 4, 2013
    9
    They game is really fun to play at this moment, despite of server issues which will be adressed. And that's what it's all about really. They challenge for the developers will be to keep players interested and that can't be reviewed yet naturally. But plain and simple, it's really fun to play.
  10. Reira
    Sep 4, 2013
    4
    Starts out as fun as any MMORPG but quickly deteriorates due to lack of any substantial content. It becomes a grind no matter how you play it. It is worth mentioning that the customer service is extremely bad. However, being in Japan and working for Japanese companies has showed me that what passes as bad in many countries is actually "normal" in Japan. Don't expect things to changeStarts out as fun as any MMORPG but quickly deteriorates due to lack of any substantial content. It becomes a grind no matter how you play it. It is worth mentioning that the customer service is extremely bad. However, being in Japan and working for Japanese companies has showed me that what passes as bad in many countries is actually "normal" in Japan. Don't expect things to change much as the Japanese players aren't as likely to complain about this as players from other countries are.… Expand
  11. Cheshire
    Sep 3, 2013
    8
    This game has certainly come a long way from 1.0 and all the horridness involved with it. I have to say that when I first heard they were going to be gutting the game and re-working it from the ground up I was a bit skeptical. All the promises from the new development team seemed very lofty at the time and I wasn't sure they could deliver on all of them or even come close. However, fromThis game has certainly come a long way from 1.0 and all the horridness involved with it. I have to say that when I first heard they were going to be gutting the game and re-working it from the ground up I was a bit skeptical. All the promises from the new development team seemed very lofty at the time and I wasn't sure they could deliver on all of them or even come close. However, from the time of beta phase one it became very clear that they had made good on their promises.

    Graphics 1.0 sported some very amazing graphics and made even my high-end pc work to its limit but at the time it was a simply amazing looking game. Since we're now in ARR I have to say, they've taken what was already a beautiful game and made it look even better. At the same time, they've been able to make it run better on almost anybodies machine. Even on medium settings, the game is simply gorgeous. The attention to detail in the world continues to blow me away with every single new area that I explore. The weather effects and lighting associated with them are simply stunning. The snow, the rain, the lightning flashes; I am constantly being impressed. The spell and ability effects that you see on your screen when there's a lot of players around you are amazing. There simply is no other MMO currently on the market that can beat how this game looks.

    Game play There's something for everyone in this department. You'll find many similarities to other mmo's in what you find here, as well as a lot of new features that you won't find in other mmo's. It's pretty cookie cutter I will admit, but in my opinion people come to expect a certain style of play in their online role-playing games. I'm not going to say it's anything ground-breaking, but it doesn't have to be.

    Story It's very much what you come to expect from an FF title. A very interesting plot-line that gets more rewarding the farther into the story you get. The game revolves around a main story line quest that leads you around the world as you're leveling. In addition to this there are also stories associated with the class that you're currently leveling. My main is currently a ARC/SCH and I have to say that I have certainly enjoyed my class story and what's going on in it. They've done a very good job at linking the main story to pretty much everything you unlock in the game. For example, as you're leveling and progressing in the main story-line more and more options open up to you. You start out in one city and eventually you're able to unlock airship access to allow you to explore more of the world. The farther along you get, the more you're able to do and the farther you're able to travel.

    Crafting/Diversions Crafting, gathering, or 'working' as some people would call it. This game takes quite a different approach towards crafting and gathering. While it as often seen as something on the side to do in other mmo's, crafting is a complete other class that you level in this game, just as you would a mage or a warrior or any other type of combat class. The system is such a refreshing change of pace and actually requires strategy and planning to do well in. Push for higher quality on your crafts and hopefully produce a high quality item, but don't push too far because you'll run the risk of breaking the item you're trying to produce and losing some or all of your mats. I love it.

    Are there server issues? Of course there are, it's an MMO launch. The server's are packed and queue times can be horrible. As I'm writing this review though, the game is down for maintenance and the server team is adding new servers and implementing changes to address these issues as I'm sure they'll continue to do so going forward. If anything, chalk it up to the fact that it's popularity is causing the issues. There's a reason it's so popular it's an amazing game with tons to offer. Patience is required as things move towards improving and if you can see past this point, you won't regret it.

    Honestly, there's so much more to this game than I can really include in a simple Metacritic review. The new development team has completely met and surpassed my expectations in what they promised us and this is only the beginning. I am definitely looking forward to experiencing all that this game is and will become as it evolves. If you're looking for a challenging MMO that engages the mind and has lots of bang for your buck, look no further. The Final Fantasy MMO is back, and I'm so happy to be a part of it.    … Expand
  12. transient03
    Sep 3, 2013
    6
    This is the truth about FF14 arr: PLEASE READ

    First of all, it is a FF game. Very much feels like one, nuff said. The world, graphics and cinematics are wonderful; gameplay is fluent and responsive. The lvling system is tedious and unoriginal, but for some reason its addictive. Haven't gotten too far into crafting/gathering but both seem OK, nothing to complain or write home about.    This is the truth about FF14 arr: PLEASE READ

    First of all, it is a FF game. Very much feels like one, nuff said. The world, graphics and cinematics are wonderful; gameplay is fluent and responsive.

    The lvling system is tedious and unoriginal, but for some reason its addictive. Haven't gotten too far into crafting/gathering but both seem OK, nothing to complain or write home about.

    Class/Job system is interesting and balanced. BUT, this is where the game is ultimately going to fail. Right now I am a lvl 25 arcanist and I am spamming 3 moves. Overall my endgame rotation as arc/summoner with cross skills might be 6-7 skills with some variance for off-healing/tanking on top of DOT Dps. Right now its ok, but the lack of endgame and monotonous rotation is why i know myself and many of you will eventually move-on to the next MMO (Elder Scrolls Online sometime next year).

    As far as the server issues: extremely frustrating without much helpful communication from SE. However, I'm sure this will not remain a problem for long. Everyone scoring this game based on first week server issues is missing the point.

    Overall, play this this game. Its not going to be the greatest MMO or FF you've ever played, but this is my reasoning Let's be honest, as of right now there really isn't much in the way of fun, new video games out right now with all the focus on next-gen gaming, and for the next...six months...there won't be. I'm sure SE is scratching their head right now of why so many people are playing this game beyond their expectations, and this is a question it seems the video game industry as a whole has yet to figure out; the ANSWER... Most gamers are looking for the same things and those quality games us gamers are looking for are often missing. During these "Video Game Dry Seasons" a game like FF14 ARR is the best we're gonna get. So play this game along with the console version of Diablo 3 until Titan Fall is released in march and then Destiny and ESO later in 2014.    … Expand
  13. AlteraMoontail
    Sep 3, 2013
    10
    This MMO is one of the most enjoyable I have played in years. It has its launch issues with too many players not enough servers, but they are being fixed. So I am being patiently cause the game itself is BRILLIANT ^^ Well worth the wait
  14. HD32PLAY
    Sep 3, 2013
    9
    People giving this game a zero are simply raging please ignore them. From what I have played (albeit on the Japanese servers) this game looks and feels incredible. The world design and overall feel of the environment is simply top notch, while looking good it also performs well on my mediocre-high rig.

    In regards to game play, standard tab-targeting MMO basics are here, and not much    People giving this game a zero are simply raging please ignore them. From what I have played (albeit on the Japanese servers) this game looks and feels incredible. The world design and overall feel of the environment is simply top notch, while looking good it also performs well on my mediocre-high rig.

    In regards to game play, standard tab-targeting MMO basics are here, and not much else. Is this a bad thing To be honest I find the simplistic nature of the combat in the game very nice to play especially with a controller which this game does an almost perfect job at supporting. The launch has been shaky but this is to be expected with a game of this type, these issues are being resolved however, and people saying that the developers are "doing nothing" are simply impatient.

    I have had to come away from the game to write this review, partly because on a Japanese server I am not making any real progress, and partly because it is almost "too beautiful". Final Fantasy fans should play this game, MMO fans should play this game, heck even people that like going for walks in the countryside should play this game. Final Fantasy gives us just that, a fantasy world that is simply incredible, the game play is simplistic but enjoyable and easy to pick up. Wait a while (for the server issues to be resolved) and then play this game.    … Expand
  15. Delmale
    Sep 3, 2013
    8
    I played FFXIV ARR through beta and I found the game to be entertaining. The leveling experience is extremely similar to your standard quest to level MMO with a side of Guild Wars 2 type world events (for extra exp) called FATEs, thus it's not fair to judge a game just based on the leveling (and to an extent, the dungeon experience) alone. So I decided to wait until end-game before puttingI played FFXIV ARR through beta and I found the game to be entertaining. The leveling experience is extremely similar to your standard quest to level MMO with a side of Guild Wars 2 type world events (for extra exp) called FATEs, thus it's not fair to judge a game just based on the leveling (and to an extent, the dungeon experience) alone. So I decided to wait until end-game before putting up a review.

    However, the so called "early access" to the game game actually turned out to be "late access" for me. I have a legacy character and the world I am on literally prevents me from logging in as its always full. So I decided to re-roll to kill some time, but guess what?! Every server is full! Not only that, but servers do NOT have queues you have to constantly hit star character screen choose character login Error! Server full! Just to retry every single time.

    This has caused people to leave their characters in the game online over night for fear that they won't be able to login. This launch was a complete failure. Unfortunately for SE, a game isn't just based on its content. It's the ability to execute their product in a timely manner and provide acceptable service on a consistent basis. I have not been able to access a product that was advertised to be available days before its August 27th release date, primarily due to the fact that I work and everyone is hammering the servers at 5PM. While it is understandable that this is a busy time, it is unacceptable that there is no server queue and it is essentially luck based who gets in.

    For that I give it 3/10.    … Expand
  16. gouki12
    Sep 3, 2013
    0
    Don't waste your time on this.

    Should you ever get into the game. You will face a ton of problems and shortcomings. Especially content-wise. Have fun fate-grinding your way to 50, waiting 3+ hours for a group if you are a damage dealer only to find, at the end of the journey, that there is pretty much no endgame content. Once you finish the main story endgame consists of farming 3    Don't waste your time on this.

    Should you ever get into the game. You will face a ton of problems and shortcomings. Especially content-wise.

    Have fun fate-grinding your way to 50, waiting 3+ hours for a group if you are a damage dealer only to find, at the end of the journey, that there is pretty much no endgame content.

    Once you finish the main story endgame consists of farming 3 bosses in hard-mode.

    There is no pvp either. It will take them months to add another 3 bosses that you have already done in normal mode to farm in hard-mode.

    Repetitive and boring. It might take 2 or 3 expansion packs until this game is worth it.

    IF they have fixed their server-architecture by then.    … Expand
  17. cadderick
    Sep 3, 2013
    9
    Game is beautiful, runs great on Console and PC. Stories for each realm are very helpful in the beginning. Up to level 30 you have so much you can do. The crafting system is wonders, Classes are great to utilize.
    MOST NEGATIVE REVIEWS ARE JUST ABOUT SERVER PROBLEMS. EQ,DAOC, EVE most of all the MMOs had this the first week- 2 weeks.
    Duty system has great lore and great teamwork. COMBOS    Game is beautiful, runs great on Console and PC. Stories for each realm are very helpful in the beginning. Up to level 30 you have so much you can do. The crafting system is wonders, Classes are great to utilize.
    MOST NEGATIVE REVIEWS ARE JUST ABOUT SERVER PROBLEMS. EQ,DAOC, EVE most of all the MMOs had this the first week- 2 weeks.
    Duty system has great lore and great teamwork. COMBOS in higher levels are good! Yes you have to work to level 30 to start using your greatness! for instance my Archanist/Summoner can DOT, heal, Debuff, Pet aggro adds/ pet healing, Disease, Mega DOT. I'm always making sure the healer has help, the tank has back up when mobs break thru, and the main mob is debuffed. Its FUN.

    The duties with a Tank is always on the move, sometimes mobs can grow to the 20s and tank has to be on his game, along with the healer. COMBOs do come and are fun. So this 2-3 combo is nonsense, these are the people I dont want in my group lol...
    The class cross-over skills are a must to have more buffs and such. theres just so much.
    I didn't give it a 10 becuase I've notice a sound glitch at times and yes the server queue, but other than that This game reminds me of EQ and DAOC two of the best games in the MMO genre.

    WOW was just taken over by bots, and get your gear game. FF14 is a game where this is just the start?? what could come with the PVP?? which is next patch, what can come with the Add-ons? Just waiting to hear about END Game    … Expand
  18. marrew
    Sep 3, 2013
    9
    As an original player of FFXIV 1.0, I have to admit, I went into ARR with low expectations. I expected to see a rushed product only hoping to recoup the massive losses that 1.0 incurred. That said, I was blown away by the sheer overhaul of the game. The environments, sound, gameplay all did a massive 180-degree turn.

    Everything has made a drastic improvement from the original, with    As an original player of FFXIV 1.0, I have to admit, I went into ARR with low expectations. I expected to see a rushed product only hoping to recoup the massive losses that 1.0 incurred. That said, I was blown away by the sheer overhaul of the game. The environments, sound, gameplay all did a massive 180-degree turn.

    Everything has made a drastic improvement from the original, with better combat, a better HUD, and more accessibility for those who are new to the game. That being said, launch has been plauged significantly with constant server congestion and lockouts, which is annoying, seeing as how the game is beautiful once you beat the dreaded 1017. Much of the problem lies in SE not being prepared for the positive reaction to the game, which is a catch twenty-two indeed.

    As of today, Sept. 3rd, there is a scheduled maintenence that will hopefully restore functionality to the servers and clear up the massive congestion.

    tl;dr: The game is EXCELLENT once you get passed the dreaded 1017 log-in issues.    … Expand
  19. charlot9009
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    Amazing game! Just hit 50 and I still can't get enough of this game! the content is hard near end game and the game promises even harder content and expansions! Even with the server issues that is the only downside of the game, it's personaly speaking, a wow killer. I feel like it is what Titan would have been.
  20. Dashuto
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    Despite a crowded launch, the game has made absolutely massive improvements. To see a game transformed as this one has, has never been done. The developers directly ask users regularly what they wish to see in the game, and content is massive compared to before, with many additions on the horizon. Gameplay is solid, and hardware usage was updated. The community is fairly strong withDespite a crowded launch, the game has made absolutely massive improvements. To see a game transformed as this one has, has never been done. The developers directly ask users regularly what they wish to see in the game, and content is massive compared to before, with many additions on the horizon. Gameplay is solid, and hardware usage was updated. The community is fairly strong with committed players, a good investment for a gamer who has time on his hands.… Expand
  21. Xareswe
    Sep 2, 2013
    0
    I'm so let down by all the errors, server issues, log in issues and much much more. This is a subscription based game and they haven't even made any progress since launch to fix it all. I'm not supporting them anymore, This is not a way to treat players! Even F2P games fix these issues faster than them. It's embarrassing SE... Shape up!
  22. Bigpurpleharnes
    Sep 2, 2013
    9
    Amazing game *when you can play*. I would wait a month before buying it for them to fix their servers. Gameplay, engine, graphics, and music are amazing. Community is a little teenage angry for me, but a lot of MMOs are.

    Wait a month, get the game, then get a good FC, you won't regret it.
  23. Coachcamp
    Sep 2, 2013
    3
    Final Fantasy is a great series. It always has had good story, tactical gameplay a great overall atmosphere for the game. The problem is that this game is not what is expected from a modern MMO. It has the same gameplay mechanics as any regular mmorpg to date, except this one has a very moderate "combo" system, where you use the same two skills consecutively until the mob's dead... to makeFinal Fantasy is a great series. It always has had good story, tactical gameplay a great overall atmosphere for the game. The problem is that this game is not what is expected from a modern MMO. It has the same gameplay mechanics as any regular mmorpg to date, except this one has a very moderate "combo" system, where you use the same two skills consecutively until the mob's dead... to make this worse, there is a 2.5 second global cooldown on most abilities. I thought this game would be cool as it's called a tactical mmorpg, but really it's all the same. Some might call it another WoW clone. the questing is the same mindless grinding with a purpose. (lackluster quests) The interface is very well organized. the graphics are great and perform well on most machines, but that is honestly the best part. Back to the combo system: there is no combo system. Basically, you use one attack, you are obligated to use this other specific attack because using that attack will cause more damage than any other. That is not a combo system. The monk is simply the only fun class, but even then, you are forced into chaining the same abilities together in a rotation because there is no tactical aspect. While other MMOs are only getting faster, Final Fantasy 14: a realm reborn is the slowest MMO to date. (maybe even behind perfect world) Oh, and not to mention that the much anticipated cutscenes have zero voice acting… Expand
  24. tw1ztid
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    ARR is simply amazing. I'm legacy player so I started with many level 50 classes/jobs. I completed the main story last night and it was amazing. Classic Final Fantasy feel that so many of us miss. Naturally, there are some things I don't particularly like, but when I look at everything as a whole it doesn't seem very important. I am having a blast. Anybody who gives this a negativeARR is simply amazing. I'm legacy player so I started with many level 50 classes/jobs. I completed the main story last night and it was amazing. Classic Final Fantasy feel that so many of us miss. Naturally, there are some things I don't particularly like, but when I look at everything as a whole it doesn't seem very important. I am having a blast. Anybody who gives this a negative review most likely hadn't played very far or is having login difficulties that are expected with popular mmorpg releases. This game gets challenging and engaging, I seriously recommend giving it a try.… Expand
  25. mekia
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    What Square Enix has done with 2.0 is nothing short of breath taking. In 2-3 years they created a completely different game, ARR has no resemblance of the fiasco 1.0 was.

    You have two new jobs to play with and one new class. The new class ACN can split into SMN and SCH which is a new healer in FFXIV ARR beside the WHM. ACN has two different pets a tank and a dps one which are very    What Square Enix has done with 2.0 is nothing short of breath taking. In 2-3 years they created a completely different game, ARR has no resemblance of the fiasco 1.0 was.

    You have two new jobs to play with and one new class. The new class ACN can split into SMN and SCH which is a new healer in FFXIV ARR beside the WHM. ACN has two different pets a tank and a dps one which are very useful while leveling. But later on to stay a dps you should change to SMN and as pets you than have Ifrit,Titan and Garuda.

    Leveling is going quite fast with loads of Story Missions which range from one to 50 and reward you with a FFVI Magiteck mount.
    Fates which are events out in the world to complete which give xp/gil and sometimes items.

    There is so much to do in this game that you wont get bored for month. And SE already said that XIV will get major updates every 3 month.    … Expand
  26. Alerith
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    Square-Enix seems to have won its gamble with Final Fantasy XIV's re-release. Coming strong out of version 1.0 with the '7th Umbral Era Event' storyline, Yoshida's development team seems to have hit the ground running.

    A Realm Reborn, formerly known as XIV 2.0, has become the game XIV was always meant to be. The world, the music, the storyline...ohhh the storyline.... Everything has    Square-Enix seems to have won its gamble with Final Fantasy XIV's re-release. Coming strong out of version 1.0 with the '7th Umbral Era Event' storyline, Yoshida's development team seems to have hit the ground running.

    A Realm Reborn, formerly known as XIV 2.0, has become the game XIV was always meant to be. The world, the music, the storyline...ohhh the storyline.... Everything has been reworked for the re-launch and the amount of change done to this game in such a short time-frame is nothing short of miraculous.

    Setting:
    Set in the world of Hydaelyn, on the continent of Eorzea, the game boasts beautiful and diverse zones for players to explore and adventure in. Gone is the copy-paste of 1.0's repetitive terrain and each zone now contains different elements making them unique from one another and giving a true sense of diversity. The greatest area to benefit from this change is probably The Black Shroud. Once nothing more than a maze of tunnels with trees out of reach, the zone has become a true forest area for the players of Gridania.

    Gameplay:
    Leaving 1.23+ in the original game, one could already tell that solid systems were being put into place. ARR expands upon these systems and what we end up with is a solid combat system, an enhnaced crafting/gathering system and an overall enjoyable experience. The start of the game feels a bit spammy, as you only have a few combat abilities that are supposed to be used, but the diversity in your skill set increases as you level up, rounding out very nicely by the end. The Limit Break system, while not very diverse, functions as it should and acts as a great method of strategy and as an "Ah hell..." button. While there isn't anything very innovative about the system, new and veteran MMO players alike will find the systems functional and enjoyable.

    Music:
    What can be said here that hasn't been said before? Square Enix has some of the most amazing composers in the industry on staff and it shines through in nearly all their games. ARR is no exception. The soundtracks are rich, diverse and the themes fitting with every scenario they are placed in. Just about anyone who plays can go on for hours about the quality of the music in the game, and the mood the themes set go perfectly with the depth of the story.

    Story:
    Ah the story. In true Square Enix fashion, the story turns into something phenomenal. It starts off rather slow, and I believe this is what Yoshida meant when he said he was making the game accessible to players who are new to MMOs. Once you reach a certain point, however, the story takes off into something that can only be described as magnificent. Without giving away too much, you'll see some familiar Final Fantasy enemies and a final boss worthy of the franchise title.

    All in all, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a fantastic game and a credit to the company. It's proof that hard work can, and will, pay off and that even a sinking ship can be salvaged.

    *Note: Server issues are not taken into consideration as these temporary issues do not affect the overall game itself and a scheduled server patch is to take place 04/SEP/2013.    … Expand
  27. Llamaxore
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    This game is the most well designed online game I have ever played. Every aspect of it has been planned and executed to bring the FF feel to a AAA mmo title. It is almost impossible to get a bad angle, the lighting and texturing is amongst the best I have seen in any online game.

    And it runs on almost any system.
  28. defive
    Sep 2, 2013
    6
    A good game marred by a dreadful launch. SE seem to have totally botched their capacity planning and seemingly had no plan to handle the surge of players they must have known was coming (that's what pre-orders are for). Which is a pity because the game itself and really quite good but do yourself a favour if you haven't bought it yet and wait a couple of weeks to see if SE get their act together.
  29. soDarc
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    Having experienced The Original From Alpha through 1.0 Release and well into the first year of play I can tell you FFXIV: ARR is a VAST improvement. The Game has Been rebuilt from the ground up and nearly everything that was wrong or poorly executed is now polished and playable. The combat is smooth, fun, and dynamic. I have had the pleasure of doing some of the early dungeons as all threeHaving experienced The Original From Alpha through 1.0 Release and well into the first year of play I can tell you FFXIV: ARR is a VAST improvement. The Game has Been rebuilt from the ground up and nearly everything that was wrong or poorly executed is now polished and playable. The combat is smooth, fun, and dynamic. I have had the pleasure of doing some of the early dungeons as all three roles (Tank/healer/Damage) and Each role feels good, Healers are not just heal bots they can de-buff, crowd control, and Even apply some damage while still having a little pressure to heal. Tanks have several tools for Enmity Control available to them by the time they reach grouping and you will need all of them, It's a game of constant balance, Spam high enmity moves, Risk lower damage, mix in higher damage attacks but risk losing Enemy Attention, Very fun, and Challenging. Damage dealers have very loosely defined party roles, Some are there to add debuffs and to cripple the Mobs, some are there to put out the most damage they can in a short amount of time, some can supplement Tanking or even healing to help in tougher fights.

    The Game itself Is nearly flawless, I haven't encountered any game breaking or progression halting errors or glitches, the few exploits that have been found have been small, and the community that found them were partially responsible for bringing them to the attention of the QA team.

    Speaking of Community, online games tend to have a pretty toxic or bad reputation, Clearly no one told The FFXIV:ARR Community that, I have had a wonderful experience with the people I have met on Excalibur. Definitely a far cry from the experience in other online games.

    Overall, this game is a Win, Yoshi and his team set out to do something unprecedented and they nailed it. They succeeded when no one (including some at Square-Enix) Thought they could. If you are a fan of Final Fantasy or MMOs you would be doing yourself a Disservice by not checking out Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.    … Expand
  30. Siel
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    Excellent game, Excellent story, it had a lot of problems at the launch but the game itself is almost perfect.

    If you want to play something new and fresh, if you are tired of MMORPG-like WOW, I invite you to play FFXIV.
  31. coolflare
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    This game is well optimized and when I say well I mean -very-. The standard settings of this game runs on my crappy laptop without issue and remains with the beauty you expect from a final fantasy game. Square outdid themselves and I recommend anyone in starting this game. There may be a few negative reviews here, some are in right however, some of these reviews were illogical by giving aThis game is well optimized and when I say well I mean -very-. The standard settings of this game runs on my crappy laptop without issue and remains with the beauty you expect from a final fantasy game. Square outdid themselves and I recommend anyone in starting this game. There may be a few negative reviews here, some are in right however, some of these reviews were illogical by giving a game entirely a 0 score simply because of login issues on release date. I wish people would make decisions more rationally rather than out of pure rage.… Expand
  32. Oceanborn
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    I can't belive it, finally Final Fantasy XIV: A realm reborn. After waiting 2 years *q*
    Start... 1017, 2002, 10102, Unable to obtain world list for NA/EU... I really enjoy pressing 0
  33. Rivvr
    Sep 2, 2013
    10
    This game is great for what it is and for what it sets out do. Beyond that it is a very immersive and engaging fantasy world that Square Enix has created. After playing every MMO released since EQ and playing WoW for 6 years, this is the first game in a long time that has me excited for the long term. The combat isn't ground breaking but playing with the controller is excellent. TheThis game is great for what it is and for what it sets out do. Beyond that it is a very immersive and engaging fantasy world that Square Enix has created. After playing every MMO released since EQ and playing WoW for 6 years, this is the first game in a long time that has me excited for the long term. The combat isn't ground breaking but playing with the controller is excellent. The cross-bar system that have implemented is simply brilliant. You truly feel drawn to this world and I look forward to obliging it in the months to come.… Expand
  34. CK011885
    Sep 1, 2013
    6
    FFXIV is an above average RPG, but a below average MMORPG.

    Pros: Great graphics, strong storyline, smooth and fluid gameplay with both gamepad and mouse/keyboard. Cons: At the moment, the game lacks enough content to retain a majority of its players when subscriptions begin. Even casual players with jobs and families have hit the level cap just one week after the game was released,    FFXIV is an above average RPG, but a below average MMORPG.

    Pros: Great graphics, strong storyline, smooth and fluid gameplay with both gamepad and mouse/keyboard.

    Cons: At the moment, the game lacks enough content to retain a majority of its players when subscriptions begin. Even casual players with jobs and families have hit the level cap just one week after the game was released, nearly all of the 8 man raid content is on the easy side and doable with pick up groups using the Duty Finder (A feature that matches you with strangers). The only difficult content in the game right now are Hard Mode Titan and Bahamut. The next patch with more content to follow is still 2 to 3 months away, it's going to be really difficult for Square to keep the attention of players.

    I feel a major reason FFXIV 2.0 is so well received is partly because of how incredibly terrible FFXIV 1.0 was. In closing, if you're looking for a well polished, decent MMORPG that doesn't do anything new, set in a Final Fantasy world, then FFXIV is a game that can provide you with some decent entertainment for a while. But if you're looking for something new and exciting, or an MMORPG that provides a good amount of challenging and fun content then you should look elsewhere or wait a few months for more patches to come out.    … Expand
  35. itslevi
    Sep 1, 2013
    5
    Forgettable MMO. Without consideration to the login difficulties that may (or may not) be fixed soon, the game is still a painfully boring grind right from the onset. Quests I assumed were just early game tutorials for MMO newbies like emoting in front of an NPC continued well into the later part of the level grind. I played a Thaumaturge, Arcanist, Archer and (briefly) a Black Mage andForgettable MMO. Without consideration to the login difficulties that may (or may not) be fixed soon, the game is still a painfully boring grind right from the onset. Quests I assumed were just early game tutorials for MMO newbies like emoting in front of an NPC continued well into the later part of the level grind. I played a Thaumaturge, Arcanist, Archer and (briefly) a Black Mage and all four were very simple and boring. Combat is just so clunky and weird, most abilities have slow casting times, there's several abilities that are uselessly weak, and with no talent customization it basically means that you'll probably have two useful abilities that you use in almost every situation.

    I can't speak of how the tradeskill disciplines are in this game, except that I can safely assume they're probably useless given that I had no difficulty in either instances or solo for any pre-level 50 content wearing nothing but random quest rewards, many of which were 10+ levels under my current level.

    Instead of traditional talent trees for class customization, this game offers you the ability to borrow select abilities from your other leveled classes. But the cross-class skills offered are very limited and some are completely useless (weak spells, or spells that have no real synergy with your primary class) or functionally identical to other abilities that this "customization" is really just an illusion and amounts to nothing more than mandatory alt level grinding. You also unlock an attribute point every level that you can appropriate into the stat of your choosing. However, because it's semi-permanent, this mechanic actually works against the design of being able to switch to any class on the fly because it means that classes that don't benefit from the attribute you chose are always going to be weaker than your primary class. A subtle (yet fundamental) oversight in this game's design philosophy, but one of many that permeates the game.

    Maps are a mess, I have no real perspective on what the world looks like because the world map looks awful and is difficult to navigate so instead I just found myself fumbling through menus to fast travel everywhere.

    The FATEs are a familiar mechanic to those who've played GW2 or Rift, and virtually all of them are either mindless AoE fests or turn-ins.

    Group play is pretty bad. The group finder mechanic functions great and is very intuitive and easy, but the instances themselves are mind-numbingly boring. Every instance is padded with indistinguishable trash packs, every single one feels exactly the same and there's no real sense of danger because they pose no risk to the party. Special attacks from mobs have very clear reticules indicating dangerous zones and give you ample time to move and react- not that you really need to, because most of them do negligible damage. In fact, I ran two instances (once at level 18, once at level 35) without a true tank at all. Even if you somehow managed to wipe (which I've only done twice, both due to a DC, in about 30~ instance runs, all with PUGs), it just sends you back to the beginning of the instance where a teleporter instantly returns you to the place you died. The limit break mechanic is meaningless, the meter fills up very slowly so you typically only get to use it maybe 3 times per instance.

    All this said, the instances are still the part of the game where it shined the most- select boss fights (Ifrit!) were the most memorable and challenging affairs the game provided, but they were so few and far between that they really weren't adequate payoff for the painstaking tedium needed to access them.

    Graphics are decent. I feel a little shorted playing this game at max settings compared to Guild Wars 2, which seems weird because I've heard of people complaining about the system requirements, which suggests that this game doesn't really accommodate a wide range of machines like you would reasonably expect from a modern MMO.

    All in all it just feels that Guild Wars 2 eclipsed this game in almost every way. As a veteran FFXI player, the nostalgia factor was endearing for a little while but wore off quickly. Without it, I can't actually think of a reason why someone would choose this game over its big name competitors, particularly so when at least two of the superior MMOs are free to play. Grindy, mediocre and outdated but not a complete waste of money.    … Expand
  36. EonEire
    Sep 1, 2013
    3
    Having played the beta for a few of the weekends only, the impression was amazing, it seems to fix everything wrong with the game that was FF14. Then when you actually get your teeth into it, you realise that SE have not embraced the modern day MMO scene at all.

    Leves: This is where people like myself will run into the first instance of: "Why would ANY developer think this was a good    Having played the beta for a few of the weekends only, the impression was amazing, it seems to fix everything wrong with the game that was FF14. Then when you actually get your teeth into it, you realise that SE have not embraced the modern day MMO scene at all.

    Leves: This is where people like myself will run into the first instance of: "Why would ANY developer think this was a good idea? Why didn't anybody tell them this was awful design? Leves work mainly as repeatable quests for the various jobs, either combat based ones for the 4 "melee" and 3 "magic" jobs or crafting ones for the gathering production jobs. All sounds fine right? Until you encounter the wall, the one you wouldn't think it would be possible to hit with such poor design. You can run out of them really fast. You have an allowance for your character on how many of these you can take and it is refreshed by 3 every 12 hours. Because these are character wide, they are used up too fast between all the possible jobs. Effectively you are limited to 3 extra quest to spend on leveling your "alt" jobs every 12 hours. Completely arbitrary, completely pointless.

    Standard features pointlessly gated: The auction house, mounts, access to the most basic things needs to interact with this MMO are gated behind the story quest. Yes you will be playing the game so obviously these will be unlocked anyway, but why gate them? I personally wanted to be self sufficient as far as gear and crafting went. So I went about leveling my professions (All the while draining my leve count, assuming this was how you were to level jobs that had no quests, except the 5-10-15 etc ones). Only to discover that all the extra items I had crafted I couldn't sell to help fund more production. So I stopped gathering and I stopped producing, there was no way for me to get rid of the items I had created. Because as it stood I had not been granted the privilege of using a basic feature of MMOs.

    Things that got better: To be fair SE have improved their MMO stance from getting trounced by the competition repeatedly. Like 14 1.0 and unlike 11, your race has no impact on your class So your Taru-Taru, sorry, Lalafel Gladiator wont be kicked from parties due to the obnoxious FF fanbois. You are free to mix and match all you like.
    The controls also have improved vastly, you can jump and moving in and out of combat isn't as clunky and awkward as it was in 14 1.0.

    It has made improvements, but you are still so arbitrarily limited in how you interact with the whole world that its clear SE are not one of the MMO arenas strong contenders, the lead developer wants to do his own thing and you have to feel privileged that you are allowed to join in "his" experience. My advice is to defiantly keep and eye on FF14 ARR but don't buy it just yet, you will hit the wall where if you aren't willing to grind out your levels in a dungeon or mob farm, you are not going to have much fun, but if the leve issue was addressed it wold make a lot more sense due to the sheer amount of Jobs in the game.

    In closing hold off buying until some changes are made to the basic interacting of characters and the world and hold off until the myriad of server errors 1017/2002/90000 etc are fixed or it will just sour you entirely on the whole experience that given some time (and some sense from SE) could the the best FF MMO yet.    … Expand
  37. KingdoGoodbomb
    Sep 1, 2013
    4
    Server issues are not acceptable. It's 2013, if SE can't launch an MMO and have it stable in a week then A Realm Reborn should have had aborted. SE polished the turd then took a dump all over it. I am already tired of the non-stop excuses coming from the creepy personality cult forming around the developer Yoshi-P. This launch has been a disaster so much so that they halted digitalServer issues are not acceptable. It's 2013, if SE can't launch an MMO and have it stable in a week then A Realm Reborn should have had aborted. SE polished the turd then took a dump all over it. I am already tired of the non-stop excuses coming from the creepy personality cult forming around the developer Yoshi-P. This launch has been a disaster so much so that they halted digital sales. ANet's launch was amazing compared to this even EA launched an MMO with fewer issues.

    Weaksauce, fundamental issues that wow solved 10 years ago, like queues. The launch has been so bad that people are making macros and rigging up their PS3 controllers to spam the login servers. PATHETIC.

    supposedly the cult leader FF messiah Yoshi has a big Second Coming planned on Tuesday to fix everything, hide the kool aid and arsenic and put his cult on suicide watch in case their messiah fails and they aren't up for another round of weaksauce excuse making.    … Expand
  38. JonnyBigBoss
    Aug 31, 2013
    9
    This is the best MMORPG since World of Warcraft. It's fun to play and feature-rich. Its only shortcomings are its slower-paced combat system and story mission inconsistency. Everything else about it is absolutely phenomenal.
  39. Zimbardo
    Aug 31, 2013
    0
    I bought the game on launch and still have NOT ONCE been able to log onto a N.A. server. I've played a host of MMOs through their launches and I have never encountered anything this bad. I expected there to be issues on launch, but the lack of a queue system and insufficient server capacity have left me with a game that I can not play.
    If you have a lifestyle that permits you to sit at    I bought the game on launch and still have NOT ONCE been able to log onto a N.A. server. I've played a host of MMOs through their launches and I have never encountered anything this bad. I expected there to be issues on launch, but the lack of a queue system and insufficient server capacity have left me with a game that I can not play.
    If you have a lifestyle that permits you to sit at your keyboard and routinely refresh servers every 3 minutes (they implemented a cap on how often you can check) then apparently Final Fantasy A Realm Reborn is a magical experience.
    If you have a job, school, or other commitments outside of Eorzea you are looking at a log-in simulator.

    I am rating this game based on the version I have had access to.    … Expand
  40. HintonR
    Aug 31, 2013
    10
    Those who are complaining about server issues and not being able to log in due to server capacity did get the short end of the stick, but does that make it a bad game? I don't think so. On the other hand, I think the fact the servers are always full is a sign its a great game and that everyone wants to play! FFXIV:ARR is a dream and fantasia for many MMO veterans both hardcore and casual.Those who are complaining about server issues and not being able to log in due to server capacity did get the short end of the stick, but does that make it a bad game? I don't think so. On the other hand, I think the fact the servers are always full is a sign its a great game and that everyone wants to play! FFXIV:ARR is a dream and fantasia for many MMO veterans both hardcore and casual. The polish that Square Enix & Yoshida's dev team has given to the game has given the genre new life.

    The JRPG genre has been a dying one in the west, lacking the freedom of western open world RPGs. However, Square Enix has blurred the line between JRPG and MMO when they enfused the Final Fantasy franchise with the MMO genre a second time a la FFXIV:ARR.

    I am very excited to say that ARR caters to the single person role player inside everyone of us. Especially the console players. The way the game leads the player from one quest to another while slowly unfolding the lore of the world around them allow the player to really settle into the world at a comfortable pace while eventually still learning to conquer more difficult content. This pacing can feel like the typical MMO quest hub fare as well as also feeling like one large tutorial for the game's endgame. That being said, everything in the game is presented with excellence.

    The narrative of the main storyline, though at times can contain "filler" quests, unfold a very epic tale that flavors towards the typical Final Fantasy story: a rebellion against an empire. Those who have wanted to see any of the 2D Final Fantasies re-invented in some way and able to see how SE has re-envisioned their staple trademarks in HD 3D; then I can only recommend this game, and greatly so!!

    For $30-40 you are able to experience one of the most polished role playing experiences that will ever come on console and PC, supported by a company dedicated to satisfying their customers. Even for a short stay, Eorzea has a lot to offer for just that bar of entry. Other games retail at $60 remeber. But let's continue? I digress.

    The audio in the game in outstanding! The voice overs are nothing to talk about, but are an added bonus that fleshes out the world out a little bit more; still the text can sometimes feel dry and dull. But the music, and sound effects, and the little ambient noises that you start to take note of. Little details like when in a crowded room of both players or NPCs, chatter starts to rise and soon enough you'll notice the room is loud with small talk. Details like the click-clacking of the armor that your Chocobo's wearing. And then the awesome battle music that accompanies you when combat begins and the overworld scores that carry you around the world as they transition between battle and back as you progress through the dynamic and stunning 3D world of Eorzea! There's so many beautiful scores and battle themes, they are incredibly memorable especially for any MMO. And they still have the classic FF fan fares and Chocobo themes.

    The combat is somewhat of a controversy. I definitely like the new pace coming from 1.0. The system is a little different from classic XIV, but its a welcomed improvement and has definitely streamlined battled flow of the game. Many MMO veterans have regarded ARRs new system as the traditional "tab target" system; but what some fail to mention is that the system is polished to the brim and as crisped as autumn leaves that it still remains to be very active & immersive. And by polished and crisped, I mean the outstanding animations.

    This game excels at giving every aspect an MMO should have and giving it a high bar of polish. The animations transitions from one action to another, going from one animation to another so naturally. Combat is slow but a classic Final Fantasy player will appreciate the homage of FFXIV:ARR "tab targeting/GDC" based gameplay to their traditional "Active Time Battle" systems of ole'.

    Did I mention the lore is great? Any fan of the series will appreciate the homages it gives to franchise staples ranging from reoccuring characters, motifs, and themes. They will feel right at home in this MMO space without ever feeling like being dropped right into a world. Numbered Final Fantasy games have always been able to tell a good story usually also introducing a completely new world. ARR does no different, and that it being an MMO does not greatly intrude to the single player experience it offers. If even, it greatly benefits that it is an online game.

    How many people wanted Skyrim Online? Oh thats right, they're making an MMO now. Final Fantasy tested this formula in FFXII and have spent almost 6+ years creating the fantasy world they aspired to create. With the original shortcomings of the original XIV, ARR triumphs proudly as a numbered FF in the series. It brings the traditional FF experience to the HD 3D realm. But it also brings to the franchise an outstanding MMO experience. Long live Eorzea!     … Expand
  41. Totmacher
    Aug 31, 2013
    0
    This game should be called "Log In Simulator: An Error Reborn" because if you can even get the character list to populate and if you can even create a character, when you try to log in, you get an error on your screen preventing you from logging in because the servers are full. What did Square Enix do to remedy this issue? They limited the server population and logins so the people thatThis game should be called "Log In Simulator: An Error Reborn" because if you can even get the character list to populate and if you can even create a character, when you try to log in, you get an error on your screen preventing you from logging in because the servers are full. What did Square Enix do to remedy this issue? They limited the server population and logins so the people that are already in-game can play without a server crash, which wouldn't happen in the first place if they had prepared for it. When you actually get in game it's pretty good, but the hardest quest in the entire game is logging in.… Expand
  42. Nicotroll
    Aug 31, 2013
    10
    Absolutely gorgeous. A fantastic story, gameplay and music. This MMO is truly spectacular. Don't let the idiots who write bad reviews just because of the server issues influence you, these issues will be a thing of the past in a few days.
  43. Uberwolfe
    Aug 31, 2013
    8
    Finally, an MMO with soul. After a seemingly endless string of dead-eyed shallow 'MMOs', Square Enix strikes back with its re-incarnated AAA online fantasy romp. FFXIV's new face is definitely one that's easy on the eye. Graphically the game is superb.. an almost next-gen glimpse into MMORPG gaming.

    Though, in terms of the fundamental game mechanics Square Enix has somewhat    Finally, an MMO with soul. After a seemingly endless string of dead-eyed shallow 'MMOs', Square Enix strikes back with its re-incarnated AAA online fantasy romp. FFXIV's new face is definitely one that's easy on the eye. Graphically the game is superb.. an almost next-gen glimpse into MMORPG gaming.

    Though, in terms of the fundamental game mechanics Square Enix has somewhat understandably gone down the safest path possible and you won't find anything here particularly innovative. That being said, what you will find is high-quality, deep and immersive, but you've done most of it before.

    Still, despite a few minor flaws, FFXIV is a living, breathing, beautiful world that will draw you into its intricacies so much so that its shortcomings won't seem to matter that much anymore. Square has finally delivered a rich, absorbing MMO that is undoubtedly worthy of the Final Fantasy marque, and your time. Collapse    … Expand
  44. Khendric
    Aug 31, 2013
    10
    Does this game have issues? Yes of course it does, but no game since Vanilla WoW has pulled me in like this one. It feels familiar and new at the same time. The Graphics are amazing and the animations smooth, I mean my character actually has facial expressions, and not just in cutscenes! Plus If i want to try a new class I don't have to roll an alt! Just visit the classes guild and equipDoes this game have issues? Yes of course it does, but no game since Vanilla WoW has pulled me in like this one. It feels familiar and new at the same time. The Graphics are amazing and the animations smooth, I mean my character actually has facial expressions, and not just in cutscenes! Plus If i want to try a new class I don't have to roll an alt! Just visit the classes guild and equip the right weapon and BOOM I am now whatever class i want to be. This is pretty awesome to me.
    This game is compared a lot to GW2, but I just found GW2 so bland and boring, but I love this game.

    I know people are upset about the login issues but this will get sorted out, I am not actually a fan of how SE Is handling either but like they say, patience is a virtue which the current MMO generation seems to lack.

    Also im not a fanboy, This is my first FF game ever sooo yeah...I just enjoy this game and look forward to it being my new MMO home for awhile.    … Expand
  45. Vinotauro
    Aug 31, 2013
    10
    First of all, most of the negative reviews are from the server issues the game had during the early access weekend prior to launch. This is not indicative of the final product.

    This game is nothing short of spectacular. The fact that the development team took a failing game, and made it what it is today in only 2 years is a miracle. The graphics are by far the best in the genre, the    First of all, most of the negative reviews are from the server issues the game had during the early access weekend prior to launch. This is not indicative of the final product.

    This game is nothing short of spectacular. The fact that the development team took a failing game, and made it what it is today in only 2 years is a miracle. The graphics are by far the best in the genre, the world design is among the best in any game, period, the sound design is something you must hear to believe, and the writing is phenomenal. This game deserves more than its tainted name allows it. On top of everything I've listed, the game is just plain fun. This game must be experienced to be fully appreciated. This is how Final Fantasy used to be, not what it currently is. This game is a love letter to the entire series. It has characters, monsters, equipment and activities from many numbered Final Fantasy games, and they're only adding more. This will be one of the only MMOs out right now still being played in 10 years.    … Expand
  46. Rabble_Rabble
    Aug 31, 2013
    10
    Just to insult all you people giving this game an unfair score. Really 0-4s? We can't help if your poor guys!

    Best MMO out there at the current moment, already better than Guild Wars 2.
  47. Artanisx
    Aug 31, 2013
    10
    This game is really really good. I played the 1.0 version of the game, a grand total of 30 minutes (Open Beta) before uninstalling it. It was HORRIBLE.
    But A Realm Reborn is really another game. It's fun, it's complete, it's full of features, the class system is fantastic, the gathering and crafting is similar to Star Wars Galaxies (the best Crafting system ever made), the music is    This game is really really good. I played the 1.0 version of the game, a grand total of 30 minutes (Open Beta) before uninstalling it. It was HORRIBLE.
    But A Realm Reborn is really another game. It's fun, it's complete, it's full of features, the class system is fantastic, the gathering and crafting is similar to Star Wars Galaxies (the best Crafting system ever made), the music is outstanding, the graphics are great.
    I'm just having tons of fun, and while the endgame has yet to be tested (I'm level 29 with my highest class, though I have over 150 levels if I sum all my classes), for the moment I'd say this is a gem and while it has a couple of flaws, those are not severe and don't reduce the experience in any tangible way.    … Expand
  48. Anxa
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    This game is a masterstroke in experience exactly the way Final Fantasy titles should be.

    The game feels extremely traditional in terms of Final Fantasy the story and game lean heavily towards the Fantasy end of the Fantasy/Sci-Fi spectrum. The combat is slower than other MMOs where trying to watch your character fight is an exercise in the suspension of disbelief. Here, Monks roll    This game is a masterstroke in experience exactly the way Final Fantasy titles should be.

    The game feels extremely traditional in terms of Final Fantasy the story and game lean heavily towards the Fantasy end of the Fantasy/Sci-Fi spectrum. The combat is slower than other MMOs where trying to watch your character fight is an exercise in the suspension of disbelief. Here, Monks roll through complex series of tackles, punches and spinning kicks in a believable sequence while Paladins actually appear to be blocking with their shields.

    The biggest shock here is the total lack of Talent trees. I admit I made it all the way to 50 and didn't even notice until somebody mentioned it in passing in our Free Company's chat. I don't miss it at all.

    The story is unbelievably interwoven into the leveling experience in a way no other MMO has ever achieved. My character was an active participant in gorgeous cutscenes, and she really seemed like a bona-fide hero. The lip service other games pay to the concept of the player as the central hero of the story pales in comparison to FFXIV, where rather than 'oh, and a band of adventurers managed to defeat the firelord,' by the end of the story it's more along the lines of 'oh, holy hell, it's that Hero who is central to the story now.'

    The boss fights are appropriately amazing, with the primal fights rivaling some of the greatest moments from Ulduar and Firelands in WoW. These boss fights are gorgeous, as is the entire game no MMO on the market looks like this.

    Crafting is a huge delight. It starts off nearly as simple as in other MMOs, but by the level cap the sheer number of abilities and choices will lead to desperate struggles to correctly create a +1 piece of max-level gear. These items are easily boss fights for crafters in their own rights, and the complexity of this system is entirely unrivaled in the MMO market.

    This is an experience no gamer should miss. The entire creation is a love letter to Final Fantasy fans and gamers in general. It may not objectively be to some as good an MMO as GWII or WoW, but it has the secret sauce that makes people fall in love with a game.    … Expand
  49. freiherrchulain
    Aug 30, 2013
    2
    The game is decently fun. Not the most fun I've played recently, nothing really ground breaking. The downside is; it's plagued by technical issues to which the games support team is non respondent. Would I recommend buying it and playing it? I'd have to answer: only if you are a masochist. This game is a resounding SKIP.
  50. DirtyPeanut
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    A Realm Reborn is truly a phoenix that rose from a pile of sh...ashes. Not only does it surpass its 1.0 predecessor by leaps and bounds, even comparing to other current generation of MMOs, it's still top notch in all aspects. The graphics and art design is gorgeous, while the game engine still runs decent even on low-end machines. The combat while doesn't stray from traditional MMO style,A Realm Reborn is truly a phoenix that rose from a pile of sh...ashes. Not only does it surpass its 1.0 predecessor by leaps and bounds, even comparing to other current generation of MMOs, it's still top notch in all aspects. The graphics and art design is gorgeous, while the game engine still runs decent even on low-end machines. The combat while doesn't stray from traditional MMO style, is fine tuned and well paced. The signature engrossing story telling of Final Fantasy is fully intact, which is very hard to achieve in an MMO. Coupled with the fact that one character can play all classes, and a myriad of content systems such as FATE (open world quests), Grand Company progression, various logs and achievements to complete (with good rewards), there's always something to do.

    A Realm Reborn not only redeemed Final Fantasy XIV, but for me it redeemed the entire franchise, the brand, and Square Enix itself. I went from being disfranchised fan to a fully engaged one again, all thanks to A Realm Reborn.    … Expand
  51. Ezekius
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    The change from 1.0 to 2.0 is unbelievable. The game is just great now, it's smooth and runs fantastic. Combat is actually fun, quests are actually fun, guildleves and dungeons are actually fun. I just can't believe how much of a difference has been made to the game. It's fantastic.
  52. seasode
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    This game is great. My only issue is that its a lot easier then old school MMOs. Ever since wow, every MMO feels too easy. Once they fix the server issues everything will be fine. Every online game has its server issues at launch. People need to get over it and stop acting like this is something new.
  53. McGamor
    Aug 30, 2013
    3
    There are many reasons why I enjoy the new FFXIV. The detail of the environments and animations are much better than any current MMO. FFXIV will have fully customizable housing, combat is addictive and solid, the multi-classing system is actually done right unlike 'The Secret World', and most importantly the story line and cutscenes are amazing.

    Not to mention there are tons of RP    There are many reasons why I enjoy the new FFXIV. The detail of the environments and animations are much better than any current MMO. FFXIV will have fully customizable housing, combat is addictive and solid, the multi-classing system is actually done right unlike 'The Secret World', and most importantly the story line and cutscenes are amazing.

    Not to mention there are tons of RP supported features like lots of emotes and being able to sit on furniture and even on benches and edges of items like a crate for example. The only problems FFXIV had during early access was the servers were so crowded. The game itself is stable and awesome. Those who complain about 3102 and 1017 need to take a course on networking sometime before making false assumptions.    … Expand
  54. veritas45
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    Main story start off very slow but around level 30 picks up and throws you some awesome twist. Great game and will only get better with time. This game had a smoother launch than most mmo's though there is server issues that are currently being worked out.
  55. crypticbutton
    Aug 30, 2013
    9
    Now that the majority of the kinks are fixed, it is a really enjoyable game. There is plenty to do and the and I can not see running out of things to do for a while. If you are a fan of the Final Fantasy series or just curious, buy the game play it for 30 days the decide. The story feels like a number FF game and wont disappoint.
  56. MacMercurius
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    This game is absolutly great. It is polished, solid classic gameplay and tons of atmosphere. One of the best MMOs around, if you like this sort of "classic" game mechanics like WoW. It has very, very few bugs.
  57. Ajores
    Aug 30, 2013
    9
    Let me start off by saying I am a fan of FF series (back in the Squaresoft days) and I was a fan off FFXI. FFXIV 1.0 was a huge disappointment 3 years ago, and no one really expect there to be a come back. ARR might be achieving the impossible with what they've done, and the game itself is looking VERY good for release times. If there were no server side flaws I'd be tempted to give thisLet me start off by saying I am a fan of FF series (back in the Squaresoft days) and I was a fan off FFXI. FFXIV 1.0 was a huge disappointment 3 years ago, and no one really expect there to be a come back. ARR might be achieving the impossible with what they've done, and the game itself is looking VERY good for release times. If there were no server side flaws I'd be tempted to give this game a 10!

    That being said, there have been a lot of conectivity issues and server problems for NA/EU servers leaving everyone pretty outraged. Being in sales myself I think we as customers have a right to be upset and SE is going to have to get these issues fixed asap. Regardless, because I'm in sales probably, I have a lot of patience and anyone that's into MMO's should know that you can't fairly review an MMO until at least the first 2 weeks to a month have passed.

    These issues need to be fixed, and SE isn't going to get a 3rd chance at this. What stands is a wonderful product that I am in love with, but if these issues drag out too long it's going to severely hurt their credibility. For now I give the game a 9 since I cannot review a game twice on metacritic, because I'm hoping they will get these issues fixed ASAP and what is left is a fantastic MMO. Don't rush to play it yet, just give it a week or two, and then go ahead and give it a shot.    … Expand
  58. Hateyo
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    Really good game, very polished. Everything but the combat and class system is 10/10. Best UI, QoL, Vanilla WoW feel. Combat is currently slow and the class system is very convoluted and unnecessary. Would give the game a good 8.5/10 until they make changes to combat. Giving it a 10/10 to counter the idiots giving it a 0 because they couldn't log in the first second on the first day.
  59. Matriox
    Aug 30, 2013
    10
    I have played a few mmos in the past few years, a lot of them are more of the same. And much like many mmos each one does this "more of the same" a little different, and FFXIV is no different. No i didnt even touch the terror that was the original launch of XIV but from so much positive feedback from this relaunch i decided to give it a try. I used to love final fantasy games, and haveI have played a few mmos in the past few years, a lot of them are more of the same. And much like many mmos each one does this "more of the same" a little different, and FFXIV is no different. No i didnt even touch the terror that was the original launch of XIV but from so much positive feedback from this relaunch i decided to give it a try. I used to love final fantasy games, and have fallen by the wayside of FF ever since x-2. XIV brings concepts from a lot of different FF games of the past, the jobs system reminds me of the early days, uses Materia and Limit Break from 7 in a different way, environment from XIII (although i havnt played it, i watched my brother beat it), and several others.

    I was very surprised about how beautiful the game was and how fluid everything felt. XIV has the best graphics ive ever seen in an mmo. Also every spell has its own look and feel to it, I havnt seen any rehashed abilitys so far (based around level 20, so i cant say for later). I was originally getting a bit bored of the feel of combat because it feels slow and diluted, however my comparison is being made to WoW and Rift where the combat is actually too fast. Also, being a little slowed down makes it feel like its turn based as FF games usually are.

    This definately deserves some attention, and its unfortunate that the servers are currently overloaded. They have turned off digital downloads as a result and hopefully will be back up soon. Once people finally get a taste of FFXIV when this server situation is resolved it will be a great experience to check out.    … Expand
  60. Fekorf
    Aug 30, 2013
    8
    This is the game that should of came out three years ago, Square Enix have done an amazing job of resurrecting their mmo. FFXIV: ARR has everything a modern mmo should have and more, the only problem this game has is the amount of people playing the game which is giving massive queues to the NA EU servers. Square Enix have said that they are addressing this issue though and it doesn'tThis is the game that should of came out three years ago, Square Enix have done an amazing job of resurrecting their mmo. FFXIV: ARR has everything a modern mmo should have and more, the only problem this game has is the amount of people playing the game which is giving massive queues to the NA EU servers. Square Enix have said that they are addressing this issue though and it doesn't take anything away from this amazing game. Well done Square Enix!… Expand
  61. Tundra
    Aug 30, 2013
    9
    The game is very fun but the joy is destroyed by inexcusable server issues. Servers will get better no doubt but for a company who had a botched launch before and then turn around and do it again, it appears a little embarrassing. Fortunately enough they have a great game but it's plagued by horrible servers and hopefully they fix it before their consumers are fed up.
  62. Zwente
    Aug 29, 2013
    10
    This isn't the best game ever made. But for an MMO it is almost perfectly created! You can tell that they learned from the mistakes in the first version of the game. Story is great, I actually feel like I have walked into the Final Fantasy world. The graphics are impressive and the battling system is much better than most MMOs. One of my favorite features is the great compatibility for aThis isn't the best game ever made. But for an MMO it is almost perfectly created! You can tell that they learned from the mistakes in the first version of the game. Story is great, I actually feel like I have walked into the Final Fantasy world. The graphics are impressive and the battling system is much better than most MMOs. One of my favorite features is the great compatibility for a game pad on PC. Overall, probably one of the best MMOs i have played!… Expand
  63. revial
    Aug 29, 2013
    0
    Let's see. This is their second time launching this title. Did they learn anything from their first launch?

    Hrm. 25 servers for Japan. 25 servers for the rest of the world. Oh. The rest of the world is filled with people unable to play. I, myself, have played a combined two hours since early release started. That's 2 hours in 6 days. On Sunday, I literally pressed 0 on my number pad for    Let's see. This is their second time launching this title. Did they learn anything from their first launch?

    Hrm. 25 servers for Japan. 25 servers for the rest of the world. Oh. The rest of the world is filled with people unable to play. I, myself, have played a combined two hours since early release started. That's 2 hours in 6 days. On Sunday, I literally pressed 0 on my number pad for 7 straight hours without getting in.

    Compounding this issue is that there is no afk timer, and anyone who does log in never logs out because no one wants to play the login roulette to get back in. Walk around the server. See a hell of a lot of afk players at aetherytes. Each one preventing another person from logging in.

    Character creation has essentially been stopped since the official release, so if you didn't have early access...you can't even create a character, never mind trying to get in the game.

    The producer just wrote a letter apologizing over all this. I get that apologies mean a lot in Japan. In the rest of the world, actions mean a lot more. It's also just incredibly 'wtf' when he says they had no idea so many people would be trying to play the game. Considering these issues started immediately in early access, which required pre-ordering the game, they obviously had an idea of how many people were going to try to be playing the game. For someone who's been given a lot of brownie points for being 'honest' with how bad 1.0 was, he sure is shoveling a lot of poop today.

    I suppose words like 'worst' are entirely subjective. In my opinion, bugs are largely meaningless, unless they completely inhibit a person from playing. What's more important is whether a person is even able to play. 2 hours in 6 days. I can not think of a single MMO in existence that had this poor of a launch in that regards.

    Oh, did I mention their queueing system only queues like 40 people? Meaning that for all intents and purposes there is no login queue? So you have to just keep trying to connect over and over again until you win the lottery and happened to be the first person to click join when someone in the game actually logs out (rather than just goes afk)?

    What a joke.    … Expand
  64. Radvibe
    Aug 29, 2013
    8
    Very impressive what Yoshi P was able to do with this game...he has restored the faith in final fantasy. I liked the first version even though it was very flawed..this however is proving to be a very solid game. haters will hate just cuz they want it to fail. best rpg I have seen in a long time especially at launch. It's been forever in the making Possibly the greatest fix in videoVery impressive what Yoshi P was able to do with this game...he has restored the faith in final fantasy. I liked the first version even though it was very flawed..this however is proving to be a very solid game. haters will hate just cuz they want it to fail. best rpg I have seen in a long time especially at launch. It's been forever in the making Possibly the greatest fix in video game history lol.… Expand
  65. urieaal
    Aug 29, 2013
    5
    i like what little i can play.

    I don't like: no talent trees, you just get a set of skills. no pvp at all, supposed to be incorporated sometime around xmas. Server issue's max server compacity is 5000 people thats from a square rep on the forums. Servers are locked to new players you cant make new characters or log into the servers. There doesn't seem to be a queue system to log    i like what little i can play.

    I don't like:
    no talent trees, you just get a set of skills.
    no pvp at all, supposed to be incorporated sometime around xmas.
    Server issue's max server compacity is 5000 people thats from a square rep on the forums.
    Servers are locked to new players you cant make new characters or log into the servers.
    There doesn't seem to be a queue system to log in, you get the 1017 error cause of the sever limitations.

    honestly i would wait till January to play this, by then they should have every thing sorted out and working like it should.    … Expand
  66. hardjack
    Aug 29, 2013
    0
    First of all I love FF (specially FF VI).
    I wish I could love this game, I really wanted to, but FFXIV:ARR is far from being the perfect MMO.
    Many people will downvote my review as they're doing to all the negatives. But before buying this game take some time to read all the negative reviews, they don't lie! Pros: - Nice graphics - Decent character customization (not perfect though,    First of all I love FF (specially FF VI).
    I wish I could love this game, I really wanted to, but FFXIV:ARR is far from being the perfect MMO.
    Many people will downvote my review as they're doing to all the negatives. But before buying this game take some time to read all the negative reviews, they don't lie!

    Pros:
    - Nice graphics
    - Decent character customization (not perfect though, we only have 4 faces for each race)
    - Yay! it's Final Fantasy!
    - You can have more than 1 class in the same toon.

    Cons:
    - Voiceless and very long cutscenes (some can be skipped though)
    - Dull quests: a) Click on a NPC, read the wall of text, then b) find the other npc and read another wall of text (sometimes hand him some items, one by one...zzz...) or c) kill x mobs/fetch x props and d) turn in your quest to quest-giver NPC); Quests are not interesting and I didn't find any motivation to finish them.
    - Boring combat: It's just button-mashing and the global cooldown is huge which turns out a very slow combat;
    - Story is flat and not motivating;
    - Mapping system is frustrating and unfriendly. There's an Aethernet system to teleport to different locations, though it's not map based: you'll have to learn by heart all the destination names. Mini-map is useless as it doesn't help at all and the icons on maps have not hovering texts. It's like you have to spend quite a time in order to learn all the names and locations very well if you don't want to get lost (which is quite easy if you're just starting).

    All in all, FFXIV:ARR is an outdated system with nice and fresh graphics with not too much Final Fantasy on it you won't find those moving stories we are used to see in the series. It's an MMO made to be also played on a console that's why some game design options can look bad on a PC. But, if you're new to MMOs or you just played some bad quality ones, perhaps FFXIV:ARR can be a good game for you. I'd prefer worse graphics with a better gameplay and story, and a more friendly mapping system/UI.    … Expand
  67. sirojasb
    Aug 29, 2013
    10
    it´s shiny, fresh and a traditional MMORPG at the same time, even at it´s early stage it´s recomendable to play, it´s years away from the previous failure version launched at 2010, even when the only entries xi and xiv),that are not traditional JRPG, like the other entries on the series making a diferent appeal and a diferent game experience, that make dislike to traditional fans of theit´s shiny, fresh and a traditional MMORPG at the same time, even at it´s early stage it´s recomendable to play, it´s years away from the previous failure version launched at 2010, even when the only entries xi and xiv),that are not traditional JRPG, like the other entries on the series making a diferent appeal and a diferent game experience, that make dislike to traditional fans of the series… Expand
  68. googoo
    Aug 29, 2013
    10
    Game is fun, allows you to accomplish 'something' in a reasonable amount of time, easy in the beginning-with a learning curve that is supported by a steady and reasonable learning curve. While being casual it is not always hand holding and later in game strategy is more intense than in earlier dungeons and content and equally more rewarding. Crafting is a world apart from other MMO's andGame is fun, allows you to accomplish 'something' in a reasonable amount of time, easy in the beginning-with a learning curve that is supported by a steady and reasonable learning curve. While being casual it is not always hand holding and later in game strategy is more intense than in earlier dungeons and content and equally more rewarding. Crafting is a world apart from other MMO's and shows an evolution from 1.0 to a streamlined enjoyable and yet still rewarding and useful function. The story is of single player calibre, going from dramatic to comedic to thrilling. The writing is great and the small amount of VA adds spice, while many people criticize it, I find it a nice change from reading. Community is surprisingly healthy, compassionate and self regulating. Currently a small amount of early-mmo-trolls are around, but they will lose interest. Gill sellers abound, selling gil at extremely expensive prices which bodes well for the perceived popularity of the title and its future. Thanks for reading!… Expand
  69. Panglishes
    Aug 29, 2013
    3
    Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn is just another MMO. The mechanics of the game are extremely simplified and have no depth. The quests in the game are "Go here and kill X". The difficulty is "You 1 shot these, you 2 shot these, and these 1 shot you". There is no game play difference between level 1 and level 40. The classes are copy paste versions of every other MMO class with little orFinal Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn is just another MMO. The mechanics of the game are extremely simplified and have no depth. The quests in the game are "Go here and kill X". The difficulty is "You 1 shot these, you 2 shot these, and these 1 shot you". There is no game play difference between level 1 and level 40. The classes are copy paste versions of every other MMO class with little or no depth what so ever. The leveling is monotonous and boring. If you like games such as Runescape, Diecide, or Hello Kitty, this game is for you. If you can't stand care-bearing the population of 12 year old ADHD riddled 12 year-olds, I suggest you find a better game.… Expand
  70. Immaprinnydood
    Aug 29, 2013
    10
    The game does everything right that an MMO, should do right, it's quests are fun and creative, the story is epic, and makes you feel like a hero, it has tons of things to do, so you can play for a really long time and never get bored. Yoshi and his team really put their heart into this game, and it shows.
  71. CloudTheValkyre
    Aug 29, 2013
    10
    A fun game, like vanilla WOW a lot, but with better music, a better story, and jobs. Don't forget that its Final Fantasy, too. I enjoyed it very much.
  72. quesse
    Aug 29, 2013
    10
    The most polished MMO currently on the market. A total uturn from 1.0. Square Enix is dedicated to this game and it shows. Look forward to mounds and mounds of amazing updates and new things to do. What exists now is amazing but it is only the tip of the iceburg. This game is on track to take over the industry.
  73. Boonah
    Aug 29, 2013
    6
    I've never played a final fantasy game before so I'm reviewing this as just an MMO like any other.

    It feels very slow, there are insanely long gcds on abilities. Ive been playing for several hours as a conjurer and have two damage abilities. im level 13. Im dotting a target then spamming one key over and over ad infinitum. It gets old very fast. Quests are very dull and repetitive.    I've never played a final fantasy game before so I'm reviewing this as just an MMO like any other.

    It feels very slow, there are insanely long gcds on abilities. Ive been playing for several hours as a conjurer and have two damage abilities. im level 13. Im dotting a target then spamming one key over and over ad infinitum. It gets old very fast.

    Quests are very dull and repetitive. Kill X. Fetch Y.

    The map is awful and useless. Navigation proves very challenging.

    All in all, if htis was 2005 id give it a 10. But its 2013. So its a 6. Its just more of the same old same old im afraid.    … Expand
  74. NyanReaper
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    This game is a huge difference and improvement compared to the initial FFXIV. The graphics are gorgeous, just looking at the environment makes me wanna play more and more. The combat system and Jobs/Classes are good too, especially when crafting. The addition of FATE system is fun to play. I didn't expect the game to be this good. Instead of giving scores of 0,1, 2 just because of theThis game is a huge difference and improvement compared to the initial FFXIV. The graphics are gorgeous, just looking at the environment makes me wanna play more and more. The combat system and Jobs/Classes are good too, especially when crafting. The addition of FATE system is fun to play. I didn't expect the game to be this good. Instead of giving scores of 0,1, 2 just because of the server issues and character restrictions and stuffs(we should expect this to happen), I'd say be patient and enjoy the game, those will be solved sooner, I'm sure they won't be just sitting idly and do nothing.… Expand
  75. Quatra
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    This game is not a 10, more of a solid 8! Ten is to counter all the unnecessary 0's. Square Enix did the right thing and corrected the horrendous launch of the incomplete original FFXIV. Character development, Class and Job system, world, and environment is magical. If I had to describe it in other MMO terms, I would say it incorporates the best parts of WoW, such as dungeon finder,This game is not a 10, more of a solid 8! Ten is to counter all the unnecessary 0's. Square Enix did the right thing and corrected the horrendous launch of the incomplete original FFXIV. Character development, Class and Job system, world, and environment is magical. If I had to describe it in other MMO terms, I would say it incorporates the best parts of WoW, such as dungeon finder, need,pass,and greed on items, as well as much quicker travelling. FFXI elements show themselves in lore, world, class, and job areas. Definately a solid MMO, and all the haters, are hating mostly for normal launch problems. Personally I haven't had a problem getting on or playing. I wish people would not rate a game they can't play because of an error, many of which are localized to their system.… Expand
  76. NdranC
    Aug 28, 2013
    0
    Combat system is slow, lacks customization and interesting skills, like 20% more damage for 20 secs with a 3 min cooldown. The class mechanics are dumb down. Quest hub system with an insane amount of fetching quests and a boring linear story line.

    Class system forces you to level alts if you want to improve your main. Crafting system is the same old recipe based system with annoyances    Combat system is slow, lacks customization and interesting skills, like 20% more damage for 20 secs with a 3 min cooldown. The class mechanics are dumb down. Quest hub system with an insane amount of fetching quests and a boring linear story line.

    Class system forces you to level alts if you want to improve your main. Crafting system is the same old recipe based system with annoyances like minigames or switching professions before you can gather. The whole leveling experience encourages solo play, because of class/guild specific quests and a huge amount of solo tiny instances that your friends can't come in.

    Graphic style depends on your tastes, it has a photo realistic environment with cartoon looking characters that in my opinion looks very odd. UI is horrible, very bright lights everywhere and it looks confusing against the background. HORRIBLE map system and useless minimap, you need to keep your map open and use it as a proper minimap. Seriously the worst map system I can think off right now... Animations are bad... spell effects are worse.. might be a taste thing but Square Enix LOVES to make every single spell look like fairy fart. If i cast a fire spell, lots and lots of fairy like particles all over. Excessive use of glow on EVERYTHING. Not everything has to glow like navi in Zelda... Class system is the trinity with a heavy requirement for DPS classes and just 1 tank and 1 healer. I don't have to explain why this outdated design is horrible.

    Over all the game (I don't use this term lightly) is a wow clone with a worst combat system and a Final Fantasy reskin. If you LOVE every single FF ever then you might get a kick out of it. But the fact remains this is an outdated game with horrible design choices on a sub fee that is only getting this many reviews because of the Justin Beiber phenomenon. Fanboism.    … Expand
  77. Carnifex
    Aug 28, 2013
    9
    I played the first FFXIV and to say that it missed it's mark would be fairly generous. It was essentially an unfinished mess. It made even some of the most diehard Final Fantasy fans swear off the whole franchise.

    If one were to compare A Realm Reborn to the original FFXIV it would simply blow it out of the water. It's not even a contest. Keeping that in mind, basing an opinion on how    I played the first FFXIV and to say that it missed it's mark would be fairly generous. It was essentially an unfinished mess. It made even some of the most diehard Final Fantasy fans swear off the whole franchise.

    If one were to compare A Realm Reborn to the original FFXIV it would simply blow it out of the water. It's not even a contest. Keeping that in mind, basing an opinion on how much this game surpasses it's predecessor is not really a clear indicator of whether it's any good or not.

    DISCLAIMER: I'm not going to pretend that I've seen or done everything the game has to offer, that could take a month or more. Here are a few pros and cons based on what I've seen with both a high level 1.0 character and starting with a fresh one.

    -PROS-
    1. The World: It's simply gorgeous. It was hard to not just get caught up in it's beauty. The art direction and level design is top notch and very worthy of it's namesake.
    2. Characters: 5 races. very well detailed and animated, with lots and lots of customization options. The amount of personality that is brought out through simple gestures and facial expressions really sets them apart from most other games.
    3.Classes/Jobs: A very large variety to chose from with a massive amount of replayability on a single character should you choose to level them all. All classes are interchangeable simply by swapping out weapons and possibly some gear. Jobs are the high end version of the initial classes and really add to the strength and depth to the chosen role. You also are allotted 7 slots which you can add select skills from other jobs to help round out your current one.
    4. Combat: Combat is very fluid and fairly fast paced. It (depending on class) let's you tie abilities together nicely to create chains of attacks, which also can carry over well to group play. The enemies also have large screen prompts showing cone and AoE attacks giving you time to avoid them.
    5. Quests: There are TONS. You have a an excellent Main story quest that could rival many single player RPG's. You also have the Grand Company quests and their own storyline and progression subset. You have Class/Jobs quests with their storyline. You also have levequests, sidequests, raid specific, faction specific, crafting related, and a multitude of others that tie into the games progression. If you are a completionist, or a lore, or achievement fiend you'll have plenty on your plate for quite some time.
    6. Professions: Gathering and crafting have now been streamlined and function in a similar manner as class progression does. The level tiers and readily available recipe list are a much easier to manage than before.
    7. UI: The in game UI is, like crafting, is now a much more intuitive version of it's predecessor. Gone are the days of digging through one menu for a certain piece of gear, crafting ingredient or other random item. Now weapons/tools, armor pieces, and other gear all have their own individual inventories making things far smoother for changing from classes, jobs, and professions. Also additions such as Duty Finder for finding groups and the fact that every item, ability, and executable is basically drag and drop makes things pretty smooth.
    8. Fates: Cool dynamic overworld events that are a nice diversion from regular questing.
    9. Sound: The music is excellent as are the sound assets.
    10. Graphics: Character, monster, npc, and mount models are some of the best around. Weapons and gear are detailed and well textured. The environment is also filled with a great deal of detail, whether it's the varying floor and wall textures, structures, or smaller things like furniture and other items, all are of a very high quality. The lighting and shadows are also excellent, with accurately reproduced day and night cycles and a clean soft glow of lamps at night a brilliant sunshine by day.

    -CONS-
    1.World: As detailed as the world is it looses a bit of the grand scope and feel it gives by being broken up into zones. I understand it's to combat console limitations but it does detract a bit.
    2. Characters: The 5 classes share a distinctly humanoid form; Would have been nice to see some really diverse non-humanoid races.
    3. Classes/Jobs: Some of the classes feel generic compared to their counterparts in other MMO's.
    4.Combat: Relies a bit too much on spamming the same few skills over and over. Would have liked to see more depth here.
    5.Quests: While many of the quests tied to a faction or the main story are excellent the bulk of early leveling will be done through pretty standard MMO style; kill X of these or bring X to so-and-so.
    6. Professions: Still feels a bit too tedious for my tastes, also gone somewhat is the feeling that crafting is required to outfit the playerbase.
    7. UI: Still could use a better sort function.
    8. Fates: A bit lackluster when compared to dynamic events in other MMO's.
    9.Sound: none
    10. Graphics: Minor instances of low res texures, nothing major.    … Expand
  78. Victory
    Aug 28, 2013
    8
    Game is being fixed and progress is being made. Servers are opening up more and character creation isn't such a contentious issue now (create your character offpeak times)

    The game itself is the best MMO i've played since WoW. It follows mmo traditions but brings enough to the table to feel fresh all with a slick UI and fantastic story. First mmo i've played that doesn't feel like a    Game is being fixed and progress is being made. Servers are opening up more and character creation isn't such a contentious issue now (create your character offpeak times)

    The game itself is the best MMO i've played since WoW. It follows mmo traditions but brings enough to the table to feel fresh all with a slick UI and fantastic story.

    First mmo i've played that doesn't feel like a wow clone. Ignore the wow clone comments (See Rift for an example of a wow clone). I'm sure these people would call every FPS a Doom clone, right?    … Expand
  79. Ehllfhire
    Aug 28, 2013
    0
    The game us unplayable at this time. You cant even log in to make a character. If you do get logged in, you end up getting booted by some error and then have to take 4-8 hours to be able to log in again. Worst launch of an mmo ever.
  80. Hyde006
    Aug 28, 2013
    8
    Great game once you can actually logged into it (I can't give it a bad review just based on servers issues). The team did an awesome job revamping the entire game.
  81. Krooser
    Aug 28, 2013
    1
    Once you do finally get logged into the game, which is by no means an easy task since there is no queue and when you get a message stating the world is full, you have to continue clicking through several prompts to try again, the game you will find is buggy and unplayable at worst, and boring and uninspired at best. Enjoy spamming one or two skills over and over in order to kill things?Once you do finally get logged into the game, which is by no means an easy task since there is no queue and when you get a message stating the world is full, you have to continue clicking through several prompts to try again, the game you will find is buggy and unplayable at worst, and boring and uninspired at best. Enjoy spamming one or two skills over and over in order to kill things? Well then this game might be right for you. The word feels dead and cold even when surrounded by other players. The quests are very standard fetch and kill quests, and the combat couldn't be more plain and uninspired. If you love Final Fantasy and just want to be able to run around in a final fantasy inspired world, then you may enjoy this. But if you're a fan of MMOs and were hoping for something new or exciting, or any progression of the genre, you should probably look elsewhere. Launch week server issues are bad enough, but there should be a great game behind it all once you get in. There simply isn't.… Expand
  82. Bnburns2000
    Aug 28, 2013
    9
    Short Version: If you're a fan of vanilla WoW, but still prefer the updated accommodations standard with most MMOs, you'll find a lot to love with XIV:ARR. If you prefer the action-combat of GW2, TERA, etc., this game may not be to you. Beautiful graphics, intuitive interface. This is a game that appeals to mmo fans that have grown tired of the old titles, but are still looking for thatShort Version: If you're a fan of vanilla WoW, but still prefer the updated accommodations standard with most MMOs, you'll find a lot to love with XIV:ARR. If you prefer the action-combat of GW2, TERA, etc., this game may not be to you. Beautiful graphics, intuitive interface. This is a game that appeals to mmo fans that have grown tired of the old titles, but are still looking for that same experience with updated features. XIV:ARR doesn't reinvent the wheel, and while it's a slow starter for the first 20-30 levels, the pay off is definitely worth it. After floundering between various mmos for the last 3-4 years, I feel like this is the game I've been waiting for.

    Funny enough, with all of the so-called "WoW clones" on the market, very few games ever truly felt like the original World of Warcraft experience. This one does, at least for me.    … Expand
  83. Vexar180
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    As we are reviewing the game, not the servers it is based on... This game has fully brought me back into the MMORPG scene. I started with FFXI, moved to WoW, and have been looking for something since I left WoW:Cataclysm. This has finally filled that void! Feels like a final fantasy game in terms of story, amazing dungeon fights, killer bosses; just outstanding right from the start.
  84. redboxrazor
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    It has been a very long time since I've felt this kind of thrill. Combat is fast-paced and exciting, and the environments are breathtaking. I built a new PC so I could immerse myself in this game, and it was worth every penny. A huge improvement over 1.0, with a talented team who cares deeply about the game. I can't recommend this highly enough.
  85. betelgeuzah
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    This game does not deserve a 10. However, it does not deserve a 0 either. The server problems are annoying but the game itself is amazing and a million times better than 1.0.

    Square-Enix has done a great job with this game. There is a lot to do for a new MMO and the graphics are fantastic. The combat stays interesting since not all monsters can be facerolled, especially in class and    This game does not deserve a 10. However, it does not deserve a 0 either. The server problems are annoying but the game itself is amazing and a million times better than 1.0.

    Square-Enix has done a great job with this game. There is a lot to do for a new MMO and the graphics are fantastic. The combat stays interesting since not all monsters can be facerolled, especially in class and main quests.    … Expand
  86. Akabaneist
    Aug 28, 2013
    9
    Looking back to when the first version was released the game has truly been improved on all aspects imaginable. Before I start however, I want to point out I'm a huge fan of the SP FF series and the massive lore that comes with it.

    The new and shiny version of the game offers full support to everything you do and explains things as you advance through the colorful storyline, and when I    Looking back to when the first version was released the game has truly been improved on all aspects imaginable. Before I start however, I want to point out I'm a huge fan of the SP FF series and the massive lore that comes with it.

    The new and shiny version of the game offers full support to everything you do and explains things as you advance through the colorful storyline, and when I say everything I do mean EVERYTHING.
    One of the best things in my opinion is the fact that you never run out of things to do. You might be working on your skills in leatherworking and moments later find yourself chasing after a particular monster to grow your overall bank of slain enemy types. After felling your quarry you notice a group of players escorting a valuable asset to a specified location nearby and decide to join them in order to earn some extra cash and EXP.

    What really makes this game unique though is the option to make one character a real multitalent. You can train every single class and craft simply by joining the corresponding guild and after a LOT of hard work, master it. In addition, you can switch your current class at any time simply by switching your main weapon.

    Every single aspect of the game has been improved from the time of it's predecessor. The one point deduction from the total score I gave was only because of my own frustration after experiencing long login queues and even that is a problem that will surely be fixed after the server capacity is raised. I can only recommend the game to every mmorpg fan and suggest that you enter the world of Eorzea to discover the things it has to offer yourselves. Have fun!

    Although I would love to list everything that makes this game special right here I'm afraid the list would be too long for anyone to read through.    … Expand
  87. Enigma_Syrus
    Aug 28, 2013
    8
    FFXIV:ARR reminds me a lot of what initially brought me to WoW. The world is new and there is plenty to do. You can quest, grind, do guildhests (small challenge maps), leves ("dailies" that open up early in the game), FATEs (open world events, bosses) and instances (replete with group finder). It keeps the FF feel, while handling like a contemporary MMO. You also get mounts that are alsoFFXIV:ARR reminds me a lot of what initially brought me to WoW. The world is new and there is plenty to do. You can quest, grind, do guildhests (small challenge maps), leves ("dailies" that open up early in the game), FATEs (open world events, bosses) and instances (replete with group finder). It keeps the FF feel, while handling like a contemporary MMO. You also get mounts that are also fighting companions.

    It does not have the tactical depth that FFXI had, but neither is it so crushingly difficult and unforgiving (FFXI had very few quest instructions, xp on death, quest to break level caps, Maat fights). I am happy to say that on the way to end-game, there is more to do in FFXIV than any other MMO I've played.

    You can use your one character to level every class-job in the game and change class-jobs instantly by saving your gear sets (up to 12 or so) and storing them in your armory (a separate inventory for each equipment slot). As you use up quests, xp is scale for FATEs based on your highest level so that the xp grind becomes less pronounced.

    Instances and FATEs are also level synced. This means that when you arrive, you are capped at a certain level. However, you will still gain xp, etc. This allows you to play with lower level friends, etc. if they need assistance or you want to rerun an old instance.

    Now, glowing positives aside, lets be realistic. FFXIV:ARR borrows A LOT from other MMO's. You can see WoW in it (interface, character handling), Rift (open world events) and SWTOR (how it handles quests). If you are burned out on traditional MMO's, then you may feel the same here.

    The game is also facing some overpopulation issues and is suffering from that. Despite what you read here, Square has announced that there will a server hardware expansion but it won't be ready until the beginning of next week (around September 2nd). There is a queue system, but that too is overloaded (most people never see it). The problem is compounded by a lack of afk kick system, so those that get in will park their characters if they leave for awhile so they don't have to sit at the login screen. Can't blame them... but it prevents people from actually playing during that time.

    In the end, this game will live or die based on its end-game content and how fast Square corrects the server population issues. Some end-game is lacking but they have already previewed the first end-game raid (24 or 25 man, I'm a little off on the exact figure) so it is on the way. Anyone who has played WoW however knows that people will only stay if that content keeps coming.

    I implore those that read this to try to form their own opinions of the game. There are plenty of videos on Youtube, etc. where you can see gameplay in advance. Make your own determination. There can be a strong bias in these reviews either by fanboys or those loyal to another MMO.

    Only time will tell how successful FFXIV:ARR will be.    … Expand
  88. joshb120
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    This game is great. The story line is amazing, the combat is much more polished then version 1.0, and its a heck of a lot funner to play. Try it out! Dont listen to all the haters about the login issues and errors. These will be resolved and these people will have nothing to complain about.
  89. Whiskey78
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    This game is simply better than anything released recently. Combat isn't slow like I thought it might be, graphics are top notch, dungeons are great, and end game looks promising. The game is worth playing! And just a FYI the majority of negative comments so far pertains to not being able to log in consistently due to server over load. They have announced they are increasing the capacityThis game is simply better than anything released recently. Combat isn't slow like I thought it might be, graphics are top notch, dungeons are great, and end game looks promising. The game is worth playing! And just a FYI the majority of negative comments so far pertains to not being able to log in consistently due to server over load. They have announced they are increasing the capacity within the next week to fix this.… Expand
  90. CoolMike90
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    It's unfortunate to see people giving the game such low scores due to the inability to log on and create characters. The site is made for actually reviewing the game itself and not bashing SE for getting an overwhelming amount of orders and players. Everyone who has been able to play this game for more than an hour has LOVED it and cannot stop playing. I've talked to people who have 10,It's unfortunate to see people giving the game such low scores due to the inability to log on and create characters. The site is made for actually reviewing the game itself and not bashing SE for getting an overwhelming amount of orders and players. Everyone who has been able to play this game for more than an hour has LOVED it and cannot stop playing. I've talked to people who have 10, 20, 30+ hours played so far and have almost nothing bad to say about it.

    I would give SE a week or two to work out any release issues that are going on and things will be smooth on-wards. Any large MMO that has such a large following has these kinds of issues all the time during release and even other online games such as when CoD MW3 came out, all have downtime and server issues and lag.

    Once again the game is great so far and don't let the negativity of others complaining about servers being down and such make you shy away from the game. These issues aren't permanent like as if the game was actually bad, which is permanent.    … Expand
  91. Tacobadgers
    Aug 28, 2013
    3
    I love this game, however Square Enix has handicapped all of the youtubers who were helping me learn how to play and be good at it. They removed the ability for youtubers to make video's about this game ruining all the work that these people put in to help new players. I'm Sorry Mr. Happy that is terrible and an awful thing for them to do. I'm sorry that all the work you put in and plannedI love this game, however Square Enix has handicapped all of the youtubers who were helping me learn how to play and be good at it. They removed the ability for youtubers to make video's about this game ruining all the work that these people put in to help new players. I'm Sorry Mr. Happy that is terrible and an awful thing for them to do. I'm sorry that all the work you put in and planned to put in and the hours upon hours upon hours of time that you spent learning how this game works in order to make great tutorial videos and make a little bit of money off youtube as compensation was all ruined by this horrible company that loves to screw people over. (see any final fantasy on ios as proof of their evilness 15 dollars for a nes era game on ios get real Sqeenix you suck get with the times you cox suckers)… Expand
  92. Papaoso
    Aug 28, 2013
    2
    Let’s be honest, one question what does this game offer? Having taken part in the open beta and religiously playing during early access I fail to see the appeal of this game.

    Pros: Gorgeous world, really impressive artwork. Hats off to the artwork department for this game, really is the best feature of the game. Cross class abilities allow for some flexibility and interesting    Let’s be honest, one question what does this game offer? Having taken part in the open beta and religiously playing during early access I fail to see the appeal of this game.

    Pros:

    Gorgeous world, really impressive artwork. Hats off to the artwork department for this game, really is the best feature of the game.

    Cross class abilities allow for some flexibility and interesting combinations of skills. Really nice being able to play one character and just switch weapons to change classes.

    Fates (similar to rifts from Rift) can be fun and enjoyable with a good group of people. Amazing rewards for simple tasks.

    Lots of dungeons and lvl adjustment for them is nice.

    Positive community of people in-game (that I’ve interacted with thus far). When players can’t get into the game things get nasty (World’s full error, 3012 error during early access etc.)

    Cons:

    The combat system feels ancient. Use an ability, wait for the global cool down to be done and then use your next ability. Nothing about the combat system feels dynamic or really interactive. The limit breaks are cool but its just a group ability and nothing too special about them.

    Boss fights present the player with mind numbing simplicity. When you have a poor combat system that lacks any dynamic actions you create these kind of poor, simplistic boss encounters. Run out of red circles, click this object to prevent more dmg from coming in, pickup adds etc. Nothing new or innovative in the encounters. At least GW2 you could roll to a side and dodge a little.

    Is this an MMO (massive multiplayer) or a single player game with the occasional groups? Duty finder (group/dungeon finder) takes 10-20mins for a healer to find a group, 30+ for dps, tanks I hear its much better. The main quest line instances must be completed alone, grouping for any kind of content also kicks you out of a duty finder(dungeon finder). I feel like I’m running around doing the main quest line and waiting forever to run any kind of dungeon.

    The grind the grind the grind! There aren’t any major raids prior to lvl 50 right now. Aside from Fate grinding you will never be in a group beyond 4 players. Again is this even an MMO? Once again another WoW imitator where you start playing the game when you hit the lvl cap.

    Skills, give me more skills!!! I understand cross class skills are nice and enjoyable, but as a healer I don’t have a dispel? I cast Cure I and Cure I and Cure I, sleep an add, repeat. I miss the days from SWTOR where I had 5 hot bars of skills I all used. Now I don’t even have 2 hot bars of skills….

    In the end I feel like this game is dead at launch. I can’t imagine people tricking themselves into thinking this is a good game. It is not. It offers nothing special. The combat in the game is terrible. The frequency with which you’re grouping with others makes the game feel like a single player game. Aside from how pretty the game looks there isn’t anything that this game offers. Why developers in 2013 are still making such poor WoW imitators almost a decade after WoW launched is beyond me. Has the MMORPG genre died? Playing Final Fantasy a Realm Reborn sure makes me feel like it’s hit a new low. Earns a rating of 2 just because it looks good.    … Expand
  93. wazula5
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    So far the game is excellent. The vast majority of the issues in 1.0 have been resolved.
    Initial class leveling is pretty quick and keeps the story moving.
    The Gear Set option is clutch a simple but massive improvement on inventory management and switching between classes.
    Love that they have established a new paradigm for grinding.
  94. Xen-Masta
    Aug 28, 2013
    0
    I played this game for awhile on a Japanese server, since the NA/EU servers are locking most people out. Game is essentially unplayable, hence the low rating. I will amend this rating assuming that they fix the issue at some point.

    As far as the game itself goes, once/if you actually get to play it: It's no FFXI, which was infinitely more original and fun to play. FFXIV is as generic    I played this game for awhile on a Japanese server, since the NA/EU servers are locking most people out. Game is essentially unplayable, hence the low rating. I will amend this rating assuming that they fix the issue at some point.

    As far as the game itself goes, once/if you actually get to play it: It's no FFXI, which was infinitely more original and fun to play. FFXIV is as generic a regurgitation of modern western MMO's as i have ever seen. No originality, no voice overs, no challenge/skill needed, music is even lack luster for a FF game. The gane was obviously developed this time around based on PS3 specs, and an easy cross platform development. When the graphics are cranked the whole way up, it looks like a decent ps3 game, nowhere near as good as a game developed for PC. This game was developed to please the post wow generation imo.    … Expand
  95. Stupeyfied
    Aug 28, 2013
    8
    So, the majority of complaints about this game are pretty much the obvious...the login server issues (which EVERY online game that is new that comes out has the same exact issue) and the fact that it plays like "every other MMO" out there. While these may be true, I don't believe its deserving of such a horrible mark. There are parts of this game that really separate its self from otherSo, the majority of complaints about this game are pretty much the obvious...the login server issues (which EVERY online game that is new that comes out has the same exact issue) and the fact that it plays like "every other MMO" out there. While these may be true, I don't believe its deserving of such a horrible mark. There are parts of this game that really separate its self from other games, such as the crafting system. Then there are the visuals. My word, the visuals are incredible! From combat to the scenery, to the weather, its completely and utterly gorgeous. Questing is a lot of running around gathering this or that or delivering something to someone for someone else, which, I agree, is a bit of a re-hash of any other game of this type. But I believe that everything else this game has going on completely makes up for that. I haven't had a game give me goose bumps in a long time, but watching the main intro video really set the mood! I say maybe give it some time for them to smooth out the bumps, and this game will definitely be a success … Expand
  96. lanedraex
    Aug 28, 2013
    6
    Generic questing, button mash skills and a slow combat, welcome back to MMORPGs from 2004~2008!

    The game starts off by dividing it's player base into 3 cities based on which class you want to start, so if one of your friends wants to be a Lancer and you want to be a Marauder, you'll have to finish the 15 levels of tutorial quest grinding. It starts off slow with each skill having a 2.5    Generic questing, button mash skills and a slow combat, welcome back to MMORPGs from 2004~2008!

    The game starts off by dividing it's player base into 3 cities based on which class you want to start, so if one of your friends wants to be a Lancer and you want to be a Marauder, you'll have to finish the 15 levels of tutorial quest grinding. It starts off slow with each skill having a 2.5 seconds time before you can use another one, while "instant" skills have a 0.5 second time (but you won't have many by level 15), so you'll be slowly killing lady bugs and squirrels, probably alone, and running around doing FATE (dynamic events) after FATE to level up faster.

    Once you reach level 15 the game changes a little, you'll be able to travel to your friend's land and play with them. You'll now be grinding dungeons and doing your Main Story Quest, just in like almost any other MMORPG.

    The quest system works with the good and old "grind and return to npc X", with no innovation here. Most of the side quests are "kill X, get X, return" with the main quests being a little more "chat, kill, return". The FATE quests doesn't seem to really react or have any consequences and they are quickly turned into a "Spam all your skills on the monsters" until a bar completes or depletes and you get your reward.

    The interface is where this game really shines, you have all the customization you could ever want, the inventory is divided and you have easy access to it, you see how many monsters are attacking you. The gamepad interface is incredible as well, you can use the "Start" menu while walking so it doesn't make you stop while you cycle through the various menu options.

    Decent game overall, not great, not the better thing ever, just decent, if you would want to play a game that is between WoW and GW2, you should try FFXIV:ARR, if you want innovation, stay away.    … Expand
  97. stormspirit
    Aug 28, 2013
    7
    I started playing this during the second last beta launch and I have to say I was very impressed. Graphics were smooth and incredibly pretty. Races were fun and somewhat unique with that definite FF feel. Beta was a blast, open beta was great so grabbed the game for early access.

    Now I know some people say that you cant base an opinion on a launch, I disagree. Is my subscription    I started playing this during the second last beta launch and I have to say I was very impressed. Graphics were smooth and incredibly pretty. Races were fun and somewhat unique with that definite FF feel. Beta was a blast, open beta was great so grabbed the game for early access.

    Now I know some people say that you cant base an opinion on a launch, I disagree. Is my subscription dollars any less valuable to me at launch? In my opinion the launch was a giant woops. Why? My pre order early access ended with me unable to make a character on my preferred server. Soon after most servers were full and now I couldnt find a japan server that IS taking new characters. To me, this ruined the early access perk and subsequently goes along way to shaking my faith in Square, in the ability to get it right. These are all things that should be ironed out in the beta stages, not something that is ironed out when you are consuming a customers paid time. Lets face it, thats exactly what it is. Eating time you guys as customers have paid for.

    Honestly though, if you can actually get on a server (and right now I cant get on the server my characters are on, and cant create anymore so hey!) the game is a huge amount of fun. Its nothing new in regard to combat mechanics, but it does the old in button pressing regime in a very polished fashion. The graphics I found occasionally a little stiff and unnatural in some combat animations, GW2 seemed more fluid on this front.

    Quests are much the same, nothing new but a nice polished appearance with fun characters to interact with. THe game maintains the FF sort of humour on many levels and the quests and givers reflect this. Overall an efficient and entertaining run at what we are all pretty much used to running with in an MMO.

    Music is fantastic, hits you with a nice FF nostalgia when you hear some of the traditional tunes played.

    As to the character system I find it a little more difficult to comment as well, have to be able to play to level and comment. Through my basic lower levels its pretty standard fare but again done with a nice degree of sophistication and flair.

    I am a great fan (regardless of my spite in regards to the server quirks) of Final Fantasy and yes will stick with it because it IS fun (when I am able to get into play) and it is a good product. I do think however that a little more foresight (better to over cater for players than under) would have gone a very long way to making this launch impressive over aggravating.    … Expand
  98. ChillingWind
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn is the best MMORPG I have ever played. It IS NOT the same game that came out years ago, and many people are judging it based on the past when I believe Square Enix has found the meaning to the word redemption. The graphics, music, gameplay, and game as a whole is amazing. It is a must buy especially with it being sold at under $45.
  99. Aquilla
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    The negative reviews about server outages have been written literally 24 HOURS after release. It's obvious that some people are seriously damn impatient.
    As to the game: It's AMAZING. the graphics are great. the story is engaging, immersive, and hands-down the best story offered in a MMO recently. The gameplay is miles away from 1.0. The dungeons are well-designed, the bosses interesting,    The negative reviews about server outages have been written literally 24 HOURS after release. It's obvious that some people are seriously damn impatient.
    As to the game: It's AMAZING. the graphics are great. the story is engaging, immersive, and hands-down the best story offered in a MMO recently. The gameplay is miles away from 1.0. The dungeons are well-designed, the bosses interesting, and the difficulty curve expertly designed it starts out easy enough, but gets hard. I can imagine no better MMO to spend money on.    … Expand
  100. Synikal603
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    If you can look past the growing pains that all MMO's suffer when they first launch you will find a fun romp through a beautifully crafted world. FFXIV: ARR is a vast improvement over the previous launch version of FFXIV in pretty much every way conceivable.I can easily recommend this game to fans of Final Fantasy and MMO's though I do caution people interested to give the game a week orIf you can look past the growing pains that all MMO's suffer when they first launch you will find a fun romp through a beautifully crafted world. FFXIV: ARR is a vast improvement over the previous launch version of FFXIV in pretty much every way conceivable.I can easily recommend this game to fans of Final Fantasy and MMO's though I do caution people interested to give the game a week or so to sort out all of its issues.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Best PC Game of 2013
19
#19 Most Discussed PC Game of 2013
31
#31 Most Shared PC Game of 2013

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 29 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Hyper Magazine
    Dec 28, 2013
    80
    Full of enough adventure, daring-do and chocobos to make any MMO fan happy. [Jan 2014, p.72]
  2. Gaming Nexus
    Nov 13, 2013
    85
    A Realm Reborn is such a substantial change from the original game that it merits a second look if you hated the first release. So much has changed for the better, and it has resulted in one of the most polished MMORPGs out there today.
    Read full review
  3. PCGamesN
    Nov 6, 2013
    80
    The completionist in me is nearly overwhelmed with the sheer amount of things to do in A Realm Reborn. Square Enix really do deserve praise for not only fixing the issues of the original game, but far exceeding their goal.
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