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. mpelley92
    Dec 8, 2018
    10
    Before we start, I must state that I was introduced to this game after the initial failure. I started playing in August 2017, and since then have been very happy with it. The single most driving force of the satisfaction of playing it, is the community. The fact that you can play this game without running into angry people is excellent. I've played many dungeons, and all start with peopleBefore we start, I must state that I was introduced to this game after the initial failure. I started playing in August 2017, and since then have been very happy with it. The single most driving force of the satisfaction of playing it, is the community. The fact that you can play this game without running into angry people is excellent. I've played many dungeons, and all start with people saying "hi :)". It's overall a great experience. Graphic-wise, it feels old. It doesn't matter if you play in DX9c or DX11, it will be dated compared to the likes of World of Warcraft or any of the free "pay2win" MMOs. This isn't a huge deal, since most people who play an MMO don't care about graphics all that much. More import to them, is a story-line and gameplay driven by character development, which this game has plenty of. The additional features like levequests and guildhests add structure and guidance.

    Overall, if you are a fan of the Final Fantasy series and story-driven MMOs, this is a worth-while purchase.    … Expand
  2. Eclystius
    Aug 21, 2014
    9
    This game has provided me with over a year of great gameplay. Ignore the posts about bad storytelling and boring fighting... after finishing a large house, a novus weapon, and more... I still get daily entertainment out of this game because there is still so many things to do. Is it perfect? Hahah... of course not! However, it is well worth the money.
  3. SeanMcgahee
    Oct 17, 2014
    10
    Best MMO i have ever played... Im not sure why anyone could possibly rate this poorly. The music track is out of this world along with the graphics as expected from a final fantasy game. The story is incredible, the crafting and market system blows world of warcraft out of the water... And guess what; they have only been up and running for a year meaning they are an infant in the MMO andBest MMO i have ever played... Im not sure why anyone could possibly rate this poorly. The music track is out of this world along with the graphics as expected from a final fantasy game. The story is incredible, the crafting and market system blows world of warcraft out of the water... And guess what; they have only been up and running for a year meaning they are an infant in the MMO and already blowing others away. The dungeons are awesome, the crafting...yeah you actually have to make the items... Through a series of learned abilities ... Not just grab this mat and that mat and poof i made something.... Still not sold ok ok then how about this.... Try it for free on me...Pc, Playstaion3, or Playstaion 4... Pick your poison ;) I play on ps4.

    If you register a service account using my invitation code below you will receive a 14 day free trial, and once you subscribe using my code you'll receive exclusive in-game item rewards instantly, at 30 days and at 60 days. Just go to http://sqex.to/Msp and once again dont forget my code 8XNEJNJJ. My in game name is The Malevolent and i am on the Lamia server US if you need help or tips. Happy gaming!    … Expand
  4. mirg
    Jul 17, 2021
    5
    Yoshi and the team did a great job improving the game from the original but they used too broad a brush. The best features from 1.0. are still missing even after so many years, things like belt glams for instance are still not there in this version and are infact being removed, which is sad to see.

    The problem with this product is that yes it's entertaining at first but after a few    Yoshi and the team did a great job improving the game from the original but they used too broad a brush. The best features from 1.0. are still missing even after so many years, things like belt glams for instance are still not there in this version and are infact being removed, which is sad to see.

    The problem with this product is that yes it's entertaining at first but after a few years of playing it from expansion to expansion it's clear the product is suffering from stale, repetitive, and restrictive systems and choices. Yes there can be multiple things that one can go into why they enjoy it as with many games but the thing is this game is simply getting less and less enjoyable with each decision made to make it more focused on the catering towards those that rarely play the game which causes less and less reasons to care about investing your time into continue playing the game.

    Yes, they did provided a reason to have invested your time into the game during the transfer from 1.0. to 2.0 but after that there is less and less reasons to bother doing so especially when you consider that nearly everything in the game as of this post is simply lacking in content to do once you've done all the previous content and have reached "endgame" which as of right now the "endgame" is simply you running through bozja to get your blade weapon and running through Eden's Promise, that's it.

    I'm bored, so bloody bored. I got all the beast tribes, got everything to max, got basically all achievements as well as the mounts too. now with the end of shadowlands it's clear to me that this game isn't designed for hardcore play instead it's more designed with casuals in mind. which i'm not saying there is anything wrong with being a casual but when it comes to a mmorpg if there is no fun to be had for hardcore players too then what's the point?    … Expand
  5. WalterDisney
    Aug 22, 2017
    9
    I've played MANY MMO'S (WoW being my "go to" MMO with years of play time on my account) and I can honestly say that after my search for a new MMO that was new and fresh but still a bit familiar to me, FFXIV is the best of the bunch. There is a plethora of things you can do, and leveling skills/your class isn't as drawn out and boring as it is in WoW. I'll always love WoW, but if you putI've played MANY MMO'S (WoW being my "go to" MMO with years of play time on my account) and I can honestly say that after my search for a new MMO that was new and fresh but still a bit familiar to me, FFXIV is the best of the bunch. There is a plethora of things you can do, and leveling skills/your class isn't as drawn out and boring as it is in WoW. I'll always love WoW, but if you put aside my bias for the game, FFXIV seems like it has WAY more to offer. Give it an honest try, you won't regret it :)… Expand
  6. EGAndrade
    Aug 8, 2017
    8
    One of the few mmo-'s that made me notice its main story line quests, would like to be able to check some of the lore content from the 1.0 version, Even tho, Its a great game, few bumps on the road, but still a great game, with a great story and a very nice community.
  7. Latorn
    Sep 2, 2020
    9
    Now available in it's entirety for free, along with the first expansion, the absolutely incredible Heavensward.

    While the base game is not as interesting as it's expansions, it sets the stage for the best Final Fantasy of the modern era. Once you reach Heavensward it is truly a gamechanger.
  8. Kezian
    Jul 30, 2019
    10
    FF14 is amazing ! If you never played it, download the free trial and see for yourself !
  9. I-Robo
    Mar 8, 2019
    9
    Loved this game, wish I had more time to play. Subscription model sucks, but in my opinion its worth it.
  10. Alalaxia
    Dec 26, 2019
    9
    World of warcraft уже не греет душу так как раньше, и я вышел на поиски какой-нибудь другой ММОРПГ на замену. Как известно, в Buy2Play проектах, продержавшихся более года можно быть более уверенным в том, что в них не разочаруешься. В принципе, поиграв около шестидесяти часов можно сложить какое-то мнение об этой игре...
    Первое впечатление вышло не самое лучшее, куча текстовых диалогов,    World of warcraft уже не греет душу так как раньше, и я вышел на поиски какой-нибудь другой ММОРПГ на замену. Как известно, в Buy2Play проектах, продержавшихся более года можно быть более уверенным в том, что в них не разочаруешься. В принципе, поиграв около шестидесяти часов можно сложить какое-то мнение об этой игре...
    Первое впечатление вышло не самое лучшее, куча текстовых диалогов, катсцен, но лично мне их было абсолютно не интересно читать и слушать, и я все пропускал. Как итог - я совсем не разобрался в сюжете, хотя поговаривают, что он достаточно интересный. Но это проблема чисто японского преподношения сюжета, вот любят они нескончаемые диалоги между персонажами, поэтому тут минус чисто субъективный и он может обратиться плюсом любителям различных визуальных новелл, да и вообще серия Final Fantasy любима фанатами как раз таки за хорошо расписанный сюжет.
    Коротко о плюсах: вообще их много и они в мелочах, тут все сделано для игроков! Наконец-то ММОРПГ, где не нужно качать кучу твинков, чтобы опробовать все возможные классы персонажей. Наконец-то ММОРПГ, где нету ярко горящей кнопки SHOP в меню, что даже для Buy2play игры в наше время удивительно. Удобный подбор группы с которой ты можешь пройти любой данж и рейд на любой сложности нажатием одной кнопки. Управление, интерфейс, справка - все именно удобно сделано, видно, что разбирающимися людьми. Особенно порадовало крайне активное и дружелюбное комьюнити, готовое помочь тебе по всем игровым вопросам в любое время, стоит только написать в чат. И порой именно из-за подобного позитивного комьюнити людям нравятся игры. Сложности могут возникнуть у людей, не знающих английский язык, ибо игра локализована на крайне узком количестве языков, что объяснимо ввиду такого количества различного текста, однако на русском в чате писать не запрещено, что, возможно, кому-то и поможет.
    Особенно хочется отметить просто колоссальную работу художников, мир игры, даже несмотря на немного устаревшую графику, просто сверх-красив и полон самых разных локаций. Меня как раз таки это и впечатлило. Сразу видно то самое японское качество и старание художников.
    Про энд-гейм контент сложно говорить, ибо нужно еще пройти контент трех дополнений, дабы оценить сложность рейдов, но прогнозы позитивные, возможно, опишу этот момент подробнее в возможном будущем отзыве к последнему аддону.
    Итого имеем объективно единственного действительно сильного конкурента World of Warcraft'у, вряд ли он когда-то его переплюнет, но будет находится где-то рядышком, в соседней квартире, немного меньшей по метражу и с меньшим посещением. Не совершенство, но все только впереди.    … Expand
  11. xavierboutot
    Apr 10, 2020
    9
    Amazing MMO experience. The story is amazing, just like the community. Very fun and addicting to play. I would definitely recommend it.
  12. Nohri
    Jun 7, 2020
    8
    A good game with some issues with pacing and can feel tiring and grindy at times. The best parts are great, but it's expansions are much better. However be patient, if you try to rush through though rather than patiently taking your time will lead to you getting burned out. However in patch 5.3 it is being reworked to be more digestible.
  13. Khein
    Jul 20, 2020
    10
    Лучшая мморпг 10/10. В игре шикарный сюжет,множество классов, социальное взаимодействие с игроками,гикарная музыка,множество маунтов , косметики, интересные и сложные рейды с уникальными тактиками. В этой игре афигенная история и подЛучшая мморпг 10/10. В игре шикарный сюжет,множество классов, социальное взаимодействие с игроками,гикарная музыка,множество маунтов , косметики, интересные и сложные рейды с уникальными тактиками. В этой игре афигенная история и под
  14. ElaineMes
    May 6, 2021
    7
    This is a rewiev based of my memory since the actual ARR experience isn't available anymore!

    FFXIV: ARR is the 2013 "remake" (if you wanna call it like that) of FFXIV Online which failed ridiculusly back in 2010. ARR improved on alot of issues sourrounding the game by either changing massive portions of it's game or outright replace them. It also delivered many new things to this game    This is a rewiev based of my memory since the actual ARR experience isn't available anymore!


    FFXIV: ARR is the 2013 "remake" (if you wanna call it like that) of FFXIV Online which failed ridiculusly back in 2010.

    ARR improved on alot of issues sourrounding the game by either changing massive portions of it's game or outright replace them. It also delivered many new things to this game such as normal raids and alliance raids. Aswell as new jobs and dungeons.

    The story is a continuation of the original with many new characters, enemies and allies. Gameplay and combat has been replaced entirely. From what used to be a bad immitation of FFXI it made itself anew by adding a Tab-target system of combat. Whilst it was a big improvement overall it did suffer from balancing issues.

    Overall a very solid new start for this game wich would be the foundation for the game in years to come.    … Expand
  15. lilyareyare
    Jun 20, 2020
    9
    Everything checks out as a really good game, the plot is amazing, the soundtrack fenomenal and the some characters are just lovely. The grind is rewarding and i havent found any negative sides after over 200h of gameplay
  16. Beatriss
    Aug 17, 2020
    10
    The game is worthy of attention! The plot, characters, dungeons. Oh, and the music caresses the ear! There is no time to get bored - leveling up all classes keeps your attention. Boss mechanics, trials ... This is awesome!
  17. chocletymilk
    Oct 22, 2020
    8
    I'm a new player in 2020 and this is my first MMO. I tried BDO for a couple of hours but nah. I'm not sure if I want to give ARR an 8 or a 9, I was very patient since the beginning because I now next expansions are amazing so I knew it was worth it to play through ARR. It's very nice, I used the free trial for 150 hours (and could've done it for waaaay longer) but at the end of ARR I saidI'm a new player in 2020 and this is my first MMO. I tried BDO for a couple of hours but nah. I'm not sure if I want to give ARR an 8 or a 9, I was very patient since the beginning because I now next expansions are amazing so I knew it was worth it to play through ARR. It's very nice, I used the free trial for 150 hours (and could've done it for waaaay longer) but at the end of ARR I said "efff it" and bought the complete edition. Also invested in a MMO mouse. Long story short, I'm in LOVE with this game, bit I'm not giving ARR a 10 because I do think it will do poorly compared with the next expansions. Voice acting (eng) kinda sucks and I had to get used to reading a lot in game but after 180 hours it's so worth it. The story might be slow at times (just like in ANY game) but it has amazing moments. I'm so invested in getting good at this game, I love trials and dungeons and the community is AMAZING. I never ran out of things to do and learn. I would give FFXIV overall a 10/10, but just ARR an 8. Do try it, free trial is amazing.… Expand
  18. metacriticuse33
    Dec 25, 2020
    10
    This is the best MMORPG that I have played in the last 10 years. I would recommend this to any MMORPG or even basic RPG lovers.
  19. Dom007
    Mar 13, 2021
    10
    I usually don't play Multiplayer games, this one is an exception. The last two decades of Final fantasy have been very inconsistent but this overall an excellent game. Of course the original version was bad and inexcusable, but what the developers have done with this game is amazing. Turning a dreadful game into a very fun and enjoyable one. The game has only gotten better over the years,I usually don't play Multiplayer games, this one is an exception. The last two decades of Final fantasy have been very inconsistent but this overall an excellent game. Of course the original version was bad and inexcusable, but what the developers have done with this game is amazing. Turning a dreadful game into a very fun and enjoyable one. The game has only gotten better over the years, with numerous updates and 3 amazing Dlcs, bringing up the score of the game from at the very best an 8.5/10 to a 9.5/10. The game is still going strong to this day with an upcoming 4th expansion which I have high hopes for.
    This game is the reason I am looking forward to final fantasy 16 and why I think it will be good.    … Expand
  20. BetaReviews
    Nov 26, 2020
    10
    Amazing story. Graphics has a great emphasis on attention to detail from scenery to character.
  21. Redicat
    May 8, 2021
    10
    I am impressed its a pretty unique MMORPG i think this is 10/10 just by first impressions alone enjoyable if you love to play MMORPG style games with lots of quests and adventure.
  22. naughtywolf3
    Jul 9, 2021
    7
    It's alright. Not the biggest fan of it, but I'll give it a 7 just because it doesn't deserve any lower.
  23. SmackyStarr
    Dec 15, 2021
    0
    Just don't bother. It's a great game but it's not worth the frustration of sitting in queue for hours, getting kicked out multiple times in the process, only to be kicked out of the game after finally getting in and then put back at the end of a 5k queue again. This game is unplayable right now.
  24. stardust514
    Aug 27, 2013
    9
    Launch day is technically a success. All North American, and European region data center servers was completely full. Such a issue is not surprising as this happens to almost every MMO on its launch day. However, despite the log in issue, the game play of this MMORPG is the must enjoyable by far.

    Give the game a chance, let the developers optimize their server to compensate the massive    Launch day is technically a success. All North American, and European region data center servers was completely full. Such a issue is not surprising as this happens to almost every MMO on its launch day. However, despite the log in issue, the game play of this MMORPG is the must enjoyable by far.

    Give the game a chance, let the developers optimize their server to compensate the massive load, and you'll find yourself in a true medieval Final Fantasy world. It is by far the most fun Final Fantasy title I've played yet.    … Expand
  25. LordSidekicks
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    Temporary server hiccups due to overwhelming amount of players logging in. Otherwise a great MMORPG in the Final Fantasy franchise. Way better then version 1.0.
  26. lolsorhand
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    Probobly one of the most solid and most fun MMOs I've played thus far in my 13 years of online gaming. It's polished and carries a nice depth to it. The combat flows really well and the only downside I can see with it is that many servers are locked out. And not being able to login have easily been fixed given a little time or waiting in the que, I got in after about 10 minutes in que.Probobly one of the most solid and most fun MMOs I've played thus far in my 13 years of online gaming. It's polished and carries a nice depth to it. The combat flows really well and the only downside I can see with it is that many servers are locked out. And not being able to login have easily been fixed given a little time or waiting in the que, I got in after about 10 minutes in que.

    Really enjoyed my time so far as well as the community.    … Expand
  27. Kyuuban
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    You want to know why I give this game a 10 you may think that I'm a fanboy and this game is overrated.. No!

    Square Enix did a great job, FFXIV:ARR is just beyond what I have expected. First of all, the graphics, many reviewrs said that the graphics are great and it doesn't kill your system... well yes this is absolutely true and simply the best graphics for an MMO so far. Its so    You want to know why I give this game a 10 you may think that I'm a fanboy and this game is overrated.. No!

    Square Enix did a great job, FFXIV:ARR is just beyond what I have expected.

    First of all, the graphics, many reviewrs said that the graphics are great and it doesn't kill your system... well yes this is absolutely true and simply the best graphics for an MMO so far. Its so smooth and light, back in 1.0 I had troubles running the game at max graphic options, now I'm running the game Max and Its so smooth and fast. what else graphic effects the best I've seen so far, the effects are magical, you would really enjoy them. I give graphics 10

    Gameplay there are A LOT of things to do to keep you busy with this game, like TONS of quests, levequests, hunting logs, FATE, guildhests and many more.. the combat system is good, although it uses the Global Cooldown system and its my first time trying this system, I find it OK.

    There are many dungeons to do and every dungeons needs a different strategy! its engaging and you will need to put more focus into it. I can keep on talking about how amazing this game is but I won't finish.

    The only problem the game is facing now is the login and server issues, and these issues are bound to happen, SE just announced that they will increase the capacities of NA and EU servers. Its all a matter of time until these issues are fixed, so I really can't judge the game based on these issues, I'm here for the game.

    I surely guarantee that you will enjoy this game, and you won't find a better community in any other game like FFXIV:ARR

    Please forgive my english though     … Expand
  28. Baradus
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    Log-in limits aside (and yes, they put Queues in during early release) the game is fantastic. Amazing even with all the changes that were done.

    On the Log-in issues: the final server capacity upgrades will be done by early this coming week. And frankly people giving this a 1 because of it... I hope they come back to change this when the problem is fixed. Oddly enough, the log-in issue    Log-in limits aside (and yes, they put Queues in during early release) the game is fantastic. Amazing even with all the changes that were done.

    On the Log-in issues: the final server capacity upgrades will be done by early this coming week. And frankly people giving this a 1 because of it... I hope they come back to change this when the problem is fixed. Oddly enough, the log-in issue is pretty much the only thing complained about, everything else is amazing.

    Consider that if you're looking at this game.    … Expand
  29. Alacratha
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    FFXIV:ARR is a brand new MMO action title, brought up from the ashes of it's former self, from the major flop that FFXIV 1.0 was.

    This new FFXIV 2.0 is almost exactly how the title states, A Realm Reborn" this game has been redesigned from the ground up, and overall the only real thing to describe it is.. Beautiful. I played 1.0 back in the day, and it was terrible! There was no    FFXIV:ARR is a brand new MMO action title, brought up from the ashes of it's former self, from the major flop that FFXIV 1.0 was.

    This new FFXIV 2.0 is almost exactly how the title states, A Realm Reborn" this game has been redesigned from the ground up, and overall the only real thing to describe it is.. Beautiful.

    I played 1.0 back in the day, and it was terrible! There was no real direction, no real quest system, no real class system, it was a game based around the name Final Fantasy.

    This new Final Fantasy 14, has made it a true MMO, New Characters, new environments, new ways to play, and PS3 access that can let you play on both PC and PS3 together.

    This game is beautiful and fans of any Final Fantasy game will love it.

    Now sure there have been some errors here and there, but what game hasn't had errors at launch?

    The makers of FFXIV weren't anticipating this many people actually wanting to come and play it, Even the Producer/Developer of the game started Tearing up at how we exceeded the expectations for this game.

    They are adding a larger server capacity next week so even more people can play, without the issues of the errors we're getting now.

    So sit tight, enjoy the ride!    … Expand
  30. 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
  31. ff14islame
    Dec 30, 2013
    0
    Bought the game, account got suspended due to "suspicious activity" can't recover it through their online chat or email. Been on the phone for an hour and a half and no help. By the way they charge your for the customer support by phone. my 50-60$ poof gone. absolute bull crap.
  32. xlogan123
    Aug 27, 2013
    9
    I've been looking for something to replace WoW for a while now, and it's FFXIV. I had a ton of fun playing through the Beta and in to the initial game. The graphics are stunning and I'm enjoying the story very much so far. I have no criticisms at all of the actual game, but I'm detracting a point from my overall rating because the server issues have been very difficult to manage so far. II've been looking for something to replace WoW for a while now, and it's FFXIV. I had a ton of fun playing through the Beta and in to the initial game. The graphics are stunning and I'm enjoying the story very much so far. I have no criticisms at all of the actual game, but I'm detracting a point from my overall rating because the server issues have been very difficult to manage so far. I realize it's because they weren't expecting the game to be such a big hit since the first version tanked, but as it is, it's incredibly difficult to get into the game at all.… Expand
  33. ShivaDurden
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    The game now bears little resemblance to the original of 2010. This game is a masterpiece.

    It's a polished, beautiful epic, with a fantastic story line, incredible character customization, mesmerizing locations and deep MMO mechanics. Whilst not trying to revolutionize the genre, it takes everything you've ever loved from your favorite MMOs and puts it all together in the FF    The game now bears little resemblance to the original of 2010. This game is a masterpiece.

    It's a polished, beautiful epic, with a fantastic story line, incredible character customization, mesmerizing locations and deep MMO mechanics.

    Whilst not trying to revolutionize the genre, it takes everything you've ever loved from your favorite MMOs and puts it all together in the FF universe.

    Fans will adore it, new players will start to understand what all the hype was about.

    Forget the server issues, they're already being fixed and this is an MMO launch. It happens and those problems have no place in a review of game content.

    Get in the game, enjoy the passage to level 15 then see the world open up.

    I'm hooked. You will be too.

    Go explore!    … Expand
  34. Bawbjohnson
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    Game is a ton of fun. Probably one of the smoothest, most complete MMO's I've ever played at launch. Despite what anyone will tell you, this is a completely different game than 1.0. Play the game for yourself and find out.
  35. wtfux2
    Jan 16, 2014
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. PROS:
    -FFXIV graphics.

    CONS:
    -FFXIV adopted WoW questing system is plain and boring.
    -Lack of classes. The newer classes such as paladin, black mage, etc. are a joke. Both paladin and black mage get no abilities that are better than their base classes. Apparently, a black mage is a combination of thaumaturge and archer classes. How archer abilities increase magic potency? You tell me.
    -FATE experience points farming is plain and boring.
    -Dungeons are plain and boring. Dungeons where never SQUARE's thing. Maze mongers and meeble burrows from FFXI never had a high player participation rate. They only reason why FFXIV players do dungeons is to get gear and fast xp.
    -WoW adopted battle system makes fighting repetitive and boring.
    -Lack of skills. Compared to FFXI, FFXIV has a very limited arsenal of skills and abilities. Although the spells and abilities may level up, they replace the previous spell.
    -No elemental weakness. Even more dull gameplay with your one damage spell, blizzard.
    -Lack of summons.
    -Gamepad keybind system is horrible. FFXI gamepad marco system is more organized and faster to search.
    -Some classes such as archer can attack while moving, which gives them a tactical advantage against some battles. How archers hit their targets while they are facing in the opposite direction? You tell me.
    -No skill based system.
    -Materia system sucks. The only reason there is a materia system is to remove gear from the economy. Similar to the evolith augmenting system in FFXI. Was never really popular.
    -Harvesting/gathering is boring and ultra repetitive.
    -Dungeon search is cross server = lack of server community communication.
    -Legacy characters cannot transfer to non-legacy servers.    … Expand
  36. Alfarjamie
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    Great game, everyone just needs to stop about the server issues, EVERY MMO fails to meet server demand on launch day. If you are rating the game a 0 simply because you can't play then your review is only really a complain and not a review. Have some patience.
  37. jcobb2006
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    I have played this game through beta, early access, and now launch. The game is beautiful, has a good storyline (if you like Final Fantasy stories), and has a much more active battle system that becomes more intuitive and complex as you level. Many people have commented on the server issue; however, the development team has announced as of today that the server capacity will be increasedI have played this game through beta, early access, and now launch. The game is beautiful, has a good storyline (if you like Final Fantasy stories), and has a much more active battle system that becomes more intuitive and complex as you level. Many people have commented on the server issue; however, the development team has announced as of today that the server capacity will be increased and the restrictions will be lifted for all servers (not just Japan).… Expand
  38. 17thGentleman
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    Been playing since 1.0 and I must say Yoshi and his team have done an amazing job. There are so many things to do in this game, the aesthetics are amazing, the music, feel, and charm just draw me in and make me want to keep playing. Though the launch issues have made things a little rocky, that's to be expected for any MMORPG release.
  39. AliceKaye
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    As a 1.0 player I am blown away by how wonderfully Yoshida-san and his team were able to turn this game around. It's absolutely fantastic. Aside from the server issues at launch (which I view as a good thing, as it means that the game was an overwhelming success in terms of purchases) the game is far and away better than anything else out on the market currently.

    The graphics are    As a 1.0 player I am blown away by how wonderfully Yoshida-san and his team were able to turn this game around. It's absolutely fantastic. Aside from the server issues at launch (which I view as a good thing, as it means that the game was an overwhelming success in terms of purchases) the game is far and away better than anything else out on the market currently.

    The graphics are fantastic, the music/sounds are terrific and the game play/storyline is riveting and keeps me coming back for more.

    My advice to any who are turned off by the negative comments, is to take them with a grain of salt. Many have been spurned by the server troubles so they're taking it out on the score of the game, which is sad because people should give an honest opinion, rather than trying to throw it under the bus for issues darn near every launch has.

    Either way, give the game a go for yourself and make up your own mind! I'm fairly sure you won't be disappointed.    … Expand
  40. Jimsvaliant
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    Yoshi P. took a busted game and fixed it up enough so that it was barely playable while simultaneously developed version 2.0

    The man and his team are champions and I'm glad the fanbase cares enough to give them the recognition they deserve.
  41. Somnia
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    This MMO is the best one yet. If you consider trying it, at least invest the proper amount of time. It is a true Final Fantasy game, in art, story and style and I love it to bits. :)

    It is a worthy remake and deserves 10 points for everything. Poor launch events do not make this game any less amazing. Thank you, Yoshi-P.
  42. 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
  43. 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
  44. 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
  45. maddog2013
    Nov 16, 2013
    1
    Sorry, FFXIV is Not worth picking up.
    Is ARR better than FFXIV 1.0? 50/50 Some aspects are better, but overall improvement style, graphics, gameplay and content? No improvement. Three major problems. #1 Too easy. Too simplified. You can max level in 2 weeks, you can max all crafts in less than 6 weeks. After that all that remains is endgame.
    #2 Endgame content is pathetically weak.    Sorry, FFXIV is Not worth picking up.
    Is ARR better than FFXIV 1.0? 50/50 Some aspects are better, but overall improvement style, graphics, gameplay and content? No improvement. Three major problems. #1 Too easy. Too simplified. You can max level in 2 weeks, you can max all crafts in less than 6 weeks. After that all that remains is endgame.
    #2 Endgame content is pathetically weak. Grind grind grind the typical Square Enix play method to make you spend your money paying subscription.
    #3 Zero reason to party play, alliance play or anything. You can solo this game near 100% only needing others for dungeon dungeon boss. To call this a game worth of the Final Fantasy title is a sickening joke.
    #4 Subscription. Subs should be $5-$10 for FFXIV not the $15 average it is. You are limited to gametime via the server issue, login issues, and SE's policy of removing and gimping game content rather than improving issues.
    Only redeeming factor FFXIV ARR is the game that SHOULD HAVE ORIGINALLY LAUNCHED er.. nearly 3 years ago? This game does not hold water compared to 2013 gaming standards. FFXIV is a 2010 game and should have remained buried where it fell, not reanimated by Yosh-P, as the hollow corpse of a failed game from a company going downhill.    … Expand
  46. 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
  47. firehead
    Aug 28, 2013
    9
    a very good MMO, a great thing for Final Fantasy fans but maybe if you are not a fan of Final Fantasy it will just be "good" rather than "great.".
    The levelling is fine, but the class and job system is the best, you can be all of them on one character.
    the combat, well, it's fine but there is nothing super great about it. the story is good for an MMO, the backstory and the world is    a very good MMO, a great thing for Final Fantasy fans but maybe if you are not a fan of Final Fantasy it will just be "good" rather than "great.".
    The levelling is fine, but the class and job system is the best, you can be all of them on one character.
    the combat, well, it's fine but there is nothing super great about it.
    the story is good for an MMO, the backstory and the world is fantastic but the actual story through the quests is above average for MMO's.
    all in all, play this if you like Final Fantasy you won't regret it.
    don't pay attention to the ones rating it low because of login issues. they are working very hard to fix it, and really it happens to most MMO's. it's not a good reason to give it a low score (although it is very frustrating).    … Expand
  48. fatebound
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    Currently NA data centres are having infrastructure problems. this is why everyone is giving this game red scores. expect NA servers to be fixed within a few days
  49. mishayangg
    Sep 19, 2013
    10
    A fresh breath of air in an otherwise stale MMO-genre. A really beautiful game! I highly recommend to atleast try it for 30 days since the price is so low and so many years of crafting the game has been put into it.
  50. 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
  51. Ljungen
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    Even though the launch had some issues the game has come a long way since 1.0
    The Final Fantasy feeling is definitely there and the game look amazing!
  52. EightbitX
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    Despite the fact that there has been several server issues during the launch, the game is absolutely awsome. the story (once you get past level 15) has the ability to be one of the best in the series. Music is fantastic, and graphics are simply breathtaking, there have been several instances of me stopping what i was doing to view the lovely scenery. gameplay is typical for a tab-targetDespite the fact that there has been several server issues during the launch, the game is absolutely awsome. the story (once you get past level 15) has the ability to be one of the best in the series. Music is fantastic, and graphics are simply breathtaking, there have been several instances of me stopping what i was doing to view the lovely scenery. gameplay is typical for a tab-target mmorpg, but theres alot of innovation elsewhere that makes the game feel fun and engaging.… Expand
  53. Kurivaim
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    If someone proposed taking an existing MMORPG and continuing to operate and improve it, while at the same time planning to destroy the world and create an entirely new game from scratch to be released with the same title, anyone in their right mind would say it couldn't be done. Thanks to the Yoshida and the crew, I can confidently say they've accomplished the impossible.
  54. 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
  55. ReviewerX103
    Sep 9, 2013
    9
    A very solid mmo for those who are not looking for an action mmo. A great mmo for the Final Fantasy Fan. Launch wise it has more content then any mmo I can remember releasing in the last 5 yrs. The graphics are one of the top in the genre. Outstanding sound track. Fluid controls both on PC and PS3.

    Biggest issue the game has is being too popular at launch causing all kinds of server    A very solid mmo for those who are not looking for an action mmo. A great mmo for the Final Fantasy Fan. Launch wise it has more content then any mmo I can remember releasing in the last 5 yrs. The graphics are one of the top in the genre. Outstanding sound track. Fluid controls both on PC and PS3.

    Biggest issue the game has is being too popular at launch causing all kinds of server issues. Positive is once you are inside the game there are nearly no bugs. To note SE has fixed most the server issues as of this last week. The instance finder is still getting bogged down with log ques even in premade partys were no pairing is done.

    Battle wise it is very much in the style of WoW. It is not an action mmo and very obviously does not try to be one. All the battle system elements are very well designed together, the more you level up the more you can do and the more the battle system makes sense. The down part of this is in the beginning it will feel very slow and boring, but this feeling almost completely goes away when you get actions that speed up your cooldowns and get instant cast abilities off the Global Cooldowns.

    Crafting and Gathering are highly involved. They are both full fledged professions in this game, it is not just press a button and craft. Crafting in this game for someone who enjoys it is hard to beat. Simply one of the best crafting/gathering systems in any mmo period new or old.

    Content and variety of content. There is loads, you will not have a shortage in this game. Variety you have solo 4 and 8 man content with 24 man in development. You have hunting logs, leves (dailys), Fate (dynamic events), Dungeons, instance boss fights, guildhest (instance mini dungeons), countless quest for crafters, gathers, fighting classes, main story, and towns. Really this game has more content the most AAA mmos have after 6-12 months of patches post launch.

    Progression wise this game starts off easy, I mean really really easy. It is designed for those who never played a mmo or group based game. It slowly teaches you mechanics as you progress and continues to get more difficult. The storyline is designed to be doable by everyone without much problems. For the hardcores it starts at 50, after the story. The hand holding stops and you will easy see how endgame will be in XIV ARR. From the having to try to die stages you will quickly get to the point of dying 30-50times in a row trying to figure out a strategy.

    The negative of progression I feel are the games biggest weaknesses.
    1) It is highly solo focused and groups pre-late game have little benefit. True you can get more gear, but leveling your first job you can do it about as fast just spamming solo fate and quest.
    2) This game defines linear gated content. Dungeons Primals Bahamuts Lab you have to do 1 before the other. Once you are at the highest one no real reason to go back. This games lack of horizontal development and content means you will be spamming the same things day in and day out before moving to the next.
    3) Weekly tokens. The games BiS gear for each teir of content is token based with weekly lockouts. While I guess no different then distributing drops it just feels grindy. More or less spamming dailys.

    Storyline I feel starts off strong but ends weak. I mean long epic story learning about the world and earning the trust of everyone. finding ways to save everyone... then boom you save the world in a few quest... the end just seemed really rushed was a disappointment to me. The good thing is the main storyline, outside the voice acting, was really well written and solid.

    Progression: 7/10
    Graphics: 10/10
    Music 10/10
    Story: 8/10
    Job Design (Crafting/gathering/fighting classes): 10/10
    Content: 9/10
    Battle system: 7/10

    Overall from me 8.7/10 (so 9/10 on the rate bar)    … Expand
  56. 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
  57. okottekoneko
    Sep 14, 2013
    8
    Yes the game got off to a bad start with the servers, but what mmo doesnt.

    They are still fixing it and its going to take some time, but other then that and poor latency to the US servers, the game is really really fun! Its got a great story and is really pretty! Its even better with friends. I give it an 8 because the content does start to run out fast but with content incoming    Yes the game got off to a bad start with the servers, but what mmo doesnt.

    They are still fixing it and its going to take some time, but other then that and poor latency to the US servers,
    the game is really really fun!

    Its got a great story and is really pretty!
    Its even better with friends.

    I give it an 8 because the content does start to run out fast but with content incoming the game should have a much better lifespan then 1.0

    when the server issues are sorted out, new content comes in and all is sorted out the game will be 10/10    … Expand
  58. 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.
  59. Keyvian
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    Despite what you read most of the negatives evaluations, take the time to watch videos and read about the game. Which MMORPG had no server problems the first few weeks? Even games not to be MMO as Diablo 3 and SimCity had the same problem. SE has solved its servers problems in a week, thing that the two named above have taken a few weeks to resolve.
    A Realm Reborn is an amazing MMORPG,    Despite what you read most of the negatives evaluations, take the time to watch videos and read about the game. Which MMORPG had no server problems the first few weeks? Even games not to be MMO as Diablo 3 and SimCity had the same problem. SE has solved its servers problems in a week, thing that the two named above have taken a few weeks to resolve.
    A Realm Reborn is an amazing MMORPG, very enjoyable and addictive. Great storyline, amazing graphic, fully customizable interface, nice itemization, etc.. The only bad points i can give is the targeting system that is not as good as other MMOs but that too will probably be correct in the first patch.    … Expand
  60. 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.
  61. 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
  62. 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.
  63. 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
  64. 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.
  65. 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
  66. 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
  67. ExorcistPanda
    Sep 6, 2013
    10
    It has some server issues. But remastered like that, Yoshi-P deserves some medal. Since last patch, we didn't have any lo-gin issues. Japanese voice-acting is also some other cool thing in this game.
  68. Bladfighter
    Sep 9, 2013
    10
    This is the most amazing MMO RPG I have played since I quit WoW after the release of Cataclysm. It combines great features of the MMO-Genre flawless implemented. All these are perfectly bound into the amazing main-story. That way all the players who are new to the genre get into the game without the help of anyone or anything. The combat system seems old but gold (for me): variableThis is the most amazing MMO RPG I have played since I quit WoW after the release of Cataclysm. It combines great features of the MMO-Genre flawless implemented. All these are perfectly bound into the amazing main-story. That way all the players who are new to the genre get into the game without the help of anyone or anything. The combat system seems old but gold (for me): variable rotations due to the situation and unique fighting mechanics of the different classes. I could write way more about this game but why should I. Just go and get this masterpiece for 25€ (including the typical 30 days playtime) and get into it.… Expand
  69. mvdmolen
    Sep 10, 2013
    10
    Don't believe any reviews that complain about server or log on issues. By and large they have been taken care of. I have not had any trouble logging in since they implemented the fixes and expanded the worlds. One of the great things about this game is to see hundreds of people milling around cities and that is what is so much fun about a MMO, meeting and playing with other people. And boyDon't believe any reviews that complain about server or log on issues. By and large they have been taken care of. I have not had any trouble logging in since they implemented the fixes and expanded the worlds. One of the great things about this game is to see hundreds of people milling around cities and that is what is so much fun about a MMO, meeting and playing with other people. And boy has that been made easy. All you have to do is sign up with the Duty Finder and within minutes, sometimes even seconds, you are dropped in a party ready to battle. There is so much new and exciting content that I have no hope of experiencing all, since I got a day job. The graphics are fluent, battles are fun, music is out of this world, customization of play and controls is near limitless. Not only is it a fantastic game at launch, I am really looking forward to all the upcoming additions (patches) that will bring new content and even higher graphics (PS4 DirectX 11).

    Highly recommended!    … Expand
  70. mk7peters
    Jun 4, 2015
    0
    Worst mmorpg I have ever played! First time log in you get bombarded with RMT friend requests by the end of your game play you have just received over 100 friend requests. SE support does nothing but tell you to blist and send a suggestion to them about it. You will spend more time blisting then enjoying the game. SE support is supposedly looking into the issue but I doubt they will doWorst mmorpg I have ever played! First time log in you get bombarded with RMT friend requests by the end of your game play you have just received over 100 friend requests. SE support does nothing but tell you to blist and send a suggestion to them about it. You will spend more time blisting then enjoying the game. SE support is supposedly looking into the issue but I doubt they will do anything since these accounts help make them money. In my opinion these so called support people are the ones engaged in these gil selling activities and will do nothing until they recuperate the money lost during the flopped release of this game. If you want to enjoy a mmorpg this is not the game to buy and dedicate your free time.… Expand
  71. Joshu_XS
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    This game has been completely reborn in every sense of the word from it's previous incarnation. The game eases you into the style of play that it has to offer but as soon as you feel like you're in firm control, everything accelerates and keeps the game fresh and engaging. While the North American and European servers did have issues from the open beta and early launch, it says a lotThis game has been completely reborn in every sense of the word from it's previous incarnation. The game eases you into the style of play that it has to offer but as soon as you feel like you're in firm control, everything accelerates and keeps the game fresh and engaging. While the North American and European servers did have issues from the open beta and early launch, it says a lot about a game where the major flaw that it has is it's own popularity. I look forward to seeing this game thrive and the adventures it will bring us through.… Expand
  72. 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
  73. Kittencandy
    Oct 10, 2013
    5
    When I first got to play the game, I absolutely loved it. Everything looks pretty and it's crowded so it never feels like you're the only person walking around in the world, the job system seems cool, the opportunity to use just 1 character for all the classes... I took a few crafting classes, some gathering ones, and stuck with conjurer arcanist for mains cuz I wanted to be a white mage.When I first got to play the game, I absolutely loved it. Everything looks pretty and it's crowded so it never feels like you're the only person walking around in the world, the job system seems cool, the opportunity to use just 1 character for all the classes... I took a few crafting classes, some gathering ones, and stuck with conjurer arcanist for mains cuz I wanted to be a white mage.
    All was fun for the first few days but it didn't take me too long to notice some rather annoying things, like how the only way to get money (or decent exp) is by questing, occassionally a monster will drop 1 gil but that's it and exp is really low from normal mobs so the only way to lvl is questing (or fates). A lot of quests are one time only, so when you've lvled your first class to 30, and needing to lvl the 2nd one to 15, it gets boring very fast having to slowpoke farm your exp. Gathering works ok for the first 15 lvls but it gets gradually more bothersome and at around lvl 25-30 it's just so boring it really isn't worth it. Trying to enter instances (needed to progress main story) as a DPS is just impossible most of the time, and when you do get in there's a good chance on dying cuz a lot of ppl never bothered to learn their class. And the world is pretty small, you could probably see everything within just a few hours.

    Anyway, I've played this game for 2 weeks after which I was so bored with it I quit. It's just too repetitive a game to enjoy for very long.    … Expand
  74. Ajarn
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    Been playing since Beta Phase 2. Really enjoying the game, it's my replacement for WoW. There is a lot of interest in the game causing some server stress, but once you log in everything is flawless. It's also fun to boot!
  75. Wankyudo
    Aug 28, 2013
    9
    I played briefly in 1.0. Didn't like it.
    Now I'm playing ARR, and I love it. Yes there's login issues. Yes people can't connect to the game. But I learned to separate my frustration of the servers or else it'll affect how I look at the game itself. That being...it's fun. The crafting is intricate, albeit slow at the beginning where you don't have all of your abilities. The combat    I played briefly in 1.0. Didn't like it.
    Now I'm playing ARR, and I love it. Yes there's login issues. Yes people can't connect to the game. But I learned to separate my frustration of the servers or else it'll affect how I look at the game itself. That being...it's fun. The crafting is intricate, albeit slow at the beginning where you don't have all of your abilities. The combat system is enjoyable, even if it's something as simple as tanking. The world is immersive, the soundtrack is enjoyable, and the community is a lot kinder then the cold callous trolls you would find in abundance in any other mmo. So you know what? I'm addicted. I'm addicted to playing the game.
    Even if there's login issues (That dreaded Error 1017), the game itself I've fallen in love with which certainly gives me the patience to repeatedly attempt to login in pass the error.    … Expand
  76. touf34
    Aug 28, 2013
    10
    before getting into all the fakes negative bad review that were made on this site, check the game by yourself. All the negative review are made by people who had a hard time logging in the game and couldn't bear to wait in a wait line. No more, no less. Please ignore reviews made by self-entitled toxic players.
  77. 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.
  78. 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
  79. Vinez
    Aug 27, 2013
    9
    Fantastic game from SE, it is really a blast to play. That being said if you don't have to patience to deal with launch week issues and the possibility of not being able to play on the server you want when you want then wait on purchasing this game, until next week when SE stated they are updating the datacenter's to handle the load.
  80. Argonar
    Aug 27, 2013
    10
    Amazing MMO in all aspects, with a nice lore Final Fantasy related. The work done rebuilding this from a "dead" game is just titanic, I would like to thanks Yoshi P and dev team for his work. Music and artistic apects are the best in genre, period. Also the main storyline is very well conducted, with tons of video secuence very well done.

    Just for the release there is a lot of content    Amazing MMO in all aspects, with a nice lore Final Fantasy related. The work done rebuilding this from a "dead" game is just titanic, I would like to thanks Yoshi P and dev team for his work. Music and artistic apects are the best in genre, period. Also the main storyline is very well conducted, with tons of video secuence very well done.

    Just for the release there is a lot of content to do, achievements, logs, missions, quest, crafting, amazing primal battles against Ifrit, Titan and Garuda, lot of dungeons...

    Don't be afraid and try the game, its a very good one.    … Expand
  81. TheBlastMage
    Aug 28, 2013
    9
    As a new player who has never played FF-XIV before, I must say I am greatly impressed with the game thus far. The game's story and graphics are amazing, and the relaxed game-play while going solo makes it a great game to unwind to. The dungeon quests also make for some fun group play as well, and the party mechanics are non-intrusive enough to make it enjoyable.

    Combat mechanics are    As a new player who has never played FF-XIV before, I must say I am greatly impressed with the game thus far. The game's story and graphics are amazing, and the relaxed game-play while going solo makes it a great game to unwind to. The dungeon quests also make for some fun group play as well, and the party mechanics are non-intrusive enough to make it enjoyable.

    Combat mechanics are solid, though at my low level I can't tell if certain skills need tweaked, or if I'll unlock better ones later.

    Good Points:
    + No exp penalties for Kill-Stealing, everyone who helps enough gets full credit (and they guy who tagged it is guaranteed 100% exp)

    + Plenty of ways to communicate with multiple people via Link-Shells and Free Companies

    + An intriguing story-line with enough back-story regarding the previous game so new players aren't confused.

    + Beautiful looking graphics with only minor clipping issues.

    + Solid classes, with specializations in the form of "Jobs" after lv 30

    + Freedom to switch classes and jobs at will

    Negative Points:
    - Minor clipping issues and the movies tend to skip on lower-end machines
    - Dungeon-Finder groups are thrust together without much time to even say hello

    Overall Score: 9/10
    Recommendation: Buy it and try it, for $30 tax, it is definitely worth the money to check out if you like MMOs    … Expand
  82. 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.
  83. mijxero
    Apr 9, 2017
    7
    This is a tough one to review. It has a very solid classic MMO feel to it, which is a plus for me. The community is the best I have ever seen. While the story itself goes from okay to really good, the quests attached are terrible. To get into the level 51 areas you probably have to do 20 hours of fetch quests, running back and forth, and just generally boring quests. It is a shameThis is a tough one to review. It has a very solid classic MMO feel to it, which is a plus for me. The community is the best I have ever seen. While the story itself goes from okay to really good, the quests attached are terrible. To get into the level 51 areas you probably have to do 20 hours of fetch quests, running back and forth, and just generally boring quests. It is a shame because everything else is great, you just have to ask if you are willing to push through the boring quests to enjoy the gem hidden within.… Expand
  84. 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
  85. 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.
  86. 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
  87. Saber82
    Sep 5, 2013
    6
    Final Fantasy is my favorite rpg series of all time and MMO’s are the main genre of games I play and I’ve played a lot in my time with my two favorites being FFXI & Guild Wars 2 both of witch I still currently play. Let’s get a few of the obvious things out of the way, the game looks amazing probably one of the best, if not the best looking MMO I can remember playing and it runs great. TheFinal Fantasy is my favorite rpg series of all time and MMO’s are the main genre of games I play and I’ve played a lot in my time with my two favorites being FFXI & Guild Wars 2 both of witch I still currently play. Let’s get a few of the obvious things out of the way, the game looks amazing probably one of the best, if not the best looking MMO I can remember playing and it runs great. The music for the game is simply fantastic, maybe not as great as some of the classic Final Fantasy games but a nice addition to the Final Fantasy series. Yes, there has been launch issues but really what MMO has not had their fair share of issues upon launch. The issue with launch that I have is the lack of communication from SE to the Europe and north American markets in comparison to the high communication they give the Japan market on official forms. When an issues occur the JP forms have responses or postings almost immediately where as other regions had to wait for days with no official response from SE. That makes me feel like they don’t really care about any of the consumers outside of the JP market. For the people posting that launch issues shouldn’t factor in to a score all I can say to that is its no longer in beta and some issues are acceptable but with how many issues FFRR has had since launch it is unacceptable. However there are other things beyond that of the launch issues that I have to address.

    First off the mundane side quests and main quests, most of the quests you will be doing are just fetch quests/missions, go here collect/kill this go back to the quest giver rinse and repeat. The side quests very rarely tie into anything that would make sense and feel very disconnected from the rest of the story. Secondly the few parts that have voice acting are terrible and subtract from the experience pulling you out of the Final Fantasy world. One part at a lower level you meet two people and as they talk to you it’s like the timing for when they are supposed to talk are off. At one point both of the characters are talking at the same time at the same volume level and it just becomes incoherent noise. What they talk about also makes no sense as they reference things you have never been informed of so its just out of context, maybe something got lost in translation. Regarding the fighting it feels boring to me and further feels way too easy even at level cap 50. Geared correctly my paladin can just soak up so much damage with no need of healing there little to no fear of death and with my white mage is just spamming spells with little to no tactics. The game doesn’t do anything innovative that hasn’t already been seen in other mmo’s of the past. People bring of the fact you can do all the jobs with one character, FFXI already did that over 10 years ago and that’s just one example. There is also the fact there’s not enough quests to level all the jobs off of as the same character, you will eventually end up grinding off mobs and fates at lower levels with new jobs unless you saved some quests.

    The game is good but not great maybe worth a try depending on your taste of mmo’s you like as this is a very classic mmo with some small twists on the formula but not enough to be considered revolutionary. I think a lot of people are just wide eyed on the fact it’s Final Fantasy, it looks amazing and it’s simply just something new. In it’s current state I don’t see myself playing this in past six months even if it was to go free to play unless the patches that SE stating are coming out are going to have contact that is just simply amazing. Obviously ever developer will always be looking to improve the game with patches so it can only get better from here unless some epic failure on SE’s part. Another thing to consider as well is with the Elder Scrolls online game on it’s way possibly next year how well will this game compete. I’m a big Final Fantasy but I also can admit I feel the Elder Scrolls online game has a bigger buzz about it. In closing as a big Final Fantasy fan and a MMO fan the game is just above average.    … Expand
  88. Hirus
    Sep 7, 2013
    10
    I was super excited for 1.0, only to be completely let down. They really hit the ball out of the park on this one, everything about the game is great. Of course the early problems with the servers kinda sucked, but what MMO doesnt have server issues during the first week. 10/10 would recommend.
  89. shane_kirby
    Dec 27, 2013
    9
    Don't trust the negative reviews. I live in Canada and have had absolutely no problems at all with the game (bought it December 20th 2013). I've had no login issues etc. Also, I play on max graphic settings for PC. What I love most about the game is that I can play it on my big screen T.V with an xbox controller. I find the controls very easy to manage and I can relax on couch while IDon't trust the negative reviews. I live in Canada and have had absolutely no problems at all with the game (bought it December 20th 2013). I've had no login issues etc. Also, I play on max graphic settings for PC. What I love most about the game is that I can play it on my big screen T.V with an xbox controller. I find the controls very easy to manage and I can relax on couch while I play. Totally worth getting for cheap price of $30.… Expand
  90. HexSCTV
    Sep 22, 2013
    10
    What an improvement! best MMO I've played in years. They really pulled this one out of the fire. It's addictive, entertaining, and a fresh look on the older systems. It's very streamlined and things, such as crafting, are actually entertaining/difficult and fun. Definitely worth checking out.
  91. bigmanda
    Sep 9, 2013
    9
    FFXIV:ARR is a really great game. The world is very fleshed out and and the attention to detail in the landscape is pretty good. The main storyline at first seems a little on the dull side, but picks up mid game and is really quite interesting. The class/job system is really fun and rewards you for maxing out a class by giving a bonus to leveling other classes. When you get to theFFXIV:ARR is a really great game. The world is very fleshed out and and the attention to detail in the landscape is pretty good. The main storyline at first seems a little on the dull side, but picks up mid game and is really quite interesting. The class/job system is really fun and rewards you for maxing out a class by giving a bonus to leveling other classes. When you get to the "endgame" I wouldn't say there is a lot to do, but there is enough for now until content updates come out. The endgame dungeons/trials are fun and challenging.

    A few issues I noticed was that making money endgame is pretty limited, due to the fight against RMT. This is slightly offset by being able to craft and repair your own gear but once more of the population starts getting to level cap, the lack of gil entering the economy may become an issue. Other minor issues are some class/job balancing and some quality of play issues regarding the GCD and pet control for classes that access to pets.

    Overall this game is definitely worth checking out and Square-Enix did quite a good job with the game with exception to launch issues that many MMO's are plagued by.    … Expand
  92. tremault
    Feb 3, 2021
    3
    it's hard going. controls are complicated, there is A LOT of reading, more than any final fantasy i've ever played and you're sent around doing busy work for a ton of NPC's that I really don't care about for a world that looks like hot garbage. many people love it but it's really not for me.
  93. PeterRJG
    May 6, 2015
    5
    This is pretty much the mini-review I wrote for mmorpg.com so it is a bit of a copypasta. Anyhow, here goes:

    I'm not sure what game these people here who say "excellent game" or "best thing ever" are playing. Maybe they're shills or trolls. Maybe they're easily amused. Maybe they get off on doing simplistic, repetitive, tasks. My bet is with the easily amused factor. Anyhow - my take    This is pretty much the mini-review I wrote for mmorpg.com so it is a bit of a copypasta. Anyhow, here goes:

    I'm not sure what game these people here who say "excellent game" or "best thing ever" are playing. Maybe they're shills or trolls. Maybe they're easily amused. Maybe they get off on doing simplistic, repetitive, tasks. My bet is with the easily amused factor.

    Anyhow - my take on this in pro and con form:

    Pros: * It's pretty * Vibrant music * Well designed and animated character models * Switching jobs and classes on the fly is a new twist - largely in theory though * You can track your character through SE's FFXIV website. It's a neat touch.

    Cons: * Mindlessly simplistic combat mechanics - you mash the same two/three buttons from levels 1 through to 50 irrespective of class or job. In other words, it shows its console heritage * Everything is on the same cooldown timer * Combined, the above two points quickly devolve into boring and repetitive combat * Can't skip the cutscenes/theater after character creation. This aspect gets old quickly * No zone or global chat channels. You're in a heavily-populated though silent world. * /tells are worthless as most people have them disabled due to rampant gold spammers * Most characters look the same - everyone gets the same quest reward gear * You can't mail alts money or gear or materials. You need to join a guild with a company chest open to do this, or trust a friend to do it for you * If you play a DPS class, expect long waits to do instances * Quests are the usual kill x amount of this, or gather x amount of this to hand in. No real innovation here * This is a subscription only game and it's debatable it offers anything over and above many free to play alternatives. Very debatable. All up, 5/10.    … Expand
  94. caelix
    Sep 9, 2013
    10
    Simply fantastic. The best iteration of the MMO fantasy genre in a long time, perhaps since world of warcraft. What it lacks in orginiality it more than makes up for in Polish. If you like MMO's, buying this game is a no brainer. And if you are a lifelong Final Fantasy lover as well. Stellar graphics, music, story, solid gameplay. Go for it, you wont regret it.
  95. 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
  96. 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.
  97. Salnexia
    Sep 11, 2013
    10
    Whilst there certainly were some server issues at launch, which was pretty bad, they did sort it out, took a bit longer then I would have liked, but the game itself is amazing, and the server issues are a thing of the past.
    Whilst I am not going to go into it here please know that a lot of the particularly negative reviews on this site are rather misinformed about why there were issues,    Whilst there certainly were some server issues at launch, which was pretty bad, they did sort it out, took a bit longer then I would have liked, but the game itself is amazing, and the server issues are a thing of the past.
    Whilst I am not going to go into it here please know that a lot of the particularly negative reviews on this site are rather misinformed about why there were issues, and square enix's plans to fix it.    … Expand
  98. 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
  99. 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
  100. viditoking
    Sep 6, 2013
    8
    I'm not a FF fan in general so I'm not inclined to give this game any bonus points for being one. That having been said. I like it! It has that old school mmo feel. The combat is tab, not twitch. The combat is on the slow side. So if you like TERA, GW2, and NW combat, this is not for you. The graphics are great, second only to TERA in my book. I LOVE that one character can be everyI'm not a FF fan in general so I'm not inclined to give this game any bonus points for being one. That having been said. I like it! It has that old school mmo feel. The combat is tab, not twitch. The combat is on the slow side. So if you like TERA, GW2, and NW combat, this is not for you. The graphics are great, second only to TERA in my book. I LOVE that one character can be every class/job including crafting/gathering.`
    It's standard mmo fare, but done pretty well. AND the log in issues have been fixed, as far as I can tell.    … 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.
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  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.
    Read full review
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