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 On 12/30/2013 at 02:29 AM by asrealasitgets See More From This User » |
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn (PC/PS3)
Coming up with a short list of favorite games of the year wasn’t too difficult because I haven’t felt the urge to play very many of them this year due in part to the one game that held most of my attention throughout the year which was the Final Fantasy based MMO A Realm Reborn.
I don’t have a long history playing MMOs. Part of my recent venture into MMOs was due in part to the lack of traditional RPGs on consoles. Sure there are a few, but those don’t really compare to the large numbers that were around ten years ago. Without services to help maintain and keep RPGs around longer like PS+ and their PSOne Classics and sites like GOG.com, which has a large selection of classic PC RPGs, RPGs during last gen were pretty non-existent.
Even still as a fan of the Final Fantasy series, the decision to change gameplay to focus on more fast paced combat style like the XIII and XV series had left me feeling kind of lukewarm towards future announcements from Square Enix. But the efforts put into rebuilding a broken launch game, and creating a new better one has renewed my loyalty, in the case of this game.
A Realm Reborn is in fact a new game. It’s pretty unrecognizable from its previous incarnation known as 1.0. It has a gorgeous atmospheric world to explore, wonderful character artwork and design, and a traditional combat system that is reminiscent of older Final Fantasy games, with spells and all, as well as maintaining modern MMO gameplay standards which makes it easy to get into if you are coming from other MMOs. What it doesn’t do is innovate on current MMO gameplay systems. It may actually be one of the last of the older style MMOs like WOW and Everquest, and the like.
But what it does do right, it does exceptionally well. The game allows and accommodates for both solo gameplay as well as cooperative gameplay for those who don’t have a lot of time to play. Topped off with the ability to use classic Final Fantasy jobs like White Mage, Black Mage, Dragoon and a brilliant sound track, I can understand how certain players are able to play a game for 5-10 years straight. I certainly haven’t stopped playing and I will likely keep playing off and on in the next coming years.
Conclusion: A wonderful throwback to old school Final Fantasy experienced together with many fans.
Thinking back on your blogs, as well as a lot of others' when this game was being beta tested and released, I really should have guessed this would be your number one.
I should get into an MMO some time. Then again, maybe not, I need to use free time more wisely as it is. lol
MMOs are not for everybody. I did play a few free ones in the past, so I was already familiar with gameplay. This MMO just absorbed me.
The only MMO I ever played was Ragnarok. It took forever to do anything or get anywhere. My brother has this game on PS3 though, and I watched him play it. It looks fun. If there wasn't a subscription fee I would try it. I haven't played a single game on your GOTY list lol.
I think leveling in this game is actually the easiest compared to other games. There is plenty to do at each level, so you don't feel the rush to get to the end necessarily. You can also switch to any class instantaneously if you feel you need a change. MMOs aren't for everyone, but free MMOs have poor quality and content.
I played FF XI for a very short time when it was in beta for the 360. Other than that the only MMORPG I ever bought was Guild Wars. I thought that I might play that one because there was no monthly fee but I was wrong.
I like my RPGs to have a story with a beginning and an end. MMOs seem to be all about leveling up and finding loot with nothing much beyond that.
I can't disagree with you about stories in RPGs. MMOs are supposed to be somewhat endless, and there is an element of cooperative gameplay. For instance, some people are just into Player vs. Player and nothing else, while others like replaying harder dungeons over and over. I also like leveling and loot, like Diablo and Path of Exile though.
Very cool! Thanks for all of your picks. I wish I could dip into FF XIV sometime, but I know I shouldn't.
It's too bad that in order to experience the game you would need to purchase the full game and only have like a month of free access. However, the game will only get better with time as most great MMOs always do. There is still a lot of content planned for the game.
I've never been a fan of MMOs, but my wife and I did play Guild Wars 2 for several months at the beginning of the year. I wouldn't mind giving A Realm Reborn a chance if not for the subscription fee.
If you had a chance to play enough Free-to-play MMOs you'd realize how many of them really just suck. It isn't so much the content but the way players are held back unless they make in game purchases just to make reasonable progress. Games like Star Wars the Old Republic and Lord of the Rings Online comes to mind. You would have a better game experience with these games if you just gave in and paid for a sub, that way you can properly experience it all. Guild Wars 2 is an exception, as well as games like TERA or Neverwinter, but I'm not sure if those are all free. After picking away at some Free style models, I see a benefit to subbing and not having anything held back from you. It factored into my decision to play the game in the end, and I subbed. 
I've never dug into free MMOs but I have some experience with paid vs. free-to-play games in the iOS space, and I imagine MMOs are kind of like that but on a monumentally larger scale. I suppose I just like too many different things to put my entire gaming budget, basically, into a single game for a year, or whatever. But if you plan on it and know what you're getting and when to stop, then I say more power to you. Like I said, I really enjoyed Guild Wars 2 and would love to get back into it sometime. To me, it was worth the $60 initial investment but I couldn't stomach paying another $10 or $15 each month. It just becomes such an expensive game so very quickly. I do hope FFXIV is successful in the monetary path Square Enix has chosen. Sounds like (this time) they have put in the effort to make the game worth it...if you're into that sort of thing lol. So, more power to you!
I feel like a pay wall is such a hard thing for people to get past, including myself. But I just can't get from other games what FF14 gives me. I actually really like Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, and Star Wars, but I feel like I've given those games a chance and they didn't draw me in at all. Maybe I'll eventually give it a rest, but for now I'm happy.
i gots to get back to playing this in January....
As a staff writer you are obligated to cover this game Snee! You should get a 3 month paid sub from the site and review it properly. Just sayin.
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