My only interest is in XV and the X remake.
E3 2013: The Future of Final Fantasy
There's a lot of Final Fantasy on the way, but is it the Final Fantasy people want?
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A REALM REBORN
I can’t stress enough how close Final Fantasy XIV came to breaking Square Enix. It was a disaster of gargantuan proportions, and if it hadn’t been for a steady revenue stream from Final Fantasy XI subscriptions and solid sales of games like Final Fantasy XIII and Deus Ex: Human Revolution, it’s very possible that I wouldn’t be writing about the future of Final Fantasy right now. Those are sobering words, but it’s true. Final Fantasy XIV was a huge investment that didn’t pay off, and I don’t know if I respect Square Enix for doubling down on the title or resent them for it.
With that out of the way, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn looks phenomenal. This isn’t the original game with a new coat of paint slapped on it and some new areas, oh no. This is almost a complete redesign from the ground up, and instead of resembling the first version of the game it looks like the game it always should have been. A slick new interface that looks suspiciously like it was ripped right out of Final Fantasy XII makes navigating menus much easier. New job classes, armor, and enemy types make FF XIV feel like the true spiritual successor to Final Fantasy XI, while refining the gameplay in ways that will make it more accessible.
On top of all the system level improvements, A Realm Reborn is simply a stunning game to look at. Even Final Fantasy XI wasn’t quite up to Square Enix graphical standards when it launched, and as such, FF XIV looks like an MMORPG that’s worthy of their fabled production values. The game relaunches on August 27th for PC and PS3, with the PS3 price a nifty 39.99. Even if you’ve never played an MMORPG before, you would do well to take a look at this one.
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