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Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn - PC
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About this item
- All the hallmarks of the FINAL FANTASY franchise, including genre-leading graphics and HD real-time cut scenes; Robust gameplay features such as Free Companies, story-driven player–vs.-player content, and primal summoning to bring players together
- Incredible new graphics engine that delivers a high level of detail and quality on both the PlayStation 3 and Windows PC platforms
- A flexible class system that allows players to change to any of the eighteen different classes on the fly simply by changing their equipped weapon or tool
- Breathtaking musical score by renowned FINAL FANTASY series composer Nobuo Uematsu
- Cross platform play on PlayStation 3 and Windows PC
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Product information
ASIN | B008SBZD9G |
---|---|
Release date | August 27, 2013 |
Customer Reviews |
4.4 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #45,173 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games) #11,557 in PC Games & Accessories |
Product Dimensions | 7.52 x 5.35 x 0.06 inches; 2.4 ounces |
Type of item | Video Game |
Rated | Teen |
Item model number | 91229 |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Item Weight | 2.4 ounces |
Manufacturer | Square Enix |
Date First Available | August 3, 2012 |
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Product Description
Product Description
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn is a massively multiplayer online role playing game (MMORPG) for Windows piece and PlayStation3 that invites you to explore the realm of Eorzea with friends from around the world. Form a party and adventure with a multitude of players from across the globe. Forge friendships, mount chocobos, and board airships as you and your companions create your own unique stories in Eorzea. Set out alone or enlist the aid of friends as you undertake epic quests, battle familiar FINAL FANTASY monsters, and acquire unique abilities and equipment. All the classic elements from the series that you have come to know and love are waiting. Embark on the adventure of a lifetime to help reforge the fate of Eorzea on PS3 or piece on 08.27.13. Eorzea. A Land embraced by Gods and forged by Heroes. Seeking control of this realm and its abundant crystal resources, the Garlean Empire sends forth a massive host on a campaign to conquer its southern neighbor. Driven by madness, the commander of the invading forces silently plots to tear the moon from the heavens and hurl it down upon the land. The people of the realm soon learn of this foul scheme, and join their hands in prayer in an eleventh hour attempt to entreat the aid of the gods, only to see their endeavors fail. From within the moon emerges Bahamut, an ancient terror seething with rage fueled by countless generations of imprisonment. Sensing the tug of Fate, a powerful magus channels the last of his strength to send Eorzea's heroes into a temporal rift. There they wait, untouched by the flames of destruction, until they are needed again. Those heroes are you, and the hour of awakening is now. Come and witness a realm reborn.
Amazon.com
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for the PC platform that invites you to rediscover the realm of Eorzea with friends online. Designed as a relaunch of the 2010 PC release, Final Fantasy XIV, A Realm Reborn allows players to enjoy a true Final Fantasy flavored MMO experience the way game developer/publisher Square Enix intended. Game features include: a persistent and evolving world with immersive storylines, a flexible 18 choice class system, guild-based activities, optimized graphics, the choice of solo or group play, a breathtaking musical score, and cross-platform play with PS3 players.
The Final Fantasy MMO relaunches for PC, better than ever.View larger 18 powerful classes that can be switched.
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Now Comes the Decline of the Seventh Umbral Era
The realm of Eorzea is ancient, with a conflicted history marked by cycles of prosperous "Astral," and disastrous "Umbral" eras. Past interpretations of this led many to predict that the current Astral Era would last into eternity, but now the land stands poised to enter another age of decline, a period known as the Seventh Umbral Era. On the eastern border, the Garlean Empire masses its troops for invasion, while the native beast tribes summon their deities, the otherworldly primals. The threats facing Eorzea will not easily be overcome, but overcome they must be.
Gameplay
Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) that invites players to explore the realm of Eorzea with friends from around the world. The game is an updated version of the PC game, Final Fantasy XIV, which was originally released in 2010. In it, classic Final Fantasy type themes and environments are merged with MMORPG play mechanics as you form a party and adventure with a multitude of players from across the globe. Forge friendships, mount chocobos, and board airships as you and your companions create your own unique stories in Eorzea. Set out alone or enlist the aid of friends as you undertake epic quests, battle familiar Final Fantasy monsters, and acquire unique abilities and equipment. All the classic elements from the series that you have come to know and love are waiting. Embark on the adventure of a lifetime to help reforge the fate of Eorzea.
Key Game Features
- All the hallmarks of the Final Fantasy franchise, including genre-leading graphics and high-definition real-time cutscenes that advance the game's rich storyline. Incredible new graphics engine that delivers a high level of detail and quality.
- A flexible class system that allows players to change to any of the eighteen different classes on the fly simply by changing their equipped weapon or tool.
- Guild-based activities focused on catering to players with different gaming styles.
- Breathtaking musical score by renowned Final Fantasy series composer Nobuo Uematsu.
- Cross platform play on Windows PC with PS3 players, and Robust gameplay features -- such as Free Companies, story-driven player–Vs-player content, and primal summoning -- to bring players together.
Additional Screenshots
PC to PS3 cross-platform play.View larger More responsive battle system.
View larger Easily customized characters.
View larger Final Fantasy style monsters.
View larger
From the Manufacturer
Game Overview
FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Windows PC and PlayStation 3 that invites you to explore the realm of Eorzea with friends from around the world. Form a party and adventure with a multitude of players from across the globe. Forge friendships, mount chocobos, and board airships as you and your companions create your own unique stories in Eorzea. Set out alone or enlist the aid of friends as you undertake epic quests, battle familiar FINAL FANTASY monsters, and acquire unique abilities and equipment. All the classic elements from the series that you have come to know and love are waiting. Embark on the adventure of a lifetime to help reforge the fate of Eorzea!
Story Overview
Eorzea. A Land embraced by Gods and forged by Heroes. Seeking control of this realm and its abundant crystal resources, the Garlean Empire sends forth a massive host on a campaign to conquer its southern neighbor. Driven by madness, the commander of the invading forces silently plots to tear the moon from the heavens and hurl it down upon the land. The people of the realm soon learn of this foul scheme, and join their hands in prayer in an eleventh-hour attempt to entreat the aid of the gods, only to see their endeavors fail. From within the moon emerges Bahamut, an ancient terror seething with rage fueled by countless generations of imprisonment. Sensing the tug of Fate, a powerful magus channels the last of his strength to send Eorzea’s heroes into a temporal rift. There they wait, untouched by the flames of destruction, until they are needed again. Those heroes are you, and the hour of awakening is now. Come and witness a realm reborn.
Key Features
- All the hallmarks of the FINAL FANTASY franchise, including an engaging storyline, genre-leading graphics, and HD real time cut scenes
- Robust gameplay features such as player-run Free Companies, story-driven player-vs.-player content, and a unique summoning system, all designed to accommodate a dynamic player community
- Incredible new graphics engine that delivers a high level of detail and quality on both the PlayStation 3 and Windows PC platforms
- A flexible class system that allows players to change to any of the eighteen different classes on the fly, simply by swapping their equipped weapon or tool
- Breathtaking musical score by renowned FINAL FANTASY series composers
- Cross-platform play on PlayStation 3 and Windows PC
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Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the storyline of the video game, mentioning that it's exceptional, entertaining, and compelling. They also appreciate the engrossing side stories and fun story instanced events. They are satisfied with the value, graphics, and class system. However, some customers have different opinions on ease of use, performance, quality, and content.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers are mixed about the quality of the game. Some mention that the system feels excellent and is a lot of fun, while others say that there is little actual content, redundant questing, and useless crafting. They also say the pvp is not very engaging and the UI is inscrutable and clunky.
"...It is the sheer variety of side quests, side jobs and non-combat focuses that make the game constantly enjoyable for players of all levels.6...." Read more
"...Quests are plentiful for your first class, and you can squeeze out a little bit of quests for your 2nd, but soon you will run into a quest bottle..." Read more
"...The visuals are wonderful, vivid, and fun to watch. The artwork is full of creativity and the new graphics engine is fantastic, especially on the PC...." Read more
"...Additionally, in Perfect World the economy is a mess because of the cash shop that keeps the game going...." Read more
Customers find the graphics in the video game beautiful, vivid, and fun to watch. They also appreciate the artful setup of environments and backstories that set up the player to feel involved in scenarios. Overall, customers describe the game as absolutely gorgeous, with many good aspects. They are also impressed with the scenery and attention to detail, which makes the game more realistic.
"...Artful setup of environments and backstories set up the player actually feel involved in scenarios as they play out, which goes a long way to total..." Read more
"...The environment in the game is appealing and pleasing to the eye, as it was in 1.0...." Read more
"...The visuals are wonderful, vivid, and fun to watch. The artwork is full of creativity and the new graphics engine is fantastic, especially on the PC...." Read more
"...story is totally worthy of the Final Fantasy series, and the graphics are beautiful...." Read more
Customers find the storyline exceptional, entertaining, compelling, and immersive. They also say the story is fairly classic, well written, and interesting to follow. Customers also say that the game delivers compelling solo content and a duty finder.
"...for their story telling, with rich character development and engrossing side stories, and FFXIV is no different...." Read more
"...The FATE system is rewarding, giving a very good amount of EXP, and a potential way to level up is through a "FATE party." These are..." Read more
"...The storyline is actually entertaining and makes sense. The visuals are wonderful, vivid, and fun to watch...." Read more
"...The gameplay seems to be pretty standard MMO fare, but there is enough plot and enough variety of quest types to make it stay interesting...." Read more
Customers find the value of the game to be reasonable. They say the cost of the product is reasonable for the content provided. Customers also say the game is worth buying and playing for at least the free month. They appreciate the no pay-to-win mechanics and the incredible community. They also mention that the game provides a very good amount of EXP and a potential way to level up.
"...20 for the base game and $40 for the expansion pack are reasonable for the content provided...." Read more
"...The FATE system is rewarding, giving a very good amount of EXP, and a potential way to level up is through a "FATE party." These are..." Read more
"...I definitely think it is worth the money and have been having a great time playing it so far." Read more
"...playing WoW after Cataclysm, due in large part to the extremely poor value offered by that expansion compared to prior expansions, and ultimately..." Read more
Customers find the class system in the video game to be pretty neat and adds a nice touch. They also appreciate the ability to play multiple different classes and jobs on one character. Additionally, they say the game is versatile and offers the ability for cross-over classes. Overall, they mention that the game has enough plot and variety of quest types to keep it interesting.
"...be pretty standard MMO fare, but there is enough plot and enough variety of quest types to make it stay interesting...." Read more
"...This game is great in different ways in versatility, graphics, game play, dungeons, and some of the bad...." Read more
"...Depends on how you look at it. It certainly allows for a lot more game leveling time that's for sure. In the end I think it's worth it...." Read more
"...The graphics are nice and the game uses multicore cpus, seems to be graphics card bound...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the ease of use. Some mention that leveling your classes is fun and not quite hard, with attention to detail with game mechanics. They also appreciate the deceptively simple controls and powerful crafting and job system. However, others say that it's slower and more difficult, with mastery of specific jobs being complicated and tedious.
"...The overall mechanics are okay, and it's fun, but it's largely simplistic.====2.2 Patch / April 2014===..." Read more
"...As mentioned in the Gameplay section, mastery of specific jobs is complicated and requires significant dedication to the game, including frequent..." Read more
"...There is so much attention to detail with game mechanics, menus, and gameplay that it all leaves you wanting to log back in right after you log out...." Read more
"...FFXIV: ARR had a rocky start. Players were plagued with login errors, couldn't create any new characters, and servers were just way over loaded...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the content. Some mention that the game has a unique world, unique leveling/job system, and epic boss fights. They also say the dungeons are filled with hard mobs and difficult bosses. However, others say that once at max, the endgame content is sparse, grindy, and limited. They say the main quest line is not exceptional but is decently interesting to follow.
"...This presented a problem for party optimization, for example in Titan hard mode having two tanks is detrimental..." Read more
"...You have 80 minutes to complete many of the dungeons. The dungeons are filled with hard mobs and difficult bosses...." Read more
"...the slow repetitive combat, heavily instanced world, no loot, no open world gathering. It's just not my cup of tea...." Read more
"...that introduction leaves me bored or pushes me away with its unrewarding combat and tedious navigation experience...." Read more
Customers are mixed about the performance of the video game software. Some mention that it plays well, has amazing graphics, and everything is functional. However, others say that it will not run as advertised under Vista, fails on many more, and has quite a few problems.
"...It is a highly used function that is used to recruit members based on similar goals...." Read more
"...It does run a little better on the PC but still runs great on the PS3. The frame rate at which your computer can run can be higher than on the PS3...." Read more
"...account, low server count, web page layout, and people's registration code not working anymore...." Read more
"...At least the game works when you play it. That is to say, no broken quests or issues that go unsolved for weeks or longer at a time...." Read more
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1. I am biased, as a long time fan of the Final Fantasy series.
2. Other MMO's I have played: World of Warcraft, Star Wars: The Old Republic, Diablo 3, various Battlefield games
3. I purchased the PC version, and have a fairly high-end custom PC setup that is able to play most games (including this one) at max settings.
4. I'm 35, self-employed and have family obligations. So I cannot grind out hours on end to get the gear/achievements necessary to enjoy some games.
5. In this particular game, I have reached the level cap with one character and have completed the "Main Scenario Quests", but have only scratched the surface on side quests and activities.
This is a long review. I've tried to sum up each point below in a snippet labeled with asterisks.
Pros:
1. The Story: ***Very engrossing story, you will not regret playing through the game.***
Without a doubt, the FFXIV story is the most engaging aspect of this game in my opinion. There's really no way to convey the quality of a game's (or any medium's) story without experiencing it for one's self, and so its often the most difficult aspect of a game for someone to evaluate prior to purchasing. But if you have even a passing interest in the Final Fantasy series, and enjoy an engrossing (sometimes slow-going) story line rich with politics and some very timely topics (think the Refugee Crisis), you will almost certainly enjoy being part of the story of FFXIV as it unfolds. Any further explanation would lead to spoilers, which would be a shame. The Final Fantasy series has always been known for their story telling, with rich character development and engrossing side stories, and FFXIV is no different. I will not lie, there have been scenes that brought a tear to my eye, revelations that made me really go "Aha!", and developments that made me feel for characters other than my own.
2. The Music, and Atmosphere: ***I want to buy the OST now. FF veterans are in for a special treat***
I lump the two together because the music of this game is so much a part of the atmosphere. So much so that I did not lump in Graphics here. The musical themes follow each scenario and area of the game well - upbeat, ominous, hopeful and sad when needed. This is the sort of game that makes you want to run out and purchase the OST. There are very special treats for fans of the series, as the game's developers have found many ways to tie in fan favorite songs from previous games (think Terra's Theme from FF6) into FFXIV. Artful setup of environments and backstories set up the player actually feel involved in scenarios as they play out, which goes a long way to total immersion in the game which is hard to do even in offline single player games. Even some of the more tedious tasks in the game (like traversing long distances for "go fetch" quests become less tiresome because you often have an enjoyable musical accompaniment.
3. Graphics: ***Decent, with Character Models being the stand-out***
For the most part, the art is typical Final Fantasy quality. The environments are reminiscent of a highly polished FFVI (steam punk vibe) with elements of the popular FFVII (from a character standpoint). Character models are well-detailed, but pixelation and low-res surfaces become clear during zoomed-in views. Environmental models suffer more from this, but it is clear that the developers focused on the areas that are most important so despite some low-res textures, the environments still feel seamless. Overall, the occasional sub-par graphics do not detract from the experience. Again, the character models steal the graphics show as attack animations are appropriately extravagant, even for the simplest actions.
4. Voice Acting: ***A huge reason why the story is so good, and the game so fulfilling***
A very close third (behind Music and Atmosphere) in what makes this game so spectacular is the voice acting. While not all dialogue has accompanying voice acting, those sections that do are done very well. Rarely have I listened to an NPC deliver a line or speech and felt let-down or "meh", as if the voice after were really phoning it in. Ironically, those rare occasions have come when an NPC is supposed to be delivering a rousing speech, but IMO that is more a result of the lack of accompanying "hurrah" or buzz from the receiving crowd. Generally, the voice actors receive a massive kudos for bringing this story to life, especially if you experience the game (as I have) solely in Japanese.
5. Gameplay: ***Never a grind. Mechanics seem intimidating at first, but are easy to learn, sometimes hard to master***
I've found myself saying that FFXIV is like watching a movie interspersed with gameplay. This is not to say that I feel like developers had game play mechanics take a backseat to story telling, but I think it is more a testament to the quality of the story itself. Playing the game, leveling, and developing my character all feel very much like mechanisms to advance the story. This sounds so obvious, but in too many MMO's your leveling for the sake of leveling, grinding for the sake of finding that next "Best in Slot" item, or to reach certain goals or achievements that seem to exist separate from the story of the game which is unfortunate. If you spend a lot of time reading through guides preparing to play your main character, the gameplay mechanics may seem intimidating. That is because playing your chosen discipline to the best of its possible abilities requires a high degree of skill management, group coordination and pattern learning. This is more true for some jobs than others, but in general the game does reward a high degree of dedication to mastering a certain class or job. That is NOT to say that the game can not be enjoyed by more casual players (such as myself), who enjoy playing in groups and experiencing team mechanics, but are not looking to join hardcore raid groups who focus specifically on clearing high-level, high-difficulty instances (raids) to obtain top-spec gear and items. It is the sheer variety of side quests, side jobs and non-combat focuses that make the game constantly enjoyable for players of all levels.
6. Flexibility: ***One character, ALL job***
A feature unique to FFXIV (as far as I know) is that the same character, through some basic achievements, can be used to experience the entire spectrum of available jobs and classes in the game (given you are willing to commit the time). Yeah, MAJOR plus in my book.
Neutral Points to Consider:
1. Cost: ***$20 for A Realm Reborn, $40 for Heavensward expansion, $30 for 2-month time cards = $225 to play this game for a year***
In my opinion, $20 for the base game and $40 for the expansion pack are reasonable for the content provided. Granted, the only way to access that content is to pay per month but the initial purchase of the game entitles players to 30 days of "free" time. And a free trial is available that gives 15 days (with limited access). To purchase the game and play a full year, you're looking at $225 ($180 for 12 months of play time assuming you purchase in 60 day increments at a time, and $60 for the "full" game). Now that is a harder pill to swallow, especially for those who do not have as much disposable income and/or free time to make the most of your play time. For a casual player like me who gets in maybe 6 hours a week, you'll reach the level cap probably in about 3 months, maybe less. Casually playing throughout the course of the year can expose you to 99% of the game.
2. In-game experience may vary: ***As the disclaimer says. This is common sense***
The English subtitles have characters speaking in a mix of old Northern-European English, and modern day English slang, and some of that dialogue is borderline raunchy even if you don't completely understand ye olde English. That may be concerning for those with younger players. More concerning may be that which is completely uncontrollable, which is Player Character language. Given you're sharing the realm with thousands of players from around the region (or the world depending on your server), and that the game attracts a wide variety of gamers, you are sure to see some explicit language and varying points of view. Few seem to play the game in a true Role Playing spirit, so expect to see comments about the upcoming presidential election and candidates and other cultural issues. Thankfully, I've found outright vulgarity and childishness at a minimum (I play on Leviathan and Marlboro servers), and to me the overall in-game experience has remained pleasant.
3. In-game community: ***Overall a mature community, with many more helpful folks than those who detract from the game***
Overall, I've found other PC's (player characters) to be enjoyable to play along with, and most are more than willing to go out of their way to help new players learn the ropes. The game does make a considerable effort to increase the game's approachability to those who are new to the game, the genre or gaming in general but as with most things, it is what you make of it. Want to be a hermit and play the game as solo as possible? You can do that, but you'd be missing out on a lot of enjoyable content. Want to be full-on immersed, participate and contribute to Free Companies (Player Controlled and Coordinated guilds), and get the most out of your multi-player experience? FFXIV does this better than any other MMO I've played, including WoW.
Cons:
1. Complex to Master: ***Easy to learn, complex to master.***
As mentioned in the Gameplay section, mastery of specific jobs is complicated and requires significant dedication to the game, including frequent practice. If you are a perfectionist or completionist, this can be a challenge - a welcome challenge for some. Fortunately, patches and accompanying "nerfs" (alterations to the game's mechanics that significantly change the way a certain job is played, often by decreasing the utility of "overpowered" skills) seem to be few and far between, so you will not often find yourself having to re-learn your chosen job.
2. Limited Realm selection: ***Choose wisely, unless you're willing to pay more***
Unsurprisingly, the more popular (and populated) servers are very difficult to get into and once you've chosen a server, you are tied to it unless you are willing to pay $18 to change to another server of your choice. Realm Selection plays a fairly significant role in your in-game experience, as more populated servers means an easier time getting invited to parties, dungeon and raid parties.
3. "Go Fetch" Quests: ***A necessary evil, but no less detestable***
Common to pretty much all role playing games, these sort of quests are scattered throughout the story and sometimes in FFXIV they feel downright flippant. eg.
NPC A: "Go check out Location XYZ, something may be going down."
You: ***makes the long slog to Location XYZ, which more often than not are located FAR away from a teleportation hub***
NPC B: "Oh you're here. Nothing going on here, but thanks for coming out. Why not go back and tell NPC A that everything is OK?"
You: ***long slog back to NPC A, also not located near a teleportation hub, all the while wondering why you didn't get to kill anything***
All in all, these such quests may take something like 2 minutes beginning to end, but it often feels longer because they break up the normally flowing main story quest.
Suggestion:
If you have the money and time to spend, and have even a passing interest in MMO's, you should at least try out the free trial. Warning, it does a very good job of hooking you and convincing you to buy the full version.
=== Revised for 2.2 patch ===
Would rank 4.5 stars currently. Original review mostly in place, slightly revised with additional notes at bottom:
FFXIV:ARR is certainly a ton better than the original FFXIV 1.0. The game itself is fun, and added a lot of elements that make it enjoyable. For example, using the dungeon finder to continue on in the game's storyline. If only FFXI had that during the CoP days... It basically will find you a Tank, Healer, and 2 DPS automatically so that you can progress in the story.
One thing I would like to make mention that is really impressive is how they do the classes. You can level all of the jobs on a single character, and change them just by changing weapons, but the interesting spin on it is that your main job doesn't get some abilities until you've leveled the other classes. (You only get a few 'additional traits' at first, and it increases every 5 levels.)
For example, if you level a guardian, you'll only get a handful of abilities specifically for guardian. Change your weapon and level Conjurer to level 2 and your Guardian will now be able to "equip" the Cure spell (if you want.) Level it to level 8 and you can "equip" the Protect spell. You can mix and match any number of classes "additional abilities" so long as Guardian main can use it. So I could mix 2 Conjurer spells, a Marauder spell, and a spell from Archer if I wanted.
Once you get to level 30, you can even further specialize into advanced jobs such as Paladin (30 Glad/15 Conjurer) to enable a different set of abilities. By specializing into a job, you get less "additional abilities" slots, however, you gain job specific abilities to make up for it. Jobs are limited to cross-classing with specific classes. For example, Paladin only has access to Marauder and Conjurer spells, whereas Gladiator can equip from all classes. Also for this example, Paladin will gain useful abilities (such as auto attack damage up, or a "reduce damage taken" ability) that Gladiator can't use. (Nov 30th update: This actually isn't nearly as impressive as I originally thought, as once you reach level 30, you'll almost always be stuck on your advanced jobs as the stat bonuses outweigh the additional cross class abilities even while solo. One example is that WAR does more damage than MRD because of access to more base stats + Relic weapon / AF2 stats. So basically you'll have access to two different jobs of cross class abilities, and they may or may not be useful abilities. Definitely not as customizable as I originally thought and leans more toward cookie-cutter builds.)
The battle components to the game are indeed a bit slow at first. However, it does pick up a bit when you do your first dungeon w/ a group. I will also say that the 3 second global cool down seems a bit excessive initially, but as you get more abilities to juggle, the overall battle sequences grow on you and are quite enjoyable.
Quests are plentiful for your first class, and you can squeeze out a little bit of quests for your 2nd, but soon you will run into a quest bottle neck, in that you'll have to resort to doing the levequests, FATEs, and guildleves / dungeon finder to level up. The quests are not very in-depth, and a lot of them are: Start quest, pick this up, deliver this, etc. It is a lot of running around but it's not bad, as there are multiple ways to get around. All characters have the ability to Teleport (for a gil cost) to areas in which you have touched the main Aethernet points. There are no flying mounts in the game, for those that are wondering, and all of the mounts travel at the same speed. They did add some Daily Quests as of 2.1, but they do not resolve the quest bottle neck that you'll run into for a 2nd job.
One thing that will be pleasing people who have came from FFXI is that the game doesn't really focus around gil (except for crafting and buying food) which is pretty common for modern MMOs. Another nice thing is that so far I haven't seen any "grinding" of mobs while doing the quests looking for a specific drop. If it says to go farm four bat wings from bats, it only takes 4 bats to get all the drops. Also, there is some threshold that people can assist even if they are not in your party (in addition you can help others and get credit.) There is a threshold though, as you can't just barely tag a monster and get XP or a drop, but you have to do a pretty decent amount of activity to a mob.
The FATE system is similar to the world events from Rift. They usually involve a group of monsters being killed, escorting an NPC, or killing a single boss or Notorious Monster. The FATE system is rewarding, giving a very good amount of EXP, and a potential way to level up is through a "FATE party." These are parties in which people will contribute to the FATE's success as a group as opposed to solo. However, after the 2.1 update, dungeons are now an alternative way to level up experience wise including daily one-time bonuses from the daily duty roulette feature. The hunting log is also very rewarding, giving you EXP for killing certain types of monsters (not many, usually 2-4). There is also different "tiers" of the hunting log that you unlock by doing the previous log. It's a fun addition, and it is probably the quickest way to level from 1-15 until you unlock dungeons for 2nd classes/jobs.
The environment in the game is appealing and pleasing to the eye, as it was in 1.0. The difference is now the game play has actually caught up to the aesthetics. I believe the producers said that the challenges are supposed to be geared towards end game, and that leveling up was designed to be relatively easy as you're expected to level multiple classes. You don't really have to worry about aggro from monsters, as all classes have a "sprint" ability, and monsters lose interest very quickly. Monsters losing interest and returning to their starting position is actually a nuisance for kiting jobs, (Archer, Conj, etc) as if you step too far away from it, it'll just go back to where you pulled it.
Playing with a group is also fun here. As you get more abilities you have to strategically choose which ability to use as they are all affected by the 3 second cool down. There is a built in threat/hate meter to let you (as a tank or a melee) see if you're about to lose or pull aggro on a specific monster (it shows your hate on all monsters that you have some amount of enmity on).
I was definitely worried about the game being difficult to differentiate between skilled players and unskilled players, but the higher I go, the less I worry about that. Overall, the game is very polished and pretty addicting. I would definitely recommend it for the price.
=== Update 4/17/2014 ===
I have not had any log in issues for several months. However, be warned if you are trying to create a character on a specific server. Girlfriend wanted to play on same server as me, and we were not able to create a character on Balmung. Eventually by checking back over and over, we were finally able to see the server open up for new accounts. Took about 24-48 hours of checking before it opened up. Same thing happened to my friend after recommending him to try the game out, he wanted to be on my server and was unable to create his character and play right away.
===Update 12/17/2013===
Couple of things to add now that a few months have passed:
Originally, I had a problem in that using the Duty Finder forces you to always have two tanks, two healers, and four DPS for the 8-man dungeons and you are unable to change classes once you are in the Duty. This presented a problem for party optimization, for example in Titan hard mode having two tanks is detrimental (as opposed to just not being optimized) and parties would be better suited with an extra healer or DPS. The game advertises flexibility by "just changing your weapon to switch jobs" but in reality, this does not happen 'when you need it.' You also cannot queue as multiple jobs. This is actually something that World of Warcraft has done well, in that you can change specs and still be in the same "role." Not the case with FFXIV. However, after the 2.1 update in December, they introduced an alternative way to build parties outside of the duty finder that can be accessed from any part of the world. Update: The Party Finder feature does in fact solve a lot of issues with regarding party make up for specific fights. It is a highly used function that is used to recruit members based on similar goals. No shouting for a group is required, just look at recruiting parties, or start your own and wait for members to join. Really a fantastic feature.
As of version 2.2, the game utilizes multiple ways to gear up. For the average player, you will be able to gear up by using "tomestones" that will grant you access to i90, and i100 gear. You can farm unlimited i90 stones per week now, and now the cap has been placed on i100 of 450 a week which I think is fair. The best loot in the game comes from Coil turns 6-9 now [ilvl 110 gear.]
One problem that remains, is that you can only complete coil turns once per week before getting locked out of the dungeon which prevents you from helping others out. Once a week is fine, but if I am free to do the dungeon on Monday with a pick up group, I should not be excluded from helping my Free Company out who often goes at a random time through the week (in which I may or may not be able to attend.) In addition, if my Free Company does turns 1-3 that I was unable to attend, but I was able to help out for turns 4 and 5, I am not able to go back and complete (and get potential loot) for the first turns. This creates an environment that can cause tension amongst Free Company members and penalizes "subbing" someone in a turn. In addition, if I want to attempt turn 4 without my Free Company with a pick up group because a lot of the times people aren't available through the week, then (if successful), should my free company want to attempt it in the week (as in enough people are available) then I won't be able to help them. They were able to introduce a "lot once per week" loot system in the Crystal Tower (2.1 update), in which you can run the dungeon as much as you want and still help others. Perhaps this is for the better with the introduction of a bridge between initial end game gear and final end game gear to keep people playing for longer and keep final end game loot more rare for those that put in the effort.
===Quality of life adjustments in 2.1 that resolved previous complaints===
Introduction of Party finder for content outside of Duty Finder.
Bridge between mid-game and end game equipment and content for gearing alternate jobs.
Fate Grinding as main method of leveling up is no longer the case with dungeon experience points being buffed. It is now simply an alternative way.
Introduction of Duty Roulette, which allows for shorter queue times as you can queue for multiple dungeons and get a significant daily bonuses (4 categories to complete), in addition to adding additional ways to obtain Tombstones for end game equipment.
Adjustment of weekly tombstones from 300->450 effectively lowers gearing out a job from 5.5 months to 3.5 months using tombstones only (very important considering the multiple class system.)
PvP has been added, and it is okay. It is only a single instance of one small area for now, but being in it's infancy it is already running into the problem of characters being geared in PvP gear vs those freshly starting out. The overall mechanics are okay, and it's fun, but it's largely simplistic.
====2.2 Patch / April 2014===
Square-Enix is up to their old ways with grinding / random number generator stuff. After 2.2 patch, end game now consists of the following:
Farming level 5-45 Fates in order to get a 1-2% drop rate 'stone.' to upgrade your weapon. You'll need 12 of these. Once you get this, you'll need to farm some 12,000+ mythology stones that are yielded at a rate of 50-60 per dungeon. The results of your work? A weapon that is the same ilvl as gear you can get from drops. It's supposedly upgradable later, though.
Farming Leviathan over and over again in hopes to get a 1-2% drop that will be split amongst 8 people doing the same thing.
Farming Coils 6-9, which also has the weekly lockout.
So basically if you want to progress past ilvl90, you will be farming low level fates, 1 primal extreme, farming dungeons for tomestones and Coil 6-9. Casual players will most likely never do Coil 6-9, however 1-5 has been made "pickup groupable" but is still ilvl90 gear.
Final Notes:
During 2.0 I rated the game a 4/5 stars. During 2.1 patch Square-Enix won me over. However 2.2 knocked half a star off for me. It's still a solid revamp and now truly worthy of a Final Fantasy name brand.
Top reviews from other countries
utilisés en France. Je demeure au Québec, (Canada), et en tant que francophone, je voulais
jouer en françcais. Finalement, à force d'essayer de rentrer le code, j'ai été rayée du jeu et je n'ai jamais pu y jouer....