Final Fantasy 14 has consistently delivered one of the most robust live services since its relaunch in 2013 with A Realm Reborn. After the recent announcement of the 5th expansion Dawntrail (more details here), you might be considering checking out the game. It’s a daunting journey to start after 10 years. But I am here to help you decide if Final Fantasy 14 is right for you.
What is Final Fantasy 14?
Final Fantasy 14 is an MMORPG. However, it’s often referred to as RPGMMO due to the focus on story and single-player content. The game incorporates aspects of previous installments of the Final Fantasy franchise in the gameplay and narrative while paving its own path. There are plenty of familiar faces and iconography for long-time fans to appreciate with compelling original material too. It’s a world and story that you can call home and return to time and time again.
The primary focus is the MSQ (main story quest) which unfolds over the base game and its 4 expansions. Each of Final Fantasy 14‘s expansions can be seen as its own game. There’s plenty of content and story in each expansion. During your MSQ you’ll slowly be introduced to dungeons, raids, a variety of side quests, faction systems, and plenty more. There are easily 500-1000 hours of content waiting for you before the end game starts to poke its head out. If you love single-player RPGs, MMOs, or just Final Fantasy then this game is worth checking out.
Why Does Final Fantasy 14 Get So Much Love?
When Square Enix released the underwhelming base Final Fantasy 14 in 2010, it hurt its image. However, for 2 and a half years, the team led by producer Naoki Yoshida worked tirelessly to deliver the experience fans deserved. It all culminated in the launch of A Realm Reborn which showed they were committed to this game. That gave the fans trust in the game and the FF14 team continued to deliver with each subsequent expansion. For 10 years, the team has created high-quality content that is acclaimed time after time by fans and critics alike.
Final Fantasy 14 not only produces fantastic experiences each year, but it keeps it all relevant. The new player experience has incredible amounts of work put into it, with almost all content being accessible. This ensures that a player starting today can play all the content that a player 10 years ago would have played. For Final Fantasy 14, it’s crucial to keep the game whole and not cut out content like some live services. It is such a narrative-focused experience. In other words, most older content needs to be played to understand the game. If there’s one piece of advice a veteran player would a new player it’s to follow the main quest.
Follow the Main Story Quest
That’s also because the MSQ incorporates all the optional and endgame content into it the experience with ease. By following the MSQ you’ll learn about dungeons, raids, your class, and 1000 other systems. There is no real endgame to rush to. It’s all just one long story that you are meant to take your time with. Once complete with the MSQ, players spend time doing older content with new players for rewards. That’s not to say there’s no endgame, the systems of Final Fantasy 14 just encourage playing old content. This way the community stays together helping each other out until the release of the next batch of quests or expansions.
Where to Start?
Final Fantasy 14 has a free trial which has become somewhat of a meme within the community due to the quality. You can play the first 2 expansions with a level cap of 60 and no restriction on playtime. That is easily 200 hours worth of time. No doubt that’s more than enough time to determine if the game is for you. Not only that but soon this trial will include the 3rd expansion with a level cap of 70, you can start here and create a Square Enix account.
From there you’ll be off to the races. The game has plenty of tutorials and a slow rollout of its features. Starting the game may seem overwhelming, especially for players who haven’t played an MMO before. Focus on doing your MSQ, class quest, and any quest markers with a blue exclamation point. By keeping with that and taking your time you’ll be up to speed and experiencing this renowned game in no time. If you feel lost you can browse the Lodestone (FF14 official website) or reach out to the helpful community.
Eorzea is a huge world with lots to do, don’t rush things, and take everything at your own pace. All the content that is here now won’t be going anywhere. So there’s no pressure or FOMO to be had in Final Fantasy 14.
