FINAL FANTASY XIV Online

Final Fantasy XIV seamlessly blends MMO gameplay mechanics with the rich storytelling the series is known for.
The story Places your character central to a compelling narrative filled with intricate characters and evolving plots. While some early gameplay elements have suffered due to simplification and streamlining for newer players to catch up, the game compensates with a vast array of activities, from challenging raids to leisurely pursuits like fishing and home development.

I highly recommend Final Fantasy XIV for those willing to invest the time into its Story Questline.

Game is in decline, Square is refusing to put any money into this game, even though its pretty much whats keeping them afloat at this point, and long standing issues that shouldve been amended years ago are not because either stubbornness (e.g. glams/transmogs still being locked to jobs for no real reason) or "technical reasons" (e.g. there are 20 glam/transmog loadouts for 21 combat jobs...).

Recent content has gotten really formulaic, stale and scarce, the most recent expansion (Dawntrail) had such horrible writing that its not even worth watching the cutscenes.

There is enough good content in the game to be worth playing it (until you reach dawntrail), but the future of this game is looking bleak.

I am going out on a limb here but I actually enjoyed Dawntrail so far. I did not enjoy it more than other expansions but it was what I expect and more for an intro to a knew story. And I mean new as it ten years of story had ended in Endwalker and Dawntrail is the start of another ten-ish years. And I have yet to find a reason to not continue playing Final Fantasy 14. This is just an opinion though.

I thought for a long time, if I can recommend FF14 and Dawntrail was a dealbreak in that regard.

Endgame content is lacking. Combat is mushy, server tickrate is pisspoor. It can be fun, sure, but it doesn't stand up to competition of wow or guild wars. And as much as rabid fanbase of this game will defend it with foam at their mouths that it's perfectly balanced and such, if you look to the charts for 0.1 second, you will notice that it is far, FAR from it. To the point, where certain group comps couldn't clear certain content on my memory period.

This bleeds into many other systems: glamour (aka transmog) is a violation of geneva convention, the amount of obsolete systems that clutter the game is just absurd. Like storage being ADDITIONAL subscription fee in already highly-priced sub-based mmo? 1.40£ per retainer per month? Yeh, no.

In many ways, game both expects it's problems to be fixed via modding community and at the same time, holds strict "no mods" policy, at least publicly so. Viera hats where, Yoshi P? Mods do make experience tolerable, and yet it seems SE team is dead-set on keeping eyes and ears shut, and not addressing reasons people use mods to begin with. And yes, we were promised chat bubbles (revolutionary addition in 2025, I know), and even half a year after Dawntrail they are nowhere to be seen.


This leaves us with one thing alone: MSQ. Main story of FF14 has ups and downs. ARR can be a slog, Heavensward is awesome, Stormblood and first third of Shadowbringers can be a slog, latter part and Endwalker are good. But that is the main issue with it: If MSQ sucks, entire game falls apart.
And Dawntrail sucks fucking hard.

Great game if you're trying for the first time. The story is great and community as well.
Unfortunately I just couldn't get through dawntrail....

FFXIV is very beautiful. Very organized and polished.
It feels like a single player game.
One thing that surprised me in this game was the education and patience of the players.
The story is very good, it has an incredible mosaic.
But it uses terrible literary techniques.
Like tonal dissonance, and in addition to that, exhausting interactions on purpose.
For someone who speaks another language natively, even though I am fluent in English,
it is very exhausting to follow the story. Due to the constant delay.
So to solve this, I am simply skipping all the dialogues and watching the history on youtube.

tl/dr: Game is good.

One of, if not, the best stories in any game ever made and on top of that the raiding is the best in any mmo I've played. The community is welcoming and forgiving, and the classes(jobs as they are called in-game) all feel interesting and rewarding to play. The free trial is meme'ed to death for a reason as it is more like a free all you can eat buffet with hundreds, or even upwards of a thousand, hours of game play just in the free "trial" with no limit on game time. My only problem with the game is that no matter how much I try to step away and play other games I have this addiction that can only be sated by Final Fantasy 14.

I genuinely believe this game has the best story in the MMO space, and one of the better stories in gaming in general.

With that said, Square is struggling right now to make this MMO more than just a story game with a co-op raiding scene and some social aspects that haven’t seen any real iterations to their core in almost a decade.

The focus of new Non-Story game content primarily sits in endgame raiding and several patch-long (drip fed updates across several months to a year) closed game systems that have little impact to the rest of the game outside of cosmetics that will no longer see updates once the next expansion releases.

Classes and stats have been homogenized and made mostly inoffensive. In this MMO, there are no builds or managing stats to create a different way to play your class. DPS classes all have the same outcome with little variation. Burst windows that arrive every couple of minutes. Some are more utility based, but still follow the same formula and often aren’t worth bringing for their utility because the name of the game is simply outputting damage. Healers are either primarily healers or shielders, but do both. It still just comes down to damage mitigation, healing, healing over time, and doing damage to provide some damage while continuing to heal. Tanks just need to damage mitigate and not die. This all sounds obvious, but in other MMOs, a single class can fill several roles all in different ways by adjusting how the abilities work and by tuning your stats. This is not a thing in FFXIV.

Gear exists simply to increase your numbers so you deal a bit more damage, have more health, or heal a bit more. They are just stat sticks to make sure your numbers are comparable with the content you are doing. They have no meaningful impact on how you play.

The high level raid and trial encounters are one of four main pillars for content to play once you have finished the several hundred hours of story content the game has. It receives the most love from Square with several new additions in some form every patch and expansion. Most of this content will not be experienced by most players. Optimistic estimations place Savage raid participation at less than 30% of endgame players. There’s a whole additional tier of difficulty even after Savage. Ultimate clear rates seem to be in the single digits.

Granted, it likely takes less manpower to create this content than entire questlines and overhauls to old systems. However, it really demonstrates Square’s priorities when this style of play sees new content sometimes several times in the same several month path cycles, but housing has seen zero major update, iteration, or innovation since it came out like a decade ago AND Square continues to enforce artificial scarcity by limiting available plots for housing.

Next is PvP, which sees updates with maps, cosmetics, and other typical PvP content. I can’t speak on player interaction with PvP, but in the 30 people I’ve met in XIV and spent time with, maybe 1 or 2 spent more than a surface leven amount of time with the PvP.

Next is the Social aspect of the game. This comes in Roleplaying, Trading, Community-led events, Free Company (guilds) Activities, and Housing. These systems, despite carrying the casual part of the playerbase, very rarely see updates, iterations, or innovation. Housing hasn’t seen any meaningful updates in years outside of allowing the insides of houses to be as large as the player wants. Trading is the same as always. Gather and craft for major patches that include new crafted gear and for consumables for new raids every several months. Free Companies got crafting projects in Heavensward, almost 10 years ago and then had one more crafting project added back in Stormblood in 2018. The social aspect of the game, which is the most interacted with pillar, is almost entirely upheld by the community at this point and is augmented with modding that is actually against SE’s terms of service, but won’t ever actually be fought against because the RP community would crumble without it. Square actively refuses to innovate or make these systems more accessible.

The last pillar is the amalgamation of whatever new closed-loop non-evergreen content they release in the post-msq patches. Diadem, which was a gathering/crafting centric event where Square had the community build up a district back in 2020. Some parts of this are still interact-able and is even a great way to level crafters and gatherers in lower levels. Bojza, a wartorn area where you raise reputation, complete public events, gain levels for combat classes, and get unique cosmetics. Island Sanctuary, you gather materials, build up some facilities, and implement production schedules to get some cosmetics. These additions have a couple of problems though.

They are often complex systems that are added to over the course of several patches, so they take a fair bit of resources to build, but after the post-expansion patches cycles they’re a part of are over, they are never revisted.

They effectively exist in their own bubbles and the only stuff that carries to the rest of the game is cosmetics and whatever levels you gain from the ones that provide it. Once you’ve gained the cosmetics you want, the content is done for you and there’s no point in interacting with it again. Island Sanctuary doesn’t use the existing crafting and gathering classes and the crafted items do not leave the island. Even the products of the production schedules are non-tangible items.

Novel experiences like this ARE worthwhile additions to the game, but when they are the *only* new content casual players ever get is content that effectively expires when you get the couple of items you want, there is no meaningful long-terms goals for casual players.

Aside from these pillars, even the story of the game has been stale since the first post-patch of endwalker. Dawntrail was downright awful narratively. Even aside from that, the community has been pointing out lately that the last three main expansion MSQs follow the same structural formula. 6 areas, the last area is all about learning about the past to cope with the present. A final boss you defeat to show the error of their ways. A split path in the second waves of quests for the msq and you have to do both. The problem is Square is seeing people start to get burnt out on doing the same stuff again and again but they REFUSE to change up the formula.

So, why do I not recommend XIV? Despite my hours and the love I have for the story?

Square has been given years of grace and love by a dedicated community only to continue to refuse to innovate and uplift the game past what it has been for years. The cracks in the foundation of the game have just become easier to see now that the story is poor and doesn’t cover it up.

Is it because they’re scared of changing things? Is it because they think they just don’t need to? I don’t know at this point, but FFXIV has a massive problem, and that problem is that they actively refuse to innovate a 10+ year old MMO with dated systems, mechanics, and combat.

Used to play some time ago and want to get back into it with friends. Interface, support, changing password, password loopholes, hard-linking user IDs to Steam are the devil. The people who made this game and design their support want to sacrifice you to the devil. This is the absolute worst and anyone who works for this game and the people who design this support should be ashamed. Shame on them. Shame on them when they lay down to sleep. Shame on them when they wake up.

This game is perfect for my autistic brain. easy to get super sucked into the details and has an amazing storyline. its like 20 games in one but all interconnected and lore heavy. It can be overwhelming if you try everything at once but if you take it slow then this is a game you'll be able to play for the rest of your life.

after playing this game for quite a while I have yet to enjoy the convoluted mess of a story and find the characters to range from boring to annoying. I have not finished the main story but my friends keep telling my I'm almost there. I feel like I am being gas lit and refuse to spend more money.

"It gets good, trust me!! You just have to keep pushing through the boring MSQ! It will pick up! Trust me bro!!!"
Dude, stop. I went all-in, tried my absolute hardest to get through this, and with 300 hours under my belt, I still have nothing to show for it.
This is the most bog-standard RPG experience I have ever played. There's no build diversity, no skill rotation variation, the dungeons feel more like CHECKLISTS than anything else, The devs are firmly against client-side mods, and the combat is so incredibly dated, stale, and uninspired. Everything about this game's core gameplay feels like a complete afterthought, and the story does not even come close to making up for it. How do you continue to justify this??

The game is like any other MMO yes, it has its differences though. After all, it is square enix, and they deliver.

New players are drowned under quests, but the lore/story is really good and interesting. The graphics are what they are, nothing to complain about. Gears/outfits for classes and races not too bad, I would let the race ones be usable by others though.

The glamour thing is a little hard to understand, I need to look at a guide on the side myself and a friend of mine doesn't understand it very good as well. There is always people to help you with a dungeon too, it doesn't take forever for parties to form and I like that.

Leveling would be super long if we didn't move to another server with double XP though, they should make it a bit less complex on that side (Since it's not different from any other questing mmo) but at the same time, it's not that painful (you can skip most of the cut scenes).

I recommend this game, it's nice and me & some friends are enjoying it (I had a big apprehension about Final Fantasy before I tried this one.) We'll see, but after 80+ hours played, I can at least say it's fun!

Almost 7,500 hours later… it's time to say goodbye.

I've loved Final Fantasy XIV for years—met some of my closest friends, spent an ungodly amount of money, and sunk thousands of hours into it. So, of course, I will recommend it, but this will largely be a review of why the game has lost me now. Endwalker was an incredible high point, a perfect send-off to a decade-long journey, and I don't regret a second of it. The storytelling in Endwalker was some of the best I’ve ever experienced in an MMO. The depth of the characters, especially the Ascians, was phenomenal—complex, heartfelt, and deeply resonant. It tackled existential themes in a way that hit even harder during the height of COVID, making it feel personal and cathartic. The emotional weight of that expansion, the way it brought together years of storylines and character growth—it was peak FFXIV. It’s the kind of storytelling that sticks with you and I will always be grateful to have experienced it.

But after that? I just couldn’t get into Dawntrail. I don’t think it was ever meant to live up to Endwalker—how could it? But after everything we’ve been through as the Warrior of Light, the supposed Hero of Eorzea, Dawntrail just didn’t hit right for me. The lack of engaging rewards and compelling content made it feel like we were just treading water rather than embarking on a new, exciting chapter. This expansion just felt... empty. No real stakes, no gripping narrative weight, and nothing pulling me forward. I wanted to love it, I really did—but it just didn’t have the same spark.

And honestly, the cracks have been showing for a while. The game has a bad habit of making content obsolete—grindy, fun content like Eureka, Bozja, and Deep Dungeons are basically ghost towns because there’s no reason to go back. Why can’t we get relevant rewards from these? Why is the only viable way to progress locked behind daily roulettes and the same dungeon grind? ESO figured this out ages ago—FFXIV could, too. Give players more relevant cross-activity rewards for their time, and appropriate EXPERIENCE. Why doesn't Eureka help you level alts?? Why can't they throw content restricted rewards (like old Savage Raid gear or special outfits) AND tomestones in the deep dungeons or instance areas like Bozja where we can hang out and grind mindlessly for them. It's an easy way to keep veteran players entertained since we've done everything else and are SO tired of roulette leveling, while also keeping older content relevant.

Then there’s the glamours. I loved this game for the roleplay, the customization, the endless fashion game. But lately? Recolors of old outfits, uninspired designs—it lost its shine. And don’t even get me started on housing. Player housing was supposed to be a thriving community space, but in reality? Neighborhoods are full of people who log in once a month just to pay their “rent” and keep their plot/decor/submarines from being wasted—which was me for two years. That’s not a housing system, that’s a hostage situation. Why can’t we just have instanced housing, where everyone can have a home and still have ways to visit other players' homes through a searchable system? Instead, we’re stuck with an artificial scarcity model where housing isn’t about creativity or community—it’s about keeping a subscription active so you don’t lose your investment. That’s a terrible system, and it’s long overdue for a fix.

*edited because I forgot to comment on this too*
One of the other big frustrations I’ve had, especially as a long-time player, is getting new friends into the game. If you’ve been playing for years and unlocked everything, good luck getting your friends to the endgame with you let alone on the same server, thanks to congestion and character creation restrictions. I had a bunch of new friends who wanted to play, but the process of getting them to where I was? Painful. Everything is locked behind hours of mandatory story quests, and a lot of them are fetch quests that just aren’t fun to grind through. Imagine telling someone, yeah, you can come play with me! But first, go complete hundreds of quests, read through cutscenes you may or may not care about, and grind solo for dozens of hours before we can even do something together OR spend 100 bucks on the game and the story boost and have no idea what you're doing. Some MMOs let you jump right in and experience content together—FFXIV gates it behind an endless solo journey in between dungeon unlocks. So that was a deciding factor for a lot of friends, including my partner, who simply didn’t want to grind through a story just to play with me. And honestly, I don’t blame them, and by now the game system just isn't new player friendly in contrast with MMO's like WoW or ESO.

So yeah, it’s bittersweet, but after nearly 10 years, I’m letting my sub lapse. I still recommend FFXIV—it’s been a phenomenal journey—but I can’t pretend the magic is still there. Maybe one day it will be again, but I don't have my hopes up.

Best MMORPG game story line that I've played! I get so excited once I get off of work to play. FFXIV has become one of my comfy games to play. My imagination take a hold and its like I'm in the game! If you're thinking about playing a MMORPG, trust me; try FFXIV out, it won't disappoint, unless your not into adventuring around and doing quests and slaying mystical creatures, then it might not be for you, but still if vibrant calming vibes is your thing, i'd still play test it a little, whats it going to hurt!

Started the game on Dec 13th 2024, with over a month of daily playing and grinding I've started post story for shadowbringers and got play with most of the class, not the base game ones as they require level 30. I think the story is really good and even more disliked stories like Stormblood were actually really good. Looking forward to finishing the rest of the story by the end of Feb and hopefully won't be to far behind with starting endgame content.

Very Early on in the game, I would say that this is a super fun MMORPG. I've never really played ones that are this in-depth, which was super intimidating.

There's a lot of info to digest, but the questline helps you along nearly seamlessly, and you wont find yourself too often googling "what do I do here?" etc.

The storyline is meh, but all in all I'm having a good time.

This is legit one of my favourite game in the series and im really happy i could experience the story without spoilers.

Shadowbringers and endwalker are one of my favourite stories ever and i wish i could play them for the first time again

Gameplay, its an mmo, everyone is friendly and it slowly feeds you info and dosent feel overwhelming.

Unlike destiny, i dont feel presured or fomo to play the game too, i know that the content will stay even if i dont play it for some time

You only need a single character to play every job (also known as classes) in the game, all one need do is swap their weapon/armor and you're good to go. It's encouraged to level multiple jobs at the same time, but play what looks fun or cool to you. I recommend choosing a DPS and a healer or a DPS and a tank, depending on what your play style is. There's no meta to follow in the early levels of the game - it's likely there is in the later levels of the game but I haven't personally arrived there yet. Character races don't mean much aside from fashion, which you'll learn is a large part of the game and equally as entertaining.

Perhaps the most confusing part is which license to get. There's licenses for each console, a license for Steam, and then a license through Square Enix. None of them stack with each other (meaning if you buy a PlayStation license, you cannot play the game on Steam or the Square Enix client), which can be frustrating. Make sure you pick the platform you want to play on carefully.

The community is very supportive of new players and are more tolerant of those that are learning the game than other MMO communities I've interacted with in the past. Gameplay is similar to other MMOs that you're familiar with (WoW, SWtOR) but is different enough that it feels unique.

It can be played with a controller or mouse & keyboard, depending on what feels comfortable to you. I know some that have started with mouse & keyboard but have migrated over to controllers. Both layouts are fully customizable and are designed very well. Your HUD can also be completely customized, allowing you to see the information you want to see and hide what you don't use, which is very nice.

All in all, the learning curve can feel a little sharp, but once you get the hang of it, it's a very fun game with lots to do outside of the traditional "level up, run dungeons, get better gear" loop. There's a little something for everyone in this game.

There's too much to say about FFXIV to put in a single review. It's the best MMO I've ever played, and one of my all time favorite games.

Im not a Final Fantasy fan and don't even interact with the community much. The gameplay loop is fantastic enough that I still got 3k hours (and counting) out of the game.

Id highly recommend it for anyone thats a fan of challenging, grind-heavy content. If you want my personal recommendation you should do crafting and gathering some time. Theres no other game that does it like this one.

Review written as of patch 7.1 (Jan 2025):

Not currently recommended and not recommended on steam due to steam authentication. As the game continues to bleed players CS III continue to double down. Sadly out of touch and filled to the brim with technical issues and bugs.
As if that were not enough they have now started threatening legal action against members of the community instead of not exposing information client side.

I certainly have concerns about where my subscription fee goes and in Dawntrail I question this more and more.
While Naoki Yoshida remains in place as Director & Producer of Final Fantasy XIV and is willing to threaten software engineers: avoid.

I've played since A Realm Reborn closed beta in 2013, I fell in love with the game, I started savage raiding in Heavens Ward and loved it more, I loved everything but the story ins Stormblood and I believe that is the best expansion. I love Shadowbringers story, but I do not agree or like the combat or content decisions for a vast majority of it, the problems were compounded and made worse in Endwalker, and Dawntrail broke the camels back narrativey, and contentwise. The design of fights are the best they've ever been but content it to far apart, the story is boring and even worse than Endwalker which is astonishing as that was 2 expansion stories smashed together. There is a lot of promise witht this expansion but I do not see any fruits being dropped any time soon.

There is promise of the next expansion bringing class identity back and maybe fixing this games combat, the problem is not only that but it went from being an MMO to being a instanced based game where no one talks to each other unless you have an FC or static or join a party at a house.

There needs to be a return of some kind of open world content where people can mingle and chat at their own leisure, if they really want to stay with faster paced overly and artificially difficult fights with body checks, they need to fix their servers and the 1 second delay, add dodges like white mage and dancers dashes with charges and gap closer's to ever melee, rework their character creator as its was behind every other single player and MMO character creator when it came out 12 years ago, have a real casual to mid-core goal and grind to reach with an ACTUAL relic grind and not a spare tomestone dump, make it so people don't just sit at the endgame vendor town, Limsa and their houses and have reason to interact with other people and make it a better MMO, and not be a single player game with MMO features.

I do NOT hate the game, i love it and that's why I will criticize it, give my thoughts as it is not in a good state and it is no longer engaging for me, I love all kinds of content from comfy farming on my island, to savage and ultimate raiding, and everything in-between like extremes, deep dungeons and exploration content which is my favorite thing to do BTW.

Can’t get the Steam version to run on Steam Deck. Just says I’m playing on the wrong platform or haven’t payed for an active subscription. I’ve done everything correctly and been troubleshooting for six hours now.
The non-Steam version works great.
Honestly the Steam Deck verification should be set to unsupported for now.
Extremely exhausted and disappointed.

Amazing game with the best community , challenges , story, and character buildups

THIS IS NOT A REVIEW BUT A CRY FOR HELP!!!!1!!1

One day I was just strolling around the park minding my own business, when suddenly Yoshi-P knocked me over the head and dragged me into his basement. He kept mumbling something about the "Lalas need a sacrifice" and that he'll "teach them(???) to like Wuk Lamat or else" as he made me play this stupid game every single waking hour of the day.

It's been several months now and I can't even remember what the sun looked like. If anyone reads this please send help, and in case I don't make it tell my wife and my cat that I love them.

OH CRAP I CAN HEAR HIM COMING DOWN THE STA

This is an RPG with MMO aspects to it type game. It's almost exclusively solo leveling with cut scenes and interactions that are like playing any really in depth RPG. The story is hands down one of the most interesting and addictive story lines I have ever started. I have played now 241 hours and have barely gotten into the second part of the story or just completed the first half of the first expansion. I can see it will be a very long time before I ever make it to Dawntrail which I did purchase because why not? If you love LORE and deep rich story that will keep you wondering what is going happen next while you are logged out then this is one you should give a try.

Good game!

I came from World of Warcraft and never looked back, the fact that 1 character can be all jobs/classes really helps with my Alt-a-holic-isum (i had like 50 alts on wow)

There is also a heavy focus on story.

Joe-cat on youtube called this a "RPGMMO" due to the fact that its closer to a normal RPG with MMO elements added in.

Overall its a great game that's been made with care and it shows. The grind to current endgame is long but the community is very welcoming and forgiving.

As with most games its best played with friends but if you're a solo player then there's bound to be an FC (stands for free company, this games "clans" or "guilds" where players group up) thats right for you, if you wanna make friends, just grind solo, or dabble in and out of content.

The game throws a lot at you right away, but if you take your time to read all the tips and ask for help if you need it (or look up a guide on youtube) then you should be ok.

This is from a "Filthy Casual" perspective by the way, im not a hardcore savage player but with over 3000 hours in the game....i guess its ok ;)

The process to stop renewals is stupid hard to find. They make if very difficult to stop giving them money. This also isn't an MMO. Like, it's online, it's big but it's not multiplayer. The majority of my time spent was doing solo story quests and I still can't get to the mog city.

tried to come back after a couple years and found that my game code is invalid and my account suspended and that I need to check my email, no email, no option to send another email and support will not respond.

I know I barely scratched the surface, but I’m already bored to tears with the myriad monotonous tasks involved. I just spent the better part of four hours on a quest line to getmy first mount.

The fact that I have to repeat this for each, and every new character isn’t exactly an appealingpospect.

Take my review with a grain of salt, I've played a free trial twice. This happens because I truly want to fall in love, like I did with XI... and I just cant find it. As frustrating as it was to require a group after lv10, I think this has gone too far the other way. I made it to the quest obtained paladin gear without any social interaction besides the drop in fights, where besides being alongside other players there was no convo. I'm sure if I do my due diligence I could find a group to play with and that would change my opinion, but I just don't feel the attachment that I did to my ol' avatar. I also know the old graphics for XI weren't groundbreaking, but I remember one of our arguments being the "adult" graphics vs the largest MMO of the time (maybe still lol) for them to go ultra cartoony here. That said, it is a beautiful world and the character art is clean just much more like other MMO titles that we were "competing" with back in XI. Leaving a not recommended for those XI die-hards that were looking to come into the modern era, this just isn't hitting the ol' feels for me... otherwise pretty fun and maybe I'll give it another go when I'm ready for another time devourer.

Please pay attention to every single cut scene. If you dont you what know whats going on at any point. And even if you do you'll probably have forgotten what Tataru is talking about when you log back in but thats okay, she's got it covered, you just hit it with a stick.

Game had a lot to do but honestly all of it felt really shallow, jack of all trades master of none kind of game. The combat never really feels like it evolves, even when you get to ultimates and even by MMO standards it's pretty boring. Only played to hang out with friends, left when they were gone.

If you like Final Fantasy and play MMOs, this one beats most. Always something to do.

I wanted, and tried really hard, to like this game but I just couldnt. I played the base game and then the next expansion - the dungeons are great and classes/profession system very good but thats were it stopped for me. The stories, that everyone raves about, bored me to absolute tears. The constant travelling for a 30 second dialogue with a NPC to progress through the story just made me so frustrated. I dont agree that theres lots to do outside the story - I found the other activities unsatisfying on the whole. And then finally theres the ridiculous little 'cute' lalafell that I just couldnt take seriously. Theres no immersion for me, the graphics are very old and tired. The community is friendly but theres almost a cult like fan base who, and I quote, are walking advertisements for the game. I just dont get the hype sorry - but each to their own.

best MMO ever, has everything that a MMO has to, awesome story, great mechanics

You can go to dungeons with NPCs which makes -at least to begin with- this mmorpg single user friendly. The selling system and crafting are a little wonky. But once you get used to doing it, it's just like any other game. Lots of players to interact with and a solid RP community.

the graphics and styles of classes u classes u can choose as well play with soo many friends !!

good game. i am big about character customization so that was nice. good graphics and smooth game play. a large step up from the games I usually play. good for beginners or the seasoned RPG players.

one of the best games I've played beautifully written story lots of stuff to do a must play for mmorpg and final fantasy fans it does start out slow though for like the first 100 hours but once you get pass all the boring stuff it gets so good. just wish I had friends that play it :(

I tried getting back into the game after around 3 years I couldnt sign in so I tried forgot password and used my email to be told there is no account with this email so I double check my emails from 2021 and I see plain as day they were sending me updates on the game through that email so I was like whatever Ill make a new account I try to make a new account and it asks for my registration key from steam and it wont work because it has already been used thanks square enix

This game has taught me that I’ve outgrown MMOs. However, if you enjoy the genre, this is an excellent game. I’ll recommend it because it’s well-crafted, respects the player, and delivers a great story. But for me personally, it’s a pass.

It took a minute to get into the game but its been a lot of fun. I'm 80 hours in, and people said the game gets really fun at level 50. I'm level 54 but was hooked on the story by level 30. Great game =)

The story to the end of Endwalker is a life-defining experience, even if the game completely falls off afterwards 2.0-6.0 is worth every hour

So I loved the game at one point and was playing it off and on since 2010. I took a huge break however around 2017, and didn't come back till late 2023 to where my view of it went from enjoyable to not. I have over 3000 hours on steam and a good bit of time on console on top of that, but upon coming back I've realized the community went from great to complete garbage. This was on Goblin by the way. All the game is now is a 2nd life sim apparently and just trauma dumping.

Never have I once had any problems with anyone from 2010-2017, but heaven forbid once I came back in late 2023, all I ran into were people that weren't really in it to play as they were other things. I spent half a year trying to find a good FC and people to play the game with, but I would always end up in some FC that did nothing but use plugins like mare and just want to ERP or suck at each others face all day. Basically, got tricked into joining every single one, then find out a month or two later why they really play. Like this is fine and all, but some of us don't want to be dragged into that. Pretty sad some of them do this to pull people in by lying, to find out they don't do any of the content they said they did that you were looking for.

That's another thing, you don't have mare? Most won't bother talking to you. You don't have or want to use discord? Good luck trying to get anyone to chat in FC chat, and they always wondered why people left when only a few of us even attempted at communicating within the game. Like I get using discord VC for dungeons and events etc, but come on, the in game chat is there for a reason and you all wonder why people keep leaving when all they hear are crickets because your clique is all that matters. Never was this as big of an issue when TS, Vent, ICQ, AIM, and skype etc were a thing, everyone talked to each other, but discords just basically mandatory now. You do have mare though? Don't share your code with just anyone otherwise you'll regret it.

Then you got so many stalkers and creeps that'll constantly sexually harass you, and before DT improved the blacklisting this was annoying to deal with, and even after DT it still wasn't perfect since half the time you'd think they were decent folks till you shared discord details just to find out otherwise and get harassed there. Those same people would do workarounds to communicate with you or try and the amount of those I've ran into who don't respect boundaries is astounding. It got annoying to get on just to become someones therapist and get trauma dumped on for the 100th time on a daily basis, like I don't care, I just want to play and have fun. Not spend it reporting or blacklisting people over them getting too attached or not able to take no as an answer.

You can't even ask someone if they need help with mechanics if they keep dying to it for the 50th time, they'll get mad. You can't even ask a simple question without someone throwing insults, like really? Then you got so called "Positive toxicity" like no get over it, I'm not enabling such crappy behavior. Some folks even tried to make it a mission to ruin your time playing if you so much as set boundaries to not deal with their personal life, not why I'm playing. Realized it was time to quit for good so I deleted my character so I wouldn't return.

TLDR: Game used to be great, yet the community turned to complete garbage somewhere over the past 8 years or I'm just super unlucky. Met a few good people, but you're better off playing something else or finding a server where it's not this bad, which I wouldn't be surprised if that's not possible. WoW's BS community is much better and tame compared to FFXIV's, and I hate WoW. Everyone's nice and fake till they show otherwise, and it's just 1000x worse after you know. Go get some help and goto therapy, not worth the stress.

This game has a great story through the first 2 expansions that I've played through so far. The combat is fun for being such an older game. I highly recommend FFXIV if you are looking for a game to spend countless hours on!

The game has it's own charm, definitely worth trying, however some quests are boring and most of them require a lot of talking and teleportation. Sometimes you literally teleport to 4 different locations and speak with 4 different npcs before any action starts. Many quests are "go there, bring that" and it gets boring very quickly.

Graphics are amazing

Final Fantasy XIV isn’t just a game; it’s an experience. What began as a rocky, near-disastrous launch has risen, phoenix-like, to become one of the greatest MMORPGs ever made. Combining unparalleled storytelling, a vast and vibrant world, and gameplay that caters to every type of player, FFXIV transcends its genre to deliver something truly extraordinary. Whether you’re a seasoned MMO veteran or a complete newcomer, this is a game that will draw you in and refuse to let go.

From the moment you create your character and step into the bustling streets of Ul’dah or Gridania, you’re embarking on a journey that will take you across continents, through time and space, and to the edge of existence itself. But what makes Final Fantasy XIV so remarkable isn’t just the story or the gameplay—it’s how it makes you feel.

At the heart of FFXIV lies its narrative, and calling it good feels like an understatement. It’s the gold standard for storytelling in MMOs, rivaling even single-player RPGs in scope and emotional impact. You start as a humble adventurer, but as the Warrior of Light, you’ll face gods, monsters, and existential threats to the very fabric of the universe. A Realm Reborn lays a solid foundation, but the expansions—each one better than the last—elevate the story to legendary heights.

Heavensward is a tale of dragons and redemption, Stormblood explores themes of revolution and freedom, and Shadowbringers flips the traditional light-versus-dark narrative on its head, delivering one of the most memorable stories in gaming. By the time you reach Endwalker, an emotional, bittersweet conclusion to a decade-long saga, you’ll feel as though you’ve truly lived through these adventures. The characters, from stoic Alphinaud to fan-favorite G’raha Tia, become more than NPCs—they’re companions, mentors, and friends you’ll never forget.

But Final Fantasy XIV isn’t just about watching a story unfold; it’s about being part of it. The game’s flexible job system allows you to play every class on a single character, encouraging you to experiment and find your niche. Whether you prefer tanking as a Paladin, healing as a White Mage, or dishing out damage as a Dragoon, every job feels distinct and rewarding. And the combat, while approachable for newcomers, scales up to offer a challenge that will test even the most seasoned players in high-end raids.

Yet, FFXIV isn’t solely about combat. For those who crave a more relaxed experience, the game offers robust crafting, gathering, and even fishing systems that could be entire games on their own. You can decorate your house, run a market empire, or simply spend hours fishing in serene landscapes. The freedom to play your way is one of FFXIV’s greatest strengths, making it just as rewarding for casual players as it is for hardcore raiders.

The world of Eorzea, along with its expansions, is nothing short of breathtaking. Every location, from the glittering deserts of Thanalan to the icy spires of Ishgard, feels alive and meticulously crafted. The expansions continue this trend, introducing unforgettable areas like Shadowbringers’ The First, a realm steeped in eternal daylight, and Endwalker’s surreal vistas at the edge of existence. Complementing the stunning visuals is the game’s musical score, a masterpiece by Masayoshi Soken. From gentle town themes to heart-pounding boss tracks, the music enhances every moment, leaving a lasting impression that extends beyond the game.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Final Fantasy XIV is its community. In an online world that can often feel hostile or impersonal, FFXIV’s players are a beacon of kindness and camaraderie. Newcomers, affectionately called “sprouts,” are welcomed with advice, gifts, and encouragement. The game’s mentor system ensures that veterans are there to guide the way, and you’ll rarely encounter toxicity, even in high-pressure raids. Beyond the gameplay, the community shines in its creativity, hosting everything from in-game concerts to elaborate role-playing events and charity drives.

Even if you’re new to MMOs, FFXIV is remarkably accessible. The free trial—immortalized as a meme—offers an almost absurd amount of content, including A Realm Reborn and the critically acclaimed Heavensward expansion, without a subscription fee. It’s the perfect way to dip your toes into this sprawling world, and before you know it, you’ll be eagerly planning your next in-game adventure.

But what truly sets Final Fantasy XIV apart is its soul. It’s a game that offers not just entertainment, but a sense of belonging. Whether you’re facing a god-tier raid boss, fishing by a tranquil lake, or dancing with strangers in Limsa Lominsa, you’ll find moments of joy, wonder, and connection. Few games can make you laugh, cry, and cheer as often as this one, and fewer still can inspire the kind of loyalty and love that FFXIV enjoys from its community.

At its core, Final Fantasy XIV is about the journey—and it’s a journey worth taking. Whether you’re saving the world or simply trying to get your glamor just right, there’s no place quite like Eorzea. So grab your gear, summon your chocobo, and join the millions of adventurers who have already discovered the magic of this incredible game. Just remember: the true endgame isn’t raiding. It’s glamour. Always glamour.

The road is long but well worth the journey. God damn this game is good.

Now that I have finished Endwalker, I need to express the importance of this game. This may be my favorite I've ever experienced. The story is one of genuine beauty with every character, every detail, and every twist being treated with immense sincerity. So much of the writing points to a major theme that is etched in the essence of everything XIV encompasses: hope in the face of despair. The many stories through each expansion told may focus on their respective conflicts that eventually tie within one another, but the lessons of hope always shines over it all, leaving an irreplaceable impact on my very being. Everything has been tailored to perfection with attentive care, from the character dynamics that keep you grounded when the scales are massive, to the major plot points and worldbuilding that engulfs you whole as you journey through this immersive world. This moved me in ways I was never expecting starting this years ago and I don't think I could experience something like this game ever again.

The content of the game also adds to the amount of love I've felt, feeling infinite and sometimes overwhelming with how many choices there are. The fashion, raiding, PvP, farming, crafting, it all leaves me with so much to do every week and never fails to value my time as a player. The fact that there are little FOMO elements make it even better, never feeling forced to go out of my way to do something.

The social features are probably one of my favorite aspects however. I've met so many wonderful friends from just sitting and talking in the major cities or asking for help in party finder. It's been helping me get out of my anxious shell I usually hide in with games like this, making me realize how important human interaction is in a game so massive in scale.

Final Fantasy XIV is seriously worth the price point and monthly subscription. I don't regret ever starting it and I can't wait to put even more hours into it. Seriously feels like a love letter to those who appreciate great storytelling, memorable characters, and just Final Fantasy fans. If you want an MMO and don't know where to start, this is the one.