The game is full of fan service of the most fun, least exclusive variety: a materia system reminiscent of Final Fantasy 7 magitek armor as seen in Final Fantasy 6 enemies who look suspiciously like the judges of Final Fantasy 12.
#FINAL FANTASY XIV MAC REVIEW SERIES#
The early plot moves a little slowly, and the game sometimes falls into an extended series of fetch quests, but the payoff is always well worth it.Ī Realm Reborn's revelations will be especially meaningful to Final Fantasy faithful. As your power grows and the NPCs begin to recognize your skill, they trust you with more pressing missions and let you take the lead even when they're around. In my first 20 or 30 levels as a hero, I frequently received help from major characters in the game - what amounted to them taking on a giant monster that I couldn't handle on my own while I took care of smaller, less imposing creatures. The story quests also provide a real sense of progress that goes beyond gear and stat bumps. It's a complex plot with a lot of moving pieces, strained relationships and subtle politics, but Final Fantasy 14 puts it to good use in pushing players through the world.Įverything echoes back to the two decades during which Final Fantasy stood at the top of the industry There isn't a single obvious bad guy allies and enemies shift as you progress. Rabid beast tribes gather in the countryside summoned "primals" (such as Ifrit and Titan) threaten the population and to the north, the conquest-hungry Garlean Empire plans for an invasion. Being a hero in this world means taking on threats from every side. As your character takes on tasks and defeats monsters, they come into contact with a group of heroes attempting to ensure Eorzea's future safety. Though you begin in one of three capital cities with unique starting scenarios, each hero's story eventually collapses into a single quest chain. But a main storyline with lengthy cutscenes and occasional voice-acting runs alongside those less contextually interesting quests, providing A Realm Reborn with a deeper sense of purpose and momentum. Side quests of the regular MMO variety are in steady supply - I've tapped through dozens of dialogue boxes of NPCs justifying why I need to go collect six lizard eyes for them. Final Fantasy 14 is the rare MMO where plot is not only important but arguably the star of the show. Having a mouse and keyboard nearby is still recommended - particularly if you plan to be in groups at all - but I stuck with a controller for most of my time with Final Fantasy 14 and loved it.Ĭontroller support isn't the only holdover from the series' console legacy. Previous games have tried it - including Final Fantasy 11 - but no one has pulled it off in a way that's as comfortable as it is here. A working, viable controller layout might be Final Fantasy 14's single biggest gift to the MMO genre. The craziest surprise? Those difficult, demanding fights are completely possible while playing with a controller. I got used to my group wiping often, but overcoming these boss encounters was an intense, wonderful rush. Bosses have giant health pools and quickly develop unforgiving mechanics on par with end-game raid bosses in other MMOs. But each party member has to be on top of their game.
Dungeons only require a group of four - two damage dealers, a tank and a healer - which the game's group finder puts together quickly if you're playing on your own. By the time I hit level 25, Final Fantasy 14's small group dungeons provided a serious challenge. Those beginners are going to have to learn fast, though. Some skills provide extra damage or bonuses when "comboed" with another skill - i.e., when used immediately after - which helps beginners get a good sense of their ideal skill rotation. Each class activates skills that are on a cooldown in order to damage enemies, juggling HP, MP and other class-specific resources.
Instead, it provides a challenging testing ground for traditional MMO skills. Final Fantasy 14's fluid class system seems simple for the first 10 or so hours, but as you get deeper into the game, more exciting possibilities are revealed.Ī Realm Reborn's combat is less interested in innovating. This gave me access to a handful of very powerful abilities and was basically required in order to be an effective tank later in the game. For example, by leveling a marauder to 30 and a gladiator to 15, I unlocked the warrior job. You're able to carry over a small number of skills between classes, allowing for a lot of freedom of customization, but mixing together certain class types unlocks new, super-powerful jobs. Class-switching is not only encouraged but virtually necessary if you want to successfully run later dungeons.