One Minute Reviews: Final Fantasy XIV

Weeks later, it's time to pull the plug on trying to enjoy this game

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Five weeks. That is how long I played Final Fantasy XIV before I had to admit that I was not having fun.

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If you remember, I looked over many of 2018's top MMORPGs in a previous review. I had to restrict my final rating of Final Fantasy XIV because I felt that I needed to give it more time, to see if I could enjoy it.

Boy did I want to enjoy this game. The character customization, the controller support, the strong RP community; all of these things are practically tailor made for a gamer like myself. Even more of a selling point is that the art direction and the lore work in unison to tell an epic story of heroes, intrigue and destiny.

Where the game fails is the mechanics. There's just no point to all of those accoutrements if you don't enjoy the actual interaction you have in the world they provide.

It is perhaps worth noting that I may be a bit salty due to muffin-related disappointments.

In combat, for example, there is no reason to participate. This is because there are correct choices and incorrect choices, and those never change. Do your strongest moves, then your next strongest, then the next strongest, until the timer cools down on your strongest move and it's time to start the cycle again. The most effective moves are the same regardless of what enemy you're fighting, and there is no reason to do anything but the same cycle of moves over and over again. So why get involved?

When you take the combat out of an MMO, there usually isn't much left to review. There are exceptions to this, such as ArcheAge, but in the case of Final Fantasy XIV this holds true. The RPers do a great job of creating more life in the taverns, but they alone will not hold your attention.

If you're looking for a fun, unique experience in the MMO fantasy genre, then I recommend DDO, ArcheAge, Black Desert Online, and Everquest 2 before you play this game. If you've exhausted all of those other, cheaper options, then sure; give Final Fantasy XIV a shot. But get ready to have your heart broken.