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Final Fantasy XIV, the highly popular MMO title by Square Enix, is currently running its tenth year as of 2023. It is widely regarded as one of the best MMOs of all time, even better than World of Warcraft in several aspects.
However, a new player who has never even touched an MMO in their life might be wondering if it's worth getting into Final Fantasy XIV in 2023. If players want a short answer then it is definitely a yes, though there are a lot of nuances to this that they should be aware of before diving into the game.
Hence, a detailed discussion on what makes this game so good and why it is worth playing in 2023 has been provided in this article.
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Final Fantasy XIV is the most accessible MMO in the market as of 2023
Progression, skill tree, and ease of understanding
The MMO genre is filled with several games that have really complicated designs that take years to understand. In fact, veterans often say that the first character any new player makes is usually unoptimized.
This is primarily because of how hard it is to understand concepts like skill trees, item progression, gear loadout, and quests. Games like Path of Exile have some of the most complicated skill trees, and it takes months for a player to master its core mechanics.
However, that is not the case with Final Fantasy XIV. The game is arguably the most accessible MMO in the market for new players, and this is because it does not have a skill tree at all.
This game has abilities that unlock as the players level up. This makes the progression very linear and easy to understand. The gear system is also intuitive as players obtain them as they progress through the story and finish missions.
If players want end-game loot, then those can be obtained from raids and dungeons. Apart from that, all that players need to do is pick the gear that has the highest stats and equip it.
Raids and community
Raids are an important source of end-game loot in any MMO, and fortunately, raiding is very simple in this game.
Players will unlock raids as soon as they finish the main story of the game. They will then be guided on where to go and what to do if they want to participate in the raids. Fortunately, every raid has matchmaking, and it is not necessary to have a group of friends to finish those. It is, however, important to mention that savage raids are easier to complete with a pre-formed party.
This raises concerns about the skill level of players who new players might be grouped with in raids. As a new player, being matched with a group of experienced veterans can be intimidating, and there may be a fear of being kicked out of the group.
Thankfully, Final Fantasy XIV excels in this regard when compared to other MMOs. The game boasts one of the best communities in the market, with players willing to help and teach newer players.
Story
The question of whether raids are necessary beyond loot grinding is an important one, as some MMO players may choose to forego the highest tier loot and never participate in raids. For new players, it's natural to wonder how much of the game they need to play to get the full experience.
The answer is that players should play all of it, including raids. The main quests and raid content have a deeply developed story that is a major selling point for Final Fantasy XIV. In fact, the game has one of the best stories in not just the MMO genre, but possibly in all of gaming. Therefore, players who skip out on raids are missing out on a significant part of the narrative and overall experience.
The story starts slow, but as players progress through the DLCs, they will have the experience of a lifetime.
Character creation, classes, and quests
There has been a lot of discussion regarding raids, accessibility, and story. However, players might be wondering about character creation, classes, and quests, which are all essential aspects of an MMO.
Fortunately, Final Fantasy XIV has a very deep and detailed character creation system. Players have a multitude of options and can change and adjust how they want their character to look.
Apart from that, the system of classes in this game is also very easy to understand. Classes in Final Fantasy XIV are called jobs, and players can select anything they want right at the beginning of the game.
Initially, they will get to choose a class of their liking, but as they progress through the story, that class will be upgraded. For instance, a Thaumaturge in the early game will eventually evolve into a Black Mage in the late game. These late game jobs have specific quests that unlock as players level up.
If they want, players can unlock every job in the game on a single character. This change can be implemented simply by changing a weapon or an armor piece. It is, however, important to remember that certain jobs will require specific quests to be completed before they are unlocked.
This now leads to the question of quests in Final Fantasy XIV. As it happens, there are four kinds of quests to choose from in the game. This includes the main story quest (denoted by the flaming symbol), job quests, essential quests (blue marker), and side quests (golden exclamation mark).
The main story quests are ones that players need to follow in order to progress through the game. The ob quests will continue to unlock as players progress through the story and need to be completed to unlock abilities and passives. Essential quests are important as they unlock new jobs, trials, and dungeons. Lastly, the side quests are not as important and can be ignored completely.
Overall, the questing system in Final Fantasy XIV is very simple, and as long as players complete the main story quests and job quests, they should be good to go.
Final thoughts
Considering all the points discussed above, it is safe to say that Final Fantasy XIV is definitely worth playing in 2023. The game has a welcoming community, is accessible, and offers players experiences that will stay with them for a long time.
If players simply want to try the game out, they can do so from the Square Enix website where the first 50 levels can be played for free. At the end of the day, it is a personal choice, but Final Fantasy XIV has all the ingredients that make for a memorable experience.
