
You still have a boatload of both main story objectives and side-quests, a lot of which revolve around the tired objectives of “Slay X number of a certain creature,” or “Collect X number of a certain item.” My least favorite type of side-quest also had to be the ones that force you to use the game’s character emote system in what are essentially forced tutorials. Sure, the character models aren’t extremely expressive, but they aren’t badly designed either, and the environments show off solid art direction.Īs for the actual gameplay, A Realm Reborn feels more like a game made to fine-tune and polish the traditional MMORPG experience, rather than one made to completely redefine it. While character and environment models still show their previous-generation roots, the overall resolution is very high, and aside from occasional, barely intrusive hiccups, the framerate is silky smooth. Graphically, this version of A Realm Reborn is admirable. My guess is that this was a compromise that was made during the process of making all three versions of the game compatible with one another, but it is still worth noting, since it could have made pulling off teamwork-oriented feats much easier.

The addition of the keyboard in particular is very welcome, as an unfortunate feature of this multiplayer-centric game is a complete lack of voice chat support. Some very useful additional features have been implemented for controls, including the ability to hook up a USB keyboard and mouse and play the game like you would on the PC, as well as the option to use the DualShock 4’s touch pad like a mouse, complete with a hand cursor appearing onscreen and activating menu options with a tap or click of the pad. Which actions you start out with and get vary depending on your class of choice, ranging from traditional weapon attacks to elemental magic projectiles. The controls function in a manner similar to several other MMOs, but are tweaked a bit due to the use of a controller, with the DualShock 4’s analog sticks providing movement and camera control, and the L2 & R2 buttons triggering two separate sets of commands that can then be individually assigned to and activated with the D-pad and four main face buttons. Though all three converge eventually, it would be a good idea for newcomers to do a little research on both what class suits them best and which city sounds the most appealing as a starting point. What class you choose determines which of the three main cities you’ll start out in, as well as your first batch of main story quests. These range from the melee-focused Gladiator and Marauder to the magic-heavy Conjurer and Arcanist. What will impact the initial leg of your journey is your starting class.

For the most part, character creation options are purely cosmetic and don’t affect your stats or personal story in any major way, but it’s still a nice touch and definitely appreciated. When players first start the game, they also can choose their gender, along with numerous factors like facial features, body type and hair. Selectable races range from the humanoid Hyur to the diminuitive-but-capable Lalafell. Unlike your typical single-player Final Fantasy, your playable protagonist is fully customizable in appearance, gender, and even species. While the player’s adventures start out simple, they gradually discover the plans of an evil empire to unleash another cataclysm on the world, and must traverse between the three lands on numerous journeys to set things right. Five years after a destructive war and infamous cataclysm rocked the land of Eorzea, players take control of an up-and-coming adventurer headed to one of three major locations, those being the desert city Ul’dah, the coastal location Limsa Lominsa, or the forest nation Gridania. Because of this, I will review the game as a whole, along with a few extra functions that take advantage of some of the new features that Sony’s latest home console offers.Ī Realm Reborn, in terms of chronology, is technically a sequel to the original version of Final Fantasy XIV. While I will admit that I don’t have prior experience with either of the other two versions, this port is basically still the exact same game, especially since cross-platform play between players for all three platforms is thankfully included. Now, Square Enix has brought the title to a newer and stronger home console in the form of a PlayStation 4 port.
Final fantasy xiv online review ps3#
Thankfully, this decision seems to have been the right one in the long run, as this revamp, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, has seen a good amount of success since its launch last year on the PS3 and PC.

In fact, it got so bad that the developer infamously shut the game down and rebuilt it from the ground up.
Final fantasy xiv online review series#
I never played the original version of Final Fantasy XIV that launched back in 2010, but I am well aware of the heavy criticism that Square Enix’s second MMORPG in the iconic series received when it first launched.
