10 Reasons Why Final Fantasy XIV Is Still The PS4’s Best MMORPG

The MMORPG gold rush is drawing to a close. What was once a genre-wide free for all has slowly simmered down, with room for only a limited number of established or up-and-coming studios that continue to innovate and challenge the status quo. Unsurprisingly, Square Enix is among this short list of names, praised not only for its recent efforts, but the ongoing legacy of Final Fantasy XI too.

Despite being someone who has always been fascinated by MMOs and the way they draw entire communities together, very few have actually reeled me in. Of course, seeing as it was my first, World of Warcraft and the sprawling realms of Azeroth will always be special to me. However, more recently, MMO after MMO continues to see me peel myself away after relatively few hours of my time.

Somehow I knew things would be different with Final Fantasy XIV. Although I stopped playing shortly after I originally covered the game for TSA a couple of years ago, that wasn’t through choice. I may have only started to scratch the game’s surface but I knew something special was there and that I’d eventually come back to uncover it.

With the recent launch of XIV’s first major expansion, Heavensward, I finally saw an opening. After grappling with the bureaucracy of character migration and console licenses, I decided to start afresh and have been thoroughly enjoying the game since. OK, so I’m quite a way off level fifty and Heavensward’s glut of brand-new content, but I’m getting there and wanted share ten reasons why FF14 is still the best MMORPG doing the rounds on PlayStation 4.

It’s Final Fantasy

I hate to start on a bit of a cop-out, but it’s relevant nonetheless. For many, part of XIV’s appeal is its ties to the Final Fantasy series. Although Cloud, Squall, Vivi, and other icons are nowhere to be seen, there’s a huge amount of fan service still to be had. Whether it’s the game’s wealth of inspired customisation options or the myriad throwbacks and references, there’s something here for every Final Fantasy fan – Magitek robots and Chocobos included.

A Realm Reborn

There’s a reason why Final Fantasy XIV carries the tagline “A Realm Reborn”. Some may not remember that back in 2010 the game originally launched on PC only to majorly negative reviews. Not only that, a number of its systems and mechanics simply didn’t work, thwarted further by technical issues and blackouts. It was a disaster and one we thought Square would simply sweep under the rug. Instead, they ousted the game’s producer and Final Fantasy XIV underwent a severe makeover. The development team literally blew up XIV’s pre-existing world to start afresh, leading into the game’s eventual relaunch.

A Class Of Your Own

Character creation screens are the bane of my life. Give me a multitude of options and, sure enough, I’ll pore over them for close to an hour, making sure everything about my character is exactly how I like it. Appearance menus aside, I often find it tough to settle on which class to select, as this ultimately dictates my avatar’s role in terms of gameplay. In Final Fantasy XIV, there’s a nifty mechanic that lets you swap between classes on the fly. One minute you can charge headlong into a mob of enemies, but the next you can be a healer or class that excels in ranged damage.

An Artisan’s Touch

This one can be a bit divisive. In your typical MMO, crafting is often nothing but a footnote, a set of menus coupled with a limited pool of animations and sound effects as players turn components into equipment and other useful gear. In XIV, however, it’s given more precedence, with each craft given its own class. Having switched to a fisher, botanist, leatherworker, alchemist etc. you’ll then craft or gather resources using an active set of abilities. In effect, Square tries to make these professions as immersive (and time-consuming) as, say, questing or running dungeons. Some hate the crafting, sure, but I’ve always found it unique and alluring.

Eorzea? More like Phwoarzea!

Even back when the game launched on PlayStation 3, A Realm Reborn looked absolutely phenomenal. Sure, the character models and texture work didn’t quite rival those seen in The Last of Us, yet one has to take into account the sheer scale of the game. Even with hundreds of avatars milling around, XIV manages to retain its beauty, mainly thanks to Square’s technical wizardry and stunning art direction. When not lost in fog-shrouded woods or sun-scorched deserts, I always find myself treading through cities, drinking in the magnificence of their architecture.

It Sounds Even Better Than It Looks

Anchoring each and every one of its breathtaking sights is Final Fantasy XIV’s phenemonal soundtrack. With huge swathes composed by the iconic Nobuo Uematsu, there’s an audible sense of enchantment that no other MMORPG can boast.

FATEs Interwined

Final Fantasy XIV is by no means the first MMO to include public events. They originated way before then, with my first encounter being 2008’s Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning, an entry to the genre that is sadly no longer with us. What public events are, if you haven’t guessed already, are cooperative quests and instances that simply appear in an MMO’s open world. In XIV, the most common kind of public event is called a FATE, tasking nearby players to band together and usually defeat an incoming enemy. Their random nature and generous XP drops make them an essential part of enjoying Final Fantasy XIV.

MMO For The Go

Here’s an obvious one. Although my measly broadband connections would never allow it, I know all too well that other players love to take their FF14 action on the go. Although playing such a complex game on a handheld may seem counterintuitive, the PS Vita gives you everything you need to continue your journey without ever feeling hampered.

PlayStation 4: An Unlikely Home

Part of the reason why Final Fantasy XIV feels so unique is how it works on consoles, or to be more specific, with a DualShock 4. In lieu of a mouse and keyboard, everything from character movement and navigating menus to combat and crafting is mapped to the PlayStation 4’s trusty controller. It’s unwieldy at first, but it soon grows on you and is helped by the game’s control layout options. As someone who spends most of their gaming time on consoles, this system feels way more natural to me than hammering away at hotkeys on a PC.

The Full Package

Aside from each of the individual facets described above, Final Fantasy XIV deserves praise for how well they all come together in one cohesive unit. Square Enix has managed to strike a rather impressive balance, nailing the aesthetic and lore side while also ensuring an engaging and rewarding gameplay experience. When it ticks so many boxes, it’s hard to suggest that XIV isn’t worthy of its premium price tag, even with newer, cheaper alternatives breaching the console MMO market.