2010 (Failed) → 2013 (A Realm Reborn) | Massively Multiplayer Online Redemption
Final Fantasy XIV launched in 2010 and was a disaster. Broken, buggy, boring - critics savaged it. Square Enix's reputation tanked.
Then Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P) took over. His team rebuilt the entire game while keeping the failing version online. In 2013, they literally destroyed the old world (with a meteor/dragon Bahamut) and relaunched as A Realm Reborn.
Final Fantasy XIV became a phenomenon - millions of players, critically acclaimed story, rival to World of Warcraft.
→ Failed launch (2010) → Full rebuild (2013 A Realm Reborn)
→ 6 expansions: Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, Endwalker, Dawntrail
→ Best Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game story ever (fight me)
→ Free trial up to Heavensward
You play the Warrior of Light - an adventurer who becomes the hero of Eorzea. Unlike Final Fantasy XI's ensemble cast, Final Fantasy XIV makes you the protagonist.
Three Grand Companies (city-states):
The main story (MSQ - Main Scenario Questline) is mandatory and spectacular. You can't skip it - every expansion builds on previous events.
Final Fantasy XIV's genius: One character can be every job. Switch weapons, switch jobs instantly.
Tanks: Paladin, Warrior, Dark Knight, Gunbreaker
Healers: White Mage, Scholar, Astrologian, Sage
DPS (Melee): Dragoon, Monk, Ninja, Samurai, Reaper
DPS (Ranged Physical): Bard, Machinist, Dancer
DPS (Ranged Magic): Black Mage, Summoner, Red Mage, Pictomancer
Crafters & Gatherers: Full job lines for crafting/gathering (Botanist, Miner, Blacksmith, Weaver, etc.)
You can master every job on one character. No alts needed.
A Realm Reborn (2.0): Rebuild Eorzea after Bahamut's calamity. Fight the Garlean Empire (totalitarian regime).
Heavensward (3.0): Dragoons, dragons, religious corruption. Many call this the best Final Fantasy story ever.
Stormblood (4.0): Liberate nations from Garlean occupation. Political intrigue, samurai, monk themes.
Shadowbringers (5.0): Travel to parallel world (The First) consumed by Light. Save it from apocalypse. Critically acclaimed as masterpiece.
Endwalker (6.0): The finale of the Hydaelyn/Zodiark saga. Cosmic stakes, existential philosophy, emotional conclusion.
Dawntrail (7.0): New story arc begins - exploration and discovery in the New World.
Shadowbringers and Endwalker are better stories than most single-player FFs. That's not hyperbole.
The Scions feel like real friends by the time you finish Endwalker.
Dungeons & Trials: 4-player dungeons, 8-player boss fights (Trials), 24-player alliance raids. All required for MSQ.
Savage & Ultimate Raids: Hardcore 8-player endgame content for masochists.
Housing: Decorate your own house/apartment (if you can get one - housing is scarce!)
Crafting & Gathering: Deep systems with their own gameplay loops, endgame, and stories.
Gold Saucer: Casino minigame hub - Triple Triad (FF8 card game!), Chocobo Racing, Mahjong, etc.
FF14 respects your time. Play casually or hardcore - both are viable.
Masayoshi Soken composed FF14's soundtrack - and it's incredible. Rock, orchestral, metal, jazz, electronic - every expansion brings new genres.
"Dragonsong" (Heavensward), "Shadowbringers" (vocal boss theme), "Flow" (Endwalker final zone) - all masterpieces.
Soken composed parts of Endwalker's soundtrack while battling cancer. He survived and continues making magic.
FF14's Free Trial includes:
That's 100+ hours of content for free. No credit card required.
The meme: "Did you know? The critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has a free trial..."
Final Fantasy XIV is the greatest comeback in gaming history. From catastrophic failure to Massively Multiplayer Online titan - that's insane.
But beyond the redemption story, Final Fantasy XIV is just good. Shadowbringers rivals Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy IX for story quality. Endwalker made me cry multiple times. The community is welcoming (mostly).
Yes, A Realm Reborn (2.0) is slow. The "slog" is real. But push through - Heavensward justifies it, Shadowbringers transcends it.
Final Fantasy XIV is a love letter to Final Fantasy's legacy while telling its own epic saga.
The best Final Fantasy story. Yes, I said it.