Final Fantasy 14 has been up and running since 2010; it's still churning out new content and is home to thousands of players. The game comes close to World of Warcraft when it comes to pedigree and longevity in the MMO genre. Final Fantasy 14 was released to a barrage of criticism and disappointment; unfortunately, most of it was well deserved. Fortunately, however, the game was worked on, the development team persevered, and under the new umbrella of Final Fantasy 14 A Realm Reborn, the game was able to carve out success and praise.
Set in the magical world of Hydaelyn, Final Fantasy 14 has gone beyond what most thought possible from MMOs in terms of gameplay, story, and just basic mechanics. The game obviously benefits from being part of the Final Fantasy umbrella, making its path to success a lot easier than most. Regardless, Final Fantasy 14 does a ton of stuff right, and most of it, it does better than its competition in the genre.
6 Story
Final Fantasy 14 has arguably the best story mode in the entire genre. The quality of writing in this game is solid. The characters are well-developed and fleshed out; more importantly, players don't hate the NPCs, as they are actually responsive and useful in story quests. The political turmoil the adventurer is cast into makes for engaging content.
The adventurer's quest navigating this vast sprawling world, his ascension as the Warrior of Light, and the clashes between the Ascians and Scions, among other parties, is well paced, and every story beat is well earned. The game is full of twists and turns, and memorable experiences far beyond the cookie-cutter quest progression most MMOs adopt.
Multiple expansions focus on different factions and develop different themes of the game, such as the Coil of Bahamut raids and the rebellions against the Garlean empire. Overall, while the story might seem basic, it is well executed and ahead of any other MMO to this date.
5 Duty Finder
Duty Finder is a feature exclusive to Final Fantasy 14; it makes the game all the more convenient and easy to play. Duty finder allows players to match with other players of similar strength and experience levels for raids, dungeon crawls, and all other online content. This feature makes matchmaking much more efficient and defeats the necessity of having a large group of players online at the same time.
Players using Duty finder can select their preferred role, be it support, tank, or otherwise. They are then matched with others accordingly. Coupled with this is level sync, which allows high and low-level players to interact and still find the mission challenging. This feature stands out as one of the best in the genre.
4 Graphics
Final Fantasy 14's graphics stand out. The thought and care that went into this game's re-release are evident. Character models are well designed and graphically competent; this also helps make players want to focus more on cosmetics and upgrading their equipment as the changes are so apparent.
The game's visuals are all exceptional, be it the backgrounds, the large landscapes, or the lighting and shading. All of this is a result of the graphics engine, an aspect FF14 focuses on heavily while many others in the genre completely ignore it. Alongside all of this is, as is par for the course, the stunning story cutscenes found in every game in the franchise.
3 Soundtrack
One of the best parts of this game is its soundtrack. It stands out in the Final Fantasy series as a whole, which is a huge compliment as is, but it definitely holds up as the best in any MMO. The music is composed by Nobuo Uematsu, who is renowned for his work on the Final Fantasy series, and it features a wide range of styles and genres, from epic orchestral arrangements to more intimate and emotional piano pieces.
Most importantly, this game always ensures that the music fits the tone of the game. Be it an epic battle or tragic cutscenes, none of the melodies feel out of place. The live music feature, with virtual concerts, only adds to the game's musical pedigree.
2 Crafting System
Crafting in Final Fantasy 14 allows players to create a wide range of items, from weapons and armor to furniture and decorations. The crafting system is highly involved, requiring players to gather materials, craft components, and assemble the final product.
The crafting system also features a high degree of customization, allowing players to choose the quality and stats of the items they create. A good crafting system isn't unique to this game, but the one here definitely stands out.
1 Accessibility
This game caters to all players on all major platforms at every skill level. The game's early story quests serve as a tutorial of sorts, introducing players to the basic mechanics of the game and providing guidance on how to progress. The game also includes a helpful in-game encyclopedia that provides detailed information on everything from character classes to crafting recipes.
Final Fantasy 14 also has a clean and easy-to-use user interface, which makes navigating through menus and options intuitive. The interface is also highly customizable, allowing players to adjust the layout and appearance of the screen to their liking.
Final Fantasy 14 is currently playable on Steam, PS4, PS5, and MacOS.