Final Fantasy 14 may be an MMO, but it’s certainly never sacrificed the series’ talent for excellent storytelling. It’s stuffed with incredible worldbuilding, a cherished cast of characters, and heart-wrenching story beats that’ll get players shedding a tear from just hearing a few notes from a song that played during a cutscene.
It is, however, also a story that requires hundreds of hours to experience the full breadth of its narrative—spread across A Realm Reborn and five meaty expansions, with a sixth one on the way. While Square Enix has pruned quests here and there in an attempt to streamline the experience, it’s still a helluva lot of game to ask a new player to commit to.
I’ve had the good fortune to be playing since the beginning, but I can say with absolute certainty that if I was only just starting the game, I’d be damn near paralysed by how daunting the new player experience is—especially if you want to play with friends who are already across the finish line.
It’s something that director and producer Naoki Yoshida seems to be thinking about as well, especially as the upcoming expansion Evercold marks the official beginning of the MMO’s next arc with the Godless Realms Saga.