Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn PS4 Review

Review

April 13th, 2014, By Dean Howard

In Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Square Enix has created an MMO world catered to fit the way you play. If you want to hang out with friends online and explore the realms regardless of what console you have, there are simple options to make the integration process as simple as child's play. Fancy leveling up? And you have an array of methods to do it. Want to specialize in a craft? Why settle for just one, when there are several available for you to try. You can even play a different class, changing whenever you want.

Unlike previous versions of the Final Fantasy series. Eorzea has taken a massive leap in the evolution process on the Playstation 4, with enhanced visual improvements from its PS3 counterpart. Lose yourself in the stunning  world of Eorzea on PS4 as you venture through enchanting green forests, dusty deserts and jaw dropping cities. Combine these new visuals with one of the many enchanting soundtracks in Final Fantasy and you will never want to leave The Reborn Realm ever again.

When you start, you will be able to create a character and customize them as you wish. The character creator is very detailed allowing for adjustments on every major and minor part of your Hero. Once complete you will then select one of the games eight starting classes, which goes with the typical tank, healer and DPS model. After you enter the Universe, you will be introduced to an array of tutorials in a private section on the server, teaching you how to play the game in a safe environment before you can access the whole world and interact with other players.

Your mission is to level up and become one of the most powerful players in all the Realm. There are several ways to achieve this,  from MMO missions, replaying a completed quest, group missions, or destroying enemies. Any of these missions can be accessed right away, enabling gamers to essential play the type of MMORPG of their choice.

Final Fantasy XIV combines all the best features from popular MMO's like EverQuest, World Of Warcraft and Rift in a free to roam format, giving you the chance to progress at your pace. FFXIV also links your class to your choice of weapons, instead of just being stuck with what you selected. Switch from playing as a Lancer by un-equiping your spear and select the staff to become the magic-controlling Thaumaturge. Or grab a sword and become a gladiator. This ability to change classes helps to  keep the game fresh, interesting and engaging.

Fans of the series will be able to quickly familiarize themselves with the FFXIV combat mechanics. The gameplay is fast and fluid, making it easy to pick up and play right away.  Each class includes a new feature that allows leveling to go by faster. For  example Maurauder gains bonuses for successfully attacking  specific locations on the enemies, while a gladiator can do more damage when attacks are triggered in the right order.

Conclusion

FFXIV: A Realm Reborn is a fun, interesting and engaging MMORPG. The ability to change classes, and level up the way you want helps to make the game and your chosen character feel very unique and personal while you venture through the realm to be amongst the greatest in all of Eorzea.

SCORE

5/5