It's not often that one talks about recovering MMORPG's (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games). Usually when an MMO is designated as a failure, most gamers (except for the most dedicated fans) will move on to a game worth their time and subscription money if necessary. What's even more rare is to find that an MMO is getting redesigned and relaunched after it has already been on the market. That's exactly what's happening to Final Fantasy XIV Online, the second MMO in Square Enix's flagship franchise. While the relaunch is still in closed beta right now, it's obvious that the developers have a clear vision of what the game is going to be like by the time it launches.
To say that Final Fantasy XIV was a mess would be an understatement, especially when it was released in September, 2010. Gamers and critics alike gave absolutely scathing reviews, citing sluggish UI, boring quest structure, stupid arbitrary limits on progression and shocking lack of content among many other things. The game was simply considered to be completely not up to par for a 2010 MMO. The only areas people had good things to say were in the beautiful visuals and rather nice soundtrack. Even the graphics came under fire for requiring top of the line PCs in order to be enjoyed properly. About 3 months after launch, the development team was reshuffled and a new face was brought in to be the Producer AND Director. This new face, Naoki Yoshida, promised that the game would improve over the coming months. In a short sentence, it did. Most people would agree that the game did improve quite a bit as time went on and was close to becoming a truly enjoyable game. It was almost worthy of the legendary "Final Fantasy" brand. However, in October 2011, Yoshida (known in the community as Yoshi-P) announced that the game was going to relaunched as version 2.0. It was emphasized from the beginning that this would be a ground-up reboot of the game, not an update or patch. Then in 2012 the game was revealed to be Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
The original version (which made it to patch 1.23 over the course of a bit more than 2 years) breathed its last breath in November before the servers were taken offline. Alpha testing for A Realm Reborn began immediately afterward, with beta testing starting in February. Currently, as of this post, the game is nearing the end of Phase 3 of closed testing and is set to go into open beta in the near future. There is a partial non-disclosure agreement against video and audio footage of the game right now, but I am able to talk about it in its current beta. To say that there have been changes is an even bigger understatement than the one in the last paragraph. The game has been overhauled in just about every way, sporting a brand new engine, visuals, updated UI and revamped gameplay. The game, in my opinion, seems to have a lot more potential to remain relevant and fun for years. While I could go into great detail about every little thing and make this a novel of a post, I'll just say that the game has potential right now to be an MMO that you can stick with and support for years, not just months or a year.
Now that's not to say that everything is absolutely perfect, there have been some areas where the game has compromised. The visuals are not quite as bleeding edge as version 1.0, but they still look really good now that the game can run well on my computer. The other drawback is that A Realm Reborn isn't the most innovative MMO in the world. It borrows things from other successful MMO's and adjusts them to fit into a Final Fantasy game. While some might bemoan another MMO that sticks close to the pack, I believe that this was the best choice Square Enix could have made. Considering how much financial trouble they've been in recently, they can't really afford to take risks on ideas that might not work out. Version 1.0 did much harm to Square Enix financially, leading to them laying off employees and delaying/cancelling many projects. They need a sound investment that's going to make them money right from the start, and that's what A Realm Reborn will do from my perspective.
Not many MMO's get a second chance anymore. They either are successful right off the bat or they languish in mediocrity. Sure, the developers might try to update the game to fix problems, but it never quite removes the feeling of disappointment from grumbling early adopters. The game may change, but the legacy usually stays the same. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is in a league of its own in this regard. From where I'm sitting, the game is looking to be a very enjoyable game through and through even though it's still in beta. There's still time for things to be improved and bugs to be fixed before its August 27th launch, but right now the game is refreshingly stable and the development team has come through with flying colors delivering a fun and engaging experience in a genre that's still dominated by the shadow of World of Warcraft. I highly recommend getting involved in beta if you're interested. Otherwise, the official launch is fast approaching. Let the fun continue!
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