Hey guys I worked on this last night - just put the finishing touches up on it and uploaded it. The review goes into detail about the past, current, and future states of Final Fantasy XIV. Hopefully it comes across as unbiased and informative.
Final Fantasy XIV 2012 Video Review
Enjoy!
TEXT VERSION:
Welcome to the Final Fantasy XIV 2012 Video Review. Fasten your seat belts. It has been nearly a year and a half since FFXIV retail was launched. As many may know, the game was initially met with negative reception from many players and reviewers a like. Square Enix quickly re-organized the development team and began fixing the game immediately. All of the work is leading up to the launch FFXIV 2.0. Having said this, let's start the review by noting the previous complaints about FFXIV.
Going down the list, the most notorious issue was probably the slow, poorly designed, user interface. The lack of auto attack. The lack of content between story and leve quests, leaving players looking for something to do besides grinding over and over. A mind boggling, boring crafting system. The in game economy which features Player Bazaars and Market Wards, opposed to a typical auction house. The leveling fatigue system. The inability to jump, leaving players stuck running all the way around small obstacles. Large, bland, empty, monotonous outside areas. In some cases, high level monsters were far to close to low level areas, or rather, directly in them. One second you could be feeling good, crushing through a 4x XP chain, just to have a notorious monster thirty levels higher than the current player level cap, come up and eat your face...
Well times have changed friends. Square Enix has finally implemented pay to play. I feel at this point they have earned it, and it is a more than fair time to do so. They need funds to continue down their road map to what will become FFXIV 2.0, which we will now start touching up on as well as go down the list of things that have been fixed in the game so far.
Let's get started. Measures have not only been taken to speed up the reaction time of the User Interface, but individual menu windows can now be bound to specific keys. Auto attack has been implemented. The leveling fatigue system has been removed. They will be redesigning the world map, and breaking up the seamless open areas into more interesting, unique zones. A new feature called a Free Company will be implemented in 2.0, allowing players from different Grand Company factions to quest together. 2.0 will also be introducing player housing, player versus player, and a new server structure for a more lag free environment. Players will be able to find and create parties for cross server dungeons. Furthermore, many more things will also be introduced in 2.0. Note that 2.0 is not an entirely different game, although it will be built on a more optimized game engine. None the less, FFXIV will always be FFXIV. So if you enjoy the way the game is now, don't be alarmed. I will now review the game based upon what FFXIV is today, as of patch 1.20a.
The down sides: The multi language community, is still quiet outside of linkshells. Parties are nearly impossible to come by, if you are lower than say, mid thirties. So aside from unspoken silence rules and the awkwardness within the player community, there are many good things about FFXIV today.
The game's graphics are absolutely vibrant and gorgeous. If you have the hardware to do it, it is a very rewarding experience. The cut scenes and story are simply amazing and engulfing. I really enjoy the gathering system. Behests, now every thirty minutes instead of one hour, are a great way to continue making progress and an effective way to form parties. They are like battlecraft guildleves, except you can always do them. Also, I now enjoy not only buying, but selling things in the new market wards.
The game gets better with more content and features as you level up, such as player companions and Grand Company quests, which open up faction quests. The task board in the adventure's guild also has fun content. The combat has become a lot of fun, and as always the interchangeable class system is very cool. Mixing and matching abilities from different classes is awesome, and unlike any other game experience. The sound track is composed by returning legendary Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, and it's awesome.
Now, last but not least, I will score the game.
Graphics - 10
As mentioned before, the graphics are truly monumental.
Sound - 9
The soundtrack is excellent and the sound effects aren't bad on the ears.
Story - 9
The story lines are excellent, while the cut-scenes do a beautiful job in telling them.
Gameplay - 7
The combat may still be a little rough around the edges, but it has come a long way since launch. Unique elements in the game such as the guildleves, Behests and gathering system all make the game stand out as enjoyable.
Replay Value - 7
The current level cap is 50 and while that's not particulary high, the game is very young. The extra $3 a month for an extra character slot provides an annoyance for anyone wanting a variety of characters, although with the interchangeable class system one could essentially be anything ( just stuck with the same physical character ).
FINAL SCORE: 8.4 ( based on average )
I would recommend FFXIV, especially because of what it's all leading up to, FFXIV 2.0.
Thanks for reading my FFXIV 2012 Review. Feel free to share your thoughts in the replies.
My Final Fantasy FXIV 2012 Youtube Video Review
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01-11-2012, 05:02 AMBulwarkzMy Final Fantasy FXIV 2012 Youtube Video Review
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01-11-2012, 05:14 AMIrondude
your moms basement has poor production value.
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01-11-2012, 05:19 AMZenaku
I love how people complain that grinding is boring and it just something you have to do -.- i myself think grinding is the key point of the game if grinding is boring and dumb like wow i wont play it but something like ffxi where you grind with mobs and fight with other players i enjoy very much.
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01-11-2012, 05:20 AMburitoslicer
mind giving this to us in text format? I could read this a lot quicker and not feel like I wasted time watching a video.
Not trying to give you negative feedback, as I would love to see your review in text form. -
01-11-2012, 05:22 AMEldaena
I think it was a fair review. =) The only thing I would have emphasized a bit more is that it is still being reworked and there is a slight lack of content for those who have been playing since the release.
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01-11-2012, 05:27 AMBulwarkzRemember, I was only noting the consensus of complaints from people abroad. I started using my point of views when I stopped using 'past tense'.Quote:
Originally Posted by Zenaku
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01-11-2012, 05:29 AMBulwarkzThe only problem with that is it's 'written' funny because in a lot of cases I needed to spell things weird and whatnot so it would be pronounced correctly. It's also organized odd because of the way it needed to be implemented. I'll give it a look and see what I can do.Quote:
Originally Posted by buritoslicer
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01-11-2012, 05:30 AMKraususto each their own though, I personally do not like grindingQuote:
Originally Posted by Zenaku
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01-11-2012, 05:30 AMClaire_Pendragon
Thanks for the review and link.
Personally I'm not a fan of xtranormal vids, and more so in a "Review".
I would say the review could be spiced up with some videos and screenshots.
Along with using your own voice. (If you feel your voice isn't suited for it, I say hogwash, and just trying recording the lines multiple times, and keep the audio where you think your voice sounded good.)
Also could help to be broken into sections a bit more. -
01-11-2012, 05:41 AMBulwarkz
No problem. I'm putting together the review in text and editing the OP. That way it can be read opposed to watching the video if that's preferred =] I see the Youtube version as a way to reach out to the world, not just the current player community - although I want The Lodestone to have my nicely polished written review.
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01-11-2012, 05:43 AMKraususQuote:
Originally Posted by Bulwarkz
Is this a review as a new player or have you played through more content then your sig leads one to believe? -
01-11-2012, 06:04 AMCichy
I was gonna watch it but than 30 seconds in I got annoyed by that voice
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01-11-2012, 06:53 AMMurugan
I only read the text version but I thought it was better than most reviews I have read on the game.
However, you should post this on a site like mmorpg.com or massively forums (or submit it as a user review or blog post on one of these sites).
I'm not sure this is the best place for a review as everyone posting here plays the game themselves and likely doesn't need to be told whether they should like it or not (ignoring 90% of the posts on this forum trying to do just that). -
01-11-2012, 07:07 AMZenakuoh no i know that i just hate the people who complain about grinding lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Bulwarkz
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01-11-2012, 07:21 AMBulwarkzThanks - and good idea =]Quote:
Originally Posted by Murugan
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01-11-2012, 07:25 AMBulwarkzI understand. That's why I put together the Text Version. As I noted I wanted to use Youtube as a means to reach out to everyone. I'm gonna be posting both versions on key sites.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cichy
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01-11-2012, 10:21 AMSniperRifle
I could recommend this game to everyone in the world, and possibly everyone in the world would try it, but atleast 50% wouldn't make it passed the third party payment system. Then you have the actual game to scare the other 49.7% off. And then we're left with the .3% diehard SE fans and 2.0 hopesless romantics.
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01-11-2012, 11:02 AMBulwarkz
Any idea on how to have the thread name revised?
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01-11-2012, 12:17 PMSeif
7 for gameplay o_O oh well I wouldn't have gone that far. 5 or 6 at best because the battle tweaks haven't really made fighting more fun yet.
Also storyline is a mess at this point so I wouldn't praise it too much unless you're not used to better written games as a whole. -
01-11-2012, 06:10 PMVenat
This game would be better if it didnt require you to level up alot of classes to share abilities. This is mainly why people don't like grinding.
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01-12-2012, 07:59 AMTibianQuote:
Originally Posted by Bulwarkz
/sigh. How can this game get a 10/10 on graphics when there are so many problems. Lets start with the fact that animations lock you to a position leading to game breaking issues. Lets mention that hardly any of the objects in the game actually have animations to them (the ones that do were added after Yoshi took over -- and even then that is holiday only). You can only have 40 characters (including NPCS) on the screen at one time, leading to issues where you could be standing right next to your best friend who you want to trade with... and cant because he/she is invisible. Mage spells and casting animations are garbage. There are no "projectile" spells, and to put it simply... blobs of light are all that spells really are. Areas are copy/pasted because they didn't want to spend time creating unique areas with special graphics... again these areas are being completely redone with unique features for 2.0.Quote:
Graphics - 10
As mentioned before, the graphics are truly monumental.
Aesthetically I'll give you an 8.5/10 -- but you cannot give 10/10 to graphics when they are COMPLETELY REDOING THE GRAPHICS ENGINE DUE TO HOW BAD IT IS.
I can agree with an 8-9 ish... some of the earlier Uematsu tracks just felt out of place... but the newer music feels appropriate.Quote:
Sound - 9
The soundtrack is excellent and the sound effects aren't bad on the ears.
Hardly. If anything the story deserves something near a 5. The cutscenes are too short and barely anything has been added to the story other than the few grand company leves -- which are so short you don't really get anything out of them. This is where SE really needs to pick up things if they want to make 2.0 a unique MMO.Quote:
Story - 9
The story lines are excellent, while the cut-scenes do a beautiful job in telling them.
I find it difficult to take this seriously when you said guildleves and the gathering system are "stand outs" and "unique." Guildleves have been done before... its called daily and repeatable quests, and the gathering system is a horrible implementation of the "hot and cold" game. Guildleves aren't fun, and Yoshi/SE knows this by REMOVING THEM FROM THE CENTRAL ASPECT OF THE GAME. Dear god, its like you didn't even care to read the producer letters. Has gameplay improved from the terribleness? Yes, but it still only deserves a 4-5 due to the fact that daily quests are not fun, horrible amounts of grinding are not fun, pressing enter 10,000 times to craft is not fun, and overall you cannot have a fun and engaging battle system with crap like animation lock, server lag, etc. This doesn't even begin to go in-depth into the user interface, which PC/keyboard + mouse users must constantly battle with due to how terrible it is setup. Lack of drag and drop features? Lack of multiple action bars? Lack of concrete information on tooltips? Please. Stop being delusional.Quote:
Gameplay - 7
The combat may still be a little rough around the edges, but it has come a long way since launch. Unique elements in the game such as the guildleves, Behests and gathering system all make the game stand out as enjoyable.
Again, horrible grinding, repetitious grinding, continuous grind... more grind. That is all this game really is. There are barely even hints of disguising the grind. I will admit that the fact that you can play every class on one single character is actually very unique and a welcome scene. It means that my overall continuous play will contribute to my character... whereas in other games I have no desire to create alts because they don't contribute to my main.Quote:
Replay Value - 7
The current level cap is 50 and while that's not particulary high, the game is very young. The extra $3 a month for an extra character slot provides an annoyance for anyone wanting a variety of characters, although with the interchangeable class system one could essentially be anything ( just stuck with the same physical character ).
White knight much? This review was baseless and completely biased due to the fact that two major systems that are being completely redone for 2.0 (graphics/guildleves), were championed as unique and amazing features.Quote:
FINAL SCORE: 8.4 ( based on average )
Sadly, since the forums will be restricted to only subscribers in a few weeks, you're going to see more posts like this, championing broken mechanics and spreading complete falsifications of the truth of the game.
Star Wars the Old Republic has an 8.6/10 rating via Metacritic 'official' critics... and you're telling me XIV is right up there in quality? Even when we're still limited to 4 trade slots, no buyback/mail features, and a n "auction house" that feels like your game is crashing every time you're using it? Phew, I'd love to see what you consider a 10/10.
/sigh -
01-12-2012, 11:24 AMChiefCurraheeCause starwars is the best thing since sliced bread!Quote:
Originally Posted by Tibian
I haven't logged into SWTOR for almost a week and cancelled my account. I don't agree with Metacritics score of 8.6 I'd put SWTOR over all around 6.5-7.0 It's nothing special. PvP is terrible, PvE is lame. The flash points are a yawnfest. The voice over cut scenes are just a gimick. They were awesome for the first hour. now if I get a CS thats not part of the main story: SPACEBAR!
I don't agree with the reviewers score for XIV either. I'd give XIV around a 6.5 over all. I still can't recommend to a friend to give XIV a shot. I'm holding onto my buddy pass for the day that I feel XIV is at a point where I can in good faith says it's a game worth changing to. -
01-12-2012, 11:48 AMBulwarkzYeah, can't wait.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tibian
LOL... calm down.Quote:
Originally Posted by Tibian
The actual graphics have been universally praised, even since the game was launched. That's if you have the hardware to do it, as the review states. I could understand your frustration with the way the game may look when viewing it on YOUR monitor, DUE TO HOW BAD IT IS.
They may be changing it around a bit, but ultimately they're just implementing a way for users with lesser hardware to dumb the game down more. It will be optimized to run better on more PC environments and on the PS3 in the future.
I think you were trying to touch up on animation lag and whatnot - That's a completely separate issue. -
01-12-2012, 12:48 PMBulwarkzI can totally understand that. Although IMO it's a lot better than say, FFXI's half-level sub job was. I didn't play too much of FFXI because I didn't enjoy it, so I have no idea what it's like now. However with FFXIV, the more you put into it, the more rewarding it is. So all that work really pays off in a sense, if that's what you want out of the it. It's literally the ultimate 'Juggernaut' experience. With the new jobs coming shortly in 1.21, it's gonna be even better =DQuote:
Originally Posted by Venat
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01-13-2012, 06:10 AMburitoslicer
Glad you got a text version in, it really saved me the trouble of watching a video. Lots of good points, though I think you should experience a bit of end game before you technically review a game for it's entirety.