Martin JørgensenImagine a world of 10-foot-tall elves, catfolk racing through city streets, gigantic yellow ostrich-like birds capable of slaying colossal monsters – then add a clash between light and darkness, sprinkle in divine beings, and a few near-death experiences.
Written out, it suddenly doesn’t sound so appealing to experience in real life. Fortunately, you can enjoy all of this and more in an MMORPG from Square Enix that has been knocking it out of the park (and winning awards) lately.
Be whoever you want
In Final Fantasy XIV (also known as Final Fantasy 14, if Roman numerals aren’t your thing), you can create your own character and craft your own playstyle. Who do you want your character to be?
Will it be one of the catfolk mentioned above, the Miqo’te, or would you rather play as ordinary humans, the Hyur? Tall elves exist too in the form of the Elezen – but if you’d like to go to the other end of the spectrum, you can choose the knee-high Lalafell.
Two of the three expansions released so far have also added new races: the draconic Au Ra, with pointed tails and scaled backs, or perhaps you’d like to play a human–rabbit hybrid? Then choose Viera; or pick Hrothgar if playing a towering, muscular lion/tiger/puma that walks upright sounds awesome.
Next comes the choice of which job to play – and here you’ll find even more ways to develop your character. So far you can choose from 20 different jobs, each with its own way of taking down enemies.
A living, breathing world – dynamic weather
At the top right of your screen you’ll find a compass that helps you navigate Eorzea, the world of the game. Another thing it can do is tell you what kind of weather you’ll encounter on your journey.
The compass will alert you if, for example, you’re heading into a thunderstorm, strong winds, a blizzard, a heatwave, and other weather phenomena (some of which don’t even exist in our own climate).
The different regions and domains in Final Fantasy XIV Online, after the game’s first major relaunch, ‘A Realm Reborn’, are very different from one another. Even so, they can all be hit by various weather effects, so you never know whether you’ll log in to a rain shower or beautiful sunshine, no matter where you are in the game world.
Many diverse zones to explore
If you’re looking for adventure, look no further. Even the three starting areas offer very different climates, stories, and visual styles that don’t overlap at all.
Thanalan is a desert: a massive sea of sand with a ‘jewel’ in the center, the capital Ul’dah, where people come to sell, trade, and make a quick buck on just about anything.
The Black Shroud is a forest full of mysterious beings and is blessed by the magical Elementals, whom the forest’s inhabitants worship and work with to foster its growth and keep nature in balance. The region’s capital, Gridania, sits in a small clearing where ancient rituals celebrate nature.
In La Noscea you’ll find a vacation paradise and a bustling port capital. Limsa Lominsa is home to pirates and sailors, and there’s always something happening in the shadows. Outside the capital are long stretches of white sand and blue water where seafarers and pirates spend their time when they’re not drinking their wits away in Limsa.
Is the free version enough?
For newcomers who haven’t tried the game before, the answer is yes. If you’ve played the free version before, the answer is still yes, as long as you’re under level 60.
Square Enix has included the entire Heavensward expansion in the free trial, so you can freely experience the base game and the first expansion while you decide whether you want to buy the full game. That’s many, MANY hours of gratis spil and fun you can enjoy without paying a single cent.
Ease of use
Not only does the game help you learn its systems and universe through story missions and dedicated tutorials, but other players are also incredibly helpful.
In fact, Final Fantasy XIV has a mentor system where skilled, long-time players who have cleared especially tough content can volunteer to help new players via a chat channel, where newcomers can ask questions and request help with particularly difficult duties.
Other games to consider
If you like the idea of playing with others but don’t necessarily need the ‘Massive’ part (MMORPG = Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game), you could try downloading another fantastic title: Genshin Impact, which you can read more about here.
If, on the other hand, you find something charming about older games, you can also download the free online multiplayer game called Dragonica.
If you really like the idea of creating your own character, try The Sims 4, which has a free demo that lets you, among other things, create your own character with the game’s powerful tools. Try The Sims 4 for free here.
Conclusion
Final Fantasy XIV is deep in story, content, and social community. Right now the game is at an all-time high in player count, so download the free trial and experience this fantastic universe alongside as many other people as possible – it makes the MMORPG experience even better!
* Final Fantasy XIV Endwalker launched on December 7, 2021 and has added a wide range of new experiences to the game. Among other things, a new race variant and two new jobs (the healer Sage and the damage dealer Reaper) were released. This is the conclusion to the original story that has been told over nearly ten years. Help close this chapter of Final Fantasy history, and get ready for years of content to come.
Final Fantasy XIV Free Download
