so, back in june 2022 i got a better computer and decided the first thing i should do to test out what i could play was to download the ffxiv benchmark test. i wasn't used to seeing games with big impressive graphics running at 60 fps so i thought that was cool as hell, and since i was interested in the game for a while i decided to try the famous free trial. within the first month, i was hooked and convinced to pay for a sub.
it's been about a year and half since then and i've done so much.
i only got really addicted to the final fantasy series within the past 4-5 years, and was playing a lot of the older mainline games over that time. despite that, ffxiv didn't really interest me until i tuned to rubber ross's 'eggwalker' livestreams. i had previously seen a few things from ffxiv before that though. the thing that comes to mind was a screenshot of a shiba inu saying "may the carnage never end" that got reblogged around on tumblr.
it's been about a year and half since then and i've done so much.
i only got really addicted to the final fantasy series within the past 4-5 years, and was playing a lot of the older mainline games over that time. despite that, ffxiv didn't really interest me until i tuned to rubber ross's 'eggwalker' livestreams. i had previously seen a few things from ffxiv before that though. the thing that comes to mind was a screenshot of a shiba inu saying "may the carnage never end" that got reblogged around on tumblr.
there was also this funny gif of a midlander character that got passed around a lot. upon looking into it, i found the source is actually a video posted 10 years ago.
i somehow avoided spoilers for the story the entire time, which i'm glad for as i found the story oddly compelling for an MMO of all things. i would go far as to say the story of ffxiv carried the spirit of the older final fantasy games (up to ff6), which i wholly enjoyed.
final fantasy is a series that always does something new so it's difficult to describe what makes a final fantasy game truly a final fantasy game. that being said, i'm a big fan of the video game-y way those games carry their stories, not always relying on cutscenes and sometimes weaving gameplay into its storytelling. it was something i wholly miss from video games and i was happy ffxiv remembered. i also love that this game is constantly pulling from other final fantasy games but instead of treating the references like an amusment park ride like you might expect, those references are woven into the world building in a way that feels natural. it's a type of fan service i've never really seen before!
the gameplay is also pretty good for an MMO. at the start it's very basic so that can get used to it, but as you progress the game throws more things at you to keep track of ontop of the basic gameplay cycle, making things much more complicated with harder content challenging you even further.
my favorite class is dragoon (because i love dragoon characters from final fantasy), but i also play as white mage, gunbreaker, red mage, and blue mage. i even went as far as to grind and craft all of the relic weapons from every expansion to completion so far for dragoon!
final fantasy is a series that always does something new so it's difficult to describe what makes a final fantasy game truly a final fantasy game. that being said, i'm a big fan of the video game-y way those games carry their stories, not always relying on cutscenes and sometimes weaving gameplay into its storytelling. it was something i wholly miss from video games and i was happy ffxiv remembered. i also love that this game is constantly pulling from other final fantasy games but instead of treating the references like an amusment park ride like you might expect, those references are woven into the world building in a way that feels natural. it's a type of fan service i've never really seen before!
the gameplay is also pretty good for an MMO. at the start it's very basic so that can get used to it, but as you progress the game throws more things at you to keep track of ontop of the basic gameplay cycle, making things much more complicated with harder content challenging you even further.
my favorite class is dragoon (because i love dragoon characters from final fantasy), but i also play as white mage, gunbreaker, red mage, and blue mage. i even went as far as to grind and craft all of the relic weapons from every expansion to completion so far for dragoon!
this year there's a new expansion coming out and i'm pretty excited for where the story will go. it feels like less of a saving the world type beat and more of a good old-fashioned adventure, which i'm more than happy for.
they're also adding female hrothgar so i'm excited to make a furry lady alt character finally. i'm more of a dog person, and i'm a little upset this game has two cat people races, but from what they've shown of the femhroth they look super cute so i don't mind! they also don't look like twigs and are sufficiently beefy which i'm very appreciative of. i gotta upgrade my PC before than though. at the very least add a new SSD because this game is gunna get even bigger.
if you play the game, don't be afraid to say hi. character name is Plant Puppy on Crystal DC.
they're also adding female hrothgar so i'm excited to make a furry lady alt character finally. i'm more of a dog person, and i'm a little upset this game has two cat people races, but from what they've shown of the femhroth they look super cute so i don't mind! they also don't look like twigs and are sufficiently beefy which i'm very appreciative of. i gotta upgrade my PC before than though. at the very least add a new SSD because this game is gunna get even bigger.
if you play the game, don't be afraid to say hi. character name is Plant Puppy on Crystal DC.