I played 1000 hours in Final Fantasy XIV (FFXIV) to find the answer to the question: is it worth playing FFXIV? Whether you are interested in it because of the upcoming patch 6.3 or because of the ongoing sale, I hope this article will help answer that question.
Let me preface this article by saying that there are other players who spend much more time in this game than I do. They play much longer, even those who started playing the original game. This article is based on my experience of the game and basically represents my thoughts about the game. You will most likely have a different experience compared to me. Therefore, do not take my words for the truth. This article should help you decide if you want to try the game. It’s not something specific that you have to obey. That’s over, let’s figure out right away whether it’s worth playing FFXIV.
1000 hours FFXIV
Final Fantasy XIV is currently my most popular game. Second place at Terraria with 253 hours. Although I started playing this game less than a year ago, it quickly rose in my list of favorite games. This actually surprised me, since I am one of those who had never played MMORPG all the time before this game. I used to play various MMORPGs. Cabal Online, Runescape, Adventure Quest Worlds, Albion Online and New World, to name just a few. I’m not new to MMORPGs, and I really enjoyed playing all the games I listed. My problem, I think, was that none of these games could hold my attention. Some seemed too boring, others had so many inherent problems, and most of them didn’t really have a compelling story.
When I first downloaded FFXIV last year, I really didn’t know anything about it. All I knew about the game was a free trial copy paste, which I can now retell and write from memory. I kept joking about it with my friends, especially with two of my friends who actually played the game. It was at their insistence that I downloaded the game. It was also in the midst of a pandemic, so I really had so much free time.
What initially attracted me was the creation of a character. There were so many options to choose from, from the available races to customization options for all of them. However, what really hooked me was not just the fact that I can customize my character so much. The fact is that I often saw the face of my character. I don’t mean just a game where I don’t wear a helmet to see my character. I meant that even during important commercials I could see my character. What’s better is that she doesn’t just stand there and do nothing. I could see her expression, her reaction, everything. She felt like she was a real character in the story, not just someone who happened to be there.
This brings me to the next point — the FFXIV story. As I mentioned above, MMORPGs usually can’t hook me when it comes to storytelling. Many MMORPGs skimp on plot, instead paying more attention to multiplayer content such as dungeons and raids. Because of this, I usually missed the stories of other MMORPGs. When I started playing FFXIV, I thought I would do the same. I thought I could afford to skip the plot, and just enjoy the game without it. Fortunately, my friends told me that I shouldn’t miss it, and I’m grateful that I listened to them. After all, the FFXIV story is one of the reasons why I think it’s worth playing.
Before becoming an MMORPG, this is Final Fantasy, and it shows. The script of the game is so well written that not a single tidbit of history is wasted. That doesn’t mean there aren’t boring parts or that the script has always been good. During the main game of A Realm Reborn, several times I wanted to end the quests. However, I realized that once I got to the later parts of the story, everything started to matter. A good example of this is this group of minor characters that you didn’t have to interact with so much. I actually almost forgot about them until they popped up in the queue again. Not as friends, mind you, but as part of one of the scariest dungeons I’ve ever played.
It’s like slow-burning stories in which chapter after chapter builds a story. Many people may be put off by this, as some people prefer history here and now, or do not want it at all. However, I believe this is the main reason I really fell in love with Final Fantasy XIV. Not a single detail or plot in the game is useless. There are a lot of callbacks in the later parts of the game, some of which still make me cry. Final Fantasy XIV is not like other MMORPGs where history exists only for the sake of history. You can really feel the love and effort that the writers put into the story of the game. For me, this is enough to make FFXIV worth playing.
Of course, if the story isn’t enough to convince you, there are many other things you can do. There is so much content in the game that even with my 1000 hours, I still haven’t experienced it all. While this may seem overwhelming to some, it’s not at all. One of the things that sets FFXIV apart from the rest is that players are not forced to play. You don’t have to constantly launch the latest raid or keep farming to get stronger. Players are not forced to log in every day just to keep up with others or perform daily tasks for fear of being left out. In fact, the developers themselves said that if you don’t want to play the game, then don’t play.
FFXIV and its developers are always thinking about the player. If all you want to do is AFK on the lower decks of Limsa Lominsa, that’s fine. I’ve been doing this for at least a hundred hours myself. If all you want to do is run around in dungeons or raids all day, that’s fine too. If you prefer collecting and crafting rather than diving into dungeons, that’s fine too. I remember the story of a player who right now upgraded his fishing to level 90 without even leaving the main game. Players can choose how they want to play. There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to the fun of FFXIV. The important thing is that you will find a reason why you should play FFXIV.
1000 hours of FFXIV may seem like a lot. It really is. At this time, I could play other games or do what people consider “useful”. However, I don’t regret it for a second. The 1000 hours I spent at FFXIV were some of the best in my life. I met new friends at HERO Free. I’ve experienced so many broken hearts, so many wonderful moments and more, more than I’ve ever experienced in other games. FFXIV is a gift that keeps on giving, and I intend to spend another 1000 hours there, and maybe more.
To summarize my thoughts on this, yes. My 1000 hours of FFXIV made me realize that this game is worth playing. We may have different reasons to play it, but in the end, what matters is that you decided to jump into this critically acclaimed MMORPG.
