Overview

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Review

Release Date: 10.28.2003
Platform: PC - Windows
Developer: Square-Enix Co., Ltd.
Publisher: Square-Enix USA

Reviewed by Jenn Cutter on 2.2.2004

Review Rating: 8/10

User Rating: 8/10

Final Fantasy XI is the first Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game from Square, now Square Enix, using their PlayOnline service as the gateway. Both North American and Japanese gamers inhabit the same servers the game launched with, which combines the PC and PS2 players to form a gigantic player base.

Final Fantasy XI makes use of the classic job system Square introduced back on NES, with Final Fantasy II. Right off the bat, players will choose their initial calling from Warrior, Monk, Thief, White Mage, Black Mage, and Red Mage. Players will also be able to customize their avatars through a choice of different character races: Humes (Humans), Elvaan (Elves), Mithra (Cat Girls), Galka (Beast-like Men), and Tarutaru (tiny Halfling/Hobbit-style beings who pack a magical wallop). With a character designed to your liking, it's time to choose a home city and let the adventure begin.

Those accustomed to MMORPGs will quickly adapt to Vana’diel. This may be the first foray into an online world for some players, thanks to their love of all things Square, and they may find things tricky at the start. The map feature is truly invaluable to the would-be explorer and coordinates help parties meet one another or give directions to dungeons, a sorely needed ability in a world as large as this. Battles in FFXI are real time and are aided by an auto-targeting system once you have chosen to engage the enemy. Monsters can be "Checked" from a distance to see their strength relative to yours. "Easy Prey" means you are sure to win, but not get as much experience from a fight rated "Decent Challenge" or "Even Match". If one is planning to take on enemies that are "Tough" or "Incredibly Tough", you had best party with others and come up with a battle plan.

Final Fantasy XI isn't just about fighting and level gaining. There are many diversions for the weary adventurer or those more socially inclined. Guilds are available to join in the different towns and offer many ways to improve your character and earn some gil. Alchemists, Blacksmiths, Goldsmiths, Carpenters, Boneworkers, Weavers, Tanners, Fishers, and even Culinarians (chefs) offer different advantages to players seeking their wares. Many of these Guilds borrow from each other’s skill sets, so it takes time to reach a profitable proficiency. The player-based economy through the use of the Auction House or personal Bazaars is flourishing and often the only way to get items you aren't able to pick up yourself.

There can be as much or as little story as you want to bother with in Final Fantasy XI. Tidbits of information are revealed by the NPCs/Townsfolk with the backbone of the story tucked away in Missions that can be embarked on in the name of your hometown. Completing these missions is a great way to earn exp, learn about Vana’diel, and increase your rank along the way. Each city of Bastok, San D'Oria and Windurst have their own quests that take you all over the map, with more in Jeuno when you've earned the right to be an ambassador for your town. The missions may start as simple fetch quests, but they quickly progress to globetrotting diplomatic missions and slaying the odd dragon with a party of like-minded adventurers. The storylines you discover vary depending on your allegiance, but you are free to ignore them entirely and bash monsters to your heart's content.

Music is where this game suffers most. I love the traditional Final Fantasy crystal room music as much as the next gamer, but I had to turn off my speakers during the three hour initial patch download. Initially, you'll be spending a lot of time running around town and the repetition in tunes can quickly become grating. In an extremely unscientific poll conducted in game, it seems a large percentage keep the sounds but lose the music and use their stereo or mp3s instead. The sounds help to convey life in Vana’diel more than adequately. From footsteps on different surfaces to steel swords swinging to explosive magic, it's the usual Final Fantasy fare that fans are accustomed to.

The beauty of Vana’diel all depends on your video card and settings. The minimum requirements are an ATI Radeon 9000 or nVidia GeForce (32 MB). I'm running it on a Radeon 9600 and I still had to turn down some detail to cut down on the horrible slowdown with dozens of people and monsters on screen at once. Vana’diel is a fully realized world with day/night cycles, weather (from bright sunny days to dizzying dust storms), shadows, moon cycles and a great variety of textures and characters. Spell effects are flashy and any type of weapon contact is accompanied by a colourful burst; critical strikes adding a fancy blur effect to show the strength of your smiting blow. Players may get tired of seeing the same area and fighting the same monsters over and over again until they are strong enough to advance but seeing a new area for the first time it is as mind-blowing an experience as when you first set foot in the world. Each area has its own unique look, from the tree-filled beauty of Windurst to the industrial city of Bastok, and every type of environment imaginable is available to be explored.

Unique to FFXI are the necessity of Worldpasses. If you want to get on the same server as one of your friends, the friend will have to cough up some gil to the NPC selling the passes. The cost is dependant on how full the server in question is. Since player interaction is a very important part of any MMORPG, it’s important to be knowledgeable about how to interact with the many high level Japanese characters in Vana’diel. To assist the North American players in this regard, there is a wide selection of game terms and conversational snippets that can be selected from a translation window. When these terms are used, they will be highlighted so that each player sees it in their native language.

There is no shortage of activities in FFXI for any type of gamer. If you want to powerlevel, socialize, run your own bazaar, or fish all day and look at the stars all night -- the freedom is there alongside the Moogles, Chocobos, and summons that make up the Final Fantasy lore. Just bring your own music.

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