Final Fantasy 14recently became the most actively played MMO in the world thanks to its expanded free trial that now includes bothA Realm RebornandHeavensward.More players are tryingFinal Fantasy 14than ever before, and even the biggest content creators forWorld of Warcrafthave begun giving the game a try. Though there are a number of similarities betweenFinal Fantasy 14andWorld of Warcraft,they have fundamentally different approaches to the MMO genre.
Nonetheless,World of Warcraftfans should look to tryFinal Fantasy 14if they are burnt out by the progression or are looking for a different type of experience. WhileFinal Fantasy 14is undoubtedly an MMO game, it’s a JRPG at its core and emphasizes its main storyline much more thanWorld of Warcraft.Although it might not appeal to every kind of player,Final Fantasy 14offers a unique experience that no other MMO is able to replicate.
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Final Fantasy 14’s Different Approach to the MMO Genre
Fundamentally,Final Fantasy 14is quitedifferent fromWorld of Warcraftin its approach to the MMO genre. WhileWorld of Warcraftis centered around endgame content,Final Fantasy 14is far more reliant on its main story quests. Despite being an MMO,Final Fantasy 14is still a JRPG at its core, much like the other games in the franchise. The content inFinal Fantasy 14is unlocked through completing the main story quests, and the dungeons or raids are all intertwined with the lore and worldbuilding. Furthermore,Final Fantasy 14places players in an active role within the story as the Warrior of Light, and the narrative is more personal as a result.
Another interesting difference betweenFinal Fantasy 14andWorld of Warcraftis their design philosophies. AlthoughFinal Fantasy 14’sdirector Yoshi-P has taken a lot of influence fromWorld of Warcraft,he also aims to create a different kind of experience.World of Warcrafthas been fundamentally designed to keep players logging in constantly and continually playing. On the other hand,Final Fantasy 14is designed to encourage players to take breaksonce they’ve experienced all the content they want to in a patch. Although there are consistent updates and content added to the game,Final Fantasy 14is a more casual approach to the genre.
What Final Fantasy 14Does Better Than World of Warcraft
AsFinal Fantasy 14focuses on a different approach to the genre thanWorld of Warcraft,there are naturally things that each game excels at and other things they fall short in. It all depends on what a player is looking for in a MMO butFinal Fantasy 14’sdevelopment philosophy means that it excels in certain areas compared toWorld of Warcraft.One of thebiggest advantages inFinal Fantasy 14is that a single character can learn all the classes and swap between them on command. In fact, alts almost seem to be actively discouraged with how much of a pain it is to level them.
Alongside the flexibility of the classes,Final Fantasy 14offers a robust crafting systemwith numerous different crafting and gathering jobs. These are unique from the traditional combat classes and come with their own unique skills and gear. The crafting system is much more in-depth thanWorld of Warcraft,and crafted items are always usable and relevant throughout the updates.Final Fantasy 14also includes a solid housing system, and while the demand for housing is extremely high, players can easily get an apartment at the very least.
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Where Final Fantasy 14 Falls Short
Of course, withFinal Fantasy 14’sdifferent development philosophyand its emphasis on a narrative-driven experience, it’s also bound to fall short in certain areas compared toWorld of Warcraft.Final Fantasy 14places a low priority on PVP, as its much less emphasized thanWorld of Warcraft.Final Fantasy 14’sPVP features a different hotbar, and even the skills do different things than in PVE. Another drawback toFinal Fantasy 14is its glamour system, which is limited by certain classes and weapons unlikeWorld of Warcraft’stransmog system.
AsFinal Fantasy 14’sdevelopment philosophy centers around natural breaks during patches,the endgame is also not as in-depth asWorld of Warcraft.Once players reach the endgame inFinal Fantasy 14,there usually isn’t enough content to stretch through the months before a new patch or expansion. That said, Savage Raids and Ultimate Raids inFinal Fantasy 14are still incredibly challenging, but for dedicated raiders, there is usually only enough content to last a month or two. The content roadmap is also more consistent inFinal Fantasy 14, which means players can expect a certain pattern of new raids or trials compared toWorld of Warcraft’scomplete overhauling of systems like withCataclysmandLegion.
Final Fantasy 14’s Combat Pace
Another interesting difference withFinal Fantasy 14is that it takes on a completely different pace and style of gameplay thanWorld of Warcraft.The combat systems in the two games aren’t better or worse than the other, but it comes down heavily to player preference. InFinal Fantasy 14,the pace of combat is a little slowerbecause the global cooldown of spells are longer thanWorld of Warcraft.However, once players have leveled up inFinal Fantasy 14,they’ll also notice that they have a lot of off global cooldown spells that they need to weave into their rotation. The pace picks up as players level their classes, and the combat smoothens out over time.
The pace of combat is also different inFinal Fantasy 14andWorld of Warcraftdue to the traditional fight mechanics of each game. For example,Final Fantasyhealers will be expected to deal damage more frequently than theirWorld of Warcraftcounterparts. As healing is more about expecting big damage phases inFinal Fantasy 14,it’s common to see healers rotate in damage during the downtimes. On the other hand,World of Warcraftusually has consistent raid-wide damage patternsthat healers have to stay ahead of. These seemingly minor gameplay differences separate the pace of combat in the games, and player preference will play a large role in the style they enjoy more.
At the end of the day,Final Fantasy 14is a great game forWorld of Warcraftfans that are looking for a different experience than what they are currently used to. The narrative-driven experience and development philosophy behindFinal Fantasy 14gives it a more traditional RPG experience than any other MMO out there. ForWorld of Warcraftplayers who are burnt out by the progression or unsatisfied with the updates in the game, there has never been a better time to try outFinal Fantasy 14with its newly expanded free trial andupcomingEndwalkerexpansion.
Final Fantasy 14is out now on PC, PS4, and PS5.
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