Final Fantasy XI Review

Developer	Square Enix
Publisher	Sony Computer Entertainment
Genre	MMORPG

After multiple delays, each causing more and more doubt as to whether American PS2 owners would ever experience it, Square Enix’s magnum opus is finally here. And with it comes a couple hard questions that we’re going to try to answer. First, is this game worth the price of admission? Square Enix’s other Final Fantasy game released earlier this year required the purchase of the game, a link cable, a Game Boy Advance, and one to three other players with the same setup. Total cost for two players: +$220. Final Fantasy XI requires the purchase of the Hard Drive/FFXI combo pack, a network adapter, and a monthly fee with additional charges for extra players and the Tetra Master card game. Total cost for three solid months of play with one additional character: ~$185. Add $50 is you want to go with a USB mouse and keyboard configuration. We’re beginning to think being a Final Fantasy fan is becoming a bit expensive.

The second question is since Final Fantasy XI is neither the best MMORPG out there nor the best Final Fantasy out there does the sum of these two characteristics add up to must-have status?

Therein lies the basis for this debate.

Gameplay - Trying to lure fans of console-based, single player RPGs into the daunting and usually hit-or-miss world of the MMORPG is no small endeavor. Final Fantasy has been for its entire existence a lonely, solitary experience and bringing legions of pasty-skinned basement dwellers together not only makes for interesting gaming, but also a fascinating sociological experiment. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) voice chat is not an option, so use of a USB keyboard or the surprisingly efficient Dual Shock option is the only way of communicating with your fellow adventurers.

While most MMORPGs are relatively devoid of an intricate story, the Final Fantasy faithful have come to expect deep, intertwining plot twists and grand character development. While FFXI’s storyline doesn’t quite rank up there with the best of them, it does bring much more to the table than your average online game. Taking place after a great war, FFXI follows the story of a world trying to rebuild itself and the imposing threat of the Beastmen.

The game is broken up into four kingdoms: The Kingdom of San D’oria, The Federation of Windhurst, The Republic of Bastok, and The Grand Duchy of Jeuno. Your goal is to establish world domination for your country. However, like all MMORPGs, the non-linear structure allows you to go about this in any way you please, or not to participate in this grand goal at all. You and your friends can simply traverse the land exploring and doing whatever you like.

Building your character is, like most decent RPGs, one of the most important parts in the way you play the game. There are five different races, with the Hume being the most popular, and each has their own special abilities, strengths and weaknesses. Beyond that, there are six types of jobs to select from which are the Warrior, Monk, White, Black, and Red Mages, and the Thief. While we encourage you to experiment with your race/job combinations, remember that it costs $1 for each additional character. Luckily, with a feature familiar to Final Fantasy Tactics Advance players, you can change the job of your character at any time and are allowed to keep the abilities you have learned in your previous job classes.

Beyond this, players can join guilds, accept quests, and go off on whatever adventure they wish. However it is in this area of the game that problems begin to show up. The imagination and depth of the quests leave a little bit to be desired in that many of them are nothing but simple fetch-quests. Oftentimes you’ll be asked to simply go look for an item and return with it for a reward, and this is a little disappointing to say the least.

As is the situation with most MMORPGs, level building is the name of the game and in order to do this you’re going to need to kick some monster booty. And because this is easily the biggest PS2 game in existence as far as square mileage goes, you’ll have no trouble finding a baddie in need of an attitude adjustment. Getting up to level twenty is your first goal, because then you’ll receive a Chocobo’s license making transportation much easier. But to take down the tougher enemies you’re going to need to make some friends. That’s right you lonely Final Fantasy fanatic, it’s time for some forced social interaction. And by doing this you’re going to have to not only dispatch of enemies, but also watch the backs of your party members. Being a team player will allow you to help strengthen your buddies and level up those n00bs making them more valuable to your team.

Unfortunately, much like Everquest, the battle system is completely automatic. Yep, all you have to do is target your enemy and sit back and let the computer do the rest. A Final Fantasy Chronicles hack n’ slash system would have been greatly preferred, but this is what we’re left with here. Furthermore, factors that weighed in during battles in Final Fantasy Tactics (like high ground advantages) are also nowhere to be found here. It’s unfortunate that the interactivity has been all but eliminated from the combat areas and this is one spot that we were extremely disappointed in.

The exploration portion of the game is really what endears us to FFXI, at least after we were given a more efficient means of transportation. The sheer size of the FFXI world is utterly impressive and because of this, one never feels as though everything has been seen and done. And with the right group of players, the experience can easily suck the hours from your day.

Graphics - Final Fantasy XI is gorgeous, although not nearly as much as its PC counterpart. Lacking progressive scan, there really is no comparison. However, what FFXI does do is extremely impressive. While perhaps not as good looking as FFX or Crystal Chronicles, FFXI does a great job of living up to the Final Fantasy name. The lush and detailed locales make for some fantastic exploration and the character design is vintage Final Fantasy. Gamers can also expect tons of neat lighting and particle effects adding to the realism of the game.

While exploring the massive world, gamers will notice a bit of pop up and other noticeable glitches. However, with a world this massive, eliminating these imperfections would have been difficult.

Sound - While voice-overs are only to be found in cut scenes, the overall audio experience is quite satisfying. The sound effects do an incredible job of bringing you one step closer to the action and enjoyment of the game. The soundtrack also lives up to the expectations of Final Fantasy fans, with sweeping, epic themes mixed with synthesizer-heavy tunes. There really isn’t anything especially memorable about the score, but overall it’s very well done.

Bottom Line - So here it is: is Final Fantasy XI worth your dough? For Final Fantasy fanatics, those looking for a good console-based MMORPG, and hardcore gamers with a bit of extra cash to throw around, the answer is a resounding yes. FFXI is definitely better than the Everquest Online Adventures alternative and like Crystal Chronicles, does a great job of introducing the Final Fantasy world to a new sort of gameplay.

However, the answer for every other type of gamer is probably not. Unfortunately, because of the required hard drive and monthly fee, there is no way to test the waters through a rental or by borrowing a friend’s copy. The only way to truly discover if this game is for you is to take the plunge and fork out the cash. If you decide to take that route, keep in mind these key factors: 1) the game is classic Final Fantasy. If you’re not into the single player Final Fantasy games and the way they’re set up, you’re probably not going to enjoy this. 2) Interaction with other players is key for enjoyment. If you don’t feel like being a social gaming butterfly, stay away. 3) Combat is automatic. Don’t plan on whipping out any clever combos or even having the least bit of control over the battle. The way to fight in FFXI is to pick your target and hope for the best. And finally 4) this game does convincingly place you into a fascinating world that is seemingly endless to explore. It’s going to take you months to get the most out of it, and that means monthly fees.

It’s great to see Square Enix doing new things with the Final Fantasy series. Granted, the classic, single player epic adventures will always be their bread and butter, but with Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, they’ve brought the series into new territories that are not only interesting and entertaining, but shed light on future possibilities. For taking those risks and not simply sitting back and collecting money on tried and true formulas, they should definitely be commended.

Review by John Luedtke