I don’t mean to keep crapping on WoW, which I’m actually enjoying quite a bit right now thanks to the 8.2 patch.

Final Fantasy XIV is also beautiful and features some incredible enemy and boss designs that have the kind of detail and animation quality that make them a noticeable leap above what the aging World of Warcraft is capable of. Yes, it’s typical MMO hotbar stuff, but I love playing my Black Mage, dancing between ice spells (which are weak but help me regain mana) and fire ones (which are stronger but cost a ton of mana). Not to say that FFXIV doesn’t have good combat. As much as I liked the combat systems in Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy XV, Final Fantasy XIV has them beat easily in the story department. It feels like a great role-playing game story, one that’s even better than the narratives of many other Final Fantasy games. Image Credit: Steam A story you shouldn’t skip overįinal Fantasy XIV still has dungeons and other multiplayer content, but its single-player experience is what makes it stand out. In World of Warcraft, I could barely be bothered to read dialogue boxes. This was impossible, as I found myself focusing on the story. At first, I tried to continue my original habit of podcast-listening when I went back to FFXIV. It makes me involved with the game’s story in a way that World of Warcraft never manages. While you remain mute, you are the center of the drama. Your avatar is present in almost every cutscene. World of Warcraft will simultaneously tell you that you, the player, are awesome and important while making you feel like a side character in every narrative.

World of Warcraft’s attempts at story-telling are often lackluster, focusing on a rotating door of villains and non-player heroes. When I play World of Warcraft, I often listen to a podcast to give my mind something to focus on while I grind away. All gameplay and mechanical differences aside, Final Fantasy XIV has a story that is actually interesting and well done. But with all the excitement surrounding Shadowbringers release, I decided to go back in and see if I could make my way through the story.Īs someone who had mostly been playing World of Warcraft, it was a sharp contrast. At the time, this seemed like too much of a commitment, and I retreated to other, less demanding games.

Final fantasy xiv steam or not