Final Fantasy 14 in its current form celebrated its 10th anniversary last year. This makes the MMORPG one of the older games in the genre. With a new expansion on the horizon and a long-term roadmap, the game is far from over. Is it still worth getting into in 2024?
Final Fantasy 14 has a strong history behind it: After the absolute disaster that was version 1.0 of the game in 2010 and 2011, it was completely rescued within 2.5 years. With the re-release as Final Fantasy 14: A Realm Reborn, the team led by director and producer Naoki Yoshida laid the foundation for a surprising development.
Since 2013, approximately every two years, four expansions have been released, continually developing and improving the game. Player numbers also increase year after year, and especially around the release of the latest expansion Endwalker, the game recorded a new peak number of players. In fact, there were so many that sales of the game had to be temporarily suspended.
The game is currently between two expansions. It is expected to launch its fifth expansion, Dawntrail, with a new story and new content this June.
You can watch the trailer for Dawntrail here:
Over the years, the game has turned into a bit of a mammoth task, partly due to the time-consuming main story and the many dungeon and raid contents that remain relevant even today.
So that you can orient yourself, we have all the information about what Final Fantasy 14 has to offer, whether it’s worth joining, and how you can get started.
So, is it still worth it in general? Can you play Final Fantasy 14 as a single player? And what if I just want to raid and don’t care about the story?
By the way, we attended the Final Fantasy 14 Fan Festival in London:
What can you expect in Final Fantasy 14 in 2024?
In Final Fantasy 14, you control a uniquely customizable character from either a first or third-person perspective. The combat system is based on tab-targeting. You initiate your abilities and actions by dragging them onto a hotbar and triggering them with hotkeys on your keyboard.
The game is a Japanese theme-park MMORPG and is the overall 14th installment in the Final Fantasy series. Accordingly, the game attempts to offer content for every type of player. Those familiar with Final Fantasy will find many references to earlier entries.
If you want to get into the new content of the expansion Dawntrail announced for summer 2024, you can find everything about it in our news:
How do I build my character in the game? To create your avatar, you first choose your race, a sub-race, and the gender. The following eight races are available to you:
The female Hrothgar were introduced during the Fan Festival in Tokyo. They will be playable for the first time 5 years after their male counterparts in Dawntrail.
Each race, sub-class, and gender can be customized relatively uniquely, and the options for adjustments are extensive. However, it currently cannot keep up with the character creation of modern MMORPGs like Throne and Liberty.
If you’re satisfied with your character, select your starting class. These change into so-called jobs starting at level 30, which then remain with you until the endgame. Currently, you can learn 20 different jobs, with two more being added in the upcoming expansion.
Roughly, jobs are divided into defenders (tanks), attackers (DPS), and healers.
The Defenders
- Gladiator, later becomes Paladin
- Ravager, later becomes Warrior
- Dark Knight – requires the expansion Heavensward, starts at level 30
- Gunbreaker – requires the expansion Shadowbringers, starts at level 50
The Attackers – physical melee fighters:
- Pikeman, later becomes Dragoon
- Fistfighter, later becomes Monk
- Rogue, later becomes Ninja
- Samurai – requires the expansion Stormblood
- Reaper – requires the expansion Endwalker
The Attackers – physical ranged fighters:
- Ranger, later becomes Bard
- Machinist – requires the expansion Heavensward
- Dancer – requires the expansion Shadowbringers
The Attackers – magical ranged fighters:
- Thaumaturge, later becomes Black Mage
- Invoker, later becomes Summoner or Scholar (see Healer)
- Red Mage – requires the expansion Stormblood
The Healers
- Druid, later becomes White Mage
- Invoker, later becomes Scholar or Summoner (see The Attackers)
- Astrologian – requires the expansion Heavensward
- Seer – requires the expansion Endwalker
The jobs starting at higher levels require you to have another class or job at that level.
Important: Each job has its own rotation. This refers to the ideal sequence of abilities. The current max level encompasses your currently ideal rotation. At the moment, that’s level 90. Therefore, it can be the case that jobs at lower levels feel incomplete or sluggish to play.
Another combat class is the Blue Mage, a so-called Limited Job. It has its own unique playstyle: You have to defeat monsters, collect their abilities, and thus tackle the regular content with other Blue Mages.
If you want to read more about it, you can do so in our guide.
In Dawntrail, two new attacker jobs will be implemented: The Viper and the Pictomancer. Here you can see the trailer for Viper:
What content do you engage with your character? Your main task at the beginning of the game is to play the story. This starts in one of three possible cities, which depends on your choice of the first class.
In the Sultanate of Uld’ah, the Gladiators, Fist Fighters, and Thaumaturges begin. The Woodlands of Gridania are home to the Pikemen, Rangers, and Druids. The former pirate enclave Limsa Lominsa, on the other hand, is the starting point for the Ravagers, Rogues, and Invokers.
The main story of Final Fantasy 14 starts as a tutorial and gradually unlocks many of the combat contents or access to them:
- Dungeons (up to 4 players)
- Raids (for 4, 8, 24, or 48 players) in various difficulty levels
- Ultimate Content
- Boss Fights (for 4 or 8 players)
- PvP
Besides the combat content, you can engage in many peaceful activities as expected from a theme park MMO:
- Crafting, with three own collector classes and eight crafting classes to level up
- The in-game casino
- The photo mode
- Bard compositions
- Housing
- Treasure maps
The game is expanded with new content approximately every four months with a patch. A complete enumeration of all possible content is therefore difficult.
How does Final Fantasy 14 get financed? The MMORPG is currently pay-to-play. That means you have to pay once for the game itself to own it. After that, a monthly subscription fee applies.
The base game is available separately, and with the purchase of the current expansion, you can retrofit all previous content. However, Square Enix also offers a bundle.
In addition to the price for the game, there is also a shop that is not in the game itself. There, non-essential items are offered, such as certain NPC costumes, funny mounts, or seasonal items from past years. The only connection to the game is that you can try on the purchasable clothing in the game.
Final Fantasy in 2024 – is it still worth getting into, and if so, for whom?
Final Fantasy 14 in its current form has now proudly reached 10 years. If you count the time since the initial release of the failed version 1.0, we are already nearing 14 years by 2024. That’s a lot of time during which much content can become very irrelevant.
So, is it still worth facing the mountain of content in 2024? Here, we answer the most important questions in detail.
Is the content of Final Fantasy 14 still relevant? The content of Final Fantasy 14 may have appeared in 2013, 2016, and 2019, but they are still current. Because you play the main story while leveling up, which unlocks most of the content, you usually have exactly the right level and the right gear for the respective content.
If you enter a dungeon or a raid that is below your level, you will be automatically “synced” to the appropriate max level during a regular run. This means that your level 90 character will only have that level and the associated abilities in level 60 content.
This ensures that even outdated content does not lose its appeal. If you follow the story, you can also track the continuous evolution of the content: With each expansion and every patch, there were new contents with new mechanics and effects.
This also means that you keep learning the possible boss mechanics. So, it can happen that you are in the current endgame at level 90, and the boss suddenly throws mechanics at you from a level 70 raid.
Dungeons, boss fights, and raids are thus still challenging even before reaching the current endgame.
Can you still play the story in its entirety? Indeed, yes! The story is told chronologically from the base game to the latest expansion. There is, therefore, a red thread running through the entire game.
Moreover, the exciting story of Final Fantasy is definitely worth playing:
Your character starts at level 1 as a simple adventurer in the land of Eorzea, as just one of many seeking their fortune. As you level up, you make a name for yourself in the entire region and attract the attention of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn.
This group, consisting of scientists, researchers, and fighters, has made it their mission to help the world of Eorzea resolve its conflicts. Since you can face the game’s boss opponents, known as Primals, without being influenced by them, the Scions quickly recruit you.
Besides the Primals, you also have to defend against another threat: The Garlean Empire. This technologically advanced empire is doing everything it can to colonize Eorzea – a proposition that no one there wants.
And that’s just the beginning of the story in the base game, where you undertake a great hero’s journey. Then it continues into the expansions Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker.
With the new expansion Dawntrail, you will finally start a completely new story with your NPC allies.
Is Final Fantasy 14 still being updated? Currently, Final Fantasy 14 is facing a longer break: On January 15, 2024, Patch 6.55 will be released, likely the last major update for Endwalker before the launch of the new expansion Dawntrail in summer 2024. After the release, regular updates will continue in a 4-month rhythm.
There is thus enough time to play through all previous content punctually for the release of the expansion. Additionally, many long-term players will be catching up on pending content during this time. So, there are usually enough players online to play all MMORPG content together.
On the other hand, if you want little to no contact with other players, you’ll be happy: The developers focused heavily on optimizing the main content of the game for single players in the patches for Endwalker. This means you can now tackle most dungeons and boss opponents with just your character and NPC support.
Whether you are a traditional MMORPG player or a single player – starting in Final Fantasy 14 is a worthwhile venture for anyone who is considering the game.
Here are some impressions from dungeons with NPCs:
How to get started in Final Fantasy 14 in 2024?
You have several options for playing Final Fantasy 14. First, you need to choose your desired platform, subscription model, and whether the story interests you or not.
On which platforms can you play the game? Final Fantasy 14 is playable on the following platforms.
- PS4
- PS5
- PC via the Final Fantasy 14 client
- PC via Steam (also Steam Deck compatible, but not optimized for it – you can read everything about it in our review)
- Mac
- Xbox Series X|S expected in Q2 2024
The save files are mostly cross-compatible, and you can play the same character with an account across all platforms. Only the Steam version currently cannot be linked.
It is also important to note that Final Fantasy 14 is an online game. An active internet connection is thus needed not only for updates but also to play.
What subscription models are available? Before purchasing the game, you can start with the free trial version. This includes almost all content up to the end of the Stormblood expansion. You can play this for as long as you like and do not have to pay a subscription fee.
In the trial version, you can play most of the content. However, you can only access many social features like the market board and Free Companies (the game’s guilds) with the full version.
If you like the game, you can purchase it on your desired platform. The Square Enix store offers several variants, including just the base game, a complete edition, or the current expansion separately.
Currently, Final Fantasy 14 is no longer sold physically on discs. However, at a well-stocked retailer of your choice, you might still be able to grab one of the stylish PC or PS4 disc versions.
What if I don’t feel like the obligatory main story? There’s also a good solution for players who primarily want to engage with dungeons and raid content. While you will not completely avoid story content, with one of the adventure stories, you can catapult yourself to level 80 and start directly with the current Endwalker content.
In the settings, you can also set the automatic skipping of cutscenes. This way, you are fastest in the current endgame. Of course, you can still do all previous content, as they are mostly unlocked through adventure stories.
To use the items, you need the full version of Final Fantasy 14. You can purchase it in the game’s online store. If you want to start directly in Endwalker, go for the adventure stories: Shadowbringers.
Note: Your character will still be level 1, not level 80. You can either manually level him up via grind or buy a second adventure story that allows you to skip leveling.
My conclusion: Why you should play Final Fantasy 14
Ultimately, I can and want to recommend Final Fantasy 14 to everyone. I have been playing it continuously for 7 years and can say: There is suitable content for everyone, and always something to level up or achieve. The game was also my first MMORPG ever.
I have worked through various jobs, leveled almost all crafting and gathering classes to level 90, and regularly play both alone and with friends. While I am currently not completely up-to-date with the story and am stuck on patch 6.3 before the dungeon. This is because I have been playing a lot of Baldur’s Gate 3 recently.
I always have fun in Final Fantasy 14 and never feel bored.
If you ever feel like taking a break, you can pause the subscription and go online again for the next exciting patch. This is also what director and producer Naoki Yoshida wishes. He said years ago in an interview that players should also play other games so as not to burn out in Final Fantasy 14.
Actually, players are currently worrying more about the MMORPG. However, these concerns are actually rather unfounded. Here’s more on the topic:
My personal tip for everyone who is Final-Fantasy-14-curious: Get the free trial version now and try out the game. If you don’t like it, simply uninstall it and you won’t have spent a cent.
And if you’re having fun, play until you’ve finished all the content of the trial version. Then invest in a version of your choice. This way, you can easily get 2 to 3 months of playtime for free.
Now is also the best time to catch up on and recover content. If you start now, you can play all the important content at a relaxed pace and be up to date by the release of Dawntrail in summer.
By the way, I am planning to start over with the game myself. Since my start in 2016, the developers have significantly streamlined and simplified the early-game and leveling experience. I will share my impressions about this soon.
Will you take a look at Final Fantasy 14 soon? Are you looking forward to Dawntrail? Let us know your comments.
