Looking for a good MMORPG? Look no further. Looking for the next Final Fantasy? Keep looking.
I'm a Final Fantasy maniac. At first i was irrate at the fact that the next FF was an MMORPG. I mean, i was M.A.D., there i was expecting a follow-up game for FFX and they go and blow with an online game.
With that rant aside, i bought the game after months of its release to the PS2. I started to like the idea of making an online persona and playing with other players, even if I didn't like that it was being called 'Final Fantasy'. Because in all honesty...this isn't Final Fantasy XI. I can't bring myself to say that it is, no, this Final Fantasy Online.
If you own a PS2, you must have a few things. First, you'll want to buy the game and all the expansion packs. ( $80+ ) Then you'll need the internet of course, a Hard Drive, a Network Adaptor, keyboard, and cords for all that crap. ($150+) Finally you need to subscribe to playonline and FF Online. ( Around $20, plus a few dollars for any other characters you make)
So, if you can afford all that--I had to sell blood and work the street corners for it--then you're good. If not, well...go play FFX.
The character creation is robust, you can choose from many looks and races...however, everything falls down to what you choose as your Job. Yes, the job system is the biggest part of FF Online. I'm happy to say that the variety of jobs is nice and will probably grow even more. While many jobs are more useful than others, almost all of them have thier purpose.
Depending upon your level and job, you must equip weapons, armor, and acessories. When you increase in level...things start to get expensive. As in..EXPENSIVE. And if you don't have the appropriate gear...don't expect people to play with you.
Leveling up is the essence of the game. Yes there are other things to do, like Fish, or Mine, or synth up items...but it all boils down to getting money (Gil) and getting Gil all boils down to buying gear...which boils down to being able to fight...which boils down to Leveling up. If you don't have enough money for armor, you won't get party invitations...and playing solo is the most aggrivating thing to do because it is almost laughable to gain levels by yourself. Especiall at high levels.
Then again, the party aspect is the true call of FF Online. Why play at all if you don't want to socialize with other players. Yes the battle system is fun, yes the activities are quaint...but if you don't want to interact with others then you should stick with regular RPGs. I say this because while FF Online does many things well...it just doesn't shine like the north star.
There just doesn't seem to be enough variety for one thing. People say the freedom to do what you please is the heart of an MMORPG, but what good is freedom if you're bored of everything there is to do? Can you imagine what score FFX would have got if all you did was just running around in a field killing Wasps all day? Me either, and that is why it is impossible to compare an RPG with a MMOPRG...they are just two different species.
FF Online has no real story. Yes there are events when you complete 'missons' for your chosen nation, and yes the ultimate dark king is prominent in the game...but I don't know one person who gives a rat's ass about the game's story. I mean...who cares? What it boils down to is--go here and fight this--or--go there and find this by fighting that--and after a while...that gets boring.
The online community however...never gets boring. I really enjoyed the broad cast of players that I met up with. Of course some people are real idiots, but others are really good people who help make the game a nice place. Not only is it much more fun to party with enjoyable players, but it is also fun to simply talk with them. The communication and online community is the best you could hope for, because it makes the whole thing worth while. Fighting wasps for five hours is no big deal when you're fighting them with your pals. Or even better, exploring uncharted dungeons with them by yourside. It adds a hint of realism and saves the entire thing from boring you to death.
In retrospect, FF Online just wasn't for me. Even after i talked and made friends, I just felt like i was wasting time. Time i could have spent playing FFX, or Shadow Hearts..time i could have spent living my real life. So if you want the next FF, it isn't here, but if you want solid MMORPG gaming sprinkled with Square-Enix charm, then by all means--try FFXI.