Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn is the resulting do-over, and it’s a huge success on PC, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4. Beautiful, fun, and only a bit uneven in the late game. Grounded in tradition and learning from the lessons of the games that preceded it, it thrives on the strength of its excitingly varied and flexible class system and highly mobile combat.
The first expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, was released on June 23rd, 2015 worldwide. The second expansion, Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, has been announced and will release June 20, 2017.
True to Final Fantasy tradition, Masayoshi Soken’s entirely new musical score is a constant pleasure, and it jumps smoothly from soothing tracks to heavy metal riffs on bosses like Titan. A Realm Reborn’s toned-down approach lets it run smoothly on mid-range PCs and PlayStation 3 and 4 while retaining much of the beauty.
In addition, a stunning world of forests, deserts, and coasts that often delivers wallpaper-worthy moments, such as a the sight of watching the sun rise over the waters of the resort of Costa Del Sol. It’s filled with weather effects ranging from simple fog to torrential rainstorms and even humdrum overcast days.