Fashion drives Final FantasyNow, I didn’t think I’d have much to say about what you wear, but clothing is a hot topic in world chat. Here’s why: subligars. Google them, just not at work. Final Fantasy XI veterans will know much of the subligar - ridiculous leather pants that were allegedly worn by Roman soldiers. They were very much in vogue during the beta period, much to the mirth of many participants who constantly squealed about their barely contained offal. It probably didn’t help that they were paired with leather harnesses on the upper body.
Final Fantasy’s clothing options are astonishing: they go from boob tubes and lacy panties (which, unbelievably, bestowed a higher defence stat than actual leather breeches) to hempen robes that resembled burlap sacks. There is no middle ground. Okay, the lacy look does suit the Mi’qote, but you cannot unsee a scantily clad Roegadyn giants, and the child-like Lalafells look downright wrong. It would be nice to see more clothing options that fill the void between Victoria’s Secret and potato carrier, if only to stop players shouting about how sexy they feel in their subligars.
Note that I can’t show you the worst offenders, as screenshots from the beta are strictly forbidden. These grabs were provided by Square Enix.
There’s quiet innovation in craftingThe crafting system in A Realm Reborn is quite an unusual beast. You can seemingly learn as many skills as you want at any one time. After visiting the relevant guilds on offer, I picked up the demented trio of leather making, botany and carpentry. But before gathering the necessary materials and getting stuck into making leather pants and wooden clogs, I needed to equip the right gear.
That’s right - I had to slip out of my armour and pick up my hobby’s necessary tool (a crafting knife, a hoe, a saw), each of which could be pre-loaded in Gear slots available through the Character menu. Once correctly dressed, synthesising was mapped to my hotbar with newer, item improving techniques unlocked as you level up.
Changing outfits is a cute idea in theory, but in practise, most people can’t be arsed to spend precious monies on purchasing an entirely different outfit per talent, as evidenced by the amount of players sawing wood in the buff. There is a lot of nudity in this game.
Another minor niggle is that there’s no keybind option that allows you to quickly switch between gear sets. At the moment, you have to go into the Character menu, scroll through the drop down sets, check you’ve got the right one, then hit Equip. It’s irritatingly long-winded, but crafting itself is pretty fun, and with a separate levelling up system for each talent it becomes a game in itself.
I like this more than I expectedMy time in Eorzea was short - two weekends worth of testing time - but I was left thoroughly impressed. The difference between A Realm Reborn and the original Final Fantasy XIV is astonishing. While the old game barely functioned, ARR feels natural, bringing in a few touches that should distinguish it within the crowded MMO market.
Players seem positive too. When I asked other players what they thought of the changes, my chat log was filled with people enthusing about how much better, smoother and smarter the game is.
Eorzea itself looks gorgeous. The leafy forests of The Central Shroud were lush and sun-dappled, while the quality and detail of the graphics are exceptional. Better still, this now feels like a Final Fantasy game. From the chocobo mounts to moogle postmen, red mage outfits to hi-potions, to the gorgeous sweeping music that accompanies you throughout...this feels more Final Fantasy than recent single-player FF titles could dream of being.
Yes, there are a few things that need ironing out. Things like a more detailed teleportation map, a pop-up explanation of character stats (essential when assigning attribute points), keybinds for gear changes, the ability to just type ‘/invite’ to bring someone into your party...small, but pertinent features that’ll ease and improve the MMO experience.
But look at what I’m saying. FFXIV had major problems that reduced the game to a broken, unplayable mess, whereas my complaints about FFXIV: A Realm Reborn concern the finer details that’ll make the difference between a good game, and a great game.
I’ve yet to see how larger features like the auction house, PvP and dungeon crawling pan out, but that this moment in time, I find myself playing other MMOs and wishing it was A Realm Reborn I was sinking my time into. Welcome back, Final Fantasy XIV. This is where you should’ve been three years ago.
There is currently a restriction in place preventing beta testers from talking about their experiences of the early testing phases of FINAL FANTASY XIV: A Realm Reborn. However, Square Enix has given us express permission to create this article in order to report on our initial impressions of the game, and the development progress so far