I never really played the 1.0 version of Final Fantasy XIV. I did, however, play the original open beta test of the game, and got turned off by some of the interface elements, along with the use of a software cursor, and various parts that felt like it made the game difficult for the player to switch between windows to check information, so I ended up not subscribing to the game. Cut to several years later – and A Realm Reborn comes out, and the game sounds like it’s turned around considerably. Combine that with some serious sugar about the game being talked up on the Axe of the Blood God podcast, and Noclip putting out an excellent two–part documentary on how Final Fantasy XIV got turned around, and this ultimately sells me on subscribing – the first MMO I’ve paid an actual recurring subscription to.

Except I ended up taking a while to get through the A Realm Reborn content – to the point that my New Year’s Resolutions were the thing that finally pushed me through into hitting Heavensward this year. I’ve gotten through the original part of the game, so it’s time to give my thoughts on it.