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Fun and addicting - maybe a little too addicting.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: July 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I'm going to start out by saying that I don't play this game anymore,so a lot of things may have changed and this review may not be completely accurate. I stopped playing because the game got way too addicting for me and took over my life. This game is very time-consuming and addictive. If you want a game where you can maybe play an hour every now and then, this isn't the one. Only play it if you have LOTS of time to spare, or else you'll get nowhere. Sometimes it can take over an hour to just form or find a decent party. It also not a soloing game. There is only ONE profession that is made for soloing, and you can't even get that until you reach level twenty. It would be possible to solo if you really want to, but it's no easy task and would probably take about ten times as long. If you're looking for a good MMORPG that isn't quite so time-consuming, yet still fun and challenging, I would suggest Guild Wars.

Everything is made difficult in this game, which is one thing I
actually liked about it. It is very real, lots of real life aspects and no easy ways to do things. In some games traveling is easy to cut back on wasted time, but not in this game. It is pure walking until you reach level twenty. To bring that into perspective, it takes about twenty minutes to walk from one side of one of the major kingdoms to the other. Even when you can get a chocobo at level twenty, it's nice at first, but it still takes forever and costs you quite a chunck of gil (money). There eventually are easier ways to travel, but those are way down the road.

One of the things that really ruined the game for me was the situation a higher levels. I started playing the game on the day it was released, and since I put so much time into it, eventually I was one of the very few American players my level on the server. And I mean very few, maybe about four others. There were Japanese players my level, but it was difficult to group with them, because the Japanese players, as you may know, frequently do not like to party with Americans. So basically I was stuck. It was taking me literally about four hours average to find/form a party, and that's if I was lucky. I'm sure there are plenty of high-level American players now, but at the time it was just not set up well.

The graphics are gorgeous, the battle system is perfect, and the
players aren't as bad as some of the ones I've seen in other MMORPGs. However, the servers can get very crowded, especially in certain hotspot leveling areas, and even on a fast computer it can be extremely diffiuclt to move around. If you're thinking this will have it's typical Final Fantasy vibe to it, don't, because it's nothing like any Final Fantasy game you've ever played. It really is a game you can fall in love with though, especially if you enjoy working hard and don't depend on cheats and shortcuts to get through games. One of the best games I've ever played!

FFXI Online Personal Beta Review

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: October 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is not a traditional Final Fantasy game. It's an MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game) that is themed with a Final Fantasy based gameplay and interface, including damage controll, magic system, and special attacks. I feel that Square-Enix have outdone themselves. In my opinion, this game has taken almost everything that is annoying about MMORPG's and made it better.

One of the things that I definitly enjoy about the game is that you can't truly "make a mistake" when creating your character. Though some races in the game are better at one job vs. another, they system automatically assigns stats and points for you. Death only takes away a certian ammount of expirence points, and you don't loose your items when you die. There is also no player verses player, most aspects of the game actually suggest having characters work together rather than to fight aginst each other, giving it a community sense that I have not found in other games. It also has one of the most in depth macro/command line systems I've seen in this kind of game.

As far as graphics - they are not the kind that are going to absolutely knock your socks off, but they are amazingly well done for a game of this type. They are definitly well done.

The storyline that ties it all together is a good one, but the missions that work with the storyline were not meant to be played one right after another, if you play it this way, you will often find yourself at a low level trying to do something that requires you be a higher level.

All in all, I like it. This is what I've been waiting for in a game.

FFXI: Hard to get in, hard to get out

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: May 17, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Most MMORPGs tend to cater to the lowest common denominator. It's a business after all. They have to steer a path between making it so difficult that they lose casual players and making it so easy that the hard-core fans leave for other games. The money is in making it fun enough, easy enough yet not too easy so that completing tasks in the game brings satisfaction.

CONS:
1. The learning curve is steep. [After the several hours long installation, you'll spend even more learning how to play] For those who want a quick game or someplace to experience fantasy away from reality, this can be rough transition period. FF fans should have already tasted a bit of this, FF games are not easy. Well, FFXI is worst. Might be a be a bit easier for the PS2 owners.

2. The majority of players in the game are non-English speaking [or prefer not too, at any rate it's not their native tongue] There is a very clever in-game translator that can handle most of the necessary phrases however but this does mean that most American players will have to learn how to adapt. FFXI just recently celebrated it's 2nd birthday. If you are bigoted, or narrow-minded or just plain lazy, you might want to find another game. Else it takes a little extra and special effort to communicate with the non-English speakers and it is well worth it. How many other MMORPGs really do expose you to a different language and culture? [And not just to nerds like me or other no-life folks :)] That being said, the game population is so high that this should not be a problem most of the time. [i.e. play during the evenings EST/PST]

3. The game occupies a lot of your time. No, REALLY. Almost anything in this game requires a lot of time to accomplish. The good news is that the game also provides a myriad array of things to do. From crafting [cooking to smithing], gardening [I'm not kidding], mining, logging, fishing.... there's a lot more. You could become an entrepeneur that has millions in the bank, at level 1. Recently, they added 'signatures' to items so items that people will know just who made that particular item. Maybe they'll add painting soon. Gardening? Forget trout-hunter 2000, FFXI has fishing [and sometimes what you fish up can be dangerously fatal :)]

Repetition. Missed something while you were levelling? Don't fret. There's a good chance you'll be doing it again. And again.. and again... There's that time thing again.

4. Alliance/Party system. Functionally, it's a grouping of a standard 6 member party. Inter party interaction is not intuitive and usually requires setting up inflexible ingame macros. Still doable but not as easy as in other MMMORPGs.

5. Mostly PvE, although the new PvP addition is fun, it's an opt-in thing. So you PK'ers can go get your sick kicks elsewhere. [I know I do :)]

6. Cost. It's the game + monthly fees and you better have the hardware to play it AND a broadband connection. MMORPGs like these have never been cheap. [Voodoo 2 SLI anybody?]

7. Other soon to be released MMORPGs have something better. Yeah, don't they always?

PROS:

1. Graphics. Very good. Not the best.

2. Sound. Right up there, music too. Mind you, you have to like FF to really appreciate all of this but it's very good nonetheless. But it gets pretty run of the mill after a while. Music is sometimes a bit like the old MIDI days.

3. Job system. This is hands down, the best innovation in MMORPG in a LONG time and Square does it very nicely. You can switch to any job, everytime you're in town. Yes, ANY job. You also hold a sub job [of a maximum of 1/2 of your main job's level]. You can literally be the 'Man of all Seasons' or Girl Friday I suppose. For long time MMORPG players, it's like a cross between the traditional race/class system from EQ and something from SWG. Having one character with multiple jobs also takes the sting out of having to pay 1 USD per additional character [don't need one, unless you need the storage space] and also allows people to form groups [parties, in-game] at various levels. Hi! Need a healer? No? Musician maybe? Fighter? I've got em all!

4. It's FF! Awww... don't tell me you haven't been waiting for a MMORPG a la FF? How about that Yuna heh? Want to be a Summoner? You can now!

In short, it's a big time sink, it's hard but it's worth it. Don't expect EQ or DAoC, this is something at once a lot easier to get into and at the same time, it's guaranteed to be very frustrating at times. I've been playing MMORPGs starting with text muds and graphical ones like FFXI since EQ way back in late 1997 [Man, I hope the NDA on that's expired] and this is the first MMORPG since EQ that recaptured that almost magical feeling I got when I started EQ for the very first time. I've also played other MMORPGs like Lineage II and some others still in beta but I always come back to FFXI. Must be that FF touch some of the FF fans are talking about.

My view of FFXI...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: February 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

This game is absolutely huge! Being vast is a trademark of MMORPGs, however FFXI takes it to all new levels. There are literally hundreds of places to go - just with the original game, and each of the expansion packs (Chains of Promathia & Rise of the Zilart) add around 100 more.

Gameplay wise - it is slow-paced; but very decent. Battling can get repetitive; but it is very deep and gripping. Battling however; is far from all that this game has to offer...

There are many missions and quests available to complete. There is a unique and revolutionary system of trading, auctioning, purchasing, and money-making. There are other paths to take such as mining, harvesting, gardening, cooking, weaving, and more.

Graphically this game is very sound. Not mind-blowing, but definitely not disappointing. However, the opening FMV sequence for the game features incredible CGI.

There are 2 things that I am displeased about as far as this game is concerned. The 1st is the cost. Around 7 british pounds per month ($12.95), and 50p ($0.89) more for extra characters. It is understandable that Square-Enix requires plentiful funding to keep such a major project running, but these prices are a bit excessive. However if you get as addicted as me - it really doesn't matter.
The other problem I have with this game is the furstration when you die. Dying makes you lose quite a lot of experience points. This is especially bad if you do this often (which I have before). This has been the case when I have been too overzealous in my approach to the game - it requires patience to get reward; as I have learnt for myself.

1 final note - if you love MMORPGs then I don't see any reason why you will dislike this. However for Final Fantasy fans it may be a different story. I myself got it because it was a Final Fantasy and I love it, but be warned that this game is unlike any other in the FF series - which may well leave some players disappointed.

Overall - this game is great! 5 stars for fun, and 4 overall.

Words Of Warning

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 15 / 22
Date: September 08, 2006
Author: Amazon User

No one seems to be mentioning the major problem I have with this game. So I guess I will.

I bought this game when it first came out two or three years ago. Spent 50 bucks on it at EbGames. I was so excited, I started downloading right away. After 4 or 5 solid hours (at least), I finally got to start playing.

It's a good game, don't get me wrong, but being only 15 and not wanting to plunk down a week of my allowance a month for a game I could only play for an hour or so at a time (it was on the family computer, plus I had school work). I thought, "Well I'll probably play it again someday." So I deleted my account, so my mom's card wouldn't be charged anymore and I wouldn't have to fork over the money to play each month.

Fast forward 2 years. I have my own computer and my own credit card, so I break the game out again. I have more time, I'm out of school, not yet in college. So what the hell? I'll give it another shot. But first, I read the first few pages of the hefty 144 page instruction booklet.

On page 11, I believe, these words are written under the section "CAUTION! About Your Member Information": "Your member information is retained on the server for three months after your access to PlayOnline is disabled. ... After this three-month period has elapsed, you can no longer use your previous account information. You must create a new account to use PlayOnline again. Please note that this means you must purchase A NEW COPY of the software from a retailer and reregister for PlayOnline".

Maybe you skimmed over that part, so I'll say it again. "YOU MUST PURCHASE A NEW COPY OF THE SOFTWARE FROM A RETAILER".

This means that if you, for any reason, have to unsubscribe from PlayOnline for a while (say you're not playing the game and you don't want to pay for something you're not going to use for a while), you have to shell out the bucks to buy the game again!

I read this and I thought, "Huh. What a bunch of BS." I tried installing it anyway, and wouldn't you know it? My registration codes that worked 2 or 3 years ago do not work now. I can't sell it, the registration codes don't work and I don't want to pawn off my bogus copy. (ANOTHER WARNING: Nobody buy this game used! It might not work for this exact reason!). I paid fifty dollars for the game and those registration code and now the only thing the game is good for now is as a paper weight. And you know how useless those are.

If I were to buy this game again, I'd have to pay about half the price I paid for a game that I already did buy AND I have to play at least every three months. I don't know about anybody else, but I got through game phases. I play a lot of games for a few months, then I stop for a while, then I get back into it.

For me, I'm not sure if I want to waste anymore money and time on this one. Which is a shame, because it's not a bad game.

YOU HAVE TO HAVE COMMITMENT TO BUY THIS. Weigh the PROs and CONs before purchasing. Make sure it's worth it.

If you can handle it, more power to you.

Mixed Experience

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 13 / 18
Date: December 09, 2004
Author: Amazon User

If you've read all the reviews here at Amazon on this game, you're probably pretty confused. Some people claim it's the greatest MMORPG ever. Others say it's the most boring and time consuming they've played. If you're looking to buy this game, it's hard to make that decision based on the conflicting information. I doubt my review will help as it's based on my experience only. This is exactly the nature of this game, you either love it or hate it.

Unfortunately for me, this game did not live up to my expectations. However, I'd like to start on the positives. Firstly, the game's graphics are pretty good. There are three main base cities to start off in (there are other cities that you can explore to, but your ranks and missions are generally based on the three base cities). The environment changes dramatically in the different zones, it's refreshing to just take some time and explore the different scenery in the game.

This game is also huge. I've played it for a couple of months and I doubt I've seen more than 50% of the world. Add to that, the recent expansion makes the game even more mammoth. This also has a negative, I'll address it later. FFXI features all you'd expect in a MMORPG. You have your different skills, you can multi-skill when you reach a specific level. You also have "crafts" which are side skills that you can do, e.g. fishing, farming, etc. The depth in this game is mind boggling. The number of side skills (I believe there are eight or nine) all have their own levels.

Currency is also traded with something called gil. You need gil to get anywhere in this game. FFXI is heavily cooperation inclined. You cannot play this game solo and reach anywhere. Anyone who says this would either be lying or have absolutely nothing else to do in their life. This is both a positive and a negative. The positive being it encourages players to group together, share knowledge and play together. The negatives being there's always competition to find the best groups. People also tend to clique together and play separately from the whole community.

I should note that FFXI is played amongst several servers. When you create your character, you are randomly placed on a server. You cannot move from one server to the other, this is your server for life. If you want to play on the same server as your friends, you must buy (with gil, not real money) something called a "Worlpass" which your friend can enter when they're creating their account. I have no problem with this system, I understand it's necessary for the maintenance of the popularity of this game.

In the game, there's a wide range of armor and weapons that can be bought or retrieved. In your character's class, there are tons of spells and skills to be learned at periodic levels. The battle system is similar to most FF games however the speed of the battles greatly depends on your equipment. I like the battle system, personally I find it very flowing.

On to the negatives, and there are many. As I mentioned earlier, the game is huge. This brings me to my greatest grievance with FFXI. It takes far too long to reach anywhere without the help of higher level spells or items (Airship). I'm sure the drop out rate with this game is high for new players. You can spend fifteen to twenty five minutes walking from one area to the other. I personally found myself spending more time walking than fighting. That's what drove me to stop playing.

Another big negative is the variety of mobs. There's a very limited number of mob classes available. Most zones are limited to only three or four different mob classes of varying strength. This makes fighting extremely repetitive, you are fighting the same looking thing each time. Every city has "[insert name] crab", "[insert name] worm", "[insert name] fly" that ALL look the same. The developers really failed in providing variety to players, especially since this game requires hundreds of hours to achieve mighty levels. A related negative would be the fact you have to consider every mob as you have no idea of the mob's strength if they look alike, even in the same room.

Big negative number three relates to people selling gil for real money. Yes, it plagues all MMORPGs, however most companies try to do something to clamp down on it. Square has done absolutely nothing to try to control the sale of gil for money. What this has caused is the cost (in gil) of items to be sky high to due the easy availability of gil to those who are willing to spend money for it. This makes the game extremely difficult for the average player who simply gains gil from killing, quests and trading items. FFXI is centered around trading items with other players (there's a central auction house for this) that you can't get around playing without buying your equipment. I'm not sure if it's related to the gil selling, however all the rare item drops are "camped" by dozens of people. The average player will never be able to achieve a valuable item without buying it.

Finally, because you can't solo in this game, you need to find yourself some friends to play with. If you can't join a group (called linkshells), you will be spending minutes or hours waiting to join parties. The number of hours required to reach anywhere in this game is ridiculous. That's probably why so many people are either terribly addicted to this game or absolutely frustrated. Unfortunately for me, FFXI wasn't for me. It's too demanding on time and far too repetitive for me. There are some people this game appeals to, I'm certainly not one of them. If all the negatives I mentioned seemed negligible to you, perhaps you should give it a try.

More than a Mere MMORPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: December 20, 2003
Author: Amazon User

When I first read about Final Fantasy XI in gaming magazines, I had my doubts. I thought it would be like any other Final Fantasy game in which you go around, beating the game in a week or two, with the only new feature, online play. Oh, I was wrong all right.

I first got my taste of this game at a local internet cafe. I played for about five minutes and I was immediately hooked. You have many options as far as character customization goes. Its gameplay is very in-depth. The world is so huge, that you could spend hours on end just exploring one city! It breaks the mold of usual turned-based Final Fantasy games. It hasn't completely revamped its gameplay, however. I thought a neat addition to the series was the idea of the 'Mog House.' The Mog House is your own little appartment (which happens to be free!), and you can decorate and customize it in many different ways.

The only downsides: Square Enix charges you about $13 per month, and an extra $1 per month for Tetra Master and/or an extra character. However, you'll be more than satisfied with only one character. Even though this may be a little expensive for some of the kids with a small allowance, trust me, it's more than worth it. The other problem is that if you have a friend on one specific server, and you want to play with them, you have to do one of two things. Since the server you play on is random, you can delete and recreate characters until you get the right server, or you have to get your friend to buy you a world pass. A world pass is an item (bought with Gil, the Final Fantasy currency) which allows you to provide a number to a friend. When that friend recieves that number, it allows them to travel to that server and make a character there.

Overall, this is an excellent game and I'd, personally, give it more than five stars, if I could. ;P

One of the most fun games I've ever played

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: July 19, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I was skeptical of this game at first. I'm glad I tired it. There's so much to do in this game! It has the classic "fight battles to get experience," just like almost any other RPG, but there's more. Little side quests and missions you do have an effect on how you advance throught this game. Your character can work on several different skills not related to combat; a nice touch, I thought. The graphics and sound are great, and the story is pretty good so far (though you have to work to uncover it). I have 240 hrs. of actual play time into it, and have only scratched the surface of this game. Some complain about the monthly fee. I understand this, it's the main reason why I didn't start playing sooner. But when I started playing, I felt it was worth the money. The game is constantly being updated and refined. You'll be provided with countless hours of entertainment, which is the only draw back. This game takes a tremendous amount of time. Give it a shot! At least for the free 30 day trial!

Final Fantasy XI

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: October 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I am not a big MMORPG type person, I didn't care much for Everquest. But after beta-testing this title, i was very impressed, not only with the visual detail but great storyline that you follow throughout the game. I don't know about those people that say you can't solo this game... I did fine by myself for most of the game, true there are some parts which may require a party, but it can be solo'ed if done right. I also love the fact that you weren't limited to just your starting job. This game has many great features and I highly recommend it, whether you like MMORPG's or not.

Worst gaming experience of my life

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 22 / 41
Date: February 01, 2004
Author: Amazon User

(NOTE: some of this review relies on if you've played a MMORPG before)

This game is just horrible. Anyone who says this game is good either hasn't played any other MMORPG before, or is a zealous fanboy who is too blinded by their love for this series to realize a bad game under this title when they see one. I give my reasons why:

1. It doesn't separate people from other countries into different servers. If you're an american, and there's a guy from Japan or France near you, you'll still read what they wrote in Japanese or French, thereby creating an unnecessary language barrier between the players. I have heard that they're making american-only servers, but that won't help because of reason 2.

2. Your server is chosen at random FOR you. This is meant to "prevent server overloads and crashes" which is the lamest thing I've ever heard. If you don't have the capacity to support a MMORPG (MASSIVELY MULTIPLAYER, it's in the TITLE of the GENRE for crying out loud), then DON'T RELEASE IT YET! I bet you're wondering how you're gona play with your friends if your server is chosen for you. You or your friend buys a "world pass" which allows you to get on their server. Unfortunately, the passes cost more depending on how many people have characters on that server, and their default price is 1200 gil. That's a lot of money for a beginning player, which means that your friend will be a much higher level than you when you get there. Well, you'll be able to catch up in no time, right? Wrong.

3. It takes FOREVER to level up in this game, even at low levels. You require several thousand exp, even early on, to level up. Monsters typicly give exp of about 15-50 exp per kill. 100 if you actualy managed to kill something even level and still keep your internal organs inside your body. Pair that with the 5 minute downtimes between fights, the several hundred exp you lose (even at low levels) when you die, and the frequency at which you die, and you've got a lot of wasted time. It just gets slower as you progress.

4. SOLOERS, BEWARE! KEEP OUT! DO NOT CROSS! DEATH! DANGER! This game doesn't support soloers, not at all. In fact, it's almost like it PUNISHES people who want to solo. If you solo past level 15, you're going nowhere fast. Everything can kill you. Not only that, but people on this game seem to be generaly unfriendly and cold, especialy towards new players (newbies, for those new to online gaming). It's gona take you hours of waiting to find a party, unless you're a white mage or bard. I know someone who wasn't able to play for 2 months because no one would party with her. Even if you find a party, you'll be kicked out if you chose a bad race/job or job/subjob combination. Which brings us to reason 5.

5. Square-enix made the bad, bad mistake of letting us be whatever we want. If you're a paladin, and you have anything except a warrior for your subjob, you aren't getting a party (no, that's not an exaduration). Same goes with most options. Casters should sub casters and fighters should sub fighters. This applies to races, too. Galka should never be casters, tarutaru should never be anything BUT a caster. Any exceptions would leave you without a party.

6. Most of the classes seem to overlap, instead of each one having a distinct purpose that would make them valuable over the other options. Dark knight = monk = samurai. Each one has different things they can contribute, but they all basicly do the same thing. Samurai would probably be the most hard-pressed to find a party out of those three, since they need full, complete, unargued cooporation from their team mates to be on the same level as the dark knight or monk. Warrior = paladin. The only difference between the two is warrior does a slight bit more damage, where the paladin can heal himself after fights.

That's it, but just to be fair, I'm going to list the good points about this game:

1. it has good graphics

2. there is no 2nd point, good graphics is the only thing this game has going for it.

3. refer to 2.

I really recommend you buy a game like EverQuest, or wait until World of Warcraft comes out. I can't write any more about this game, because it hurts me physicly to remember anything about it.

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