By Rae Grimes
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Final Fantasy XIV has become one of the most popular MMORPGs after its reboot in August 2013 as A Realm Reborn, continuing to amass an estimated sixty million active players as of late Summer 2024. Players have fallen in love with the vast and vibrant world of Eorzea, and the world has only continued to expand throughout the years with five major expansions. The most recent, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, is the first chapter in an all-new story after Endwalker wrapped up a decade-long story thread that many players were highly invested in.
It's hard for many games to match the level of detailed storytelling present in Final Fantasy XIV, along with its fun and complex combat system, but there are still some great choices for players looking for something similar. Whether it's a single-player game with a heavy emphasis on customizing a unique build, relationships with other characters and storytelling, or another MMORPG for players to sink hundreds of hours into running dungeons and learning endgame raids, there's something out there for every type of Final Fantasy XIV fan.
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10 Embark On An Emotional Journey Through a War-Torn, Sci-Fi World in Xenoblade Chronicles 3
For Fans Of Final Fantasy XIV's Story, Combat And Character Depth
A beautiful Nintendo Switch-exclusive JRPG, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is a gripping and chaotic adventure for fans of Final Fantasy XIV's deep, immersive storytelling. Similar to the popular and long-winded JRPG series Persona, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 has over one hundred hours of content for fans to get lost in, and there's a large focus on how the player uniquely wants to spend their time and tailor their experience. Both newcomers and veterans of the Xenoblade Chronicles series can enjoy this title, and no prior experience is needed.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3, much like Final Fantasy XIV, emphasizes freedom and player choice in combat, with tons of classes to play as and free swapping mid-combat between characters. There's also a new feature to the series that allows certain characters to combine into an Ouroboros, an invincible, stronger form that also gains enhanced skills. Players who enjoy the characters, world-building and heavy emphasis on customization in Final Fantasy XIV will find a lot to love here.
Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Join Noah and Mio, members of the two opposing nations of Keves and Agnus, on a heartfelt journey through a warring world with a dark secret. Traverse massive, fantastical landscapes and master seamless real-time RPG combat as you expose the true enemy pulling the strings.
RPG
- Top Critic Rating:88/100 Critics Recommend:94%
- Franchise
- Xenoblade Chronicles
- Platform(s)
- Switch
- Released
- July 29, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Monolith
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Engine
- XC2/Torna
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Language, Mild Blood, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 60 Hours
- Metascore
- 89
9 Fight, Gather and Craft To Level Up Various Classes in Fantasy Life
A Cute, Heartwarming Story and Emphasis On Player Choice Are This 3DS Title's Highlights
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Although it's often compared to franchises like Animal Crossing, there's a lot to love in the 3DS title Fantasy Life for Final Fantasy XIV fans. Many people describe the overall gameplay of Fantasy Life to that of an MMO, wandering between objectives, meeting characters and completing small quests for them before building up to the more climactic fights. Combat is engaging with numerous combat classes to pick from, along with gathering and crafting classes to level for those who want to focus on non-combat activities.
Fantasy Life also includes multiplayer features, with players able to fight endgame bosses together or run around collecting materials, adding to the game's Final Fantasy XIV, MMO-like feeling. The game's grindy, repetitive nature isn't for everyone, but it only adds to that primarily single-player MMO experience on handheld for the players interested in that unique sort of experience.
Fantasy Life
RPG
Life Simulation
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo 3DS
- Released
- October 24, 2014
- Developer(s)
- Level-5
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Unreal Engine
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Comic Mischief, Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- How Long To Beat
- 30 Hours
8 Grow and Maintain Crops While Attempting to Save the World in Harvestella
Fight As One of Twelve Classes Against a Deadly Plague Threatening a Magical World
Also by Square Enix, Harvestella is more of a farming simulator than an MMORPG but still includes a dozen combat classes and an engaging system for players who also enjoy fighting monsters. There's a good balance between the farming and fighting elements, so players won't get too fatigued from either. The crops that players grow can then help keep their resources up when they're out adventuring — similar to how the management and farming aspects of Cult of the Lamb unlock buffs that make the game's roguelike sections easier.
Harvestella has a great main story to enjoy, and each character also has ten unique missions that strengthen their relationship with the player if completed. Raising one's relationship with another character can even result in marriage, for those that enjoy deep relationship systems. Harvestella received mixed reviews upon release due to misleading advertising — it's much more an action RPG that uses farming elements than a dedicated farming simulator but was advertised as the latter. General reception has warmed since, as fans delve into everything Harvestella has to offer.
Harvestella
In a vibrant and colourful world, players will tend their crops, befriend the townsfolk, overcome threats, discover the origins of the world and the truth behind the calamity along the way.
JRPG
Simulation
Systems
- Top Critic Rating:74/100 Critics Recommend:56%
- Platform(s)
- PC , Switch
- Released
- November 4, 2022
- Developer(s)
- Live Wire
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- ESRB
- T for Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Language, Use of Alcohol
Buy on Amazon
7 Guild Wars 2 Is a Free-To-Play MMORPG That Launched a Year Before a Realm Reborn
A New Expansion Is in the Works, Slated For Release in 2025
Released in 2012, a year before the massively successful relaunch of Final Fantasy XIV, Guild Wars 2 is a free-to-play MMORPG that still has a dedicated fanbase, and is still releasing new content expansions to this day. There are nine professions players can choose from, being Guardian, Revenant, Warrior, Engineer, Ranger, Thief, Elementalist, Mesmer and Necromancer. Interestingly, unlike common practice in most MMORPGs, there are no dedicated healing classes, because the Guild Wars 2 developers thought needing a healer in every party felt restrictive.
There's a player-choice-driven main story in Guild Wars 2, along with the usual PvP system and a unique, larger-scale world-versus-world battle system as well. All of the expansions for Guild Wars 2 add a drastic amount of content to the game, and as of 2024, there's no shortage of content for players to check out. Although the graphics might be a bit dated for a mid-2020s game, players who don't mind will find a lot to love in Guild Wars 2.
Guild Wars 2
Guild Wars 2 is 8 years old now, can you believe it? The original game launched to huge acclaim, fanfare, and millions of sales. 8 years on, it feels like ArenaNet is hitting their stride once more with the Path of Fire expansion. Simply put, this is the best Guild Wars 2 has been since the launch.
MMORPG
Systems
- Franchise
- Guild Wars
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- August 28, 2012
- Developer(s)
- ArenaNet
- Publisher(s)
- NCSoft
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Engine
- Havok, Proprietary Engine
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 80+ Hours
6 Star Wars: The Old Republic Is an MMORPG That's Been Running Since 2011
Originally Using a Subscription-Based Model, It's Since Become a Free-To-Play Title
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Star Wars: The Old Republic is an MMORPG set in the beloved Star Wars universe, and has been around even longer than both Final Fantasy XIV and Guild Wars 2. Players can choose to fight either on the side of the Galactic Republic or the Sith Empire, and The Old Republic makes use of an intriguing morality system that updates based on the player's alignment and choices throughout the game. There are typical MMORPG-style classes in The Old Republic like tanks, healers and damage dealers, but each can be customized to handle a variety of situations.
Every character in Star Wars: The Old Republic is fully voiced, adding an extra layer of immersion. Player choices actually matter and can unlock or permanently lock certain questlines, meaning everything players do is impactful, making The Old Republic feel more like a single-player, story-driven game. Players can even form romantic relationships with NPCs.
Star Wars: The Old Republic
Set long before the Star Wars films, the Sith Empire returns to the galaxy to begin a war with the Galactic Republic.
MMO
Systems
- Franchise
- Star Wars
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- December 20, 2011
- Developer(s)
- BioWare
- Publisher(s)
- Electronic Arts
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer , Local Multiplayer , Local Co-Op
- Engine
- HeroEngine
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Sexual Themes, Violence
- How Long To Beat
- 130+ Hours
5 A Magic Stone Triggers a Quest of Exploration, Discovery and Adventure in Grandia
This Classic 90's Playstation Game Has Received an HD Remaster on Steam
Described as a cinematic RPG, Grandia is a classic PlayStation game from the late 90s that got both remastered Nintendo Switch and PC releases in 2019. Grandia is perfect for players who enjoy the Final Fantasy XIV plotline of being an adventurer in a fantastical world, traveling to new places and bonding with new people everywhere they go. There are multiple different weapon classes in Grandia, with players able to switch freely between them. Similar to the Persona series, if players sneak up on overworld enemies from behind, they gain an advantage when combat starts.
Above all else, Grandia truly nails the sense of wonder and discovery that makes Final Fantasy XIV so great. Traversing around the world doesn't get overly tedious, either, since all the enemies are visible from the overworld and Grandia doesn't make use of any random encounters. There's also a lack of tedious backtracking that makes other RPGs so tedious — Grandia instead smoothly guides players through the world while questing.
Grandia
JRPG
Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC , PS1 , Sega Saturn , Switch
- Released
- September 30, 1999
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Partial Nudity
- Developer
- Game Arts
- Publisher
- Entertainment Software Publishing, Sony Computer Entertainment, Ubisoft, GungHo Online
- How Long To Beat
- 42 Hours
4 Veteran Final Fantasy Composer Nobuo Uematsu Made the Music for Lost Odyssey
This RPG Was in Development For Four Years Before Release on the Xbox 360
Released in the West in 2008, Lost Odyssey is still a grossly engaging RPG that's worth checking out for fans of Final Fantasy XIV, despite being more dated. Like many of the Final Fantasy games, Lost Odyssey uses a traditional turn-based type of combat. The most unique thing about Lost Odyssey is its Aim Ring system, where players have to time their attacks with on-screen rings, similar to rhythm game button presses. Hitting these rings can empower moves, cast debuffs on enemies, or even steal items from them.
Players use both Mortal and Immortal characters throughout their Lost Odyssey journey, each with their own unique abilities and stats. There are four different classes of magic in Lost Odyssey, with one class creatively revolving around combining other magic spells. Similar to how the Warrior of Light tries to save the world and help it heal after calamity, Lost Odyssey's story involves trying to come together and rebuild nations after they were almost fully wiped out by a meteor.
3 Bravely Default Was Initially Developed As a Sequel To Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light
Keeping Familiar Elements From the Final Fantasy Series, Bravely Default is Very Much Its Own Game
Originally released in 2012 with an expanded version later coming out in 2013, Bravely Default is a fantastic RPG that's still well worth checking out in 2024 for fans of Final Fantasy XIV. There are a whopping twenty-four classes available to players, from fast physical damage dealers to magic-exclusive ranged casters, and players can combine elements from different jobs together for a more unique experience. Bravely Default's combat system revolves around managing BP, being turn-based strategic combat instead of real-time action gameplay.
Bravely Default shares many similarities with the Final Fantasy franchise, because it was originally intended to be part of it, beginning development as a sequel to Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. It later became its own game, with players needing no prior knowledge of Final Fantasy to fully enjoy it, but still retaining many elements that will feel familiar to longtime fans.
Bravely Default
JRPG
- Top Critic Rating:84/100 Critics Recommend:80%
- Platform(s)
- 3DS
- Released
- February 7, 2014
- Developer(s)
- Silicon Studio
- Publisher(s)
- Nintendo , Square Enix
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 4
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol
- How Long To Beat
- 60 Hours
2 City Of Heroes is an MMORPG That Was Revived By the Community After a Decade-Long Run
Officially Hosted Private Servers Keep This Superhero-Focused MMO Alive To This Day
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1
Much like Final Fantasy XIV before its massive overhaul and relaunch as A Realm Reborn, the superhero-themed MMORPG City of Heroes has a dedicated fanbase but a rocky history. It originally launched in 2004 and received a whopping two dozen major content updates before its shutdown almost a decade later in 2012, but fan interest remained for this unique MMORPG. The source code for City of Heroes was distributed in 2019, making private servers possible, and in 2024, the company behind City of Heroes officially licensed the owners of one private server, meaning the game is once again officially hosted.
It's the community and player support for City of Heroes that kept it alive, even during a whopping seven-year period where the game was unplayable. This loyalty and dedication is similar to how passionate Final Fantasy XIV fans are, and anyone looking for an active and supportive community with a fondness for superheroes will find something to enjoy in the once-again official City of Heroes.
City of Heroes
MMORPG
Systems
- Platform(s)
- PC
- Released
- April 28, 2004
- Developer(s)
- Cryptic Studios
- Publisher(s)
- NCSoft
- Engine
- Essence Engine
- ESRB
- t
- Multiplayer
- Local Multiplayer
- Metascore
- 85
1 Final Fantasy XII Was an Extremely Innovative Launch For the Franchise
Players Explore a Vast Open World While Fine-Tuning a Highly Customizable Skill System
The rest of the Final Fantasy series is an obvious choice for anyone who's primarily familiar with Final Fantasy XIV, as much of the MMORPG visually was inspired by the earlier 2006 installment, Final Fantasy XII. For the first time in the Final Fantasy franchise, players could explore an open world with seamless combat while controlling a free camera, and a new customizable License system determined what weapons and abilities players used during combat. Fans who enjoy the visual style and world of Final Fantasy XIV will surely love exploring Final Fantasy XII's vast open world.
Final Fantasy XII is the first game in the franchise where everything in its open world is up to scale, adding to the immersion of its open-world exploration. Similar to Final Fantasy XIV, enemies are shown in the overworld, and players can choose whether to engage them in battle while exploring. There's also a player-friendly Gambit system that lets players input command priorities for the game's AI, making it easier for them to respond in different situations.
Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age
FINAL FANTASY® XII THE ZODIAC AGE improves upon the 2006 classic FINAL FANTASY® XII, now more beautiful and easier to play than ever. The high-definition remaster introduces several modern advancements, including reconstructed battle design and a revamped job system.
JRPG
Systems
- Top Critic Rating:85/100 Critics Recommend:91%
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch , PC , PlayStation 4 , Xbox One
- Released
- July 11, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Suggestive Themes, Violence, Mild Blood
- How Long To Beat
- 41 Hours
- Metascore
- How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)
- 105 Hours
- Games
- final fantasy xiv
- Video Games
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