Final Fantasy 14: 10 Reasons It Deserves Your Attention In 2021
8. JRPG In A JRPG-Less World
JRPG's are drastically depleting in number as the ninth generation of consoles finds its footing, and in a landscape where offerings are limited to a handful of exceptional, AAA titles every decade, the Final Fantasy series is still, thankfully, going strong.
XIV, while not at all turn-based, has enough JRPG mechanics to tingle the senses of even the toughest of JRPG nerds. Healing potions, detailed item management and shamelessly grinding for experience points are all staples of Final Fantasy XIV, and each serves as an essential component of the game's design as well as success.
Embedded in the subscription price is a handful of truly great narratives populated by compelling characters and epic story sequences, and though its runtime is decidedly longer than any JRPG in existence, that only means that this offering is all the more valuable in a year that looks devoid of interesting releases in the Japanese role-playing genre.
If you're the most passionate of JRPG purists you may be turned off by the social aspects or action-based combat of Final Fantasy XIV, but those of us who embrace the evolution of the genre we love will see it as just another way that Square Enix' crowning MMO can keep you engaged.