5. Learning Curve
A major flaw of so many MMOs is that they set you up with your gear, send you off into the open, but then don't continue to slowly nurture your skills, but simply expect you to suddenly keep up as the difficulty spikes up considerably. A Realm Reborn walks the impossibly fine line of being challenging enough for MMO veterans, but also not alienating FF fans who just might be dipping their feet in this type of experience. The dungeons, for instance, start off as a piece of cake, but by the time you're approaching level 30, you're likely to start feeling the grind, and will need to be vigilant to emerge in one piece. Still, bringing in a Chocobo to help out as a tank or healer is useful in papering over any strategic errors you might make, yet at the same time it won't effortlessly bail you out if you've bitten off more than you can chew. The word here is balance, and A Realm Reborn tackles it perfectly.