Yoshida explains that during A Realm Reborn's development, the team was so hard-pressed rebuilding FF14 after its failed first launch that they simply didn't have enough time to create an engaging and well-paced story.

But if not, you still got to experience a bit of what makes FF14 special.Īnd if you've tried FF14 before and bounced off of it, it's worth giving it another shot because Reflections in Crystal also addresses some of the biggest complaints about the story told in a player's first 50 levels. If you liked Heavensward and want more, then you can choose to buy the game and subscription to play onward into the Stormblood and Shadowbringers expansions (which are both great). You'll occasionally have to group with other players to complete certain dungeons and boss battles, but you'll have little standing between you and some of the best Final Fantasy storytelling since FF9. While I enjoy a lot of the grind that is FF14's endgame, players could easily use the free trial to play A Realm Reborn and Heavensward like a singleplayer RPG. It's a ridiculously good deal.īut what's great about this free trial is that you don't even need to commit to playing Final Fantasy 14 like a proper MMO. Players will be able to reach level 60, participate in all the associated dungeons and cool Primal boss battles, and experience the excellent Heavensward story-which easily rivals the best games in the series. On August 11, though, Reflections in Crystal will expand the free trial to include everything from A Realm Reborn and the first expansion, Heavensward. That upfront cost is a big ask for a story-based MMO where the best bits don't happen until much later. With the current free trial, you're only able to level to 35 (along with a few common restrictions like not being able to access the in-game player market) before having to cough up money. If ever there was a time to start playing Final Fantasy 14, it's now. Even if you don't intend to play after beating Heavensward, you're still able to experience one of the best stories in the entire series. Now, everything up to and including Heavensward, the first expansion, is free and the grind is being reworked to be much less annoying. Final Fantasy 14's free trial and A Realm Reborn are getting a big overhaul. But on August 11, when FF14's 5.3 update titled Reflections in Crystal launches, I'm not going to have many caveats about recommending it anymore.

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