Let me start by saying I’m not really a fan of MMOs. I have dabbled a in a few and found that they’re not for me. I am, however, a huge Final Fantasy fan and was interested in how A Realm Reborn would play. It’s certainly piqued my interest and after going hands-on, I’ll definitely be signing up for the beta.
After being shown the incredibly vibrant, action packed new trailer released for E3 some of the finer points and changes were explained. The new FATE (Full Active Time Event) system that allows for more spontaneous action in the field creating a more flowing battle system.
One piece of information I was particularly interested in is the idea that changing class is easily accessible. Rather than having to create a new character from scratch and start from the bottom of the food chain just to try a new character class you can just switch armor changing class like the job system we all know and live from older Final Fantasy titles. This appealed to me as a newcomer to the series ad the genre as I haven’t played MMOs extensively and don’t have a favorite or preferred class.
Another interesting feature introduced in beta is the addition of chocobos as AI helpers for players that don’t want to play in huge clans and prefer a more single player experience. Obviously this isn’t going to help you take down any of the mighty summon bosses the Final Fantasy series is know for but it looks like more than just a beast master class and a possible option for some serious solo play.
The character creation looks to be as incredibly detailed as you would expect and require in a game you will be devoting countless hours if play to. As expected, you start by choosing a sex and race, with a little extra customization in the further choice of sub race. That’s when things get even more detailed, the options in choosing hair style, facial tattoos and countless other details will test your stick shaking abilities to their limit. Seriously, the options are numerous to say the least. Surely I will be spending a ludicrous amount of time in the black hole that is the character creator refining my player.
After the run down of new features and a few quick tips on how to not suck myself and seven other courageous adventures were ushered to the game station were we picked our classes for the impending boss fight challenge. Not just bragging rights were at stake as we were promised if we can defeat the monstrous Ifrit in the allotted 10 minutes we would walk away with a very exclusive FF XIV promo shirt. After watching eight teams fail before me I wasn’t overly confident and my lack of MMO skills weren’t helping either but my competitive side wanted that shirt and the incredibly obnoxious oversize (almost three feet tall; see below) bag that it came in.
I chose an archer on the PS3 control system and began familiarizing myself with the controls which I found surprisingly simple. Movement on the left stick, camera on the right. Holding L1 changes the D pad and familiar playstaion buttons on the right hand side to the a actions for buffs while holding R1 changes them to attacks. It’s very simple and easy for a beginner to pick up and play. The targeting system was not as intuitive as I would have hoped, being controlled with the D pad it was initially hard to select the towering fire beast in front of me but I got the hang of it after a few frantic moments.
The first attempt to subdue Ifrit and claim his power as my own in the traditional Final Fantasy way was a failure and lesson in the all important teamwork MMOs do desperately require. Having been vanquished in a few minutes by Ifrit’s infamous hellfire attack gave us a chance to regroup and once again begin the breath, but our time was tuning out and it looked like we were not going to finish a second attack. The second attempt was a much more impressive effort as Ifrits health bar receded like Homer Simpsons hair line, no joke it looked like a frightened turtle trying to escape our might. With little time to spare the great beast was subdued to the cheers of a surprising amount of onlookers on the south hall show floor.
And that’s the courageous story of how I won a free shirt playing what is soon to be an excellent looking MMO in my PS3 collection.
The Realm Reborn beta begins soon.
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