Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

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Overwatch 2 has an on-boarding problem, and it should look to Final Fantasy 14 to fix it

When it comes to helping players understand and actually enjoy the game, Overwatch 2 has a lot to learn from Final Fantasy 14. The stage is set for victory. You and your allies have the enemy cornered as the clock ticks into overtime, and there’s seemingly no way you can fail – or so you think. Suddenly, your slightly damaged healer falls back and says “Come to me for healing!” So your tank does, departing the frontline and getting their wounds patched up. Your other healer is in a corner somewhere, staying out of danger. Both games have similarly convoluted…

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Final Fantasy XIV now lets you solo more with an NPC party

A fresh Final Fantasy XIV patch today has made the game friendlier to solo players, with the new Duty Support System letting you go through a load of main scenario duties solo with NPC party members. Oh, but that’s a tiny piece of patch 6.1, which also whams in new quests and and new items and a new housing district and new haircuts and… goodness me I’m still a little surprised when I remember how FF14 was initially so awful that Square Enix shut it down for almost a year. Read more

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Final Fantasy XIV players enter mourning as Patch 6.01 smooths out blocky grapes

Final Fantasy XIV players haven’t had it easy these last few weeks. The sheer success of its Endwalker expansion resulted in lengthy login queues and server errors. It’s become so popular that Square Enix have temporarily stopped selling the game, taking its Starter and Complete Editions off sale. All the while, some low-poly grapes stayed static in the breeze. Jagged, delicious, minding their own business. Until their blockiness was papped and thrust into the public eye. Memes ensued and the grapes became the talk of the town, so much so that they’ve been smoothed out in the latest patch, much…

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Final Fantasy XIV is so popular, Square Enix are stopping selling it

Final Fantasy XIV is suffering from success, thanks, in part, to its recently released Endwalker expansion. Despite updates to ease server errors and long queue times, players are still struggling to log into the game. So, Square Enix have only gone and done it. They’ve temporarily suspended sales of the game, as well as new registrations for the free trial version. Even adverts are being stopped for now. Read more

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Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker review in progress: a slow start but full of promise

After a crazy summer that saw Final Fantasy XIV’s playerbase expand dramatically during what was supposed to be a quiet period, it’s no surprise that anyone wanting to tuck into the new Endwalker expansion has a lot of queueing to do. But if you can stand the two hour waits and dreaded 2002 error then you’re in for a grand, if a little slow-starting, adventure. Final Fantasy XIV: Endwalker is the final chapter in the story arc of warring gods Zodiark and Hydaelyn, and sees you trot across the globe to make new friends, fight old foes, and get some…