Are you looking to immerse yourself in an online world filled with other real players to interact with? You probably want to play an MMORPG. Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (or MMORPG for short) create a fantasy world with quests and goals that allow people to play alongside each other from all around the world.
Currently the world's most-subscribed MMORPG, World of Warcraft takes place within the Warcraft universe of Azeroth. Players pick a faction (the Horde or the Alliance) that shapes their entire gaming experience. Players enjoy quests, group dungeons, armor and abilities, and more as they level up their characters to take on harder and harder challenges.
On the other hand, there's Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. Focused on a strong storyline, the player must deal with the impending threat of an invasion by the Garlean Empire as they complete quests, level their character, and partner with other players to complete dungeons.
Which one is right for you? It all depends on your playing style and what you're looking for in your MMORPG. Here are 7 reasons you should play Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn.
You Enjoy RPG's
The single biggest reason to play Final Fantasy XIV instead of World of Warcraft is based off of your gaming preferences. If you're someone that loves role-playing games, Final Fantasy XIV is the better game for you. Playing Final Fantasy XIV is almost like playing a stand-alone RPG that has MMORPG aspects to it.
While you'll be completing quests and furthering an in-depth storyline in Final Fantasy XIV, you'll occasionally need to group up with other online players to complete objectives or side quests. The story is very overarching and thorough. While World of Warcraft has a bit of a backstory to it, the focus is on gameplay and not on an in-depth story.
Adorable Pets are Your Favorites
Baby Behemoth, Baby Chocobo, and more: if you love adorable pets, Final Fantasy XIV has you covered. While World of Warcraft has some cute pets (such as their cats), Final Fantasy XIV definitely has them outnumbered in cuteness.
While these pets may or may not do anything during battle gameplay, they do follow your character around while you play the game. World of Warcraft also has small pets, but they certainly don't reach the same level of adorable that Final Fantasy XIV was going for.
You Prefer a Single Character
World of Warcraft is enjoyable because you can continually make new characters, with all-new skills and abilities, and build them up to the max level. However, Final Fantasy XIV handles things a bit differently. Instead of making all-new characters for each class (Conjurer, Archer, Rogue, Alchemist, and many more), your single character can play every class. While only one class can be active at a time, you can switch your character to any class at any time.
World of Warcraft characters are locked into their class when the character is created. If you play with friends and want to always be able to switch to a complementary class for your group, Final Fantasy XIV is the way to go.
You Dislike PvP
Standing for "Player Versus Player", PvP means that other characters will be able to kill you. In many games (including World of Warcraft), this killing is limited to certain areas or has certain player restrictions. Final Fantasy XIV doesn't have much of a PvP focus. In Final Fantasy XIV, PvP is not allowed in the main world; it is only available in specific instance areas in an arena-like fashion. In the main world, you're much more likely to find players cooperating to meet objectives.
You'd Prefer to Play with Women
Final Fantasy XIV has a much higher percentage of female players. According to statistics published by the game developers, 49% of Japanese players and 40% of North American/European players are female in Final Fantasy XIV.
For World of Warcraft, the most recent statistic I could find was from a Yee 2005 study that claims only 16% of players are female. If you'd rather be surrounded by female gamers instead of male gamers, Final Fantasy XIV might be a better choice for you.
You'd Rather Play on a Console
World of Warcraft can only be played on a computer. If you have an ancient computer or would rather play on a console, Final Fantasy XIV offers more options. The game can be played on a Windows computer, a Playstation 3, or a Playstation 4. The game's controls have been remapped in each case to adapt to the system you're playing it on.
You Love the Final Fantasy Game Franchise
If you love the Final Fantasy video game series, you'll probably love Final Fantasy XIV. The game is full of callbacks from the game franchise. Some of these are subtle nods such as non-playable character design that resembles main characters from older games. Of course, there are larger inclusions from the franchise including summons, Chocobos, Tonberries, creatures, and more.
