When players hear MMO, they most likely think ofBlizzard’sWorld of Warcraft. Thanks to this acclaimed MMO, players and their friends can go on adventures and be heroes in their own stories. And while a lot of other MMOs appeared on the market, more players still compare them with Blizzard’s hit IP. After all, it’sWOWthat popularized third person, click-based, hotkey-focused gameplay. Moreover, thanks to its subscription-based model with regular expansions, it seemsWOWwill maintain the top MMO spot in the charts.
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That is, untilFinal Fantasy 14came along. ThisSquare EnixIP, with its current iteration actually the second version ofFF 14, allowsFinal Fantasyfans to forge their ownFinal Fantasystory. Thanks to existing and iconicFinal Fantasyelements, Square Enix managed to transform its hit fantasy RPG series into a full-blown MMO. In fact, others considerFF 14much better thanWorld of Warcraft. Which MMO prevails, though?
10FF 14 Wins: Consistency Is Key
True to its parentage,FF 14focused on weaving a central narrative and gameplay developments across regular patches and major expansions. Moreover, its colorful cast of heroes, villains, and other characters helped weave together a plot that remains consistent throughout the game’s patches, updates, and expansions.
As such,FF 14effectively makes use of all existing plot elements - be it major characters, major events, major items, and major plot hooks. Moreover, frequent patches add new story content, new dungeons, and new adjustments to gameplay - making everything feel consistent. True to the storytelling prowess of Square Enix,FF 14feels like playing a separateFinal Fantasygame per expansion.
9Warcraft Does It Better: Building Upon Itself
AllWoWexpansions take place afterWarcraft 3, effectively makingWorld of Warcraftboth an MMO and a sequel. However, unlike other MMOs,WoW’s expansions remain both standalone and interrelated. Hardcore fans will be able to weave togetherWorld of Warcraft’s overarching story with lore all around Azeroth. However, those who want a pretty chill experience can enjoy the main story as presented in that particular expansion.
While its overall canon leaves much to be desired,WoWnever follows the stereotypical “new expansion, new threat, same solution” format. Instead, each new feature they present in the expansion ties into the main storyline properly and sets the stage to new expansions by offering just enough story hooks.
8FF 14 Wins: Trademark Job System
Thanks to its signature Job System,FF 14easily integrates the franchise’swealth of class optionsinto gameplay. As such, players can find themselves choosing one of 20 Class options that slowly transition into 10 Job types. Gladiators become Paladins, Thaumaturges become Black Mages, and Conjurers may become White Mages.
Each of these Class and Job types brings unique skills, abilities, and class options that can further diversify gameplay. Moreover, the clear division of Class Roles into DPS (Physical or Magical), Healers, and Tanks make raid party organization much easier to accomplish. As such,FF 14players get to use Classes with abilities similar to other RPGs but with a uniqueFinal Fantasyspin.
7Warcraft Does It Better: Familiar Classes, Kits
InWorld of Warcraft, players choose a Class depending on their particular Race - both of which have their unique sets of abilities, skills, and perks. Moreover,WoWdoesn’t complicate the game with rather peculiar class names unlike in other MMOs. Instead,WoWtakes familiar class concepts and instead diversifies them with various kits. As such,a Cleric may specializein Healing or Tanking roles, depending on their build.
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Moreover, perhaps unique toWoW’s setting would be “Hero” classes- the Death Knight and the Demon Hunter. These Hero classes have roles to play in the game’s overarching plot, adding a new layer of thrill forWoWplayers.
6FF 14 Wins: Subtly Final Fantasy
What perhaps makesFF 14such a compelling material would be its faithfulness to theFinal Fantasybrand. For instance, the game makes use of itsFinal Fantasybranding extremely efficiently. Instead of sticking to a specific design style, they instead ensured the integration of stapleFinal Fantasyelements with their unique visual spin.
As such,Final Fantasyfans will loveFF 14for its faithfulness to the brand. For instance, the game contains stapleFinal Fantasyclasses such as the Red Mage, Black Mage, and White Mage. Moreover, the game also takes on the Moogle, the Chocobo, and Ivalice-esque art for its high fantasy setting, equipment, and weapons.
5Warcraft Does It Better: Recognizable Style
Another element that setsWoWapart from its contemporaries is its recognizable art style. Granted, more MMOs today take on a more stylish and realistic take on character, creature, and environment design. However,WoWstays true to its visual design with bolder shapes and colors, as well as seemingly-hand-drawn textures, and even unique-looking spells. As a result,WoWremains as one of the more visually-unique MMOs today.
This style choice boosts the level of personalization players get with their characters. Thanks to the Transmogrification tool that alters equipment appearances, players can make unique looks that still hold signatureWarcraftaesthetic. As such, players feel that their characters belong to both them and the actual game.
4FF 14 Wins: Fast And Loose
Unlike conventional MMOs,FF 14makes full use of its PC and console gaming options. In fact, others might argue its console experience serves more action-packed experiences. Whereas most PC MMOs rely on tedious hotkeys, controller-basedFF 14makes full use of triggers, arrow keys, and the full controller.
Moreover, it seems the game also built a lot of its gameplay with the controller in mind. As such, players feel like their movement actually matters in this MMO. Thanks to controller-oriented gameplay, staying stationary easily becomes fatal in raids. Moreover, active movement becomes encouraged based on the nature of combat.
3Warcraft Does It Better: Bolder Is Better
Thanks to its veteran status,World of Warcraftremains in the position to try out newer and bolder attempts into diversifying its gameplay options. Granted,WoWstays within its point-and-click gameplay system. Like most MMOs afterWoW, the game boasts hotkeys for spells, macro options for quick-casts, as well as various talent and skill tree options to diversify their characters.
However,WoWrises to the top in terms of gameplay thanks to its constant improvement to its gameplay systems. Unlike other MMOs,WoWhas the resources to risk making massive changes to its gameplay to improve both game experience and player retention.
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For instance,World of Warcraftslowly introduced level-scaling to mitigate over-leveling, while the newestShadowlandsexpansion will reset levels back to 60 to make way for more game balancing changes.
2FF 14 Wins: Genuinely Final Fantasy
OlderFF 14fans will remember that today’sFF 14is actually the game’s second iteration. The firstFF 14(or 1.0) received extreme negative reception that Square Enix had to makean apologyfor making the game. In turn, they built the current game,FF 14:A Realm Reborn, with this critical reception in mind. Moreover, they didn’t make the newFF 14a standalone game, either. What’s interesting is that they ended 1.0 with an in-game apocalypse and transitioned intoA Realm Reborn. Talk aboutturning a defeat into a victory.
InA Realm Reborn, players find themselves on the planet Hydaelyn, specifically in the continent of Eorzea. They’ll soon realize that they’re actually heroes from a ruined past, one where the Calamity had struck Eorzea and the heroes were sent to the future and ensure no disaster of this scale happens again.
1Warcraft Does It Better: A Lasting Legacy
The fact that games released afterWorld of Warcraft’s launch were touted as"WoW-killers" speak for the former’s legacy in the market. True enough, more MMOs nowadays offer something vastly new that Blizzard’s hit MMO can’t easily match. However, fans may argue that modern MMO systems today owe a lot toWoW’s designers.
Unlike most MMOs,WoWcan boast its legacy as a point of attraction. After all, interested players can try out theWarcraftRTS titles to get a sense of the story before the MMO. Likewise,Warcrafthas set a unique-enough story that’s equal parts in-depth and light enough for lore-lovers and casuals to appreciate, respectively.
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