Final Fantasy 14 used to be the best MMO that I hated to recommend to new players. Its episodic story resembles a lot of great TV shows, with expansion-like seasons that peel back new layers of mystery and drama while evolving its core characters in exciting ways. But getting into FF14 is daunting—it's expensive to get started (the base game, the latest expansion, and the first month's subscription fee will set you back almost $100) and the first season, called A Realm Reborn, is a total slog. 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. Final Fantasy 14's free trial and A Realm Reborn are getting a big overhaul. Now, everything up to and including Heavensward, the first expansion, is free and the grind is being reworked to be much less annoying. 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. If ever there was a time to start playing Final Fantasy 14, it's now.
Final Fantasy 14 used to be the best MMO that I hated to recommend to new players. Its episodic story resembles a lot of great TV shows, with expansion-like seasons that peel back new layers of mystery and drama while evolving its core characters in exciting ways. But getting into FF14 is daunting—it’s expensive to get started (the base game, the latest expansion, and the first month’s subscription fee will set you back almost $100) and the first season, called A Realm Reborn, is a total slog. 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. Final Fantasy 14’s free trial and A Realm Reborn are getting a big overhaul. Now, everything up to and including Heavensward, the first expansion, is free and the grind is being reworked to be much less annoying. 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. If ever there was a time to start playing Final Fantasy 14, it’s now. Taking it slow 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. That upfront cost is a big ask for a story-based MMO where the best bits don’t happen until much later. On August 11, though, Reflections in Crystal will expand the free trial to include everything from A Realm Reborn and the first expansion, Heavensward. 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.
