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Final Fantasy XI tv Review
Story & Characters
The story for Final Fantasy XI, as with every MMORPG you will find, is still growing to this day. Unfortunately, because the series is still relatively fresh (having only two expansions), the story has not evolved very much. The storyline for Final Fantasy XI is, in reality, a very simple, generic, and decently undeveloped plot in which the players online shape almost every aspect of what happens. Unfortunately, the story is so open-ended that there is very little plot to speak of. You choose a town to align yourself with and learn that you are appearing in your respective town fresh out of a war between the united peoples of Vana'diel and the beastment of the world, and the beastment seem to be regrouping and causing trouble in the land, and it is your job to help the resistance against these monsters. While the game seems to hint at a method of conquering different cities and areas under different town flags, all you really do is go out in the world and kill monsters. That's about it. An open-ended story isn't necessarily a bad thing when dealing with an MMORPG, but there are many different online RPGs that have a more developed open-ended plot, such as Star Wars Galaxies, or other titles.
Rating:
Art
The artwork and character models have a level of originality to them that earns it some credit. The character design and models, in addition to some of the races, are visual designs unseen up until that point. After that, however, Final Fantasy XI uses a rather bland and generic design system in terms of enviornments and the bread and butter of design on a whole. Character designs are an unrefined Playstation 2 style of 3D design, and some of the enviornments found in Final Fantasy XI are gritty and undetailed. For Playstation 2 players, these graphics may not seem as bad as other titles and graphics could be, but when played for the PC, the graphics take a hurting overall, as with games like Doom 3 and Unreal Tournament 2004 on the market, so much more could have been done with this title.
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Sound
The sound for this game is not th best production Square Enix has put out, but by no means is it the worst. Without taking the time to play this game and get into it, the sound is the best physical presentation Final Fantasy XI has to offer, and by no means is this a bad thing. The music for each different enviornment is a taste of the new breed of soundtrack being presented by RPG developers, and gives a very unique and interesting flavor to the game on a whole. With a number of catchy tunes fitting each enviornment, this game offers a soundtrack not to be scoffed upon. Sound effects and certain character sounds are very sloppy and basic, but by and large these sound effects are rarely heard, and on that level do not present a great hinderance to the sound system as a whole.
Rating:
Presentation
Final Fantasy XI is a game that proves that sound and graphics do not make a good game. Even with its many unrefined elements and underdeveloped points, Final Fantasy XI is a great MMORPG that just about anyone can get into. It combines classic Final Fantasy with classic MMORPG elements and throws in a little bit of its own style to create a well-balanced game. With relatively untouched features such as being able to change class in the MMORPG enviornment, and dual-class system, Final Fantasy XI is a game that seems to grow as the days go on. Its only staggering weaknesses are the undeveloped storyline and rather slugging gameplay development, which will turn away your seasoned MMORPG player. For those looking for classic player vs. player action, you will find almost none, as a sort of beta PVP system is the only way two online players can duke it out for blood. But perhaps the strongest quality this game is the very unique way the game is built around party development and the importance of teamwork. With any other MMORPG, one stand-alone warrior or magician can raze the lands and collect pillage and plunder while marching over his or her piles of online players, cursing over their lost GP. In FFXI, however, no single person can survive without at least one counterpart to even out combat against stronger monsters. Make no mistake: Final Fantasy XI is most certainly a game worth playing, and although it grows slowly, has the potential to blossom into one of the greatest classic MMORPGs to hit the net.
Rating:
Final Verdict
7.5000 (good)
Reviewed by MightyLuBu, Nov 16, 2004
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