FFXIV sale is the perfect time to find out why it’s the best MMO

pcgamesn.com:

FFXIV is the best MMORPG right now – I said it. Not exactly a controversial statement these days, perhaps; as its biggest rival World of Warcraft clambers to re-find its identity, Final Fantasy XIV seems to go from strength to strength. If you’ve never tried the critically acclaimed MMORPG, or fell off before its most recent Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions, now might be the ideal time to jump in thanks to a Steam sale.

Now approaching its tenth anniversary, the revamped Final Fantasy XIV turned what was a rather underwhelming initial effort into one of the most beloved MMOs around, and it’s not hard to see why. With a broad, diverse cast of characters ranging from the cute to the mighty to the nefarious, and a stunning world to explore that still, for my money, stands toe-to-toe with some of the best-looking games coming out today, FFXIV is truly something special.

FFXIV’s story is long, rich, and powerful – and, yes, sometimes a little slow in the early stages. But its first expansion, Heavensward, really sets the bar for how its careful character building and richly thought-out world can deliver some of the most memorable moments in gaming. It also continues to build on its excellent gameplay and combat sequences, culminating in countless truly breathtaking fights.

Since then, we’ve had the revolutionary tale of Stormblood, which features some slightly uneven story pacing but takes its dungeons and fights to even higher heights. This was followed by the phenomenal Shadowbringers, a narrative masterpiece that might be one of the most finely crafted fantasy tales in any medium, and then the grand conclusion of FFXIV’s first full story arc in its most recent expansion, Endwalker.

The great news is that even if