Why I kept coming back to Final Fantasy XIV in 2024

digitaltrends.com:

The MMO genre is overflowing with titles vying for the attention of anyone willing to invest significant portions of their time in a single game. There are no doubt plenty of killer choices you can make based on what type of combat, endgame, and payment model you prefer, ensuring that you’ll almost certainly find one that fits you just right. I’ve been investing off and on in the genre for over two decades, with thousands of hours poured into everything from old, niche titles like Silkroad Online (which I just learned somehow still exists) to worldwide successes like World of Warcraft and Guild Wars.

In recent years, though, I find myself disappointed in various aspects of many popular MMOs, whether it’s an overwhelming focus on endgame raiding, too much PVP-centric content, or unfriendly communities that make me cringe when I even glance at the chat. None of that is a problem when I return to Final Fantasy XIV. I somehow feel at peace each time I load up Square Enix’s long-running MMO, and it’s becoming harder and harder for me to want to venture elsewhere.

Unlike most MMOs that I give up for good anytime I’m hit with a burnout phase, I’ve been consistently hopping in and out of FFXIV since its rerelease and rebranding as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn in 2013. Each new expansion, including this year’s Dawntrail, brings me back into the fold. I never fail to have a good time with each revisit, whether it’s for just a few casual weeks or multiple months of daily playtime. It isn’t going away anytime soon either, as evidenced by the mobile version of it currently in development.

• One of the best games of the year is coming to PlayStation
• I own a PlayStation 5 Pro.