Feature | Beyond the Cube Preview: Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

I am a Beta tester for the PS3 version of A Realm Reborn that has crammed a good number of hours into it. It plays like an MMO with all of the Final Fantasy elements. For console gamers- this is excellent news given the relatively short list of console MMO's. However, MMOs are not your cup of tea, then I suggest looking elsewhere. Yes, collection and bounty hunt quest can get repetitive- but constantly upgrading your character with new gear and abilities to show off in an instanced dungeon with a party or to fellow guildies is a major driver (and an exciting one for many at that). The battle system for PS3 is excellent considering the otherwise limited commands on a controller vs. a keyboard. In battle, each directional button or control pad button issues a different command (that you can customize), and holding down different triggers (R's and L's) opens up a new set of customized commands. It is brilliant and allows for a lot of variation in battle options. The biggest issue I have run into is communicating on the PS3, since there is not currently any voice support and typing is a pain. I am picking up the controller keypad before my session this next weekend and hope it will help.

My problem with MMOs is all the ones i've tried feel like they're watered down game experiences, padded out with a billion fetch quests to keep you paying and playing for a thousand hours.