World of Warcraftis arguably the most well-known MMORPG to gamers and has become so popular that even non-gamers know what it is. Set in the same world of Azeroth as it’s non-MMOWarcraftpredecessors,World of Warcraftoriginally released in 2004 and has had several expansions since launch, as well as aclassic vanilla versionthat launched in 2019.
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MMOs have come a long way sinceWorld of Warcraftfirst launched and there’s now more competition on the market, however, most players are only willing to shell out a subscription fee for one MMO at a time. One ofWorld of Warcraft’s most notable rivals isFinal Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. So how does the veteran MMORPG stand up to this newer contender? Read on to find out.
10Final Fantasy 14: Graphics
There’s no denying thatFinal Fantasy XIVis a beautiful game, the graphics of thecharacters, creatures, and surroundings really are truly stunning and this makes it all the more immersive for players.
On the other hand,World of Warcraftdefinitely shows its age, even despite getting a much-needed graphics overhaul with the release of its expansionWarlords of Draenorin 2014. Of course,World of Warcrafthas a different style with it being less realistic and more cartoony, but even taking that into account,Final Fantasy XIVis just visually more pleasing for players.
9World of Warcraft: The Original Angry Dragon
World of Warcraftmade history when it decided to break the mold and change the environment of its game with itsCataclysmexpansion in 2010. The story tells of the evil dragon Deathwing descending down and terrorizing the world, forever changing the game. Some older quests were entirely lost andmany areas became differentthan what they were before. It was a unique tactic that refreshed the game and poured new life into the player base, though it was a contentious idea at the time.
WhenFinal Fantasy XIVfirst launched in 2010, it was a commercial and critical failure, prompting a new team to come in and later re-launch it in 2013. Certain characters, certain plots, and areas carried over to the re-release, but to explain the other differences made in-game from the original version, the plot told of the Dragon King Bahamut escaping his Dalumud prison and laying waste to Eorzea. They say that imitation is a form of flattery.
8Final Fantasy 14: Available on Console
A big advantage thatFinal Fantasy XIVhas overWorld of Warcraftis that it is accessible to more players as it’s not just a PC exclusive.Final Fantasy XIVoriginally launched on PlayStation 3 alongside its PC version, before being added to PlayStation 4 in 2014 and an Xbox One version is reportedly currently in development. Additionally, it has already been confirmed thatFinal Fantasy XIVwill also be available for PlayStation 5.
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World of Warcraftis only available to PC players, despite fans calling for it to be ported to consoles. However, there’s still time for it to happen, especially with the next-generation of consoles not far away.
7World of Warcraft: PVP
Though it’s not for everyone,PVPis a major part of any MMO and players expect to receive PVP in some way, shape, or form.World of Warcraft’s PVP is unparalleled, not only having instanced battlegrounds pitting players against other teams, but also having duels, Arena PVP for tournaments, and lots more, as well as offering worldwide PVP where you’re able to take out other players of the opposing faction by activating War Mode.
Final Fantasy XIVcurrently offers far fewer PVP opportunities thanWorld of Warcraft, with none being available in the main world at all. Even dueling between two characters is only available in the instanced area of The Wolves' Den.
6Final Fantasy 14: Music
One of the aces thatFinal Fantasy XIVhas up its sleeve is undoubtedly its celebrated soundtrack, which is unsurprising as much of the music was composed by legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu.
The music is so popular that Square Enix releases the CD soundtracks for purchase for eachexpansion, as well as some for the larger updates too. There is no other MMO, not evenWorld of Warcraft, which can match up to the standard of music thatFinal Fantasy XIVhas set for its players.
5World of Warcraft: Factions Matter
One of the biggest choices players are faced with when playingWorld of Warcraftis whether to play for the Horde or for the Alliance, withracesother than Pandaren being dictated by your choice. This choice massively affects gameplay, not just in terms of race, but of story content and areas in which you may easily pass through.
Allowing players to have that competitive edge with one another is also a great way to bolster the sense of community.Final Fantasy XIVhas three different factions you may choose from at the beginning of the game, basically choosing which nation you start in. You can swap nations at any point in the game and it largely has no impact whatsoever on your gameplay, bar a few starting quests.
4Final Fantasy 14: Events
BothWorld of WarcraftandFinal Fantasy XIVoffer great in-game events for players, with many seasonal favorites returning year after year with tweaked rewards. However,Final Fantasy XIVoffers its players a little more when it comes to this feature, as the long-running franchise has a whole host of other games to collaborate with, such asFinal Fantasy XI,Final Fantasy XIII, andFinal Fantasy XIV.
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It’s not justFinal Fantasytitles that do cross-over events either,Final Fantasy XIVhas also featured events based on theDragon Quest,NieR,andYo-kai Watchgame series too.
3World of Warcraft: Dynamic Leveling
A fantastic new feature that was added toWorld of Warcraftwith the release of itsLegionexpansion was dynamic leveling. This innovative new idea ensured that the starting zones were no longer swamped with new players, as most areas now utilize dynamic leveling. Essentially, the area syncs to the level you are, including monsters, quests, and rewards.
This also means there are no longer any easy pickings in lower level zones if you return when you are leveled up, as these zones will scale up to your own level.
2Final Fantasy 14: All-in-One Class System
The biggest advantage thatFinal Fantasy XIVhas overWorld of Warcraftis its all-in-one class system. This system eliminates the need for alternative characters or accounts as you may play all the roles you want to with the same character, easily changing between them whenever you wish (well, apart from during dungeons and battle).
However, if you want to experience all of theclassesofWorld of Warcraft, you’ll have to make a set character for each class type. This can be quite a chore as it means going through much of the same story and side quest content all over again.
1World of Warcraft: Fan Service
One thing thatWorld of Warcraftdefinitely seems to pride itself on is its fan service. The game’s community is so tight-knit and loyal, so it’s really nice to see the company giving back. For instance,World of Warcraftis no stranger to creating in-game tributes at the request of fans, such as the nod to the late Robin Williams who was an avidWorld of Warcraftplayer himself.
Additionally,World of Warcrafthas helped to raise money for various charities numerous times, such as selling vanity pets from its online store and donating the proceeds to chosen causes.
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