I Played Through All of Final Fantasy XIV in 2 MONTHS - My Review as a Newbie in 2022

🟣 TIMESTAMPS —
0:00 Playing All of FFXIV in 2 Months
0:54 What Convinced to Play FFXIV
3:02 What I Thought of the Main Story of FFXIV
5:43 Playing FFXIV Solo
11:26 The FFXIV Community
14:57 The Main Story of FFXIV
19:10 Being a Newbie to FFXIV
22:22 What About PVP?
22:44 Compared to World of Warcraft?
27:12 Now What?
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▶️ VIDEOS/LINKS I MENTION

My Favorite FFXIV Dungeon Guides by MTQCapture

Luncarcon

Jesse Cox

The Story of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn

Noclip - FFXIV Documentary

FF14 - 2022 Complete Beginner's Guide!

FINAL FANTASY XIV: Starter Guide Series

[HeatherJustPlay]

It took me about ~350 hours to play through the main story of Final Fantasy XIV (A Realm Reborn, Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers, and Endwalker). It was a slow summer at work 😬. Also, if you want to play together, my character's name is Oliver Benley and I'm on Behemoth! This video is SPOILER-FREE!

🟣 TIMESTAMPS —
0:00 Playing All of FFXIV in 2 Months
0:54 What Convinced to Play FFXIV
3:02 What I Thought of the Main Story of FFXIV
5:43 Playing FFXIV Solo
11:26 The FFXIV Community
14:57 The Main Story of FFXIV
19:10 Being a Newbie to FFXIV
22:22 What About PVP?
22:44 Compared to World of Warcraft?
27:12 Now What?

Links and videos I mention are in the description!

Edit: I stopped playing WoW during Burning Crusade so I didn't know they also came out with dungeon finder and transmog. That's cool!

Also, I’m currently editing my next video! Thanks for watching a new channel! 😊

[Rashico]

I definitely know that feeling of being so filled with love for FFXIV and wanting so badly to talk to people about it. I've been playing for a year now and I'm still desperate to get more of my friends to play because ugh, it's just so good. I hate that people kind of dismiss it because it's an MMO. It's honestly such a unique and incredible story experience because you get so attached to your WoL and they're the hero. I played WoW for well over a decade and I never felt even remotely attached to my characters in that game like I do to my WoL.

[itsbosco]

Playing the entire FFXIV in 2 months is like watching 5 seasons of a TV show that lasted for 10 years all at once, it just feels so good

[gravitycat]

Final Fantasy 14 is deffo my forever "MMO". There is just something satisfying about having a clear and concise story that blends in with the multiplayer content that fits so nicely compared to other games. Also Soken's music is baller and Nobou Uematsu couldn't have picked a better heir to the Final Fantasy Soundtrack.

[justinnelson]

I was genuinely saddened to hear that you felt so compelled to watch guides and were stressed out over not understanding boss mechanics. The community is super welcoming and understanding when sprouts make mistakes. It has happened to all of us! We all died to x mechanic that one time, we were all confused at first. We as the community are here to help you make it through the dungeon, not to make the game stressful! If we all die, its a part of the process of learning, and we are always happy to help. Don't feel like you are letting your party down if you make a mistake, its human!

[KiIowatt]

I started a year ago and I always did all the dungeons blind, and I still go into new content blind to this day. I don't think there's pressure to know the mechanics upto and including extreme trials. I would only suggest it for savage and ultimate.

[Artemicion]

16:00 I maintain that ARR is better than people remember. I just went through it again on an alt, and with a full grasp of the world's politics and dynamics, as well as knowledge of what happens later, the story beats are *immensely* satisfying.

ARR is my second favorite story in the game, behind Shadowbringers.

[liquidhandsanitizer]

I've been doing the exact same thing as you. After an actual YEAR of my best friend talking about and trying to convince me to play FFXIV with her, I finally caved and started playing (I'm 33 and I guess I was avoiding it because I didn't want it to turn into a WoW situation... Like... I have a 8-5 job now you know??). I have been playing for only a month and I already blazed through Stormblood and on my way through the patches leading up to Shadowbringers. Having a friend that is already invested in the game helps immensely... She is also enjoying my reactions to the story and watching the cutscenes with me. Honestly, this is my favorite MMO. Everyone is so understanding and kind (I never felt like I was inconveniencing everyone by being a sprout), the story itself is so GOOD and I am absolutely invested, the game is pretty, I can play dress up with my character (I have an off-brand Lara Croft glamour I often use because of course I do).... Everything you said in this video I agree with wholeheartedly.

[chrism.]

From what I've found, unless you're in high end content, no one really expects anyone to know mechanics in story dungeons and raids. As a healer main for 2 years its actually very endearing seeing sprouts fail in the story combat content that I also did back when I joined. 😊

[DomMcDon]

I have been trying to get my sister to play this game with me for years! She refuses because it's an mmo but I keep trying to tell her it's not as daunting as it seems... Thank you for this as I will be sharing it with her and hopefully she feels compelled to at least try it out with me!

[Hkhai]

Don't be anxious, everyone was just as bad when they started. You're bad because you're new, that's nothing to be ashamed of.

[Chronos]

9:54 I can understand that concern, especially coming from WoW, but the FF14 community is so forgiving and kind. I can honestly count the bad experiences I've had with randos on one hand over the course of three years.

[vannthybun]

As someone who’s played since open beta it still delights me to see new sprouts and newbies. It warms my heart to see their joy and wonder at this incredible world. I don’t even mind if they make mistakes/cause wipes, cuz we were all there at some point 🥰

[stanu]

Wow, your thoughts on the game and mine are so similar! I’m in the same age range and a lifelong gamer as well, Chrono cross was a favorite of mine too, and I had played and loved the entire FF series but never touched XI or XIV, and I fell in love with it too once someone talked me into trying it last year. Love love love seeing your experience, it was so relatable! This is a game that I love so much to the point where I’m slightly sad I’ll never be able to experience it for the first time again.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience! Your excitement to talk about it was downright infectious and made me smile. Hope you keep playing and loving it!

And because my FC leader would smack me if I didn’t put it out there: if you ever want to revisit the FC idea with some good folks who geek out about the story and the game as a whole, come visit the 903rd Marauders over on Sargatanas sometime :) Wishing us both many more awesome adventures!

[wesesheskhnemtuhit]

Started a couple of weeks ago. You really hit many similarities I feel with this game. Great video!

[HailDanielle]

I’m the same way! I get so nervous and anxious playing with other people. But I found that everyone is really nice and some people just enjoy helping because they love the game so much ❤️

[itsmrotaku]

Awesome video! I'm still a sprout a lvl 55 Dragoon. I love this game so far!

[Eelanos]

Waaaay back when, about 4/5 years now, I remember holding back on playing XIV because it was suscription based, but unlike other people, I was *sure* I'd get hooked on the game and that's why I was avoiding it. Then they expanded the trial to be unlimited time but up to lv35 (This is before they expanded it to all of ARR/HW) and I was certain I was making a mistake while I was downloading the game.
This many years later, and sure enough, it was a terrible mistake. I can't leave this game for long periods of time, because it's just so good. I've finished the story, but there's so much cool side content, and even PvP (Crystal Conflict in specific) is so much fun.

And now I'm bound by the "Pay it forward" mentality of the game. I got helped so much when I started, even though I was avoiding people for the most part, but my Free Company constantly gifted me high level gear each time I had issues or reached a milestone, like gifting me a crafted high quality level 50 gear when I leveled up my first crafter job. I just can't help but help people back, be it helping them through dungeons or even playing Uber Driver for them so they can reach aethercurrents or key story parts faster. It just melts my heart seeing them grow to love the game as much as I do.


In this super hostile videogame environment we're in, where being toxic is considered a strategy to win versus other players, FFXIV is such an unusual oasis of positivity, and I'll do everything in my hand to keep it as a safe haven for people, or as other call it, the "Gamer's retirement home".

[Hiccup-enwh]

Welcome to FFXIV! Absolutely loving how much you seem to be enjoying your time with the game and the community, it's super refreshing being able to take a break from the real world and just immerse into this ever expanding fantasy world haha. Very much keeping an eye on this channel moving forwards, you're very natural on camera and Id love to see more of your journey in FFXIV as you maybe catch up on old side content or as you join us moving forwards from patch to patch in the lead up to the next expansion.

[SuperMrchak]

I really adored all the points of why you enjoy FFXIV, and it is definitely a good way to enjoy the game as i can definitely relate and it is the way i play it as well. I remember when i first started i flat out REFUSED to do any sort of group content, but a friend of mine held my hand. I super didn't want to play with other people. And this was BEFORE they introduced the AI companions to do it with.
I would love to see more of your takes on various parts of the game, and how you as this type of player see it. Please keep up the good work! It was such a pleasure to watch your videos!