Is FFXI Worth Playing in 2022?

The game is still viral 18 years after its release, with almost 100K daily players and over 1 million subscribers. So, you can say that FFXI is still worth playing. In North America, Final Fantasy XI was released for PC in October 2003, and in March 2004, PlayStation 2 users could access the game.

Something about the game certainly keeps players engaged and interested. Despite its release in September 2010, Final Fantasy XIV was a dismal failure. Further, you will know the reason why FFXI is still worth playing.

Unique Gameplay

FFXI has remained popular due to its unique gameplay. This game is an MMORPG with several differences from previous games in the series. Unlike previous Final Fantasy titles where the characters were predefined, this game allows players to choose a race, a facial style, and many other things. 

Unlike previous titles in the series, the setting of this game is entirely three-dimensional, and enemies roam freely, making battles more realistic than in the random encounters. With approximately 15,000 to 20,000 players in each, the game now offers 16 public game worlds rather than 32 at its peak. 

Players were granted access to a private Test Server in mid-2011 to provide feedback on game updates. As a result, each server has a name referring to one of the summoned monsters from a past Final Fantasy game. 

It is possible to move between servers, but you might have to pay a fee for these transfers. A library of translated phrases is available to make an automatic translation available to players of different languages, unlike other games that rely on servers.

Like many other games, FFXI also has an in-game currency called GIL. It will take different quests to earn more GIL in Final Fantasy XI. You can make GIL by purchasing it, however. Several sources are available for you to purchase GIL. 

When purchasing in-game currency, people often recommend MMOPIXEL as one of the few trusted sources. MMOPIXEL has affordable prices to buy FFXI Gil.

Unique Story

The story unfolds primarily through missions assigned to the player's governing nation across the base game and its expansions. Generally, affiliation with a nation is quite straightforward, with a few prerequisite quests to complete and a progression of rewards and recognition to achieve. 

It is even necessary to complete some missions to progress further into the additional storylines of each expansion or specific area. San d'Oria, Bastok, and Windurst make up the game's three major countries, and you must ally them against the Shadow Lord. 

As revealed in the expansion Rise of the Zilart, Eald'Narche, and Kam'lanaut, two Zilart princes who survived the extinction, planned the Crystal War and raised the Shadow Lord. Players are charged with stopping the Zilarts from gaining power through the opening of paradise.

Weapon Skills & Magic Bursts

The Final Fantasy XI also has a unique weapon and magic bursts system. The use of weapons is an essential aspect of battle in Final Fantasy. When a player deals physical damage, they gain Tactical Points. 

TP gauges above 1000 enable players to unlock Weapon Skills, allowing them to attack their enemies and sometimes to benefit themselves. There is a maximum amount of TP a Weapon Skill can use. 

The amount of TP that it uses during use is also taken into account when determining its efficiency. Skill chains result from using the right weapon skills at the appropriate time in succession.

The damage dealt by different skill chains varies with their power level. Chaining skill chains of lower levels on top of one another can result in stronger chain effects. 

A Magic Burst happens when a spell is cast immediately after a Skillchain occurs. Skill chains and magic bursts act like a team effort and are often needed to take down the most challenging foes in battle.

Leveling & Partying

Leveling and partying is another thing that makes Final Fantasy XI worthy even in 2022. You gain experience points by leveling up. In addition to defeating enemies, completing Quests and Missions, and participating in Campaign Battles, there are other ways to gain experience.

Parties are a common feature in almost every gameplay system since they allow each role to excel, allowing players to kill harder monsters faster than when playing alone. 

By working together with a Warrior specializing in damage output, the two can use each other's strengths - the Warrior can bring down a foe while the White Mage cures him - to defeat enemies faster. Chaining the deaths of hard monsters gives you a significant experience bonus. 

The maximum number of players in an alliance is 18, comprising up to 3 full parties. Despite the limitations on the number of players that can be on a battlefield simultaneously, multiplayer games using battlefields are there to challenge large numbers of people simultaneously.