The game starts off with an incredibly stunning cinematic that drove me to play even more. The four civilizations are fleeing to a well-built keep on top of a ridge, to uphold an invasion by an immense collection of beastmen. Usually beastmen aren’t smart enough to collectively come together to make an army, but they have done so with help. The camera follows the story of two orphans, that couldn’t be over 11 years old, who are fleeing with the soldiers before nightfall. Nightfall appears, and the combined forces of beastmen appear out of the night with fury. The infantry of people used their various fighting skills to hold them off. Magic and arrows were being littered into the night air at the beastmen. Holding back the beastmen using all their might, the beastmen manage to infiltrate the keep, and overrun it. Innocent civilians are being chased and killed everywhere by the vicious beastmen with no intention of mercy. The keep is then overwhelmed in chaos. Then turning to the two orphans, Aldo and Emilan, two beastmen were thirsty for blood. Fleeing for their lives they manage to find a hole that leads them out the back of the keep, but Emilan protecting her younger brother took the sacrifice and was never seen again. The keep ended in ruins. Twenty years later, a new gathering of soldiers returns to the ruined keep, with Aldo, to begin to start over again. This cinematic encouraged me to play, through revenge. I feel that as one of Aldo’s accomplices, it is my solemn duty to return the favor to the beastmen that has caused much pain and suffering.
Creating a player is fun, though you only get one character really, and any other character you own, you have to pay an additional dollar. Supposedly you really only need one character though, but extra characters are good for banking valuable goods. First you could choose between 5 different races, Galka, Elvaan, Hume, Mithra, and Taru Taru. Then you could choose which of the three countries you will stand for, in which Galka and Hume are together to form Bastock, Mithra and Taru Taru presides over Windurst, and Elvaans reign over San D’Oria. Each them having their own racial advantages they compose the civilization you play for. I am a male Elvaan, from San D’Oria, here to protect the collective races of the world at which we know as Vana’diel. I picked this Elvaan, because he is one of the most agile characters in the game and still more powerful than a hume. Though his magic isn’t as powerful, he can deal powerful melee damage and be able to avoid attacks as well. If I were an actual Elvaan living in this world of Vana’diel, this character would be just like me. This character might make the impression that I am playing with a person that is tall and young in real life, or tall and young at heart. On top of that you could be any class you want to be instead of that same warrior-class the whole game. You can change your class throughout the game to whatever you want to be, keeping your inventory throughout the game.
Out of all the MMOs I’ve played, this is by far one of the most beautiful landscapes I’ve seen. Overlooking miles upon mile of incredible landscapes are the four kingdoms that separate each other. This world was built with spectacular realistic design. From forests to deserts and swamps to beaches the scenery changes so drastically that even fly from above the ground on airships, you could almost tell exactly where you are.
Though the games environmental beauty is mesmerizing, the difficulty of the game just skyrocketed. Interlaced with problems finding people throughout the cities, you have lack of movement in the character. Unfortunately, the only visible interaction that you could physically do with your keyboard is target people, talk to people, and run. That is correct; you are in a no jumping game. The interface for this game is a bit different I must say. The usual keys to move in an MMO are thrown out the window. Using the number-pad on the right side of your keyboard are the movement keys, which I found a bit different to use and does take quite some time to get used to. Creating macros in this game helps out a ton, when fighting enemies.
The game is difficult to play, but that is what makes the game fun. The sense of a challenge, willpower and determination to master all your classes and be the ultimate member of your civilization is your goal. Defeating as many of the beastmen as possible, meeting new people, and unraveling the story behind what is to become of Vana’diel is the plot of my new adventure ahead of me. Though the times when camping out in different environments may be hard, and discovering new tactics, skills and magic to defeat my enemies will be put to the test, my virtue for keeping this world safe is more than just a dream of mine. It is a dream of every other adventurer like me who plays.
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