|
 |
|
| | Title:
Final Fantasy XI
..............................................
System:
Xbox 360
..............................................
Genre:
MMORPG
..............................................
Publisher:
Square-Enix
..............................................
Developer:
Square-Enix
..............................................
Release:
4/18/2006
..............................................
Online:
Yes
..............................................
ESRB:
Teen (T)
..............................................
 |
Microsoft seems to be on a hot streak when it comes to forming new partnerships with various development talent in a wide array of genres, but a surprise announcement was made at the E3 2005 Press Conference Briefing. Satoru Iwata, president of perhaps the biggest RPG powerhouse in the game industry, Square-Enix, was seen and heard on stage stating the words, “Square-Enix and Microsoft share the vision for the future of gaming and entertainment and together, we play a leading role in creating innovative technologies that will bring new rivers of interactivity and self expression to video games. So tonight, I am very excited to be able to announce that Square Enix will join with Microsoft and Xbox to bring games to Xbox 360 and Xbox Live.” The attendees that were in the audience began to cheer and clap after Iwata’s confirmation of Square-Enix’s support for the Xbox 360, and rightfully so.
In case you’ve been living under a rock for over a decade, you probably wouldn’t understand why it’s big deal that Square-Enix’s participation in developing titles for Microsoft’s next generation console has potential to be a huge factor to Xbox 360's success. The first game to be released from Square-Enix is perhaps one of the most surprising and biggest announcements at this year’s E3, and when the footage of this game started rolling, so did the tears of Final Fantasy fans everywhere when they viewed the pure RPG greatness of Final Fantasy XI. From the moment it started, people within that conference room and all over grinned at the thought of braving the beasts of Vana’diel in the battle for peace and justice with their fellow buddies on a daily basis when the game would finally arrive on the Xbox 360.
Although many people have been living these fantasies in the world of Final Fantasy XI for quite sometime now (on both the PC and PS2), Final Fantasy XI is soaring its way towards the Xbox 360, and with new features to boot.
The Final Fantasy series has been considered by many to be the pioneer franchise for the role playing genre for over a decade now, and rightfully so. Every FF game has been known among gamers to feature incredibly memorable storylines, characters, music, and gameplay that other games have tried (and no where nearly as successful) to match. While the previous installments in the series were solely based on offering a great single player experience, Final Fantasy XI is much larger in terms of scale, due to the fact that the game is placed in the ever changing world of Vana’diel, in which literally thousands of players commune with eachother as they collaborate in the effort of uncovering the many secrets that are hidden throughout the world they play about in.
Already placing players in the role of being a hero and allowing them to band with other protagonists around the globe in the troubled regions of the game’s vast world, what else could make the game more enjoyable? In an effort to create a more varied experience, Square-Enix has given players the option of selecting from five different races that exist within the world of Final Fantasy XI as well as being able to choose from over five different job classes.
The Races of Final Fantasy XI
-The Hume- Considered by many players to be the “humans” of FFXI, the men and women of this race possess a balanced set of abilities as well as a great presence throughout Vana’diel.
-The Elvaan- This race consists of males and females that excel in art of sword fighting, making them a great addition to your party when battles get pretty up close and personal.
-The Galka- The sheer amount of strength and power of this strictly male dominated race makes a member of the Galka race an extremely formidable ally that should be more than welcomed to tag along on your journey.
-The Mithra- The predominantly female Mithra race resemble the playfulness and energy like that of a cat, in which they rely on their instinct to hunt for their prey.
-The Tarutaru- This race is devised of rather small creatures, but for what they lack in strength they more than make up for in their knowledge and their practice in casting various types of damage inducing and healing wonders.
Although all races differ in terms of appearance, they all share the common ability to practice in the ways of different types of job classes. Its very much possible to be hybrid of different types of job classes over time.
Job Classes
Warrior- This class is known for their specialization in the arts of battling against various types of foes, which makes them valuable in defending their fellow party members from enemy attacks.
White Mage- The users of white magic are familiarized in the art of casting healing spells on their comrades when battles get tense.
Monk- Using their inner energy as their weapon of choice, a monk can induce a harsh amount of damage with their brutal strength.
Black Mage- Black mages utilize their magical abilities in the form of deadly attacks that alter the natural and unnatural elements into deadly attacks.
Thief- This class is for those who have a nag for taking what’s not theirs and like taking out enemies without making a big scene.
Red Mage- This class is considered to be the best fit for those who want to grasp the hilt of a deadly blade in their hands and use magic.
Other than the job classes listed above, there are secondary classes that can be unlocked by completing certain quests.
For those of you who’ve been playing FFXI for a while now, the information above may seem like old news. In fact, that dated information may be the reason why you’ll skip the rest of this entire preview. Well, the difference between this version and the other versions of the game is that Xbox 360 allows the game to be more expansive on many other levels than the previous versions that have been released in the past with the incorporation of Xbox Live .
At the press briefing held at E3, Square-Enix was pretty mum on the exclusive features that FFXI will have in store exclusively for Xbox 360 and Xbox Live. While voice chat seems like an obvious integration for the 360 version of the game, there could be some conflict in the way players communicate with one another, considering that players of the 360 version will be able to play with other players who play on their PC or Playstation 2. All gamers that are currently playing the game are typing away on what they want to say to their fellow party members. Why there may be some way for voice chat to be functional while playing FFXI, its likely that there will be restrictions when communicating with your fellow party members.
One thing that Microsoft has been touting for its plans with Xbox Live for their upcoming console is the fact that players will be able to take control of their personas by being able to customize their characters to their liking. A feature so bold as this one seems like a perfect fit for Final Fantasy XI, no? Although both Square-Enix and Microsoft have yet to clarify that players will be able to sport their own symbols on their armor or any part of their character’s body as far as customization goes, Satoru Iwata had stated he was impressed with the amount of customization the Xbox 360 had to offer to players. While it seems like FFXI will offer customization to players, Mr. Iwata could’ve been referring to future Square-Enix titles that will appear on the 360. Although details about what FFXI for the 360 have yet to be revealed on how it will set it apart from being an exceptionally updated game from a mere port remains to be seen in time.
Final Fantasy is finally making its way onto an Xbox platform, and I (and many other Xbox gamers, I’m sure) are extremely pleased in knowing this truth. If Square-Enix can make everything come together in integrating all the great social features of Xbox Live into an already great game, the game may ultimately be offering a greater experience than it already has managed to do. With Xbox Live reaching the two million user mark everyday, games like Final Fantasy XI will without a doubt draw in role playing fanatics and other gamers alike.
|
More Reviews for this game: (displayed by authors name)
L3e
|
| |
 |
|
|
|
 |
