FINAL FANTASY® XI: Ultimate Collection Seekers Edition

Near impossible to play without outside guides. The process to log in, access the launcher, was almost enough to make me stop. The actualy gameplay did not help. Not worth playing in 2026.

The only MMO that's ever been able to keep my attention and it has for nearly 23 years. A true classic by any metric. It's old and obtuse, and has a steep learning curve; but has one of the greatest loot and gear swap systems ever conceived for an MMO. Equipment swapping and the loot grind just doesn't exist in modern MMOs the way FFXI has done it. This game heavily scratches the loot grind itch, with every new piece you acquire providing meaningful upgrades; sometimes changing the entire way you approach your job. Originally developed for the PS2, the graphics are indeed dated but they hold up incredibly well. The stylized design of the world helps it's old engine not look like an eyesore. Modern HD texture packs make the game look fantastic for modern hardware. You will need to do some tweaking to make the game take advantage of more RAM, as it is limited to only using 2GB without patching it. Runs great on modern hardware after the DgVoodoo fix; but this is to be taken with the understanding that the game still has limitations due to it being a PS2 title. Multiple jobs available on a single character; jobs based on the system introduced in Final Fantasy V. Geomancer, Samarui, Ninja, Beastmaster, Summoner, and the classics like Monk, White Mage, Thief, Red Mage, etc. all make an appearance. Blue Mage in FFXI is the absolute best representation of the job in any Final Fantasy game. Support jobs take the "Abilities" system from FFV and expand upon that by allowing you to use a second job at half of the level of your current job. I.E. 99Geomancer/49Red Mage. These support levels are able to be pushed beyond the lv49 limit with job mastery, another element of FFV expanded upon here. The stories in XI are some of the best ever written for a Final Fantasy game. These stories have had an influence on later titles, with FFXVI seemingly heavily influenced by the Chains of Promathia expansion pack. Numerous enemy designs that were updated for XI have since become the standard design for those enemies within subsequent Final Fantasy releases. FFXI set a new standard for the Final Fantasy series and paved the way for the behemoth that is FFXIV. I highly recommend everyone give this game a try and, at the very least, play through the stories and explore the vast, deep world that is Vana'Diel. It's influence on the series is palpable to this day. **A wealth of third-party tools exist to make the lack of in-game interfaces a little more tolerable for modern players.