MMORPG’sopened a whole new world to gamers when they arrived, both figuratively and literally, allowing players to discover a whole new virtual reality while enjoying their favorite features of RPG games alongside their online companions. Though they were small in number when the genre began, as well as limited in gameplay and graphics, these games have come a long way since.
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Two such MMORPGs that are boasting a large player base at present areFinal Fantasy XIV: A Realm RebornandThe Elder Scrolls Online, both of which have had several expansions added since their initial release and continue to provide enjoyable content for their players. When it comes to certain game aspects, there are some that one game does better than the other, read on to find out which.
Updated February 18th, 2021:Final Fantasy XIV has recently announced abrand new expansion that will be arriving later in the year called Endwalker. This brings its number of expansions up to four, making it on par with The Elder Scrolls Online. MMOs are massively popular, but often players don’t have the time or money to dedicate themselves to more than one at a time.
So for those who are still weighing up their options or trying to decide which game they should invest their time into, here are seven reasons why Final Fantasy XIV is the top contender and seven why The Elder Scrolls Online is the top dog.
14Final Fantasy 14: Fan Service
Generally speaking, theFinal Fantasyseries is great at offering plenty of much-loved fan service to its players, with lots of references to past titles,recurring elements, and more, so fans can enjoy the tributes and easter eggs to some of their beloved past games.
This is true ofFinal Fantasy XIValso, as it features a whole plethora of nods to previous games in various forms. Additionally, the team behindFinal Fantasy XIVis great at listening to what fans want and delivering on those requests, with many fan-requested elements regularly being added to the game.
13The Elder Scrolls Online: More Mature Content
The Elder Scrolls Onlineis rated as Mature, whereasFinal Fantasy XIVis rated as Teen. This higher age rating means that the game can deliver on more mature content, tackling hard-hitting subjects without dancing around the issue, or watering down the violence or sexual aspects.
As a result, many of the characters inThe Elder Scrolls Onlineare better developed too as they have more striking backstories with adult content involved. While it could be argued this limits the player base somewhat, it’s something that older players do appreciate.
12Final Fantasy 14: Cross-Platform Play
Final Fantasy XIVis available for PlayStation 4 and PC and recently announced that it would be getting a PlayStation 5 version too. It previously had a PlayStation 3 version, but support for this was discontinued in 2017. The great thing about this MMO is that it supports cross-platform play across all formats, so regardless of what console or computer players use, they can still play with all their friends.
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The Elder Scrolls Onlineis available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, but does not offer cross-platform play and instead has dedicated servers for each format. This means that players might be locked out from playing with friends if they own a different console.
11The Elder Scrolls Online: No Mandatory Subscription
ThoughThe Elder Scrolls Onlinestarted off like many other MMOs and required a paid monthly subscription in order for fans to play, it later scrapped this and is now free to play. Now, it instead offers an optional subscription called ESO Plus that gives access to all current and future content, 1,650 Crowns a month, and an in-game perk that allows Plus members to progress 10% faster than free members.
On the other hand,Final Fantasy XIVstill requires a monthly subscription and additionally offers a service where players can choose to fork out more money for the likes of extra retainers for their characters.
10Final Fantasy 14: Players and NPCs Clearly Labeled
One of the best things aboutFinal Fantasy XIVis that players are easily able to identify which characters are NPCs and which characters are fellow players. By default, other players have blue names above their heads and NPCs have green names above theirs.
In contrast,The Elder Scrolls Onlinemakes it far more difficult for players to differentiate between the two as neither are labeled. This is likely to make the game even more realistic and immersive for players, but it can certainly be annoying at times.
9The Elder Scrolls Online: Crafting
Crafting is a key component in most MMORPGs, but it can often be a tedious and repetitive process that players dislike. However, thecrafting systeminThe Elder Scrolls Onlinemanages to make this feature far more fun and enjoyable for players than other MMO’s, includingFinal Fantasy XIV.
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8Final Fantasy 14: Gathering
Crafting and gatheringgo hand-in-hand, as you’ll net yourself a pretty profit if you source the materials for your recipes yourself. Gathering by itself is profitable even if you don’t craft, as there are always crafters looking to skip the grind of gathering and that will simply buy their required mats via the auction house/market board.
When it comes to gathering,Final Fantasy XIVoffers a much better system as the nodes are not shared by all players, meaning you can gather to your heart’s content without interference from others.The Elder Scrolls Onlineoffers shared nodes, meaning that they will deplete much faster if other characters are harvesting from them as well as you.
7The Elder Scrolls Online: Less UI Clutter
The Elder Scrolls Onlinedoes a great job of keeping the user interface clutter to a minimum, which is a saving grace as it regrettably doesn’t allow much customization of the UI other than re-sizing elements such as the chatbox. The less amount of clutter means the more immersive and realistic the experience is for the player.
Final Fantasy XIVby default has a lot more happening on each player’s screen, which can be really distracting and overwhelming, though it’s worth noting that you’re able to greatly customize your UI to improve it.
6Final Fantasy 14: Story
A pet peeve of players ofThe Elder Scrolls Onlineis that the storyline just isn’t very compelling. Though the game certainly has elements fromThe Elder Scrollsfranchise, it doesn’t feel like a true game in the series, giving the feeling of an MMORPG that has just adopted some of the lore and features ofThe Elder Scrolls.
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On the other hand,Final Fantasy XIVoffers a deeply compelling storyline with a cast of in-depth characters that fans have fallen in love with. To be fair, it took some time for this game to find its feet when it came to storytelling, with most long-time players admitting that the storyline didn’t get good until the release of the firstexpansion,Heavensward.
5The Elder Scrolls Online: World Shaped by Player
One of the best features ofThe Elder Scrolls Onlineis that the players actually shape the world around them, creating a more tailored and personalized experience. Quests completed by players can change the area around them and even turn previously hostile monsters into peaceful ones, really mixing up the gameplay.
There is a downside to this though, because of this feature the game can sometimes lock you out from playing with friends if you are in a different state of phasing from them.
