Final Fantasy II vs FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
Final Fantasy II is a JRPG RPG game from Square (1988) while FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is an action-RPG JRPG game from Square Enix (2014).
Quick answer: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online rates higher, 7.9 to 6.9 on the GamingPickz Score, and Final Fantasy II is the cheaper at $11.99.
What each one is
Final Fantasy II is filed under JRPG and RPG. In contrast, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online under Action-RPG and JRPG.
The original FINAL FANTASY II comes to life with completely new graphics and audio! A remodeled 2D take on the second game in the world-renowned FINAL FANTASY series! Enjoy the timeless story told through charming retro graphics.
Join over 30 million adventurers worldwide and take part in an epic and ever-changing FINAL FANTASY. Experience an unforgettable story, exhilarating battles, and a myriad of captivating environments to explore.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting and characters Yoshitaka Amano 's artwork of the main characters Leon, Firion, Maria, and Guy Final Fantasy II is set in a fantasy world divided between multiple nations, including the Palamecian Empire and the kingdom of Fynn. During the game's events, the Palamecian Empire has begun a ruthless expansion, conquering or destroying its neighbours including the kingdom of Kashuan and the dragoon homeland of Deist. A rebellion is formed to fight… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception According to Square, the original Famicom release sold 800,000 copies. As of March 2003, the game, including all re-releases at the time, had shipped 1. 28 million copies worldwide, with 1. (Wikipedia)
No Wikipedia detail on file.
At a glance
| Final Fantasy II | FINAL FANTASY XIV Online | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 6.9/10 | 7.9/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (82%, 3,501) | Very Positive (87%, 85,571) |
| Critic aggregate | 63/100 | 83/100 |
| Price | $11.99 | $19.99 |
| Install size | 1 GB | 140 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | playable |
| Released | 1988 | 2014 |
| Developer | Square | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy II vs FINAL FANTASY XIV Online, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Final Fantasy IIJRPG RPG gameFINAL FANTASY XIV OnlineAction-RPG JRPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Final Fantasy IIRPG, JRPG, Party-Based RPGFINAL FANTASY XIV OnlineMMORPG, RPG, Massively MultiplayerThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Final Fantasy IIScore 6.9 · 82% on Steam · 63 criticFINAL FANTASY XIV Online ✓Score 7.9 · 87% on Steam · 83 criticThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Final Fantasy II3,501 reviews · 1 add-on · 1 GBFINAL FANTASY XIV Online85,571 reviews · 41 add-ons · 140 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Final Fantasy II ✓$11.99FINAL FANTASY XIV Online$19.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Final Fantasy II ✓VerifiedFINAL FANTASY XIV OnlinePlayableValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Final Fantasy II takes 2 of the marked rounds to 1. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueFinal Fantasy II and FINAL FANTASY XIV Online on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Mobile
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (GamingPickz Score 7.9)
- The cheaper right now: Final Fantasy II ($11.99)
- Better on a Steam Deck: Final Fantasy II (verified)
- Lighter on storage: Final Fantasy II (1 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online (85,571 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
RPGJRPGExplorationFantasyMagicAdventureStory Rich
Where they differ
Party-Based RPG2DTurn-Based CombatClass-BasedPixel GraphicsRetro
MMORPGMassively MultiplayerCharacter CustomizationOpen WorldMultiplayerThird Person
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Final Fantasy II is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Final Fantasy II | FINAL FANTASY XIV Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 |
| Minimum CPU | — | Intel® Core™i5-8400 |
| Minimum RAM | — | 8 GB |
| Install size | 1 GB | 140 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Final Fantasy II · FINAL FANTASY XIV Online.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 6 accessibility features for Final Fantasy II and 6 for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Final Fantasy II and FINAL FANTASY XIV Online in scope?
Final Fantasy II has drawn 3,501 Steam reviews, ships 1 add-on and installs in 1 GB. FINAL FANTASY XIV Online has drawn 85,571 Steam reviews, ships 41 add-ons and installs in 140 GB.
Is Final Fantasy II or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online better?
By the GamingPickz Score, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online rates higher (7.9 to 6.9). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Final Fantasy II or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online?
Final Fantasy II is cheaper right now at $11.99, against $19.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Should I get Final Fantasy II or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online?
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online rates higher, 7.9 to 6.9 on the GamingPickz Score, and Final Fantasy II is the cheaper at $11.99. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
All comparisonsHow we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.