Final Fantasy VIII vs Final Fantasy XIV
Final Fantasy VIII is a JRPG open-world game from Square (1999) while Final Fantasy XIV is an RPG game from Square Enix (2010).
Quick answer: Final Fantasy VIII has the higher Metacritic, 90 to 49.
Final Fantasy XIV
What each one is
Final Fantasy VIII is filed under JRPG and Open-World. In contrast, Final Fantasy XIV under RPG.
It is a time of war. Galbadia, a Global Superpower, has declared war on Dollet, a country whose training academy is home to two personalities: the hot-headed Seifer and the 'lone wolf', Squall Leonhart. Both are equally at conflict with each other as their country is with Galbadia; to others, Squall appears lacking in team spirit, while...
Final Fantasy XIV was a 2010 massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) for Windows, developed and published by Square Enix. It was the original version of the fourteenth entry in the main Final Fantasy series and the second MMORPG in the series after Final Fantasy XI. Set in the fantasy realm of Eorzea, players take control of a customized avatar as they explore the land and are caught up in both an invasion by the hostile Garlean Empire and the threat of the primals, the deities of the land's beastmen tribes. Eventually, they are embroiled in a plot by a Garlean Legatus to destroy the primals by bringing one of the planet's moons down on Eorzea.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
Setting and characters Main article: Characters of Final Fantasy VIII Most of Final Fantasy VIII is set on an unnamed fantasy world. The setting is highly European in design and features a blend of modern and futuristic locales. The planet contains five major landmasses, with Esthar, the largest, covering most of the eastern portion of the map. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Final Fantasy VIII received critical acclaim. In general, the game was compared favorably to its predecessors. Though questioning the game's lack of voice overs for its characters, Game Revolution praised its storyline and ending. (Wikipedia)
Plot
Setting and characters The story of Final Fantasy XIV takes place in a high fantasy setting. The main location is Eorzea, a geopolitical region on the larger planet Hydaelyn: this contrasts Final Fantasy XI which uses one name to refer to the entire world and its regions. Eorzea is broken up into three main powers: the forest nation of Gridania; the desert-based Ul'dah sultanate; and the thalassocracy of Limsa Lominsa, Eorzea's dominant maritime power. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception During its debut week in Japan, the Collector's Edition reached #2 in the PC games charts behind Civilization 5 and ahead of StarCraft II: Wings of Liberty . In the UK charts, the game debuted at #10 behind multiple other games including F1 2010 (#1), Halo: Reach (#2), Civilization 5 (#4) and Prince of Persia: The Forgotten Sands (#7). By November 2010, the game had sold 603,000 copies worldwide. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| Final Fantasy VIII | Final Fantasy XIV | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.5/10 | — |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (88%, 9,497) | — |
| Critic aggregate | 90/100 | 49/100 |
| Price | $11.99 | Unknown |
| Install size | 4 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | playable | Untested |
| Released | 1999 | 2010 |
| Developer | Square | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy VIII vs Final Fantasy XIV, 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 VIIIJRPG open-world gameFinal Fantasy XIVRPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Final Fantasy VIIIJRPG, RPG, ClassicFinal Fantasy XIVNo descriptive tagsThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Final Fantasy VIII ✓Metacritic 90Final Fantasy XIVMetacritic 49Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Content and scale
Final Fantasy VIII9,497 reviews · 4 GBFinal Fantasy XIV—Reach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Final Fantasy VIII$11.99Final Fantasy XIVUnknownRead live from Steam and subject to change.
Final Fantasy VIII takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The better reviewed of the two: Final Fantasy VIII (Metacritic 90)
Where they differ
JRPGRPGClassicSingleplayerGreat SoundtrackTurn-Based
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Final Fantasy VIII is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. Final Fantasy XIV is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Final Fantasy VIII | Final Fantasy XIV | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | DirectX 9.0c compatible card | — |
| Minimum CPU | 1Core CPU 2GHz | — |
| Minimum RAM | 1 GB | — |
| Install size | 4 GB | — |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Final Fantasy VIII · Final Fantasy XIV.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 2 accessibility features for Final Fantasy VIII and 0 for Final Fantasy XIV. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are Final Fantasy VIII and Final Fantasy XIV in scope?
Final Fantasy VIII has drawn 9,497 Steam reviews and installs in 4 GB. Final Fantasy XIV lists little scope data.
Is Final Fantasy VIII or Final Fantasy XIV better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, Final Fantasy VIII or Final Fantasy XIV?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get Final Fantasy VIII or Final Fantasy XIV?
Final Fantasy VIII has the higher Metacritic, 90 to 49. 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.