Final Fantasy vs FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
Final Fantasy is an RPG game from Square (1987) while FINAL FANTASY XIV Online is an action-RPG JRPG game from Square Enix (2014).
Quick answer: FINAL FANTASY XIV Online has the higher Metacritic, 83 to 67.
Final Fantasy
What each one is
Final Fantasy is filed under RPG. In contrast, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online under Action-RPG and JRPG.
Final Fantasy is a 1987 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series, created by Hironobu Sakaguchi. The story follows four youths called the Warriors of Light, who each carry one of their world's four elemental crystals which have been darkened by the four Elemental Fiends. Together, they quest to defeat these evil forces, restore light to the crystals, and save their world.
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 Final Fantasy takes place in a fantasy world with three large continents. The elemental powers of this world are determined by the state of four crystals, each governing one of the four classical elements : earth, fire, water, and wind. The world of Final Fantasy is inhabited by numerous races, including humans, elves, dwarves, mermaids, dragons, and robots. (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception Final Fantasy has been well received by critics and commercially successful; the original Famicom (NES) version shipped 520,000 copies in Japan, grossing more than ¥3 billion or $21,000,000 (equivalent to $60,000,000 in 2025) at retail. According to Square's publicity department in 1994, the game had sold 600,000 copies in Japan. The NES release was more successful in North America, where it sold 700,000 copies, adding up to 1. (Wikipedia)
No Wikipedia detail on file.
At a glance
| Final Fantasy | FINAL FANTASY XIV Online | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 7.9/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Very Positive (87%, 85,571) |
| Critic aggregate | 67/100 | 83/100 |
| Price | Unknown | $19.99 |
| Install size | — | 140 GB |
| Steam Deck | Untested | playable |
| Released | 1987 | 2014 |
| Developer | Square | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy 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 FantasyRPG 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 FantasyNo descriptive tagsFINAL FANTASY XIV OnlineMMORPG, RPG, Massively MultiplayerThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Final FantasyMetacritic 67FINAL FANTASY XIV Online ✓Metacritic 83Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Content and scale
Final Fantasy—FINAL 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 FantasyUnknownFINAL FANTASY XIV Online$19.99Read live from Steam and subject to change.
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online 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 XIV Online (Metacritic 83)
Where they differ
MMORPGRPGMassively MultiplayerCharacter CustomizationFantasyJRPG
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Final Fantasy 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 | FINAL FANTASY XIV Online | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | — | NVIDIA GeForce GTX 970 |
| Minimum CPU | — | Intel® Core™i5-8400 |
| Minimum RAM | — | 8 GB |
| Install size | — | 140 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Final Fantasy · FINAL FANTASY XIV Online.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Final Fantasy and 6 for FINAL FANTASY XIV Online. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are Final Fantasy and FINAL FANTASY XIV Online in scope?
Final Fantasy lists little scope data. FINAL FANTASY XIV Online has drawn 85,571 Steam reviews, ships 41 add-ons and installs in 140 GB.
Is Final Fantasy or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online 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 or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online?
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 or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online?
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online has the higher Metacritic, 83 to 67. 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.