Final Fantasy XIV vs FINAL FANTASY XIV Online
Final Fantasy XIV is an RPG game from Square Enix (2010) 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 49.
Final Fantasy XIV
What each one is
Final Fantasy XIV is filed under RPG. In contrast, FINAL FANTASY XIV Online under Action-RPG and JRPG.
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.
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 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)
No Wikipedia detail on file.
At a glance
| Final Fantasy XIV | FINAL FANTASY XIV Online | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | — | 7.9/10 |
| Steam rating | — | Very Positive (87%, 85,571) |
| Critic aggregate | 49/100 | 83/100 |
| Price | Unknown | $19.99 |
| Install size | — | 140 GB |
| Steam Deck | Untested | playable |
| Released | 2010 | 2014 |
| Developer | Square Enix | Square Enix |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Final Fantasy XIV 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 XIVRPG 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 XIVNo 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 Fantasy XIVMetacritic 49FINAL 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 XIV—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 Fantasy XIVUnknownFINAL 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 XIV 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 XIV | 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 XIV · FINAL FANTASY XIV Online.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 0 accessibility features for Final Fantasy XIV 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 XIV and FINAL FANTASY XIV Online in scope?
Final Fantasy XIV 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 XIV 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 XIV 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 XIV or FINAL FANTASY XIV Online?
FINAL FANTASY XIV Online has the higher Metacritic, 83 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.