
This feels like a polished and notable step forward in FFXI's development - everything here is just a bit better and more engaging than in Vanilla. While there's still loads more walking than there needs to be, zones/dungeons feel more populated and visually interesting; there's more music; boss fights are more challenging. To top it off, while the story is still Fine, the way it's told is notably more ambitious, which helps make things more engaging. There are more cutscenes to help flesh out plot and worldbuilding details, and the cutscenes are staged more like something you'd see in, say, Final Fantasy X, with more dynamic movement and camera work. And I do think that splitting the main plot and the nation missions into separate questlines allows each to be stronger and more focused.
Now, onto Chains of Promathia!
Reviewed on Sep 12, 2024