Alright, here we go—let’s dive into this memory lane trip with Final Fantasy 11. It’s like, way back in the day—like, a whopping eight years before FF14 even dropped on our screens that FF11 was the first to take the leap into this online RPG thing. Seriously, it was like being part of this epic saga. I mean, the characters you could fix up, all the real-time battles and stuff—totally mind-blowing for the time. And don’t get me started on those chocobos. Ancient FF11 might look like an oldie now, but honestly, it’s kinda like the grandparent that everyone still hangs out with. And hey, the gaming world is buzzing ‘cause it’s about to hit its 23rd birthday. Whoa, right?
Okay, so, I hear you thinking, “Is this ancient game even worth bothering with nowadays?” And yeah, fair question. It’s been kicking around since, like, 2002. Feels like centuries in game years, but—plot twist—it was the first MMORPG doing that cross-platform magic. Outlasting its console life and still being here… mind blown. I get it though, not everyone’s dipped their toes in FF11’s waters, especially with FF14 stealing the spotlight, but if you’re wondering if you should jump back in, or in at all… simple answer? Heck yes. Swing by in 2025 and—it could be the perfect time to get into Vana’diel’s nooks and crannies.
Now, FF11 is ancient, but here’s where it gets wild—the devs weren’t gonna let it shrink into oblivion. There was this whole “we’re done making more stuff” thing in 2015. But bam! Fast forward a few years, and suddenly new stories pop up in 2020. These folks went full throttle with updates. And just to add sprinkles on top, they’ve got events like, all the time. You can even ditch the old PlayOnline system (was anyone really a fan?) and migrate to Square Enix accounts seamlessly. Sweet deal, right? Switch your account over and boom, might even snag some free game time if you were one of the OG players. Cool little perk there.
But man, the secret sauce behind FF11’s insane longevity? Totally the die-hard fans. Like, picture this—Director Yoji Fujito spilling how 2024 nearly spelled game over for FF11. Made my heart race! Maintenance mode was on the cards where it’d be all playable but no new goodies. And then they almost pulled the plug ‘cause not enough players were logging in. But behold, the loyal crowd showed up in numbers—keeping it alive and kicking. Square Enix had to backtrack. Totally love when the underdog wins!
Oh, FF14’s got its hands in the fun too. Like, you can switch races in FF11 now—concept borrowed straight from FF14’s Fantasia thing. And they’ve got these awesome Vana’diel themed raids in Dawntrail. If you vibe with one game, you’re bound to dig the other. Still plenty of room for newbies and veterans alike to experience FF11’s wonders with Square Enix showing all the love. We should really appreciate that they’re sticking around.
And, yeah… FF11 being played still? It’s like hearing an old song on the radio—you don’t mind jamming with it. Even if it looks a bit rusty around the edges, it’s got a certain charm. Newcomers might just find themselves hooked. Even if you’ve missed out on like, decades worth of content (okay, maybe not decades), now’s a rad time to dive right in. No time like the present, as they say.
