MMORPG's opened a whole new world to gamers when they arrived, both figuratively and literally, allowing players to discover a whole new virtual reality while enjoying their favorite features of RPG games alongside their online companions. Though they were small in number when the genre began, as well as limited in gameplay and graphics, these games have come a long way since.
Two such MMORPGs that are boasting a large player base at present are Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn and The Elder Scrolls Online, both of which have had several expansions added since their initial release and continue to provide enjoyable content for their players. When it comes to certain game aspects, there are some that one game does better than the other, read on to find out which.
Updated February 18th, 2021: Final Fantasy XIV has recently announced a brand new expansion that will be arriving later in the year called Endwalker. This brings its number of expansions up to four, making it on par with The Elder Scrolls Online. MMOs are massively popular, but often players don't have the time or money to dedicate themselves to more than one at a time.
So for those who are still weighing up their options or trying to decide which game they should invest their time into, here are seven reasons why Final Fantasy XIV is the top contender and seven why The Elder Scrolls Online is the top dog.
14 Final Fantasy 14: Fan Service
Generally speaking, the Final Fantasy series is great at offering plenty of much-loved fan service to its players, with lots of references to past titles, recurring elements, and more, so fans can enjoy the tributes and easter eggs to some of their beloved past games.
This is true of Final Fantasy XIV also, as it features a whole plethora of nods to previous games in various forms. Additionally, the team behind Final Fantasy XIV is great at listening to what fans want and delivering on those requests, with many fan-requested elements regularly being added to the game.
13 The Elder Scrolls Online: More Mature Content
The Elder Scrolls Online is rated as Mature, whereas Final Fantasy XIV is rated as Teen. This higher age rating means that the game can deliver on more mature content, tackling hard-hitting subjects without dancing around the issue, or watering down the violence or sexual aspects.
As a result, many of the characters in The Elder Scrolls Online are better developed too as they have more striking backstories with adult content involved. While it could be argued this limits the player base somewhat, it's something that older players do appreciate.
12 Final Fantasy 14: Cross-Platform Play
Final Fantasy XIV is available for PlayStation 4 and PC and recently announced that it would be getting a PlayStation 5 version too. It previously had a PlayStation 3 version, but support for this was discontinued in 2017. The great thing about this MMO is that it supports cross-platform play across all formats, so regardless of what console or computer players use, they can still play with all their friends.
The Elder Scrolls Online is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, but does not offer cross-platform play and instead has dedicated servers for each format. This means that players might be locked out from playing with friends if they own a different console.
11 The Elder Scrolls Online: No Mandatory Subscription
Though The Elder Scrolls Online started off like many other MMOs and required a paid monthly subscription in order for fans to play, it later scrapped this and is now free to play. Now, it instead offers an optional subscription called ESO Plus that gives access to all current and future content, 1,650 Crowns a month, and an in-game perk that allows Plus members to progress 10% faster than free members.
On the other hand, Final Fantasy XIV still requires a monthly subscription and additionally offers a service where players can choose to fork out more money for the likes of extra retainers for their characters.
10 Final Fantasy 14: Players and NPCs Clearly Labeled
One of the best things about Final Fantasy XIV is that players are easily able to identify which characters are NPCs and which characters are fellow players. By default, other players have blue names above their heads and NPCs have green names above theirs.
In contrast, The Elder Scrolls Online makes it far more difficult for players to differentiate between the two as neither are labeled. This is likely to make the game even more realistic and immersive for players, but it can certainly be annoying at times.
9 The Elder Scrolls Online: Crafting
Crafting is a key component in most MMORPGs, but it can often be a tedious and repetitive process that players dislike. However, the crafting system in The Elder Scrolls Online manages to make this feature far more fun and enjoyable for players than other MMO's, including Final Fantasy XIV.
Additionally, if players subscribe to ESO Plus, a premium monthly membership, one of the bonuses is an unlimited crafting bag that makes crafting even easier than before. Without the unlimited bag, the crafting system is still better than that of Final Fantasy XIV, it just means you'll be running back and forth more often between merchants and crafting tables.
8 Final Fantasy 14: Gathering
Crafting and gathering go hand-in-hand, as you'll net yourself a pretty profit if you source the materials for your recipes yourself. Gathering by itself is profitable even if you don't craft, as there are always crafters looking to skip the grind of gathering and that will simply buy their required mats via the auction house/market board.
When it comes to gathering, Final Fantasy XIV offers a much better system as the nodes are not shared by all players, meaning you can gather to your heart's content without interference from others. The Elder Scrolls Online offers shared nodes, meaning that they will deplete much faster if other characters are harvesting from them as well as you.
7 The Elder Scrolls Online: Less UI Clutter
The Elder Scrolls Online does a great job of keeping the user interface clutter to a minimum, which is a saving grace as it regrettably doesn't allow much customization of the UI other than re-sizing elements such as the chatbox. The less amount of clutter means the more immersive and realistic the experience is for the player.
Final Fantasy XIV by default has a lot more happening on each player's screen, which can be really distracting and overwhelming, though it's worth noting that you can greatly customize your UI to improve it.
6 Final Fantasy 14: Story
A pet peeve of players of The Elder Scrolls Online is that the storyline just isn't very compelling. Though the game certainly has elements from The Elder Scrolls franchise, it doesn't feel like a true game in the series, giving the feeling of an MMORPG that has just adopted some of the lore and features of The Elder Scrolls.
On the other hand, Final Fantasy XIV offers a deeply compelling storyline with a cast of in-depth characters that fans have fallen in love with. To be fair, it took some time for this game to find its feet when it came to storytelling, with most long-time players admitting that the storyline didn't get good until the release of the first expansion, Heavensward.
5 The Elder Scrolls Online: World Shaped by Player
One of the best features of The Elder Scrolls Online is that the players actually shape the world around them, creating a more tailored and personalized experience. Quests completed by players can change the area around them and even turn previously hostile monsters into peaceful ones, really mixing up the gameplay.
There is a downside to this though, because of this feature the game can sometimes lock you out from playing with friends if you are in a different state of phasing from them.
4 Final Fantasy 14: Solo Play
Though MMORPGs are multiplayer games by nature, that doesn't mean that players don't sometimes feel like going solo. Final Fantasy XIV is working hard to make things more achievable independently by players all the time by adding new content. For example, Chocobo companions can help you in battle and fates and you can change their skills to best compliment your own, such as making your Chocobo a healer to match your tank job.
Additionally, Adventurer Squadrons allow you to revisit certain older dungeons with a party of NPC players, and more recently, the Trust System allows you to undertake some of the recent story dungeons with NPC heroes from the storyline.
3 The Elder Scrolls Online: Combat
The combat system in The Elder Scrolls Online is far more immersive than other MMORPGs as you actually have to aim and fight and it feels as though you are actively taking part in the battle. As a result, you have to pay attention to what is happening and react to monsters more.
Final Fantasy XIV, on the other hand, will lock onto whichever monster you have selected and will auto-fight to a degree with base attacks, though special attacks need your input. This enables lazier players to coast through the game, which can be particularly annoying, especially in dungeons.
2 Final Fantasy 14: Mini-games
There are times when players want to take a break from questing and indulge in a little fun and Final Fantasy XIV has that in spades. There are so many different mini-games for players to enjoy, such as series-favorites like Chocobo Racing and Triple Triad.
There are other additional mini-games such as mahjong, the minion-battling Lord of Verminion, and many others. With the number of mini-games on offer, it's hard for any other MMORPG to even match up to Final Fantasy XIV in this department.
1 The Elder Scrolls Online: Character Choices Matter
True to its origins, The Elder Scrolls Online keeps some of its favorite franchises attributes, such as players being able to skill up certain traits such as intimidation to change the course of discussion with NPCs. Additionally, players can even kill and pick-pocket from non-essential NPCs, though doing so will get a bounty put on your head. There are also times when decisions made during quests have a lasting impact.
Final Fantasy XIV doesn't offer the same tailored experience at all, with all characters largely having the same experience. The only small changes are at the beginning of the game depending on which nationality you choose, as well as different job quests.