World of Warcraft is arguably the most well-known MMORPG to gamers and has become so popular that even non-gamers know what it is. Set in the same world of Azeroth as it's non-MMO Warcraft predecessors, World of Warcraft originally released in 2004 and has had several expansions since launch, as well as a classic vanilla version that launched in 2019.

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MMOs have come a long way since World of Warcraft first launched and there's now more competition on the market, however, most players are only willing to shell out a subscription fee for one MMO at a time. One of World of Warcraft's most notable rivals is Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. So how does the veteran MMORPG stand up to this newer contender? Read on to find out.

10 Final Fantasy 14: Graphics

There's no denying that Final Fantasy XIV is a beautiful game, the graphics of the characters, creatures, and surroundings really are truly stunning and this makes it all the more immersive for players.

On the other hand, World of Warcraft definitely shows its age, even despite getting a much-needed graphics overhaul with the release of its expansion Warlords of Draenor in 2014. Of course, World of Warcraft has a different style with it being less realistic and more cartoony, but even taking that into account, Final Fantasy XIV is just visually more pleasing for players.

9 World of Warcraft: The Original Angry Dragon

World of Warcraft made history when it decided to break the mold and change the environment of its game with its Cataclysm expansion in 2010. The story tells of the evil dragon Deathwing descending down and terrorizing the world, forever changing the game. Some older quests were entirely lost and many areas became different than what they were before. It was a unique tactic that refreshed the game and poured new life into the player base, though it was a contentious idea at the time.

When Final Fantasy XIV first launched in 2010, it was a commercial and critical failure, prompting a new team to come in and later re-launch it in 2013. Certain characters, certain plots, and areas carried over to the re-release, but to explain the other differences made in-game from the original version, the plot told of the Dragon King Bahamut escaping his Dalumud prison and laying waste to Eorzea. They say that imitation is a form of flattery.

8 Final Fantasy 14: Available on Console

A big advantage that Final Fantasy XIV has over World of Warcraft is that it is accessible to more players as it's not just a PC exclusive. Final Fantasy XIV originally launched on PlayStation 3 alongside its PC version, before being added to PlayStation 4 in 2014 and an Xbox One version is reportedly currently in development. Additionally, it has already been confirmed that Final Fantasy XIV will also be available for PlayStation 5.

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World of Warcraft is only available to PC players, despite fans calling for it to be ported to consoles. However, there's still time for it to happen, especially with the next-generation of consoles not far away.

7 World of Warcraft: PVP

Though it's not for everyone, PVP is a major part of any MMO and players expect to receive PVP in some way, shape, or form. World of Warcraft's PVP is unparalleled, not only having instanced battlegrounds pitting players against other teams, but also having duels, Arena PVP for tournaments, and lots more, as well as offering worldwide PVP where you can take out other players of the opposing faction by activating War Mode.

Final Fantasy XIV currently offers far fewer PVP opportunities than World of Warcraft, with none being available in the main world at all. Even dueling between two characters is only available in the instanced area of The Wolves' Den.

6 Final Fantasy 14: Music

One of the aces that Final Fantasy XIV has up its sleeve is undoubtedly its celebrated soundtrack, which is unsurprising as much of the music was composed by legendary composer Nobuo Uematsu.

The music is so popular that Square Enix releases the CD soundtracks for purchase for each expansion, as well as some for the larger updates too. There is no other MMO, not even World of Warcraft, which can match up to the standard of music that Final Fantasy XIV has set for its players.

5 World of Warcraft: Factions Matter

One of the biggest choices players are faced with when playing World of Warcraft is whether to play for the Horde or for the Alliance, with races other than Pandaren being dictated by your choice. This choice massively affects gameplay, not just in terms of race, but of story content and areas in which you can easily pass through.

Allowing players to have that competitive edge with one another is also a great way to bolster the sense of community. Final Fantasy XIV has three different factions you can choose from at the beginning of the game, basically choosing which nation you start in. You can swap nations at any point in the game and it largely has no impact whatsoever on your gameplay, bar a few starting quests.

4 Final Fantasy 14: Events

Both World of Warcraft and Final Fantasy XIV offer great in-game events for players, with many seasonal favorites returning year after year with tweaked rewards. However, Final Fantasy XIV offers its players a little more when it comes to this feature, as the long-running franchise has a whole host of other games to collaborate with, such as Final Fantasy XI, Final Fantasy XIII, and Final Fantasy XIV.

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It's not just Final Fantasy titles that do cross-over events either, Final Fantasy XIV has also featured events based on the Dragon Quest, NieR, and Yo-kai Watch game series too.

3 World of Warcraft: Dynamic Leveling

A fantastic new feature that was added to World of Warcraft with the release of its Legion expansion was dynamic leveling. This innovative new idea ensured that the starting zones were no longer swamped with new players, as most areas now utilize dynamic leveling. Essentially, the area syncs to the level you are, including monsters, quests, and rewards.

This also means there are no longer any easy pickings in lower level zones if you return when you are leveled up, as these zones will scale up to your own level.

2 Final Fantasy 14: All-in-One Class System

The biggest advantage that Final Fantasy XIV has over World of Warcraft is its all-in-one class system. This system eliminates the need for alternative characters or accounts as you can play all the roles you want to with the same character, easily changing between them whenever you wish (well, apart from during dungeons and battle).

However, if you want to experience all of the classes of World of Warcraft, you'll have to make a set character for each class type. This can be quite a chore as it means going through much of the same story and side quest content all over again.

1 World of Warcraft: Fan Service

in game memorials tributes

One thing that World of Warcraft definitely seems to pride itself on is its fan service. The game's community is so tight-knit and loyal, so it's really nice to see the company giving back. For instance, World of Warcraft is no stranger to creating in-game tributes at the request of fans, such as the nod to the late Robin Williams who was an avid World of Warcraft player himself.

Additionally, World of Warcraft has helped to raise money for various charities numerous times, such as selling vanity pets from its online store and donating the proceeds to chosen causes.

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