With Final Fantasy XIV(FFXIV)'s Patch 6.3 around the corner, players will definitely be playing the game again. This will most likely lead to non-players becoming interested in the game. If you are one of those players and are wondering if you should start your journey in this game, then don't worry. Here are reasons why you should try out and play the critically-acclaimed MMORPG FFXIV, from its gameplay to its story, to its free trial.

Free Trial
Whenever the FFXIV Free Trial gets brought up, it usually comes in the form of a spiel. Specifically, it comes in this form:

Did you know that the critically-acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has a free trial up to Level 60 and includes the entirety of A Realm Reborn and the award-winning expansion Heavensward with no restriction on playtime?

In case you were wondering, I typed that from memory. This free trial is something FFXIV is really known for, and for good reason. I had friends who played FFXIV, and although they did not say this outright, the good points they listed down about the free trial were basically what I said above. You get to play the game for free up to level 60, you don't have restrictions on playtime, and you get to play both A Realm Reborn (ARR), the base game, and the first expansion, Heavensward (HW).

Just to clarify, by the way, the"up to Level 60" part doesn't mean you can't play anymore once you reach Level 60. It just means you can't level up past Level 60 (the game's current level cap is 90). Not only that, but unlike most other MMORPGs, that's level 60 on ALL of the classes players have access to (from A Realm Reborn to Heavensward, which is 13 classes). Before I bought the full game myself, I had already spent at least 556 hours in this game. That was when I finished HW and hit 60 in a lot of classes. Even then, I could still play the game. What other free trial lets you do that?

Low System Requirements
Now, let's say that you want to try the Free Trial. You might be worried that such a game would need powerful computers to run. After all, some modern MMORPGs have system requirements that rival AAA games. Thankfully, you don't have to worry about that. Taking a look at the minimum system requirements, it's actually pretty tame.

*OS: Windows 8, 10, 11, 64-bit
*CPU: Intel Core i5 2.4Ghz or higher
*RAM: 4GB or higher
*Disk space: 80+GB (full game with all expansions)
*Graphics Card: NVidia Geforce GTX750 or higher, AMD Radeon R7 *260x or higher
*Screen Resolution: 1280×720

These system requirements are a far cry from a lot of modern games, mainly because this game has been out since 2013. Thankfully, the game's system requirements still reflect that. This also serves to really help players get into the game. Also, if you have a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5, you don't have to worry about the specs at all and just play on your console.

Great Character Customization
Let's say you've downloaded FFXIV for free, and you are now creating your new character. Final Fantasy XIV's character creation is not as extensive as, say, some Bethesda games or those with a lot of sliders. Even so, the game gives you quite a bit of freedom when it comes to making your character. You can adjust your character's height, bust size, hairstyle and color, eye shape and color, and more. If you're picking some of the other races, like the dragon-like Au Ra (best race) or the bunny Viera (which sadly needs the Shadowbringers expansion), you can even adjust the appearance of their horns and ears respectively. What's better is that your appearance actually matters in FFXIV.

FFXIV isn't like a lot of games with character creation. You don't spend hours making a character, only to never see it again. You will see your character's appearance the whole game, and you will actually learn to love your character, much as I did.

Cosmetics on Point
Since we're on the topic of characters, let's talk about game cosmetics. A lot of FFXIV players consider cosmetics, or Glamour as the game calls it, as the true end game. Players can make armor take on the appearance of other armor (with conditions of course), which lets them spice up their looks. Do you want to be a Paladin with black armor and evil-looking weapons? You can do that. Maybe you want to be cute while wielding a scythe emanating with dark energy? That's also possible. Are you in the mood to look evil while wielding healing White Magic? You can make that happen. Glamour is such a huge part of this game, and is something you will have to experience for yourself.

Welcoming Community
What's even better is the community. FFXIV won Best Community Support during TGA 2022, as well as Best Community in the Golden Joystick, and for good reason. Toxicity is very rare in FFXIV. Sure, you will sometimes meet players who don't like how you play or think you should do things differently. However, they are a small minority of players. A lot of the players here love helping each other out. If you need help in a dungeon, chances are there is someone who will help you. If you don't know the mechanics of a raid, there are people who will take the time to teach you what to do. What's even better is that as a whole, players refuse to spoil new players about the story. We all know what it's like to play FFXIV and experience its story and gameplay for the first time.

That's something we want our new players to experience.

In any case, these are reasons why you should play the critically-acclaimed MMORPG FFXIV. If you want to try out FFXIV's Free Trial, you can check out the PlayStation Store or the official website (PC) to sign up. Hopefully, you will get to experience FFXIV's story, gameplay, and more for yourself. Once you're done with the free trial, you can buy FFXIV for yourself and play everything else.