FFXIV ARR: More Than Just a Rebirth?

At what point will we ever talk about Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn without having to refer to the first, much reviled, 1.0 version of the game?

By all accounts, FFXIV ARR is a completely new game. In fact, FFXIV ARR is not only a good game when compared to FFXIV 1.0, it's good in it's own right. It's getting overwhelmingly good reviews from the player base, so why can't we escape the memory of that first debacle? In article after article, the good press FFXIV ARR receives is accompanied by an equal portion of skepticism and doubt.

This is how most reviews are starting out:

"When the original Final Fantasy XIV was released on the PC a couple of years ago, it attracted a fair share of criticism... Apologies were offered, promises were made, and Final Fantasy XIV underwent a reboot to give birth to a game which promised to provide an experience synonymous with the Final Fantasy Brand. Hence, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn was born from the ashes of its predecessor to signify a rebirth of the series."     -Yusof of Siliconera                                                                                                                                "When Yoshida recently presented his plans for the upcoming release of the critically drubbed Final Fantasy XIV, he called out immersive graphics as a franchise hallmark. [He] focused so much on graphics, actually, that it was difficult not to wonder: Has Square Enix actually learned the lessons taught by the disaster that was Final Fantasy XIV's initial release?"     -Kevin VanOrd of Gamespot                                                                                                                                                                    "By all accounts--including Square Enix's--2010's Final Fantasy XIV was an abomination, a shameful excuse for an MMORPG that couldn't even pull off the simplest kill-and-fetch quest without tripping over itself. And so I tiptoed into this "reborn" incarnation of Eorzea with caution, fully expecting the world to crumble around me pixel by pixel. That didn't happen. Against all odds, it was good, and I found myself reluctant to leave when the closed beta breathed its last."     -Leif Johnson of IGN

It seems that reviewers can't start a conversation about FFXIV ARR without first drawing attention to the failures of FFXIV 1.0. Now, it's more than fair for this to be true and I'm not surprised. However, what will it take for 1.0 to drop off of the discussion? Better yet, when will it be the foot note, instead of the key note, of every FFXIV ARR discussion?

Do we all do this? I find myself frequently referring to my 1.0 experiences and drawing nearly constant comparisons between the 1.0 and ARR versions of the game. After reading the recent reviews that are coming out, I was stuck by how central the 1.0 version of the game is to understanding how well FFXIV ARR is shaping up. It's a marvel how amazingly well Yoshida has flipped this game. For those of us who were part of 1.0, it's miraculous and somehow adds to the glory of the rebirth. However, I wonder what effect this 1.0 talk has on new players, new MMO fans, and old FFXIV 1.0 defectors. When they read these reviews or hear us talking about 1.0, what effect does it have?

For the reviewers, there seems to be a pervasive doubt cast over everything good in FFXIV ARR. Are these questions being asked by more than game reviewers? For those of us who just did the beta, these questions are silly! We already know the answer to these:

"But was it enough to justify such a Herculean effort?"                  -Leif Johnson of IGN                                                                                                                                                                               "Is the upcoming MMOG a true rebirth, or will it reopen old wounds?"     -Kevin VanOrd of Gamespot                                                                                                                                                "So, is Square Enix in possession of a Phoenix Down?"               -Yusof of Siliconera

The answer is resoundingly positive. A large majority of the players I've talked to, say FFXIV ARR more than makes up for all the sins of FFXIV 1.0. To us, it would seem that these reviewers either played too little beta, or perhaps they simply can't be seen to completely let down their critical guard and fall all over themselves for FFXIV ARR. It's almost fashionable to be cynical these days. At the very least, people want to seem "on the fence" about this game because we were so betrayed by FFXIV 1.0. It's hard to give ourselves over to the hype and not wonder if we will be disappointed yet again.FFXIV

Cautious optimism seems to be the best FFXIV ARR can get these days. Will that hurt sales? What would the hype look like if we could simply delete FFXIV 1.0 from our memories? Here are some excerpts from the same articles that start out with so much doubt:

"Yoshida has literally moved mountains to make Eorzea feel ... lived in, and filled with Final Fantasy hallmarks: magitek armor, chocobos, moogles, and even limit breaks. Even more importantly, Yoshida and team are filling [Final Fantasy XIV] with new content, from player residences to public quests, from raid dungeons to player-versus-player battlegrounds."     -Kevin VanOrd of Gamespot                                                                                                                                                                              "I'm reminded of Augustus Caesar's boast that he found Rome in brick but left it in marble. At present, it's a standard MMORPG, but it's one with heart and ... Yoshida's love of the genre reveals itself with every click."                                              -Leif Johnson of IGN                                                                                                                                                                                "[Final Fantasy XIV] seems to be a solid MMORPG. ... I was quite impressed by the effort put behind the game. The music was exceptional, the world is stunning, the towns feel alive and I can ride chocobos."     -Yusof of Siliconera

You all remember when politicians do stupid, offensive crap then immediately apologize and then go back to business as usual. Sometimes, they get hauled up to the Hill and have to answer to a group of Senators beneath the hot lights of News cameras. Rarely do they have to fully pay for their screw-ups. We, as citizens, largely forgive them, or at least we forget and move on hoping they've finally learned their lesson. Will we do the same as gamers? Or will we make Square Enix perpetually pay for that one time they abused our trust.

I personally lost more than a $1000.00 USD by investing in a new PC and equipment for FFXIV 1.0. If anybody deserves to be bitter and hold a grudge -- it's me. However, after objectively reviewing beta and observing Yoshida for the last couple years, I can't imagine holding back on the enthusiasm. It's time we all took the chip off our shoulders, set aside the skepticism and started giving some unqualified praise to the man, the legend... Naoki Yoshida and his amazing game, FFXIV ARR.