Square Enix does a good job of making the members of the large cast come off as real people, and some of the main characters have undergone believable changes over the years. Much as in a good singleplayer RPG, much of the narrative unfolds in cinematic cutscenes, and its mature themes touch on everything from loss to redemption. Why you should play FF14įinal Fantasy 14's story remains the best reason to play. And if you ever decide those limitations are too burdensome? You can remove them by buying the FF14 Starter Edition, which gives you access to the same playable content as the free trial and only costs $20. If you're mainly playing for the story, though (and that's generally a good reason to play FF14), these are sacrifices you should be able to live with.

You also can't join Free Companies, which are FF14's version of player guilds.

You can't use the Market Boards (which means you can't buy or sell stuff).

Keep in mind some of the limitations, though: The upshot of all this is that it may be wiser to make an entirely new account if you want to play through A Realm Reborn and Heavenward with the free trial.

Where to final fantasy 14