Some games never lose their shine, even after years in the market: Final Fantasy XI, Square Enix’s first release under the MMORPG market, is a prime example of this. Since the game’s inception, in May, 2002, the game came, grew and “lost” its publisher’s main support a few years back (2016, to be precise) but it still brings the community together.
Keen readers will notice the quotation marks above: “lost”, as in “you can no longer play it on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360”, but the fans of the game found a saving point (pun intended) on the game for Windows, and Square Enix is still very active in listing it on its production and development reports—which means the company is always looking to revamp its gameplay and keep security policies up to date.
And since there is still news coming out about Final Fantasy XI, you wouldn’t be surprised by how many people want to try their hand on an MMO from the old days. If you’re one of those people, then read on to find a quick guide on how to get started and a few tidbits of information.
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Table of contents
- Final Fantasy XI is still playable??
- It has a very dense storyline
- The first MMORPG to offer crossplay
- How can I play Final Fantasy XI today
- Quick tips for new players
Final Fantasy XI is still playable??
Oh yeah, it very much is. Albeit only a smaller-but-decent scale if compared to its heyday, Final Fantasy XI still has an active community of players.The game is still there, and its expansions.
And it’s not some weird “fork” or “mod” situation, nor you’ll be incurring in piracy if you play it, fear not. In fact, you can easily get it officially, with (some) support from Square Enix, although, like we said before, not on consoles: that ship has sailed. Right now, the game is a PC-exclusive.
It has a very dense storyline
And we mean very dense! Final Fantasy XI drops you into Vana’diel, a stunningly diverse world scarred by divine drama not unlike its predecessor. Its core conflict springs from a tragic creation myth: a goddess’s tears birthed five flawed races, cursed by a dark god to fight each other while his Beastmen creations wage eternal war against them.
You step in 20 years after a near-apocalyptic victory against the Beastmen’s Shadow Lord, navigating a fragile peace, facing relentless enemies driven by ancient hatred, and even exploring terrifying “what if?” timelines where the good guys lost. It’s a rich, deep world built on gods, curses, tears, and a constant legacy of conflict.
That’s basically the TL;DR version, and we’re leaving much of it out for spoiler reasons, but the game does provide several lore recaps throughout the adventure, so you’ll never feel lost within the story.
The first MMORPG to offer crossplay
Final Fantasy XI wasn’t just the first experience of the franchise within the realms of online gaming. On its original release, it competed with MMORPG heavyweights such as Ragnarok Online, Mu, Priston Tale and several other, far more established titles. So even by Final Fantasy-esque standards, Square Enix was facing an uphill battle and needed an Edge.
That differential came in the form of crossplay. It was, in fact, one of the key selling points touted by Square Enix during the game’s anticipated release. As it was launched for PlayStation 2 and PC, the Japanese publisher felt it was time to create something that both platforms could’ve enjoyed equally.
And it did, sort of: while the game was the same on consoles and computers, the process of “getting online” was a bit more tricky on the PlayStation 2: older gamers with receding hairlines will remember it was the last console with no stock connection feature: games that were online-compatible could make use of the feature using a network adapter (sold separately) that plugged into the system’s expansion bay (the adapter is integrated into the hardware on later “slim” models) and a cabled internet connection—yup,Wi-Fi was a premium offer back then.
So this ended up being one extra hoop for console-based fans to jump through, which did end up hurting the game’s popularity somewhat. Still, thousands of copies sold in a few years is nothing to be shy about…
How can I play Final Fantasy XI today
Alright, let’s get down to business: like we mentioned above, you can download and play Final Fantasy XI normally, to this day and age of 2025. In order to do that, you’ll need to go through PlayOnline, the game’s official page, where you can download its install files in several parts. You know, like ancient people use to do internet stuff in those days
It is, however, a paid experience: it costs $11,95 for a monthly subscription granting one character created by the user. Additional characters—up to 16—will set you back a dollar each, and there’s also the “Mog Wardrobe Fee”, which goes for another two bucks.
As for payment methods, credit card is only way to go: with it, you can purchase credits (called “Crysta”, in Square Enix-speak) and add funds to a virtual wallet, which is then used to pay for everything.
Quick tips for new players
- Get to know the mechanics: As MMORPGs go, Final Fantasy XI is pretty detailed when it comes to multiplayer—even by today’s standard. There are several mapping options, skills to learn and master, and even basic commands should have some time dedicated to getting the hang of.
- Get fast travel…fast: This game does not have a familiar fast travelling system, and the closest thing are certain books and homepoint crystals. As soon as you hit a new area, make a note to look for them ASAP. The world of Vana’diel is pretty big, so getting around can be a chore for some.
- You will need a guide: Yes, you absolutely can play Final Fantasy XI in “play-by-ear” mode (not an actual mode…it’s just an expression), but there is just so much to do in so many places, you’ll be forgiven if the game starts to feel a bit overwhelming. Most veteran players recommend ffxiah.com and bg-wiki.com as primary information sources, so you should start there.
- Get that Trust up: The game’s party members work on a Trust system where you essentially get certain NPCs as companions to help you out in battles. They do not level up. Instead, their skills and attributes vary according to your own level and equipment. They are, however, representations of the game’s many job classes, so building a balanced party is key. You’ll need a certain quest fulfilled in the beginning in order to unlock the Trust-related magic, then start taking from there.
- Use Steam without Steam: most players recommend not running FF11 through the Steam client, and instead download the game’s own access point and syncing your Steam account from there.
- Always level cap (and go beyond): There are several guides on quick level up tricks for your character in Final Fantasy XI. New and returning players usually go for the Rhapsodies of Vana’diel storyline quests, which grants cumulative experience point bonuses. Many players aim to complete RoV up to at least Mission 2-40 to unlock all significant EXP bonuses. Others look for Records of Eminence (RoE), which are in-game objectives from the quest menu that reward you with experience points and “Sparks” upon completion. Many are repeatable and include tasks like killing a certain number of enemies, gathering specific items, or exploring areas.These two will allow you to hit level cap (50, initially) and go beyond in no time (especially the “Vana’Bout” Event—you’ll know it when you see it!).
