Final Fantasy XIV: ARR Patch 3.1 Launches Today!

Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn is a magnificent rebirth for a game that was almost dead on arrival when it first launched back in September of 2010. Ever since Naoki Yoshida came on board to oversee the phoenix-like rebirth of the troubled MMO, a process that saw the game rebuilt from the ground up, it’s enjoyed both critical and commercial success. Square Enix boast five million users are playing FF XIV: ARR and while there may (or may not) be some fuzzy math going on there, it’s definitely popular and a lot of people are playing. And good for FF XIV because it’s a fantastic MMO that takes the best of the series’ lore and expertly weaves it into the tapestry of its world, called Eorzea.

The most recent expansion for the game, Heavensward, ended on an equal notes of hope and trepidation, with some problems being resolved and the fates of some key NPCs being revealed while still leaving so many questions unanswered. Which, of course, is necessary since Square Enix wants to gradually reveal the rest of the storyline with patches, updates and expansions that will keep the subscriber base invested for the forseeable future.

To this end, the most recent update (click here if you’re familiar with the game and want to read up on the patch notes) adds all new story missions, ‘hard’ versions of some of the older raids, new weapons and armor and new activities to partake of in Manderville’s Gold Saucer, which fans of Final Fantasy VII will be very familiar with. And that’s just some of the new content that’s been added with this mammoth patch. Now is as good a time as any to venture forth into Eorzea, with its great story, compelling cast, excellent gameplay, unrivaled graphics in the MMO genre and a soundtrack that is the best Final Fantasy has offered in a long,Final long time.

Here’s the launch trailer for Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn Heavensward 3.1 – As Goes Light, So Goes Darkness. It’s a little spoilery, so caution to the uninitiated.