Improves on many MMO features, but no inspiration. Great graphics. Slow combat. Simple fun game. Still has bugs.

User Rating: 7.5 | Final Fantasy XIV Online: A Realm Reborn PC
This game improves on many MMOs, like auto-looting and the elimination of useless loot items. The inventory system is a little complex but with huge capacity and many more advanced features. Walking through doors is automatic, the doors just open reducing the number of clicks. The 'sprint' feature is great, and it resets quickly. If you stay out of combat for a brief time, your health restores quickly, which reduces the need for extra potions or out-of-combat healing spells.

The map is very confusing and hard to track the location of places... since they move when you zoom in on them! Took me a long time to figure out how to make the map useable (hint: the mini-map is often easier to use). Several times my cursor has gotten stuck in the chat window and I couldn't get it out without rebooting.
Whenever I pressed "w" to move forward, then cursor would jump back into the chat window and I couldn't move, even after hitting multiple times.

Combat is slow -- the skills have too much delay in them, and there aren't many really flashing, interesting combat skills. The quests aren't bad for MMOs though, which helps, and the terrain is gorgeous to travel around in.

Classes are not well-designed in my opinion, but a lot of that has to do with the dull, slow combat skills. I went in a level 10-12 area at level 9 and couldn't pick up any quests. I had to wander around for a long time, joining FATEs and grinding, because I'd done all the other 9- quests.

You get credit for co-killing a mob, but only if you have it in your duty book. You can't go to a higher level area and get partial credit for helping take down a mob 2 levels above you... you have to do it on your own, but that's not bad, just not as good as the way GW2 does it.

The opening cut-scenes take forever... and a day. Seeing them once is okay because there is a lot of story involved. But if you create a second, or third, or fourth character it gets really annoying to watch the lonnggg opening cut-scenes again.

Overall though, a decent (re) start for an MMO. The game, though not fast-paced or dynamic, is still enjoyable with it's slower pace, reduced MMO tedium, and excellent scenery. It's at least worth trying.