So, this is a link to the PlayOnline profile of my Elvaan, Red Mage on Alexander server, playing FFXI Online.
The game has been around since at least 2002 when it was originally released in Japan as the first MMO on PS2!
In typical Final Fantasy tradition, the game is known for it's extreme difficulty and high requirements to make significant progress in the game. Fortunately, the rewards are worthwhile and Square Enix has toned the difficulty down significantly since it was released over five years ago.
FFXI Online also has the distinction of being the only game to be crossplatform from, not just one, but two consoles - namely PS2 and Xbox 360 - and Windows PCs. Unfortunately, there is no native Mac OSX version, but it runs great on your Mac using Bootcamp to run Windows or under certain virtualization apps.
FFXI is also optimized to run on a 56k modem connection and a PS2 so it has very low system and network requirements.
Today, FFXI Online has been released in Japan, North America and Europe, officially on three different platforms and even has support for playing under WINE on linux.
The fact that you can also play every possible character job class on one character is also a very attractive feature.
Square Enix has also implemented one of the most aggressive anti cheat and RMT programs I've ever seen in the online game world. They are very vocal about their stance against cheaters and others who spoil the game environment for dedicated players releasing regular reports which detail their latest actions against violators. It is not uncommon to login and see a new announcement that several thousand paying accounts were banned for illicit activities. The fact that Square Enix is willing to give up a paying customer to protect the integrity of their game says a lot about their concern for delivering a quality gaming experience.
Anyone looking for a challenging MMO with very low barrier to entry I highly suggest a look at Final Fantasy XI Online.
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