‘Final Fantasy XIV’ free trial lets gamers play indefinitely until level 35

By Gabe Gurwin March 28, 2017

Want to try out Final Fantasy XIV but spend too much time enjoying the scenery instead of making progress? In the past, the game’s free trial would punish you as it limited prospective subscribers to only 14 days of play time. That changes on Tuesday as a new update will now grant all free trial players unlimited playtime up to level 35.

“Players will be able to continue exploring the realm of Eorzea for as long as they like, or try out different playable races, classes, and jobs,” Square Enix said in a press release.

The free trial functions much like the entry-level subscription, with players able to create eight total characters, and here’s the kicker: Your time doesn’t stop once you have leveled one character up to level 35. You’re free to move onto a different class, as well as try out the first 10 levels of the game’s Deep Dungeon — essentially an always-changing dungeon where all players are placed on an even playing field. You can even try out Chocobo racing, assuming you haven’t gotten your fill of chickens from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Final Fantasy XIV has improved tremendously since its original release in 2010. The massively multiplayer online game was met with derision from critics and scored substantially lower than Square Enix’ previous online effort, Final Fantasy XI. In 2014, the game re-launched as Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn to critical acclaim and it received consistent updates in the following years. The game’s next major narrative expansion Stormblood arrives on June 20 and a massive $200 collector’s edition is available on the game’s website. It features a seven-inch Zenos yae Galvus figure, art book, sticker cling, cloth map, and several digital bonuses.

Final Fantasy XIV is available now on PlayStation 4 and PC. A standard 30-day subscription will set you back $15 and gives you access to a maximum of 40 characters.

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Gabe Gurwin has been playing games since 1997, beginning with the N64 and the Super Nintendo. He began his journalism career…

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