Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia Critic Reviews

This game is one HUGE, never-ending game of Final Fantasy with plenty of life in it. It left me continuously wanting to come back for more.

From the moment I got in game and started doing the new quests and missions, I knew that I would see some great things. However some of the content in the Empty areas seemed to be more difficult than needed.

FFXI may not technically be the future of MMORPGs, as there’s no ignoring its derivative nature. However, it has cleverly assimilated all the elements that make the genre so popular and married them with international brand popularity well beyond the reach of other, more ghettoised MMORPGs.

Those that have yet to exceed level 40 and undertake some of the main game’s tougher challenges are probably unprepared for the trials this expansion pack has to offer and will likely find them frustrating and unrewarding. For those prepared to throw down the gauntlet, though, there’s a lot of fun content and gorgeous new areas to be discovered.

The new areas, quests, and missions are very well conceived for the most part, and the addition of new NMs, HNMs, and gear is just icing on the cake.

Bigger is exactly what Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia truly is, as it adds a considerable amount real estate compared to most enhancement bundles out there -- with storyline superfluities that are rarely seen in appendices of this type.

A rich content upgrade that'll please masochistic vets looking for the equivalent of Hercules' 12 labors.

In all fairness it’s a title that is probably geared towards the more experienced MMORPG gamer who should get a lot of enjoyment from the title, while more casual gamers or those new to the genre may find the experience a little daunting.

It does have charming graphics and sound, but the maddening grind really drives down the fun factor.

Promathia should offer worthier excursions than this.

Despite the lack of new jobs in the expansion, and the difficulty of the Promyvion zones, there is plenty of new content to warrant a pickup for any but the newest players.

It's designed exclusively for Final Fantasy XI's most dedicated players, and probably should have been a downloadable update for those players.

Though it's a fairly robust expansion, most of its content isn't immediately accessible, nor is it even readily apparent, especially for beginning players.