The citizens of Eorzea are still recovering from that event, and rather splintered. That dropped moon? It secretly contained Bahamut-a giant Primal and famous Final Fantasy summon-who laid waste to much of the continent as it was formally known. While not much of the previous game exists any more, there are a couple of handy world-building bits from the 'before times' that are worth knowing for context. The first iteration of FFXIV was famously such a disaster that they dropped a moon on the world to restart it. There are spoilers ahead, so only read up to the point that’s relevant to you. It’ll be worth it, but may need clear your calendar to prepare for Endwalker, depending on where you left off. Need a hand figuring out the story so far? FFXIV isn’t like other MMOs in that expansion areas are locked behind story completion, so you’ll have to complete each bit in turn. (Image credit: Square Enix) Catching up with the story, wherever you left it That said, since the matchmaking is automatic, you don’t have to socialise with anyone if you don’t want to.

Want to play the game solo like a traditional Final Fantasy game? You can mostly do that, but you will need to be in groups to run story dungeons. You can also find Link Shells, which are group chats that people from multiple servers and Free Companies can join. For more specific or late-game quests you can use the 'Party Finder' tool that lets you input details for what you’re looking for so the whole data center to see. FFXIV has an amazing automatic party-matching system for all main content, so all you need to do is queue and a group will be found for you. If you don’t find anyone to play with straight away, don’t panic, as there are loads of ways to find groups. It’s pretty easy to find one and you’ll no doubt be invited to one soon enough if you hang out in any main city. In player-run Free Companies you can play alongside other Warriors of Light and chat while you play. You’d have to start a separate account to access the trial and start afresh. Unfortunately you can’t go back to the free trial if you’ve already owned it at some point. Returning players will need to re-subscribe and grab a copy of Shadowbringers to gain access to everything, even if you didn’t finish A Realm Reborn or Heavensward. If you decide you want to continue then buy yourself a copy of Shadowbringers (the latest expansion) as it will include all of the expansions with it. There are a couple of caveats (you can’t participate in the market system or join guilds, or Free Companies), but this is the best way to start. Covering both the base game and the first expansion (Heavensward), it’s basically the equivalent of two massive JRPGs back to back. If this is your first time playing and you’re a little unsure about investing in a monthly subscription, then you’re in luck: There’s an extremely generous free trial. FFXIV beginners guide : Everything you need to know

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