Let’s be honest for a second and I say this as someone who deeply loves Final Fantasy XI.
We all carry a lot of nostalgia for this game, but that doesn’t mean we should confuse it with perfection. FFXI has never truly been a great game by objective standards. That is not an insult, it is simply the truth.
The story? It does not hold a candle to Final Fantasy VI, VII, VIII, IX, or X. It lacks the emotional depth, pacing, and cinematic execution that made those titles unforgettable.
The gameplay? While unique and addictive to us long-time fans, it never truly competed with other giants of its time. Lineage, World of Warcraft, Aion, TERA Online, Phantasy Star Online, Phantasy Star Universe, even Guild Wars they all offered smoother systems or more accessible combat. FFXI was always an acquired taste.
As a lifelong RPG fan turn-based, action, you name it. I can tell you that most people I tried introducing to FFXI never made it past the tutorial. It simply did not click with them.
That said, I genuinely like what the team is doing with the Limbus revamp. Hopefully Einherjar, Nyzul, Salvage, Dynamis-Outerlands (Xarcabard and Beaucedine), Dreamlands, Voidwatch, Legion all of it gets the same treatment. Keep the endgame alive. If the game enters maintenance mode someday, at least give us 7 to 10 solid endgame events for our Linkshells to enjoy.
Now, about a potential FFXI-2, remake, or remaster… a remaster sounds the most realistic. Maybe re-release one expansion per year. But to be honest, private servers have burned people out.
Too many players are exhausted from the classic experience.
If it were up to me, I would focus on a reinvented FFXI Classic level 75 cap, all jobs available, full endgame content from every expansion, and gear that feels modern but scaled to level 75: 25% Haste, Double Attack, Triple Attack something fast, fun, and rewarding ala-retail.
We’ve already played Nasomi, Eden, Wings, Horizon. How many times can we restart the same story? At some point, classic becomes repetitive, not nostalgic.