Review for BradyGAMES Final Fantasy XI Strategy Guide

Great for anyone trying to get a good start on the immense world of Vana’diel.

The world of Vana’diel can be a pretty intimidating place.  With tons of things to do at once, it’s pretty easy to get lost, lose sight of your quest, or just become frustrated with the experience.  Luckily, BradyGAMES has put out a great strategy guide that offers a great look at some of keener aspects of Final Fantasy XI.  Without adding any spoilers to the plot of the game or revealing too much in the way of story, BradyGAMES have managed to make a guide that will undoubtedly help gamers to complete key parts of the game, like those crucial first levels, discovering which main job suits your needs best, how to find the right party, and various other hints to help you on your journey.

BradyGAMES’ strategy guide is by no means a comprehensive one, nor should it be, as most of the fun of playing MMORPGs is going out and finding many secrets yourself.  There are many elements of the world of Final Fantasy XI that are not covered in the guide.  In fact there is a disclaimer at the beginning of the guide that basically says that it will only cover missions and quests through rank four, crafting through novice rank and monsters, items weapons and skill chains through level 49.  Therefore, if you are a Final Fantasy XI addict who is already at level 50 or beyond and is looking for info on the more advanced quests throughout the game, then it would probably not be necessary to pick up this guide.  This guide is meant as a starting point for those trying to figure out what types of monsters to fight as you level up, what particular regions throughout the game are good for in terms of leveling up, and how to earn certain main jobs.

The guide offers up some pretty good maps, a glossary to help players understand certain terms used by other players and a great bestiary that offers up some valuable info on the strengths and weaknesses of the many monsters in the game.  One of the best things in the guide is the extremely detailed section on the main jobs in the game.  The section details which races are best for each job, what would be good or bad support jobs, and what your best bet would be in terms of party performance.

The BradyGAMES guide for Final Fantasy XI does a great job of providing gamers with a good start to the huge world of Vana’diel without revealing too much in the way of plot development and storyline.  While those who are already very well established in FFXI (meaning those already at level 50 and beyond) probably won’t get too much out of the guide, anyone looking to get more info on forming a party, most of the monsters in the game or setting up the right jobs, would do well to check this guide out.

Pros:
Very informative, lets players know how to do certain things without revealing too much in the way of story or any other kind of secret developments.  Excellent bestiary and very detailed section on main and support jobs. 

Cons:
None

Verdict: 9.0
While not comprehensive (how could it be, actually?) BradyGAMES’ guide does a fantastic job of giving gamers the scoop on some key elements of the world of Vana’diel and helps them get a great start in Final Fantasy XI.  Highly recommended.

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