Final Fantasy XI Online [PlayStation 2 Hard Disk Drive Bundle] [PS2]

Just when you thought Square Enix couldn't possibly come up with a new take on Final Fantasy, a franchise that has produced more than 10 major titles since its inception in 1987, the Japanese game developer has announced that it will release Final Fantasy XI in the United States later this year -- and this time, it will be as a massively multiplayer online role playing game, or MMORPG.

Certainly, this shift away from a single-player, plot-driven style is bound to be a bit unsettling for veteran players. Whereas the game was a personal experience, it will sport thousands or even millions of players who will roam the countryside with one goal: to find adventure.

But this is not to say that all the fun is lost. On the contrary, if games like EverQuest, Lineage and Ultima Online have taught us anything, it's that the social dynamics within MMORPGs can be just as interesting as any script. The developers of Final Fantasy XI have managed to combine all the best features of existing online games with a few new tricks of their own.

To get started with Final Fantasy XI, you first select a race for your character, just as you would in any other online RPG. There are five races to select from, including the peculiarly human-like Hume, the elfish Elvaans, the burly Galkas, the catlike Mithras and the cute Tarutarus, which look like a cross between a Hello Kitty doll and a gopher and happen to be quite good at the magic arts.

Next, you select a job class. Like the class system in other games, this gives your character specific abilities that will help in the journey and that you can develop as the game progresses. There are six job categories at the start, including the Warrior, the ninja-like Monk, the sly Thief and three different types of wizardly Mages.

Once you've customized your character, you're ready to set out into the medieval world of Vana'Diel. Those familiar with the older Final Fantasy games will recognize the standard mode of travel: the chocobos. These large bird-like creatures can be picked up from a stable and taken out on the town -- just be sure you have a license first. If not, you'll be turned away.

There are three major nations that you'll want to visit in Vana'diel. In the Republic of Bastok, you'll find the Humes and their advanced technology. In the Federation of Windurst, you'll come across Tarutaru tribes living in large, tree-like villages. And in the Kingdom of San D'oria, you'll wander through the warn-torn homeland of the Elvaan.

During your travels, you'll come across crystals and monsters. You'll collect the former thanks to a special aura granted to you by the border guards at the entrance to each city. As for the latter, you'll automatically lock on to enemies and start an attack that you can modify in real time through the use of magic and other skills.

Keep in mind, though, that you won't be alone on your journey. MMORPGs are great for group dynamics, and the developers at Square Enix have gone to great lengths to ensure that there's plenty of socializing. To help your country gain more territory in Vana'Diel, you must band together with other players and clear monsters out of various regions. This earns conquest points for your country, and the country with the most conquest points each week wins control of the entire region.

Square Enix also has built several technical features into the game that will enhance social interactions. Most notably, the system will allow English-speaking players to communicate with Japanese language players through the help of pre-translated phrases. The network also will support players on PC and PlayStation 2 systems, a first.

Of course, such technical wizardry doesn't come for free. In addition to paying the monthly subscription fee, PlayStation 2 users will need an as-yet unavailable hard drive for their consoles. Sony is expected to ship the hard drive and the game simultaneously sometime in the first quarter of 2004. As for the PC version, it is expected on shelves later this year.