A Realm Reborn, what was originally a reboot of Final Fantasy XIV, sets the groundwork for what's seen as one of the best games in the franchise...but my GOD, is it a slog. It feels like a string of side quests that have next to no connection, and what actually happens in said side quests has next to no substance either. Up until you reach level 40, you're stuck going around the world, doing meaningless tasks for various settlement and crawling through dungeons that don't really lead to anything story-wise. The final stretch is fairly good, and the gameplay is fun enough to get through it, but as what is many's first impression to the game, this was not handled well at all.