Review: FFXIV Dawntrail Shows the Best and Worst of MMOs

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawn Treader is the fifth expansion in the long-running MMO’s history, and it represents such a fascinating point in its life. This expansion has the unenviable task of following up two great additions. In the end, I found FFXIV Dawn Trail shows us the best and worst moments of the MMO so far.

With the lead to Dawn TrailI often wonder what the purpose of this is. The Last Pedestrian put a nice little cap on MMORPG, felt like the right place to end FFXIV. The fact that it has was supposed to be the original ending. But Square Enix continued the story after Hydaelyn and Zodiark because of its large and active player base.

My main concern about Dawn Trail appeared in the first half of FFXIV expansion. The first part of the story plays like a quirky summer vacation side story, for better and for worse. The Warrior of Light and some Scions travel to the new continent of Tural to help Wuk Lamat fight for his throne against other contestants. The premise sounds pretty cool in theory! This is especially true when some of the other Scions are on the opposing side, creating some interesting internal conflict within the group. However, the execution seems less impressive than Storm Bloodweakest FFXIV much more expansive. This largely stems from the rather boring cast of characters that accompany you.

Wuk Lamat is one of the most forgettable heroes in the FFXIVdespite being essentially the main character of this expansion. Her voice acting is solid, but everything else about her is subpar. She’s one of the most monotone characters in the game. She’s always happy-go-lucky to the point of being almost nauseating. Even her later character development feels forced. She’s not as natural or complex as some of the other characters, like Lyse or Ryne.

To make matters worse, the first half of the expansion also has the most unlikable members of the Scions teaming up with the Warrior of Light and Wuk Lamat. It would be one thing if I could catch my G’raha Tia swooning over me again or Y’shtola’s witty remarks, but that’s not happening here. This is Wuk Lamat’s story from start to finish. It’s almost to the point where the Warrior of Light and the other Scions seem like complete plot points, with the exception of characters like Krile. I almost wonder why some of these characters are there, since the expansion would be nearly identical with or without Alphinaud and Alisaie. In the first half, I often looked at some of the other contestants and wished I could team up with them instead.

The only bright spot in this expansion is the actual content. The new locations, like Kozama’uka, are absolutely gorgeous. The mix of jungles, deserts, and other wild biomes is incredible. The detail and vast nature of each location is highlighted by the accompanying graphical update. These new locations are some of the most beautiful in MMO history, with great variety throughout. There are even visual surprises and changes in some of the individual areas. While I didn’t enjoy the storyline, I did at least appreciate the views along the way.

Plus, it helps with the dungeons, challenges, and even the excellent instances in these places. There are a lot of new mechanics and challenging moments that surprised me and tested my skills. First, the Trust System is back and better than ever. I’ve wanted NPC challenges ever since Trust was introduced in The Shadow Bearer and it has finally come true in many cases like this.

The two new classes, Pictomancer and Viper, both fill welcome gaps in the meta. Pictomancer feels like a true support DPS, capable of buffing up a team and dealing insane amounts of damage. The ability to line up draws before a big fight never gets old. Then there’s Viper, with its myriad combos and flashy mechanics. It’s not overwhelming, but has enough variety to appeal to Ninja fans like me.

If you’re just looking at the content you get to experience, it’s worth getting through the legacy storyline. At least it kept me going until the second half, when things took a turn for the better. The second half of Dawn Trail prove to me that there is still some juice left FFXIV of tank. If you’ve been frustrated with everything since the last battle of The Last PedestrianThis is the section for you.

While I certainly won’t go into detail here, all you have to do is consider the second city Solution number nine to see the surprising tonal shift. The story gets exponentially better in this second half. The introduction of the most amazing new characters in this expansion comes later, along with some shocking story sequences. There are even optional side quests in a specific endgame area that I recommend everyone do for the emotional moments that follow. In fact, there are even some spectacular fan service moments that come out of nowhere and feel surprising. These epic sequences, some playable and some cutscenes, feel like they were created just to convince me FFXIV are on track.

This second half of Dawn Trail up there with some of the best parts of MMOs, while the first half feels like it barely makes it past the heavily disappointing FFXIV Storm Blood. I would rank it significantly higher than Heaven at this point. It doesn’t really reach the pinnacle of MMORPG history but there are some shining moments that remind me of the elements I loved about The Shadow Bearer And The one who goes to the end of the road. Unfortunately, the highest peaks also come with the deepest valleys.

Fortunately, in the end, Dawn Trail Balance for a solid, but not necessarily groundbreaking FFXIV Expansion. While it starts off pretty rough, Square Enix ties it all together pretty well in the second half for a satisfying ending. The consistency of the actual game content throughout at least ensures that it’s fun to play from start to finish. Ultimately, FFXIV Dawn Trail is an uncertain but ultimately positive step in a new direction for the best MMO of all time.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawn Treader Now available for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and computer.

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