Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Reviews
Dawntrail may have the slowest start of any expansion since A Realm Reborn, but it ultimately won the race with it's smooth queue free launch, noticeable graphical updates and an intriguing new plot which is the fresh start Final Fantasy XIV needed to be at the top of the MMORPG genre once again
Review in Arabic | Read full review
I've adored my time in Tural so far, and it's some of the most fun I've had in FFXIV in the 11+ years I've been playing. Wuk Lamat is someone worth rooting for, and the designs found in Dawntrail are just beautiful. More than anything, I'm just eager to get back and see where Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail takes me from here.
'Dawntrail' shoves your character so far into the background of its story you may as well not be there. That said, the vibrancy and personality of Tural is a real breath of fresh air, and the dungeon bosses have never been more satisfying to take down.
Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail is a great expansion that has a lot to offer. The graphics update is really good and the Final Fantasy music is still a masterpiece. The main story questline is okay, but unfortunately not as outstanding as players had hoped. Nevertheless, the new world of Dawntrail is worth a look for every MMO fan, as there are new dungeons, new jobs, new decorative items and much more.
Review in German | Read full review
While it doesn't take major steps forward mechanically, and its story may not hit the same highs as Shadowbringers and Endwalker, Dawntrail offers plenty of memorable and tear-jerking moments while digging deeper into Final Fantasy XIV's lore in exciting ways. The seeds have only just begun to be planted for the future of Final Fantasy XIV, but this expansion makes it easy to feel confident about where the franchise is going and how much it has left to explore.
Overall, Dawntrail is a great expansion that features a story with ups and downs, but that sets the stage well for what could become the new saga of Final Fantasy XIV.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is very messy, but still greatly enjoyable. Wuk Lamat is a lovable character who I hope sticks around, with a satisfying character arc tying in with the expansion's themes. Viper is a blast to play, and every dungeon or trial holds something new and unique. While the expansion isn't the best FFXIv has to offer, it has so much heart you can't help but smile.
Dawntrail may have some growing pains as it establishes a compelling new era for Final Fantasy XIV, but in its best moments, it lives up to what has made this MMORPG so special for all these years.
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail starts with a slow burn that builds into an emotional, captivating inferno that tackles some deep themes and effectively balances new elements with old beats in more ways than one. Overall, it’s a brilliant first chapter to the new story arc that has left me eager to learn more about what the future holds in new patches and later expansions. I’ve fallen in love with Tural and its characters, and more importantly, Dawntrail has me obsessed on a new level with FF14 in a way the game has never achieved before.
Dawntrail is largely about working through flaws of all kinds, which it certainly has. But it has its highs, too, that I’d argue are worth fighting for—much like the lands of Tural, full of joy, full of better things. I enjoyed this new FFXIV journey thoroughly, but I know where it needs to build from, and any good adventurer knows to pick up that experience and forge ahead.
FFXIV Dawntrail starts with a trip to the New World, and it sets up the next narrative journey for the Warrior of Light.
Dawntrail may not be as much of a reinvention of the wheel as it was made out to be. However, it also proves that this formula is still capable of featuring incredible stories and taking us to places that can surprise and challenge our understanding of the world, both in and out of the game. It represents a huge step forward in the worldbuilding of Final Fantasy XIV and its gameplay, giving the player appropriate challenges for the hundreds of hours they likely poured into it to get to this point. If this is any indication of what’s to come, then FFXIV’s next decade is looking as bright as dawn.
The Dawntrail MSQ is salient and beautiful in the exact way that has made the Final Fantasy XIV narrative so beloved…I play MMOs to connect to others, invest in my communities, raid, and be a part of something larger than just me and a television screen. Dawntrail captures that, and that’s truly what matters.
A rich world and amazing dungeon design more than make up for dips in the story.
Dawntrail is another excellent expansion for Final Fantasy 14. The story takes a while to get going, but once it's finished setting the scene it takes some pretty big swings in the second half that left us captivated. The dungeons are the best the game has ever had, the new Pictomancer class is an absolute joy to play, it's got incredible art design, and a soundtrack that's gorgeous. Here's to another 10 years of Final Fantasy 14.
Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail introduces some of the game's best dungeons and trials yet alongside a compelling story that, while slow to ramp up, delivers resoundingly in its second act, setting a promising precedent for the future of the MMORPG on all counts.
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail is a slow start to a new chapter.
Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is a fantastic expansion to the best single player MMO today. There were some hiccups during the game’s prerelease, but since launch, everything’s gone very smoothly. Even on launch day, when traffic was at its height, it only took me 30 minutes to log on, which is a vast improvement from Endwalker’s launch. If you’re curious about playing Final Fantasy XIV, you’ve got hundreds of hours ahead of you, before you make it to Dawntrail’s content. But if you’re at all curious, Final Fantasy XIV is a great introductory MMO, and one that puts its story first. I happily recommend Final Fantast XIV: Dawntrail to all JRPG fans.
Dawntrail doesn’t reach the peak of earlier Final Fantasy XIV expansions, but its path is different. Its mission is to begin a new grand tale, and it absolutely succeeds in placing the threads for the future while weaving an effective story about legacy and loss. Although I have grievances about the pace of questing and the main character’s contradictory actions, I’ve loved my time exploring Tural and can’t wait to see what the next chapter of the story brings.
Dawntrail goes exactly where Final Fantasy XIV needed to go, experimenting with the player character's role in this world as its borders expand.