Making an attempt to wrap up a decade of storytelling is kind of the ask, and the Ultimate Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail enlargement definitely makes an attempt to make waves.
Its multi-year patches of the earlier enlargement, Endwalker, whereas entertaining, did little to persuade gamers that the stakes could be anyplace close to as excessive when it got here to kicking off the sport’s subsequent ten years of unusual sagas and otherworldly quests.
And we’re not going to guide you on by saying that these lofty expectations for Dawntrail had been smashed. They had been managed. Adequately, in actual fact. However does that make this new journey a motive to interrupt your promise of ending your time with the once-dead MMO on a excessive? Most likely not.
But it surely additionally wholly is dependent upon why you might need thought-about that within the first place. And when you didn’t… nicely, you’ve most likely already raced by means of it and are available to your personal conclusion.
Somewhat than travelling the seas to speak with good alecs concerning the impending apocalypse, going again in time, and even jetting off to the sting of the universe of their bunny-managed spaceship, right here you’re occurring a soothing summer time vacation. No less than, that’s the joke all of us made when the primary trailer was launched.
In actuality, Dawntrail has gamers going out of their method to assist one of many recreation’s warmest characters but persuade her two-headed reptilian dad to provide her the throne of his united continent over her half-siblings: a catboy, a single-headed lizard, and one other dual-headed scaleyman. Sure, you’re nearly strong-arming the federal government of a neighbouring nation. It’s simply one other day for Hydaelyn’s chosen champion, and that’s a part of what makes this specific jaunt such a pleasure for probably the most half.
After proving your self again and again by changing into a mass assassin of dictators, gods, and historical ghosts—cementing your self because the realm’s reply to Goku or Superman—it’s nice to see an enlargement written with these victories in thoughts. The variety of key cutscenes that have you ever pull your punches is a breath of recent air. But it surely’s additionally a big a part of the sport’s widespread pacing drawback.
Dawntrail has extra hours of cutscenes than its predecessors, regardless of having little in the way in which of decade-old plotlines to harken again to. There’s the expectation that it’ll arrange the subsequent 10 years of content material. However that’s probably not the case—to not the clear diploma we had been all possible anticipating.
There are many instances when the story bobs alongside at a snail’s tempo, padded out with conversations protecting subjects already mentioned and reiterating factors you’ve possible already acknowledged, deduced, or downright needn’t even know. Making issues worse is {that a} good chunk of those cutscenes nonetheless aren’t absolutely voiced. You’re continually going between partitions of textual content, which might get tiresome when you recognize you’re nonetheless removed from an thrilling new gameplay second like a dungeon, boss trial, or eye-opening new area.
“There are many instances when the story bobs alongside at a snail’s tempo, padded out with conversations protecting subjects already mentioned and reiterating factors you’ve possible already acknowledged, deduced, or downright needn’t even know.”
These moments are notably bothersome early on whereas the sport makes an attempt to provide key context concerning the new world you end up in. You’re there to study concerning the individuals our new hero is trying to befriend whereas she figures out what can be required of her, ought to she ascend to the throne. Many of the denizens are siding with another person, and he or she’s primarily canvassing for her candidacy.
Finally, it’s essential to her character. The expansion is genuinely endearing, and the message is easy. However while you’re spending what seems like hours doing barely a lot of something for your self, Dawntrail can really feel like much less of a recreation and extra like an episodic sequence. By no means understanding whether or not you’ll be studying or listening when the sport prompts you to put aside time for cutscenes nonetheless seems like a large disservice to the voice actors who’ve tried to convey these characters to life for years.
Second to all that is that Dawntrail doesn’t look to be shaking up the sport’s ever-predictable content material cycle. Group content material is each different stage in any case, which might discourage taking part in along with guildies when grownup schedules don’t match up. Working the lot with story-tied NPCs for additional context and camaraderie continues to be appreciated, however there’s nonetheless an excessive amount of fluff between these moments of extra lively play.
Some zones overstay their welcome, whereas others really feel unfairly glossed over. Which facet of this you fall on is a matter of non-public choice, however Dawntrail’s multi-arc storyline seems like a bloated Scorsese flick at instances: a prolonged narrative that would have been delivered in a tighter bundle and even unfold out between post-game patches.
The place Dawntrail completely shines, nevertheless (and fairly actually) is with its new coat of graphical paint. It’s laughable that two of the sport’s races nonetheless can’t put on new armour on their noggins, however the brand new environments have rapidly change into a few of my favourites. Improved shaders, shadows, sharper textures, and easy reflections give loads of the landmarks and key visuals that would seem unimpressive prior to now a constructive sense of realism.
The enlargement’s new principal hub metropolis of Tuliyollal is attractive, the pot-like constructions used to deal with the Goblins of Earthenshire really appear to be shiny ceramic havens, and the smooth glow of the shrouded forests like Yak T’el or the implied heat of the open-air peaks of Kozumauka are divine.
“The brand new environments have rapidly change into a few of my favourites. Improved shaders, shadows, sharper textures, and easy reflections give loads of the landmarks and key visuals that would seem unimpressive prior to now a constructive sense of realism.”
There’s an elevated sense of scale in a few of these areas, too. Though I’m nonetheless not satisfied gamers will work together with 99% of the lands launched right here past what the story calls for, I can recognize their existence. The enhancements additionally assist key story characters stand out, with facial expressions being extra of a spotlight this time round. Although the identical can’t be mentioned for scenes with extra dynamic movement.
Animations are nonetheless painfully stiff outdoors of moments requiring comedian aid. Too many instances do characters exit a heavy scene with the identical spin, pause, and strut—with an additional pause if they should stroll a nook. Wouldn’t it kill them to have a little bit of spring of their step? Any shred of character could be a welcome addition, however scenes are nonetheless scarily uniform 10 years on from the beginning line.
Once more, Dawntrail has extremely giant sneakers to fill—comically giant clown sneakers. And whereas the overdue graphical replace wins it some brownie factors, given its implications for future expansions, the story continues to be the principle promoting level.
You may’t be anticipated to spend the higher a part of half a month meandering by means of the core marketing campaign if it doesn’t seize you. And whereas it drags a tad at the beginning, it does stand robust because it approaches the midway level. Wuk Lamat and the Ceremony of Succession is a superb storyline when it isn’t getting used as a lore dump.
However even after that each one wraps up, it takes somewhat too lengthy for the subsequent plot level to simmer to a boil as soon as extra. Even in its makes an attempt to hyperlink fan-favourite characters to the specter of its second arc to up the stakes, the last word payoff struggles to carry a candle to what got here earlier than.
Once more, regardless of the discuss of extra padding, Dawntrail does try and shine the highlight on two bigger tales that maybe ought to each have been given extra time to breathe. Whereas that will imply elongating among the excursions that felt lengthy within the tooth, I imagine that telling extra of these tales by means of further fight eventualities would have been simply the ticket.
“Once more, regardless of the discuss of extra padding, Dawntrail does try and shine the highlight on two bigger tales that maybe ought to each have been given extra time to breathe”
After hours of studying, strolling to the subsequent location, and studying some extra, it felt like I hadn’t actually interacted with the sport for 2 nights in a row. Uninteresting escort quests or sneak missions drew issues out when the identical life classes instrumental to the story might have come by means of extra participating content material like further dungeons or trials with NPCs reciting lore and key story beats as you’re taking within the sights of the picturesque new lands launched all through.
Regardless of a rocky begin, delectable center, and conflicting finish, it’s the post-game stuff that manages to rescue Dawntrail on the final second. The highest-level dungeons have a shocking issue curve that mixes up the standard brainless run and gun techniques we’ve employed for years now. Two weeks in and it’s clear the enhancements have carried into the primary set of post-launch content material, too.
The brand new raid sequence “The Arcadion” set to play out over the subsequent couple of years doesn’t have the strongest story beat, however the makeshift wrestling matches full with campy callouts and referee drama combine completely with the genre-spanning tracks from the ever-impressive Masayoshi Soken.
Simply as we had been in a position to keep sane by means of the marketing campaign by whistling alongside to his musings, his abilities falling in time with the wacky fight mechanics saved us targeted, with the dynamic commentary from the ringmaster locked us in from begin to end.
As a complete, Ultimate Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is a stronger begin to the subsequent ten years of the sport than we anticipated. However that doesn’t make it proof against key criticisms. The sport has come a good distance, and there’s solely a lot you possibly can anticipate to vary once more with out a full-blown sequel. Even nonetheless, the highs and lows felt an excessive amount of like a literal rollercoaster over the two+ weeks of evenings it took to energy by means of its story content material.
Time will inform whether or not the subsequent few years of post-game content material can solidify it as top-of-the-line of the bunch, however the participating twists on core fight has us intrigued: even when the story at the moment doesn’t. Nonetheless, with the marketing campaign rush now over for many, we nonetheless discover ourselves eagerly awaiting the adventures we’ve but to go on.
A PC copy of Ultimate Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail was supplied for assessment by Sq. Enix. We additionally bought a PlayStation 5 copy in the course of the assessment course of.
