Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail review: emotional new expansion leaves a lasting legacy

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail MSRP $40.00 Score Details Pros

New zones are stunning
Standout best battle content
New jobs are welcome additions
Powerful, unexpected story moments

Cons

Pacing is up and down
Both halves feel underexplored

When Final Fantasy XIV’s newest expansion, Dawntrail, was revealed, it was pitched as a summer vacation to the new continent of Tural. I was ready to kick up my feet, sip a tropical drink on the beach with my Warrior of Light player character, and take some much needed time off. The thing I forgot about summer vacation, though, is that it eventually ends. Everything you put on pause for a few months is still there to be dealt with when you return — much like the elementary school kid who throws their backpack off on the last day of school, only for it to collect dust until the following school year.

I went into Dawntrail expecting a Shonen-like tournament arc as my friends and I helped propel our new ally Wuk Lamat to power. Instead, I walked away with a new lesson on mortality, what it means to be remembered, and so much more. It’s a strong expansion for Square Enix’s excellent MMORPG, but it requires some patience to see why that is.

Vacation’s over

Whatever you think Dawntrail is in its first half is brought into question, challenged, and flipped on its head in the second act, but it takes time to show its hand. This largely works in its favor, although there are quite a few stumbles along the way to bridge these two ideas together.

Dawntrail positions itself in the early hours as a story of succession for the throne. The current leader, Gulool Ja Ja, known as the Dawnservant, has tasked his three children (Wuk Lamat, Koana, and Zoraal Ja) and tournament winner Bakool Ja Ja with performing the “Rite of Succession” a scavenger hunt that will lead them all over the Tural countryside in hopes of finding the fabled City of Gold. Think of it like a season of Survivor meets the HBO drama Succession.

While Dawntrail’s story has