Final Fantasy XIV, the saga that had its conclusion with Endwalker in 2021, is back again with a new expansion that will set the scene for a new storyline: Dawntrail. Yes, the fifth expansion, which aims to do better than Stormblood or Endwalker. Suffice to say, we’ve been looking forward to it with bated breath!
A new era…
In 2023, the Final Fantasy XIV daddies arrived to announce the long-awaited future of FF14! And now Dawntrail is here, with two new classes and a new world to discover. Well, it’s been a long wait, and we’ve taken our time to fully understand this expansion. Yes, we’re releasing this review a month after the game’s release, and for a good reason: to fully understand an MMO, it’s not enough to read its story. It’s about getting to know the owner. And so it was during a trip from CL to CL that we discovered this new extension.
Before setting off on our adventure, we had to prepare ourselves. And it was the Pictomancer that caught our eye. So the whole extension was made with the Pictomancer. First and foremost, we had to get it up to level 90 to start Dawntrail, because it’s level 80 when you get it.
Once that’s done, it’s off to Wuk Lamat in the company of the local princess to discover the continent of Tural! What’s the point? To help her fulfill her myth of succession. A sort of competition where everyone has a chance. To do this, you’ll need to collect gems throughout Tural to gain access to the golden city… Yes, you’ve got it in mind too, I know.
But you’ve got some allies from the Warriors of Light, and enemies too! Because in this new world, nobody’s friends with anybody. And old friends are going to take the opportunity to see if the warrior in us is still up to scratch.
Let’s face it. But next to Endwalker. Dawntrail looks like Realm Reborn. We take the basics and strip away the dark side. What’s more, we’re not the center of the story, but a mentor to the princess, who is. However, once the second part of the expansion begins. Then we start to see these marks again, with well-known references from the saga. So, yes, the epic side is still there, but it’s a bit long in coming.
Handsome as a truck.
FF14 is more beautiful than ever thanks to its latest update. If Next Gen console gamers had already had a glimpse. On PC, you’ll find a lot of new visuals and you’ll enjoy rediscovering the title. Which has always been one of the most beautiful MMOs of any era.
However, as you’ll have gathered, it’s in the new zones that the game really comes into its own, and that’s only to be expected. Redoing an entire game is simply impossible in a short space of time. But focusing on the new zones and the rest little by little is. And that’s not so bad, as long as the focus is on the new features.
Let’s not forget the Picto and Viper, which are also central to the expansion. These two new DPS are here to hurt. And while the Viper is a CAC DPS, the Picto is a Magic DPS. One is very similar to the Reaper, both in terms of movement and gameplay. The Picto, on the other hand, offers a bit of novelty, with a canvas painting system for more powerful and evolving spells.
Where our hearts went out for the picto is that it’s as original in its animations as it is in the way it works. It was only natural that we should go for this class which, as it has evolved, has done nothing but please us and reassure us of its simplicity of use, despite the thousands of spells to be cast in succession.
Note that other classes have undergone changes with the expansion, while others have not. It’s up to you to decide whether it’s time to change classes.
Finally, FF14 Dawntrail is a must for its challenge. The dungeons and challenges are a breath of fresh air in the complexity of certain confrontations. It’s a real pleasure to see that the dungeons have patterns to learn so that you don’t end up as an OS. But as for the rest, expect a slow start before you get the hang of this expansion, which shows that Final Fantasy XIV still has a long way to go.
