Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail

"Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail excels in its promise to bring exciting new jobs and combat scenarios to the New World. Unfortunately, it falls short of expectations when it comes to the narrative, which ends up being a mess of issues."

"Despite a midpoint lull, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is a stunning expansion with an evocative soundtrack, challenging dungeons, and emotional story. An exciting kick-off that leaves you hungry for the future of FFXIV."

"Dawntrail does the job it needed to do by giving players the new adventure they need to get going once again. It takes a little while to get there, but when the payoff comes it shows how the narrative team …"

"Dawntrail marks the beginning of a major new story arc for the Warrior of Light and his handful of heroes. An often didactic story with a sometimes staid rhythm is accompanied by some of the best gameplay innovations introduced in …"

"Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail delivers in all the ways players should expect a FFXIV expansion to do so, and upped the quality bar with a graphical update that really makes it a beautiful expansion to explore. Long time players might …"

"Crossroads fittingly bridges some of Dawntrail&s;s weaknesses with strong new gameplay and long-awaited improvements."

"Dawntrail goes exactly where Final Fantasy XIV needed to go, experimenting with the player character&s;s role in this world as its borders expand."

"A rich world and amazing dungeon design more than make up for dips in the story."

"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;s themes. Viper is a blast to play, and …"

"Dawntrail has the benefit of years of gameplay and graphical improvements, and puts them to great use in designing some of the best dungeons and trials we&s;ve seen to date. However, its confused story prevents it from reaching its full …"

"Dawntrail ups the ante with exhilarating combat experiences and builds a stunning new world, but meandering storytelling highlights the MMO&s;s flaws."

"With Dawntrail, we take the first steps of the next decade in the story, but we have to honestly admit that it is a bit of a weak start. We will see what kind of story web they will weave …"

"While it hasn&s;t completely lost its luster, Dawntrail proves that it&s;s about time for Final Fantasy XIV to change."

"Dawntrail is another excellent expansion for Final Fantasy 14. The story takes a while to get going, but once it&s;s finished setting the scene it takes some pretty big swings in the second half that left us captivated. The dungeons …"

"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 …"

"It’s not a perfect new beginning, but new beginnings rarely are. Instead, it has the growing pains of every long form story that has taken a shift into uncharted territory. We’re only just diving into a big new mythology, and …"

"As a whole, Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is a stronger start to the next ten years of the game than we expected. But that doesn&s;t make it immune to key criticisms. The game has come a long way, and there&s;s …"

"Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail is a slow start to a new chapter."

"Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail introduces some of the game&s;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 …"

"Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail had a lot to live up to following the excellent legacy left behind by Shadowbringers and Endwalker. It doesn’t always hit the mark with incredibly slow opening hours and odd choices that permeate the entire expansion …"

"I already considered Final Fantasy XIV a must-play title for franchise fans since Shadowbringers, due to its high-quality story and the incredibly rewarding fanservice. However, with the release of Dawntrail, this recommendation becomes even stronger, solidifying XIV&s;s place in the …"

"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."

"Final Fantasy XIV&s;s fifth expansion represents both a sequel and a new beginning for the franchise, but it fails to shine in the narrative component that had distinguished it so far in the MMORPG scene. However, there are many new …"

"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 …"

"FFXIV Dawntrail starts with a trip to the New World, and it sets up the next narrative journey for the Warrior of Light."

"While it doesn&s;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;s lore in exciting ways. …"

"In multiple ways, Dawntrail is all about setting up events that will play out across future chapters. The narrative is certainly the most divisive element at the moment, so there’s a lot riding on where the writers go after the …"

"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."

"The launch of new saga isn&s;t easy start for Yoshi-P or players. But continueing the previous events is calling for change of pace, new characters or environments &s; and Danwtrail delivers them all. With two different halves, great dungeons and …"

"Final Fantasy XIV is a top-class MMORPG that sets new standards in the MMO genre with its outstanding story. Final Fantasy XIV casts a spell over newcomers and impresses with a fantastic amount of content. There is a hell of …"

"Dawntrail is a fresh start for Final Fantasy XIV. After wrapping up its 10-year arc, Square Enix&s;s MMORPG kicks off into the unknown. The narrative is flawed, its pacing is awkward, but Yoshi-P and co. still manage to deliver a …"

"Although it admittedly doesn&s;t quite hit the heights of Shadowbringers, Dawntrail&s;s shift in narrative focus injects a vibrancy into Final Fantasy XIV with this more lighthearted romp, while still keeping track of a greater story. With an increase in challenge …"

"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, …"

"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 …"

"If you wanted more of the same ol’ same ol’ online Final Fantasy, this is what you’ll get. But I wanted something more. If Dawntrail is to be a new chapter, a potential start of a new saga, it needed …"

"The plot is one of the most important components of each add-on for FF XIV and the content that the vast majority of users go through. The expansion made combat more fun, and dungeons and raids more dynamic, but the …"