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Following the launch of Endwalker nearly three years ago in 2021, Final Fantasy XIV is finally getting a massive update with the release of Dawntrail on June 28, 2024. After spending over eight hours previewing the new expansion, I feel confident that Square Enix is taking the right steps to keep the popular MMORPG from feeling outdated.
Editor’s Note: This article is based on play of an in-development build of Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, and content in the final version is subject to change.
The first thing that jumped out to me during my preview was the new FFXIV graphical update that was in effect for during my play session. While I know some debated how “big of a change” this actually is, I can say that trailers and images definitely haven’t done it justice. During the eight hours I played, the new graphics were a fairly substantial upgrade. While exploring the various sections of the Yok Tural region, I noticed an abundance of long blades of grass and beautiful wild plants spread across the map. This might seem like a small detail, but going from what would usually be flat hills to the new map, the world definitely felt more alive.
The other thing that really stood out to me in the graphics update involved the character models, particularly the clothes and armor. Square Enix went to great lengths to really make the details of the characters pop, from what I saw. From individual stitching on clothes to the shimmer of metal plates on armor, FFXIV seems to look much better. Considering how much time users spend unlocking new attire to create a unique look for their Warrior of Light, I think this could be actually a massive change that will please most players.
Finally, the new lighting in the game also seems to make a huge difference. One of my biggest complaints about the original FFXIV is that my character would sometimes look good in one scene, only to look completely different in another moment depending on the time of day. At least in my play session, this issue seemed to be largely fixed. Although I didn’t get a chance to play my specific character during my preview, so I’m excited to see what my Reaper Azula will look like when Dawntrail finally launches. However, within the context of an MMORPG, I was impressed, and I think this is a giant step Square Enix is taking to keep the game from feeling dated.
One of the first places I explored in Dawntrail was Tuliyollal. The new hub city is an ocean-side seaport village. Tuliyollal is a vibrant, bustling town that feels like something out of the Caribbean. Most major NPCs and story quests were disabled for our preview, so I didn’t get to spend too much time here. Despite that, the new locale felt full of life. Dawntrail’s hub city is also incredibly gorgeous, and I can definitely see fans of Final Fantasy X feeling right at home in this one. The backdrop of the blue ocean is stunning, and the beautiful music already makes this a place I can’t wait to spend time in. While it looks medium-sized at a glance, Tuliyollal’s full size is deceptive as the town is built upwards, away from the sea, in multiple layers.
Speaking of new areas, I was surprised at the overall diversity of locations that make up the Yok Tural region in Dawntrail. For example, there was a desert region called Wachupelo, which was the home of a small tribe village, and Worlar’s Echo, which featured giant Aztec-like temples. However, my favorite was Kozama’uka in South Yok Tural which is a valley surrounded by lush green mountains and stunning waterfalls. The new graphical update really shined here, as the entire map was filled to the brim with multicolored flowers and exotic flora scattered across the region. From tropical jungles to vibrant deserts, FFXIV Dawntrail seems to be offering players a lot of new locations that feel fresh. Sadly, I didn’t get a chance to explore North Yok Tural, so I missed out on seeing the second hub city, Solution 9.
I spent most of my time in the FFXIV Dawntrail preview testing out the new classes Viper and Pictomancer. Both job classes seem like they could feature some of the most interesting gameplay mechanics in the entire game. Viper and Pictomancer are so good that I would probably purchase the expansion just for them. I’ve recently been replaying FFXIV’s previous expansions with my wife, and all I could think about the entire time was how much I miss the new Dawntrail roles. So, what makes the new combat classes so good?
Let’s first tackle Viper. To quickly sum it up, the new FFXIV Melee-DPS class seems powerful and ridiculously broken, but in a good way. If you ever wanted to feel like a badass hero, this is the job class for you! At its core, Viper features two modes of attack. When you first launch into battle, you have two swords, one in each hand. However, you are able to trigger a second mode where the two swords are instantly combined into a two-sided staff that you can twirl around for quick combos. The breakneck-speed combat flows seamlessly as you transition from brutal two-handed hack-and-slash attacks to a flurry of powerful moves that almost feel like an acrobatic dance.
The way Viper works is you have a “Serpent’s Ire” gauge, which fills up after you pull off three-step combos into a weapon skill. once your gauge is full, you can then enter the “Reawaken” state, which allows you to trigger powerful moves to deal devastating damage to foes. On the whole, Viper is an incredibly accessible job class that anyone can jump into. And while the class is generally a selfish Melee-DPS role, it does feature quite a few interesting mechanics. For instance, one ability allows you to jump directly to an enemy or teammate. So, if used strategically, you can dive straight into the middle of an enemy to unload combos on it and then quickly escape after dealing your damage. The class also features debuffs, which lower your enemy’s defenses, as well as buffs to increase your own damage.
However, what really impressed me was the new FFXIV Dawntrail Pictomancer class. Square Enix seems like it may have managed to pull off one of the game’s most ambitious job classes to date. Initially, I feared that Pictomancer would either be too complex mechanically or would be all style and no substance. Instead, Pictomancer finds that perfect balance of incorporating unique gameplay with devastating ranged-spell attacks. The way the class works is you have three painting canvases. Your spells are then broken into a variety of different painting “motifs,” and to cast them at enemies, you need to draw a picture first.
For instance, there is an attack called “Hammer Motif.” Once you click it, your character will automatically draw a hammer on the canvas. You will then get access to a “hammer” attack on your hotbar. Clicking it will then bring your drawing to life, as a giant mallet soaked in colored paint will come crashing down on enemies. It’s as awesome as it sounds, trust me! There are also different types of drawings as well, such as “Landscape Motifs,” which can buff you and your teammates instead. For example, drawing a star results in a flurry of shooting stars raining down on the battlefield, which increases your damage. Without getting into major spoilers, my favorite was the “Pom Motif,” which lets you paint and summon a powerful Moogle attack.
Pictomancer also has a really neat “Smudge” ability, which has your character turning into paint that travels across the floor. Think of the Splatoon mechanics, and you get the general idea of how this works. This defensive maneuver allows you to travel through enemies so you can escape or get enough distance to set up your casting spells. Pictomancer is also gorgeous to look at, as each move you set up is soaked in vibrant paint and beautiful visuals. Where the new job class really works for me, though, is it’s just fun trying to think out your attacks in advance using visual images. And the cherry on top of all this? The spells you cast as Pictomancer seemed incredibly powerful. Square Enix definitely made sure that this class wasn’t just style over substance from my experience, and I really think a lot of players are going to love this one.
It’s hard to say how Dawntrail will ultimately rank as an expansion, given a large part of that is the game’s story, which I haven’t experienced. But purely from a gameplay and regional perspective, what I played of FFXIV Dawntrail left me really excited. The new update features two new incredible job classes, adventurous gameplay, improved graphics, and one of the game’s most diverse maps to date. From my time previewing it, Dawntrail feels almost like a semi-sequel that is trying to improve the long-running MMORPG in big ways while also bringing it up to modern gaming standards. And I can’t wait to dive into the New World again to experience the rest of the expansion’s content. But at least from my initial experience, Dawntrail is shaping up to have a lot of promise.
Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail will be available in early access starting on June 28, 2024, and will be launching worldwide on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and PC starting July 2, 2024.
