Complexities in Dawntrail’s Main Scenario Quest Line
Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail has had some time to simmer in the minds of its fanbase—and while I have had a blast with everything outside of it, the main scenario quest line has left me a little less enthusiastic than usual. The issues it has, though, are complex ones. Dawntrail’s story is one of those mixed bags that gets stuck in my craw. It is full of great ideas with some really fun moments, but its plot beats and dialogue are executed in ways so messy they nearly spoil the whole exercise. Ultimately, Dawntrail suffers from a bumpy script and an inability to properly prioritize its cast, which is a shame.
Yoshi-P’s Perspectives on Fan Response
I recently went to Gamescom and got to speak with the game’s director, Naoki Yoshida (Yoshi-P), in person. I asked how he felt about the fanbase’s response, and he seemed quite reflective of the story’s successes and failings. “This being a game, it’s a form of entertainment, and you’ll always see some form of mixed response to entertainment,” Yoshi-P begins. He continues, “With Endwalker, we reached a big climax to a long-standing, spanning story. To a certain extent I had already predicted that we would have some sort of mixed response this time. So if the question is whether I was shocked in a big way, the answer is no, not really.”
Challenges of Pacing and Character Prioritization
The main bugbear through Dawntrail’s development appears to have been pacing. “The concept was journeying to a new land—we would be going to a new continent where we’d see new cultures, new races, and characters,” says Yoshi-P. However, he notes that while there were plenty who enjoyed the new horizon, others found the pacing to be suboptimal: “Some people thought that some of the tempo in the main scenario was slow. They wanted to get through to more thrilling parts of the plot faster.” He admits that some story beats could have been diverted to side quests for those interested in learning more.
Feedback on Character Development
Yoshi-P also commented on mixed feedback regarding Wuk Lamat. While she’s become a scapegoat for everything wrong in Dawntrail’s story in the eyes of fans, my general opinion is that she’s fine but a walking bag of symptoms for its other shortcomings. For Yoshi-P, one observed issue was her initial difficulties in fulfilling the role of prospective Dawnservant: “We depicted Wuk Lamat as someone who had a bit of a complex towards her parents and siblings. Because of that lack of confidence, I think that contributed to the slow pace and frustration.”
Moving Forward
Ultimately, I agree with PC Gamer contributor Daniella Lucas when she says that Dawntrail’s endgame outshines its story. The wrestling kayfabe of the Arcadion is highly enjoyable, and I am excited to get back into an exploration zone, something missing from Endwalker’s patch cadence. While the story is important to FF14, it is not everything—and the actual game I will be playing for the next couple of years is downright solid.
