A month on, Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail's endgame outshines its story

GamesRPGFinal FantasyFinal Fantasy 14A month on, Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail’s endgame outshines its storyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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(Image credit: Square Enix)

Brute Bomber

It’s been just over a month since Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail launched, and waves of players have finally hit the endgame. The journey to get here had a few dips along the way—I gave the expansion an 80 in myDawntrail review, which puts it lower thanotherexpansions—but the beauty of Tural is shining through and providing an excellent setting for the endgame’s dungeons, raids and maps.

Yak T’el, Urqopacha and Shaaloani in particular stand out as some of the best zones in the entire game, with landscapes and towns that feel lived in. The cenotes and dense undergrowth of Yak T’el are appropriately mysterious and I’ll never tire of that transition from bright sunlight above the trees to darkness and glowing flora when you dip beneath the forest canopy. Likewise the distant peaks of Urqopacha that reveal themselves only on sunny days are breathtaking, and as much as I disliked the story in the Wild West of Shaaloani, I can’t help but be drawn back to it as the vibes are perfect.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Alexandria

I’ve never felt the need to go back and complete every sidequest unless I’m doing it for some EXP, but Dawntrail is different—its worldbuilding is so strong that I want to go back and explore all of the little details of each settlement and their differing lifestyles. We may have another 2-3 years before FF14’s next expansion, but Tural makes for an excellent place to spend all of that time in.

While we wait for the first patch to start revealing what’s next for the Warrior of Light, the endgame is off to a good start with two level 100 dungeons, two extreme trials, a new treasure map and the first tier of the Arcadion eight-player raid series. What sets Dawntrail apart is how challenging and inventive all of these activities have proven to be.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Honey B Lovely

Who knew Final Fantasy and WWE could work so well together?

And that’s just the normal version of the fight for fans of the story and gear. Those after Dawntrail’s toughest challenge will be facing the Savage version, which amps things up even more. It also made for an excitingworld racefinish with only 21 seconds between the two top teams. Who knew Final Fantasy and WWE could work so well together?

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If that’s a little too strong for you, but you still want a challenge, then the extreme trials pitch things just right, layering in more complex mechanics to the Valigarmanda and Everkeep fights and rewarding you with wing mounts. The execution is tough, but they make for a great place to start cutting your teeth on trickier battles and earn yourself some really pretty weapons while you’re at it.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Fairground dungeon

You’ll also have some long-term achievements to aim for, with some mounts locked behind tokens gained from gathering and fighting in Fates across all six of Dawntrail’s zones. While the raids may eventually lose their novelty, achievements like these will keep people coming back as their efforts are rewarded. The diversity of challenges will help players expand into other areas of the game, such as crafting and gathering, to experience even more of what FF14 has to offer.

Sometimes it’s the simple things that really stick with you, though. After you’ve unlocked flying in each zone you’ll be able to find two special Fates that will earn you either a mascot squirrel in a top hat costume or a Capybara mount, but expect to spend ages waiting for them to spawn. I ended up waiting ‘just five more minutes’ for six hours in Shaaloani, but it was some of the most fun I’ve had in-game in ages—partly thanks to it being one of my favourite areas in the game, with lots of interesting nooks to explore, but mostly it was the people I encountered while doing it.

(Image credit: Square Enix)

Alpaca pyramid

Perhaps it’s just the relative newness of it all that has people hyped up, but I think it also reflects how well Dawntrail nails that atmosphere of excitement, pushing you to explore and go on adventures in spite of its flaws. There’s a positivity and camaraderie to even the most dreary of waits—I’ve even seen strangers making co-ordinated pyramids out of Alpaca mounts together. That enduring sense of hope and embracing the unknown together is what makes FF14 what it is today.

Dawntrail has one of my least favourite stories from FF14, but it also has my absolute favourite endgame so far. The emphasis on exploration and its strong sense of place makes for the perfect backdrop for inventive raids and adventures. I can’t wait to see where the upcoming patches take us next.

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An image of Alphinaud and Alisaie sitting together at a table. Alphinaud, a studious young elezen, takes a sip of his tea while Alisaie sulks into her chair.

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