A new adventure awaits in Final Fantasy XIV! The Garlean Empire has been defeated and the Ascians who authored the chaos throughout Eorzea have finally found peace. What's next for the Warrior of Light and former Scions of the Seventh Dawn? More of a good thing! Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail brings with it a new world and a new era of the popular MMORPG.

Endwalker carried the heavy burden of trying to wrap up hundreds of hours of story in a single Final Fantasy XIV expansion, and it succeeded in glorious fashion. Dawntrail is now faced with introducing a new characters, cultures, and mysteries without the crutch of the Ascians and the Garlean Empire to drive the narrative and the stakes. Dawntrail is a fresh start and serves as a reminder that Final Fantasy XIV still has plenty left in the tank.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail was reviewed on the PlayStation 5 with a 4K television. There are minor spoilers throughout the review, but major late-game plot points are omitted.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Starts a Fresh Story

Players Have a Well-Developed World to Sink Their Teeth Into

The player is introduced to Wuk Lamat, a native of Tural -- a continent mostly lost in Eorzean lore, with its existence becoming a myth. Wuk Lamat is eager to find help from the Warrior of Light and their companions to aid her in the upcoming Rite of Succession, which is to crown a new Dawnservant. Wuk Lamat's adoptive father, Gulool Ja Ja, is a revered figure in Tural for aiding and uniting the people of the nation of Tuliyollal. His two heads are the rare result of the union between two Mamool Ja tribes, with one head serving as the Vow of Resolve while the other is the Vow of Reason. Yet age is starting to set in and he's ready to pass on the mantle of Dawnservant, which will also determine the future of this nation.

Wuk Lamat faces stiff competition for the role. Koana, Wuk Lamat's adoptive brother, strives to bring technological advancements to Tuliyollal thanks to his studies in Sharlayan. Zoraal Ja is a mighty warrior and the lone full-blooded child of Gulool Ja Ja. Zoraal Ja's birth was miraculous, as two-headed Mamool Jas haven't been known to sire a child -- thus Zoraal Ja has been dubbed the "Resilient One." Zoraal Ja has militaristic ambition as he seeks expansion and conquest beyond Tural. And Bakool Ja Ja, another blessed two-headed Mamool Ja, seeks victory by any means necessary.

In contrast, Wuk Lamat wants nothing more than to maintain the peace and love of her father's rule. However, since her competitors are accomplished, her insecurities and fears frequently surface. Wuk Lamat is an endearing Final Fantasy XIV character and one who's easy to root for as she navigates her doubts and tries to grow into a worthy leader. But since she is the focus of Dawntrail, the roles of previously established characters, such as the former Scions, can feel disappointing. The two big exceptions are Krile and Erenville, who both receive emotional payoffs to their story arcs. Krile's story in particular is welcomed, considering how long she has been a part of the Final Fantasy XIV cast and how much she's been underutilized prior. While the gleaner Erenville is still a relatively new character, he's been a great addition to the cast since Endwalker, so it's also nice to see him receive development.

Wuk Lamat is an endearing Final Fantasy XIV character and one who's easy to root for as she navigates her doubts and tries to grow into a worthy leader .

The Rite of Succession is similar to The Amazing Race or the badge-collecting structure of Pokémon. It requires the four competitors to retrace Gulool Ja Ja's footsteps and aid each village's people with whatever challenge their Elector decides upon. These challenges are designed to help the competitor learn about that respective culture, and in some cases, solve an issue plaguing that community. Fulfilling that task will award the competitor with a keystone to insert in its respective tablet. There are seven keystones and obtaining all seven will grant access to the City of Gold -- the final stop on Gulool Ja Ja's journey and a location few in Tural genuinely know exists.

As a region, Tural is no slouch. Players will see varied environments primarily inspired by Latin America. There's bustling Tuliyollal, the mountainous Urqopacha, the Wild West-inspired Shaaloani, and regions that completely contrast those to the point of whiplash. Dawntrail also draws from the culture of Latin America. If Endwalker was about life and finding purpose in that, Dawntrail is about death and what it means to carry on. This is similar to the themes of Final Fantasy IX. It's not difficult to find the Kübler-Ross model -- or five stages of grief -- represented throughout Dawntrail's narrative. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance are seen in Dawntrail's cast, their motives, and their cultures. Beyond that, Dawntrail leans heavily on themes such as non-blood family, comparing oneself to others, and leadership.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail's story operates in two acts -- but each act feels different, almost to the point where they seem like two separate expansions. The first act iworld-building act while the second act answers the inevitable question of "So what?" When the story of Dawntrail truly picks up, and by The Twelve does it ever, it's easy to feel thankful for that first act. The intrigue, hype moments, and character growth all feel earned because of the time devoted to learning about Tural and its people. That doesn't mean there aren't slow periods in either act. It's a Final Fantasy XIV expansion, after all; there are going to be stretches that feel like a waste of time or a narrative ploy to extend the the story. Those who can stomach those slow sections will be rewarded.

Being a foundational piece of this new story arc means that it's tough for Dawntrail to reach the narrative highs of expansions like Shadowbringers, so expectations should be checked before starting. However, by the time the credits roll after its 100 quests, anticipation will be overflowing for what comes next. That heart-pounding excitement of the next adventure into the unknown intensifies by the end of Dawntrail, which is exactly what Final Fantasy fans want in a next chapter.

A Fantastic Soundtrack Is Complimented by Improved Graphics

Dawntrail Sounds and Looks Impressive

Despite it being a new story arc, players will still need to be caught up in the main story quest before starting Dawntrail .

Dawntrail continues the tradition of great Final Fantasy narratives -- and its soundtrack follows suit. Whether it's the jazz tunes that compliment Tuliyollal or tracks clearly inspired by the marvelous music of Final Fantasy IX, Dawntrail's underscore is brilliant. It's amazing to hear the ways Dawntrail's main theme song can be repurposed as a motif to invoke a wide range of feelings -- such as joy, mystery, conflict, triumph and sadness.

With the release of Dawntrail comes the Patch 7.0 update. The centerpiece of that update is a much-needed graphical facelift. At a quick glance, Final Fantasy XIV seems relatively the same and sometimes it's easy to forget there were changes. However, when looking closer, the upgrades become clear. The true improvements can be found in more detailed textures, improved shadows and lighting, and some denser foliage. The pixelated hair and shadows seen in close-up shots of characters have mostly been smoothened out, finally. Darker-skinned characters like Erenville benefit from these changes more than most. Final Fantasy XIV definitely looks better, but these changes should be viewed more like a remaster or enhanced port than a remake.

There is some choppiness in cutscenes as well as a few minor glitches throughout the experience. Some shadows move awkwardly from time to time and during a specific cutscene, saloon doors are out of place -- fused with the neighboring walls. All of this is nowhere nnear game-breaking, but these things are worth ironing out in the future.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Adds New Jobs and a New Race

Final Fantasy 14 Players Have More to Test Out

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail takes the safe route when it comes to gameplay. New mechanics are minimal and are primarily minor quality-of-life bits. For example, tailing missions have an indicator of when a player is getting too close to the tailing subject, but the depressing walk of shame when failing one still exists. Bosses and dungeons are entertaining as always, with some very tough and creative fights throughout. As for customization, players can equip facewear now as well as use two different color dyes on certain equipment, which goes a long way toward getting an avatar just right.

The meat and potatoes of Dawntrail's new gameplay content are its new Jobs: the Viper and the Pictomancer. The Viper is a Melee DPS Job that sees the player attack with two blades with the ability to combine them into a twin-bladed weapon. The Pictomancer is a Magical Ranged DPS Job that brings paintings to life in a cute and extravagant fashion. Both Jobs are loads of fun and well worth looking into, especially for those who are eying a new Job after being disappointed in the new updates and changes of their current Jobs – like Summoners. Both start at Lv. 80, which means players who want to experience Dawntrail's story with either will need to level up first. Each brings with it a learning curve -- especially Pictomancer -- but getting their rotation down is rewarding. It's easy to see Viper and Pictomancer both being fan favorites for years to come. The Beastmaster Job is incoming, but little is known about it beyond the fact it's a limited Job like the Blue Mage.

There's one new playable race in Dawntrail, the long-awaited female Hrothgar, which was first introduced through Wuk Lamat at the end of the post-Endwalker quests. This means that each race now has a male and female counterpart. The female Hrothgar is supposed to be the final playable race added to Final Fantasy XIV. That remains to be seen, but if it is, female Hrothgar is a good point to end on. Final Fantasy XIV's population now feels complete.

Did Dawntrail Win Its Own Rite of Succession?

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail had its work cut out for it, considering it was going to be a blank slate and had to convince players that Tural was worth investing time into. A longer-than-usual wait for this new expansion didn't help players' skepticism. But now that it's finally released, Dawntrail has met expectations and its reign should be an enjoyable part of Final Fantasy XIV. There's enough new content to justify fans diving into it, and it broadens the game's world even further.

While it doesn'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 lore in exciting ways. The seeds have only just begun to be planted for the future of Final Fantasy XIV, but this expansion makes it easy to feel confident about where the franchise is going and how much it has left to explore.