The Dawntrail expansion for Final Fantasy XIV is currently not well received on Steam. MyMMO editor Sophia Weiß felt the same way until she found the best way to play the MMORPG and is finally having fun again.
Over the years, Final Fantasy XIV has been praised for its great main story. Especially the expansions Shadowbringers and Endwalker were masterclasses in storytelling. However, Endwalker concluded the major story arc with update 6.0 that has been followed since the relaunch with A Realm Reborn.
I found the story of patch series 6.1 to 6.5 to be difficult. It didn’t captivate me at all.
Unfortunately, it continued in Dawntrail, as the story surrounding Tural just barely interests me. Unlike in previous expansions, I am not excited about the end of the story and lack the drive to play. Thus, the weaknesses of the game stand out more.
Who enjoys running quests when it is uncertain whether it’s worth sticking around until the end? Thus, the gameplay was not exciting, but just lonely.
Accordingly, I was still missing a good third of the 7.0 story until last weekend. Emphasis on missing
, because I have now found the best way for me to grind through the dull story segments and still have fun.
I committed one of the biggest sins in Eorzea
In the part of the Final Fantasy XIV community I am part of, jokingly skipping cutscenes
is called the biggest sin one can commit in the game. My friends and I are big fans of the story. So when someone skips that celebrated story just to get to the endgame as quickly as possible, we wrinkle our noses.
So far, I haven’t told anyone, but during patches 6.3 to 6.5, I also committed this sin. I simply skipped cutscenes. Because I wanted to move forward, always with the question in my head, when will this be good again
.
Anyone who had fun with 6.1 to 7.0 is certainly allowed to have that. But someone like me, spoiled by the absolute heights of Natsuko Ishikawa’s storytelling, couldn’t appreciate the patches.
Sadly, I also had to somewhat struggle through Dawntrail (without skipping cutscenes) and finish the MSQ
never left my daily real-life quests:
I am really looking forward to the new 8-man raid celebrated by everyone and I am incredibly curious about how the new chaotic alliance raid will perform. At the moment, I belong to exactly the people I used to judge.
Furthermore, Dawntrail is supposed to be just the start of a completely new story. So should I just grit my teeth and struggle through to enjoy the new, great story arcs of the upcoming expansions?
No longer for me!
Nothing is better than gaming on the couch
I am now just playing the currently not very exciting story on my Steam Deck. That was the best decision I could have made:
Instead of having to sit at the PC, I can now lounge on the couch while playing. Snuggled up in blankets and pillows, with enough snacks for an entire afternoon, the running quests don’t feel so bad anymore.
While I couldn’t spend half an hour in Final Fantasy XIV over the past two months because I just didn’t feel like sitting down and investing time, I played through seven hours of the main story one Saturday afternoon.
Sure, I could also get comfortable at the PC. But the vibe is just completely different on the couch. And I finally had real fun with the game again. I am so happy.
Final Fantasy XIV on the Steam Deck – Here’s how it works
To get Final Fantasy XIV on the Steam Deck, you have two options:
One way is to buy the regular Steam version of the game and install it like any other game. However, you cannot link the Steam version with an existing Square Enix account. So if you already have a regular account via Square Enix, PlayStation, or Xbox, you need to create a completely new character for the Steam version of the game.
Option number two is better for anyone who has completed more than just A Realm Reborn: You install Windows on the Steam Deck. I had a larger SSD installed for that. When purchasing, I followed the advice of the colleagues at GameStar Tech.
The IT expert I trust then partitioned the memory of the mentioned new SSD: One partition still runs the Steam OS that my Deck comes with as standard. On the second part, I installed Windows 11 and Final Fantasy XIV.
And how does that work? Quite well!
I wouldn’t go into raids or boss fights with the Steam Deck. However, working through story missions, enjoying dungeons with NPCs, and the small fights in between all work like a charm. This is because Final Fantasy XIV is also optimized for consoles. The game has one of, if not the best console controls among MMORPGs.
More detailed experiences about this have already been compiled by my colleague Irina Moritz in a dedicated article in 2022: Final Fantasy XIV runs great on the Steam Deck, but the controls became my toughest adversary
I will therefore spend the time between the years questing through 7.0 and 7.1. As far as I can go without having to face the boss enemies. Of course, the winter and new year events are also approaching. And if it’s up to the game’s lead battle content designer, we’ll receive a very special content co-op: The MMORPG Final Fantasy XIV has only one desired partner for a coop, but the collaboration would be absolutely insane for fans
