Since the launch of the Dawntrail expansion, the community has criticized Final Fantasy XIV. In particular, the story has faced scrutiny. However, the new patch seems to turn the tide.
Why was the story criticized? Since the release of the Dawntrail expansion, negative reviews for Final Fantasy XIV have flooded in. Primarily the story was a major point of criticism, as many players disliked that they were no longer the protagonist of the events, but rather functioned as a companion to the new protagonist Wuk Lamat. Also, a lack of action and simply slow and uninteresting storytelling were mentioned as negative points.
Many parallels were drawn to the Stormblood expansion, which also received similarly mixed feedback from players. Back then, the player character acted more as a supporter of the protagonist Lyse, who fought for the liberation of her homeland.
It was foreseeable that it would be difficult to reach the epicness and the outstanding story of the last two expansions Shadowbringers and Endwalker. Accordingly, disappointment was to be expected, as the entry was – as anticipated – shallower and less epic.
With Patch 7.3, the story of Dawntrail has reached its finale – and fans are so pleased with it that they are changing their opinions. And don’t worry, we will avoid spoilers here!
An antagonist like Emet-Selch? The fans love it!
What does the community celebrate about the story of Patch 7.3? On Reddit, there are numerous threads where players especially praise the story of the main quest line in the latest patch. Many commend the bold storytelling and describe the latest events as a “very strong conclusion” (see Reddit 1, Reddit 2).
Especially the new “antagonist” Calyx is being received positively and is seen as one of the main characters and arguments for the better turn of the story, compared to the last very popular “villain” from Shadowbringers, Emet-Selch (see Reddit 1, Reddit 2). Fans perceive him as extremely well-written, convincing, and relatable, which has endeared him to them.
Furthermore, the following things are highlighted positively:
- The new quests feel very fresh and offer some surprises, both narratively and in content
- The inclusion of the player’s character plays a larger role again
- The cutscenes are mostly voiced, very well orchestrated, and draw the player in more
- Puzzles and riddles lighten things up a bit and bring fresh wind
- The conclusion of the story in a certain area is also often praised
The new storytelling style is described by many as both experimental and unique for Final Fantasy XIV, which fans celebrate. Many players feel that Final Fantasy XIV Patch 7.3 used the opportunity to experiment and consciously break its “well-known patterns” a bit. This is well received and gives the players hope.
“7.3 feels very much like the ‘See, we’re listening to you damn it’ patch”
What does the community say about the story? In various threads, there are mainly voices celebrating the new main quests and wishing for more of them. Many players feel that Square Enix wanted to show that they take the criticism seriously and are working to regain their former glory:
- AlexanderMBush writes via Reddit: “[…] It really feels refreshing, something I haven’t experienced since the release of Endwalker and the changes to the base MSQ in FFXIV. And I hope the developers rest and observe the community’s reactions and realize that people want more experimentation with what they can really do in FFXIV now.”
- seventeencups says via Reddit: “7.3 feels very much like the ‘LOOK, WE ARE LISTENING TO YOU DAMN IT’ patch – both the writing and quest design seem like a direct reaction to all the major criticism I’ve heard about Dawntrail.”
- Caern1 expresses joy via Reddit: “The overall quality of the MSQ in this patch was higher than expected. It was also very long and most scenes were voiced.”
Especially the cutscenes of the latest patch receive a lot of praise in the community. By the way, Dawntrail has so many of them that you could watch the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy more than twice if you let them run back to back: Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail has so many cutscenes that you could watch the Lord of the Rings trilogy twice
