Games Happy

At the perfect of occasions it is robust to evaluation an MMO growth; and sitting right down to hash out my remaining ideas on the state of the sport at launch, Closing Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail isn’t any exception. I’ve dumped a whole bunch of hours into the growth because it launched final month; even delaying my evaluation so I may get the brand new Savage raid tier below my belt. But I am unable to deny that I am nonetheless a bit conflicted about sharing my ideas right here and now, when a lot of what guarantees to make Dawntrail completely different from what has come earlier than it will not be releasing till months and years forward.

Let’s again up a second. Dawntrail is the fifth growth for the present model of Closing Fantasy XIV – the sixth if you happen to rely the unique 1.0 launch, which itself was inherently a really completely different recreation. Final time round, Endwalker completed up the story arc that Artistic Studio 3 had been working in the direction of for the final decade; and with Dawntrail, Artistic Studio 3 needed to sort out the problem of each respecting what had come earlier than, whereas laying the groundwork for the subsequent 10 years of Closing Fantasy XIV. This does not simply embody the story, which I’ve already shared my ideas on, but in addition core gameplay methods that may preserve gamers engrossed into the longer term.

Very like the final two expansions earlier than it – at launch, Dawntrail brings with it 8 dungeons (5 leveling, with 3 endgame), 3 Regular Mode trials, 2 Excessive Trials, and a set of function quests for each fight and crafting/gathering jobs alike. The large ticket improve this time round is after all the graphical replace; enormously bettering materials high quality, lighting, shadows, and textures throughout the board. Notably, draw distances for detailed environmental objects has additionally seen an important boon from the graphics replace – and whereas I might initially been a bit underwhelmed with the showcase throughout the Media Tour, I’ve discovered the outcomes on my residence methods significantly better.

All of Dawntrail’s new zones make nice use of the graphical enhancements, and whereas it isn’t transformative it completely offers the video games visuals a depth that they have been sorely missing previous to 7.0. Tural’s landscapes all supply one thing barely completely different from what has come earlier than. Not like with Stormblood the place most of the area’s zones look an excessive amount of the identical, areas like Kozama’uka, Urqopacha and Yak T’el remind me of the ways in which the completely different areas in basegame A Realm Reborn’s city-states melded collectively, whereas nonetheless having their very own distinctive id. Even for the few areas that take a pointy flip from the remainder of the growth’s aesthetic are nicely appreciated; with my solely actual criticism with Resolution 9 is that they actually need to let gamers use their mounts within the zone, if it will be unfold out as a lot as it’s.

The opposite main addition at launch is the long-anticipated arrival of Feminine Hrothgar playable characters. My ideas on their inclusion is much extra of a combined bag; whereas I like the work that the crew has put into their designs, and I’d completely like to attempt altering my character to 1 – we’re 5 years on and the dev crew nonetheless refuses to constantly take Hrothgar and Viera into consideration when designing new outfits. There are cosmetics from Dawntrail that for gamers working these characters that both will not present in any respect, or will not present correctly, on the brand new race possibility; to not point out the present Hrothgar and Viera populations. It seems like a irritating limitation of the established order, particularly when the graphical replace seems like it will’ve been an important excuse for the event crew to revisit earlier gear to make them extra suitable for these races; and but, issues really feel the identical as they at all times have.

Issues are much more dire in relation to fight jobs. Whereas a lot of the jobs within the recreation have seen very minimal modifications from Endwalker, a alternative few have seen some overhauls. Astrologian has seen one more rework, and tanks corresponding to Gunbreaker and Darkish Knight have acquired some tweaks to accomodate the removing of any harm on their hole nearer. Regardless of there largely being solely minor modifications, there’s been some turbulence already in relation to each Job steadiness and Job id. One of many new jobs, Viper, has already seen a reasonably main rework that many – together with myself – really feel that it removes a lot of its id. Pictomancer, in the meantime, has been totally damaged – and should have been a contributing issue to the growth’s first Savage tier being as simple because it has been, seeing as as an alternative of nerfing it the remainder of the fight jobs have been buffed to play catch-up. There’s even been a slightly fast reversion to a controversial Black Mage change, which feels uncharacteristic with how the event crew has reacted to such suggestions previously.

There is a very actual sense, between Dawntrail feeling like a really protected growth as of launch, and a few of these bizarre modifications to jobs, that maybe the event crew is struggling to resolve which solution to take the sport subsequent. Possibly that is me studying too deeply into issues, but it surely’s simple for anybody who has performed XIV for any appreciable period of time simply how weirdly similar the general gameplay loop for Dawntrail is in comparison with Endwalker, and a lesser extent Shadowbringers. The identical may’ve been mentioned for Endwalker, after all, however there was the promise of thrilling new gameplay methods within the patches forward. The PvP rework, Variant and Criterion Dungeons, Island Sanctuary and the like. Whereas there are new gameplay methods scheduled for the longer term, lots of them aren’t a lot new options, however slightly content material including on to current methods already within the recreation. Mix that with a few of the statements from the Artistic Studio 3 placing additional emphasis on how way more of a shake-up they need the subsequent growth after Dawntrail to be, whereas on the similar time describing 7.x as a “summer season trip” for gamers, it does not really feel like a stretch to imagine that there will not be an excessive amount of to excite gamers within the upcoming patch cycle.

So, the place does that go away Dawntrail? In truth, I do not know but. One silver lining is that up to now the fight content material has been fairly nice. The dungeons are a few of the greatest we have ever acquired, and the identical goes for the Trials. The primary Savage Raid tier was, if not simpler than anticipated, nonetheless very tightly designed – with fights which might be fairly merely enjoyable to interact with. Subsequent patch will deliver with it the Alliance Raid sequence – this time a crossover with Closing Fantasy XI – and the subsequent Final raid. Past that, nonetheless, it is onerous to find out precisely what gamers on the lookout for one thing really new should stay up for. That is to not say that Dawntrail is unhealthy, or boring, however slightly it is shaping as much as be an growth that will not rock the boat a lot, if in any respect. Beastmaster has some promise, however past that? It is all stuff we have seen earlier than.

I am superb with that, and I wager a lot of the energetic playerbase will really feel the identical. But if you happen to’ve discovered your self burnt out on the present system, there’s little or no cause to stay round for lengthy. Dawntrail is much less a dash forward to the sport’s future, and slightly a leisurely pit-stop whereas all of us get to determine the place issues go from right here.

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