This story is really underwhelming - it's opened to mixed reviews.

[KvotheCadera]

Story is so boring. Gameplay is boring. Graphics update is mid. Already cancelled my sub.
they think at level 100 healing gameplay is engaging by pressing a lilteral ONE gcd over and over and over and over again
Ok fine. ill play tank and dps instead and just play for the story. Want to gouge my eyes out over being forced to support a useless character in a bland story. Yeah never mind im good.

[MichiKyou]

I can see why so many people suggest to approach it like a vacation episode, a casual story. Except when you do that, you realize that the msq is literally doing chores. It is reminiscent of Island Sacntuary where it's mostly about labor and hard work, not much of a getaway. The obvious solution to me is to create some kind of mini games to balance the chores. Tural also screams lore, but it's told in a dry and elongated way. This expansion could have been a good opportunity to maybe spread some of that exposition out into the maps and do some world building in the environments. I'm just not sure what they were thinking overall. I felt like this expansion was going to take some risks and instead it feels like beast tribes but bigger. I just went through a sequence where I had to follow someone about 4 times. Like...why???

it's a holiday with chores.
Lorddd

[Riastrad]

wrong person my guy, ishikawa was amazing for the game she wrote the storyboard for dark knight quests which are widely praised as well as wrote most of the main shadowbringers one which is also widely praised if anything her absence is whats kinda hurting the general story vibe and emotions that come with it, but writting a light-hearted and gentle journey is not here expertise which is why they likely decided to not have her write in this Dawntrail story and also Yoshida had stated he wants Dawntrail to be a soft reset as well so expect it to be this way for at least 2 major patches in the point 3 patch we'll see some developments toward the next story arc

She was promoted to a managerial position and will never write in the same capacity again as her duties are far more broad than before. Maybe a few stories here or there sure, but I doubt she will ever find the time now that she will more than likely be very busy.

Harada of Tekken fame posted a tweet about how game devs in Japan often end up being pushed for promotion only to never work in the same capacity on the series that they poured themselves into for years on end. Don't be surprised when a lot of the talent that made the game great end up being pushed away due to new responsibilities.

[Tsumdere]

I've been a staunch defender of most of the game's storylines... but this has been an exercise in misery. I'm only in Zone 4 on Day 3 of playing because I keep having to leave to do smth else irl before I fall asleep.

Everything else is good. I like all the characters (except twins/Krile), music, zones, dungeons, job sidequests. The MSQ is so poorly paced it is insane. Even if it picks up in the second half (still waiting) it still wasted so much time dragging things out as long as possible.

[Dulcia]

Perhaps what stands out the most though is how utterly irrelevant everyone else feels. Ask yourself if you replaced any one of these characters, including the WoL, with anyone else. Would it make a difference? Now before anyone jumps on about "this is like ARR!!" or whatnot. I'm completely fine with our character taking something of a backseat. There's a way to write that type of story and us still feel relevant though. Maybe if we weren't recruited into the Rites immediately but rather had to deal with each of the siblings ourselves before throwing our lot in with Wuk Lamat and mentoring her, it might work. However, the route they've chosen makes the WoL feel not like a new adventure in a new land but rather a tagalong in Wuk Lamat's story. We're the side NPC yet with less characterization; that random guard handing a missive to Hien rather than Hien himself.

And that makes for a very unengaging, and ultimately, boring "adventure." At least so far. I really want to believe it gets better in the second half.

To further expand on this : My own thinking is that we essentially started Dawntrail before the story of Dawntrail actually begins.

[Ramiee]

Honestly only the Krile stuff keeps me engaged. I doubt that too many people in the playerbase care about her story either considering your interactions with her prior to Endwalker was in side content not everyone played.

[Vahlnir]

I've been a staunch defender of most of the game's storylines... but this has been an exercise in misery. I'm only in Zone 4 on Day 3 of playing because I keep having to leave to do smth else irl before I fall asleep.

Everything else is good. I like all the characters (except twins/Krile), music, zones, dungeons, job sidequests. The MSQ is so poorly paced it is insane. Even if it picks up in the second half (still waiting) it still wasted so much time dragging things out as long as possible.

I've only just started, and this is basically how I'm picturing my WoL in the background of every cutscene:

[Tsumdere]

I've only just started, and this is basically how I'm picturing my WoL in the background:

Both me and my WoL have resorted to boredom eating.

[Boblawblah]

aand I'm chasing a kid around because Wut Lasmuchk wants to share her feelings and we're going to have a meal together...and who do you think has to collect ingredients???? And this is LATE in the expansion. I..wow.

[CosmoBabylonia]

I've only just started, and this is basically how I'm picturing my WoL in the background of every cutscene:

Me...