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

[Dulcia]

If you removed the Warrior of Light from the story the story would not change.

[Ahelissa]

I say this as someone who loved Stormblood... SE really needs to re-evaluate its writing and story pacing. They *desperately* need an actual editor with experience. So many narrative elements have been getting worse since ShB. Nearly every conversation/cutscene is 10-20 lines too long. When every conversation and cutscene is minutes too long, you end up with what feels like an *extremely* padded game. You have a visual medium. You have every opportunity to show, not tell. But you insist on telling, repeatedly, again and again. You've shown repeatedly that Wuk Lamat is impulsive and a bit immature. You don't need MULTIPLE 5+ minute conversations explaining that after you've established that. Where's the narrative skill? This writing has all the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

One sequence around lvl 93 is particularly egregious from a plot perspective. I won't spoil anything, but it is so far beyond dumb.

It feels like the writers for this expansion just aren't familiar with the regular cast. The twins have been reduced to cardboard cutouts who occasionally chime in with some robotic line. I keep coming back to the thought that this just isn't well written. And it's a shame for a series that has some pretty high narrative marks.

[Larom]

Reporting back in, the zones are legit the only thing good about this expansion. The last zone is *chef's kiss*

The story is still laughably bad at 100. People joke about the Naruto comparison, but most don't know just how accurate that is.

[Neoyoshi]

Yeah, it sounds like A Realm Reborn, the beginning of a NEW adventure.

Of course ya'll are bored, you guys are so used to the highs of previous expansions and the emotional roller-coasters they put you through, and once you climb down from all that, it's like: "oh crap, i don't know how to relax anymore"

You guys seriously need to pace yourselves if this type of intro to a new adventure is draining you, because you have 2+ years to go for this expansion, and it's barely begun.

Or you could just LOGOUT and find something else to do; some of us would REALLY like to log back into our HOME servers.

Sorry but this old song and dance some of you folks put on is getting old.

[AnimaAnimus]

Yeah, it sounds like A Realm Reborn, the beginning of a NEW adventure.

Of course ya'll are bored, you guys are so used to the highs of previous expansions and the emotional roller-coasters they put you through, and once you climb down from all that, it's like: "oh crap, i don't know how to relax anymore"

You guys seriously need to pace yourselves if this type of intro to a new adventure is draining you, because you have 2+ years to go for this expansion, and it's barely begun.

Or you could just LOGOUT and find something else to do; some of us would REALLY like to log back into our HOME servers.

Sorry but this old song and dance some of you folks put on is getting old.

It's not the writing! It's everyone else that is the problem!

[Vahlnir]

It's not the writing! It's everyone else that is the problem!

Apparently wanting an exciting vacation and treasure hunt is being unreasonable.

[xxmiamorecadenza]

If you removed the Warrior of Light from the story the story would not change.

So far I'm left with the impression that we're not meant to serve as the main character here. I'm witnessing the WoL being viewed merely as a 'companion' you commonly witness in JRPGs as opposed to the 'party lead'.

[Zaniel]

Despite their striking designs, I find myself so incredibly bored with the tribes. Thinking about Matsya vs anyone I've met so far, there's just no comparison. There's no comparison to the Matanga in general in Dawntrail.

I liked Mablu, she at least had a story, I can't remember a single NPC from the Hanuhanu side.

[Raven2014]

Yeah, it sounds like A Realm Reborn, the beginning of a NEW adventure.

Good writers can make segments of a long story interesting all the same. I had played multiple episodic games that span over a decade and each episode still draw toward their individual conclusion.

Heaven Ward for the most part was pretty self-contained, and it was regard as one of the best story expansion. Than it was followed by Storm blood that most considered the weakest story ... until now.

Now reaching the end of Dawn Trail, I can say that the premise isn't bad, and the majority of the problems of Dawn Trail are pretty much are 100% self sabotaging.


Dawn Trail's story doesn't have to be bad because it is the start of a new arc. It was forced to be bad by bad writing, that's all. When you write a story that people don't feel compel to move forward, or at least curious to find out what happens next than your writing fail, there is no excuse to that.

[Boblawblah]

Yeah, it sounds like A Realm Reborn, the beginning of a NEW adventure.

I'm very much fine with a reset of sorts, but so far at least, and I'm at the level 99 dungeon, it's not remotely a beginning of a NEW adventure, it feels like a self contained Wuk Lamat adventure where the WoL is simply hanging out taking it easy. This doesn't have an ARR vibe, or a new 10 year epic vibe in the slightest. Maybe the ending cutscene will be a "we're on a new world" sort of ending, but that's the ENDING of an entire expansion.

That said, there is a lot I'm really liking about the expansion, maps, dungeons, music, are all just slapping so hard, I just wish the story didn't focus so much on a single character that isn't the WoL. As someone said, the WoL could not be here, and nothing would change really.