Dawntrail’s Narrative Missteps: Why Natsuko Ishikawa’s Touch Is Sorely Missed

[ScartPearl]

After watching Zepla’s livestream, where she discussed the issues with Dawntrail, I felt compelled to share my thoughts on the state of FFXIV’s storytelling, particularly regarding Natsuko Ishikawa's contributions. While the discussion happened in a live format, it’s closely tied to the topics she’s explored in her content before.

I’ve been playing FFXIV for about a year, so I wasn’t around for the launch of expansions like Shadowbringers. However, going through those parts of the game, I experienced the emotional depth and quality of its storytelling. That’s why Dawntrail felt like such a letdown. Despite its tropical setting and promise of adventure, the story fell flat. The pacing was inconsistent, the stakes felt low, and character arcs lacked the emotional weight we’ve come to expect.

It makes me wonder if this is due to Natsuko Ishikawa’s absence from a lead writing role. She first gained recognition with the Dark Knight Role Quest in Heavensward and later led the team for Shadowbringers, crafting one of the most acclaimed stories in FFXIV history. Her work on Endwalker also delivered impactful moments and satisfying conclusions. However, after Endwalker, Ishikawa transitioned to a more managerial role, overseeing the writing team rather than crafting the MSQ directly.

This absence has left a void. Dawntrail lacked the cohesion and depth that defined earlier expansions. It makes me think the game could benefit from treating its writing team with the same consistency as it does its music. For example, Masayoshi Soken, the principal composer, has worked on every expansion since A Realm Reborn, ensuring a coherent and recognizable identity for FFXIV’s soundtrack. Writers like Ishikawa, who have proven their talent, should have the same continuity to maintain the story's strength.

FFXIV is the golden goose of Square Enix. Maintaining a strong, consistent writing team is crucial to keeping players invested. While Dawntrail didn’t meet expectations, there’s still time to course-correct and return to the storytelling heights of Shadowbringers and Endwalker.

Lastly, I want to give a shoutout to Zepla. Her livestream provided a clear example of constructive and well-founded criticism. Her analysis and passion for FFXIV have influenced how I see the game and its story.

[Hallarem]

I rock onto the scene with hot takes galore.

While I like most of Sokens work, I think he works best when reined in a bit. Because a lot of his zone music and some other stuff doesnt exactly immerse or resemble what youre seeing on screen. Which in my opinion is the composers job in a game. And Im kinda hoping they rein in the vocal tracks too. The mix of the final boss theme for Sphene was a hot mess.
The choice to have a vocal singing track for Ultima Thule zone robs the tune of its power and makes it annoying.

As for the story. Aside from the meme of Ishikawa being responsible for SMILE, speaking of music.
I think its rigid Japanese company culture at its basis. You are good? Manager role and less talented people get pushed onto your former role and voilà Dawntrail. Nobody can with a straight face tell me Japanese work culture is efficient when napping and going to drink with your bosses until 4 am and working the next day(forced) is a thing in a lot if not most of the office culture. Social pressure, and even quitting a job has services for someone else to call for you to do it. In case they try to blacklist you etc.

Hottest take. SE needs devs outside of Japan and outside of their culture. Or people with a new mindset or someone within their company in Japan to steer the ship to innovation if they are serious about the "next 10 years".

Hot take number 4. Endwalker was the start of the downpath - Dawntrail is the culmination - lets hope 8.0 delivers on story and pacing.

[Kaurhz]

It's all well and good saying this,

But this is an utterly unhealthy way of developing talent, and it only exposes the massive skill disparity if the absence of 1 persons touch is enough to do this much 'damage' to a story.


Besides was she still not the Senior Story Designer for Dawntrail anyway?

[Raraka]

Besides was she still not the Senior Story Designer for Dawntrail anyway?

She was, and thats why I will still consider Dawntrail Ishikawa's work, she had the power to course correct, but she didn't.

[Nebelheim]

I rock onto the scene with hot takes galore.

While I like most of Sokens work, I think he works best when reined in a bit. Because a lot of his zone music and some other stuff doesnt exactly immerse or resemble what youre seeing on screen. Which in my opinion is the composers job in a game. And Im kinda hoping they rein in the vocal tracks too. The mix of the final boss theme for Sphene was a hot mess.
The choice to have a vocal singing track for Ultima Thule zone robs the tune of its power and makes it annoying.

I like a lot of sokens music also and agree that there are times he doesn't really capture a zone well. I think they should bring in ff11's composer Naoshi Mizuta to provide zone music I think he does pretty good capturing the magic and atmosphere of a zone when it comes to ff11 zone music and have soken do stuff with the vocals/band type stuff for fights.

[ScartPearl]

It's all well and good saying this,

But this is an utterly unhealthy way of developing talent, and it only exposes the massive skill disparity if the absence of 1 persons touch is enough to do this much 'damage' to a story.


Besides was she still not the Senior Story Designer for Dawntrail anyway?

I see what you mean. At this point, I’m just trying to figure out how such a drastic drop in quality happened—it doesn’t even feel like it was written by the same team. I honestly don’t know where else to look anymore *.*

[Kaurhz]

I see what you mean. At this point, I’m just trying to figure out how such a drastic drop in quality happened—it doesn’t even feel like it was written by the same team. I honestly don’t know where else to look anymore *.*

To be honest, there is no single reason for it. I think it's best to just accept that even the greatest talents can still make mediocre moves, or allow mediocre moves to happen.

I think to some degree the biggest part of the issue is that people were just spoilt far, far too much by the quality of Shadowbringers.

[Nasigno]

The drop was apparent in Endwalker before even Dawntrail was on the table. It is held high but still feel it did not deliver upon a conclusion that is as well delivered as it deserved. Truly Endwalker felt it could of been spread across two expansions to give a better end as everything felt compressed.

From how the Garlean Empire was dealt with off screen despite being such a threat for years. To the writing of our antagonist which literally was lacking depth. Then the final point being the whole cause of everything essentially pulled out of nowhere and never eluded to in basically a decade? Then we just solve it instantly without any consequence of any action or sacrifice merely just a monetary item that just gets remedy at the flick of a wrist.

Endwalker was the downturn. I do feel for the writing team as having to produce a new enemy to fill the role of Ascians and Zodiark is going to be hard as they have to fill the gap left by immortals that could literally think in creation at the peak of the civilization.

[ovIm]

From how the Garlean Empire was dealt with off screen despite being such a threat for years.

This was so incredibly disappointing... I would have loved to walk around garlemald city, see how the devs envisioned these worlds. All we got was a snowy field and some ruins.

[Voidmage]

I do feel for the writing team as having to produce a new enemy to fill the role of Ascians and Zodiark is going to be hard as they have to fill the gap left by immortals that could literally think in creation at the peak of the civilization.

I don't know. I think the fans already came up with pretty good ideas.
We could go back to politics (the WoL can't do much about such things), we could go about a larger scale conflict (the WoL can't be everywhere at once).
Heck we could even have a villian who targets the WoL specifically because of their power and status. A shard of them looking to gain their power or someone imposting as them.

I don't think the Ascians where dangerous because of immortality but because their plan was so large scale in the background.
Zenos wasn't immortal and probably the one of the most dangerous being we fought against and Niddhogg showed what a being of pure rage can accomplish.
Lolorito and Teledji almost single handidly destroyed the scions and almost the status of the WoL at that time.

@topic

Honestly Ishikawas touch is still there in some points. She seems to be someone who excells in personal stories and dialogue like the gondola scene but places everything on those.
I like her writing but I don't think she is perfect and imo if the entire story depents on her then that is just wrong and bad.
It's a good thing to train other writers but imo in sidequests first and the writers we have already showed there that they are just not very good.
EW A-raid story was horrible without direction and (hot take) Werlyt is pretty overhyped and has the same carricatures and stupid "standing around" scenes as well as nonsensical plot as DT.

I think the problem wasn't so much the writing but the completely missing quality control of the story.
The ideas themself were good but not written correctly and like Zepla said the characters were not consistent.
The whole of new continent is just a big carricature without any problems and all the characters are just tropes.

All in all I hope Zeplas video gives them the kick they need because apparently they don't listen to everything else anyway.