Final Fantasy 14 Director Regrets Pace Of Dawntrail’s Story

Final Fantasy 14 Director Regrets Pace Of Dawntrail's Story

Key Takeaways

  • Yoshida regrets the slow pacing of Final Fantasy 14‘s Dawntrail expansion story early on.
  • In the beginning, Dawntrail’s heavy story focus lacked interactivity, mainly relying on exposition.
  • Yoshida will use the lessons learned from Dawntrail in future titles.

As a gamer with over two decades of experience under my belt, I can wholeheartedly relate to Yoshida’s sentiment about the pacing of Final Fantasy 14’s Dawntrail expansion. While I appreciate the richness and depth that comes with an immersive storyline, sometimes, a little more action in the early hours can make all the difference.


In the upcoming 7.1 update, the narrative of Final Fantasy 14’s Dawntrail expansion will carry on as planned by director Naoki Yoshida, who has voiced his disappointment about the pace at which the game’s story is unfolding.

Dawntrail embarked on a monumental endeavor, marking their initial step since the relaunch of Final Fantasy 14. The narrative that started with A Realm Reborn and culminated in Endwalker had come to an end, leaving room for fresh adversaries and territories to be created.

In a conversation with Famitsu magazine, Final Fantasy 14’s Director, Naoki Yoshida, expressed his desire to have handled the initial stages of the game at a faster pace since they were initially too sluggish.

In their conversation about Dawntrail’s tale (translated by machine), Yoshida expresses remorse over the initial heavy emphasis on the story during the expansion. He felt this was crucial as players were introduced to a completely new culture, but he wishes he could have connected more of it directly to the questline.

I aim for players to experience the entire narrative, yet I wish I could have spread part of it across side missions earlier on, which might have improved the speed of the initial levels.

Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail Needed More Action In Its Early Hours

Final Fantasy 14 Director Regrets Pace Of Dawntrail's Story

Yoshida’s critique holds merit since a significant part of Dawntrail’s introduction has characters such as Wuk Lamat elaborating on Tural to the players, who are typically stationary and absorbing the information passively.

As someone deeply immersed in the realm of Final Fantasy 14 (namely, on Dawntrail), I can assure you that I’ve poured countless hours into this world. Therefore, a touch more story-focused moments won’t be enough to drive me away from the game. It’s all part of the journey!

In Tural, if the lands and its people were presented in a more engaging manner, they might have made a stronger impression. Enhancing Yoshida’s concept by adding additional quests and allowing the Light Warrior to interact with the world more would have been beneficial. However, it is not impossible for Dawntrail to undergo this transformation. A Realm Reborn, for instance, was significantly revamped, removing many tedious quests, which the fans greatly appreciated.

Maybe a future update could spice up the initial missions in Dawntrail, making them more thrilling instead of simply following Wuk Lamat from one quest marker to another.

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2024-11-11 20:09