Preview of Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail: Tural is an intriguing new planet

As our beloved Warrior of Light and their friends set sail for the New World, Tural, in Dawntrail, a new era of Final Fantasy XIV is almost upon us. The MMO's upcoming expansion teases a cool, summer vacation-styled adventure; it's a moment of respite for the heroes who traveled to the edges of the universe and saved their star.

But like every beach episode, it starts off innocently enough until God turns along to spoil the good times. Although the specifics of the Dawntrail scenario are unknown, producer and director of Final Fantasy XIV Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida has revealed in a few subtle ways that Version 7.0 won't just be a summertime fun fest. After spending a day exploring some of the initial zones of the expansion, Tural is full of adventure, and I can't wait to go sailing.

I played an early version of Dawntrail at a recent Square Enix press event. It wasn't updated with some of the more current benchmark graphics, however, and I quickly concluded that even a full day of gaming isn't long enough to sample the whole slice. I'm excited to explore the narrative behind each environmental aspect in a game like Final Fantasy XIV, but I also keep in mind that there are plenty of new battle modes and system improvements to experiment with.

The New World's legendary golden cities

The Final Fantasy XIV's team has promised a significant graphics makeover since the Endwalker patches. This overhaul will feature more dramatic lighting and shadow effects in addition to enhanced model textures. Even after many livestreams and an updated benchmark, seeing those improvements in person makes the enhancements much more obvious. Dawntrail is undoubtedly beautiful. With its radical redesign, 7.0 is perhaps the most visually striking expansion to date.

Nightime in Dawntrail, focused on the new lighting system and graphic updates

Upon entering Tuliyollal, the capital city, I could see that the zone benefited greatly from these new procedures and frameworks. The amount of things scattered over the terrain is noticeably more than in other Final Fantasy XIV cities of this kind. The main focus of the expansion seems like a significant improvement, even without the majority of the lively NPCs and flavor text included in the build. Yoshida claims that things were removed to protect us from spoilers. Looking back, I think it was probably a good thing since I was aching to stop and Gpose everywhere as I was looking at the beautiful buildings and lush foliage.Tuliyollal's intriguing use of verticality and breathtaking skyline are what make it reminiscent of Radz-at-Han, another of my favorite places to visit. A nearby forest drops onto the shoreline, creating a gradient of greenery and vibrant buildings. Then, at night, the docks stretch from the beaches of Tuliyollal into the Aetheryte Plaza, glowing with posts and strings of soft lantern light. The Arch of the Dawn and Brightploom Post were two of my favorite stops. The former housed a few tough military people and, I assume, functions as some kind of government bastion inside the city. I discovered the alpacas in the latter.*

Tuliyollal's Brightploom Post, a new location in FFXIV Version 7.0 — Screenshot by Ontario Online Casino

Tuliyollal's Brightploom Post, a new location in FFXIV Version 7.0 — Screenshot by Ontario Online Casino

The spaces in between are filled with the typical metropolitan sights that we'll all get tired of. I kept going back to explore the adjacent market, which was teeming with colorful tapestries and crammed with tightly packed booths run by sellers all decked out in eye-catching fabrics. The things were so impressive that I was unable to ignore them even for a moment, and I went through their descriptions to add new furnishings to my Dawntrail wishlist. I have a location to demolish and refurbish, so here's to hope that Square Enix offers us at least a semblance of the new furniture I saw in Tuliyollal.You know very little about your small Eorzea, even .Examining every detail of Tuliyollal's lovely initial impressions would have taken a whole day if I could have, but progress allowed me to explore Urqopacha and Kozama’uka, two of its adjacent zones. These are the areas that have left me in disbelief in the days after their individual revelations, none of which I had thought about for very long. I felt that familiar, old sensation there—you know the one. This is the actual moment of growth. That's when ten confusing years of narrative go into overdrive, forcing me to desperately look about me for any clue as to what has occurred, is occurring, or is about to happen.Perhaps surprisingly, but I was unable to uncover any significant elements in the landscape that might have provided me with an epiphany. Well, apart from the obvious Festival of the Hunt references it appears to evoke from Final Fantasy IX, I still have no idea what the hell Dawntrail is about, but things are starting to come together. Really turning, that is. There, every cog that comatosely reads and rereads the Eorzean Encyclopedias and side tales is searching feverishly for significance in every dubious-looking mountainside and menacing blade of grass.Furthermore, there's simply a lot to process on your first pass. I get that the zones are divided by rocky terrain and inaccessible items in the distance, yet both regions seem very large. Though the Aether Current missions and the Main Scenario of Dawntrail will surely lead the way come launch, seeing everything laid out in its entirety for the first time definitely caused me some choice anxiety. Because there were so many alternatives ahead, I decided to stop at certain locations and take a closer look at some than others.

What is the background of the scenery of Urqopacha?

I have more questions than answers regarding what is beyond the Indigo Deep after my expedition. Previous Live Letter broadcasts piqued my interest somewhat, but Yok Tural undoubtedly has a wealth of historical information to provide. In the Eorzea we know today, acknowledging the New World's true existence appears to have happened very recently—within the past 80 years or so. In particular, the southern scenery of Urqopacha inspired me to go deeper and discover more. There are many decaying ruins all throughout the place, some hidden into valleys and others stretching along the slopes in varying levels of disrepair.The names of the locations were also shown on the map; the southern locations were Shades of Grief, Proof, Sunken Stars, and the Indelible Passage. Ciblu's Coffee Grounds, Miplu's Mate Garden, and The Family Ranch seem like locations where Yok Tural's past was a bit kinder. It's a stark difference from the territory up north that goes back to Tuliyollal, where the environment appeared more inviting.

Screenshot by Ontario Online Casino That's then it hit me: the region was referred to as the "proud heart of the giant's empire" by Urqopacha in Yoshida's Fan Fest speeches, which took place over a millennium ago. Even though that society is long gone, I assume that there is some connection between the Yok Huy of today and their Gigant forebears. The massive civilization's remnants may be found everywhere. Additionally, something or someone clearly slammed into the southern area's slope; it was unquestionably larger than the nearby Pelupelu.

The Kozama'uka waterfalls and rainforests

Kozama'uka, close by Tuliyollal, is a bit livelier, with countless rivers and little settlements flourishing in and around its rainforests. The diversity of life is evidence that the surrounding climate is kinder than Urqopacha's harsh environment. In passing, I saw a number of the nearby Tribes who have previously been identified as inhabitants of Yok Tural, including the more recent PeluPelu, the Hanuhanu, who are the distant ancestors of the Vanu Vanu, and lastly, the moblins, who resemble goblins.This vast area is further enhanced by the granite outcrops that rise sharply into the sky. From almost every viewpoint in Kozama'uka, you can see them in some shape or another, and after visiting both sides a few times, I grew to appreciate the different biomes on every hand. Although it seems to be largely lush greenery, there is a deliberate way of living along the large, rugged outcroppings at their highest points, in contrast to how the plants and animals adapt to the rivers and runoff below.

Situated to the southwest, immediately after departing from Urqopacha, a section of the zone is elevated by nature. I arrived someplace a bit more central by following the winding and changing rivers; one spot was appropriately named the Breath Between. Because the Hanuhanu seem to like the area, they have constructed boardwalks and stores just over the rushing rivers below. Although there are no Aetheryte or visually arresting objects to indicate significance, I enjoyed jogging the section of bridges that had such a clear perspective of Kozama'uka's lowest and highest grounds.There's a lot to take in here, and if the Aetheryte placements mentioned before are any guide, Kozama'uka, with its three preview zones, is the bigger of the two. The region in the north that is closest to Tuliyollal is Ok'hanu, with its well-known name scheme. The main reason I bring it up is because, based on appearances, the Level 91 dungeon Ihuykatumu might easily be used as a means of traveling all the way south. The Duty starts at roaring rapids and gradually leads the group up into the dense forest until coming to a finish somewhere on the summit.Although I was hoping to find a clear reason for Ihuykatumu's location and route, I'm still not sure whether that implies we're taking a shortcut to view all or most of Kozama'uka's expansive woodlands up front. Maybe that's not the case, and we'll take the circuitous route via Urqopacha. Alternatively, the answer is both, and here is where the formulaic division of starting zones seen in Final Fantasy XIV takes place in Dawntrail.

Widen your perspectives

Regarding the dungeon itself, Ihuykatumu seamlessly integrates into the early stages of Dawntrail in Tural. No odd, alien technology is there, and there are no flaming remnants of battles powered by Magitek. Erenville, the Warrior of Light, and I had ourselves a romantic boat ride down the river.That was, at least, part of it; Alisaie, Wuk Lamat, Alphinaud, and Krile were all traveling with them, so here must be where some of the true fighting for Tuliyollal's crown takes place. As soon as we set off, Alisaie alerted us to the presence of a second boat, carrying either Bakool Ja Ja or Zoraal Ja. Yoshida clarified that although the majority of the speech in this version was omitted to prevent big spoilers, there was still enough information to understand which Mamool Ja was the bastard who had broken my heart. An FFXIV Mamool Ja in the Level 91 dungeon

An FFXIV Mamool Ja in the Level 91 dungeon

An FFXIV Mamool Ja in the Level 91 dungeon

An FFXIV Mamool Ja in the Level 91 dungeon

The sabotage was carried out by the regular groups of garbage mobs in FFXIV. If you have ever pressed one or two buttons in a Final Fantasy XIV dungeon, then you have also done this one. Lowly dungeon enemies are exactly what you expect them to be, even for players with a decent level of experience, and that's okay. As a Scholar, I ran Ihuykatumu twice: once with other players and once with Duty Support. Neither faltered, and I took advantage of the light fighting to try out new skills.

Ihuykatumu, Dawntrail's first dungeon encounter

Naturally, the boss bouts are where the real action lies. First there was Prime Punutiy, the adorable manatee with an unusually short fuse, and then Drowsie, the drowsy troll with a green thumb. Given that it's toward the conclusion of the Dawntrail benchmark, the former most definitely has a minion. Regarding the latter, I haven't seen the adorable, goofy kid anyplace else yet. With my fingers crossed, I hope that Drowsie receives the mount treatment in line with comparable current models. FFXIV Dawntrail dungeons feature South American-inspired rainforests

FFXIV Dawntrail dungeons feature South American-inspired rainforests

FFXIV Dawntrail dungeons feature South American-inspired rainforests — Screenshot by Ontario Online Casino

FFXIV Dawntrail dungeons feature South American-inspired rainforests — Screenshot by Ontario Online Casino

The last battle of Ihuykatumu pits him against Apex Predator Apollyon, who is far more deadly than endearing. Giving praise to a gigantic insect bothers me more than anything else, but the thing put up a good fight, so fair play to it. A few of its mechanics seemed unexpectedly hectic for a dungeon encounter, even if they were all variations on classic FFXIV tactics.Apollyon's arena also contributed to the success of some of the mission's recurrent design decisions. Bosses had really explained a mechanic to me, but if you're the kind who breezes through dungeons, you may easily overlook the warning. The game has done this previously; it's simply more obvious now. Bosses even revealed their secrets in mysterious speeches hidden in the text chat in A Realm Reborn, and subsequent bouts introduced additional on-screen text. Ihuykatumu boss, Drowsie

Ihuykatumu boss, Drowsie

Ihuykatumu boss, Drowsie

Ihuykatumu boss, Drowsie

Bosses in Dawntrail alerted my party to the fact that mechanics were, in fact, going more quickly than normal. Right in the middle of it all, some white, some red, each with a warning word on it. A bar below indicated how long I had till the sequence started. The way the concept is being implemented now seems to be a nod toward the contentious ways some players have used third-party technologies in the MMO's fight material. It's less controversial since we're not discussing planet first races or more early raid alerts in this instance. In combat that is story-driven, the design works well, and it provides some respite from the game's cluttered displays and small writing.I understand that as well. When Endwalker provided a method to center recast timers and enlarge them, I almost sprang to my feet. Small but important changes like this are what I admire about Final Fantasy XIV's consistent evolutions. Despite my hesitation about the details, I think these features will help friends and other potential gamers feel less intimidated by entry-level material.

Set out and pursue exploration

Dawntrail's preview build at least helped me understand how some of my favorite Jobs should feel at launch, for those who are anxious to delve further into the details. To put things in perspective, I have played Scholar for the most of my time in Eorzea, but I have also held chaotic positions as an Astrologer, White Mage, Machinist, and a very amazing dead or dying Dragoon. I may never be as good as the most skilled players in the scene, but I've crawled my way through (almost) every Savage tier and other fight material .All of this is to say that I can at least recall how each expansion's fighting felt, that I like the way Scholar plays right now, and that I'm pleased with the Dawntrail update. Perhaps you will like the adjustments to Chain Strategem if you're a Job veteran missing Bane or Miasma II, an AoE DoT eliminated in Shadowbringers. The Scholar Ability now lasts somewhat longer and continues after use. With the Chain Strategem, the Healer has an Impact Imminent 30-second window during which they may use an AoE DoT called Baneful Impaction to do damage to the target and nearby opponents. We can give up on that hope since it doesn't propagate Chain Strategem, but I'm interested to see how this fits with Dawntrail's more difficult material.Exceeding the most remarkable capabilities of a Job seems to be a recurrent theme with Dawntrail. When I switched to Astrologian, I saw that White Mage's Temperance became Divine Caress and Divination became Oracle, a huge arena-wide hit that was only accessible for a brief period of time. I like the adjustment for the time being, but I'm still very enthusiastic about how our new kits will influence interactions until I've had more bouts to try.Despite my best efforts, I was unable to satisfy all of my curiosity about the patch in a single day, and this optimism permeated a great deal of my early Dawntrail experience. I've had many ups and downs since 2013, so this is a bright-eyed change in my perspective, but it's fantastic to be back here after saying farewell to Endwalker and pushing through the Pandaemonium Raid series with raw might.At last, the expanding "mood" is returning, and my concerns about the course this monumental world would follow have subsided till the time comes for the whole experience. I'm back in the mood for expansion after spending the whole day playing Dawntrail, and I'm ready for whatever lies ahead in Tural. I believe this adventure will be plenty to keep me occupied while I wait for the patch that will take us to Meracydia, if it is any like the four that came before it.[Travel and hotel for this event were supplied by Square Enix.] This article is based on play of an in-development build of FINAL FANTASY XIV: Dawntrail, and material in the final release is subject to change.

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