The long wait for the release of Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail, the fifth expansion for one of the largest MMORPGs, has finally ended. Over the past week, fans have been indulged in the epic summer-themed adventure of the Scions.
Despite offering high-quality content, including significant updates like graphical improvements and a smooth initial server launch, this expansion has received a considerable amount of negative reviews, even more than Stormblood, previously regarded as the weakest expansion for Final Fantasy XIV.
So, what has led to Dawntrail receiving such unexpectedly negative feedback? From our observations, one of the main reasons lies in the weak storyline, particularly how fans are constantly forced to interact with one of the new main characters, Wuk Lamat.
First introduced at the end of the Endwalker expansion, Wuk Lamat initially won over many fans. However, in Dawntrail, he becomes the center of attention to an excessive degree, even overshadowing your role as the protagonist.
Almost every story mission involves interactions with Wuk Lamat, sidelining other original characters in the expansion, including the Scions and the protagonist you play.
Moreover, many players dislike Wuk Lamat’s portrayal, feeling he is too weak or embodies common shonen tropes. Besides the forced companionship with Wuk Lamat, which hogs much of the spotlight, the overall storyline of Dawntrail is considered unengaging, with pacing that could be improved.
These negative responses can be found on major game forums like Reddit and the official Steam page. Additionally, there are criticisms about the expansion being “woke” due to Wuk Lamat’s voice actor being transgender. However, this issue is more likely to cause drama in various gaming communities, and for Dawntrail, the main problems are clearly the excessive spotlight on Wuk Lamat and the overall quality of the storyline.
