Dawntrail is Final Fantasy 14 at its most colourful

It’s about time the Scions of the Seventh Dawn had a holiday, right? After the adventures of A Realm Reborn and its four expansions – the latest of which took them to the moon and beyond – the heroes of Final Fantasy 14 deserve some sun.

And so they land in Tural, with its crystal waters, sandy beaches, lush jungles, and low poly tacos. Between its vibrant setting, its graphical update, and a new paint-splatting Job, Dawntrail is Final Fantasy 14 at its most colourful.

Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail previewDeveloper: Square EnixPublisher: Square EnixPlatform: PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, PCAvailability: 2nd July 2024

Of course, it’s unlikely the holiday spirit will last too long. But at a recent hands-on preview, I was able to soak up the sights and explore a small portion of this new region in relative peace. All story details and NPC quest givers were removed to avoid spoilers, yet from what I played Dawntrail has a more playful tone compared to the existential crisis of 2022’s Endwalker.

Indeed, Endwalker was the end of a ten year story arc, with Dawntrail beginning a new chapter for the Scions. I asked producer and director Naoki Yoshida if this had been freeing for the development team.

“For Endwalker, we were presenting the first finale and we really wanted to show it in a grand way,” said Yoshida. “When it comes to the content this time, I don’t feel as much pressure.

“Although there’s not so much requirement for us to carry over the settings from the old world, it is still a connected story arc. It is still a continuation of what’s happened so far, so it’s not exactly like we’re starting from a zero basis. However, it is an opportunity for us in the development team to take on new challenges. And from that perspective, it feels liberating in that sense.”