For the last fourteen years, Final Fantasy XIV has followed a set story, right through to conclusion with Endwalker.

While the story itself has been fairly epic, some might even say it’s been to its detriment with how rigid the story could be at points, how staggered and drawn out the narrative was over the time. But Dawntrail represents a new beginning and almost a fresh start for its characters, along with new additions to the cast.

Honestly, it’s for the best and a much needed reset for the game. So far, at least. I’ve dived into the first few levels and past the expansion’s first dungeon, Ihuykatumu and wanted to give my first impressions.

As far as Final Fantasy XIV goes, I found myself getting a bit impatient with how self-indulgent the Endwalker arc could be at points. At times, it felt like the narrative was trying a bit too hard with its Shakespearean, flowery tone and drawn out scenes probably could have been a paragraph or two.

That’s just the nature of Final Fantasy XIV, of course. And the franchise in general. And don’t get me wrong, Dawntrail doesn’t change that. In fact, it’s a bit more noticeable at points with the more simplistic story at play here. But with a more vibrant setting, a re-arranged Scion order and new objectives, the game does feel like it’s going in a different direction.

Not just because we’re on an entirely new island with regions Yok Tural and Xak Tural, but how the story also focuses around newcomer, Wuk Lamat. Previously, as the hero, the story has been all about you. How you’re the only one who can save the world, face the darkness, and change the course of history. But for once you’re not really the one in the limelight. You’re almost a bit-part player in Wuk Lamat’s story. And even little Krile.

In fact, all the Scions have their own reasons for being part of this story and without going too deeply into spoiler territory, you’ll find they have some very interesting reasons and objectives and appear at different points. It’s a bold move from Square and shows how serious they are about trying new things with this expansion going forward. Thankfully, it now makes it feel more like other Final Fantasy titles with how experimental and off-the-wall some of its ideas are.

But who is this Wuk Lamat I hear you ask? Well, you may remember Erenville appeared towards the end of the closing moments of Endwalker, coming off a boat with a stranger. That stranger is Wuk Lamat and has come from Tural, the New World and has heard tell of the Hero of Legend. With the hero being between jobs and unsure of what to do next after basically going to space and back, Wuk’s request seems a little more…humble.

In Tural, they are getting ready to crown a new leader of the land but this isn’t just any order of succession, there are several candidates in the running, each called Promises. Wuk Lamat is the Third Promise, with three others also competing against her to claim her adopted father’s throne.

How do they determine who will be ruler, you ask? By setting off each Promise with the task of finding a hidden city of gold! Of course, to most it is considered hyperbole and nothing but a story, and yet somehow this city of gold unites a host of players, each having their own reasons for wanting to find it.

Some want the glory, of course. Some want it to become the ruler, as we’ve just said. And some have reasons of their own, including Krile who, you may remember, received a letter about it from a long lost relative. Let’s just say there’s more to this story than meets the eye.

Which is a good thing, because while the stakes are obviously, substantially lowered this time around, it feels like this City may not only be the answer to questions we don’t yet know about, but that it’s also at the center of a power struggle which could determine the fate of this new world.

You just feel like a much bigger arc is brewing at the surface here, one that could lead the series into the next five years and beyond.

Or not. And maybe that’s exactly what Final Fantasy XIV needs for now – shorter, snappier, punchier stories that just let us travel this world, seek out fortune and glory and not constantly fight titans, existential crisis and battle the totally wild and obscure. Maybe we need to lower the volume for a little while. I certainly felt more relaxed while playing with the cute, jazzy tunes and beach-vibe settings.

Dawntrail also allows you to pick your preferred path between two different options. You’ll need to complete both paths in order to complete the first section of the game, but you can play them in either order you prefer. Dawntrail at least tries to give you the feeling of choice and that this isn’t just more of the same with new story and graphics. Wuk Lamat is also a sufficiently unique character with a fun sense of humor and an infectious resolve you can’t help but feel swept up by.

This expansion definitely takes some time to set the scene though. A bit too long, actually. There’s some humor to be found between taming alpacas – no chocobos to find here – examining totems, teaching merchants a lesson for duping locals, and finding hidden people within a crowd of similarly dressed folks. But with the set goal of finding Keystones to help guide your way to the City of Gold, there’s very little focus on combat and more on dialogue and fetch quests.

In fact, even with a few side quests, I felt like I barely battled anything in my first few levels and still managed to gain a ton of XP to take me on the verge of Level 95 with my Machinist. It’s unusual after all the fighting we did in Endwalker, but certainly suits that more relaxed pace this expansion is seemingly offering.

The first dungeon is good fun, though. Starting out as a dangerous boat ride, you’ll soon find yourself fighting some of the local wildlife, including a seal-like creature that likes to dive bomb you, and a plant based creature that draws power from incoming creatures. Not stand out or anything memorable compared to others from previous expansions, but a good starting point that likely sets the tone for what lies ahead.

In these first impressions, I haven’t tried out the two new classes yet, so can’t say how they play, and haven’t quite reached Xak Tural yet, so not sure how the island starts to shape up, but I’m certainly feeling like the plot is moving forward and am very interested to see exactly where this contest is going and what secrets lie in wait in the hidden city of gold.

Dawntrail is refreshing, though. I don’t feel like I’m lost at any point because I accidentally skipped a cutscene or missed a critical piece of dialogue in a random scene a few levels back. It’s stripping things back to basics while still giving an engaging enough story that feels right at home in the Final Fantasy universe and I’m intrigued to see where it all leads. And if the story continues to center around Wuk Lamat and how influential you really are in all this.

More to come from us on Dawntrail once we’re through the critical story path and got to check out more of the content, but for now, a few levels in and a dungeon behind me, I feel like Final Fantasy XIV is doing a good job of reinventing itself all over again, and potentially setting itself up for another 14 years. You wouldn’t bet against it.