It's been just over a month since Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail launched, and waves of players have finally hit the endgame. The journey to get here had a few dips along the way—I gave the expansion an 80 in my Dawntrail review, which puts it lower than other expansions—but the beauty of Tural is shining through and providing an excellent setting for the endgame's dungeons, raids and maps.
Yak T'el, Urqopacha and Shaaloani in particular stand out as some of the best zones in the entire game, with landscapes and towns that feel lived in. The cenotes and dense undergrowth of Yak T'el are appropriately mysterious and I'll never tire of that transition from bright sunlight above the trees to darkness and glowing flora when you dip beneath the forest canopy. Likewise the distant peaks of Urqopacha that reveal themselves only on sunny days are breathtaking, and as much as I disliked the story in the Wild West of Shaaloani, I can't help but be drawn back to it as the vibes are perfect.
