After just five hours into Dawntrail, I had been persuaded by a sentient piece of corn to spread the delicious word of corn-based foods, and gone on a Zelda-like trade-athon that had me turning a ball of wool into a jug of premium alcohol. It’s immediately clear that Dawntrail is a shift for Final Fantasy XIV, both in terms of storytelling and style. We knew that going in, but what surprises me is how much the expansion feels like it’s trying to emulate the happy-go-lucky RPGs of the ‘90s boom, right down to the starry-eyed hero. It’s an interesting change that gives Dawntrail a whole different vibe, for both better and worse.
