After finally beating the main scenario quests for Dawntrail—despite constantly getting distracted by other content and self-imposed challenges—I wanted to share some thoughts. There’s been a lot of discussion online about certain aspects of the expansion, and now that I’ve played through it myself, I’ve got opinions.
Wuk Lamat: Not That Bad, Actually
One of the biggest complaints I saw before playing Dawntrail was about Wuk Lamat. Personally, I didn’t find her nearly as annoying as some made her out to be.
Yes, she’s heavily featured, and a few scenes feel like she was inserted just to say something. But let’s be honest: this expansion is her story, and we’re just along for the ride. Much like the companions who followed Gulool Ja Ja in his youth, we’re now supporting Wuk Lamat’s journey.
I think the real disconnect comes from players not realizing that the Warrior of Light hasn’t truly been the “main character” since Endwalker. We’re more like a constant observer—guiding others through their arcs. I’ve got a whole separate rant on that idea, but I’ll save it for another post.
The Pacing Problem
One thing I didn’t love was the repeat of Endwalker’s “big early twist” structure. Back then, it was genuinely surprising when the Zodiark arc wrapped up by level 83. But in Dawntrail, hitting level 93 with six of the seven ritual MacGuffins already collected felt like déjà vu—and not in a good way.
Sure, padding the story just to stretch things out isn’t great, but I couldn’t help feeling let down when the main quest shifted gears so early again. Hopefully this doesn’t become a recurring formula. We’ve had entire expansions—Heavensward, Stormblood, Shadowbringers—stay focused without needing to front-load or pivot halfway through.
The Alexandrian Arc Deserved More
Disclaimer: I haven’t started the postgame MSQ yet, so this is strictly about the 7.0 main scenario content.
The Alexandrian plot was easily a highlight of the expansion—and honestly, it could’ve carried its own full expansion, much like Shadowbringers did with the First. Between Endwalker’s dive into the Thirteenth and now Alexandria in Dawntrail, only three reflections remain completely unexplored. I hope the devs take their time with them—and maybe even revisit the two we’ve already been to since Shadowbringers.
Also, as someone who loves the colors magenta, purple, cyan, and black… I’ll admit I’m extremely biased. The Alexandrian architecture and style were right up my alley. I’d love to see more of this reflection, even if we need to “DeLorean” back like we did with Elpis (time travel, anyone?).
Final Fantasy Tropes Are Still Going Strong
Okay, rant time. The moment someone in Alexandria mentioned “souls,” I knew exactly where the story was going. It’s a classic Final Fantasy setup: mess with the Lifestream, and bad things happen. Whether it’s soul consumption, energy misuse, or ancient hubris, it always ends in a disaster or a boss fight—and usually both.
That predictability took some of the punch out of the ending. Sphene acting all warm and helpful, only to reveal her true intentions? No shock there. It would’ve been more compelling if she had been genuinely exploring peaceful alternatives—only for Zoraal Ja to coerce her into supporting his plan. That kind of moral conflict could’ve made her betrayal hit much harder. Instead, she basically flipped a switch and went, “Yeah, I was on board with this the whole time.”
Final Thoughts
Overall, Dawntrail has its flaws, but it also offers a lot of promise—especially in its world-building and side plots. It’s definitely not “the worst expansion” by any means. It’s not even finished yet. And honestly, some of A Realm Reborn‘s postgame patches are still a bigger slog to get through.
I’ll be writing more about specific parts of the game—past and future—in upcoming posts. For now, I’ve got crafting to grind, dungeons to farm, and gear to chase.
The endgame waits for no one.