Recent reviews by Vanitas

Performance is much better, still several issues on the RTX 2060, I wish they made the game optimized for GPUs like the 1660 which are pretty common on Steam userbase. Super flexible combat, fast-paced fights, peak graphics and a superb story plot make this one of the best Final Fantasy games. Despite some stuff can be criticized like the lack of playable party members or if FF should keep going this route for future games regarding gameplay, it's a fact that the dev team made the game they wanted and it shows in every moment.

I personally feel it's a game that speaks to me as a player: I grew with God of War 3, Naruto Storm games on PS3 and Asura's Wrath and fell in love with the combat of NieR Automata, Devil May Cry V, Metal Gear Rising and Kingdom Hearts. Also FF14 is one of my favourite games. FF16 combines the storytelling from FF14 team and had the people who worked on KH3 and NieR Automata combat while taking inspiration from GoW3, Asura's Wrath and Naruto Storm boss fights to make one of the most epic FF you'll find.

Gameplay and graphics are great but the requirements are extremely high considering games like RDR2, Cyberpunk 2077 and Horizon Forbidden West 2 run much better and with par graphics (if not better). Make the full game scalable, settings barely change performance or quality

"Dawntrail" is a remarkable expansion with well-developed characters and a refreshing change of pace. This shift was much needed for the storyline, and it required a change in my own approach: I took my time completing the main quests, engaging in FATEs and side quests along the way, which allowed me to finish the main story with two jobs at level 100.

Cultural Representation and Zones
The new zones introduced in the "Dawntrail" expansion are a testament to the developers' dedication to cultural representation, particularly of South and Central America. These areas are diverse, depicting various regions such as:

The Andes, inspired by Argentina, Colombia, and Peru
Iguazú, influenced by Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina
Amazonia
The Caribbean and Mexico/Texas Far West
As an Argentinian, I could identify numerous cultural, political, and habitual references that made these zones feel authentic. The graphical updates, enhancing shadows, lighting, texture materials, and character models, further enrich the experience.

Character Development
The expansion wisely gives characters like G'raha Tia and Y'shtola a break, preventing overuse as plot devices. Instead, we are introduced to new characters like Wuk Lamat, whose naive charm is reminiscent of Sora or Tidus.

Narrative and Gameplay Issues
However, "Dawntrail" inherits a persistent issue from both Final Fantasy XIV and notably seen in FFXVI: an overreliance on filler cutscenes and missions that simply move the player from point A to B after epic moments. This old model of storytelling can be tiresome. Other RPGs, such as FF7 Rebirth, NieR Automata, and FFXV, integrate lore and world-building more seamlessly through in-game dialogue and dynamic interactions.

"Dawntrail" lacks engaging gameplay outside of dungeons and trials. It would benefit from utilizing the instance duty system more effectively, incorporating lore-building dialogues during combat or exploration. Additionally, improving exploration speed is essential; while the zones are vast and beautiful, both players and their mounts feel sluggish.

Technical Enhancements and Drawbacks
On the technical front, the graphical updates include improved animations and lip-sync during cutscenes, significantly enhancing the game's visual appeal. However, the DLSS implementation is subpar, lacking preset choices, a dynamic DLSS option, DLAA, and causing issues during cutscenes such as blurry backgrounds and texture artifacts. An option to increase internal resolution would also be beneficial, as the current method forces changes to the HUD.

Conclusion
Overall, "Dawntrail" is a strong expansion that introduces significant cultural representation and technical improvements. However, it could benefit from addressing narrative pacing issues and enhancing gameplay and technical features for a more immersive experience.

MAY YOUR HEART BE YOUR GUIDING KEY


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tremendo juegazo, gráficamente hermoso y super inmersivo en su ambientación

Un port pobre que por suerte con un archivo .ini puede ser arreglado, de todos modos no quita que sea una vergüenza que Square Enix saque un juego con opciones tan pobres y más viniendo de lo bueno que fue el port de Kingdom Hearts 3. El juego por su lado es excelente: gran OST, gran historia, personajes bien logrados y un sistema de combate que combina Kingdom Hearts 1 con el sistema de combate de los FF de PS1.

Más allá de algunos problemas de rendimiento con el port es una buena versión del juego y la mejor forma de jugarlo a día de hoy.

I'm not immune to hot lord knight carrying an axe

Hope we get World 2 RePac one day, or at least a re-release that fixes framerate, animations and lightning on the PC version. It was fun to experience World 1 by the first time. Relaxing game <3

not the kind of flower I was expecting but it relaxed me anyways