After Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail launched, a new Arcadion 8-player raid series started, with two of the AAC Light-heavyweight bosses being Sweet Poison: Honey B Lovely and Vile Heat: Brute Bomber, and now we have official concept art for each of them via FFXIV Online Official Blog. PR team member Miyamiya also teased that AAC Cruiserweight concept art could be shared as well.

Editor’s Note: There will be spoilers for the FFXIV Dawntrail AAC Light-heavyweight M2 Honey B Lovely and M3 Brute Bomber fights below. t2p48

For those unfamiliar, the FFXIV Dawntrail AAC Light-heavyweight Arcadion raid series is treated as championship fights at Solution Nine. Each of the bosses we face are people who use souls from different types of monsters. This alters their appearances and allows them to gain access to abilities during fights. In the case of Honey B Lovely, she uses a Queen Bee when she fights in FFXIV, while Brute Bomber taps into a Bomb King’s abilities. 

In the case of the FFXIV concept art for each, we only see these transformed versions of the characters. Color art of both Brute Bomber and Honey B Lovely appear showing the full version of the design that inspired the in-game model. There are also more monochromatic images to highlight specific details or show elements and accents from the monsters implemented in the characters.

Here are both pieces of concept art:

While the AAC Light-heavyweight fights appeared in FFXIV Dawntrail in July 2024, the AAC Cruiserweight ones didn’t launch until March 2025. They appeared after 7.2 and introduced four new competitors.

Final Fantasy XIV and its Dawntrail expansion are available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post See FFXIV Brute Bomber and Honey B. Lovely Concept Art appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix is currently running a sale that offers a discount to players who buy a 30-day subscription to Final Fantasy XI while already subscribed to Final Fantasy XIV. The sale runs until March 11, 2025, it and cuts the cost of the FFXI basic service fee from $11.95 down to $5.95. That is $6.95 with character fee.

The subscription discount applies only to FFXI s created or reactivated during the campaign, and said must be linked to a Square Enix that has an active FFXIV subscription. The discount also only applies to the basic service fee, as FFXI also requires players to pay an extra $1 fee per active character. Additionally, first time players of FFXI will be eligible for a free 30 days of play time, in which case the discount will be available after that free period ends.

The sale is meant to capitalize on the FFXI-themed Echoes of Vana'diel alliance raid series, part 1 of which which was added to FFXIV in Patch 7.1 last year. Producers Yoshida and Murouchi also recently laid out the schedule for the next few patches in a Letter from the Producer livestream.

Both Final Fantasy XIV and Final Fantasy XI are readily available for PC, with the Echoes of Vana'diel sale lasting until March 11, 2025. Final Fantasy XIV is also available on PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.

The post FFXIV Echoes of Vana’diel FFXI Sale Starts appeared first on Siliconera.

Koikeya officially announced its new collaboration with Final Fantasy XIV to bring Don Tacos tortilla chips inspired by the latest Dawntrail expansion. The collaboration also aims to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Don Tacos tortilla chips.

The new Koikeya collaboration features 6 different Don Tacos bag designs as well as 3 flavors, one of them inspired by the MMORPG. Two designs are reserved for the original Chili Tacos and Nacho Cheese flavors, with each having one. Meanwhile, the remaining four designs belong to the "Tural De Tacos" Rroneek Steak HQ (High Quality) new flavor inspired by the food item of the same name in Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail.

A set with all 6 bags is now available on sale for 1,480 yen (or approximately $9.60) from the Koikeya online store. The new Don Tacos chips will only be available for sale until February 17, 2025. The packages feature motifs from the games, including a Moogle and a Cornservant wearing a sombrero and sporting a mustache, Alpha, and a key visual for Dawntrail.

You can check out the chip bag designs here:

Additionally, Koikeya shared two promotional videos for the Final Fantasy XIV Don Tacos chips collaboration recorded using in-game footage. You can watch the two videos here:

Final Fantasy XIV is is readily available for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, and PC. The Don Tacos FFXIV chips are now available until February 17, 2025.

The post Here’s How to Get the Final Fantasy XIV Don Tacos Chips appeared first on Siliconera.

A new post on the official FFXIV official blog detailed the 2025 Heavensturn event, including showing off a new Great White Tsuchinoko minion. The event is set to begin on December 31, 2024, and it will remain available until January 16, 2025.

As detailed in the announcement, the event quest can be started in Limsa Lominsa by speaking to the Hebi Bugyo on the Upper Decks. The new Heavensturn event minion for 2025 is called the Great White Tsuchinoko, and it resembles the Great Serpent of Ronka that appeared back in the FFXIV Shadowbringers expansion. Players will also be able to earn the Springtide Fan Stand and the Oriental New Year's Meal furnishings, while Omikuji fortunes are again available for 100 gil.

Here is how the Great White Tsuchinoko minion, Springtide Fan Stand and the Oriental New Year's Meal look in FFXIV.

The post also reminds players that several Christmas-themed items like the Starlight Stalls Chocobo Barding will remain available in-game. We can participate in the Starlight Celebration until December 31, 2024.

Earlier in December 2024, Samsung Japan announced a new advertising campaign for its Samsung 990 Pro SSD. It features artwork of the 22 jobs available in FFXIV. The game's online store also recently added a new purchaseable outfit based on G'raha Tia.

Final Fantasy XIV and its most recent expansion, Dawntrail, are immediately available on the PC, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. The 2025 Heavensturn celebration is set to begin in-game in FFXIV on December 31, 2024, and that will run until January 16, 2025.

The post Tsuchinoko Minion Appears During FFXIV Heavensturn 2025 appeared first on Siliconera.

The initial patch notes for the 7.1 Final Fantasy XIV update are live, and Square Enix confirmed that some main scenario quests and other missions are now a part of the MMORPG’s new game plus feature. 10 in total were mentioned, with two being tied to the Dawntrail expansion.

The two more obvious additions to the list of Final Fantasy XIV new game plus quests are the two Dawntrail MSQ parts. These are divided up into, appropriately enough, “Dawntrail - Part 1” and “Dawntrail - Part 2.” The patch notes also mentioned both will be unlocked at once upon finishing the expansion’s full campaign quest. So if you already did so, then upon updating to 7.1 you’ll find both part 1 and 2 available to go through again.

The bulk of the other Final Fantasy XIV new game plus quests are role quests for our jobs. In the case of the newly added Pictomancer and Viper, all of their Role Quests will be available once 7.1 shows up. When it comes to Healer, Magical Ranged DPS, Melee DPS, Physical Ranged DPS, and Tank Role Quests, all of those newly added ones will be ones from Dawntrail. 

Finally, the last one has to do with a Chronicles of a New Era Raid. People can go through Pandaemonium again. “Pandæmonium: Epilogue” will be available after the update.

As a reminder, lots of other content will be available in 7.1. In addition to new MSQ, we’ll see the FFXI crossover and other additions.

Final Fantasy XIV is available on the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and 

The post Final Fantasy XIV New Game Plus Grows in Patch 7.1 appeared first on Siliconera.

Final Fantasy XIV is gearing up for the first major post-launch patch for the Dawntrail expansion. FFXIV Patch 7.1 is almost here and we finally know about its formal release date, what content is going to be in the patch, and so much more.

FFXIV Patch 7.1 Release Date and Schedule 2s6r4g

The new FFXIV Dawntrail Patch 7.1 release date has been revealed and it will come out on Tuesday, November 12, 2024. This “Crossroads” update will include the first new Main Scenario Quests for players to enjoy after the conclusion of the most recent expansion.

In addition, there is a ton of new content, including raids and dungeons, to complete. Here is the full release schedule around the 7.1 series of patches:

• Patch 7.1: November 12, 2024
• Futures Rewritten Ultimate: November 26, 2024
• Wachumeqimeqi Custom Deliveries, Hildibrand Quests: December 17, 2024
• The Cloud of Darkness (Chaotic): December 24, 2024
• More Role Quests: January 21, 2025

All New Features and Content in Patch 7.1 Crossroads, Explained 1f5751

Of the Patch 7.1 content, besides the new MSQ and general schedule, players will be able to enjoy a new dungeon with Yuweyawata Field Station. This dungeon, set in Heritage Found, will likely be part of the main story. In addition, the Extreme Trial version of the final boss in Dawntrail will finally be available to complete the set of this expansion’s existing Extremes for Valigarmanda and Zoraal Ja.

Players will also be able to do the first Alliance Raid for this expansion titled Jeuno: The First Walk, which is a crossover with Final Fantasy XI. The next Unreal Trial is also coming soon, bringing back the classic Byakko fight. All of these raids and dungeons will include new armor, rewards, and even mounts (in some cases) to collect.

Beyond the main new content, there are also some key changes. PvP fans will be happy to know there are a lot of improvements coming. Many jobs will have actions removed (only in PvP) or adjusted, especially for the most recent job classes of Pictomancer and Viper. There are even changes to existing Crystalline Conflict PvP maps like Cloud Nine and Red Sands.

For more on everything that was revealed for Patch 7.1, be sure to check out the full Letter from the Producer 84 stream.

Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail is available right now for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Patch 7.1 will release on November 12, 2024.

The post Everything New in FFXIV Patch 7.1 & Release Date appeared first on Siliconera.

In a recent interview with Famitsu, the FFXIV sound team talked about the Dawntrail expansion soundtrack featuring different composers for each area of the game, and how was the process for working on the music for the expansion. [Thanks, Famitsu!]

FFXIV Sound Director and Composer Masayoshi Soken worked on the music for the Living Memory area, with composer Takafumi Imamura taking care of the music for Shaaloani, Daiki Ishikawa being responsible for composing the soundtrack for Yak T'el woodlands, and Saya Yasaki doing the music for Urqopacha and Kozama'uka.

When asked about the different composers for each area in the Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail soundtrack, Soken said having various different composers instead of himself alone helped convey the theme of a continent with a wide variety of cultures.

Soken added that the thematic flow in the FFXIV soundtrack that started with A Realm Reborn concluded with Endwalker. Because of this, Soken thought that employing the help of young composers as the main focus for the score of Dawntrail would give the new expansion a breath of fresh air.

The sound team said that they usually start working on the music for an expansion roughly a year before its release. However, Soken added that the team didn't start working properly on the FFXIV Dawntrail soundtrack until the start of 2024. Furthermore, due to the graphical update in FFXIV, the composers revealed that they were unable to work while having access to the backgrounds and scenery of the game for the creation of the Dawntrail soundtrack.

Final Fantasy XIV is readily available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.

The post Each FFXIV Dawntrail Area Soundtrack Had Different Composers appeared first on Siliconera.

Final Fantasy XIV is a great game, and it's filled to the brim with cool sights and sounds. It's little wonder that it has proven to be a veritable gold mine for cool merch. The latest expansion Dawntrail released a little while ago and brought a whole new wave of goods with it. There is a lot to choose from, and we're here to help you out with that. Here is some of the best Final Fantasy XIV merch to check out now.

Dawntrail: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack 1m4b2s

Due to ship in November 2024, the Dawntrail soundtrack features 66 tracks from the latest expansion to Final Fantasy XIV. Masayoshi Soken's compositions have been one of the most reliably great things about Final Fantasy XIV, and he hasn't broken his streak here. As an added bonus, you'll get a code for a Wind-Up Zero minion with it. You can never go wrong adding any of the Final Fantasy XIV soundtrack sets to your shelf.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail Collector's Box 2n48

If you don't mind splurging a little, the Dawntrail Collector's Box features some of the best Final Fantasy XIV merch to check out now. While it doesn't include the expansion itself, you get a bunch of cool swag in here. Inside the shiny box you'll find a high-quality Viper figure, a gorgeous cloth world map, an Unending Journey notebook, and a roll-up pen case. It's the perfect real-world accompaniment to your digital purchase of the Dawntrail expansion.

Final Fantasy XIV Playing Cards - Loporrit 26452i

Loporrit is adorable. This is not something up for argument or debate. With this in mind, any Loporrit merch is going to be some of the best Final Fantasy XIV merch to check out. If you want to extend that aura to your playing cards, this is the item for you. Each card in this deck has Lopporit-themed art on it, and the cards come in a nice book-shaped storage case. Imagine the high-fives you'll get when you whip these out at your next poker night!

Final Fantasy XIV Fluffy Slippers - Moogle/Namazu 1467j

Sooner or later, everyone realizes that they need a nice pair of slippers. It's a little treat to yourself. If you want to make that treat extra fancy, you'll want those slippers to be fluffy. It just feels good on the feet. What if I told you that you can get those fluffy slippers and show your love for Final Fantasy at the same time? All you have to do is grab a pair of these slippers, which come in both Moogle and Namazu varieties. Pick up both and enjoy a double-fancy luxury for your hard-working soles.

Encyclopaedia Eorzea - The World of Final Fantasy XIV 6w4q1p

One must never underestimate the value of a good education. Sometimes it's music time, sometimes it's fluffy slipper time, but sometimes it's reading time. Might I recommend these three lovely tomes? Each page is positively slathered with information about Final Fantasy XIV and Eorzea. You'll be an instant expert, and perhaps even become the life of some very specific parties. If nothing else, having these on the shelf shows that you aren't just playing video games all the time. No, you also read about video games. Take that, imaginary person judging me.

The post The Best Final Fantasy XIV Merch to Check Out Now appeared first on Siliconera.

The FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live LXXXIII, which is the 83 installment, will be broadcast at Tokyo Gameshow 2024 (TGS). The presentation from Director and Producer Naoki Yoshida will be streamed as part of Square Enix's activities at the event at 10:50pm PT on September 28, 2024, which is 1:50am ET on September 29, 2024, and people will be able to watch it on YouTube.

Currently, there are no exact details about what is going to be covered in FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live 83, but there are some general insights into what to expect. The update on the official site stated that the first part of the 7.1 patch will be discussed. That will be the first major content update since the launch of the previous Dawntrail expansion. We will also hear about other miscellaneous updates related to the game.

As this is a TGS 2024 FFXIV live letter, an English translator won't be present. Only Japanese audio will be available. However, the showcase will include Japanese and English text on all slides.

Natsuko Ishikawa, Senior Story Designer for FFXIV, will also be heading to PAX Australia in October 2024 alongside Saki Takayanagi, Quest Designer for the game, to give a presentation on the character writing process. In addition, a television show will be filmed in game on the Elemental Data Center on September 4, 2024.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is available now on PC, Playstation 4, Playstation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X. The FFXIV Letter from the Producer Live LXXXIII (83) will air on September 29, 2024.

The post Next FFXIV Letter From the Producer Live Airs at TGS 2024 appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix released a Chrissy Costanza music video for the FFXIV “Give It All” Arcadion Raid song, as well as shared the official English lyrics for the track. The song debuted alongside the 7.01 Dawntrail Raid AAC Light-heavyweight Tier.

In FFXIV, you hear the song “Give It All” during AAC Light-heavyweight M4. The Orchestrion Roll for the track is also a basic rarity reward from a Treasure Coffer from the fight. The idea is that Wicked Thunder is “performing” the track. In reality, it is a The Primals song with Costanza providing the vocals. Previously, the company shared the track following its release. However, now the additional video and lyrics are also available.

Here are the full, official “Give It All” FFXIV Arcadion Raid song lyrics:

Tonight our city bleeds red, blue, and green 
As I walk in the dark unseen 

Yet like the grey the sky is draped in 
The colors in my heart have faded 

Gone 
They're gone 
They're gone 
All gone 

A girl looks to the stars and dares to dream 
On the world she'd make her mark, it seemed 

This phantom in my mirror starin' back 
I realize that girl is 

Gone 
She's gone 
She's gone 
I'm gone 

Climbed every mountain, made it to the top 
I had it all, or so I thought 
Traded tomorrow for a lie 
And found the price too high 

The clock is ticking counting down to naught 
I'm outta time but it won't stop 
I'll bet my life before it's lost 
That final line I'll cross 

There ain't no going back 
No going back 
No going back 
No 

What light's left here inside 
I'll suffocate 
If that's what it takes, oh 

And those who look to cast me aside 
or turn their backs and leave me to die 

You can try, can try, come try, 
But I will survive 

No going back 
No going back 
Won't ever 
(no) Never again, no 

Ain't no going back 
No going back 
No coming back from the edge 

Look in my eyes, yeah I know you understand 
(somebody help, my misery's taking me) 
I've made up my mind, now there ain't no going back 
(somebody help, I'm losing what's left of me) 
I've made up my mind, now my heart's demanding 
I'm ready to fight til there's one left standing 
Tonight, lightning'll strike, thunder will fall 
(and) You're gonna give it all 

To me 
To me 
To me 
To me, I gotta believe 
You'll set 
Me free

Tonight my circle finally comes complete 
One last step from the dark, I breathe 

The music's swellin', crowd is chantin' 
And for this moment fear's an after-thought
It's gone
It's gone 
All gone 

I look out to the crowd and there I see 
A thousand little girls--all me 

I've turned the tables, yeah I'm fightin' back 
I'll bring the lightnin', now it's 

On 
It's on 
It's on 
You're gone 

Climbed every mountain, made it to the top 
I had it all, or so I thought 
Traded tomorrow for a lie 
And found the price too high 

The clock is ticking counting down to naught 
I'm outta time but it won't stop 
I'll bet my life before it's lost 
That final line I'll cross 

There ain't no going back 
No going back 
No going back 
No 

What light's left here inside 
I'll suffocate 
If that's what it takes, oh 

And those who look to cast me aside 
or turn their backs and leave me to die 

You can try, can try, come try, 
But I will survive 

No going back 
No going back 
Won't ever 
(no) Never again, no 

Ain't no going back 
No going back 
No coming back from the edge, no more 

Next, here’s the “Give It All” music video from YouTube, which features gameplay footage from FFXIV, Solution Nine, and the Arcadion Raid. Note there are spoilers for all the AAC Light-heavyweight Tier fights in the video below, and not just the Wicked Thunder one.

Both standard and Savage versions of the AAC Light-heavyweight Tier Arcadion fight are available in the game. The more difficult version of the Raid debuted at the end of July 2024 in patch 7.05.

Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Arcadian Raid series are part of the Dawntrail patches.

The post See the FFXIV ‘Give It All’ Arcadion Raid Song Lyrics, Music Video appeared first on Siliconera.

In a few months, people will get to bring a physical copy of the Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail soundtrack home and get a Wind-up Zero Minion with it. Square Enix announced the expansion’s full album will launch on October 30, 2024, and it will cost $44.99 from places like the Square Enix Store.

The announcement for the Dawntrail: Final Fantasy XIV Original Soundtrack didn’t include a full track listing of songs. Square Enix noted 66 will appear on it. This will be a 7.0 album, and Arcadion: Light-heavyweight Division Raid tracks will appear. An official website will appear, but it isn’t open as of time of writing.

The announcement and product listing did show the additional items that will come with physical albums. People will get a code, which can be used once, for a Wind-up Zero Minion based on the Final Fantasy XIV NPC ally we meet throughout Endwalker. There is also a slipcover with the Scions of the Seventh Dawn and new Dawntrail characters and classes.

Here’s how those both look:

While the full album is out now, some music did appear earlier. For example, people could get a vinyl with the Amanda Achen and the Primals versions of the Dawntrail theme song. The first Dawntrail EP also released digitally on August 6, 2024 and included the songs “Morrow’s Might,” “Windswept Echoes,” “Pathmaker,” “A Trail Unending,” and “Smile.” EP2 will appear digitally on August 13, 2024, followed by EP3 on August 20, 2024.

Final Fantasy XIV and Dawntrail is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC, and the Dawntrail: FFXIV Original Soundtrack for this expansion launches on October 30, 2024.

The post Listen to Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail Soundtrack in October appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix opened pre-orders for a new Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail 2025 calendar featuring concept art and renders from the game that can be reused as posters. The calendar costs 3,000 yen (or approximately $19.88) and will release in Japan on September 26, 2024.

The Square Enix e-store page for the calendar has only revealed the artworks on display for the months of February, April, and July 2025. These include a CG render of the Warrior of Light in his Viper job outfit standing on a cliff overseeing the city of Tuliyollal, a concept art of the new Pictomancer job, and a dual artwork of a street of Tuliyollal and the Nexus Arcade area of Solution Nine, respectively.

The pages in the new FFXIV Dawntrail calendar are B4-size, and each one includes a perforated line dividing the artwork and the dates for each month, which allows for the calendar to be reused as a hanging wall poster collection. You can check out the artworks and CG renders revealed so far in the FFXIV Dawntrail 2025 calendar below.

The Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail 2025 calendar costs 3,000 yen (~$19.88) and will release on September 26, 2025. Final Fantasy XIV is available for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC. You can read the latest 7.05 patch notes here.

The post Final Fantasy XIV Dawntrail 2025 Calendar Lets You Reuse Its Art appeared first on Siliconera.

Square Enix dropped Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail, the fifth expansion, at the start of July 2024. We’ve had the chance to dive into this expansion and max out our classes and jobs to level 100. As such, it is finally time to reveal what the best class is in FFXIV Dawntrail. Note that we decided these on a number of factors, such as the best overall job class out of every single one in the expansion. In addition, some of us picked based on the two new jobs, Viper and Pictomancer.

Regardless, if you are looking to pick up a job that has turned out quite well in Dawntrail, these are the ones that will treat you nicely in the current fifth expansion meta. Let us know what your favorite job classes are in this expansion!

Siliconera Speaks Up: Our Picks for the Best Classes in Dawntrail 3f192k

I've played Final Fantasy XIV for a long time. And I mean, a long, long time. I have over three thousand days subscribed to the game and have tried out a lot of the job classes --- Melee and Ranged DPS, Healers, Tanks. You name it, I've probably given it a shot. And while I was initially anxious to committed to the Tank role, I dove right in to Gunbreaker when a series of Final Fantasy XII Judge-inspired armor sets released through the Bozja side content. I got my Gunbreaker to max and decided to bring it into Shadowbringers, and then Endwalker as Tanking was a lot easier than I initially thought. Gunbreaker is my favorite job class because it's decently active, while not requiring me to do too much in normal content. White Mage used to be my favorite, but sometimes I'm just tired and wanna turn my brain off, and Gunbreaker lets me do just that. -- Kazuma

Are we are talking about the two new jobs, specifically? If so, FFXIV Dawntrail’s best new job class for me has to be Pictomancer. Viper is great on its own, too. However, Pictomancer offers this fascinating middle ground of being a powerful magical DPS class like Black Mage. Yet at the same time, Pictomancer also offers fantastic buffs for the party. It is also quite fun to use. In of existing jobs, I am having a blast playing Sage again. Overall, it hasn’t changed much. That said, the new AOE damage-over-time action with Eukrasian Dyskrasia and other new skills fix the very few problems I had with Sage. -- Cody

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is available right now for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The post Which Class Do You Like Best in FFXIV Dawntrail? appeared first on Siliconera.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail continues the age-old tradition of introducing multiple new jobs (usually two per expansion with the exception of Heavensward) for players to check out. In the case of the fifth expansion, the new FFXIV jobs are Pictomancer and Viper. While certainly different from one another, if I had to pick one as the better job, I would go with Pictomancer every time.

To be clear, both jobs are actually quite good and fill some necessary niches in FFXIV. But I understand that not every player is going to want to take the time to level up both jobs over 20 levels each (40 in total) to max them out. Plus, that doesn’t take into the time it takes to master each job, which is a tall order since they start at level 80. With that in mind, if I had to pick one of these new FFXIV jobs to recommend to most players, I would go with Pictomancer. I believe it is the slightly better and stronger job.

To be clear, I started out as an Arcanist and eventually Summoner/Scholar main in this game when it first came out, but my secondary job for the longest time was Ninja. As such, there are some fascinating parallels between Pictomancer and Viper for me. The former is the latest ranged magical DPS job. Meanwhile, Viper is the long-awaited armor companion to Ninja and a fellow dual wielder. Both jobs also have some similarities to existing ones, so they are pretty even in that regard.

As such, Pictomancer narrowly beats Viper due to how much more it stands out. I would describe Pictomancer as a fascinating mix of Black Mage and Ninja in some regards, under an artistic perspective. It has the usual elemental magic Black Mage owns and some similar spells, but it also has its canvas to paint on. This reminds me of Ninja in a way. You can queue up spells and unleash them in certain orders. These will result in different moves in the process.

On the other hand, Viper is also similar to Ninja. It is a dual wielder and it focuses a lot on combos as well. The difference is it relies too much on combos. It is actually unbelievable how many different combo options exist with Viper. There are different branching options depending on the scenario and skills are constantly turning into other ones.

If you don’t like combos, Viper is certainly not the FFXIV job for you. In addition, it can be a bit overwhelming to jump into at first. But the main issue with Viper comes from once you actually learn it. I find that Viper ends up a little boring and almost too repetitive once you get the hang of the role. Meanwhile, the Pictomancer never stops being fun with instantly drawing outside of battle and buffing the party.

Overall, I would almost say Viper is a bit one-note. However, to its credit, the diversity in combos leads to some of the best visual effects for a job. I would even say it is possibly the flashiest job in the game currently. But it doesn’t stand out as much as it could, nor is it as necessary in the meta as Pictomancer.

If you are a skilled Pictomancer, you can almost deal too much damage in FFXIV these days. There are times I have full-on pulled and seen others pull aggro from a skilled, not amateur tank, especially in lower-level content. Any other job and that wouldn’t have happened. Beyond the damage, Pictomancer also has some excellent buffs late-game with Starry Muse and Tempera Grassa. It isn’t quite the true job hybrid I was hoping for, but it comes close enough.

In the end, both Viper and Pictomancer are excellent job additions in FFXIV Dawntrail. That said, if I have to recommend one as the “better” job, I would go with Pictomancer. It isn’t quite as one-note as Viper can be, while also almost filling a neat niche for the meta. I expect Pictomancer to only gain in popularity and success as time goes on, barring any nerfs, so if you’re looking for a new one to spend your time with, this is what I recommend.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is available right now for the PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The post FFXIV Dawntrail’s Pictomancer Stands Out More Than Viper appeared first on Siliconera.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is the fifth expansion in the long-running MMO’s history, and it represents such a fascinating point in its life. This expansion has the unenviable task of following up after two excellent additions. In the end, I found FFXIV Dawntrail shows us the best and worst moments of the MMO so far.

With the lead-up to Dawntrail, I often kept asking myself what the whole point of it was. Endwalker put a nice little cap on the MMORPG, feeling like the right place to end FFXIV. In fact, it was supposed to be the original ending. But here Square Enix is, continuing the story past Hydaelyn and Zodiark because there is a massive, active player base.

My main concern about Dawntrail reared its head in the first half of the FFXIV expansion. The initial part of the story acts as a wacky summer vacation filler arc, for better and mostly worse. The Warrior of Light and some of the Scions take a trip to the new continent of Tural to help Wuk Lamat fight for her claim to the throne against other contestants. In theory, the premise sounds pretty neat! This is especially true when some of the other Scions are on opposing sides, offering some fun internal conflict within the group. However, the execution feels about as underwhelming as Stormblood, the weakest FFXIV expansion by far. This largely stems from the rather uninteresting cast of characters accompanying you.

Wuk Lamat is one of the most forgettable heroes in FFXIV, despite essentially being this expansion’s main character. Her voice acting is solid, but everything else about her isn't up to par. She is by far one of the most one-note characters in the game. She's always so happy-go-lucky, to an almost nauseating degree. Even her latter character development feels forced. She's not as natural or complex as some other characters, like Lyse or Ryne.

To make matters worse, the first half of the expansion also features the most unlikeable of the Scions journeying alongside the Warrior of Light and Wuk Lamat. It would be one thing if I could catch up with my guy G’raha Tia swooning over me once again or Y’shtola’s witty remarks, but that doesn't happen here. This is Wuk Lamat’s story through and through. It is almost to the point where the Warrior of Light and the other Scions seem pretty much done story-wise, with the exception of characters like Krile. I almost questioned why some characters were even there, as the expansion would’ve been almost exactly the same with or without Alphinaud and Alisaie. During the first half, I often looked at some of the other contestants and wished I was partnered with them instead.

The one silver lining in this portion of the expansion is the actual content itself. The new locations, such as Kozama’uka, are absolutely stunning. The mix of jungles, deserts, and other wild biomes look so incredible. The detail and vast nature of each locale pops so well in the accompanying graphical update. These new locations are some of the best in the MMO’s history, with fantastic diversity throughout. There are even surprises and visual changes within some individual zones. While I didn’t enjoy the story, I at least appreciated the views along the way.

Plus, it helps that the dungeons, trials, and even instances excelled in these places. There are so many new mechanics and challenging moments that surprised me and tested my skill. For one, the Trust System is back and better than ever before. I wanted NPC trials since Trust’s introduction in Shadowbringers and it finally comes to fruition for more than one instance here.

The two new jobs, Pictomancer and Viper, both fill welcome niches in the meta. Pictomancer feels like a true DPS, capable of buffing the party and dealing outrageous damage. The ability to queue up drawings before a big fight never got old. Then there is Viper, with its plethora of combos and flashy mechanics. It isn’t too overwhelming, but has just enough variety that will likely appeal to Ninja fans like myself.

If only for the content alone you experience, it is well worth getting through the succession storyline. That at least kept me going until the second half, which is when everything changes for the better. The second half of Dawntrail proved to me there is still some juice left in FFXIV’s tank. If you’ve been disappointed with everything since the final fight of Endwalker, this is the part for you.

While I certainly won’t go into details here, all you have to do is take a look at the second city of Solution Nine to see the surprising tonal shift. The story gets exponentially better in this second half. The introduction of the best new characters this expansion happens then, plus several shocking story sequences. There are even optional side quests in one particular late-game area I recommend everyone does for ensuing tearjerker moments. In fact, there are even some spectacular fan service moments that came out of nowhere and felt surprisingly earned. These epic sequences, some playable and others cutscenes, felt created just to convince me FFXIV is headed in the right direction.

This second half of Dawntrail stands up there with some of the best parts of the MMO, whereas the first half like it barely sured the heavily disappointing FFXIV Stormblood. I would rank it significantly higher than Heavensward at this point. It doesn’t quite reach the peak of the MMORPG’s history but there are several shining moments reminiscent of elements I loved about Shadowbringers and Endwalker. It is just unfortunate that these highest of highs also come along with the lowest of lows.

Fortunately, in the end, Dawntrail balances out for a solid, but not necessarily ground-breaking FFXIV expansion. Though it starts rough, Square Enix brings it all together quite well by the second half for a satisfying conclusion. The consistency of the actual gameplay content throughout at least ensures it is enjoyable to play from start to finish. In the end, FFXIV Dawntrail is a shaky, but ultimately positive step in a new direction for the best MMO of all time.

Final Fantasy XIV: Dawntrail is available right now for PS4, PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC.

The post Review: FFXIV Dawntrail Shows the MMO’s Best and Worst appeared first on Siliconera.