In its fifth major expansion, Dawntrail, Final Fantasy XIV is facing its biggest existential crisis yet: Where is your story going now that the 10-year-old A-plot is over? Dawntrail is progressing with an entertaining summer adventure in the land of Tural, which at the same time serves as a Trojan horse for the future of the long-standing MMO history. Dawntrail does not correspond to the narrative heights of the previous expansions and is flawed in several aspects, but its themes of heritage, the importance of culture and the responsible use of technology resonate everywhere.

Dawntrail feels more like a Shonen anime than a fantasy epic from previous expansions and has a completely different feel to the hundreds of hours I’ve put into FFXIV so far. It begins with a kind of tournament in which four aspirants compete for the title Servant of the Dawn, replacing the beloved ruler of the new continent Tural, who is retiring. Instead of being the center of attention, I am helping the main character of this expansion, the energetic and passionate Wuk Lamat, in her attempt to rise to the position of ruler of her people by participating in a succession celebration by taking tests.

Instead of being driven by conflict, these refreshing tests are leadership lessons that test whether each competitor is worthy of the throne of the Servant of the Dawn. I wish the act of completing these missions was more than just housework, but Dawntrail’s masterful world-building makes up for my boredom considerably for the lack of action in the first few hours. At the heart of each essay are fascinating lessons about the different cultures and regions of the world in Latin American countries. I am amazed at how much I have connected with the mercantile, trade-oriented fluff and have found joy in reconnecting the colorful birdmen named Hanuhanu with the importance and magic of their harvesting celebrations. Taking care of the people of Tural reinforces my desire to make things right for them when things inevitably go south after in the enlargement.

Despite its simple premise, Dawntrail deals with some serious issues within the succession celebration and beyond. Wuk Lamat aspires to ascend the throne in order to maintain the current peace that his father has built for Tural over many decades. However, she is not the only one who is action for the title Servant of the Dawn. Her brother Koana prefers to improve society with foreign science. Another brother wants to conquer peace by conquering everything, while the powerful and ruthless Bakool Ha Ha imagines returning to the old ways, where the strongest rule and the weak serve among them.

Through each of his actions, Dawntrail explores how we deal with grief, the legacy we leave behind when our time in this mortal shell ends, and the perversion of the natural order through the use of advanced technology. The deeper he delves into the philosophical rabbit hole of Dawntrail, the more involved I became and the more forgiving I became of some of his harsh tonal changes and occasional character inconsistencies.

Although I love the energy of his main character from the anime, it is sometimes difficult to call Wuk Lamat the ideal ruler of his nation. His passion is contagious, and his curiosity and willingness to listen and learn are admirable, but his actions are often at odds with his pious beliefs. While Wuk Lamat strives to be a beacon of justice and peace, he sometimes sacrifices his judgments, hiding under the carpet rather large atrocities for which he would otherwise be held accountable. It is disappointing that these are not the moments from which she learns her greatest lessons, but breakpoints moving away from fascinating and complicated interactions that should have been explored.

The dungeons and trials of Dawntrail are a constant joy and offer excellent action scenarios combined with the best melodies from the catchy soundtrack of the expansion. Each boss action has unique mechanics that are intuitive to learn and develop on top of each other, forming complex and satisfying action puzzles that you will have to solve if you pay attention. After playing an MMO for hundreds of hours, it’s nice to have challenging content that tests what I’ve learned and introduces new ways to keep me on my toes.

Dawntrail does not reach the peak of the previous Final Fantasy XIV expansions, but its path is different. Her mission is to start a great new story and she absolutely manages to lay the threads for the future while weaving an effective story about heritage and loss. Although I complained about the pace of the missions and the contradictory actions of the main character, I loved my time exploring Tural and can’t wait to see what the next chapter of the story brings.