Before FFXIV Dawntrail, these are the quests Yoshi-P wants you to play

With FFXIV Dawntrail closing in, you may be questioning which facet missions you must tackle through the time between Closing Fantasy 14’s current patch 6.5, Rising Gentle, and the arrival of the brand new growth in summer season 2024. There’s loads to select from, and we at PCGamesN had been pondering what the very best non-obligatory content material to do earlier than Dawntrail may be. So, at a press convention throughout FFXIV Fanfest London 2023, I put the query to the highest canine himself – recreation director Naoki ‘Yoshi-P’ Yoshida.

All of us have our personal methods of preparing for the FFXIV Dawntrail release date. Maybe you’re utilizing the downtime to degree alternate jobs, check out different content material within the critically acclaimed MMORPG comparable to Criterion dungeons or Final duties, or construct out your Island Sanctuary. Perhaps, like me, you’ve determined to embark on a full story replay to arrange for the subsequent journey. Or simply probably, you may take the FFXIV dev staff’s recommendation and go play another video games for a bit whereas there’s some downtime.

With a lot non-obligatory content material outdoors the principle state of affairs quest, nonetheless, you could be questioning the place to start out – particularly in the event you solely have a restricted period of time to play. At London Fanfest I requested Yoshi-P, who attended the convention dressed as the brand new FFXIV Viper job coming in Dawntrail, which one non-obligatory quest line he would advocate that each one gamers ought to be certain to do, if he may.

“It’s tough to decide on but when I used to be going to decide on one, I’d go for Heavensward,” Yoshida muses. “In Heavensward, there may be the Warring Triad quest collection, and that is fairly intricately linked with the thirteenth reflection, and also you get a bit extra of a deep dive into the lore, and also you additionally get extra perception into the connection of the characters. So in case you have the time, I’d undoubtedly advocate taking part in that.”

Personally, I’ll at all times have a passion for this trio of legendary eikons – locked away in Allagan prisons, however starting to stir, it’s as much as you to be able to cope with the three of them as they awaken, one after the other. The three fights, which occur following the conclusion of the principle Heavensward story in Azys Lla, felt on a brand new degree of spectacle once they first arrived and paved the best way for much more spectacular fights that will come down the road.

Yoshida doesn’t cease there, nonetheless. “To offer one other instance, through the 5.x collection there are the Eden raids.” The Shadowbringers raid collection is one other nice decide, and apparently additionally ties again in properly to the ideas of sunshine and darkish, the void, and the thirteenth. For these apprehensive about raid issue, Yoshida reassures, “It’s fantastic even in the event you simply play via on regular, at the least it is possible for you to to benefit from the story, and thru that you simply get a bit extra perception into the reflections, and simply what’s going to occur to the opposite reflections of the supply.

“In fact, the reflections are fairly a giant factor in the principle story,” he feedback. “So by taking part in via the raids – you don’t must rush via it, simply take your time, take it simple – however in case you have the time, play via it. And you then’ll have the ability to, I believe, get a wider view general into the lore and the setting behind Closing Fantasy XIV.”

Whereas we could have introduced the central story arc of Hydaelyn and Zodiark to a conclusion, the occasions of the post-Heavensward patch story centered round Zero, and notably the occasions of patch 6.5 (which I’ll avoid being too particular about for now), are a great reminder that there’s actually nonetheless lots of consideration to be executed on the futures of the primary and the thirteenth.

Yoshida’s highlighting of Eden is especially curious, as the tip of the patch 6.5 story options an extra cutscene for many who have completed the Eden storyline. That’s prompted myself and others to wonder if the staff would take into account making the raid collection obligatory content material sooner or later due to its story relevance, a lot as the bottom A Realm Reborn’s alliance raid collection The Crystal Tower was made important because of its sturdy ties to Shadowbringers.

On that exact concept, Yoshida isn’t giving something away proper now. Nonetheless, now you may have your reply for which non-obligatory quests to play first – the Warring Triad story from Heavensward, and the Eden raid collection of Shadowbringers. If I may make one supplemental advice, I’d extremely encourage you to hunt out finishing all of the Shadowbringers position quests in the event you take pleasure in these two aforementioned tales.

Doing so unlocks a short extra quest chain which as soon as once more connects again to the Warring Triad collection, and appears prefer it may turn into essential when the staff comes again round to comply with up on the occasions of FFXIV patch 6.5. That possible gained’t occur proper initially of Dawntrail, which is about to take us off on an entire new journey, however Natsuko Ishikawa and the writing staff at Sq. Enix don’t have a tendency to depart threads hanging eternally, so I’m sure it’ll come again round in good time.

Searching for extra to maintain you busy till Dawntrail? Why not head to your FFXIV Island Sanctuary and work in your lovely, stress-free getaway house? Or you could possibly flick thru much more of the very best free PC games for one thing else to play altogether.