Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail's final story patch is exactly what the game needed, and has the 4-month wait for Evercold suddenly feeling a whole lot longer

The reception to Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail's story has been an emotional journey, as it marks the first expansion to follow a decade of excellent storytelling. Initial criticisms about the core narrative have since eased as patches were released, leading up to the next expansion, Evercold. As the final batch of quests were released, the patch has been declared by this reporter as possibly the greatest final MSQ patch ever received.

Spoilers for Patch 7.56 of Dawntrail: these quests serve as a prologue to the expansion rather than a teaser. The patch thrusts the player straight into the Fourth, the ice-clad setting of the expansion, and immediately into a battle against foes they will later face. The patch also introduces Visna, a young catgirl with a crossbow, who will be the currently unrevealed physical ranged job.

Visna explains the Fourth as a frozen-over world where people with different brands (identifiers) clash, often leading to death. This pre-exploration of Evercold's first location, Naglfar, gives players a sneak peek into the expansion's atmosphere. The patch ends right before players plan to head to Naglfar, ensuring that Evercold will start off with a bang.

This approach has been refreshing, despite the expansion being criticized for its narrative, and the player is excited to see what Evercold will bring, even with four months until its release.