Final Fantasy 14 Dawntrail Early Access is here and the new graphics update looks amazing!
I recorded some character models, lighting, cities, landscapes and glamours before and after the Dawntrail patch so we can see the changes easier. We have some big upgrades to textures, lighting and models especially! Here are some detailed comparisons, my first impression and thoughts on the FF14 graphics update!
What do you think about the FFXIV Graphical update? Do you like your Warrior of Light’s new look? Share your thoughts in the comments down below!
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Need to change from Custom Preset (your old FFXIV Settings) to Maximum so you can get the latest anti-aliasing. Foliage flickering due to FXAA BEGONE. If you can't use maximum I'm pretty sure the the other new presets do not use the geriatric FXAA.
As soon i loged in It was raining in Limsa. I was like holy crap the cobble stones when it rains was freaking pleasing to see!
To enjoy the graphical updates more, and to see what's what, I choose to WALK most of the time. Seeing the texture on the ground, on the grasses, on the wall, on everything, the best way is to do just that… when you pass by so fast, you can hardly see anything in detail.
for me who have played since ShB, the changes are very visible to me, and like you, Avy, I cant help but feeling excited about it.
The biggest change I noticed for my mooncat was that the irises are particularly well-defined and have little lines in them. Also, her fangs are thankfully not as short as I was fearing.
I was fully expecting to need to use my fantasia from ARR msq on my WoL, given what I'd seen in the benchmark. Then I get in game and she looks gorgeous but still herself. So… I guess its going back in the retainer for another 10 years. lol
The one thing I don't like is the lean on chocobos when running on the ground. A little would be fine, but what they have right now is too much. Feels disorienting, and adjusting my trajectory even slightly makes me feel like i'm in the races at the gold saucer on a bird with low stats. lol
is it just me does the older ones look better?
Hi! Can someone tell me what chest piece is that at 6:05?
Ngl the update made my catboy look good as fuck. Even I had to stop and appreciate the change XD
The sylphlands look completely different now!
I started the game about a week ago.
I log out in Ul'dan and yesterday when I log in I was like "Oh something is different… The game suddenly doesn't look so bad…" 😆 So I found your video. Thank you for comparsion. 😊
So has anyone ever seen such an enormous backlash to an expac launch for FF14?
I even got a new PC for the new WoW and 14 expacs but haven’t played a minute of Dawntrail yet. So many people hate what the update did to their characters and that is kind of sad
But people ESPECIALLY hate that new cat lady. She sounds just awful and obnoxious from what I read and pretty much hijacked the whole MSQ, many are saying
This is the first expac launch in years I haven’t played, and from what I am reading, I am glad I didn’t. I want to play my hero toon and get new glams, not be the emotional support puppy for some rando idiot NPC who we’ve barely met
I thought it was super cool when i noticed some mounts like the horses also tilt when you take turns even when on the ground
I find it kinda hilarious people are freaking out their character no longer looks like ps2 characters. Yall can complain on the official forums if it bothers yall, but graphics updatewas a massive W
Anamnesis program allows for easy access weather manipulation. Much better than waiting hours for time of day AND IT RAINS.
I hate my Au’ra face after update, but thanks god they give us free Fantasia. I tweak it a little and somehow get my old Au’ra face from using other parts of her face. I love her now!
Wait I'm the Au'ra in the front at 3:38. I didn't know if it was actually you I was too scared to say something plus I'm on trial but I love your videos :3
My WoL (a lala) looked a little off when I got in the game for the first time. Like, just looking at her standing there, she looked… strange. Like, something felt wrong. But when I started seeing her moving around and doing stuff more, especially in cutscenes, it started to grow on me. This was further helped by a trip to the Aesthetician to update the colors on the hair and makeup. Overall I'm pretty happy with it, and I feel like I'm only going to like it more with time.
I guess the thing that's throwing me is how much of a difference lighting makes now. Like, the ambient light levels make a MUCH bigger difference, in terms of color perception and saturation. The new system is much more responsive and dynamic, which feels unusual at first when you're used to very flat static colors. But I'll get used to it. I'm too enamored with ALL THE INCREASED DETAILS NOW. Like holy crap everything looks so sharp and crisp!
The best thing about the graphics update IS THE EFFECTS IT HAS ON GPOSE LIGHTING!!!
HOLY MOLY THE LIGHTING IS SO GOOD AND SO MUCH EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO GET GOOD LIGHTING!!!
Maybe now, we'll have people stop crying over not having shader!!! Seriously, your gposes do NOT need shaders with the the new lighting system! It's a lot easier to get stronger and more prominently lighting! Fiddle around with it, you'll see!
For the most part, I'm happy with the changes. It's good enough to where I can comfortably play without Reshade. I might even uninstall it since I only use it for FFXIV.
I think the game could still use a bit more saturation but the somewhat muted colors don't bother me as much as before with the lighting improvements; such as better visibility at night and in fog/clouds.
I prefer the old look.
I wasn't all that excited about the graphics update from the benchmark. It looked nice, but not OMG this is a HUGE difference to me.
Then I saw a cutscene very early in DT where the sun was shining on my Au Ra through a window, and her horn was glowing from the sun shining through it. That was my "A Ha" moment for this update. That and I love how her umbral eye rings glow at night now.
Like many others, I believe that the facial adjustments still need some work. But I have faith that the team will deliver. The environmental updates were a breath of fresh air, especially the work on the shadows (no more 10 fps shadow movement)!
Whatever it is they did with the lighting is excellent. For character models though I don't really see much difference, but then again I don't really gpose.
teleport crystals do look like delicious rock candy 🍬
we've lost some of the mirror like shines some of the floors had, but the new crispness and indoor lighting definitely is a bigger win.
i wish they did HDR to make the lights and darks pop.
Hint for PC users on improving your graphics:
1. For Resolution, switch to AMD FSR and set the resolution scale's slider to 99 (not 100), to remove blur issues.
2. For anti-aliasing, select TSCMAA + Camera Jitter
Edit: Never mind, AvyCatte, you covered it about 5 min in ^_^
maybe i was with my expectations too high, but i didn't see much difference in the textures of equipments, they still look like 2010… However, the lighting is greatly improved
Old: Flat shading with grey blacks, bright popping colors and very comic book-esque. Suited 2000s era MMOs to compete with WoW but very outdated now.
New: Deep shadows, much more 3D depth. Darker colors, more realistic. That metal and crystal upgrade is huge though and the new eyes are so good.
As a pilot and flight instructor, I’m glad flying mounts bank into the turns now because that’s how the physics works to make airplanes, birds, etc turn.
i feel like too many of the rock and stone textures are wayyyy too grainy, and some of the face changes are weird, but outside of that it looks pretty crisp. hope the devs keep improving on it
2012 graphics to 2016 graphics. Thanks SE!
What a stupid thumbnail
My male au ra got pouty-er lips. I cant turn off the smolder anymore
That shot of the guild lady in gridania really shows the lighting lol.
I'd love to do a replay just to see the game again with the new visuals
As one who attempts to stay cozy every day and a fellow face 2 miqote, the only thing that bothers me about the graphical update is our eyebrows. Why do they look so angry? I played around with the character creator a bit trying to find another eyebrow that seemed a little more happy, but I eventually decided that I'm going to have to learn to live with a slightly grumpy WoL.
I'm happy 😺
As a dark Elezen duskwight I’m so happy. My boy was always cute but capturing him because of the lighting was so hard! The before/after of him is incredible. Not only that but my WoL wears glasses… and now I can have hats and glasses. I’m so happy!
I'm still on PS4 for the time being so I wasn't really expecting much—I'm glad PS4 is still supported at all tbh. I glossed over what changes would or wouldn't apply. My character looks better, but the overall world looks… cronchy on the default settings.
It looks mostly the same to me. One thing I noticed was that the characters look more expressive and realistic in cutscenes, probably because of the changes in texture of their eyeballs and their skins
I love how they turned fem AuRa into sleep deprived race
Most of the things that got upgraded are really good looking. Feels like they missed a few spots in the older zones, though. The Crystarium "crystal" domes for example just look as they used to. No use of that fancy crystal shader. Hopefully they add it. Oh, and some Aetherytes (like the one in the Loporrit area) don't have the crystal effect either.
So basically, there's some stuff to brush up on, but a lot of things look so much better, which only makes me hope more and more that they'll add some finishing touches. They managed to make Kholusia not look horrendous, and that deserves an applause.
It looks mostly the same to me. One thing I noticed was that the characters look more expressive and realistic in cutscenes, probably because of the changes in texture of their eyeballs and their skins. Some armors are shinier and more glossy. The improvement to the environment is very subtle. Everything looks a little better especially when the weather is good.
Playing on PS5 here. To maximize, set it to 4k + drs for stability. Update felt like I wore prescription glasses for the first time. But, once you reach DT my god the zones now feel alive and dynamic.