Final Fantasy 16, a title that drew mixed reactions (mostly because of its apparent lack of sales) when it launched earlier this year, is aiming to silence naysayers with the official announcements of its two DLC expansions, Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide.
The pair of expansions, which were announced earlier this year, were revealed at the 2023 Game Awards. Echoes of the Fallen, in particular, is available now on PlayStation 5. On the other hand, The Rising Tide, scheduled to launch in Spring 2024, promise to delve deeper into the game’s lore and offer new gameplay dimensions.
Echoes of the Fallen, the first of the two expansions, is set before the climactic final battle of Final Fantasy XVI. This DLC introduces players to a narrative arc that revolves around Clive and his team investigating the mysterious appearance of ancient crystals on the black market, leading to the reawakening of an ancient weapon. In addition to the new storyline, Echoes of the Fallen offers players access to an iconic Final Fantasy series weapon, Cloud Strife’s buster sword, which, is, no doubt, part of Square Enix’s way of hyping up Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth ahead of its launch next year. Nevertheless, the expansion is more than just a marketing stunt. Outside of the story, it adds new weapons, items, and an increased level cap for more challenging battles.
The second DLC, The Rising Tide, is the bigger expansion, promising to offer a fresh experience in a brand-new region, with Clive facing off against the legendary Eikon (FF16’s name for its universe’s summons), Leviathan. While the details of the storyline are less explicit (and disappointing for those looking forward to a Cid-centric DLC), the trailer teases a bunch of new landscapes, creatures, and monsters, indicating a significant expansion of the game’s universe. This DLC appears to continue the series’ tradition of intricate storytelling and breathtaking visuals.
The announcement of these DLCs follows Final Fantasy 16’s significant impact in the gaming industry earlier this year. Despite the backlash, the PS5-exclusive sold over 3 million copies sold in its first week and was largely praised by fans as well as Square Enix itself. Despite not securing a Game of the Year nomination, the game received nods for music, narrative, and performance, ultimately winning an award for its score and music at The Game Awards.
Nevertheless, the new expansions seem to be Square Enix’s response to the game’s mixed reception at launch, which addresses players’ desires for deeper narrative exploration and gameplay variety.
The DLCs aren’t just an expansion of the game’s narrative and gameplay; they also represent Square Enix’s ongoing dedication to the Final Fantasy franchise. It remains to be seen of Square Enix’s renewed investment in its bigger properties will pay off following a series of failures, but, so far, the reception to the first FF16 DLC has been largely positive.
Players can access these expansions through the PlayStation Store, with Echoes of the Fallen already available for the PS5 immediately. Although not free, at $9.99, it’s well worth the price of admission. The Rising Tide will follow in the spring of 2024, promising to bring new challenges and an epic confrontation with Leviathan.
Perhaps, more importantly, for those who have yet to experience the Game of Thrones-inspired world of Final Fantasy XVI, the base game is available at a discounted price on the PlayStation Store until December 11.
As players dive into these new adventures, they can look forward to experiencing the expanded world of Final Fantasy 16, filled with new challenges, mysteries, and epic battles.
