Review: Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide – An exciting farewell for Clive and company | TierraGamer: news and entertainment on anime, series, video games and technology

On April 18, the last DLC arrived for Final Fantasy XVI which is called The Rising Tide. This would let us control a new eikon, Leviathan, in addition to expanding the world of Valisthea with a new unknown region full of new enemies and challenges.

Now that I had the chance to finish it, I share my opinion with you. In my opinion it is a great addition to this installment and gives us more of what made the base game so memorable. Here's my impression and what you can expect to help you decide whether to add it to your collection.

What is Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide about?

Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide takes place shortly before the end of the base game. Here Clive receives a mysterious letter which asks him for help in rescuing the missing eikon from the water, Leviathan. He, along with Jill and Joshua decide to investigate further and leave for the meeting point indicated on the letter.

Here they meet Shula who takes them to the hidden region of Mysidia which has been hidden from the rest of the kingdoms for hundreds of years. In addition to not seeming affected by the plague that plagues the rest of the world, she keeps the secret of Leviathan's disappearance.

Unlike the previous DLC of Final Fantasy XVI, Echoes of the Fallen, here we have many more story components. Not only because of the main mission, but also thanks to some side missions that delve a little deeper into how this secluded society lives. Which gives more nuances to the already extensive and interesting mythology of Valisthea.

The main plot is also quite interesting. Especially since it has more mysteries related to eikons. This makes it feel even more welcome and like another chapter that even seems necessary to better enjoy the end of the base game.

The gameplay is the one that receives the most new features in this DLC

Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide keeps the gameplay of the base game intact. Stay focused on action style Devil May Cry with the ability to switch between the powers of different eikons to add to your combos. This time we have a new power to enjoy thanks to Leviathan.

Leviathan's abilities give us an arm that functions as a powerful water gun that replaces Clive's basic attacks with square and triangle. Instead of attacking with the sword, square and triangle fire projectiles in different ways.

With square you fire scattered shots similar to those from a shotgun and if you hold the button down you can make a more powerful attack. With triangle you shoot a beam that runs through part of the ground under the enemies and then creates a water explosion. Of course this is not infinite and eventually you have to recharge. You do this with the circle button which also starts a small minigame where pressing the button again at the right time gives you infinite ammunition for a short time.

This new power is very useful particularly in Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide for the new enemies it introduces. The dangerous tonberris make their return to the saga and everyone knows that they can be very deadly with their melee attacks. Leviathan's new power is perfect for keeping them at bay.

Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide is a little more challenging than the base game

Due to the addition of new enemies, Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide sometimes feels more difficult than the base game. In my time playing the main story I was rarely defeated on normal difficulty. Furthermore, the times I lost were during hunts that put us against more deadly enemies.

In The Rising Tide I lost more often, both with normal enemies and with the bosses present in the DLC. In fact the last boss took me a few tries to defeat. But I must emphasize that the enemies are challenging without being frustrating. They are perfectly surmountable with some patience and perseverance.

The Rising Tide continues to show that its creators are masters at creating boss fights

One of the things I liked most about Final Fantasy XVI It was his fights with bosses. Absolutely all of them are exciting and take great advantage of new generation technologies. The Rising Tide gives us this once again and also its final fight became one of my favorites in the game.

Throughout the DLC there are three different boss battles, one is optional and the other two are mandatory. The ones that are part of the story are the most exciting because of the creativity. I won't reveal the details so as not to spoil the surprise for you, but be prepared to be as excited as possible. Plus Masayoshi Soken's great soundtrack makes these clashes feel large-scale in more ways than one.

Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen We were left to owe in the action Eikon vs Eikon. However our patience was rewarded in The Rising Tide with another creative battle between these gigantic beings with a high level of challenge and several moments that fill you with satisfaction. Creative Business Unit III really knows how to create memorable battles.

The campaign is not the only thing that Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide offers

Of course, the main attraction of Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide It is his new story, but it is not the only thing that this DLC includes. Once you finish its main story you have access to the Kairos Gate. This is a special site that will help you improve your combat skills.

Here you advance through different circles, each one with different enemies. The further you progress, the more complicated the challenge becomes, although the rewards also improve. Unlocking S Tier on all levels unlocks a secret fight you won't want to miss.

If you are already a fan of the frenetic combat of Final Fantasy XVI This is a great opportunity to enjoy it even more. In addition, it could help you experiment with more and new combinations of combos with eikon powers.

Finally, there are also several new unlockable artifacts in the story that can help you improve your stats. In addition to new pieces of music to collect and the beloved Curtana sword that is the favorite of the warriors of light in Final Fantasy XIV.

Is Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide worth it?

If you've already played the base game and loved it then you shouldn't hesitate to give Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide a try. As I mentioned, it keeps the combat intact, but adds a new eikon ability. In addition to offering us an interesting story to further expand the world of Valisthea.

In terms of content, it comes with more than Echoes of the Fallen and it can give you more fun time. In fact, it takes about 5 hours to finish its main story, but you could give it much more time thanks to the new Kairos Gate challenge, so we think it's very worth it.

Much has been said that this will be the last expansion of Final Fantasy XVI and if so, it seems like a great way to say goodbye to him. TOOthers will surely make you want to play the entire base game again, including the DLC, because this way the story feels more complete and rounded. If you play it, be sure to share with us what you thought of it in our Discord.

We played Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide on PlayStation 5 with a code provided by a Square Enix representative in the region.

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