Final Fantasy XVI is a game that already feels complete. That’s why I was surprised when Square Enix announced a season pass that would contain two pieces of DLC content for it. They said it would expand the lore of Valisthea and the gameplay value of the main game, and this first DLC does fulfill the latter part spectacularly. If Final Fantasy XVI wasn’t your cup of tea, this DLC is not even close to changing your mind. But if you enjoyed the world of Valisthea, its characters, story, and especially the combat, Echoes of the Fallen a must-have DLC with an amazing final dungeon, and in this review, I’ll tell you why.
Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen DLC is available exclusively on PS5 for $9.99.
Story – More Crystals, More Work to Do
The DLC quest becomes available in a very late stage of the main game, so you must have progressed a lot in the game’s story to be able to access it.
There isn’t too much to talk about the story of Echoes of the Fallen without mentioning any spoilers, considering the story isn’t very complex at all. It isn’t the strongest point of the DLC at all. That isn’t necessarily a negative aspect of the DLC though, it is mostly a gameplay-based chapter. So if you were expecting to get a deep expanded lore from it, consider yourself warned.
In this roughly 2 hours and a half chapter, Clive follows the trace of some strange crystals circulating on the black market, which ultimately leads him and the gang (Joshua, Jill, and Torgal) to a secret dungeon that was hiding in plain sight in Valisthea all along. Here, they will fight ancient creatures that have been waiting to be challenged by a worthy opponent for a very long time…
I can confidently say the story blends perfectly fine with the main game without feeling like the typical forced DLC filler arc from this type of game. The script is engaging, it doesn’t feel forced and fits accordingly. The story of Echoes of the Fallen doesn’t shine for being particularly outstanding, but for the length and price of the DLC (even if it feels too short for its own good) it works well enough.
The gang is back to unbury a few more dark secrets in Valisthea.
Gameplay – A Sweet Difficulty Spike
The overall aspects of the gameplay remain the same as the main game. We control Clive and fight hordes of monsters, mini-bosses, and tough bosses. So what’s different in this DLC?
Well, there is a reason why you have to advance a lot in the story to reach this DLC quest. The interesting gameplay twist of Echoes of the Fallen is the difficulty spike of its dungeon and the incredible new boss fights it provides. As I said in my review of Final Fantasy XVI, the combat is very easy to learn, but it’s hard to master. And this DLC takes that statement to a whole new level. Your combat skills will be tested and you’ll need to prove everything you learned throughout the main game. It isn’t a frustrating or too complicated challenge, but it’s a sweet, highly satisfying difficulty spike.
The final boss is particularly outstanding, and it is by far the best part of the DLC. It makes the whole dungeon feel worthwhile for such a spectacular conclusion to it, including the amazing rewards it provides for both completing it and exploring the dungeon without missing any chest. The overall quest feels worthy, and that’s the most valuable aspect of it. Most RPGs struggle to make the player feel like its most difficult challenges are worth it, but Final Fantasy XVI is still not afraid of rewarding the player for completing optional quests, and I still love that about it.
As I said before, if you loved the combat of FFXVI, you’ll also love Echoes of the Fallen for its amazing combats and overall “final dungeon”. You have my word for it.
A formidable foe awaits Clive at the end of the DLC…
Graphics & Audio – Still Amazing
Even if I love the overall visuals of Final Fantasy XVI (except for its awful performance on PS5, that is), the visual design of this dungeon is sadly one of the weakest points of the DLC. It feels bland and generic compared to the rest of the dungeons found in the base game. You’d believe a DLC dungeon would need to stand out, but it seems the developers tried to merge its design with the overall visuals of Final Fantasy XVI. The overall design of the final boss is quite unique though!
The soundtrack is still outstanding and I celebrate Masayoshi Soken’s game award for it every day of my life.
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- A mysterious tower…
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- New characters, new dilemmas.
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- The final dungeon’s design feels bland, but fair enough.
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- We meet again, Omega!
