It’s quite surprising that Square Enix is releasing a DLC for Final Fantasy XVI (FFXVI) this early. After all, the game was only released six months ago in June 2023. On top of that, there are even two DLCs: Echoes of the Fallen, which is available now, and The Rising Tide. The latter is slated for a Spring 2024 release.
Even though Echoes of the Fallen is not a particularly long DLC, it does fit in nicely to the overarching lore of FFXVI while also adding quite a bit of endgame content that can prove to be quite challenging. If you’re already a fan of FFXVI, Echoes of the Fallen is certainly worth picking up.
What It Is
Echoes of the Fallen, as the title suggests, explores the history of the lost (and very advanced) civilisation of the Fallen. Of course, this is a spoiler-free review of the DLC, but suffice to say that I thoroughly enjoy the plot of this side story. I love a game with a good plot, and I’m thrilled to be able to see Clive, Joshua, and Jill interacting with each other again.
But the main meat of Echoes of the Fallen is really the new dungeon dubbed Sagespire, which is a Fallen tower filled with mini-bosses and a new final boss that will be familiar to Final Fantasy fans. Even though I already completed FFXVI beforehand, playing through the new dungeon actually proved to be quite a challenge. Some of the new enemies can really dish out some serious damage.
Pricing wise, Echoes of the Fallen itself costs RM40, which is a fair price for what the DLC has to offer, in my opinion. If you want better value for money, you can opt for the Expansion Pass, which includes Echoes of the Fallen and the upcoming The Rising Tide DLC at a discounted price – as Squre Enix puts it – of RM100.
The Good Stuff
Even though it took me just slightly over two hours to finish Echoes of the Fallen, the DLC still feels properly fleshed out. The storyline doesn’t feel rushed, the chemistry between the three characters (Clive, Joshua, and Jill) is palpable, and the new Sagespire dungeon is visually impressive too.
The Fallen is said to be a very advanced civilisation, and this is conveyed very well with the overall aesthetics of Sagespire. The Fallen tower is an architectural marvel that literally towers over the characters, and it’s intriguing to see how said characters react to the advanced technologies of the dungeon.
Nestled within Sagespire are some incredible boss battles. Not only is the final boss a very visual encounter – I even lost track of my character when the screen is littered with beams and projectiles – it can provide a good amount of challenge too. Even the mini-bosses are quite fun to engage.
Part of that can be attributed to the new weapon and equipment that you will get in the dungeon. Aside from providing a good boost of damage, they also reward certain playstyles to add variety to the combat of FFXVI, which in itself is already quite sophisticated.
Last but not least is the new music track that’s created specifically for Echoes of the Fallen. The Final Fantasy franchise is known for its incredible music, and I’m happy to report that the new track fits very nicely in the game.
The Bad Stuff
While I have no qualms with the short length of Echoes of the Fallen, the DLC does feel a tad underwhelming. This is especially in contrast to the content that have been shown for The Rising Tide, which looks to introduce not only new skills, but possibly a whole new area as well.
That is not to say Echoes of the Fallen isn’t worth it, of course. But personally, I do feel like it is a…taster for what’s to come in The Rising Tide, if you will. Is this a bad thing? Well, not entirely.
Is It Worth It?
If you want more content in Final Fantasy XVI, then Echoes of the Fallen is definitely worth purchasing, especially for only RM40. However, I would recommend getting the RM100 Expansion Pass instead to get both Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide at a discounted rate. While it’s too early to tell if the latter would be good or not, The Rising Tide does look very promising.
As far as DLCs go, I thoroughly enjoy playing through FFXVI Echoes of the Fallen, which really does add depth to what is already a very well-crafted game. After playing through this DLC, I absolutely cannot wait for what The Rising Tide has to offer early next year.
Final Fantasy XVI and Echoes of the Fallen are out now exclusively on PS5. The Rising Tide DLC is slated for a Spring 2024 release.