everything i feel about the base game pretty much applies here, i found the same amount of enjoyment in this as i did in the base game. it pretty much just feels like another portion of the main game added on. also, im not really one to care much about additional challenge mode stuff in games like this but i would highly recommend at least just checking out the tutorial battle to the new challenge mode added in this dlc. i may come back and play the new challenge mode just for what they added because it seems really neat

There’s a lot of content in “The Rising Tide” for the price and if you’re still playing XVI, then it’s worth the price alone just for added hour count of things to do. Mysidia is a neat place to explore and has some fascinating back history behind it, but I found the main campaign to be poorly written and kinda kiboshed the ending of the main game which I personally liked a lot. And the Leviathan fight that highlights this package is a frustratingly difficult fight that feels unfair and untested.

Following up on the previous expansion, Echoes of the Fallen, The Rising Tide offers up a more extensive DLC that features a larger breadth of content in terms of story, quests, and abilities. Whilst it's most definitely longer however, it ultimately is still relatively short which was admittedly somewhat of a disappointment considering I had anticipated it going on for a little longer, but there's no denying that what's here is still solid, particularly when it comes to boss fights and new abilities.

First up, the main headline of the release is the introduction of the Eikon Leviathan, complete with its own boss fight that's equally as demanding, exciting, and all kinds of brilliant, just like the base game's Eikon battles. As for the gameplay implications regarding the new abilities acquired in this release, they offer a more robust and wider selection of attacks thanks to its Eikonic Feat, with some fun new cooldown-based abilities to equip too. There's also a bit of expansion beyond this when it comes to your gear and abilities in a few neat ways too.

However, whilst Echoes of the Fallen began a trend I believed suggested more buildcrafting options to come, I still feel like the game struggles to introduce truly new and varied ways to play, and rarely do the game's array of abilities present use cases that makes them enticing to equip other than their impressive visuals and baseline damage and Will damage statistics.

That means - besides the more demanding upfront combat challenge various bosses and enemies pose in The Rising Tide - you're generally fighting in quite similar ways to before, and the game doesn't suddenly get you thinking about combat in different ways beyond those core abilities you equip.

Of course, it would be a tall order to have expected an entire combat or buildcrafting-focused overhaul in such a short amount of time, however I did find myself wanting more depth to really get me theorising about what builds or styles of play I could employ. Though I did learn about NG+ having higher tiers of accessories with improved effects - as well as weapons and armour - which does make a replay more enticing to me, especially when many of the accessories in FFXVI are rather boring as far as I'm concerned. Thankfully, across both Echoes of the Fallen and The Rising Tide, some of those issues are addressed but as mentioned, it's still not completely changing the dynamic of the game.

Despite all that though, I still very much enjoy the combat of this game, and with this DLC's increase in difficulty along with the new endgame 'Kairos Gate' mode, there's a lot more dynamic and difficult gameplay that keeps you on your toes. The end result is that the gameplay of this release ends up being some of the best in the game thanks to the increased difficulty, particularly noticeable in boss fights. While I did like all of the bosses in the base game, the higher challenge presented here does yield positive results, much like those in Echoes of the Fallen.

The king of all these fights that tops the expansion off is of course the Eikon battle against Leviathan that manages to reach similar heights as those in the base game, with its own array of themed spectacle and visuals.

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As for the story, I wasn't massively enthralled by this new tale but there's still some interesting ideas and moments, and the setting and lore of the new locale were fun to see. I am a little surprised there weren't more general narrative implications considering some of the hype from the devs around 'what happens when Clive has access to all Eikons'. There is still something, just not ultimately anything that really changes or affects the narrative. Though there are some implications that could be drawn from it, just there's no real acknowledgement of it, at least as far as I've seen.

In regards to the new location of Mysidia itself, it was very nice to get away from the dreadful pink sky and colour tones of the main world that most definitely outstayed their welcome by the end of the original game. When you're in Mysidia, it's much more pleasant, with blue skies and lush jungles.

The beauty of this new region shines in large part due to the game's continuously strong graphical presentation. Even if it's a shame the game rarely ever sticks at 60fps, I never found this much of an issue and it did feel generally more consistent than the base game.

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Beyond the story, there are also various other aspects to note, such as the multiple side quests, endgame 'Kairos Gate' mode, and several items and accessories to acquire.

The side quests have some nice tidbits about Mysidia and its people, but ultimately still aren't anything to write home about - though they do include a few fun bosses to fight, with an epilogue that serves as a perfect segue back into the final part of the game's main narrative.

Beyond that, shop vendors across the game have a few new Accessories and a long list of new Orchestrion rolls to acquire for the Hideaway which now makes me want to grind out a bunch more Gil to once again fully fill out what is a essentially now-doubled collection of tracks.

The main highlight of the post-story content is the Kairos Gate, a bonus roguelike mode where you face multiple waves of enemies and bosses, earning points to be spent on a variety of boosts and bonuses to improve your stats and score, all with various rewards for both first-time clearance and repeat runs. By earning more points within each 'circle', you get more points to spend on bonuses that'll give you an easier time on future floors. Even if you don't fancy checking out this mode, the interaction with the Arete Stone that precedes this is definitely worth checking out.

At the time of writing, I've not managed to best this completely yet, getting my ass handed to me at around the halfway mark on my first run, but it proved to be a fun challenge, and the rewards are actually more exciting than I had anticipated which is cool.

On the whole, it's a solid bonus addition that rounds this DLC off nicely. I think I initially would've liked to have seen something more extensive than just 20 waves - more on the level of DMC's Bloody Palace, for example, with up to 100 or so waves - but even in its current form, it felt like a solid length of time you could spend here. It's also decent for farming Gil, so that's a bonus.

As for one last critique, it's a bit of a shame that there are no more costumes to unlock. I hadn't really expected it, but it does seem odd to have added literally just one alternate outfit for each character randomly in an update last year, and then never utilise the feature again.

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Overall then, The Rising Tide is a decent enough DLC that isn't completely mind-blowing for the game holistically, doesn't change the flawed status of the base game, and I really do wish they had pushed harder to deepen what's on offer and make the expansion feel a little more transformative for the game. However, taken for what it is though, it's more FFXVI, which is admittedly hard to complain about honestly, especially when it's delivering some of the game's best boss fights and ability sets, along with a new endgame challenge.

Flawed or not, it's a solid DLC that does take a stab at some of the criticisms from launch, and it's a release that has reinvigorated my desire to experience a more challenging playthrough via Final Fantasy Mode. This has only become even more true as I learned more about the upgraded Accessories you can acquire on that difficulty, so my hope is that it makes the gear game a little more engaging than it otherwise is.

Alongside a bunch of new items to acquire with Gil and a replayable endgame mode, no matter my critiques and even if I wish there was more overall, I still had a great time with this DLC, and it's sure to appeal to anyone who wanted more after beating the base game. For as flawed as it is, I still love FFXVI and for as much as I wish it had done better, this DLC expands a game I otherwise love and made returning to the game a joy.

a great addition to an already fantastic game. the new area is beautiful and really stands on its own apart from the other four main areas. leviathan is awesome, and overall served as a great excuse to come back to this game.

as for replaying the game on final fantasy, I had a great time. I was reminded of just how strong the cast of characters was, and by ignoring all side quests, save for a few, it really made me appreciate the story more, even if I do still have some minor gripes with the ending.

Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide

La trama sin más, el gameplay guay cómo siempre, la OST suerte que no lo escuché en su momento y me gustó bastante. El mapa nuevo me ha gustado también.

(6/10)

Se acabó FFXVI, ha sido un placer Clive.

Well, this was definitely more fun for me than Echoes of the Fallen, mainly because it was more story-oriented. We get new characters, a number of new locations, new collectibles, new side-quests, and a bunch of new moves for Clive. There’s also the epic Leviathan boss battle, which is just as spectacular and action-packed as the other Eikon battles in the main game. Ah, and there’s even some additional bonus content, like a new roguelike multi-stage battle mode – which was not for me at all, but I’m sure many of you will love it.

I’d say this DLC is a nice farewell to the game as a whole, and it’s worth checking it out as there’s a lot of content here (nowhere near as much as in, for instance, Burning Shores or Phantom Liberty, though, mind you). I still don’t like the whole action-focused direction, I must admit, so I guess I’ll stick to more “oldschool-like” FF titles for the time being.

This DLC has much potential, and it is better than the first one, but ultimately I felt let down by these DLCs. I mean, The Rising Tide has the most beautiful area of the entire game, it's very visually interesting and it's up there with the best games in the industry in this front. The DLC also has a super great story IMO, great music, and the new Eikon is very cool, now we have another thing besides Garuda's Gouge that can tear through enemies' stagger bars. But I felt like the battle with the Eikon itself which is the main part of the whole thing is just too slow and not good? This last question mark is me wondering if other people think the same. I also tought this whole thing of acquiring all the Eikons would make more difference in the main story, unfortunately that's not the case. The performance mode on PS5 is still bad, I guess I'll just wait to play the game on PC when it comes out.

This DLC is cool and all but it really feels like what it is: something that should have been in the main game but wasn't. There's even a scene at the end where Clive and Joshua debate over why this wasn't part of the plot and had to be saved for optional side content. The story isn't even anything particularly great, they even point out how one of the central plot points is basically something that already happened in the last DLC. Besides I kind of checked out of Final Fantasy 16's story after Twinside anyways and this was just a reminder of why.

That being said, I still had fun with this and that final Leviathan fight was glorious. Might try my hand at trying to complete a full run of that fancy new gauntlet mode in the future, but for now, I think I'm kind of checked out for this game. This would have been fine if it were just somewhere in the middle of the main campaign, but as this final swan song for Final Fantasy 16, it's kind of a disappointment.

The final expansion of FF:XVI, this DLC brings the player to the north of Valisthea in search of the lost Leviathan dominant.
The DLC is set in a completely new map that brings out the worst of PS5, with a density of vegetation and detail so high the drops in framerate were never more noticeable, but, that said, was stunning to look at and never suffered during fights as it was common for FF:XVI already.
Two new ability trees are added and both have class actions and abilities that I both mastered and made part of my final loadout because of how fun they are. The level cap has also been removed and raised to 100, but in my time I barely made 2 levels, not sure how long it would take to grind to 100.
Compared to the previous DLC this adds a lot more lore and information about the world and overall felt like a worthy experience for both the asking price and the time investment.
Lastly, the game adds an endgame "roguelike" activity of 20 levels, with gauntlets of enemies and bosses, rewarding the player on each level with currency for the mode, and often items that can be used in normal play including a few new weapons, although they are mainly reskins of the same one for each element from what I've seen.
Allegedly there is a secret boss when completing all the levels on Final Fantasy difficulty, but as much as I might love this game, I don't love it as much as to put myself through that.
Overall I had a lot of fun on the DLC and it brought back interest in the game, but I must say especially for the final story boss fight the DPS check was quite punitive and very demanding, but still not a deal breaker.
Strongly suggested, although part of me wished even more I had waited for the PC version of the game just to enjoy this at a better performance.

Un DLC bastante bueno que sirve genial para volver ¿por última vez? a Valisthea a disfrutar las bondades del FFXVI, y que quizá su fallo es ser, por fecha de salida, un post-endgame más que algo antes de un final perfecto.

Una nueva región, Mysidia, la mar de vistosa, bastante lore interesante presentado por algunas misiones principales muy decentes, otras secundarias un poco al nivel de las del juego base (esto es, irregular), nuevo eikon, algunos bosses chulísimos (el combate contra Leviatán es de pelos de punta, y más con ese temazo que se han marcado), nuevo modo roguelike y alguna sorpresita más muy agradecida.

Sin duda se la sacaron bastante con este juego, sí.

A sadly unimportant addendum to a story that felt ultimately conclusive in its message. The gameplay is as sharp as ever, the visuals remain top-notch, and it's hard to not get at least somewhat delighted to see that cast return.

I just can't shake the feeling that I'm not supposed to be back in this moment. I felt the same way about Echoes of the Fallen that released a few months ago.

I had my emotional conclusion with these characters. Playing as Clive again, speaking with Joshua, hanging out with Jill... I'm not supposed to be here, right? This feels like a great expansion for players playing through it for the first time, but as someone that got every second out of FFXVI as it was willing to give me, I feel like I'm watching a Weekend at Bernie's style performance of a cast of characters and a world that shouldn't look like this anymore.

Also, the Leviathan boss fight is some bullshit (even if the music kicks ass.)

There really is something to be said of this expansion and I'm not sure I have the words. It has all of the spectacle of the main game, and a story that intertwines effortlessly into the original scenario. Couple that with new equipment and move-sets, you have the making of a really entertaining time.

It is a little weird to think the movement feels clunky now, especially after sinking 100+ hours into Rebirth but the combat feels just as smooth as it was left in Echoes of the Fallen and that more than makes up for it.

It's good. Play it.

The Rising Tide adds about ten hours of gameplay and complements Echoes of the Fallen, providing some more life to Final Fantasy XVI. It’s far from the highlight of it, and it doesn’t solve any of the base game’s issues, but a beautiful new region with a nice story and some cool abilities to play around with make it a nice offering to anyone who wants to do a bit more. Recommended to those who enjoyed Final Fantasy XVI regardless, especially if you are looking for a little more challenge.

The full review can be read here!

Bit short for the price, and does nothing to address characters with unclear fates in the main story (not even talking about the ending here), but I still had fun with it. The sky and environments look pretty and like a final fantasy game again, new abilities are fun, and I did like the new character. Felt like female characters were treated better here overall too, though it was definitely misleading to claim this was a Jill DLC.

Unfortunately it also serves as a bit of a grim reminder of the fundamental flaws of FF16—sidequests lack dynamic visual flair and always result in a talk -> fight -> talk loop, battle gameplay desperately lacks variety for such a lengthy game with zero minigames or side activities to distract you, only Clive is allowed to participate in major battles since no party system, and the dungeon formula is just... so... repetitive.

I'm admittedly somewhat relieved this is the final DLC, as while I certainly don't outright dislike FF16 and appreciated a lot of its strengths, I'm more than ready to move on from it. I don't like comparing games as I prefer to judge them on their own merits, but it's hard to deny 7 Rebirth is still fresh on my mind, and was exponentially closer to what I want out of an RPG.