This is the first of three reviews for the FFXV DLCs and where better to start then with Gladio. Gladiolus’s DLC takes place after he leaves the party. To keep this review spoiler-free I’ll just say that Gladio is taking a trial to become a better Kingsguard and Cor is there with him. A common theme with these DLCs is excellent writing and character development, as each DLC tells a story that glances into the life and journey of each of Noctis’s companions, while also building upon the lore and stories of other characters along Noctis’s journey. Gladio’s DLC is combat focused and with emphasis on going through each “stage” of his dungeon as fast as possible. This might seem like you won’t get as much plot and character development but this style of gameplay fits perfectly for Gladio and Cor’s way of explaining things. As Cor and Gladio frequently chat about the trials, Noctis, etc etc. Gladio’s combat is slower than Noctis’s, but has a focus on parrying and attacking at the right time to build up Rage, which increases Gladio’s damage output, allowing him to dish out big damage with his Glaive Arts. Gladio’s combat system plays very differently from the entire party, so he’s a really fun character to play. This DLC goes very hard, did enjoy.