A particular moment that stuck out to me from this DLC is when Clive and the gang experience Mysidia firsthand, seeing blue skies and lush green life once again, after being deprived of it by Ultima. Their awe was not unlike mine. This new location is indeed a sight for eyes sore of gloomy skies. In that way, the DLC has already filled a hole that XVI had for a good amount of its runtime. And I think that is a pretty good summation of The Rising Tide; it is what XVI needed to become truly whole.
You can see that theme in Tide's story as well. For the most part, you will be assisting Shula, a leader of a tribe of people who used to live in the South before the fall of Drake's Horn, in rescuing Leviathan's dominant from a cruel fate concocted by her ancestors. In many ways, her journey runs parallel to Clive's, as she has to be the one to step up to the plate, decide what is best for her people, and bear the consequences of their actions. Both Shula and Clive learn from each other, and in turn, they become closer to what their people need them to be. It is a very solid foundation that helps Tide's story arc to be one of the stronger ones in XVI overall.
Then you have Leviathan's powers, which, in gameplay, fill a new role that the other Eikons haven't truly served. With their long-range attacks and high evasion capabilities, it's basically a great zoning tool to have while you are rapidly crunching down on the enemies' stagger gauge. It plays almost like some of those lock-on-based shooters, from back when the gaming industry hadn't truly figured out aiming and shooting mechanics yet. And it's a blast to use. For me, one of the most satisfying parts of XVI's combat is killing mobs as fast as possible, and Leviathan's high stagger damage is very helpful indeed.
And of course, we have to talk about XVI's special sauce: the Eikon boss fights. Leviathan is easily my 2nd favourite Eikon fight, and fellow XVI enjoyers will probably know how high of a praise that is. It's not the most epic in terms of pure spectacle and presentation, but it's definitely the most challenging one. Died a couple times trying to pass the DPS check, and was also too eager to use all my health items in the last stage, haha. Gotta shout out the Timekeeper boss too, probably my favorite non-Eikon boss fight in XVI.
I do have some slight disappointments, the biggest one being the lack of Jill's involvement considering the Southern setting. But overall, I am very satisfied with this DLC. If CBU3 really decides to move on from XVI after this, then it is indeed a wonderful note to end on. XVI has been living rent-free on my mind for almost a full year now, and The Rising Tide has only strengthened its place, like rain seeping into the soil and nourishing life.
You can see that theme in Tide's story as well. For the most part, you will be assisting Shula, a leader of a tribe of people who used to live in the South before the fall of Drake's Horn, in rescuing Leviathan's dominant from a cruel fate concocted by her ancestors. In many ways, her journey runs parallel to Clive's, as she has to be the one to step up to the plate, decide what is best for her people, and bear the consequences of their actions. Both Shula and Clive learn from each other, and in turn, they become closer to what their people need them to be. It is a very solid foundation that helps Tide's story arc to be one of the stronger ones in XVI overall.
Then you have Leviathan's powers, which, in gameplay, fill a new role that the other Eikons haven't truly served. With their long-range attacks and high evasion capabilities, it's basically a great zoning tool to have while you are rapidly crunching down on the enemies' stagger gauge. It plays almost like some of those lock-on-based shooters, from back when the gaming industry hadn't truly figured out aiming and shooting mechanics yet. And it's a blast to use. For me, one of the most satisfying parts of XVI's combat is killing mobs as fast as possible, and Leviathan's high stagger damage is very helpful indeed.
And of course, we have to talk about XVI's special sauce: the Eikon boss fights. Leviathan is easily my 2nd favourite Eikon fight, and fellow XVI enjoyers will probably know how high of a praise that is. It's not the most epic in terms of pure spectacle and presentation, but it's definitely the most challenging one. Died a couple times trying to pass the DPS check, and was also too eager to use all my health items in the last stage, haha. Gotta shout out the Timekeeper boss too, probably my favorite non-Eikon boss fight in XVI.
I do have some slight disappointments, the biggest one being the lack of Jill's involvement considering the Southern setting. But overall, I am very satisfied with this DLC. If CBU3 really decides to move on from XVI after this, then it is indeed a wonderful note to end on. XVI has been living rent-free on my mind for almost a full year now, and The Rising Tide has only strengthened its place, like rain seeping into the soil and nourishing life.