It’s been six months since Clive, along with Jill, Torgal, Cid and several other memorable characters, fought to prevent the end of the world and avenge his family. Kazutoyo Maehiro has already said several times that this would not be the last time we would see them, and during the Game Awards the two expansions for Final Fantasy XVI were finally shown, the first of which, Echoes of the Fallen, in the Trade came the same day. An endearing reunion that offers great content, although we expected a little more.
Echoes of the Fallen takes place during the game’s story, not after. However, players who have already completed the game can continue to experience it by loading a save file that will return you to the point just before the final main mission begins. In the expansion, Clive learns that a new black crystal appears on the black market after he destroys all the mother crystals. Soon he and the gang catch the vendors, who lead him to a sealed passageway that leads to something called the Sagespire. A tower equipped to the highest level with monsters waiting for an intruder to reach them.
The first expansion of the game is very linear, with the player’s goal being to reach the top of the tower, and each floor presents real challenges consisting of old and new enemy types. When I talk about challenges, I mean real tests, since the expansion forces the player to reach a high level in order not to be eliminated in a short time. This review is based on the Final Fantasy mode, which is unlocked after beating the game once and in which all enemies you face are at least level 80.
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The setup is very similar to a long heist in that you have no way of getting out of there and are forced to use medicine sparingly and pick up some supplies along the way. You’ll also be able to pick up some new gear along the way, which will prove very useful in this surprisingly difficult expansion. Among other things, you can find equipment that can slow time in battles even more than usual, or give you a second chance to survive an otherwise fatal blow. Without them, this would have looked like something out of Dark Souls or FromSoftware’s Bloodborne. The final boss, Omega, is by far their hardest boss, and no matter how many times I died playing the expansion, I never died in the 70 hours I played the game.
Echoes of the Fallen lasts about three hours, which is reasonable for the price. Playing against even tougher opponents and experiencing Final Fantasy XVI on a harder difficulty level than before was very refreshing and something I would have liked to see more of in the original game. However, the expansion of the main story leaves a lot to be desired as it never gets very interesting, but I would argue that there are more interesting side quests than this slightly longer side story. Once you’ve beaten Omega, there’s not much left to do and the environment in which the expansion takes place is once again inaccessible to visitors, so the likelihood of you spending many more hours playing Final Fantasy XVI afterward is very slim.
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In short, Echoes of the Fallen is a good expansion that offers exciting and intense boss fights. However, it doesn’t do much more. The story isn’t something you’ll remember after a few weeks, and the truth is that it’s never very interesting to begin with. Hopefully the second expansion, The Rising Tide, offers something different and is more aimed at those who want an interesting story. However, if you just want more of the game’s solid combat and raid-like structure, you’ll enjoy Echoes of the Fallen a lot.
