We all knew that this title was going to receive downloadable content sooner or later, but none of us expected that its first expansion would arrive as a surprise after an announcement in the middle of The Game Awards 2023. The first DLC of Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) is already here, it’s called Echoes of the Fallen and allows us to spend a little more time alongside Clive, Jill and Joshua as we participate in some of the most spectacular battles in the game.
We also know that this will not be the only DLC that will have FFXVI. In the second quarter of 2014 it will arrive The Rising Tide and in this we can get the last of the Eikon: Leviathan. But in the meantime, we’ll have to endure this short but fun new experience.
Echoes of The Fallen, in Spanish ‘Echoes of the Fallen’, takes place shortly before the trip to Origen for the final battle against Artema. Despite the destruction of the Mother Crystals, the heroes discover strange new crystals called “Night Crystals.” Fearing that there is a new Mother Crystal that they did not know about, they set out on a new adventure that will take them to the Tower of the Wise in Rosaria. There they will discover more secrets about the mysterious Celestials – they are the ‘fallen’ referred to in the title – and will have to face powerful enemies.
The first thing we have to say about this expansion is that it is quite short. Despite telling a new story in new settings and enemies, we can finish the mission between 2 and 3 hours. This is something we could assume after seeing its price. This DLC costs only $9.99 on the PlayStation Store (approximately 40,000 Colombian pesos), an unusually low price for a Square Enix work.
But just because it’s short doesn’t mean it’s not worth it. The DLC Echoes of the Fallen of Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) will be especially interesting to players who were most invested in the game’s mythology. In the Tower of the Sages we learn a lot about who the Celestials really were and what exactly they did to make Artema decide to eliminate them. Its story resonates quite well with the latter part of the main game’s story, although it leaves out its more interesting themes of slavery and political dramas.
But the main attraction of this downloadable content is the combat. Although the basic enemies are just stronger versions of old acquaintances, there are four new bosses and at least three of them are completely new. More importantly, they are more difficult than the base game. One of the main criticisms of many players against Final Fantasy XVI
Omega is a great reference to the saga’s past. This optional boss first appeared in the first FF and has been a recurring superboss ever since. In FFXVI he shows off a fantastic new design inspired by the usual one and is going to make players suffer with his wide variety of attacks. Although we did not find it as difficult as some of its previous incarnations, we have to have a high level, the best possible equipment and a very well thought out build to have a chance of defeating it, especially in the Final Fantasy difficulty mode.
In this DLC we also find a new weapon and the necessary materials to convert it into Omega Weapon, the new best weapon in the game that puts Gotterdamerung and Arma Artema to shame. We can also find a new set of equipment called Celestial Spheres and they have very interesting effects. They can be found by defeating bosses in the new stage and in chests, some of which are slightly hidden.
We are currently working on a guide on how to find them all. It will be ready soon.
They liked it Final Fantasy XVI (FF16) and they were left wanting more, we highly recommend that you purchase the DLC Echoes of the Fallen. It’s a shame that it’s so short, but it’s worth getting to know this new part of the lore and facing these new bosses that really make us get the most out of the game’s excellent combat system.
