If you found Final Fantasy 16 too easy to hack and slash through even on its hardest mode, you’ll likely get a kick – or several – out of the Echoes of the Fallen DLC.
Echoes of the Fallen introduces a new dungeon that leads to what likely serves as the action RPG’s super boss. The whole thing takes roughly three hours to clear, avoiding some of the MMO-style fetch quest bloat that weighs the main story and sidequests down. You’ll notice plenty of familiar enemy archetypes throughout The Sagespire, though new accessories to change up your playstyle are plentiful.
The highlight of the whole thing is the big bad Omega itself. A recurring super boss we’ve seen in various Final Fantasy entries, this powerful robot is back for another round. At times, you’ll be focusing on dodging and weaving through enough projectiles to make a Nier game blush, whereas at other points, you’ll be keeping an eye on the ground to discover a slither of safe space to stand while room-engulfing area-of-effect attacks light up the room.
The latter is a mechanic not only seen elsewhere in Final Fantasy 16 but is a real mainstay of the team’s other love child, Final Fantasy 14. Playing Square Enix’s big MMO often involves a balancing act of fulfilling your role while keeping an eye on the boss and arena for tell signs over where the next attack will land.
Mech of it what you will
The Rising Tide will solve the mystery of the missing Eikon Leviathan when it launches next Spring.
It’s not just that, either. You’ll also face a big ol’ damage check deep into the fight while a remixed version of Final Fantasy 14’s Omega theme, called ‘eScape,’ spurs you on to see the battle through. The fight won’t pose too many issues on regular difficulties, though challenge-seekers will likely need to keep their heads on a swivel in Final Fantasy mode (new game plus).
Final Fantasy 16’s spin on Omega is unlikely to place it among the most difficult encounters the series has seen, though it’s comfortably the most challenged I've felt playing Square Enix’s latest. Harder difficulties punish mistakes with a likely wipe, so you may be tinkering with your set-up to see things through. You can’t just wail on Omega, either, as certain attacks mean you have to position yourself strategically. The whole thing happens before the game's finale, too - giving Final Fantasy 16 the sense of a final dungeon that was missing at launch.
The story of Echoes of the Fallen doesn’t hold too much sway over the main story aside from fortifying themes of weaning yourself off of planet-destroying resources, though there are a few neater references for series fans to enjoy. We’ve spoiled the whole Omega thing already big time. However, the murdering mech is part of a lost tribe of people who embody the magitek elements we’ve seen prominently in Final Fantasy from Six onwards. They primarily exist as a previous conquest of the game's main bad and as a cautionary tale of what happens when you try to replicate the power of a god. Still, Final Fantasy 16 is largely about the medieval inspirations you see throughout the series, so including the machinery side of things in this slice of DLC is neat enough.
While Final Fantasy 16’s second offering of DLC, The Rising Tide, promises to be the meatier of the two, Echoes of the Fallen does enough to make for a pleasant return to Valisthea. It’s a lean three hours that culminate against a fan-favorite super boss, avoiding some MMO-style fetch quests that bloat parts of the main story.
Given how quickly we’ve gotten Echoes of the Fallen, considering Square Enix only vocalized DLC plans earlier this year, other community requests may have to wait for The Rising Tide. Omega makes for a fun and challenging fight, though a greater enemy archetype variety outside of boss encounters would be another welcome sight – as will whatever power we get from Levathean and what bearing that holds for the story. As for what will happen, Echoes of the Fallen has only helped me feel more excited for what’s coming next year.
