Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide played

With “Final Fantasy 16” (P3 score 9.0), the venerable game series from Square Enix took a dark direction that was very positively received by both fans and critics. After “Echoes of the Fallen” was released at the end of 2023, the more extensive story DLC followed “The Rising Tide”. We have played the expansion in detail for you and will tell you whether the big conclusion to the action RPG epic awaits you here.

An important piece of information first: You may not be able to start the new story arc straight away. In order to do this, you have to go to the section “Back to the source” once in the main story “Go to the origin” achieved. In addition, you have to complete the two side missions “Where there is a will…” and “Flowers for a smile” have completed, which revolve around Clive's brother Joshua and his girlfriend Jill.

Style over substance

If all requirements are met, our main character Clive receives a mysterious letter. This says that the Dominus of the legendary Water Esper Leviathan Need help. Of course, our trio doesn't hesitate for long and sets off together. When they arrive at the meeting point, they meet Shula, who takes them to the hidden realm Mysidia invites. There they are supposed to help the Dominus who is in need.

What follows is a five-hour, crisp story experience that thrives primarily on its pleasantly fresh setting and the expansion of the lore known from the main game. Furthermore, the staging in the cutscenes in “Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide” is once again absolutely excellent. The secret star here is also Mysidia herselfbecause with his bright blue sky and the strong colors create an atmosphere that contrasts pleasantly with the sometimes depressing mood of the main story. If it weren't for the dangerous monsters, there would almost be a holiday feeling.

However, because those responsible are setting a very high pace, there is little time to properly develop the new characters. Shula and the Dominus of Leviathan therefore remain very pale. Although the lore itself is expanded in an interesting way here, there is ultimately still untapped potential. The same applies to the side missions, like in the main game quite generic stand out. Here, too, we would have liked a little more courage to go on a few more interesting side quests with Clive that were really worth our time.

New abilities and a visually stunning Eikon battle

Of course, Clive takes advantage of the opportunity to see a new esper up close a few new skills to incorporate. Thanks to some of Leviathan's essence, our hero can now reach from a safe distance Fire water bullets or unleash powerful water attacks. This seems a bit unusual at first, as the focus in “FF16” is more on close combat, but after a short period of getting used to it, these skills open up completely new playful possibilities.

We grew to love the Leviathan powers surprisingly quickly.

In addition to some recycled enemy types that also made life difficult for us, we also had to face a few previously unknown enemies. These include, among others, the Tomberries, who always attack in groups. In themselves, they don't pose too much of a threat if you use them keep at a distance or can quickly bring you to your knees. However, they have an attack that can kill Clive in just a few moments.

Our highlights from “Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide” were once again visually stunning boss fights. Every new boss opponent in the story DLC demands a lot from you. Aside from the inevitable confrontation with Leviathan, this is what we're most concerned about a special boss fight that we were constantly under tension.

Everything was really demanded of us here and this dance on the razor blade was absolutely worth every single second!

While we're on the subject of fighting: The level of difficulty in the second “FF16” DLC is slightly higher overall than in the main game. So you can expect a really exciting challenge here. At least if you haven't already pushed Clive to the maximum level. Once you have defeated all the bosses, completed the story and completed the side missions, you should have a playing time of about ten hours come.

If you are looking for a real challenge, even with an already very strong Clive, the story expansion also has something in store for you: Cairo Gate. This is a new one Endgame game mode, in which a series of difficult battles awaits you. Your goal is to ideally eliminate all enemies in one go, because if you die, it starts all over again. Little by little you can new bonuses unlock to make further attempts a little easier. If you want to test your skills with the combat system, you've come to the right place.

Before we come to our conclusion, we would like to praise the German dubbing actors around Vincent Fallow (Clive) say the same as in “Final Fantasy 16” great work afford. In combination with the flawless staging and once again epochal soundtrack “The Rising Tide” creates a great atmosphere, despite one or two narrative and gameplay weaknesses.

Recommendation? Yes but…

Overall, we had a good time with “Final Fantasy 16: The Rising Tide,” especially because of the Expansion of the lore and the brutal boss fights. In terms of staging, the second “FF16” story DLC is also an absolute smash, and the combat system goes beyond that sensibly expanded. Thanks to Leviathan's new abilities, the action feels a little more like Devil May Cry, as we can now switch between close and ranged combat even more fluidly.

In addition, to a certain extent, it awaits us here the missing piece of the puzzle, which finally rounds off the story about Clive and his friends. However, it's a shame that the new characters and the fresh storyline are rather flat. So you can expect more from “Final Fantasy 16” here, both in a positive and negative sense. Although we would have liked a little more courage to innovate outside of the Leviathan powers, you do so with the DLC nothing wrongif you want to lose yourself in this world again.

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