The Growing Popularity of The Rising Tide on the PS5

While it was initially said that Final Fantasy XVI would not have DLC, the last numbered episode of Square Enix's flagship saga will finally have been entitled to two additional adventures announced after its launch. It was then during the Game Awards ceremony that these DLCs were officially revealed. So, the first, Echoes of the Fallen, was available immediately after its announcement last December.

And as we told you about it right here, this very short additional adventure was only aimed at those who appreciated the original game by providing them with an additional challenge and that's it. Conversely, this second DLC entitled The Rising Tide promised to be much more ambitious with a real new zone, new powers and a new Primordial fight. After finishing it 100%, here's what you need to know to judge whether you should dive back into Final Fantasy XVI or not.

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A superficial story in a beautiful region

Like the first DLC, The Rising Tide takes place just before the final fight and requires you to complete certain side quests to access it. One day, Clive receives a mysterious unsigned letter that calls on him to save Leviathan, the lost Primordial. Surprised by the request, he decides to go meet its author which will lead Clive, Jill and Joshua to go to the region of Mysidia. In this green oasis with magnificent blue skies and lush jungle, they will discover the dilemma of the northern tribe and the secrets surrounding the history of the forgotten Primordial.

Good, it is clear that it is not for its story that The Rising Tide shines. If the heart of the plot can be quite touching, everything is approached in a rather superficial way and goes straight to the point which doesn't really help you feel involved. I have to say that the main quest of this DLC only lasts about 3 hours straight, time to arrive, do the new dungeon then the fight against Leviathan. Suffice to say that for a DLC sold for €20, that’s not much. In addition, it's difficult to feel invested through dialogues that are flatly staged like in the original game. Unfortunately, we cannot say that the eleven additional side quests bring much more, if not a little more lore about this northern tribe. However, these secondary missions are not to be thrown away because two of them offer boss fights which are similar to the hunts in the main game. If The Rising Tide will not score for its plot, nor its lifespan, rest assured, it still knows how to make up for everything else.

The first point on which The Rising Tide particularly shines is obviously its graphics. Clearly, the Mysidia region is lovely, with its blue skies and lush vegetation, which contrasts with the gloomy skies that reign in the rest of the world. We feel that the developers wanted to impress us with this impressive wave frozen by a ray of magic launched in the distance which is more Final Fantasy than ever. Same thing for the only dungeon in this additional content which takes place in this city where time seems to stand still. And what about the arena facing Leviathan, whose minimalism allows you to enjoy all the excess of the confrontation. Eventually, it's a shame to see that exploration once again takes a back seat. But hey, from an artistic and visual point of view, The Rising Tide is a real success and it doesn't stop there.

An adventure marked by challenge

As the director of this DLC announced, The Rising Tide is a new adventure that focuses above all on challenge to satisfy players who want more. If Echoes of the Fallen offered a major challenge, this second expansion goes even further with the end boss of its dungeon with formidable and spectacular patterns. Clearly, you should never lose your attention, especially in Final Fantasy mode which offers the highest difficulty in the game. This challenge is also found in the fight against Leviathan which is as impressive as it is demanding in New Game+. Without getting too carried away, we can say that this is one of the most spectacular clashes of the title, not far behind the one against Bahamut. But what makes this expansion so exciting in terms of gameplay is above all the new powers it offers.

Without too many surprises, The Rising Tide allows Clive to control Leviathan's powers, and the good news is that we obtain them from the start of this adventure. Beyond the new skills offered, the Leviathan set above all allows you to disrupt Clive's gameplay so that he can shoot from a distance. Several shots are available to the player and there is even a Gears of War-style reload mechanic to energize everything. And the best part is that it doesn't stop there. Without spoiling too much, The Rising Tide offers a second set of powers that also changes Clive's core gameplay. So, we have the impression that the developers listened to players' complaints about the repetitiveness of basic moves and decided to offer greater variety through these new powers. And that’s good, there is actually a mode to try these new features.

After completing the main quest of The Rising Tide, you unlock the Kairos Portal. To summarize simply, we can say that it is a kind of survival mode with rogue-like elements without really being one. Concretely, we chain the fights through 20 circles during which the player's performance is noted by a score which is then transformed into a point. Between two clashes, these points allow you to complete permanent or temporary bonuses which will only last a few circles. Obviously, in the event of death, we start everything from scratch. And the least we can say is that the challenge is once again there since in Final Fantasy mode, it is really difficult to pass the first circles. Suffice to say that it is a mode which is intended above all for those who want more and who want to put their skills to the test since it will take a lot of determination to see the end of it.

Conclusion