While Final Fantasy XVI might have ended on a quite definitive observe, its DLC rollout explores far more of its world of Valisthea. The major story hinted at a number of issues that weren’t addressed by the point the credit rolled, so the chance for extra content material was fairly clear. With the primary of two DLC expansions, Echoes of the Fallen, launched in December 2023, those that had been desperate to get again into the sneakers of protagonist Clive for extra of the fashionable action-RPG fight had one thing to chew on. But it is the upcoming The Rising Tide DLC that may spherical out the entire bundle, letting you wield Leviathan as an Eikon energy and answering extra of the questions left behind by the bottom sport. After taking part in by means of Echoes of the Fallen, I had an opportunity to talk with FFXVI DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka concerning the growth of post-game content material and what it means for the way forward for this specific entry within the storied franchise.The very first thing that stood out was how participant suggestions was accounted for quickly after the sport’s launch. “We have intentionally changed the balancing of combat from that of the main game. Specifically, we’ve boosted the overall strength of the enemies in the DLC,” Kujiraoka said. This was abundantly clear within the boss battle in opposition to Omega, which was a deal with for Final Fantasy sickos (particularly of the MMORPG selection) but additionally a stunning problem that took me a number of tries to complete. It was harder than any boss you encounter in the primary story and borrows lots of complicated mechanics that jogged my memory of Final Fantasy XIV’s raid bosses, and that helped the fight system shine as soon as once more.
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Kujiraoka mentioned that the crew paid consideration to the neighborhood taking part in FFXVI, saying, “In part, this is because we had set the enemy strength a little low in the main game to ensure that as many players as possible would be able to reach the ending. But, from player reactions and streams, it seemed to me that we could maybe push that enemy strength a little higher.” He additionally talked about that since each DLCs open up simply earlier than the ultimate act of the bottom sport, gamers can be experienced–though, I need to admit, it took a short while to shake off the rust from returning to the sport after months.As a long-time FFXIV participant who takes half in Savage raids, it wasn’t simply the diploma of issue that left an impression, however how acquainted the method felt in studying learn how to beat the boss. There’s some resemblance to the Omega boss fights within the MMORPG that got here by means of in FFXVI’s model. So, I needed to ask concerning the potential cross-pollination, contemplating the umbrella of Square Enix’s Creative Business Unit III, which developed each video games.”We might draw from past installments from the series, including FFXIV, for inspiration on how to visualize skills or for naming, but these are purely homages to previous titles and a nod to the fans. Having said that, it is surprising how many more players than expected feel the influence of FFXIV in FFXVI,” Kujiraoka mentioned. And I suppose that is true given the character of the MMORPG being a form of Final Fantasy theme park–FFXIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida’s phrases, not mine. Kujiraoka continued, “FFXIV features all kinds of enemies from the series as a whole, and it’s also the first time that a lot of skills are portrayed in 3D. Perhaps that means these appearances in FFXIV might leave a particularly strong impression? And perhaps FFXIV and FFXVI feel similar because they share some common elements in the way they add variation to how battles unfold and how they place importance on the narrative.”FFXVI DLC director Takeo Kujiraoka (credit score: Square Enix)That’s not the one similarity the action-RPG shares with the MMO–composer Masayoshi Soken was in his bag with the Echoes of the Fallen DLC by which he remixed the Omega boss theme “eScape” from FFXIV right into a chaotic, trance-like drum ‘n’ bass observe. Kujiraoka supplied some perception on how music got here collectively for the DLC, and instructed me, “When speaking to Soken, I would always explain the situation where the piece would be used, places where I’d want to switch the music, etc., all whilst showing him actual gameplay. At times, I did specify particular moods and genres. But from that point onwards, the composition team–first and foremost Soken himself–had absolute freedom to work on the music.” Music is integral to how these worlds are constructed which is obvious from the soundtracks for all of the FFXIV expansions. Without realizing the place Echoes of the Fallen was going, I had this assured feeling it revolved round Omega judging from the music alone. The leitmotifs from the FFXIV model come by means of within the background theme as you ascend the dungeon the place the DLC takes place. And my suspicions had been confirmed, so it seems like Soken could be very a lot part of how these tales come throughout.Kujiraoka mentioned, “There were times where Soken might have decided it would work best to have another piece [of music] inserted between the two that were requested, and we would end up getting back more tracks than we ordered. I trust him, so I left those kinds of decisions to him.” Essentially, Soken and the sound crew had been allowed to only prepare dinner. As Kujiraoka confirmed, “This was also the result of Soken’s own thinking: building upon the atmosphere of Echoes of the Fallen and his idea of Omega.”However, that is not all. With regards to the upcoming Leviathan-themed DLC, Kujiraoka instructed me, “We have also received the music for The Rising Tide, and every piece is fantastic. You can expect great things!” Maybe it is time to get “Through the Maelstrom” and “Blinding Indigo” from the FFXIV OST again into my music rotation.Whether they be embedded in referential materials from Final Fantasy video games of the previous, FFXVI’s DLCs are very a lot making an attempt to flesh out Valisthea. When it involves tying lingering narrative parts collectively, Kujiraoka mentioned, “All the loose ends from the main game that we left ourselves to make DLC with have been picked up by the first and second DLC, so I actually think that making anything else would be quite tricky.” That would give the impression that The Rising Tide DLC could be the ultimate bow on FFXVI as we all know it, however he additionally said, “There is the question of what you might find on the outer isles, across the seas from Valisthea–that’s something I’m quite interested in, from the perspective of a developer and as a player myself!” So possibly this two-part DLC arc is just not a whole finish to the world of Valisthea, and maybe leaves a little bit of a gap to search out causes to revisit the setting.The Rising Tide will embrace Leviathan as an Eikon energy, showcased within the reveal trailer.No matter which approach you chop it, FFXVI tried to include some heavy narrative themes similar to enslavement, abolition, and rebellion, and did so to various levels of success. So, as Echoes of the Fallen is extra involved with the summary points of the setting’s historical past, I needed to ask if The Rising Tide DLC would revisit the grim facet of its politics and messages. Kujiraoka said that he cannot say a lot because the second DLC has not but been launched however did contact on the topic. “In both DLCs, there’s an underlying theme behind the main stories: the question of how people will live in a world with fewer crystals or one where they can’t use crystals.”Even within the lead as much as FFXVI’s launch, producer Naoki Yoshida likened the crystals, which grant magic skills, to fossil fuels in our personal world. As it turned out, local weather change was an overt theme of FFXVI’s story, and at instances, it confirmed that the longer term might not be so grim and not using a useful resource that damages the very world you reside in. Kujiraoka echoed that sentiment, saying, “We’ve included lots of snippets that give a glimpse into how the world might turn out after the ending of the main game, without presenting a definite conclusion. As we constructed the story, I often spoke with the team about wanting to make players feel optimistic that people would be able to go on living in a world without magic.”Echoes of the Fallen is offered now and is a reasonably quick, however difficult, expertise that’ll take roughly two to a few hours to finish. And it leads into The Rising Tide DLC, which is about to launch someday in Spring 2024. However, in case you’ve but to leap into the bottom sport, be sure you try my Final Fantasy XVI evaluate the place I gave it a rating of 9/10 and concluded, “It may fall short in some respects, but it should be celebrated for its most stunning moments and the characters who embody them. FFXVI succeeds and earns its place within the Final Fantasy pantheon as one of the great entries, and does so on its own terms.”