Today Square Enix hosted a panel at PAX East focusing on Final Fantasy XVI and its upcoming DLC The Rising Tide, also announcing the release date.
The panel starred producer Naoki Yoshida, lead combat designer Takeo Kujiraoka, and localization director Michael Christopher Koji Fox as they talked about the DLC, which will be released on April 18, 2024, for $19.00.
First of all, we get the presentation of the new key art by Kazuya Takahashi.
We also get a trailer, which you can enjoy below in English and on the official channel with Japanese voices and subtitles.
The story starts with an unmarked letter arriving at the Hideaway mentioning that the Dominant of Leviathan, lost Eikon of water, is in need of rescue. To heed this call, Clive and his companions need to travel to Mysidia, a hidden land under a blue sky, where they will uncover the tragic history of a forgotten people.
A new character named Shula will join, and the story will involve fighting against Leviathan, which will result in saving the dominant.
The battle itself will be especially challenging and players may want to improve their weapons and gear and try again if they fail.
Mysidia is located deep within a sea of darkness, a lost oasis untouched by the Blight where both man and beast have found a haven. Its relation with the Mysidia in the past Final Fantasy games is tied to magic. It's also related to Jill's past.
We also get a video showing off a walkthrough video of the area (which you can watch within the official recording of the livestream) and a few screenshots.
We'll also meet the Tonberries, which have a new look that you can check below.
Originally, a concept was created for the main game in which the Master Tonberry was undead. The concept was then brought back for the DLC, but "unzombified" as you can see below.
Many Tonberries will be lurking in the fields of Mysidia.
Clove will be able to utilize Leviathan's Eikonic Abilities, which will focus on ranged combat.
The Serpent's Cry feat summons a sea-spitting serpent. The Square button triggers a laser-like shot, while Triangle acts like a shotgun. This depletes the Tidal Gauge that you need to reload when it's depleted. If you time the reload perfectly (perfect reload), you'll temporarily have unlimited ammo.
We also get a video showing the combat in action, which you can watch on the recording of the official livestream.
We then hear about new endgame combat named Kairos Gate, a challenging new mode unlocked after completing both the main game's and the DLC's storylines. It includes 20 stages and after each one you earn points that can be used to upgrade Clive's abilities and improve his chances during the latter stages.
The amount of points you receive depends on your score. At the end of each stage, you also get materials and weapons and earn your place on the global leaderboards. You can check out a video within the official recording of the livestream.
Of course, the battles get increasingly more difficult, with multiple bosses along the way. In completing all the 20 circles with S rank in Final Fantasy mode you will unlock a secret one with a secret boss. Yoshida-san defined it as a "really insane boss" that will test the players' skills.
The winged form of Clive shown in the trailer, which appears to be tied to obtaining all the Eikons, was teased but not explained. Yet, we hear that there's more to the DLC than what was explained today. The DLC is rich in content and there's a lot that can't be mentioned due to spoilers.
The DLC will come with a free update (version 1.30) of the main game including a Quick Complete function for quests that lets you travel back to a quest giver after completing them.
Icons will be updated for important character quests that unlock collectibles for the Wall of Memories, helping them stand out so that players won't miss them.
Players will be able to create and save up to 5 Feat and Ability sets that you can swap instantly as long as you are not in combat.
Some abilities and accessories will be adjusted to make them easier to use (they won't be nerfed), and players will be able to fully customize the controls.
Tone correction, screen effects, and more will be added to the photo mode and almost 40 new Orchestrion rolls will be added. Detailed patch notes will be shared before the patch arrives.
The panel concluded with a mention of the crossover with Final Fantasy XIV coming in early April, with more details teased for tomorrow. A crossover will also happen in Final Fantasy Brave Exvius in summer 2024 (April 2024 in the Japanese version of the mobile game).
Final Fantasy XVI is currently available only for PS5, but a PC version is in development. If you're wondering, nothing was mentioned about that today besides that it's coming "soon."
If you'd like to read more about the game, you can take a look at our review which awarded the game with a 9.5 out of 10. You can also read the review of the first DLC which we scored a 9 out 10.
You can also enjoy our interview with Yoshida-san and art director Hiroshi Minagawa.
