Ultimate Fantasy XVI isn’t excellent, nevertheless it does fight extraordinarily nicely. It’s simple to take delight within the slick, dynamic motion, with the Eikon battles – thrilling showdowns between colossal legendary beings that take after the Summons from previous Ultimate Fantasy entries – coming in as a wonderful sight to behold.
The most recent growth for Sq. Enix’s motion role-playing recreation (APRG), Echoes of the Fallen, is a stark reminder of its craft mastery. The primary of two DLCs, it focuses closely on epic, flashy battles and gameplay, revisiting the enjoyable of chaining combos, excellent dodging, and mixing skills. Narrative exploration takes a backseat right here, doubtless reserved for the second half, The Rising Tide, because of launch in Spring 2024.
A disclaimer earlier than diving into the meat of it – if Ultimate Fantasy XVI isn’t your cup of tea, this add-on will change nothing. Clocking in at three hours of play at most, it acts extra like a condensed journey of the principle recreation, with a light-weight story that brings gamers via a short romp within the wilderness and into a brand new dungeon known as Sagespire, the place new enemies, trials, and managers await.
Echoes of the Fallen is ready simply earlier than the occasions of the ultimate battle, and requires the completion of the “The place There’s a Will” and “Priceless” aspect questlines. After reaching the “Origin” foremost quest, Charon informs Clive of an odd black crystal that has began showing on the black market, who together with Jill, Joshua, and Torgal, search to uncover the reality behind it.
Whereas the story does slot neatly into the bigger narrative and introduces some recent context to the prevailing lore, there’s not a lot further info of great worth supplied. The high-octane, enjoyable boss battles make up for this narrative hole, nonetheless, pitting gamers towards completely different boss monsters with different skills and combating kinds, amidst the same old mob encounters.
The raid-style battle system culminates into an epic, exhilarating showdown towards Omega, which guarantees a substantial problem. On the one hand, the dearth of the same old explosive Eikon-versus-Eikon motion is a little bit of a pity; on the opposite, it’s arguably the perfect battle to partake as human Clive, packing loads of tense shut calls, bullet hell glory, and a very good, blood-thumping soundtrack. Even the style of defeat is one thing to savour, with every loss proving to be a wonderful examine in Omega’s attacking patterns, evasion timing, and the like.
Outdoors of the fight facet, it felt good to be reunited with the gang once more, although extra interplay between them would have been appreciated. Having the Buster Sword as an unique reward additionally makes for a pleasant little shock, significantly for Ultimate Fantasy VII followers, whereas the brand new Inside Voice function is a gem for many who have an interest within the character lore, greatest boy Torgal included. A phrase of warning, although – issues can get heartbreaking at instances, contemplating the sport’s tragic, sombre nature.
Alas, the runtime of Echoes of the Fallen is simply too brief. At S$12.50, the DLC in all fairness priced however pointless, with the fun and grandeur of the ultimate battle contributing most worth, nevertheless it may do with some exploration of different parts. Data of the upcoming Rising Tide growth does soften the blow, with Sq. Enix seemingly priming it to be extra narrative-centric, such that Echoes of the Fallen is the combat-focused precursor to one thing greater and extra formidable.
Whereas it’s nothing unimaginable, shaking off the rust and getting again into the groove of issues have reignited anticipation and pleasure for the subsequent chapter of Clive’s journey. Those that loved the gameplay within the base recreation can anticipate a enjoyable revisiting of the motion aptitude and its challenges; if not, it’d be higher to attend for The Rising Tide earlier than committing to a brand new journey.
Ultimate Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen is out there on the PSN Retailer for S$12.50.
GEEK REVIEW SCORE
Abstract
Echoes of the Fallen is a welcome return to the world of Valisthea and its characters, serving as a pleasant reminder of its wealthy, thrilling fight. Lore lovers and story-focused people, nonetheless, ought to look ahead to the subsequent growth as an alternative, as there’s little narrative exploration right here to go on.
- Gameplay – 9/10
- Presentation – 8.5/10
- Worth – 7/10
- Geek Satisfaction – 8/10
Si Jia is an informal geek at coronary heart – or as informal as somebody with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of flicks, video games, and Japanese tradition, Si Jia’s best weak point is the Steam Summer season Sale. Or any Steam sale, actually.