Final Fantasy XVI Echoes of the Fallen DLC review: Short & sweet fun

It’s been six months since Final Fantasy 16 captivated us with its engaging story and many moments of absolute spectacle we touched on in our review; that said, our appetite for more hadn’t been quelled with time. 

In comes Echoes of the Fallen, the first of a two-part DLC expansion setting Clive and co on another sword-slashing adventure - giving you a reason to dive back into Valisthea for something new. 

Whilst it hasn’t left my jaw on the floor like its base game, Echoes of the Fallen is a quick and cheerful reminder of why I love FF16 and its gameplay. 

The Dark Crystals

Set right before Final Fantasy XVI’s final battle, Clive is given a new quest that sets him off to a facility of the Fallen - the ancient civilisation mentioned frequently in the main game, that also left behind the many automaton enemies you’ve fought throughout the campaign.

The reason for this is that the facility is tied to the emergence of dusk crystals - darker and inferior artificial versions of the naturally brighter ones used in Valisthea as a source of magic. 

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But with the destruction of the Mother Crystals throughout FF16’s events, a group of traders seizing the shortage and have been selling dusk crystals on the black market.

As Clive and the others; Jill, Joshua, and Torgal; investigate, they find themselves at The Sagespire - needing to fight their way towards the top and eliminate the source of it all. 

More of what you love

Essentially, Echoes of the Fallen is a three to four-hour dungeon crawler with a variety pack of Final Fantasy 16 enemies you’ve taken on in the base game. However, as you work your way up the tower and learn more about The Fallen’s role in all of this, you’ll get some interesting bosses sprinkled in between with a peculiar big one at the end. 

If you haven’t touched Final Fantasy 16 since finishing it from launch, some of the DLC’s early fights before getting to The Sagespire serve well in helping you readjust to the combat. 

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On the other hand, if you’ve still been playing the game and have no need to shake off the rust, you might be a little underwhelmed at Echoes of the Fallen’s lack of new enemy types - instead serving you slightly different versions of those you’ve already taken on many times, along with some extra gear items you’ll find to shake things up. 

Nevertheless, that initial drawback doesn’t feel like it matters once you get into the swing of things. As you get back into Phoenix Shifting your way to slash whichever foes you’re facing and start chaining your Eikonic abilities together for massive combos, the satisfaction you get from delivering blows of damage that take out whole hordes at once outweighs it all. 

Definitely not Fallen from grace

The other side of Echoes of the Fallen is delving into part of the ancient civilisation’s history and part of its downfall - basically in how they constructed their own Mothercrystal and machines to protect it, with it all leading to their eventual downfall. 

As you make your way up through the increasingly eerie Sagespire and learn more, it’s easy to be both fascinated and left wanting. As interesting as the lore around the Fallen and their role in events is, this namesake DLC feeling narratively light doesn’t add tons to the grand scheme of Final Fantasy 16’s story. 

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Be that as it may, not going as heavy in the story doesn’t take away from the thrill of exploring a new dungeon with this beloved group of heroes, taking on a plethora of enemies and conquering new bosses - most notably the awesome final boss, Omega. Altogether, you’ll still come away with that same feeling of victory when you’ve beaten a huge raid in an MMO. 

Bundled right in with the story content as well, being able to equip Cloud Strife’s Buster Sword from Final Fantasy 7 is as sweet a bonus as any - which you’ll still be able to use effectively despite its low stats thanks to the game’s transmog feature brought in an earlier update.

With that, the fun new story content, and the 1987 chip-tune version of the Away soundtrack to play in the hideaway, the just under $10 price tag at launch feels more than worth it. 

The verdict

Despite not packing the epic drama its base game is loved for, Echoes of the Fallen is as a great time as you'd expect from Final Fantasy 16 DLC. 

A brief and enjoyable dive back into Valisthea before the Rising Tide part two DLC in Spring 2024, this three-hour mission is still brimming with fun, excitement, and the epic scale we’ve come to know this game for. 

Whilst it doesn’t exactly raise the bar for an expansion, as far as this first-parter goes, it still has us excited for what comes next. 

4/5

Reviewed on PS5. Code provided by the publisher.