The Rising Tide, the final DLC for Final Fantasy XVI, will be rolling out April 18th. The DLC will have feature the lost, Eikon, Levithan. The water Eikon was absence during the main story. But the giant watery serpent will be making its long-awaited debut in FFXVI.
Introduction
Clive receives an unmarked letter. The letter contains the most curious of quests as the Dominant of Levithan needs to be recused. Clive and his companions go to land of Mysidia to heed the request.
While embarking on their mission to save Levithan, Clive and his friends will uncover the tragic history of the forgotten people of Mysidia. Lastly, Clive will have to fight Levithan to save the Eikonic. How will Clive save the lost Eikon by fighting it?!
Shura
Clive and the party will not be alone. A new character named Shura will be joining them. Shura is as tall as Clive. More importantly, she will be an invaluable ally for their missions to recuse Levithan. Shura also has ties to the Domintant of Levithan. However, the nature of her relationship with the Water Dominant remains a mystery.
What Is Mysidia?
Mysidia is an oasis surrounded by a sea of darkness. It is a land untouched by the Blight. The oasis of Mysidia is a sanctuary for those who seek it. And underneath her "emerald boughs is a final haven for both man and beast."
Mysidia is not new to Final Fantasy. In fact, Mysidia was a prime location in both Final Fantasy II and IV. In FFXVI, Mysidia will be a throwback to those two previous titles. While Mysidia may not have any direct ties to FFXVI, it doesn’t rule that possibility entirely.
Tonberries And Aire of Hours
The Rising Tide will have new quests for players to learn about the Mysidia and her people. Of course, no adventure is devoid of danger as Clive will encounter new threats. Clive will have to deal with the threat of Tonberries.
Tonberries have been a prominent enemy of Final Fantasy for a long time. These little green critters are just as deadly as they are cute. One stab from their Chef Knives usually spell instant death for their unfortunate victims. And FFXVI’s tonberries will be no different.
The design of FFXVI’s normal tonberries look creepier than cute. While the Master Tonberries and the King are anything but cute. Heck, they look creepy and deadly. And they have some giant knives that can cause serious damage.
Clive will encounter these creepy Tonberries in an area called Aire of Hours. Aire of Hours used to be bastion of civilization. Now it is the home of Tonberries who love to sharpen knives.
Levithan’s Power
Fortunately, Clive will new Eikonic abilities at his disposal. Clive will obtain the power of Levithan in Mysidia. With Levithan’s powers, Clive can wield the power of the tides to drown his enemies.
Levithan’s Eikonic Feat, Serpent’s Cry, summons a sea serpent to Clive’s side. Clive can use the sea serpent to hit enemies from a far with precision strikes. When Clive obtains power of all the Eikons, something happens to our hero. And we see Clive donning wings similar to Ultima’s final form. Does Clive become the perfect vessel that Ultima desires?
Kairos Gate
Once you have completed the main game and the both DLCs. You will unlock a new challenge mode called Kairos Gate. Players can dive into the depths of the virtual underworld via Arete Stone. Once they are in the depths, players will have to defeat wave after wave of foes.
Clive will need to use his strengths and tactics to survive. And claim the rewards of Kairos Gate. There are 20 stages each more difficult than the last. You will be able to acquire materials to weapons for Clive to upgrade.
Furthermore, Clive can gain access to the Ultima and Omega weapons. What even more shocking is that Clive can gain a weapon that even stronger than those ones. Clive will also gain weapons that will allow him to use all 8 elements.
It will be interesting to find out what this ultimate weapon is. Plus, the 8 elements aspect is also intriguing. Does this mean that elemental affinities are coming to FFXVI? It’s hard for me to believe at this stage of FFXVI. But anything can happen.
The Future of Final Fantasy XVI
Will the Rising Tide be the end of Final Fantasy XVI? It doesn’t appear to be the case. In a recent interview with MMORPG, Yoshi-P tells us that Clive getting Levithan will give him an extra advantage against Ultima. Acquiring Levithan will be an extra step for Clive and beating the Water Eikon is not the end of the story. Of course, Yoshi-P didn’t reveal anything more since it would spoil the story.
Also, Yoshi-P, Takai, and Kujiraoka also said that completing both DLCs will unlock an epilogue. This epilogue might you the most hope. It will involve Clive and let you know that world is safe. The epilogue will tie in all of the things that Clive has done in Valisthea. Thus, the epilogue act as a conclusion of sorts to Clive’s story in Final Fantasy XVI.
However, the three didn’t give any exact details. From what they are talking about it seems we will give some sort of conclusion about Clive’s fate. And it will give a clearer picture of Valisthea’s state after the final battle with Ultima.
Reaction
As someone who is thoroughly enjoying Final Fantasy VII Rebirth. Final Fantasy XVI has not left my mind. Even though, it may have taken a backseat to Rebirth. I am super excited to going to back to the world of Valisthea. And the Rising Tide is the perfect reason to return FFXVI.
I am also excited that the Rising Tide’s story will have a large focus on Jill. Mysidia is close to Jill’s homeland. Jill is one my favorite new heroine of Final Fantasy and beyond. And having more Jill and learning more about her is like sweet music to my ears.
I am also intrigued by Clive’s new wings. One, they are similar to Ultima’s wings in the villain’s final form. Two, Clive gains these wings after receiving the power of Levithan. Finally, how powerful will Clive be once he has Levithan?
Ultima seems to be keen on getting Levithan back. The ethereal being called Levithan, his most profane fragment. More importantly, what role will Ultima play in the Rising Tide?
While Yoshi-P has said that the Rising Tide will not change the ending of Final Fantasy XVI. They have said that the there will be a special epilogue giving players hope about Clive’s fate and the world. I am happy we are getting this epilogue because I would love to know what happen to Clive. And how Valisthea carries on after the final battle.
Although, the Rising Tide may the final piece of DLC for Final Fantasy XVI for now. Yoshi-P and Kujiraoka have stated in a recent interview with Game Informer that the possibility of more Final Fantasy XVI is not zero. And while the CBU3 will be moving on to another project, they will take the lessons they learn from creating FFXVI. And applies those lessons to their next project.
I am fine with them moving forward with a new project. And I am super excited to see how that project will unfold. CS3 is one of Square Enix's best groups of developers. And they have not closed the door completely on FFXVI. But the door for more FFXVI remains open. And that excites me as I have grown to love FFXVI immensely.
Sources: MMORPG, But Why Tho, Game Informer, Square Enix Blog, Playstation Blog, Genki's Twitter and Aitakimochi's Twitter
Comments