Final Fantasy XVI: Echoes of the Fallen

Clive & Co’s first adventure into the world of DLC is good, and if you like the game, then you’ll almost definitely enjoy venturing into the Sagespire. There’s absolutely no denying that. But, given that it’s an extension of Final Fantasy XVI, it needs to be great—and I’m not quite sure that it reached that status. While there’s no denying that Echoes of the Fallen features a unique premise and a new stage to explore that’s every bit as challenging as it is breathtaking, you wouldn’t really be missing out on anything if you decided to skip it. Hopefully, the next piece of DLC will bring about a little bit more excitement.

The work of Creative Business Unit 3 is once again reflected in a short experience that leaves us wanting to see much more of what's to come next year. Echoes of the Fallen is more of Final Fantasy XVI, with its hits and misses. Let's hope that Naoki Yoshida and his team will display more of the possibilities that this world has to offer in its next release.

Solid, if somewhat short, expansion. The highlight is the massive boss fight at the end.

Echoes of the Fallen takes the best of Final Fantasy XVI in a linear and perhaps too short experience, but full of epic combat and some nice additions that leave us looking forward to the next DLC.

Echoes of the Fallen is another dose of more Final Fantasy XVI. It's not a game changer and it's very short, but if you liked the main game, here you will find an extra chapter with the same level of spectacle and epicness.

Final Fantasy 16: Echoes of the Fallen offers some high-octane boss fights and a gorgeous environment to explore, but the exploration remains as linear as ever. Those looking for something more substantial in terms of story may want to wait, but there's plenty for combat fans to enjoy.

Echoes of the Fallen by itself isn’t anything incredible, but it finished strong and had me excited for the next expansion pass installment. If you loved Final Fantasy XVI, then this is a great way to revisit those characters. If you’re on the fence, then wait until The Rising Tide launches before making a purchase.

The Echoes of the Fallen DLC revolves around one idea and one idea only: to add the "endgame" component to Final Fantasy 16, which was sorely missed at the time of the original launch. Its four hours of content serve as a pleasant supplement to Clive Rosfield's adventure, but they have no intention of bringing about revolutions or introducing major innovations, leaving the strengths and weaknesses of the original work unchanged. The design, music, lore, and staging are sensational, but the overall experience architecture remains untouched. It is unlikely that the expansion will change the minds of early critics, but it will be a very welcome surprise for those who have yet to experience the sixteenth chapter.

All in all, Echoes of Fallen feels like little more than another chapter in Final Fantasy 16's story — but it's a good one, especially in terms of action. Oh, and it might just feature the most insane boss encounter in the entire game, if you can believe it.