When someone sees the Final Fantasy XVI Echoes of the Fallen DLC, they may wonder if the $9.99 single add-on or $24.99 expansion pass is worth it. While I’ll have my full thoughts on it later, early on I can pretty much say it depends on how much you like the game and fighting during it.
How long is the Final Fantasy XVI Echoes of the Fallen DLC?
So my experience is actually a bit on the longer side. I was exploring a bit more than usual, trying to perhaps find extra things to write about, and was taking notes in some sections. So while I took about three and a half hours to finish it, someone might be able to finish it in around three. I was also at level 48 when I started it.
Also, keep in mind that you’ll probably be around 45-50 hours into Final Fantasy XVI by the time you even get to the Echoes of the Fallen DLC, as you can’t start it until you reach the endgame “Back to their Origin” mission and side quests that appear around that time.
What are the main draws for Final Fantasy XVI Echoes of the Fallen and do they make the DLC worth it?
Well, the Sagespire is the new dungeon. After you go through a preliminary mission, Clive, Joshua, Jill, and Torgal get to head into it to deal with the new dusk crystals and tower. There isn’t as much lore and story, as this add-on feels primarily about going into the dungeon, facing the three major fights, and collecting the new equipment.
You’ll start facing some new enemies fairly quickly. In The Gallery, you’ll happen upon some goblins and Fallen type enemies that resemble the ones seen in past ruins. Sigma is one of the first challenges you’ll see here. When it goes into Assault Mode, it could use attacks like Ballistic Kick and the AOE Colossal Blow. Of all the attacks this initial one will use, Plasmonic Pulse is probably the most “fearsome.” Defeating it gets you one of the two new weapons. The Fallen Enforcer has 390 attack and 390 stagger when you pick it up, immediately making it stronger than the Ragnarok or Gotterdammerung you earned in the base game.
There’s also the Angra Mainyu. (It’s basically an Ahriman sort of variant.) This one I found more challenging than Sigma for a few reasons. It ends up using a lot of AOE attacks, like the spinning Roulette that only offers a few safe spaces on the ground or the Eyes on Me that summons more like it to fire blasts of energy.
But really, the Eikonoklastic Defense System Omega-1 is the main attraction. This is the final boss fight in the Sagespire. As the official “title” suggests, it mimics the Eikon fights before and is a multi-phase fight. Clive, Jill, Joshua, and Torgal all fight together for the first portion. For the second part, its form changes and it gets more challenging. By the third part, it’s using attacks like Dimensional Compression against the party.
There’s also the Omega Weapon you can eventually craft in this DLC. You need to get the Living Tissue and Fallen Enforcer from the Sigma fight, Aqueous Humours from Angra Mainyu, and Omega Nodule from Omega to craft this sword. As expected, it’s the most powerful in the game. It has 410 attack and 410 stager once made at The Black Hammer at Cid’s Hideaway.
So if you’re looking for another good major boss fight, two smaller ones leading up to it that are somewhat challenging, and some strong swords, it’s worth it. Additional equipment includes the Fallen Belt and Bracelets for Clive, as well as a few accessories, but I found the new weapons were more valuable to me.
For me, I think it is worthwhile if only because it likely is preparing me for The Rising Tide. I really would have liked more of a story-heavy piece, and that part of the expansion pass seems like it will deal with that. If someone is going to go for a new game plus run, the new equipment could prove helpful since Omega Weapon is great, and the final boss in Echoes of the Fallen is a fun one.
Final Fantasy XVI is available for the PS5, and the Echoes of the Fallen DLC is out now. A PC version and The Rising Tide add-on are also on the way.
