The Rising Tide is the second and final expansion to be released for Final Fantasy XVI that adds something we missed in the previous expansion; Echoes of the Fallen. The Rising Tide is in many ways an expansion aimed at those who have already completed the game but want to dive even deeper and refine their skills. Exactly how, I'll save for later, but Square Enix certainly has an ace up its sleeve this time.
In the new expansion, Clive and his companions Jill, Joshua and Torgal head out to sea to reach the northern region known as Mysidia. A place completely isolated from the rest of the world and where the mighty Eikon, Leviathan, is said to rest. Here we are introduced to the brand new character Shula who leads the small group in Mesydia and who, like Clive, wants to save the person from whom Leviathan draws its powers.
The story is an okay one that contains several touching moments, but Shula unfortunately feels like an extremely flat and boring character that never remains quiet. The way Square Enix has managed to weave in the new Dominant (the person the Eikon belongs to) and what has happened to the region are highlights. It's the mystery and atmosphere that adds to the excitement, while the character additions do the complete opposite.
The side quests introduced in The Rising Tide are, for the most part, completely uninteresting and feel more like a chore to complete, rather than something of value. One of the first side quests involves running a few dozen metres to collect a bunch of flowers to give to the village blacksmith, only because the blacksmith's wife thought it was a good way for us to be introduced. It's totally uninteresting and pointless when players by now have already been playing Final Fantasy XVI for tens of hours. It is only towards the end of the three-hour expansion that a couple of more sensible side missions are presented where we are tasked with killing the Tonberry King to stop an invasion of Tonberrys.
What Square Enix has mainly marketed the expansion with is that we of course get the chance to control a brand new Eikon. Early on in the adventure, Clive manages to absorb a large enough portion to utilise the water monster's abilities, which adds something new to the game. Wind, fire, thunder and ice have already been controlled, but now we can blast enemies with water too. With Leviathan, the player is encouraged to create distance from their target and blast them with water to quickly drain the enemy's stagger meter and incapacitate them for a while. I didn't think I would like the powers as much as I did. When you've already played the game for over 80 hours and have switched between six other powers, it can be hard for another one make an impact. However, Square Enix manages to do the impossible. Because, as I mentioned in the introduction, the developers have an ace up their sleeve.
With The Rising Tide, not only a completely new story is presented, but also a completely new game mode reminiscent of roguelike games. This is called the Kairos Gate, which can be found in Clive's headquarters and when the player takes on this experience for the first time, they receive a gift from the game's main villain Ultima. Namely, some of his powers. Thus, the expansion not only gives access to Leviathan's abilities, but also Ultima's, which almost feels a bit overwhelming but oh so appreciated.
In Kairos Gate, the player faces the challenge of getting through all 20 levels where every fifth level consists of a boss from the main game. Here, your equipment is predetermined and the only thing you can change is your Eikon abilities. The only way you can improve is to do well in battles (varied attack patterns, time, etc.), which will give you rewards in the form of enhancements and boons. The former gives you permanent upgrades for the particular round you're playing and the latter gives you benefits for one or two levels. I won't lie - Kairos Gate is super hard and will really test you on everything you've learnt. After all, this is something for those looking for a challenge after the game's credits. Square Enix has even created a leaderboard where you can compete against other players and get as many points as possible. The only thing I would have liked was to be able to save in the middle of a playthrough as 20 levels take their time, but unfortunately, that option is not available and you have to quit and start again, rather than being able to continue on the level you were on.
The Rising Tide is an excellent end to the saga of Final Fantasy XVI that offers exactly what the first expansion did not. With that, the game now feels complete and together with the two expansions, this feels like a magical journey. I really want to emphasise that this season pass is well worth investing in if you want more and really want to be challenged. The Rising Tide offers about three hours of story with two extra hours if you want to do the expansion's side missions. However, it's hard to put a time frame on how long you will be entertained by Kairos Gate as there is a lot of replay value. Had this game mode not existed, the price of the new adventure would have been difficult to justify, but now there is no doubt that it is definitely worth every penny.