Final Fantasy XVI: The Rising Tide to Launch with Major Update. PC Release Anticipated 'Soon'
The latest information about The Rising Tide reveals details about the plot of the second expansion for Final Fantasy XVI, as well as a new region and mode. An update 1.30 will be released along with the DLC, and we still don't know when exactly Final Fantasy XVI will be released on PC.
Final Fantasy XVI fans have a lot to be happy about - a wealth of information about the upcoming expansion titled The Rising Tide has been revealed during the ongoing PAX EAST convention in Boston. The second DLC will be released on April 18th, along with an update to the base version of the game. We also learned a few details about the PC edition, which will have its premiere "soon."
The Rising Tide expansion - new region, Leviathan, and Kairos Gate mode
The expansion will introduce a new plot line, thanks to which we will learn about the events taking place before the finale of Final Fantasy XVI. Following the mysterious message, the heroes set out to rescue the Eikon of Water, the Leviathan, and thus learn about the dramatic fate of a forgotten people.
- The DLC will take us to Mysidia - an oasis lying far out in the sea of darkness. In addition to new locations (including the former bastion of the Aire of Hours civilization), Clive's new companion, Shula, and the aforementioned Leviathan will appear in the game. After defeating the legendary Eikon, we will gain the ability to use his skills.
- Finishing the main storylines of Final Fantasy XVI and The Rising Tide will give us access to the Kairos Gate mode. We will encounter hordes of opponents across twenty levels, and our victories will earn us Clive's development points and new gear. In this mode, we will also encounter boss clashes - achieving the highest rating in them will unlock secret levels and encounters.
- The DLC will increase the highest character level to 60 in story and action-focused modes, and up to 110 in New Game+.
Shula will join Clive in the mission to save Leviathan. Source: Gematsu / Square Enix.
In addition, a new Kairos Gate mode will be released. Source: Gematsu / Square Enix.
Patch 1.30 and PC version
Alongside The Rising Tide expansion, an update to the base version of Final Fantasy XVI will be released. It will introduce the ability to quickly complete a mission thanks to fast travel to the quest giver or change the icons representing the character's important tasks (this is probably to make it easier to skip less important quests).
Also, using skills and accessories should become more affordable. In addition, we will be able to customize the button layout on the controller, and the photo mode will receive additional functions, such as tone correction.
The PC version of Final Fantasy XVI (currently the title is only available on PS5) was brought up again during a discussion panel at PAX East in Boston. The game's dev, Naoki "Yoshi-P" Yoshida, assured that we should receive it "soon." He also thanked everyone involved in testing this edition. It is worth adding that from Famitsu's interview with Yoshida and two other developers, we learned that they are still working on bug fixes and optimization.
Furthermore, the devs assured that on the day of the FF XVI premiere on PC, both the basic version of the game and the edition with both expansions should be available. They also confirmed that the game will receive a demo, allowing us to check whether Final Fantasy XVI will run smoothly on our computers.
