The following contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 16 's Rising Tide DLC.

Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC is the latest expansion to the base game, and it introduces a level of visual detail and challenges that the game has not seen yet. As Clive, Jill, and Joshua travel to Mysidia, a land in the Northern Territories still untouched by the Blight, they encounter the legendary sea serpent Leviathan and a very gut-wrenching story leading up to it. Along with a brand-new story, players are given the opportunity to complete a decent number of side quests and experiment with new abilities not obtainable in the base game. Unfortunately, despite all this newness that the Final Fantasy 16 Rising Tide DLC brings, some of the base game's shortcomings are still present.

Final Fantasy 16 has proven to be an excellent installment in the Final Fantasy franchise, albeit a divisive one. Having reinvented the series' combat and overall tone, it stands out among the franchise's other entries in more ways than one. However, these standout features include some flaws that might have been repaired in The Rising Tide DLC, especially considering the expansion's premise. Even so, Final Fantasy 16 continues to shine in spite of its flaws in The Rising Tide, and that is something worth acknowledgment.

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Final Fantasy 16's Flaws Are Still Present in The Rising Tide

The Rising Tide's Side Quests Are Still the Same

Final Fantasy 16's side quests are one of its most controversial features. While some fans appreciated the stories they introduced to the world, many others felt that the vast majority of side quests in Final Fantasy 16 were too lengthy and required little more than walking. The Rising Tide doesn't do very much to improve on that criticism, as almost all of its side quests involve simply speaking to another NPC or venturing out into Mysidia to defeat an enemy.

The Rising Tide's Combat Isn't Much Different

Final Fantasy 16's combat is arguably its most divisive feature, being that it let go of the turn-based system the series is known for in exchange for true-action mechanics. While these new mechanics can be exciting, one of its more disappointing characteristics is that Clive is the only controllable party member. Additionally, despite Clive having elemental abilities, there is no elemental affinity system in place to allow certain attacks to be more potent against vulnerable enemies. For better or worse, The Rising Tide retains this system.

The Rising Tide Still Does What Final Fantasy 16 Does Best

The Rising Tide Still Proves Final Fantasy 16 Is an Expert at Boss Fights

Final Fantasy 16's boss fights have set a new precedent for the RPG genre in their scale and entertainment value. The Rising Tide DLC remains faithful to the base game's boss fights by providing players with two epic battles with the Timekeeper and Leviathan, both of which are very challenging. In fact, Leviathan is so challenging on Final Fantasy Mode that if a player makes one mistake or pauses for a second too long, they can find themselves continuously defeated.

Clive and His New Rising Tide Abilities Still Reign Supreme

Clive Rosfield is a standout protagonist, and his reputation still holds up in The Rising Tide. On top of that, his new Leviathan abilities that are acquired very early on in the expansion are unlike the rest of his arsenal, giving The Rising Tide's combat an extra leg up from the base game. What makes Clive's Leviathan abilities so unique is their prioritization of ranged over melee, which is something his other Eikonic abilities aren't known for.

All in all, The Rising Tide may still retain some of the base game's problems, but it makes up for it by featuring everything Final Fantasy 16 does right. Despite The Rising Tide's side quests and combat not receiving much love, its boss fights, protagonist, and new abilities redeem it.