Final Fantasy XVI was one of many games that got attention last night at The Game Awards—not only because of the various awards it was nominated for but Square Enix revealed that the two-part DLC content for the game would be partially released sooner than fans expected. How soon? It’s out right now! The first DLC is called “Echoes of the Fallen,” and you can get it now on PS5. It’s a paid DLC, but it’ll have a new story, enemies, and boss fights to enjoy. But on the PlayStation Blog, the game’s lead combat designer, Takeo Kujiraoka, noted many things about this DLC content.
One of the biggest things is that Final Fantasy XVI will bring back a classic boss from past titles in the franchise via Omega. The team worked hard to bring in this classic villain while also making the boss fight feel like it belonged in their own game:
“The Omega fight is broadly divided into two halves, each with differing concepts and inspiration. For the first half of the Omega fight, we took inspiration from the boss’s past appearances in the FINAL FANTASY series, including its origin in FINAL FANTASY V, and molded that into the action of FINAL FANTASY XVI in a way that fits right in. Rather than taking inspiration from a specific entry, however, we strongly focused on the “Omega-feel” familiar to series fans, including myself.”
Even with all that, Kujiraoka noted there would be some “bold twists” in Omega’s look and combat skills that would make him stand out in fans’ minds and that he would be quite “aggressive,” so you’ll need to be ready for that.
He and the rest of the team wanted to keep cranking out quality Eikon battles, and bringing in Omega as one such Eikon would help with that and show how much they had learned while making the original title. But as he was asked in the interview, what does it mean to have a worthy Eikon fight?
“I believe that a story being told through the way the battle unfolds—through each and every one of the enemy’s actions—is critical for a good Eikon battle. I think that instead of simply showing a heated clash, illustrating the mentalities and motivations of its participants and meshing these elements with the combat can enhance a player’s immersion and overall game experience. I’d say that one of the unique characteristics of Final Fantasy XVI’s Eikon battles is the dedication to create a one-off system in pursuit of achieving this.”
