The following contains spoilers for Final Fantasy 16 and The Rising Tide DLC.
Final Fantasy 16's Clive Rosfield is a jack of all trades, with a nearly overwhelming amount of unique abilities up his sleeve to conquer his foes. As players progress through the base game, Clive absorbs the powers of various Eikons until he eventually becomes a powerhouse capable of rising to the expectations of almost any situation. These abilities cover a wide range of elements —including fire, air, and lightning — and while there are no elemental affinities, each set of Eikonic abilities serves its own purpose, whether it be dealing direct damage or staggering enemies. Final Fantasy 16's latest expansion, The Rising Tide, gives Clive access to a brand-new set of Eikonic abilities that happen to be some of his most distinctive skills yet.
Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC sees players traveling to the land of Mysidia, which was once believed to have been lost to the Blight. While there, Clive, Jill, and Joshua meet several new characters, including Shula, who introduces them to the situation at hand. As players progress through this original short story, Clive eventually acquires the abilities of the legendary sea serpent Leviathan, who specializes in water-based attacks. This effectively completes Clive's arsenal in more than one way, even though it might have come a bit too late to properly enjoy.
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The Rising Tide Finally Completes Clive's Arsenal With the Power of Leviathan
Clive's Leviathan Abilities Are Water-Based Ranged Attacks
Unlike Clive's other Eikonic abilities, his Leviathan abilities are all water-based ranged attacks. Many of Clive's abilities require him to get up close and personal with enemies, and there is typically at least one melee attack in every Eikonic ability set. However, all of Leviathan's abilities are ranged and utilize the power of water to decimate foes.
Clive's new Leviathan abilities acquired in Final Fantasy 16's Rising Tide DLC are:
- Deluge
- Cross Swell
- Abyssal Tear
- Tsunami
Deluge is Leviathan's most basic attack, but it is not to be underestimated. With it, Clive conjures a water cannon of sorts that launches a long-range rapid-fire salvo of water that can knock back smaller enemies. This is particularly useful when fighting large groups, as most of Final Fantasy 16's larger enemy mobs are comprised of rank-and-file enemies. Cross Swell is an AoE ranged attack for Clive to use when enemies are too scattered to deal with them simultaneously. When Cross Swell is triggered, two waves rush inward and pull enemies to a central point in front of Clive.
Unlike Clive's other Eikonic abilities, his Leviathan abilities are all water-based ranged attacks.
Abyssal Tear is another of Leviathan's AoE ranged attacks, as it creates homing water missiles that can knock down multiple enemies at once. Finally, Tsunami is Leviathan's ultimate attack and conjures a giant whirling wave that shoots out in front of Clive, much like Bahamut's Gigaflare ability. Tsunami can deal tremendous damage to larger enemies, but it is most effective when it is used on large groups of enemies due to its ability to swallow up foes and spit them out at the end of the attack.
It's a shame Clive doesn't gain his Leviathan abilities until The Rising Tide DLC, especially considering Final Fantasy 16 was released almost a full year ago. Even so, The Rising Tide is the perfect time for players to jump back into Final Fantasy 16, as Leviathan's water-based ranged abilities are very fun and intuitive to use. As usual, these abilities can be mixed with Clive's other Eikonic abilities, but it's good to finally see the beloved protagonist's arsenal complete with powerful ranged attacks.
Final Fantasy 16
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 87 /100 Critics Rec: 91%
- Released
- June 22, 2023
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Franchise
- Final Fantasy
WHERE TO PLAY
An epic dark fantasy world where the fate of the land is decided by the mighty Eikons and the Dominants who wield them.
This is the tale of Clive Rosfield, a warrior granted the title “First Shield of Rosaria” and sworn to protect his younger brother Joshua, the dominant of the Phoenix. Before long, Clive will be caught up in a great tragedy and swear revenge on the Dark Eikon Ifrit, a mysterious entity that brings calamity in its wake.
