Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus Impressions
As the first piece of DLC to drop for Final Fantasy XV (not counting the item packs), Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus focuses on the burly brawler himself. Of course, the DLC focuses on its titular character, Gladiolus Amicitia, one of our picks for Sexiest Digital Hero 2016. Costing $4.99 on its own or included in the $24.99 Season Pass, is Episode Gladiolus worth the price of admission?
Episode Gladiolus takes place during the events of Final Fantasy XV, after Chapter 6 for those not wanting to jump ahead in the story. Players can play this DLC before the actual point in the story or after. The narrative takes place through a flashback, following Gladiolus as he embarks on a journey to take on the Trial of Gilgamesh to prove himself worthy. After a short tutorial, Gladiolus meets up with Cor who accompanies him at the outset of his journey into some ancient ruins.
______________________________
“I expected the combat to feel sluggish, but it was faster and more fluid than I thought it would be.”
As is the case with the base game, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus features crisp visuals, catchy music, badass wardrobes, and some unfortunate framerate drops. And of course, it isn’t Final Fantasy XV without some camping and instant noodles. Moving away from the faster attacks and teleportation of Noctis, players now control the might Gladiolus and his claymore, meaning somewhat slower combat with more damage. I expected the combat to feel sluggish, but it was faster and more fluid than I thought it would be. The combat is also mixed up using environmental objects and different Glaive Arts to dispatch the enemies of the Trial.
The gameplay is essentially moving from point A to point B, overcoming various trials between hallways of monsters. The combat also features a Rage and Valor system which is based on blocking, being hit, and counterattacking. While most of the DLC is relatively simple and easy, certain segments can be quite challenging. After beating the DLC, a Score Attack and Final Trial mode is unlocked, giving players some additional, yet inconsequential, content to play.
At its worst, Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus is linear, short, and relatively unnecessary. However, this DLC does help to fill in some of the overall story of Final Fantasy XV, unlocks special items for use in the main game (including songs!), and gives players more Final Fantasy XV. Despite its shortcomings, I did enjoy my playthrough of Episode Gladiolus, which can be taken as a good distraction from the main story or a way for players to come back and experience more Final Fantasy XV. Although I enjoyed it, I can see why others may not have the same positive experience I did, namely for the reasons listed above.
Is Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus worth the price of admission? At the standalone rate, I would say it really depends on how much you enjoyed or are enjoying Final Fantasy XV, or if Gladio happens to be your man. If any of these sounds like you, you would probably enjoy Episode Gladiolus. For those expecting a longer, deeper narrative, this may not be for you as Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus is more of a short action experience without much of the RPG behind it. Is this DLC enough to recommend the complete Season Pass? I would have to cautiously say not at this point. While this piece of DLC was fun for me, it did not strike me as impressive enough to commit to the whole Season Pass. However, the Episode Prompto teaser trailer left me wanting more, and I have high hopes that the story is more intriguing than that in Episode Gladiolus.
*** PS4 Season Pass provided by the publisher ***