Final Fantasy XV: Episode Gladiolus Review

Player(s): 1
Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4
 
One of the biggest issues with Final Fantasy XV was the inconsistent story and the huge lack of character development when it comes to the main four characters. Episode Gladiolus is an opportunity to expand on one of the characters. Does it accomplish this though?

Every great story starts around a campfire...

The short answer: yes. The long answer: kind of? Episode Gladiolus takes place during a short time period in the main game where Gladiolus leaves the group. He ends up meeting up with his friend, Cor, and goes through a set of trials in order to prove his worth as a guardian of the rightful king. He does this not only to prove his worth as a whole, but also to himself, as he sees himself as a failure. This opens up the doors for some much needed character development. This takes the form of Gilgamesh the Blademaster testing Gladiolus’ resolve as he continues through the trials. The issue is that there isn’t really much to go on beyond the way these battles help make him more determined and confident. There are also a handful of short conversations he has with Cor between trials that expand on both characters, but it’s still not much. It definitely adds to the character, but is ultimately lacking due to there not being enough content.

The only time you'll see greenery.

Lack of content. That’s honestly the biggest issue with this DLC. Even with my own slow-paced gameplay style, I ended up beating the DLC in 1h20m. From a gameplay perspective, the content that IS there is solid, which makes the really short length feel even more painful. The entirety of the DLC is essentially a brand-new dungeon similar to the ones in the main game in overall design, but definitely unique thanks to some quirks. 

Try and ignore the glitched floating text that didn't disappear until I restarted the game...

The first quirk is Gladiolus himself. Rather than the standard Dodge/Attack/Warp style of Noctis, Gladiolus’ fighting style is slower due to him carrying a heavy weapon and more focused on parrying. He has a shield he can block with and he can also parry attacks if he brings up his shield at the right time, thus giving you an opening for a counterattack. This concept of counterattack is the core of his feel. Thanks to this, he feels similar enough to not be jarring to the player, while still retaining his own identity. 

Camping gives you a chance to hear Cor tell some stories.

The next quirk is the dungeon. While it looks like almost every other dungeon from the main game, the progression is in the form of a series of combat tests. You face a few groups of enemies which teach you some different tactics that culminates in a fun and unique boss. At first I was a little irked that this DLC is so combat focused, but then I realized that it is a reflection of the character himself, and works quite well as a result. It helps that each of the bosses is different, fun and challenging.

Yes, they explode, though they don't hurt as bad as they should.

The DLC suffers from a lot of the same glitches and polish issues as the main game, such as random hit-detection problems with the environment, environment interaction not always working right and a sometimes uncooperative camera. Besides that, it controls well and looks nice, with some really nice new creature designs (I especially liked the new rendition of a franchise classic: Gilgamesh).

You thought I was lying about how long it took me?!

To try and pad out the painfully short length, there is a special battle you unlock upon completion, along with a score attack mode. It took me about 3h30m to get all the trophies, which isn’t too bad at a $4.99 asking price. If you are looking to just play through the main story though, it’s definitely a rip-off. It also hurts because this DLC, which I was hoping would be about events after the ending of the main game, feels like something that should have been in the game to begin with. It fills a painful gap in part of the story that shouldn’t have been missing, along with adding the ability to play as somebody besides Noctis for a change.

Look at the beautiful monster design. LOOK AT IT!

Still, despite feeling like content that was ripped from the main game and feeling woefully short, it is fun while it lasts. If you really enjoyed Final Fantasy XV, the slightly steep asking price will still be worth it. Otherwise, this DLC simply doesn’t offer enough to really warrant a purchase, and you’d be better off waiting for a sale or just skipping it altogether.
 
NOTE: My experience was based on the PS4 version (regular, not Pro). As such, there is no difference in content between versions.
 
- Teepu

---

Graphics: GREAT
Sound: GOOD
Gameplay: GOOD
Value: QUESTIONABLE
 
OVERALL: GOOD

---

All photos ©Square Enix Holdings Co., Ltd.