erase me from history once more

[amovingtarget]

played 23 March, 04 - 07 April

Here we are again. I'd say I was finding the beginning a little tedious to go through again but I'm not sure how true that is. It's not so bad apart from the general and inevitable slowness of the tutorial chapter -- which is pretty much universal -- and all the running around on foot you have to do. I definitely wasn't expecting to see new recipes though, I wonder where those came from... And after playing AC I really miss being able to climb all over these lovely rock formations. Once I finished the hunt for Deadeye it kind of firmed up my feeling that multiple playthroughs definitely reveal the weaknesses in pacing with this game -- I kind of want to get to Altissia, everything from then on is definitely more intense, with more feelings, even though there are still slow parts.

I did a few of Cid's weapon upgrades and Cindy's Regalia quests for a bunch of easy xp, and then went off to Lestallum to meet Iris and I noticed that when Jared apologises for Talcott's lack of manners and Noctis says he actually likes it, Gladio kind of turns and looks at him a little fondly, which I kind of adore. Of course, I could just be imagining it. It's been a while since I've played it -- I say a while but I went and checked my diary and I played it just last November -- but I feel like there was a little bit of a dialogue change when Noctis asks Iris about how it was in Insomnia, maybe I'll check a movie cut of it. The walk around town with Iris is still adorable and the waterfall dungeon felt like it went by surprisingly fast. Then I did a couple of Vyv's sidequests before heading back to Lestallum. Next up, meeting Ardyn again, and going out to the Archean.

How is it that I find the level against the Archaen cool and boring at the same time? I think there is some new dialogue after that as well? Am I just imaging this or what? Between the battle and the 'several days later' cutscene. I don't know why, but this playthrough has got me... vaguely tempted to rewrite the whole game, and it's a awesome and terrible idea. The scene of them as kids is so the cutest. It might be my favourite, except for the ending cutscene, and it's making me I wonder how much more awesome it would be if they'd gone around collecting the gods' blessings together.

I can't believe that the last two times I've played this I just have not been able to do the Archaeole base mission stealthily, when I'm so sure that I've been able to do it every previous time. It's still a total nightmare to find my way around in the dark no matter how many times I play it though. And I'm curious what Noctis and Ravus' relationship might have been like when they were kids, Noctis seemed pretty pissed at him when he shows up after we rescue the Regalia but is that just because he sided with the Empire or does it go back further? After that it's picking up Iris and heading down to the Cape, and since I'm trying to keep sidequests to a minimum while I run through the story, I only did the second base and the Malmalum dungeon. I did feel guilty for not stopping at the seaside, for some reason.

Not sure why there needs to a 'several days later' between finding out about the mythril and actually going to get it. What were they doing in the meantime? Were they just sitting around hoping Gladio would come back or was there something else, in which case what? The dungeon went by really quick, which is always nice. I'm finding that the shine of the game is getting quite worn off now, and I just want to get to the good story bits. I like Aranea a lot but since playing Episode Ardyn I'm very sensitive to 'this character is only here for exposition' feelings and her comments about the Empire collecting daemon matter to create their magiteck troops made me sigh a lot. Especially since most of her other dialogue doesn't totally make sense, she's just out of the blue bonding with these guys and telling them things? I'm so glad we got to see more of her in Episode Prompto, and that she actually had some real character then.

Then it's finally off to Altissia and it's definitely like... we've been clunking slowly up the rollercoaster this far and this part kind of feels like it's where the ride really gets started. The battle with Leviathan still feels like a pretty spectacular set piece -- all the blue is gorgeous, and there's some really beautiful shots -- but even for a born button masher like me it does feel kind of boring mechanically. The cutscene after that might be the most hauntingly, heartbreakingly beautiful thing I've ever seen in a game? That tiny Noctis was the best voice acting in the game, I think.

The cutscene after the Royal Tomb in Cartanica is really good too, I think. I can't really explain why, but all the other times it kind of just felt like they were... going through the motions of speaking to each other. I don't know if it's just me, but even the lines were delivered better from the voice actors, compared to, say, the scene where they find out about the attack on Insomnia. I think that the sequence following that, the whole train section between departing from Cartanica and arriving in Tenebrae, might be my favourite bit of the actual game. It's got some action, some drama, some important plot elements, and it doesn't drag on too long.

I don't know the stop in Tenebrae massively cut down during their development problems, or if it was just meant to be like that, but that manor is gorgeous, and it was nice to see it in game, even from a distance...and on fire. No matter how many times I keeping telling myself to please stop taking screenshots, you already have thousands, I still fucking take them. Exposition characters are a problem here again, but it was really nice to see Noct being sweet to that little girl.

On the train to Gralea after that Gladio says "It's depressing when it's always dark out." so I'm going to went ahead and imagined that he has seasonal depression, because I can do that if I want to, except then I remembered that he has to put up with ten years of darkness and felt terrible about it, but I guess it ties in nicely with the fic I've already written for that. Also, how come the corpse of the Glacian is giant when we see it here. Is Shiva small now just because Gentiana is? I suppose that would make sense. I've always loved this freezing train sequence and Zalia said something really cool that I can't unsee now (and why would I want to) and now I'm thinking of Ifrit/Shiva > Ardyn/Gentiana > Noct/Luna parallels and... it would just make for such an interesting dynamic? Ardyn as he is here is definitely my favourite in the whole game. And, of course, I love that Gladio is like, no weapons? I guess I gotta kick a demon in the face.

I know this next chapter is universally panned, and even though I hate having to run around opening doors and shit, I always thought this was a really effective level. When I first played it I legit felt like I was going to go unhinged any minute -- those featureless corridors, axemen and daemons popping up all the time, Ardyn's endless taunting, even the arcana powers are a bit creepy -- and I always felt like that was kind of the point? Because Noct is being deliberately isolated and toyed with, and he needs to really find his resolve to get through it on his own? Even now that I can mostly breeze through it, I can't get out of there as fast as I'd like. Seriously Ardyn is so deliciously chilling here and it makes me mad that we lost so much of that in Episode Ardyn.

Ah, I loved so much when Prompto is like, so I'm kind of an empire labrat and the guys were just like, are we supposed to care about that? And it was so good to have my trusty Ragnarok-warpstrike back. It was nice to see how sad they all were for Ravus at the end. At the crystal, Ardyn says "you'll never guess who's name Izunia was," and I don't think we ever find this out? And how do the boys even leave, and why are they okay with leaving?

Here we go. Chapter 14. I have so many questions about the Angelgard. Why is it a prison? Who made it? Was it Somnus, when he put Ardyn there? Why did Noctis wake up there of all places? Who put the yacht there and how did they know to? And and and . It's not the first time I've played the updated Insomnia level but somehow I forgot there were changes other than the extra sidequests. The extra length is pretty good. Seeing Luna again and having her call the gods to help you was even better -- even if it was just a cutscene, it was a cool as fuck cutscene. I definitely love the inclusion of the Old Wall and the way it gives the bros a chance to shine before the end. One of the things that gets me is when Noct says he hated that the throne room (technically he says it about the room before it) made his dad sad, and it makes me sad we never got to see him mourn, or come to terms with anything at all. He goes to sleep for ten years and he wakes up he's ready to die and that makes me so sad.

Me: races through the game to get the ending, also me: but why is it over?! Man I wish I'd been taking notes as I played the ending but I was too busy having feelings to think. I got a Titan summon in the last battle with Ardyn though, that was really awesome because in five playthroughs I don't remember ever having that. The end cutscene still kills me though. It breaks me every single time.

Comments

[enemyofperfect]

I don't know why, but this playthrough has got me... vaguely tempted to rewrite the whole game, and it's a awesome and terrible idea. The scene of them as kids is so the cutest. It might be my favourite, except for the ending cutscene, and it's making me I wonder how much more awesome it would be if they'd gone around collecting the gods' blessings together.

*cheers terribly*

What better way to soothe your heartbreak than by writing a whole fic's worth of these dear fiends?

[amovingtarget]

A whole game worth of fic! I will die!

I want to do it so badly alskdjfha

[enemyofperfect]

But think of the deaths you could inflict on others as well! Our poor feelings! On second thought, if I had any sense of self preservation, I guess I'd be trying to discourage you from this.

*cheers you more*

[amovingtarget]

I can't even decide on an emoji to use on you for thissss!!!

[enemyofperfect]

Oh no, how terrible. :'D