Cosmo Canyon

[Ayen]

This town came up in the other thread about Nibelheim, and since I already planned to make this thread, here we are. How did you like Cosmos Canyon and who did you take with you to see grandpa's holographic room? I chose Aerith and Barrett since I thought they had the most to gain from the experience.

I enjoy Cosmos Canyon overall. I feel it's the moment where you really feel what's at stake with the planet by hearing its cries of agony and it feels like where this new AVALANCHE really begins. I still get teary eye when Red XIII learns the truth about his dad, too.

[Bubba]

Cosmo Canyon is my favourite location in the entire game. It helps that time in Cosmo Canyon has stopped and it's always sunset.

The story of Nanaki and Seto is just fantastic. The music at that point (along with Nanaki howling) always moves me too.

AWWOOOOOOOOO...

*sobs*

[Jiro]

Yeah, the bonfire scene is really quite excellent. I dig the planetarium but it always did confuse me a little how he has a perfect model of the planet that he can manipulate but that also reflects real world events also. I just... how? Bugenhagen what are you smoking brother and where can I get some?

[Sephex]

Great atmosphere at the part. As someone who enjoys space in real life a lot, I would kill for a holographic/interactive astronomy room like Bugenhagen has in real life.

[Pumpkin]

I love Cosmo Canyon. Even the music is excellent. And I like that Red XIII finally gets some front and center time.

[Psychotic]

I love it, but I still get smurfing lost in the ladder maze every time I go

[Mercen-X]

Why?

As to Cosmo Canyon as a whole, I feel it's generally not as much a bother being force-fed exposition about the Planet AVALANCHE is trying to save, but being forced to escort Nanaki down to the Canyon's gritty unders was just epically not awesome. It served no point other than to give Nanaki some form of backstory and drive which I suppose the same could be said of Barret at Gold Saucer but Barret had been a core member from the beginning of the game. Nanaki could just as easily been made into a wandering character like Shadow from FF6. Still, I think Barret's story along with Cid's were both integrated pretty seamlessly into the core plot. The Cloud-Tifa-Aerith story pretty much was the core plot. Nanaki is the only one with whom I feel they said, "we need an excuse to give Red XIII a backstory, let's have their Buggy break, force-feed them some exposition and then force them to go on a quest which has nothing to do with the rest of the story." I mean, at least Barret's story with Dyne still was connected to ShinRa. Nanaki's story didn't have that going for it. It was just utter... I don't know what to call it. It wasn't even an infodump... because there really was nothing else to learn after leaving the observatory. There was no point to going down there.

[Bubba]

Why?

As to Cosmo Canyon as a whole, I feel it's generally not as much a bother being force-fed exposition about the Planet AVALANCHE is trying to save, but being forced to escort Nanaki down to the Canyon's gritty unders was just epically not awesome. It served no point other than to give Nanaki some form of backstory and drive which I suppose the same could be said of Barret at Gold Saucer but Barret had been a core member from the beginning of the game. Nanaki could just as easily been made into a wandering character like Shadow from FF6. Still, I think Barret's story along with Cid's were both integrated pretty seamlessly into the core plot. The Cloud-Tifa-Aerith story pretty much was the core plot. Nanaki is the only one with whom I feel they said, "we need an excuse to give Red XIII a backstory, let's have their Buggy break, force-feed them some exposition and then force them to go on a quest which has nothing to do with the rest of the story." I mean, at least Barret's story with Dyne still was connected to ShinRa. Nanaki's story didn't have that going for it. It was just utter... I don't know what to call it. It wasn't even an infodump... because there really was nothing else to learn after leaving the observatory. There was no point to going down there.

I disagree with pretty much everything you just said.

I would have been much more annoyed if they gave Nanaki no back story at all. I thought the story with Seto and the Gi Tribe was excellent and actually quite moving. Not to mention the music is here is one of my favourite pieces in the game. Shadow by his very nature and appearance was supposed to be mysterious. Him not having a back story and much development actually suited him as a character.

Considering Nanaki is a talking lion/wolf and he is introduced as one of Shinra's experiments, not giving him a back story would have been very lazy on the part of Squaresoft.

[Ayen]

Why?

Personal preference.

[Carl the Llama]

Why?

As to Cosmo Canyon as a whole, I feel it's generally not as much a bother being force-fed exposition about the Planet AVALANCHE is trying to save, but being forced to escort Nanaki down to the Canyon's gritty unders was just epically not awesome. It served no point other than to give Nanaki some form of backstory and drive which I suppose the same could be said of Barret at Gold Saucer but Barret had been a core member from the beginning of the game. Nanaki could just as easily been made into a wandering character like Shadow from FF6. Still, I think Barret's story along with Cid's were both integrated pretty seamlessly into the core plot. The Cloud-Tifa-Aerith story pretty much was the core plot. Nanaki is the only one with whom I feel they said, "we need an excuse to give Red XIII a backstory, let's have their Buggy break, force-feed them some exposition and then force them to go on a quest which has nothing to do with the rest of the story." I mean, at least Barret's story with Dyne still was connected to ShinRa. Nanaki's story didn't have that going for it. It was just utter... I don't know what to call it. It wasn't even an infodump... because there really was nothing else to learn after leaving the observatory. There was no point to going down there.

So a place where they study the planets life, and is full of people who want to save the planet has nothing to do with the game? The game which is about stopping Sephiroth killing the planet with a giant mothersmurfing meteor? Yep, you're so right, nothing to do with the game. It would have been much better for them to simply put Nanaki in the party with no discernible reason or motive. Heck, why would you be curious about this lion wolf hybrid that can talk?

Lets also not forget that Bugenhagen is completely irrelevant to the plot either, it not like he was helpful as to what they had to do to stop meteor, or they had any idea what to do with the key to the ancients or anything like that.

Oh, wait...

On a side note, if you don't want to be "forced" to do something in a game, don't play the game.

[Mercen-X]

Why?

Personal preference.

Psychotic prefers to get lost in the ladder maze?

So a place where they study the planets life, and is full of people who want to save the planet has nothing to do with the game? The game which is about stopping Sephiroth killing the planet with a giant mothersmurfing meteor? Yep, you're so right, nothing to do with the game. It would have been much better for them to simply put Nanaki in the party with no discernible reason or motive. Heck, why would you be curious about this lion wolf hybrid that can talk?

Lets also not forget that Bugenhagen is completely irrelevant to the plot either, it not like he was helpful as to what they had to do to stop meteor, or they had any idea what to do with the key to the ancients or anything like that.

Oh, wait...

On a side note, if you don't want to be "forced" to do something in a game, don't play the game.

*snip* I already said I DON'T have a problem with Cosmo Canyon as a whole. I just don't like being forced into Nanaki's little sidestory as it has nothing to do with the rest of the game. At least Barret's story with Dyne goes to show how truly horrible ShinRa is (as if we didn't know) but then CC introduces us to the Gi? Why? Who the hell cares? It would have been a great optional quest if they had done it that way, but beyond the things you learn at the observatory, there was really no point to stay at Cosmo Canyon. Okay, I get it. Mako is Lifestream is vital to the Planet. Can I go now?

[Ayen]

Why?

Personal preference.

Psychotic prefers to get lost in the ladder maze?

Oh. I'm sorry. Since there wasn't a quote my mind assumed you were addressing my original post. Old habit.

I had no idea the game forced you to go there because I never drove past the town, I always entered each city I saw as I went along.

[Psychotic]

I like the music, the atmosphere, the characters and storylines that occur within the town and the enjoyment I get out of them is greater than the annoyance caused by the ladder maze.

[Madame Adequate]

Cosmo Canyon is one of the best locations, and everything about it is a highlight in a game composed almost exclusively of highlights.

Dat music tho

[Formalhaut]

I do have to disagree with Mercen. Cosmo Canyon is one of my favourite locations of the first Disc, which is pretty amazing as the first Disc in general was astounding. While they could have perhaps had a different reason than "Oh no, our buggy broke down, better enter this area", having it as a mandatory location suited me fine. Nanaki himself said he would leave the party after he got back home, so it'd be pretty silly not having him get home the entire game.

That you learn about the planet and its pain is vitally important. The entire first Disc is "We must catch Sephiroth!" and we only really get the overarching problem of the planet right towards the end of the first Disc and beyond. It's our first glimpse really, and that's quite important. That, and I quite like Bugenhagen.

Furthermore, Nanaki needs the injection of story. He isn't the most critical character in relation to the story, and so Cosmo Canyon saves him from being slightly redundant.

And the music... the theme is hauntingly beautiful.