Sell Me on These Awful Games

[Forsaken Lover]

Wow, the narrator's description for Academia 500AF was fantastic. Got me all pumped for the endgame and saving the world from Caius in our climactic showdown. Shame that, as OP as I am right now, the fight will be over in seconds....

So listening to talking during these battles just doesn't work. Yeul kept saying stuff but hell if I know what it was as I was too worried about killing the things. All I got out of it was...well, I got nothing out of it except what she said before the fight began. I wonder, she says Etro mustn't die, maybe Caius has been yanking our chain this whole time. He's provoking us into killing him which will somehow kill Etro.

I might have been able to understand more but, again, stupid design decisions. I can't hear crap or focus on plot mysteries when fighting, even if the boss is easy. My instinct to destroy as soon as possible - an instinct FFXIII-2 itself placed in me - is too strong.

Haha, yesssss! 100% Map in Academia 500! It wasn't nearly as complicated as I was afraid it would be. Hilariously, I missed one little circle area that I noticed right as I was about to complete the level. I headed back there and made a leap at the area that I totally missed but I guess I got close enough to it anyway so it counted for that 2% I needed. Amazing.

In more Plot relevant news, if us killing Caius is indeed what will destroy the world, and that is what Yeul is warning us about and telling us to stop, she loses a lot of points for being so needlessly cryptic about it. She could just come right out and say it but nooooo. I really hope I'm wrong with my predictions here.

Wow, could the ending be more in your face? Everything is all happy and perfect then Serah dies and then the bells tolling the end of the world happen. Geez.

So Caius was easy, just as I expected. I have no idea what was up with the Bahamuts at the end though. Why the hell was Caius not the final boss?

Caius x Yeul confirmed pretty clearly here as if I needed any more convincing. It was pretty touching though, Caius' heel realization when Noel pointed out Yeul chose to reincarnate to be with him. I did choose "Show Mercy" to Caius but I doubt it matters.

But yep, Serah died as a result of Etro sucking, called it. Also pretty sure I was spot on about killing Caius being the trigger for the end of the world. Goddammit, Yeul, speak more clearly when the fate of reality hangs in the balance. As I promised, minus 5 Respect Points.

Overall, kind of unspectacular ending. Then again, I had some of it spoiled for me already and another bit was pretty obvious. Now it's time to start gathering together the remaining Fragments and Paradox Endings.

I'll hold off my "overall review" until that time.


EDIT:

So they're really going to do this? Not offer a word of explanation about Alyssa's betrayal? I went back and got the Paradox Ending where you refuse the Artefact but all that did was be ridiculously awesome. I love Snow being awesome of course but I wanted some answers about why Alyssa betrayed everyone. I know she apparently will blip out of existence and that's why she did it but why the hell is she blipping in the first place?

I'm not sure what you mean. Only that Yeul "thought that"? What did she think?

And where is the stuff about Alyssa explained?

And man, this game really is Chrono Cross. Got the Paradox Endings and I noticed a theme that all of them have a clear message of "you changed things, you made things worse." Noel kills Caius early, he goes crazy, Serah kills Caius early, dooms the world, defeating Atlas without the device transports Serah and Noel to the hellish war and defeating Royal Ripeness early makes an even bigger flan appear. Only Snow's Time Cop ending was pretty much perfect.

And of course the normal ending is hardly what one could call 'good."

The Serah's Message Fragment was kinda sad/creepy. Future Serah is dead and telling Past Serah about it.

I'm stopping for now but I just looked it up and I was spot on about the other Paradox Endings. Defeat Caius in Oerba and defeat Proto fal'Cie. Those were the other two major plot bosses so kinda obvious. Then it'll only be the Bestiary Fragment I think.