I usually love making theories and coming up with explanations for stuff, but I honestly have no idea what to make of the current situation.
I personally love this sense of unpredictability because it means I can go in with no expectations.
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I usually love making theories and coming up with explanations for stuff, but I honestly have no idea what to make of the current situation.
Even putting my greatly reduced time for such things aside I have to agree with this as due to the whole Ux-stuff intruding everywhere and the atrocious pacing of that game giving barely any tangible information in a reasonable time frame it's gotten hard to make feasible theories. I think there are still things from the original browser Chi that haven't been properly addressed.
Combine this with the hard to grasp worldline-stuff and you are hard-pressed to even find enough solid factual ground to start even base a theory on.
Speaking of "worldlines", what is that exactly anyways? Parallel dimensions? Alternate universes? Different timelines created from meddling too much with time travel? Simple different layers of reality?
Didn't we (as in the community, not specifically us two) already had such discussions with Xehanort already around BBS/DDD times?
"Good guys" and "bad guys" being designations for settings with strictly black and white moral views aside, I'd say the "ends justify the means"-approaches are always a slippery slope and the whole "doing horrible things for the greater good" were in fact truly already done by Xehanort.
Having MoM and/or Luxu operate on a similar mindset would get somewhat boring.
The problem is KH doing too much at once while not explaining, or rather getting people to understand by showing most of these introduced concepts.
These days KH seems to be very much flashy stuff and creating shocking twists for drama points and "wow"-factor rather than any coherency to what is actually happening.
DDD started a valiant effort to at least partly bring things back on track and tie loose subplots from the handheld trinity games back to the main plot even if it was at the same time the introduction of the whole time travel crap, but the whole X-era mumbo jumbo threw everything off the rails again and that shows in KH 3 itself.
I think the core problem with Nomura is that he's prone to let his current favorite interests interfere with his already established universe and characters, the whole "Verum Rex"-stuff is the best example for that alongside the whole UX-stuff with Foretellers, MoM and associated "lore".
Nomura simply wasn't that interested anymore in the things that were built up by KH 1/2, BBS, Days and Coded, at least compared to the X-stuff and all associated new material.
He knew he had to bring the already started stuff to an end but the excitement and eagerness to work with the new things was so great that finishing the old story/saga became working down a checklist instead of actually fleshing it out fully.
Gotta have to agree.
Based on already established story beats from previous games it would have made much more sense to have Merlin and the FF gang call the shots in Radiant Garden from the beginning and serve as guides and secondary support characters like they always did.
Having Ienzo and the mute Dilan and Aeleus there from the start and also as the major RG characters was an out of the blue shot that has no base in the already established story. Why would RG let those involved in its destruction take charge again just like that without any conflict and settling scores?
Would have been much better if the FF gang started out there with Ienzo and co. joining later and doing their thing after they managed to convince the majority that they're now on their side and working to make amends.
Tbh I am quite unsure what to make of Kairi by now. Except for one scene in where she speaks about Naminé it seems everything she is involved with if at all is always only about Sora yet again like she has no agency of her own at all.
I mean we already saw in the first Re:Mind trailer that roxas and riku doesn't get shotlocks, doubt it will change.
@AdrianXXII I noticed that Kairi has a Shotlock like Sora and Aqua and unlike Riku, too! Though I imagine Riku might get one in looks like his new scenario?
And I'd be all for a Destiny Trio attack. They didn't at all get enough love in KHIII (though maybe Nomura's saving that for their reunion in IV), or Riku and Kairi...
Which is unfortunate, since 0.2 had cute Riku and Kairi bonding and that was originally a part of KHIII. Actually, maybe that was the problem: the 0.2 section was supposed to cover the Riku and Kairi stuff, and then when it got clipped off KHIII, Nomura didn't think to really put any more anywhere else. (Okay, to be fair, I think there was some stuff. Like, people complain that Riku didn't seem upset about the Kairi situation at all and I disagree. He was clearly concerned when Sora implied she'd been kidnapped by Xemnas. He had a panicked look on his face, if I recall correctly, and said "You mean something happened to her?" And seemed irritated, to me, when Sora got cut off by Master Xehanort before he could tell him more. And then when Xehanort killed her, he growled and tried to destroy him. And he was also the only one assuring Sora at the end that they'd find a way to save Kairi by going to Master Yen Sid's... but when Sora didn't want to wait for that, he accepted his decision. I think there was a little Kairi caring about Riku too, like her respecting his wanting to be alone on Destiny Islands, and seeming to know that her saving Sora would lead to him rescuing the others--of course including Riku--but I still want more).
Or they're vampires.If there's one thing fiction has taught me, it's that eyes turning red means mind control.
Rather than diving more into her exhaustion, how about the fact that she let her ego interfere with her better judgement and forced Sora out of the battle when she didn't need to? That was completely out-of-character, especially since it was VEN (and the goal of waking him) that motivated her for the vast majority of her exile in the RoD. There's no realistic way she would risk that for something so petty. I get how feeling humiliated can suck, but she could've at the very least been allowed to deal with it gracefully and maturely. That's how an actual Master should be behaving. @Harmonie put it nicely some months back, but risking the well being of yourself and your friends just for the sake of proving your own strength is something Terra would do (which is precisely why he isn't a Master yet). And the fact that she still manages to lose in such an objectively stupid way (barrier and teleportation are literally her most signature moves), just seals how utterly embarrassing the whole thing was and is.That's fair. I think they should've expanded more on Aqua not being battle-ready by any means, but she jumps right into the "Rescue Ven" mission -- Something even Sora points out (twice actually) is weird because she just got back and hasn't recovered. But maybe it's because it's Vanitas, someone she's beaten before, and she went to Castle Oblivion without the intent of fighting anything. It could be argued that her tanking a Dark Firaga was a reflection of her not thinking straight after just getting out, but I'll admit, even I found that kinda dumb. But I suppose it gave a reason for Sora to use the Power of Waking because it was do-or-die there (even though he could've hopped in the ring and took Vanitas out himself).
What I'm hearing is that it was entirely avoidable, and only brought about through means that were contrived and nonsensical. SoD shouldn't even have been there to begin with, and had he not showed up, it's almost guaranteed she wouldn't be seeing what we see in this trailer. That said, it's still totally fair to say that had Blank Points not happened the way it did, Anti-Aqua would've been a more natural conclusion. However, the reality is, that wasn't the case, and hasn't been for years.I think it's also a matter of, "now that we've got everyone, we're gonna go fight Xehanort tomorrow!" and while it wasn't like Xehanort was going to wait forever, I feel like Yen Sid could've made sure everyone was for sure ready to go. (Although knowing Aqua, she would've lied and said she was okay even if he did check in, so... Hm.) In 0.2, even her walking around in the Realm of Darkness was enough to make her start losing her sanity, so Anti-Aqua to me makes sense because that whole situation I think is what would've happened if she hadn't renewed her faith in being saved eventually - it hastened the effect.
She is even more foolhardy when attacking Ansem SoD barehanded in the Realm of Darkness.
She really didn't have any options in terms of how she was supposed to defend AtW, and let's please not pretend like that's her fault (or some sort of "flaw" she has). Aqua arbitrarily got her Keyblade stripped away by the writers solely because they didn't want her to win that fight. There's a reason they never explained how she lost her Keyblade, and that's because whatever explanation they used would've likely been flimsy and utterly contrived. I mean, let's not forget that she literally just stood there and LET SoD shoot her into the abyss. The reality of the situation couldn't be more clear.Excellent point, because she rushed in to fight Ansem without a Keyblade to protect Ansem the Wise. Admirable, but really, really reckless.
Calling Aqua "foolhardy" and "reckless" for fighting SoD till the bitter end when she was left crippled by forces completely out of her control, is demeaning and almost sounds like one thinks she's being incompetent, when in reality, she's merely acting within the extremely limited agency she has left.
Or they're vampires.
Rather than diving more into her exhaustion, how about the fact that she let her ego interfere with her better judgement and forced Sora out of the battle when she didn't need to? That was completely out-of-character, especially since it was VEN (and the goal of waking him) that motivated her for the vast majority of her exile in the RoD. There's no realistic way she would risk that for something so petty. I get how feeling humiliated can suck, but she could've at the very least been allowed to deal with it gracefully and maturely. That's how an actual Master should be behaving. @Harmonie put it nicely some months back, but risking the well being of yourself and your friends just for the sake of proving your own strength is something Terra would do (which is precisely why he isn't a Master yet). And the fact that she still manages to lose in such an objectively stupid way (barrier and teleportation are literally her most signature moves), just seals how utterly embarrassing the whole thing was and is.
What I'm hearing is that it was entirely avoidable, and only brought about through means that were contrived and nonsensical. SoD shouldn't even have been there to begin with, and had he not showed up, it's almost guaranteed she wouldn't be seeing what we see in this trailer. That said, it's still totally fair to say that had Blank Points not happened the way it did, Anti-Aqua would've been a more natural conclusion. However, the reality is, that wasn't the case, and hasn't been for years.
She really didn't have any options in terms of how she was supposed to defend AtW, and let's please not pretend like that's her fault (or some sort of "flaw" she has). Aqua arbitrarily got her Keyblade stripped away by the writers solely because they didn't want her to win that fight. There's a reason they never explained how she lost her Keyblade, and that's because whatever explanation they used would've likely been flimsy and utterly contrived. I mean, let's not forget that she literally just stood there and LET SoD shoot her into the abyss. The reality of the situation couldn't be more clear.
Calling Aqua "foolhardy" and "reckless" for fighting SoD till the bitter end when she was left crippled by forces completely out of her control, is demeaning and almost sounds like one thinks she's being incompetent, when in reality, she's merely acting within the extremely limited agency she has left.
I actually don't disagree with that idea. Though to be more precise, I read that line as more of a bluff to buy herself time and not let SoD catch on to how vulnerable she was. Had he known from the beginning that she was incapable of so much as phasing him without her Keyblade (despite the arguable possiblity that she could've used her magic), the fight would've likely ended far quicker. Or so I would say, if SoD wasn't outmatched by a few regular teenagers and some dusk's the very next time we see him, lol. I'm still curious why the guy who threw people in cages didn't just kill HPO on sight, but it made for funny gag I guess.I admit that 'foolhardy' was not the right word to use and that Aqua didn't really have a choice but to fight keybladeless or just submit. However, I recall she does say 'don't need it' when Ansem remarks she has no keyblade, with, IMHO, a kind of arrogance, masking a sense of desperation and fear.
True, true. Keyblade Master's don't exactly have the best track records when it comes to making stupid mistakes. Maybe I've been holding Aqua to too high a standard? I mean, I never thought of her as infallible, but not so incompetent that she'd fail at virtually every task set up for her. Ya know what I mean? It just felt like a lot of incredible potential pay off was squandered because of this sudden detour. I dunno. It's still a good point nonetheless.Aqua choosing to fight Vanitas alone was not a wise decision, perhaps not befitting a Master (though I think Masters Eraqus and Xehanort make some bad choices too, to be fair).
That scene you referred to was actually another one I had issues with. Aqua tells the group to form up, but then almost immediately says she's going to break formation to try and give the others a path. Which ultimately led to Lea and Kairi (the cannonically green/inexperienced Keyblade wielders) having to talk her out of such a silly idea.But wanting to fight alone could stem from a lingering sense of abandonment she has from being when nobody came to rescue her from the realm of darkness, as Anti-Aqua described. I may be wrong but doesn't Aqua later suggest breaking through waves of Heartless on her own before Yen Sid saves them.
It's definitely better than her just being incompetent for the sake of knocking her off her pedestal, which it still could be, but the idea that her trauma has caused her to become a slightly inferior version of herself is an interesting one. That said, it still sucks to see her regress so far. She was on track for some amazing growth at the end of 0.2 and Blank Points, but we ended up getting the opposite. Which is honestly still really disappointing.Aqua hasn't always shown to make the perfect decisions, but she's generally tried her best with the cards she's dealt. While you're right and usually she'd be more level-headed than that, maybe her being stuck in the Realm of Darkness plays a bigger role in this because if her strength isn't all quite there and is also quite possibly possibly suffering from PTSD, it's not that unbelievable that she may not be of the clearest mind at that particular point in time. She went right into rescuing Ven, and of course it was urgent, but she should've given herself time to recover. Not the most convincing, but ehh... I can see it
Oh, I know WHY SoD went there, but it doesn't explain HOW he knew AtW was alive, how he'd know to search for him in the RoD, how he found them in the RoD (when Mickey and Riku state within the very same game that the RoD is constantly shifting, like a never ending maze), and how he did what he did to Aqua.He went there looking for Ansem the Wise, because of presumably Subject X. Even if he shouldn't have been there, AtW was trapped there with Aqua, and he would've had to leave the Realm of Darkness eventually. Ansem SoD can traverse through darkness because he's a Heartless, and it makes sense that AtW was escorted out because the question before KH3 was, "Where is Ansem the Wise in all of this?" Now we know.
My mistake, I didn't realize I'd made that assumption. Still, one has to ask: is it even possible to be reckless to a fault when you're given such little choice on how to act? Like, I get that it's a classic "right thing to do" vs "smart thing to do", but not acting in that moment would've made her come across as incredibly selfish, cowardly, and dishonorable.I never said it was her fault that she lost her Keyblade. I said it was an admirable but reckless move to fight without it, because it is. But I also never said she had other means to fight either, and that probably was the best course of action. Both can be true, though. We're talking about a being that nearly destroyed the universe all by his damn self PLUS that Guardian Heartless thing that he summons out of him... And Aqua's on his turf. Objectively it's not the best idea, but if it meant living to fight another day, then it's not on her. Plenty of people would've just given up.
Hey man, don't get me wrong. I'm not saying there was zero benefit to be gained from the idea, but.... was it worth the cost, really? And then they didn't even properly flesh the idea out (at least at first), so it really came off like they constructed it at the last second for some makeshift drama and trailer bait. Now that may have not been the case, I don't know, but it hardly did much to justify it's inclusion in my eyes. I'm never going think little of anybody for simply liking the concept; it's just unfortunate that I seem among a minority in terms of disliking how poorly it was constructed. I just wish things could've gone differentlyThey might've wanted her to lose that fight in order for Anti-Aqua to be a thing, but I could see them justifying it with how Aqua was in 0.2. In terms of her being unarmed though... Best thing I could come up with is regarding her Keyblade is when Destiny Islands went back to the Realm of Light, it took the Keyblade along with it (which is why Sora finds it there, on the beach). I completely understand why you dislike the very concept of Anti-Aqua, however.
That is to say, "we're getting everything that should've been in KH3", is a very lofty claim to make considering how little information we actually have, and is based on the preconceived notion that Nomura and Co are properly listening to fans, regardless of how they may have went about it.
If I click on that, I'll be sucked in for days.I'm just gonna leave this here, https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/RedEyesTakeWarning
And this is where Sora gets the wild card, so will there be two now? Will Sora have both? ????I'm still wondering what's up with playable mickey, i doubt they gonna skip this fight in the DLC.
gonna be pretty salty if we play as sora again
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Is it really a lofty claim to make when it appears that they actually did implement fans wishes into the DLC? It's beyond optimism, it's reality. They easily could have not chosen to make visiting the RG gang and Kairi playable and just let Nomura only make the DLC about what he personally is interested in (the Union plot and MoM/Lux mysteries and worldlines). The fact that these weren't initially in the base game clearly spells out that they weren't particularly fervent wishes he was keen on having explored in the game. For it to be true ungrounded optimism would be to expect these features be in the DLC when the trailers didn't showcase them at all. I say this because, however you feel about all of this, credit should be due in this case of them actually listening and caring about their fans enough to take the time to develop and give their fans what they've been clamoring for since the game's release.