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galemasters · 2 months

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So, the Version 4.5 Special Program didn't have any hints that Chiori was a ninja, although they were unusually secretive about the events of her Story Quest. Chiori's Character Teaser is a different story.

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On the surface, the video is about Chiori dealing with a snotty customer. There are a couple of things that are worth noting.

For one, in the flashback, Chiori was chided by her mentor for keeping a Tenryou Commission official waiting. Chiori gives her mentor the excuse that he was last in line, but her mentor disowns her regardless.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Chiori being a ninja at all. So, what gives?

While the video implies that this has something to do with tailoring by starting with the snotty customer demanding that Chiori tailor his suit, they never say what the official is there for, what Chiori is supposed to be doing, or what she is being mentored in.

This could be to avoid unnecessary details. If it turns out that Chiori is just a tailor, I will accept that.

But as soon as the video establishes how repelling this customer is by having him shout that his business meeting is more important than a wedding, what does Chiori do?

Throw shears like a knife.

Twice. With pinpoint accuracy. She damages his suit without leaving a scratch on his body.

Chiori being trained in self-defense so she can deal with unruly customers as an outsider in Fontaine makes sense, but that level of skill with throwing knives is improbable.

She then threatens to murder this man with a real knife. The conversation she has with Chevreuse afterwards implies that this is routine for her and she didn't actually intend to kill him, but that doesn't make it any less brutal.

This comes across less like a teaser for a tailor and more like one for a retired assassin.

Theory: Chiori was a member of the Shuumatsuban

Genshin isn't a game which shies away from having playable characters that are just guys, in spite of the ludonarrative dissonance involved. You have people who have blatantly never been anywhere near a battlefield mowing down hilichurls in droves. This is what makes Chiori interesting.

Chiori is a fashion designer who is also a stone cold badass. Her cynicism and world-weary demeanor suggest someone who has experienced hardship, and she's more than capable enough to physically throw troublemakers out of her boutique. Meanwhile, Charlotte has been tied up and thrown into the lake by a gang of criminals before. There's no need for Chiori to be so tough. Xavier did suggest that being a foreigner has made life hard for Chiori in Fontaine, but then again, we don't know why exactly she left Inazuma in the first place. Maybe it's because she had a Vision around the time of the Vision Hunt Decree... Or maybe she was a spy who was nearly outed and had to skip town to avoid implicating the Kamisato Clan.

I mean, think about it. While Chiori did claim that she doesn't moonlight as anything if the player took the chance to ask her in the Roses and Muskets event, that's exactly what a spy is supposed to say. Not only that, she was speaking in the present tense. Technically, it's true, and you were to look into her activity in Fontaine that's exactly what you'd find. But that says nothing about what she was before she came to Fontaine.

Chiori has all the skills a spy needs. She's capable of saying one thing while meaning another, she has a sharp wit, and more importantly, she gathers intelligence for the Special Security and Surveilance Patrol. Not only that, designing costumes is a part of spy work. Chiori's work on the Two Musketeers film demonstrated some skill in making disguises, in addition to designing fashionable clothing, as she identified correctly that Chevreuse would have a much easier time acting as an innocent older sibling than Ayato. While she does know the Inazuman tailor Ogura Mio personally, this could be because she needed someone to teach her to make costumes.

You might say that it doesn't make a whole lot of sense for Chiori to be childhood friends with Ayaka, given how professional the Shuumatsuban is. Sayu is very much an outlier. In reality, part of the reason why Chiori was likely a ninja is because it's even more unlikely that a member of Inazuma's artisan class would be childhood friends with Ayaka. Ayaka lacked friends because of her social class, which made it difficult to connect to others her own age. Ayaka mentions in her Story Quest that when she exited her estate, she was accompanied by family and staff. This makes it unlikely that Chiori would even have the chance to strike up a conversation with her. If she was part of the staff, that explains how she got to meet Ayaka and Ayato.

#genshin impact #genshin impact theory #chiori #Youtube

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galemasters · 3 months

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A major contention of mine is that Elincia is not a lord because the grand majority of Part 2 is about Geoffrey and Lucia fighting in her name without her being directly involved. She's the central character of Part 2 and a main character, but not the hero in the way Micaiah and Ike are at different points of the game.

The flipside of that is if there was more communication between Elincia and her retainers, this wouldn't be the case at all. I think IS just didn't want her to be and that's why they pretended she was indecisive and had Tibarn lead the third group in Part 4. I think they were scared of departing from tradition too much and giving the Nyna archetype a real presence. They tried to cast Elincia as an indecisive leader because they were scared of making her anything else and failed.

Elincia Was Not Too Hesitant to Act

I love the Tellius games. I think the writing for the Fire Emblem series as a whole peaked in the Tellius duology. There's a lot of nuance and tiny details and characterizations and depth and layers to every character. However, this does not mean that the games are perfect or beyond criticism.

And one such criticism I have is the message they try to sell in Radiant Dawn Part 2. I am not buying it. Spoilers below the cut.

In Part 2 of Radiant Dawn, we see how being ruler of Crimea is working out for our fair Queen Elincia. The last time we saw her in Path of Radiance, she was filled with self-doubt and worried about her ability to rule as she was never raised to rule and kept secret from the public, so her coronation as queen of Crimea is a big step for her.

Ike stayed on as a member of the royal court for a while, but dips out 6 months prior to the events of Part 2 because he's only causing her more grief than he is providing support now and he goes back to the simple mercenary life he loves.

Bastian has also left her side, citing sightings of the Black Knight returning in Daein and wanting to get a good understanding of Ashnard's "son," the new King Pelleas. He is lying to her, which I'll go into later. So it's only Elincia and the children she was raised alongside, her knights Geoffrey and Lucia, in the courts.

And the nobles do not respect Elincia at all. They disparage her at every chance they get, they blame her for Bastian wanting to go scope out Daein because she lets him go because he tells her, as her advisor, that it's the best idea. They chastise Lucia and Geoffrey for trying to defend her. Generally, you get the idea why Ike had to leave, he probably kept calling them out until he was blue in the face and then some.

Leanne comes looking for Ike, and he's disappeared into the wind, and then Elincia gets word from Nephenne, Brom and Heather from Ohma that one of the nobles, Duke Ludveck, is attempting a coup based on what the recruiter said. Elincia sends Lucia to Ludveck's territory, under the guise of showing Leanne around Crimea's best orchard region, to gather some more information. Lucia finds proof that Ludveck is trying to start a civil war/insurrection, and brings that back to Elincia, who then sends Geoffrey and the Crimean Royal Knights to arrest Ludveck. Elincia privately despairs to Leanne that she never wanted to be queen, she never wanted to deal with these problems, the burden of having to act against her own people is too much for her to bear.

There's some political espionage, Ludveck had a decoy force at his castle and attacks Elincia in her safehouse in Fort Alpea, and Elincia bests Ludveck, captures him, and then says he needs to be executed for treason. Ludveck says she should make him king instead, as she's too indecisive and feeble to be queen, she took too long to stop him plotting under her and that's weakened her authority in Crimea, and to force her hand, he says that he captured Lucia. His forces will execute Lucia unless she releases him and promises to pass her crown to him. Elincia refuses, Lucia is about to be killed but Ike and the Greil Mercenaries swoop in to save the day to save Lucia. Elincia resolves to be more decisive in the future.

So what is my problem with this plot? Well, let's review the chapter count of Part 2, it's very short.

Prologue - Elincia finds Begnion wyvern riders attempting to capture Leanne and intervenes immediately

Chapter 1 - Nephenne, Brom, and new recruit Heather fight their way out of Ohma to warn Elincia directly

Chapter 2 - Elincia sends Lucia to find solid evidence that Ludveck is a traitor

Chapter 3 - Lucia comes back with proof and Elincia sends Geoffrey to arrest Ludveck

Final Chapter - Elincia fights Ludveck

Please tell me where Elincia was indecisive, failed to take action, dwadled, or let the insurrection just grow. As soon as she finds out that it's happening she goes to get evidence, and then as soon as she has the evidence, she orders for Ludveck to be arrested. She immediately refuses to hand Ludveck the throne.

Ludveck: So I take it you understand everything now? And considering Lady Lucia’s life is on the line, you haven’t much choice. Now, let’s have you free me from this prison cell, and then we can discuss any further details… Elincia: I don’t think so. Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-F, Elincia's Gambit Extended Script Translation from Serenes Forest

No hesitation. None. Even in the prologue where she fights and kills Begnion forces intruding on her home, trying to enslave Leanne, no hesitation.

Elincia: Begnion dracoknights… You will only be warned once. Leave this area immediately! I serve the queen of Crimea. Trespassers on Crimean territory will be dealt with. No exceptions. Zeffren: The queen, she says! The very queen that relied on us, the Begnion Empire, to free her nation. Imperial dracoknights are not frightened by soldiers so weak as Crimean pegasus knights. Listen up! Leave those two alone. It’s the Serenes maiden we want. Do not allow her to escape! Elincia: …Looks like we’ll not talk any sense into them. I suppose we have no choice. Sir Nealuchi! We’re here to help you! [Elincia attacks Zeffren] Zeffren: You… You Crimeans seriously believe you can withstand the might of Begnion?! Elincia: Crimea takes this sort of encroachment seriously. We will not overlook invaders in our domain. Release your weapons, and apologize for your discourtesy… Only then will we lower our own. Zeffren: You have quite a mouth on you… I won’t be addressed in that tone by anyone. It’s time to end this farce. Radiant Dawn, Chatper 2-P, On Drifting Clouds

Like yes, she offers diplomacy and a chance for them to stand down, but the story and Ludveck would have you believe that she's so crippled by hesitation that she wouldn't take action. Ludveck says "you were too hesitant and too concerned about harming the people" in stopping the civil war decisively to be a strong ruler.

What the hell else was she supposed to do? Elincia never caught wind of the rebellion until the beginning of Chapter 2, and then what was she supposed to do? Take the word of three villagers that there was some random unknown man they didn't even bring in with them recruiting for a rebellion for Duke Ludveck? Like I love Nephenne, Brom, and Heather as much as anyone else, but if she had just arrested and executed Ludveck based on that information she'd be a tyrant, the other nobles would never trust her and could possibly turn against her too. Getting proof was not a sign of hesitation. Sure, she says she'd like to attempt diplomacy first instead of immediately resorting to the sword, but as soon as she says that, a soldier runs in and says Ludveck is preparing to attack and Elincia realizes the time for negotiation is over and authorizes an immediate attack.

Lucia: As we suspected, Lord Ludveck is intent on rebellion. His followers are spread across the land, inciting insurrection. We have the documents to prove it. Geoffrey: Queen Elincia, I stand ready to defend the realm! I will lead the Royal Knights into Felirae, and we will seize the duke! Elincia: I am hesitant to resort to the sword without at least attempting diplomacy. At all costs, I must stop the people of Crimea from fighting one another. [A Crimean soldier rushes in] Crimean Soldier: Your Majesty! News from the countryside! Duke Ludveck has assembled an army and announced his intentions against you! The rebellion in Felirae is growing quickly! Elincia: I see… Lucia: He must have realized that his operations were no longer a secret. Your Majesty, we have no time to waste. We must stand against this, for the future of Crimea! Elincia: …I understand. Geoffrey, leader of the Royal Knights… I hereby authorize the use of military force against the rebel army! Geoffrey: Yes, Your Majesty. At once! Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-2, Tides of Intrigue

Does a few seconds warrant Ludveck's criticisms? Is that a failure of Elincia, for taking a moment to say she wants to try diplomacy first?

Ludveck: Exactly, Your Majesty. If you truly had the power to quell the civil war… As long as I could affirm that, even if I were executed as a traitor, I would have no regrets. But, no, you were too hesitant and too concerned about harming the people… Now look what has happened. Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-F, Elincia's Gambit Extended Script Translation from Serenes Forest

No, the real reason it took Elincia so long to act is because Bastian, Lucia and Geoffrey failed in their roles for her. All three of them had known that this was underway for a while.

Elincia: I see… So, that’s what’s going on. Thank you for bringing it to my attention. I’m very sorry your village was affected by this. You have my sincere apologies. Brom: Oh, no, Your Majesty. We don’t need no apology. We’re just happy we could help. Geoffrey: Lucia… Brom’s story confirms what we’ve suspected all along. Lucia: Yes, as we thought. Duke Ludveck of Felirae is firing up a rebellion. We should have seen it coming. To be honest, Queen Elincia, there have been a number of indications that something like this was under way. We’d hoped to uncover something more tangible than hushed rumors… I should have told you sooner. Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-2, Tides of Intrigue

They've suspected it. They've known it. They're not surprised when the Ohma villagers tell Elincia about it, which is the first time she ever hears of this going on. Lucia apologizes for keeping it from Elincia because she was waiting for more proof. If Elincia had known about this sooner, she could have acted sooner. She would have acted sooner, by how she immediately sends Lucia to gather evidence.

But worst of all is Bastian. Bastian not only knows that this is happening, he is so certain his absence would set things into motion that he hires Ike and the Greil Mercenaries to step in and assist at the last minute if things go as he expected. Does he warn Elincia of what might happen while he was gone? No. Not only that, but Bastian isn't even going to Daein to see if the new king is going to be friendly to them. He's going to Daein to get Izuka to force Izuka to cure Renning, even though Bastian has known all along for years that the herons could have cured Renning. Why does he go this route?

[エリンシア] ユリシーズ、あなたはいままでどこにいたのです？▼ 突然、連絡を絶ってしまって… とても心配していたのですよ。▼ [ユリシーズ] デインにて…… 長く探っていた”鍵”にめぐり合いまして。▼ それ故、表より姿を消し、策謀を巡らしておりました。全てはクリミアの未来のために……▼ Radiant Dawn, Chapter 4-5, Unforgivable Sin Extended Script

In the Extended Scripts (JP Only script locked to Hard/Manic Modes), Bastian explains that he is looking for a "key" to Crimea's future in Daein while working in secret, which is later revealed to be that he wants Izuka, former advisor of King Pelleas of Daein, cure Renning. This despite the fact that he could go to the herons the entire time, and eventually winds up going to the herons in the end anyway. While never talking to Elincia about any of this. The only justification for this is that Bastian is in love with Renning and Bastian is worried that Renning will die if he is cured through heron galdr, as Rajaion did, and Bastian's emotions get in the way of his reason. The best and most charitable explanation I can give Bastian saying that Renning is the key to Crimea's future, to the point he's left Elincia alone since before Part 2 begins when she really could have used his help, is that he hopes that Renning's support will make Elincia's rule more stable, but it's never explained why Bastian believes Renning is the key to the future or why Bastian doesn't go straight to the herons, so your guess is as good as mine.

But that still doesn't excuse the fact that he hires mercenaries to rescue Elincia without ever warning Elincia himself. He either doesn't believe in her himself, which him saying that Renning is the future of Crimea kind of hints towards, or he is just leaving the the queen of the country in the dark because he thought his plan was best. Either way, unforgivable.

None of Elincia's most trusted people, the people she relies on for advice and counsel, gives her a single hint of a warning of the information they have, even if it is only rumors. Elincia should have been told.

Is Elincia young and naïve? Yes. Ludveck's criticisms that she's too trusting, that it is too easy to assassinate her, or poison her food or drink are 100% valid. I'll even agree with his point about her letting the fleeing rebels leave after she captures Ludveck in the final chapter, they absolutely should be arrested and punished for treason. Maybe not killed, but punished.

But that she is too hesitant to act to quell the rebellion? No. Bastian, Geoffrey, and Lucia keep vital information from Elincia. That the civil war gets so far is on them, not Elincia. Elincia always takes the correct next step for her based on what she knows and what they know after finding out about it. Now, for all Ludveck knows, Bastian and the others found out and told Elincia from the start and the inaction was on Elincia, because why wouldn't they keep the queen informed, so he can say what he believes to be true. But the fact that Elincia believes him, the fact that no one calls out the three of them for what they did wrong, is a failure of the writing.

Elincia: Yes, that’s true. It’s for the same reason that, once I knew of the rebels’ movements… I didn’t immediately make any decisive orders. Radiant Dawn, Chapter 2-F, Elincia's Gambit Extended Script Translation from Serenes Forest

If they wanted me to believe that message, they would have needed to add another chapter into Part 2, not that Radiant Dawn needs to be any longer, ideally making Chapter 3 deal with her attempting diplomacy and hesitating to act (maybe they set up a place to talk that gets attacked and she still doesn't authorize an attack on Ludveck), and then Chapter 4 being Geoffrey's Charge when Ludveck mobilizes his army.

However, as it stands, Elincia hesitating to take action is completely absurd.

#fe9/10 #tellius #fe10 #fire emblem #fire emblem radiant dawn #radiant dawn #Elincia

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galemasters · 3 months

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give me a ds game and i'll tell you how i'd remake/master it for modern hardware. if you have a favorite ds game that got a lackluster rerelease, i wanna see if i can do one better

#game design #etrian odyssey

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galemasters · 3 months

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Etrian Odyssey. The first two DS games (which used largely the same mechanics) got a remake on the 3DS, but the selling gimmick of those games was that they introduced named preset characters in a series where a large part of the appeal was team building. Also a big part of the series premise and a potential reason why it's taken so long for us to get a sixth game is an in-game map you draw, which is why these games were DS titles. I think it would be an interesting challenge to adapt these games to modern consoles.

give me a ds game and i'll tell you how i'd remake/master it for modern hardware. if you have a favorite ds game that got a lackluster rerelease, i wanna see if i can do one better

#sorry for editing this a few times

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galemasters · 4 months

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In today's news: Chiori dual wields swords.

Theory: Chiori was a member of the Shuumatsuban

#genshin impact #genshin impact theory #chiori #fontaine #genshin inazuma

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galemasters · 4 months

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Theory: Chiori was a member of the Shuumatsuban

#genshin impact #genshin impact theory #chiori #roses and muskets #fontaine #genshin inazuma #kamisato clan

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galemasters · 4 months

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Posting this iconic piece of media that I just NEVER found online isolated except in an archived reddit thread

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galemasters · 4 months

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Wonder what Joseph Manno's response was to the OGL debacle

#pathfinder #aged like milk #pathfinder 2e #he's not even right #pathfinder 2e is absolutely less complex than 1E #just moreso than D&D 5e #also fwiw i recognize that pathfinder 2E probably still won't manage D&D 5e sales numbers #but the idea that paizo publishing 5e-compatible material is in their best interests is blatantly not true #it's more economically viable to position themselves as an alternative and they know it

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galemasters · 4 months

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Apologies. I would have left it alone but I was replying to the reply, which was by a friend of mine.

its been so long since ive done any fire emblem meta commentary but here i go (ranting about micaiah incoming)

people have for years come at me with "uhmm micaiah is a good person ackshually" no what makes her so interesting as a protagonist is that she isnt. she straight up says "If that's what it takes to be just, then I want nothing to do with justice. I'd rather be hated and feared like Mad King Ashnard. I'd rather the dark god take my soul. I'm going to save my people, Sothe. If the rest of the world paints me as a beast to be reviled and hated, so be it.”

she is, on paper and beyond, willing go to any lengths for daein including committing atrocities against anyone who's against daein, even when daein is in the wrong (which is usually is lol). and she does.

sure she feels bad about it but that doesnt make her a better person than say soren (who to be clear is also not a good person) who is openly willing to go to the same lengths if needed. micaiah stands for a country thats straight up racist and bloodthirsty towards innocents just bc those same bloodthirsty racists are nice to her and revere her.

and she enjoys that reverence (see: her conversation w/ sothe where she expresses terror over losing the people's adoration of her if they find out she's branded).

of course theres a degree of murkiness even then because to a point you can see her justification - as far as she knows, everyone in daein will die if she doesnt support begnion's racist-ass campaign against the laguz. so there is some understandability to her course of action even while its still, when you weigh out the options, largely wrong (imo and debatable [do not debate me on this i dont care what u think lol]).

anyway micaiah being morally questionable despite her ostensible "kindness" is, again, what makes her so interesting and what makes radiant dawn so compelling. to have a protagonist who can be kind in manner and feeling but also amoral in action is fun!! she does not have to be a "good person," she makes it clear she doesnt even care about being a good person. and in fact its more interesting that she's not.

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galemasters · 4 months

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A non-credible "fact" from Bulbapedia

So, Bulbapedia, in essence, describes Mythical Pokémon as cryptids.

Mythical Pokémon (Japanese: 幻のポケモン Illusory Pokémon) are a group of Pokémon seen so rarely in the Pokémon world that some question their very existence with some even going so far as to worship them as deities.

I've bought into this narrative for a long time, as it DOES rather handily explain why the creator of the universe being a Pokémon isn't a big deal, but the source they cite for it says NOTHING about this.

They cite an archived post from the Pokémon website, which I've helpfully shoved into Google Translate for you.

All this says is that Mythical Pokémon, including Mew, Shaymin, Keldeo, and Victini, are not available through normal play and are traditionally acquired through real world events. It says nothing about the lore behind these Pokémon.

I've considered making a discussion post about this, but I honestly kind of hate Bulbapedia, as it seems impossible to make any changes there. It's good to know that there's no real source for the Mythical Pokémon=cryptids idea.

I'll probably still headcanon it as such, though, because again, Arceus be weird.

Also, in case you want the original Japanese, here you go.

#pokemon

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galemasters · 4 months

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And it's all encapsulated in a funny, memorable acronym that can be taken out of context and get some laughs in the right circles

If you want your fantasy setting to be focused on human conflict, remember; no GENDER:

G - Gods E - Elves N - Nukes D - Demons E - Earth R - Resurrection

#fantasy #writing tips #you're welcome #worldbuilding

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galemasters · 4 months

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Stories can be focused on human conflict while featuring all 6 of these elements, but they're often a quick shortcut to avoid having to tell stories about humanity, so taking them away can force a worldbuilder to be more creative

If you want your fantasy setting to be focused on human conflict, remember; no GENDER:

G - Gods E - Elves N - Nukes D - Demons E - Earth R - Resurrection

#fantasy #writing tips #worldbuilding

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galemasters · 4 months

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Explanation: * Gods, or entities equivalent to gods, tend to lack moral complexity and often overwhelm human interests * Elves, and other non-human anthropomorphic creatures, can more easily be pigeonholed into an archetype than humans * Conflicts tend to stop being about anything other than survival when you throw in WMDs, magic or not * Inherently evil creatures lack the complex motivations humans are supposed to have, and therefore there is frequently no choice but to stop them * Isekai stories almost overwhelmingly focus on the protagonist, taking away from the development of other characters, and Earth tech introduced into a fantasy setting typically violates the "No Nukes" rule * Being able to bring back the dead has a severe impact on what kind of threats can be introduced and pushes human threats to the sidelines

If you want your fantasy setting to be focused on human conflict, remember; no GENDER:

G - Gods E - Elves N - Nukes D - Demons E - Earth R - Resurrection

#fantasy #writing tips #worldbulding

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galemasters · 4 months

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If you want your fantasy setting to be focused on human conflict, remember; no GENDER:

G - Gods E - Elves N - Nukes D - Demons E - Earth R - Resurrection

#fantasy #writing tips #worldbulding

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galemasters · 4 months

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How Gunvolt lost its muse, literally and figuratively

So, if you're a Mega Man fan, you've probably at least heard of the Azure Striker: Gunvolt series, which is a spiritual successor to Mega Man Zero by the developer of those games, Inti Creates. The gameplay is fairly well-received, as a score attack focused side scroller with a speed running mode. The narrative, on the other hand, has often been decried as a rehash of Mega Man Zero, except replace "androids" with "psychics".

This take, I feel, is at least partly based on those who had played the game when it first come out and no longer cared about it, because if you had played the initial release you absolutely would have left with that impression. The thing is, that's because the original localization bastardized the whole thing. It was a very unfaithful translation which also cut out a lot of dialogue, namely the stage chatter and, most importantly, the slice of life snippets that could be accessed from the stage select menu. This meant that the primary theme of the game was lost.

In the original localization, the fact that you had to collect jewels for Joule in order to get the true ending seemed like a silly pun, but it's not just that. The game starts with Gunvolt rescuing and adopting her for a reason. She is the spiritual center of the game, not merely a gameplay mechanic to justify how Gunvolt can come back back to life powered up on defeat. Those slice of life snippets helped build up Gunvolt's relationship with Joule. The jewels you collected for her were used to create a necklace that blocked a bullet, allowing Joule to bring Gunvolt back when all seemed lost. This is because everything Gunvolt does is to protect Joule. She is his muse. The "humans vs. Adepts" plot is ultimately just a framework for this very relationship-focused narrative, which is quite different from Mega Man Zero. Zero had relationships, true, but the narrative was very much about the human-Reploid conflict and the role Zero played in it.

The sequel continued this. Joule is now just a ghost, and Gunvolt is hung up on this, but still inspired by her to keep pushing forward. Of course, the sequel also made Gunvolt's rival Copen playable. Copen actually has a muse of his own: his biological sister, Mytyl. In the ending, it's revealed that Mytyl was the original muse whose Joule's powers come from. Joule merges with her, so Gunvolt and Copen's final battle is over the Muse, as a singular entity. Regardless of who wins, they ultimately decide to let her have what she always wanted: a normal life. This devastates them, but it does mean that rather than Gunvolt or Copen getting a happy ending, the Muse does. This is because the Muse is the main character, not merely a damsel in distress to be stuffed in the fridge.

So, in that case, how do future games follow up on that? In Copen's case, his spinoff games are part of an alternate timeline. Additionally, the first spinoff game of his really is about the human-Adept conflict, and rightly so given that Copen's fatal flaw is his bigotry towards Adepts. For these reasons, I won't dwell on it. That said, they do manage to incorporate the idea of the Muse into the plot by revealing that Mytyl has been transformed into a monster, forcing Copen to put her down. The second spinoff takes place in an entirely different setting, weirdly enough, and has very little to do with the human-Adept conflict or the Muse.

As for the third mainline game, Gunvolt 2 ended on a cliffhanger. Gunvolt's mission control was revealed to have plans involving Mytyl. I was admittedly a little nervous about how they might follow up on that. Gunvolt 2 was effectively the end of the Muse's arc. Why take away their happy ending? So, I was hoping that Gunvolt 3 would find a way to make those plans not end Mytyl's normal life, or else do something different.

Gunvolt 3 actually did nothing with this cliffhanger. Instead, it's revealed at the beginning of the game that Gunvolt's powers spiraled out of control, causing him to almost kill the character that was set up as his future love interest in the previous game, Quinn. Out of fear, he turned himself into the evil mega corporation from the first game, Sumeragi Group, whose goal is to control Adepts, and was sealed away for several decades until his power grew to the point that a shrine maiden with purification powers was forced to step in. Now Gunvolt helps the shrine maiden purify other Adepts whose powers are driving them mad.

"Great!" You say. "That's something different!" Except... no, they actually just brought in a counterpart to the Maverick virus from the Mega Man franchise, the one thing from that series Gunvolt was lacking. Gunvolt's narrative actually became even more of a Mega Man rehash. The Muse technically returns as a sort of program that achieves sentience as a result of Gunvolt's influence, but here she plays almost no narrative role and is just there for the returning gameplay mechanic. Additionally, the bad guys have a muse, of sorts, but she's not really all that important, and instead just the MacGuffin that the bad guys are using to try and brainwash everyone like they wanted to with Joule in the first game.

In essence, while I would disagree that the first two games were just a Mega Man Zero rehash narratively, the third game is and it makes me sad.

#azure striker gunvolt #gunvolt 3 #on writing

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