Does anyone else feel like the Pandaemonium story was rushed in Abyssos?

(6.2 spoilers, duh)

Back in Asphodelos, we were given a slower but steadier storyline that set up things but didn't try to get too far ahead of itself. The Abyssos storyline on the other hand, seems to me like it took the Pandaemonium story and rushed it to a conclusion. Yes, I know that the story isn't actually done yet, but it feels like we have accomplished everything that we set out to do, and that the third tier is just going to be figuring out why Pandaemonium is in the aetherial sea)

Asphodelos gave us one area of Pandemonium to explore and took the time to set up things and characters properly. Erichinthos, Themis, and even Hesperos all felt like actual characters in the Asphodelos storyline. Meanwhile, while Abyssos did reintroduce Lahabrea and his other half well enough, it feels like every other new character wasn't really given the proper time they needed. Hegemone literally is just not a character, Agdistis could be any other random NPC and it would change nothing about her, and Athena has the motivation of 'because I wanted to'. While in Athena's case, it is very possible that they reveal her motivation in the third act, I doubt the other two will be receiving that treatment, especially seeing that Agdistis is now dead. Does every character need to have their own cutscene explaining their deepest darkest motivations? No, but at least Hesperos was given the time to have a basic character set up.

But let's say that there was proper character development. The story and raids themselves are still rushed. Asphodelos had four entire raids take place in it, while Abyssos has share its screentime with Tartaros. Asphodelos built up to Hesperos, with said keyward being a major threat we needed to defeat. In Abyssos, we defeat not one, but TWO keywards consecutively, and neither are the last boss or treated as a big threat to be built up to, they just get introduced as the next thing to kill, which we proceed to just do.

I do like the gameplay aspect of each raid, (personally my favorite is P6, which ironically I believe has the worst story in Abyssos behind it) but after going through Asphodelos, I just don't think this part of the raid series should have been this early on. Abyssos itself seems more like an act 3 finale than the middle chapter which is what it should have been. I don't have major issues with the direction the story went, but I think that if the Abyssos story was split up between Abyssos and a third raid tier, (Tartaros) the story would have the time to set up the things it wanted to.

They only ever want to throw curveballs, so they had to wrap up Eric and Lahabread's story so we can be extra surprised next time.

To me it didnt feel rushed but it did feel disjointed from the actual gameplay we get. Like they created a storyline and then went "oh right we forgot to actually add the raid fights so uh.... heres a couple of assistants" before you get to the one that matters.

Obviously Spoiler as well

No, I think it was planned.

Pandemonium, in FF 2, is a location tied to the afterlife. I was actually surprised it took place in Elpis and not the Aetherial Sea. (It's also a location in IX but the themes are completely different)
It was actually a pleasant surprise to see that twist. The story in Elpis was done but not the story of Pandaemonium as a whole.

Let's imagine it was rush, what do you think there would be between? Additionnal Pandaemonium experiments?
Wouldn't it be also lame to just see the big bad and to actually fight it 8 months later? Or perhaps still don't show the big bag and keep it for the last tier?
Eden did so the same way, all elements were rebalanced after E8. There was no twist but a simple "let's wait&see how this goes".

Since it's raiding content, the story is difficult to implement and it has limitations. If I'm not mistaken, Omega had a solo duty but that's as far as they went.

And that twist could lead us to very interesting content.
Maybe justice for Nabriales and Igheyorm?

I just felt the last boss was a bit...random...no pun intended. Really didn't felt epic at all, not even a bit. P4 was way way better, especially the bgm. Like really why an anamnesis anyder remix? I don't get it, it just felt anticlimactic that way.

Proto carbuncle was the true gem tho...again no pun intended!

The story itself is a bit too much family drama for my taste, feels a bit like a badly written and action heavy sitcom with way too much exposition right and left from random characters who die in the next second anyways.

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Originally Posted by Fawkes

They only ever want to throw curveballs, so they had to wrap up Eric and Lahabread's story so we can be extra surprised next time.

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You mean how Lahabread's wife will be the big bad in P12, and inhabiting a crystal similar to his other half?

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Originally Posted by Avatre

You mean how Lahabread's wife will be the big bad in P12, and inhabiting a crystal similar to his other half?

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Don't forget father and son overcoming their weakness together. The son probably dying and Lahabread getting mad and turning into what we know and love, the crazy ascian scientist who gets murdered by a pope with a big eye sword. After he did the merge souls thing that is just to really point out that he used that knowledge in the crystal in the end anyways.

Since there can't be any other outcome than setting Lahabread up for becoming what he is meant to be in our future the plot can't really develop into unforeseen ways. Or maybe Hermes is just throwing Kairos down into pandemonium and we all get amnesia and everything will have no meaning anyways.

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Originally Posted by Ranaku

Don't forget father and son overcoming their weakness together. The son probably dying and Lahabread getting mad and turning into what we know and love, the crazy ascian scientist who gets murdered by a pope with a big eye sword. After he did the merge souls thing that is just to really point out that he used that knowledge in the crystal in the end anyways.

Since there can't be any other outcome than setting Lahabread up for becoming what he is meant to be in our future the plot can't really develop into unforeseen ways. Or maybe Hermes is just throwing Kairos down into pandemonium and we all get amnesia and everything will have no meaning anyways.

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I think the biggest curveball they could possibly throw at us is that Lahabread doesn't have anything from P9-12 actually affect him in any way, and that his wife is actually part of him. The half he removed was him trying to separate their souls and keep her alive...even that is easily foreseen as a possibility.

Probably they went with amamnesis anyder remix because nothing else would really fit fighting the whole lahabrea clone type thing ( not really sure what would be appropriate description for abyssos final boss)

I can see why people see it as rushed, I was surprised by how much actually happened between those four fights, but I do not personally think it was rushed. I thought the character stuff was very well-done and interesting. I preferred it overall then Asphodelos. It will be interesting when we can look back after the Raid Story and see the whole story. That would be the best time to judge how each part went. I still think there is a lot to learn about Athena, though I agree I doubt we will see the Keywards. It could end up that this was perhaps too big a story to tell using the format, but so far I am enjoying it.

I don't think it was at all.

Spoilers

They went to such lengths as to explain why Lahabrea might be so consumed in duty when we meet him.

Having split himself apart, it could explain why he is easier for us to defeat than Emet-Selch.

They have explained why his soul may have room to be merged with Igeyorhm in Heavensward.

I would only think it was rushed if that were the end of the story for those NPC's. They are obviously just setting up the framework for the events leading into the big "wtf" moment for the next expansion, especially with

Pandamoneum showing up in the aetherial sea in the present.

It kind of feels like they are moving towards a cataclysm style event where a lot of things will be different from here on out. People will die. As long as it's not Tataru.

I don't think it was rushed. In fact, I think that while quite a few questions have been answered, quite a few new ones have popped up in their place. For one, I feel that Athena accepted death a little *too* easily, almost like it was all part of her plan. Considering the nature of her experiments, it's possible her spirit has somehow persisted. There's that big blinking eye that was seen in Tartaros after we defeat Hephaistos, which is rather concerning.
I've also noticed that Professor Claudien bears a *very* striking similarity to Erichthonios, leading me to wonder if Claudien could in fact be a sundered fragment of Erichthonios. It's concerning that Pandaemonium popped up in the present at around the same time contact was lost with Claudien; these 2 events are likely somehow connected (although the writers could jebait us with the professor's disappearance by him show up and say he simply misplaced his communication device).
I think with Pandaemonium showing up in the present, and in the midst of the aetherial sea at that, we may learn in the next tier what became of the surviving keywards post-sundering. Don't forget too that since Pandaemonium is now in the aetherial sea, not everyone we may meet in the next tier will be among the living, if Atiascope is anything to go by. That means Elidibus and Lahabrea will definitely show up, as well as Athena since she seems to be the big bad of this storyline. We may also see the keywards we slew, Hesperos and Agdistis, make an appearance as well.

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Originally Posted by Ranaku

I just felt the last boss was a bit...random...no pun intended. Really didn't felt epic at all, not even a bit. P4 was way way better, especially the bgm. Like really why an anamnesis anyder remix? I don't get it, it just felt anticlimactic that way.

Proto carbuncle was the true gem tho...again no pun intended!

The story itself is a bit too much family drama for my taste, feels a bit like a badly written and action heavy sitcom with way too much exposition right and left from random characters who die in the next second anyways.

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It wasn’t random at all imho, plus Anamnesis Anyder remix was there because of the significance of the facility to the seat of Lahabrea if you pay attention go the lore.

With regards to the fight aesthetics, it was a bit underwhelming compared to what we got on E8

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Originally Posted by Hurlstone

I can see why people see it as rushed, I was surprised by how much actually happened between those four fights, but I do not personally think it was rushed. I thought the character stuff was very well-done and interesting. I preferred it overall then Asphodelos. It will be interesting when we can look back after the Raid Story and see the whole story. That would be the best time to judge how each part went. I still think there is a lot to learn about Athena, though I agree I doubt we will see the Keywards. It could end up that this was perhaps too big a story to tell using the format, but so far I am enjoying it.

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i was mega confused at first like "Wait. shouldn't he be the *final* boss of this raid? What's he doing here on the eighth?" im honestly looking forward to what they are gonna do from here. i am BEGGING Soken for a remix of the FF2 Pandaemonium theme ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnMG1cYF4WE ) and i'm kind of expecting to see a boss fight reminiscent of the Lord of Hell.

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Originally Posted by lasagnatesla

It wasn’t random at all imho, plus Anamnesis Anyder remix was there because of the significance of the facility to the seat of Lahabrea if you pay attention go the lore.

With regards to the fight aesthetics, it was a bit underwhelming compared to what we got on E8

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i am almost positive he's gonna be a door boss.

I don't feel like it was rushed, but I don't find it all that interesting either. I might just be having a hard time caring because it's been so long since Lahabrea was relevant.

Odd pattern, but I only seem to like the raid stories in odd-numbered expansions. I loved Alexander, didn't care for Omega, liked Eden well enough, and so far don't care much for Pandaemonium. Not really relevant, I just thought it was amusing.

Crazy theory time:

Lahabrea will die in the next segment, leaving the Hephaistos soul crystal to become the Lahabrea we all know and loathe in ARR. Would explain why he's the weakest of the three Unsundered (he was never a whole soul to begin with), and why he's so fond of body surfing.

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Originally Posted by TheMightyMollusk

I don't feel like it was rushed, but I don't find it all that interesting either. I might just be having a hard time caring because it's been so long since Lahabrea was relevant.

Odd pattern, but I only seem to like the raid stories in odd-numbered expansions. I loved Alexander, didn't care for Omega, liked Eden well enough, and so far don't care much for Pandaemonium. Not really relevant, I just thought it was amusing.

Crazy theory time:

Lahabrea will die in the next segment, leaving the Hephaistos soul crystal to become the Lahabrea we all know and loathe in ARR. Would explain why he's the weakest of the three Unsundered (he was never a whole soul to begin with), and why he's so fond of body surfing.

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There are other possibilities as well. Such as:

Hephaistos' soul merges with Erichthonios. Honestly, i don't trust the way the first half seemed to be tied up with a neat little bow

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Originally Posted by lasagnatesla

It wasn’t random at all imho, plus Anamnesis Anyder remix was there because of the significance of the facility to the seat of Lahabrea if you pay attention go the lore.

With regards to the fight aesthetics, it was a bit underwhelming compared to what we got on E8

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Fitting as it might be for the seat of Lahabread it was still no track that fits the scene tbh. and with random i didn't meant the music at all but also the fight. Just a bit of phoenix here and a bit of that snake lady there and that's it. I mean the boss didn't even had a good design...i can remember every boss from p1-p7 but if i had to imagine how the p8 boss looks like without looking it up i couldn't do it, there was nothing memorable about this fight aside from the cool cages in the background that probably will play a role on savage...but that is it.

The only redeeming feature the fight had was that it is actually hilariously easier and that way faster over than all the previous fights...

The only possible excuse i can think of why this boss is designed as if they made him quick during a coffee break is that maybe just maybe they will go above and beyond on the savage version but i have my doubts there until i see it...

I just want to clarify that Lahabrea being the weakest of the unsundered has nothing to do with what we discovered in Pandaemonium. As Emet himself said, it was because of his fondness to body jump that his soul became weaker and weaker.

And Emet certainly knew what Lahabrea had done with his soul after the drama with Athena, as it was noted during the quest. So, there's no reason to think that he was wrong there.

Rushed? I don't think so. A lot at once? Absolutely. But I actually enjoyed the raid story this time around. I'm hoping that they stick the landing with the final set of raids.

I didn't think it was rushed at all. They've answered some questions along with finally officially confirming some details. I also liked the cliffhanger at the end which just opens up more questions.

It didn't feel that rushed to me, though I was surprised that they wrapped up the father/son thing in this part. It also left me really interested in seeing where they are going to go to finish up the story.

I was expecting a scene where Lahabrea looks at his hard to pronounce named son being tied up and says such devastation was not his intention, then Gaius appears out of thin air to say “Wait!!! Thats my line” but what can you do :(

Not rushed at all, everything was pretty content for me IMO.

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Originally Posted by Jeeqbit

They have explained why his soul may have room to be merged with Igeyorhm in Heavensward.

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I don't think that was the significance of that scene. Rather, it establishes that soul merging was something the Ancients did, and not unique to the Ascians. It works between two unsundered souls; no need to "make room" to fit a second one in.

They've come back to clear up the old line about it being the "true power of the Echo" and I like it.

I feel like the norm for raids is that very little happens the first 2 tiers and then everything explodes and is quickly cleaned up in the 3rd. I actually love that the ball started rolling sooner this time around.

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Originally Posted by Ranaku

Like really why an anamnesis anyder remix? I don't get it, it just felt anticlimactic that way. .

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its the different ascian themes spliced together: Thunderer (ascian boss theme), Without Shadow (general ascian theme) and Shadows Withal (jazzy
ascian theme).

Didn't feel rushed at all. I enjoyed it even though I spoiled the story for myself in the lore subforum... damn me being so nosey with spoiler tags ^_^

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Originally Posted by AwesomeJr44

even Hesperos all felt like actual characters in the Asphodelos storyline.

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Your memory is deceiving you. Hesperos was introduced really quickly in a 30-second flashback exposition and then you fought him. He came out of nowhere and really had no development.

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Originally Posted by Dels

Your memory is deceiving you. Hesperos was introduced really quickly in a 30-second flashback exposition and then you fought him. He came out of nowhere and really had no development.

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I seem to remember him showing up and having a conversation with us before we fought him, as well as a cutscene beforehand telling us what he was like before being a hemitheos. Neither of which occurred for Hegemone.

To clarify, I'm not saying Hesperos was amazing, but he had SOMETHING.

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Originally Posted by AwesomeJr44

I seem to remember him showing up and having a conversation with us before we fought him.

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Correct. He was introduced in the first few moments of the Abyssos storyline and talked about/conversed with on a couple of occasions after, ending with his boss fight and subsequent defeat.