Is it just me, or are Expansions getting more brutal and depressing every time?

[Hezzlocks]

Do we really NEED someone to die, let alone a major character just to try and create bigger stakes? People are dying everywhere. We may not have seen it happen with our own eyes but it's apparent when you talk to the NPCs and other characters that people ARE dying and in large amounts.

Absolutely agreed on this. The whole Thavnair situation hit home for me *not* because of the onscreen deaths, but because it was becoming extremely apparent what a horrific and hopeless situation it was.

I mean, think about it, especially in the perspective of a Thavnairian. Matsaya, even. Fire is raining from the skies. All around you are monstrous beasts slaughtering everyone in sight. Your beloved leader is dead. You can see friends and family seemingly randomly transforming into monsters and killing those around them. Even the local forces are being torn apart from the inside out because a single transformation in the ranks causes a chain reaction. All the while, the heroes are running around trying to help as many people as possible, but for the most part *arrives too late*.

What a horrific experience that would be. Even knowing that fear and despair are what triggers the transformation, having all of that hitting you in no more than a couple of hours would be devastating, it would be very easy to lose hope. That was the atmosphere YoshiP was going for, and I daresay he nailed it. It isn't the deaths of these random characters that is supposed to affect us. It's the realisation that these deaths are taking a huge toll on the locals and making the situation far worse as a result.

Meanwhile, what would a main character death accomplish? Like, I'm sure YoshiP would make it work, but imo more often than not a main character death is a cheap emotion device. It can be done right, absolutely, but it has to be done carefully and sparingly, else all you do is cheapen the experience. The same can also be said for side characters, but there's a certain mastery in bringing in a side character and making their death appropriately emotional. Haurchefant is a prime example of this.

[Gameovers]

Absolutely agreed on this. The whole Thavnair situation hit home for me *not* because of the onscreen deaths, but because it was becoming extremely apparent what a horrific and hopeless situation it was.

I mean, think about it, especially in the perspective of a Thavnairian. Matsaya, even. Fire is raining from the skies. All around you are monstrous beasts slaughtering everyone in sight. Your beloved leader is dead. You can see friends and family seemingly randomly transforming into monsters and killing those around them. Even the local forces are being torn apart from the inside out because a single transformation in the ranks causes a chain reaction. All the while, the heroes are running around trying to help as many people as possible, but for the most part *arrives too late*.

What a horrific experience that would be. Even knowing that fear and despair are what triggers the transformation, having all of that hitting you in no more than a couple of hours would be devastating, it would be very easy to lose hope. That was the atmosphere YoshiP was going for, and I daresay he nailed it. It isn't the deaths of these random characters that is supposed to affect us. It's the realisation that these deaths are taking a huge toll on the locals and making the situation far worse as a result.

Meanwhile, what would a main character death accomplish? Like, I'm sure YoshiP would make it work, but imo more often than not a main character death is a cheap emotion device. It can be done right, absolutely, but it has to be done carefully and sparingly, else all you do is cheapen the experience. The same can also be said for side characters, but there's a certain mastery in bringing in a side character and making their death appropriately emotional. Haurchefant is a prime example of this.

Some people only want main character deaths so a new character can be put in their place which is stupid and defeats the point. But you're spot on people need to think about whats actually happening on the screen. Simply giving into despair was enough to KILL you. Like think about your worst day in life or hell, just a messed up moment. BOOM you're freaking dead! That's HORRIBLE. But nah we need those main character deaths yo. That's the only way to show how dark it is. :/

[HyoMinPark]

The issue I have with the main cast always having such heavy plot armor is that the final area made this huge deal about their sacrifice so that we could progress—and then it was completely copped out by Y’shtola being like, “Yeah, you can just use Azem’s crystal to bring us back or whatever, but ideally don’t do that even though we all know you’ll be able to anyways”. It completely negated all the big speeches and “deaths”, and I think that could have been rectified by having at least one Scion be irrecoverable. Otherwise it had too much plot armor and lost a lot of significance to me.

[Vatom]

Hey. Hey. Buuuud-di. I got something for you. you don’t need therapy here. here. You like anime, fun times and fantasy. Yeah? (Hands a copy of berserk) Alright just watch the first season that’s all. Don’t worry the cover is misleading. Enjoy

But seriously might need to sort something’s out before playing more I don’t think it would be healthy to continue

[Gameovers]

The issue I have with the main cast always having such heavy plot armor is that the final area made this huge deal about their sacrifice so that we could progress—and then it was completely copped out by Y’shtola being like, “Yeah, you can just use Azem’s crystal to bring us back or whatever, but ideally don’t do that even though we all know you’ll be able to anyways”. It completely negated all the big speeches and “deaths”, and I think that could have been rectified by having at least one Scion be irrecoverable. Otherwise it had too much plot armor and lost a lot of significance to me.

That bit would've been better if it wasn't spelled out for us. But I tend to think about it like the -deaths- were still deaths. Might've been better if they were scarred a bit mentally from it cause they should've. Like if you died and came back you'll be scarred. You wouldn't walk back outside like " AHHH brand new daaaay - If it was that easy PTSD wouldn't be a thing. And that happens in near death experiences. So yeah I do agree with you on that bit.

[Stepjam]

This is certainly the darkest expansion yet. That said, it is the climax of the entire story so far, so it's understandable that stakes are high.

I'd bet good money that 7.0 is a lot lighter in both tone and in stakes. You can't be saving the world/universe every single expansion after all.

[Ama_Luna]

Every day this community makes me curl my lip up at least once.

I don't wanna be mean to you, but I suggest maybe setting up an appointment with a therapist or trying to get some medicine if Endwalker of all things brought you that much distress. It was lazily written and a poor attempt at "dark". Shadowbringers was darker.

Curl your lip? How is that not being rude? This forum. Over and over again. People with issues get treated like literal garbage here. When one "curls their lip" it is most commonly used to show disgust and contempt. I hope you weren't literally trying to express that over someone being upset.

As for the OP, I recommend you stay away from these forums when you're in a stressed state. People tend to be very awful to someone who is sensitive or suffering from something in general. I do feel concerned for how upset the game has made you. I know this sounds obvious, but it's important to remember that the game isn't real, and you can look at some things symbolically. A lot of times we can get too involved in fiction and we need to take a step back and realize we might be overdoing it emotionally, etc.

I don't want you becoming so distraught. It's always good to be emotionally moved in an appropriate way by video games, books, or other things like that, but not to an alarming level. It would be best to take it easy and let yourself calm down some if the game is stressing you out too much. I would recommend a small break and maybe try to get some perspective so you can come back and enjoy the game without it emotionally draining you so much. I hope you feel better

[LittleChickenNugget]

Curl your lip? How is that not being rude? This forum. Over and over again. People with issues get treated like literal garbage here. When one "curls their lip" it is most commonly used to show disgust and contempt. I hope you weren't literally trying to express that over someone being upset.

Yeah, no, it was disgust. This game is tame, the response the OP had to the expansion is... beyond unique. They should work on their real life issues and based on the vast majority of the thread, most people are in agreement over the expansion.

However, I will give you your deserved bonus points for being ever so genuinely sweet and caring to an online stranger.

[Quintessa]

This is certainly the darkest expansion yet. That said, it is the climax of the entire story so far, so it's understandable that stakes are high.

I'd bet good money that 7.0 is a lot lighter in both tone and in stakes. You can't be saving the world/universe every single expansion after all.

Nah, just saving countries and killing deities that are actually evil.

[AziraSyuren]

EW laid it on pretty thick with the despair, to the point where it got emotionally draining at times. That One Scene in Garlemald was legitimately one of the most distressing things I've ever encountered in this game. Everything involving Meteion and the final area was pretty heavy too; less so because of what was happening with the characters, and more because of the themes it was grappling with.

I think the shonen comparison is very apt, but I sincerely adore those kinds of stories so the standard conventions of the genre (such as nobody dying) don't get on my nerves. I find my emotional investment in things other than the stakes, and I think OP does too.

...although, to a much greater extent than I do, that's for sure.