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

[Jeeqbit]

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.

[Darthgummibear]

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.

[Tamaerl]

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.

[lasagnatesla]

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.

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

[Jason_Ashford]

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 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.

[Jason_Ashford]

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

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

[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.

[Jason_Ashford]

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.

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

[Ranaku]

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

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...

[Yshnal]

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.