Quote Originally Posted by Rosenstrauch View Post
Final Zone spoilers:
I did not care at all for the fake out deaths. There comes a point when you foreshadow something too hard and end up spoiling the mood you're trying to set up. Bravo for Hydaelyn for having the forethought to actually enable this reversal of fortune, but the constant reminder that the Scions aren't gone and we can bring them back without issue once we don't need their sacrifices anymore just... gods, I hated it.
It's worth pointing something out something you didn't mention on this one.

Remember that, while we have that Chekhov's Gun sitting in our back pocket, we also have that moment of Y'shtola telling us specifically not to use it. While the Scions being reduced to soul energy is treated as a solvable problem, it's not one with a known solution, since Y'shtola points out that using Azem's crystal for that would render the entire effort worthless (and probably kill them, since... you know, Thancred's sacrifice is the reason the air is even breathable there).

So it becomes a question of 'yes we know it will happen, but we don't know how'. And personally that works for me, I do love a good moment of the hero(es) having to get clever.


And on the main thing you don't like... personally it initially worked for me, but I can understand why it doesn't for you.

Again, it was sort of a question of 'I know this fight will happen, but I don't know how'. They'd kind of run out of prominent allies for us to call on at this point! But the sheer audacity of Zenos turning up, actually having had some form of character growth (albeit not much), and giving a moment of dumb fanservice for the villains? Yeah, that actually works (albeit in part because he's in Shinryu's form, and Shinryu is cooler than Zenos).

It actually holds up in the music, too. The first phase is the villains' time for a big fanfare, with The Worm's Tail, Ultima, Heroes, and Invincible. And in a weird way... yeah, they are all there! Thordan's influence is a little tangential, but either the boss themselves or an element from them are all involved.

I didn't like the final Zenos fight, and I wish I actually got the option to just leave like he said, but I'll give Zenos credit: there was exactly one scene in the game where I was happy he was there, and it's then.