The best part of endwalker

[BRVV]

When people in Thavnair paniced, turned into monsters, making them panic more and even more transformed. Then that transformed kid got stomped on. All of that was sad and shocking.

The two girls that would rather run through the cold, being attacked by monsters, than stay with those evil Eorzea people. Plus the suicide of that general(?). Garlemald was a treasure.

[Carin-Eri]

When people in Thavnair paniced, turned into monsters, making them panic more and even more transformed. Then that transformed kid got stomped on. All of that was sad and shocking.

The two girls that would rather run through the cold, being attacked by monsters, than stay with those evil Eorzea people. Plus the suicide of that general(?). Garlemald was a treasure.

Yeah - that part of the story was so upsetting! Atop the part you mention, the scene with Matsya running with the baby..... I was literally sat in the room (alone) saying "Noo! Don't you DARE" to the screen and the relief I felt when Estinien (and Vrtra) appeared and saved them.... also have to credit Matsya's voice actor here - I honestly believed the despair in Matsya's voice during that scene.

As for Garlemald - Its a relatively small moment, but Jullus (at Camp Brokenglass) being handed a cup of soup, seeing the people around him living the moment, playing music, bickering over contributions, and just being 'Human'. "It's the little things that make life worth living", and its especially poignant that it was all from people whom he was taught were 'savages', and he tears up from it. That part was so touching.

[Enkidoh]

Yeah - that part of the story was so upsetting! Atop the part you mention, the scene with Matsya running with the baby..... I was literally sat in the room (alone) saying "Noo! Don't you DARE" to the screen and the relief I felt when Estinien (and Vrtra) appeared and saved them.... also have to credit Matsya's voice actor here - I honestly believed the despair in Matsya's voice during that scene.

I'm glad I am not the only one who had a racing heart in that scene! I was basically pleading to the screen all that time "Oh goddess no, not the child... no, not poor Matsya... no SE, please, don't.." Of course, cue the big hero moment from Vrtra and Estinien saving them, but up that point, I was basically despairing myself...

And before that, when the baby's mother was attacked by the blasphemy, seeing her struggle to hold onto her baby even as the monster snapped her neck and the life drained from her, and then threw them both into the pond.... I simply could not believe what I was seeing, I was basically in tears. I was glad the WoL dived into the pond in a flash without a second thought, but all the time Enki was diving desperately downwards, over and over in my mind, I was going "oh please be alright, please please!" - which sounded increasingly hollow with each passing moment. I knew the mother was already dead, but I was also sure the poor child had perished too.... of course infant immortality was in effect, but they really came close to averting that.

Utterly horrifying, and yet, an amazing scene that is one of my favourite parts of not just EW but the whole game.

[Carin-Eri]

I'm glad I am not the only one who had a racing heart in that scene! I was basically pleading to the screen all that time "Oh goddess no, not the child... no, not poor Matsya... no SE, please, don't.." Of course, cue the big hero moment from Vrtra and Estinien saving them, but up that point, I was basically despairing myself...

And before that, when the baby's mother was attacked by the blasphemy, seeing her struggle to hold onto her baby even as the monster snapped her neck and the life drained from her, and then threw them both into the pond.... I simply could not believe what I was seeing, I was basically in tears. I was glad the WoL dived into the pond in a flash without a second thought, but all the time Enki was diving desperately downwards, over and over in my mind, I was going "oh please be alright, please please!" - which sounded increasingly hollow with each passing moment. I knew the mother was already dead, but I was also sure the poor child had perished too.... of course infant immortality was in effect, but they really came close to averting that.

Utterly horrifying, and yet, an amazing scene that is one of my favourite parts of not just EW but the whole game.

Agreed!

I've watched numerous reaction videos and that part of the game seems to make even the most stoic 'reaction-ists' sit on the edge of their seats!