Yeah, the longer I go after I finish the game, the more the problems drag the game down for me. It's really good, but the last chapter really dropped the ball. Have to agree with a lot of what Ghaleon said.
I feel like Dieter was supposed to be a lot like Richard, but didn't quite work out as well, but that could be the rougher translation not allowing for nuance, so the Geofront translation may smooth over that. Doesn't change much for many of the other antagonists, and especially the mastermind. I got spoiled on it being Ian, so was looking out for clues but outside of the optional event to find out about his family's grave, there's nothing there. Then there's him stepping down pretty quickly. Dude killed someone for his plan yet Lloyd was somehow able to convince him. Being so underdeveloped there was no indication of hesitation for it to make sense.
Another character I found myself not being big on was Arios. I have some qualms with him on being a father, not that he's busy trying to support her surgery, but there were a number of times he rubbed me the wrong way I would start saying "why aren't you with your daughter" before everything went down. He also just feels so bland, being the stoic mentor type and that's about it, and his motivation feels like a dime a dozen especially since it feels Ian has the exact same motivation. When that final photo popped up after the credits and you see Arios standing in the background I just went "you're not cool, also go stand next to your daughter you prick". When it comes to swordsman characters with interesting stories or personalities, we got Richard, Cassius and Victor so Arios just doesn't stick for me.
Falcom seems to have a hard time balancing multiple antagonists, where in games like SC and Azure you get some that work quite well (Loewe, Renne, Arianord), and others who are just there and don't really elicit a response from me (Ian, Walter, Wald). It's why as these games continue to get bigger in scale I get more concerned how much I will like the games because it's an impossible balance act after a certain point.
It was a bummer that Estelle and Renne showed up near the very end, even if it was pretty cool how everything went down. I am definitely in the camp that Renne has been the most emotional character journey. Heck, I remember crying just seeing the picture of Renne and Tita in that one scene in CS III that's how attached to the character I am. At least there's more to see of the character in the near future with CS IV. I assume she will be introduced as Renne Bright and if so I will be bawling my eyes out for a while.
For some reason, this image seems appropriate.
I got spoiled on it being Ian, so was looking out for clues but outside of the optional event to find out about his family's grave, there's nothing there.
The entire Nielsen questline is designed to lead you to it, via the information that he helps dig up. Dunno if you did it or not, since it's a chain of hidden quests gated behind the first one and pretty easy to miss.
That reminds me. In Azure, the back door in his building goes upstairs, but in CS3 I recall it goes down to the geofront. I don't remember there being an upstairs, blocked off or otherwise. Am I going crazy?
For some reason, this image seems appropriate.
I got spoiled on it being Ian, so was looking out for clues but outside of the optional event to find out about his family's grave, there's nothing there.
The entire Nielsen questline is designed to lead you to it, via the information that he helps dig up. Dunno if you did it or not, since it's a chain of hidden quests gated behind the first one and pretty easy to miss.
I did do all the Nielsen quests, decided after Zero to just start using guides because especially with older games easy to miss stuff if you don't search every single quarter of the entire game every single time dialogue changes, even less than that. From what I remember there wasn't a whole lot that gives you clues outside the very last one where it's pretty explicit that it's wasn't Joachim or Revache, which we were pretty much told in Zero from what I remember. Even if there are more clues to his reveal than I remember, his overall quality as an antagonist is still pretty weak.
Also, out of curiosity, why do you feel that image is appropriate?
Oh, it was just in response to something I didn't quote in your post. <whistles innocently some more> xD
I WAS going to guess because it represents 'you know damn well what I did but you can't prooove it so neener neener sucks to be you' kind of. But with the latest response guess not. Now I'm guessing something Renne related but dunno.
Yeah, only makes sense if Yotaka is doing that in regards to Renne, since everything else in my post is about specifics in the Crossbell games, unless something happens in CS IV to clarify a problem I had with the Crossbell games.
Now I'm not sure what to think about how Renne will be introduced, but either way I'm looking forward to just having more time with her and Estelle and any interactions they have together. Unless the game really drops the ball I am automatically putting this game above CS II because of those two, because yes, I am that biased and not ashamed.
