306: Disney-Colored Death

[rvdm88]

I am actually really really curious on how Valve would actually cope with the story that has been setup with the loss of Alyx's dad. Will HL3 (ep3) start with Alyx mourning, will it skip ahead, will Alyx be depressed/angry for the entire episode. Will there even be a funeral?
Or will the game start with a cold opening, like a combine invasion continueing and forcing the player to flee a base that is under heavy attack with no time to look at his body or give him a proper send off. And then actually only mention/show/notice the player of eli's death after you have already played a fair portion of the game?

 

[Trishbot]

I recommend folks check out Xbox 360 JRPG classic "Lost Odyssey".

It heavily explores the themes of love, loss, death, rebirth, mourning, and sacrifice. When your main character is immortal, and everyone around him very prone to death, the story looks back on his long life and everything he's held dear that time, fate, and nature cruel stole from him before he was ready.

The end of disc 1 alone is a moving, long, painful, drawn-out, and expertly done funeral where the player actively participates in gathering supplies for the send-off ritual, preparing the body, and preparing to say your final farewells to a certain character. It's gut-wrenching, yet it, for the first time, snaps the hero Kaim from his aloof, cold view of the world and gives me the drive to protect the lives of the ones left behind.

Games need more examples like that.