So I played through the penultimate chapter of Xenoblade 2. It's arguably a microcosm of the game, in that, not for the first time, some of the best and worst material is present, sometimes within mere minutes of each other. So on that note:
-Why is Amalthus trying to stop Malos from destroying the world, since his motivation is pretty much the same? Sure, his motivation is coming from a slightly separate place, but it's already been established that Malos is the way he is because of Amalthus's original influence. I've checked the wiki, and can't find any answer, so am I missing something here?
-So, I'm almost certainly reading way too much into things, but like poetry rhyming, and knowing what's further up ahead, there's a kind of symmetry in events here that I don't imagine is entirely coincidental. For instance, prior to Klaus destroying Earth, Radamalthus was under attack by the Saviourites, so cue a space battle with angel-like ships and all that. Now, over 4000 years later, the same space elevator is the site of a battle again, only with titans instead of ships, with one side seeking control of the World Tree (technically) and the other trying to stop them. Also adds to things that the artificial Blades used by Torna resemble the original angel-esque ship designs, and there's a stark contrast between their more clockwork-like appearance and the mechs that are still active inside the World Tree. In other words, "same shit, different day," only arguably it's a form of regression considering that Alrest doesn't match the technology of the original Earth.
-Of course, this is a JRPG with anime influences, so of course the Tornan warship is going to transform into a giant mech and fight a giant titan, and other titans are going to come around and...y'know what, fine. Whatever. I could make Attack on Titan or Godzilla jokes, but I really can't be bothered. Nor am I particuarly bothered about Mik dying, because he's hardly been a character, and the thing with Petroka was more creepy than endearing.
-So I get up to Jin as a boss, and...well, I'm not sure how many tries it took me to beat him, but I was up until around 2:30 last night just to beat the bastard. If Jin & Malos is the hardest boss in the game, then Jin by himself is the second hardest. Which is ironic, because considering you face Amalthus right after him, and I beat that guy in about 5 minutes...yeah. I don't know if it's down to the game or me, but something screwy is going on with boss progression.
-Concerning the story stuff here, whoo boy, got lots to talk about. For starters, Jin. Now that Jin's dead...I'm sorry, game, but I still don't feel that sympathetic for Jin. More sympathetic than I was chapters back. Honestly, at this point, I don't think Jin really believed in Malos's goals, or really in anything by this point. Rather, he's so broken that he's just lashing out at the world. That isn't exactly the most in-depth characterization in the world, nor is it unique, but it's really the best characterization I can think of.
-Similarly, honestly, in these cutscenes, Amalthus honestly generated more sympathy from me. Being objective, Amalthus isn't a good person in any form - he's arguably the most morally reprehensible person in the game bar Malos, and Malos himself is only the way he is because of Amalthus's influence. Still, given Amalthus's backstory, his entire death sequence did get me in "the feels."
-Also ties in nicely with the themes/motifs of the game. I speculated way back that if I was to sum up XC2's theme in one sentence, it would be "death and decay." Having come this far, I'd revise that to be "the cycle of violence," or words to that effect; basically a validation of the saying "violent actions breed violent men," since at this point, pretty much everything that's happened with the main characters is due to a cycle of loss, hatred, and reprisal. It's not all that deep a theme, and indeed, it was a sub-theme of sorts in XC1, but it certainly gives more gravitas to, what's on the surface, a plot of "bad guys want to destroy the world because they're bad."
-Speaking of XC1, again, I may be reading too much into things, but there's a stark contrast on the "God complex" in both games. XC1 has a world where "God" (Zanza) is a very real and malignant force. XC2 is a world where "God" (the Architect) is an indifferent force. It's kind of striking how similar Egil and Amalthus are, but while Egil's desires are driven in response to Zanza (rebelling against God, so to speak), Amalthus's actions are driven by the absence of God. Look at lines such as "oh Architect, is this the world you intended?" (as he comes to see Alrest as Hell), or one of his dying words, "oh Architect, why do you not answer when I call?" Sort of reminds me of Jesus supposedly saying "oh Lord, why hast thou forsaken me?" And if you want to ram the analogy even further, consider the glowing tentacles on his back, and ask yourself whether they remind you of an angel's wings, and that Amalthus is basically the setting's equivalent of the pope.
Maybe I'm giving the game too much credit, but at the very least, it's certainly trying to convey the themes I mentioned - violence begetting violence, loss leading to bitterness, loneliness and isolation leading to those similar emotions, etc. To be clear, if I'm comparing Egil and Amalthus, Egil is easily the better character, but I'll give XC2 credit where it's due. But, anyway, up to the last chapter - at this point, I just want to get things over and done with.
