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"The Last Choice" [No Spoiler Tags]


shadowofchaos
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Again be warned. This has to do with the very last player choice in the game. There will be no spoiler tags.

My gosh, this game. Just took me for an emotional roller coaster ride. First it was the plot twists. Then the music after Elemina/Eremina dies made me freaking cry. Then more plot twists. Time loops. And then the ending. Geez. This game... just really tears your heart out.

So, after you beat Gimle...

Did you leave it to Krom, or did you kill them yourself?

That simple "Yes or No" choice made me like... it was killing me on the inside.

One is the "bittersweet ending" when your MU sacrifices themselves to kill Gimle once and for all.

The other is the "good end" if you say "Yes" to "Leave it to Krom?".

For one thing, the "bittersweet end" which I got first because I wanted my self-insert MU to finish it thoroughly.

The idiot ends up sacrificing himself... Making pretty much his wife, son, and daughter to be extremely sad.

I was dying on the inside.

It was reading through the credits and character endings in constant agony.

I see "Fin" on the screen.

I NEVER SAW OLIVIA'S ENDING.

I'm like UUUUUURRRRGH. YOU'RE KILLING ME! THAT CAN'T BE IT!

I CAN'T HAVE JUST DIED AND LEFT MY WAIFU AND CHILDREN LIKE THAT!? crying.gif

I muster up some courage press "A" to go on, fearing the worst that the title screen will just appear and cause me to rage.

And then... looks like the movie you see at the start when MU wakes up... I thought "is this another time loop?". And then I noticed the hand didn't have the mark... and that Krom knows you. ZOMG REUSING ANIMATIONS.

And then suddenly this:

FE13EndingwithOliviaScaledDown.jpg

"The legendary hero Rey's name was the subject of countless scholarly books. But none of them were ever able to capture his true character. In those books however, one thing remained unchanged. The undying love that him and his wife, Olivia, shared for each other."

...the last part.

Ha...

Ha.

Ha ha ha ha.

HA HA HA HA HA HA. lolololololol.gif

The fact that I had to go through that agony, but somehow came back at the end... made me rage, but it was satisfying.

But still, IT HURT GOING THROUGH THAT.

And then there's the "Good Ending" if you said "Yes" to "Leave it to Krom?".

It was happy. It was cool. The smile on Olivia and the kids was very refreshing. But...

The ending credits showed MU and Olivia like normal with the other characters. It was just that.

After going through the agony of the bittersweet ending... it felt almost lifeless. The bittersweet "I died, but it will not stop me from coming back to my beloved" felt more romantic. Ha ha. After the "Fin" and you press A, it WAS just the title screen.

However, the thing to think about is... Gimle's only sealed if you leave it to Krom. Even if Krom says that "it doesn't matter, as long as there are people determined to stop him, like the very first Holy King, Gimle won't win even if he wakes." when Narga says that "Gimle sleeps once more."

So... it really seems like I have points I don't like about either ending.

What about you people? What are your thoughts about that last player choice?

Edited by shadowofchaos
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I'm fairly certain that if Krom deals the final blow, nobody dies. And I mean nobody.

Does Krom sacrifice himself if you leave it to him?

If you leave it to him, Krom just kills Gimle. Not even any dramatic text or anything. It's AFTERWARDS that you get the "good and happy" ending.

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Well, the point is that Gimle doesn't really die, either. It's a matter of, do you sacrifice MU to really kill Gimle or do you just let Krom seal him?

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I thought there was something that made it a little more bittersweet- basically, Gimle wouldn't die forever if Krom was the one to kill him, whereas he'd die forever if MU was the one to kill him.

Edited by Lord Raven
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I thought there was something that made it a little more bittersweet- basically, Gimle wouldn't die forever if Krom was the one to kill him, whereas he'd die forever if MU was the one to kill him.

Yeah. If Krom seals him, he's expected to come back eventually in the future. And given how he destroyed the world once when he came back this time, that's pretty scary.

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I thought there was something that made it a little more bittersweet- basically, Gimle wouldn't die forever if Krom was the one to kill him, whereas he'd die forever if MU was the one to kill him.

Yeah. If Krom seals him, he's expected to come back eventually in the future. And given how he destroyed the world once when he came back this time, that's pretty scary.

Oh yes, I forgot to mention that.

Err I kept thinking "kill" in the sense of the game HP-wise.

Story-wise, Gimle is only sealed if you leave it to Krom. Let me correct that in the OP.

Narga mentions this... and Krom says it doesn't matter. As long as there are those determined to stop him, just as the first Holy King, Gimle will lose even if he wakes again.

So that IS the real ending, I'm guessing. Especially considering how MU gets the highlight at the very end, after the "Fin".

Edited by shadowofchaos
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I'd say the "good" ending isn't really good, seeing Krom's "I don't care if the future world gets destroyed, I'm here to save my friend" stance and how My Unit (the "real" protagonist) feels lind of uneasy (note how MU is mostly speechless, regardless of tone setting) in that ending. My Unit is more selfless than that, and MU's ending fits the rest of the story better.

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I'd say the "good" ending isn't really good, seeing Krom's "I don't care if the future world gets destroyed, I'm here to save my friend" stance and how My Unit (the "real" protagonist) feels kind of uneasy (note how MU is mostly speechless, regardless of tone setting) in that ending. My Unit is more selfless than that, and MU's ending fits the rest of the story better.

The "ending" movie... the reused one... (because drawing parallel to the start of the game :3) seems to make have that more "special" feel as well. It was subtle, but the mark on his hand not being there and his triumphant return with the last ending with whoever they married makes it feel all the more "legit".

Edited by shadowofchaos
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Call me silly, but I rather liked the 'Chrom seals Gimle' ending.

While it lacks some of the emotional punch of MU's ending, I just like the sense of optimism and companionship between the group in it. Sure, MU killing Gimle would be a permanent thing, but they don't care. It would mean his death (even if we know it really wouldn't) and so it isn't going to happen. End of story.

And really, what are the chances of Gimle ressurecting AGAIN? As far as I know, there's only one person with Gimle Holy Blood left in the world and it would take a fairly distant chance for both another host to be born and for another madman to perform the Awakening ritual.

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And really, what are the chances of Gimle ressurecting AGAIN? As far as I know, there's only one person with Gimle Holy Blood left in the world and it would take a fairly distant chance for both another host to be born and for another madman to perform the Awakening ritual.

As a person who's never played FE4, I'm laughing so much at how FE4-like this game is. Seriously. The references I get are only because of the stuff people tell me about the game... like the 12 Dark Lords that made me eat a Falaflame to the face.

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Wait so there's a self-sacrifice ending where MU doesn't actually die in the end?

What's the point of that then? If you're going to introduce something like that, you should go all the way.

Edited by Tyrant Sage
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Wait so there's a self-sacrifice ending where MU doesn't actually die in the end?

What's the point of that then? If you're going to introduce something like that, you should go all the way.

Because it would have killed me on the inside to see the self insert MU die and leave his waifu and kids behind like that. Because it was SUPER ROMANCHIKU.

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Wait so there's a self-sacrifice ending where MU doesn't actually die in the end?

What's the point of that then? If you're going to introduce something like that, you should go all the way.

yeah sure you can make anything sound stupid if you only include a few of the details in your explanation
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And really, what are the chances of Gimle ressurecting AGAIN? As far as I know, there's only one person with Gimle Holy Blood left in the world and it would take a fairly distant chance for both another host to be born and for another madman to perform the Awakening ritual.

(comments below based on memory; may not be accurate)

Let's see, in the "current" timeline (the one Krom and MU are native to), Gimle was awoken without an actually working Flame Pedestal (Gimle basically went "Oh, so I can't possess anyone? Fine, I'll resurrect anyway even though I'm confined in my dragon form") or MU. It is unknown if Fauder's Gimle lineage is needed to revive Gimle (without MU or a working Flame Pedestal, he is the only thing Gimle-related), but let's say yes for now.

So if all it takes is a Gimle-blodded summoner and MU is no longer evil, how bad will it go? Well, for one thing, MU has descendants. And some of those descendants are going to be evil (inevitably - not all descending from heroes are kind-hearted, and any one of them can pull a Zephiel and declare war against the world). So.... yeah, I'd say the world isn't safe at all if Gimle is merely sealed.

Wait so there's a self-sacrifice ending where MU doesn't actually die in the end?

What's the point of that then? If you're going to introduce something like that, you should go all the way.

I agree that some characters are better off staying dead and that it would be weird to see them surviving, but not MU. The whole point in the ending is to deliver an experience as felt by shadowofchaos - shock and hating to see MU dead, then turning it 180-degree by revealing that MU's alive and rejoined Krom, no longer bound by Gimle's blood.

Edited by nocturnal YL
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Let's see, in the "current" timeline (the one Krom and MU are native to), Gimle was awoken without an actually working Flame Pedestal (Gimle basically went "Oh, so I can't possess anyone? Fine, I'll resurrect anyway even though I'm confined in my dragon form"). So first of all, MU isn't needed in reviving Gimle. It is unknown if Fauder's Gimle lineage is needed to revive Gimle (without MU or a working Flame Pedestal, he is the only thing Gimle-related), but let's say yes for now.

So if all it takes is a Gimle-blodded summoner and MU is no longer evil, how bad will it go? Well, for one thing, MU has descendants. And some of those descendants are going to be evil (inevitably - not all descending from heroes are kind-hearted, and any one of them can pull a Zephiel and declre war against the world). So.... yeah, I'd say the world isn't safe at all if Gimle is merely sealed.

Uh, I'm pretty sure that things in MU's timeline were just weird all round. First of all, I'm pretty sure that Gimle only got to come back in a dragon body because he got some help from his future self. Remember, BadFuture!Gimle followed Lucina back and he's responsible for the Dragon-form Gimle charging around, not Fauder.

Fauder did the ritual, but he needed a host with pure enough Gimle Holy blood to be possessed. Which is MU. If he hadn't had a proper host, then Gimle wouldn't normally have been able to revive. His future self hanging around just complicated things. (This is just common sense. If performing the ritual at any time would bring Gimle back as a full dragon, why would they bother with MU?). And considering who exactly MU can marry, I'm not sure that the Holy Blood will even survive to the next generation anyway. Can a half-Manakete or half-Taguel even have Holy Blood?

So, yeah. It's not impossible. But it's not really likely either, at least for 5000 years or so.

Again, I'm aware that MU's sacrifice ending is probably better for everybody all round in the long run as Gimle is definitely gone for good. And judging by the way Krom hasn't really aged in the end movie, it probably doesn't even take very long for them to find MU again. But I just like the optimism of the 'Krom seals Gimle' ending.

Edited by Onestep
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Oh right, now I remembered why it has to be MU. The potential host needs to fit in some very specific condition, which neither Fauder nor the last few ancestors before him could satisfy. So in other words, you still need someone like MU to revive Gimle, which is also why Gimle-ified future MU can do the trick.

It makes more sense to me now, although I still don't feel comfortable with a potential world-ending threat lying around. Or I do as a gamer, since this means potential for another (modernized?) FE. Maybe it's just me, but Krom's "everyone is happy except a concerned MU" ending feels uneasy (and less dramatized).

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Oh right, now I remembered why it has to be MU. The potential host needs to fit in some very specific condition, which neither Fauder nor the last few ancestors before him could satisfy. So in other words, you still need someone like MU to revive Gimle, which is also why Gimle-ified future MU can do the trick.

It makes more sense to me now, although I still don't feel comfortable with a potential world-ending threat lying around. Or I do as a gamer, since this means potential for another (modernized?) FE. Maybe it's just me, but Krom's "everyone is happy except a concerned MU" ending feels uneasy (and less dramatized).

For me, it was less that MU was uneasy and more that he was feeling somewhat guilty. He knew that killing Gimle himself would ensure the world's safety (from Gimle, at least) and yet wasn't able to beat Krom to the final punch.

If you play MU's ending, note that Krom's shouting for MU to stop, which somewhat implies that both MU and Krom were always intending to get the last hit and that choice last choice is just to see who get's there first, rather than MU leaving it to Krom or something.

And yeah, it's a tad uneasy. But Akaneia's bloody full of world-ending threats. You've got Loptous probably still kicking around in Jugdral, Medeus almost certainly not entirely dead and an entire legion of Earth Dragons sealed away. One more just rounds off the collection!

Edited by Onestep
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The "ending" movie... the reused one... (because drawing parallel to the start of the game :3) seems to make have that more "special" feel as well. It was subtle, but the mark on his hand not being there and his triumphant return with the last ending with whoever they married makes it feel all the more "legit".

So what happens if you choose to sacrifice yourself? You mentioned you wake up in the same way as the beginning of the game but the seal on your hand is gone. You said it is not a time loop.

So what happens?

You "sacrificed" yourself.

You survived? (How did this happen?)

Then you are on some random grass/field/plains? (How did this happen?)

And Krom recognizes you. Then does this mean all your comrades recognize you and your self-sacrifice?

Does your wife and your children also know about this?

All I am asking is, once you "sacrificed" yourself. Is this like a reset button? Or does every single character still remember you and know you and stuff?

Do you get what I'm asking?

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So what happens if you choose to sacrifice yourself? You mentioned you wake up in the same way as the beginning of the game but the seal on your hand is gone. You said it is not a time loop.

So what happens?

You "sacrificed" yourself.

You survived? (How did this happen?)

Then you are on some random grass/field/plains? (How did this happen?)

And Krom recognizes you. Then does this mean all your comrades recognize you and your self-sacrifice?

Does your wife and your children also know about this?

All I am asking is, once you "sacrificed" yourself. Is this like a reset button? Or does every single character still remember you and know you and stuff?

Do you get what I'm asking?

At the end, if you choose to kill Gimle yourself, then MU fades away as Krom shouts for him to wait.

Everyone then gives a fairly tearful few lines as Krom and MU's family swear to find MU. Sariya will also say that she's going to track him down, even if you haven't paired her with MU, as long as you haven't paired her with anyone else.

It's not exactly clear how MU survived, but the simplest answer is that Naga was wrong. Killing Gimle merely severed the bond between them and rendered MU's Gimle Major Holy Blood inert rather than killing him. Presumably, Krom and company find him lying in a ditch somewhere shortly after the events of the game, as they don't appear to have aged much. For sake of humour, I like to imagine that they had no sooner finished their tearful promises to find MU and climbed off of Gimle's corpse than they found him lying unconscious.

Edited by Onestep
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