Hydaelyn Role-Players

SpoilerPros:

-The story focus is tighter. Unlike Heavensward where the story kind of awkwardly meandered between the Dragonsong War, Ul'dah (ugh), and the Ascians, this one focused exclusively on revolution, and most every MSQ contributed to that goal in some way.

-The side characters are pretty good. Special mentions go to Hien, Yotsuyu, Fordola, Gosetsu, and the Xaela.

-The pacing is a lot better. Unlike Thordan the Insane, there is clear, unambiguous build-up to Zenos being the last foe, and Shinryu's presence is foreshadowed. And unlike Nidhogg who dies halfway through Heavensward's MSQ, the villain of the revolution actually ends up being the villain of the revolution.

-In general, the dialogue is better, especially since they dropped a lot of the archaic english (although still use "succor" for some reason, ugh)

-The Scions have more opportunities to show off their individual personalities, and in general have better characterisation.

-There's less padding. Still a good amount of padding, mind, but less of it.

-Fordola was a good secondary antagonist. Even if she couldn't beat the WoL in single combat, she still felt like a fairly significant threat, and she was a great portrayal of the "loyalist" living in an oppressive regime.

-The music was very hit and miss at times, but it leaned more good than bad.

Cons:

-Zenos was a boring villain. Every time he's on screen he's twirling his mustache about the Hunt and MY CUP RUNNETH OVER and it's just annoying. The only time they really get into his character is at the very end after Shinryu. He has exactly one note, and he keeps pushing it over and over again. His whole shtick was to make the Warrior of Light hate him so that the WoL would feel the same bloodlust that Zenos felt, but I don't think it worked here.

-The bulk of Yotsuyu's character is revealed in an exposition dump at the end of Doma Castle. That was very melodramatic.

-Lyse's presence was, in the end, completely pointless and the idea that Stormblood was some kind of coming-of-age story for her is just very silly. The fact that she doesn't really have a character arc and the fact that she doesn't really achieve anything makes her presence superfluous. Conrad might as well have made a nearby rock the leader of the Resistance.

-There are a lot of little minor moments that make me scratch my head. For example, Yotsuyu stomping on that little fishing village with a single bodyguard. I get that she takes pleasure in oppressing Domans, but as acting viceroy does she really not have better shit to do? Also, with only a single bodyguard (and said bodyguard guarded by plot armor) she really should have been in way more danger.

-Gosetsu's "death" was originally going to be in the "pro's" section, but SQUARE ENIX, YOU HAVE NO BALLS. WHAT THE FUCK. Way to completely RUIN a good moment by bullshit handwaving away his and Yotsuyu's survival. How did he survive getting shot three times!? How did Yotsuyu survive getting slashed across the body by Hien!? How did they survive a castle getting dropped on them!? Because....that kind of kills most people!

-And almost exactly like Heavensward, all victory was achieved with no significant setbacks. no compromise, no sacrifice, and ultimately no effort. Gosetsu lives. Y'shtola gets slashed and lives. Alisaie gets slashed and lives. Krile gets kidnapped and experimented on and presumably drained of some kind...and lives. The only named characters who die are Conrad and Zenos, of all people. Fuck, even that farmer punk from Namai survives. There are no consequences for anyone whatsoever. No permanent injuries or psychological damage or anything of any kind. Honestly, none of that shit should have even happened at all if you weren't willing to commit to it, because then it just becomes pointless, drawn-out melodrama. Again, I'm not expecting Game of Thrones level of death, but at the end of the day, this is some seriously saccharine Care Bear garbage.

-The characterisation of Ala Mhigo is just way weaker than the characterisation of Doma, because they put the majority of Ala Mhigo on Lyse, of all people, who is about as compelling as a cardboard cutout. Doma was riding on characters like Hien, Gosetsu, Yugiri, and the plight of the normal people is heavily emphasised. Ala Mhigo barely gives the time of day to Conrad, M'naago, and the regular Ala Mhigan Joes whom we're supposed to be freeing. Meffrid was pretty good but he dies at the very beginning anyway so who cares. Whereas Doma gets a varied depiction, the audience is expected to care about Ala Mhigo solely because Lyse cares. And that's terrible.

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As the final verdict, I'm torn. On the one hand, it's easy to tell that Stormblood is functionally better than ARR and Heavensward in terms of MSQ.

On the other hand, we've also emphatically learned that Square Enix is very "one steps forward, two steps back" about their narrative writing.

Lyse just did not work as a character and she dragged the story way more than she carried it.

Gosetsu surviving did way more damage than it initially appears. That moment revealing he survived at the end single-handedly killed any sense of tension or drama that the future story could possibly hold, because now we know for certain that Square Enix is just going to give every character bullshit plot armor, and the only characters who will die will be paper-thin nobodies like Conrad, or people like Moenbryda who are introduced for exactly one patch just to die at the end.

6/10.