Vagrant Story Analysis (Ep.2): Into Lea Monde | State of the Arc Podcast

[@dearcrowns]

I actually don't mind the slower pacing of the podcast so far (and I'm ahead anyway). While the show may have yet to reach the point mentioned at the end of the Senua's Sacrifice series, the discussions have been incredibly engaging and entertaining to listen to. Going in depth into the process of how memory works, the translation style of a conversation between two unnamed characters and Cassen's insights into the square and circle symbolism are all things I greatly enjoy about listening to the podcast. Thanks for another great episode.

[@IronCodyAlan]

I could listen to these two talk symbology and languages for days its so fetchin enjoyable

[@patrickholleman9323]

When one character starts using a simile or metaphor, and then another character takes it up, they're both using a "conceit." Having clever, prolonged uses of poetic conceits in really extended ways was actually pretty common in poetry of the time, not just Shakespeare. John Donne and Andrew Marvell (whom most people don't read anymore) would actually draw out their metaphysical conceits to extreme lengths--to the point that modern readers become exhausted with them. But back in the day, this is what was considered "wit." The true hallmark of Shakespeare is when one character (usually a minor character) uses a poetic conceit, and then the hearer interprets that conceit *ironically*, and then replies by taking it to a higher level of humor or profundity.

[@LloCiDul]

Today I learned. Thanks for sharing, that's interesting stuff. I remember a part of the witcher books have a section like that but I never knew it had a name.

[@ChocolatierRob]

Unsurprisingly I for one am enjoying the depths you are going into with this game and that it is taking you longer to get through the story than you'd assumed. In fact I'm downright amused that you are still nowhere near where you expected to be. Before this series actually began I would have assumed you would be aiming for no further than the Minotaur boss at the furthest for the first episode. Onto the episode properly though there may have been some misunderstanding about the pursuit of Sidney from Casen (or perhaps both of you). Merlose and Ashley did not separate at the Duke's manor and rejoin here at the outskirts of the city. Ashley learned that Sidney was going to Lea Monde during their confrontation and relayed this to Merlose off-screen and they went there together, it is pretty clear that they were not meeting up there but just checking out different spots after they arrived. In the first episode Casen seemed confused about how Merlose figured out where Sidney went, she didn't, Ashley told her and she told him what/where it is. Back to the framing device You keep saying that Ashley has been 'blamed' for the Duke's murder but this seems like an incorrect word to use. It seems to imply it as a frame up or scapegoat situation but the presentation of the story implies that he is genuinely believed to be responsible and so 'suspected' of the Duke's murder would be a better descriptor. The question is implied to be 'Did Ashley really murder the Duke and why?' more than 'Who framed him for murdering the Duke and why?' I can certainly see how you'd come to this conclusion though from the way the framing device of FF Tactics worked. Just a quick note about the Minotaur boss. That _massive_ Mace it carries, there is a chance of winning it after the battle and it is so OP, massive range, massive damage... Also one thing of note that is first seen here is that boss arenas with treasure chests in them make a point of showing you during cutscenes that the chest is there as they can be very easy to miss otherwise. The chest in this room is also the only one that gets restocked later in the game when there is a new boss fight in here (zombie Minotaur). Translation note. A Hart is not a rabbit or hare, Hart is an archaic word for a male red deer (as noted in my valendian dictionary). Yeah, I'd vote for Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. While Casen is geeking out over the architectural design I just want to note how there is good world building between cutscenes to be found in item descriptions. There are various accessories and gems that reference Tactics or the wines with their descriptions but my favourite piece is the Beaded Anklet accessory - _Anklet worn by Müllenkamp, a dancer, and the head priestess of ancient Kiltia_ - It is very far into the game that you find this item but all of a sudden the opening FMV makes sense. from 'Why is there a belly dancer in this intro?' to 'Aha! that's who that belly dancer was!!' and you can indeed see her beaded anklet during the close-ups of her feet. You immediately broke down why she was there in the first episode but from the game itself you only find out this information by finding the accessory. Just as how you only know that the Daevas Dao and Marid caused the great quake because it is mentioned in their bestiary after you defeat them. One thing you missed (and understandably so) during the scene with Duane was the meaning of the phrase "a stain on the escutcheon of our order". The words stain and escutcheon are both related to heraldry, the escutcheon being a shield or emblem bearing a coat of arms and Stains (also called Abatements) are symbols of dishonour that may get added to your coat of arms for engaging in dishonorable acts. For example the Bend/Bar Sinister is a diagonal line crossing through the symbol which indicates that the bearer is bastard born. Other reasons for such Stains would be cowardice, lying, or drunkenness. *Spoilery stuff* Of course once you are further into the game the 'suppressed memory' thing is called into question and the alternate possibility for Ashley's new skills are not from within his own 'suppressed' memories but him absorbing the memories of Lea Monde's dead. As Sidney puts it "He is partaking of the power around him." It simply depends on which version of the events of his backstory is true. (I personally lean towards the 'they really were his family' interpretation.

[@binglebandit]

The convo on memories reminds me of me and my fraternal twin. We have retold the same stories over and over to the point that we both remember a lot of childhood memories belonging to both of us. So she will think something happened to her and I could swear it happened to me instead. We no longer know which is the true memory but it feels real that each story is mine (and same for her).

[@Enharmony1625]

I can't remember whether it is in this episode or the first one, where you mentioned about loving stories that take place in a single location yet still have broad repercussions. In this way, Vagrant Story has always reminded me a bit of Diablo 1, which takes place in an isolated village but deals with the conflict of heaven vs. hell. That's why Diablo 1 has always captivated me, as does Vagrant Story, because it's a fascinating way to tell a story!

[@satanasteguarda]

Loving the series! Vagrant Story is such a masterpiece.

[@bhupindersidhu8056]

I always look forward to each weekly podcast. Keep up the great work!

[@Law-gnome]

I like how they wove a technical limitation into the gameplay. Whenever you kill something in Lea Monde, it disappears. But whenever you killed someone in the prologue, their body sticks around. The bodies disappearing are to save on resources (like in pretty much every other game of the era and before), but they gave an in-universe reason for why it happens.

[@SokiHime]

Thanks guys! Looking forward to listening multiple times lol

[@dudemcguy1227]

Fun Episode! Really enjoying the Vagrant Story coverage so far. I live in Southern California and can confirm that Earthquakes are very common here. We technically have thousands of earthquakes every year, but most of them are below magnitude 3.0 which you can't really feel at all unless your are right on top of them. Maybe once every 3-4 months or so there is a big enough earthquake that can actually wake up a lot of people and shake the walls. But most people here are comfortable with those too oddly enough. Almost no one I know does the "duck and cover" or runs outside the building during these quakes. Unless you're right on top of the epicenter of a quake that's like 6.0 or higher, no one really alters their normal behavior. Then the next day everyone asks "Did you feel the earthquake last night?". It's a very casual thing here haha. Well, until "the big one" that sends us into the Pacific Ocean.

[@rugalthreesixteen6812]

I would love for Square Enix to remake/Reboot Vagrant Story as a Soulslike with some of its VG elements.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

Gildenstern intro is great. that stare of across the water is quite iconic. I like that, as with sydney´s intro, the enemy is presented not as an enemy to fight but more as an inteligent and controled opponent.

[@Ooklathemok3]

loving the pod, Vagrant Story is in my top 5 games of all time. Been dreaming for a HD remaster/remake since the PS3 days

[@leif54]

Like all the others have mentioned, I love these weekley episodes. Great work!

[@saedt]

This game is so damn well written it blows my mind, love these videos.

[@philhendrix5206]

Absolutely love this show !! Really guys , I really do appreciate these podcasts!!

[@dakotawinston7677]

I love how much the word VAGUE keeps coming up in this oh so VAGrant Story.

[@keithwaggoner2375]

that would be great to do Chrono Cross!

[@jierze]

Great episode. I'm glad you guys are covering another one of my favourite games. One game I've been wanting to recommend for you guys to play, and possibly cover, if you haven't already is Silent Hill 2. I think you'll have a blast analyzing it and it can be a good break from jrpgs again. A lot of discussion in this episode made me think of it too.

[@fimbulvetr388]

Loving this series. I hope they bring up the different Room Names at some point.

[@MC.Mikey117]

Loving the new podcast format! Thanks again for such entertaining and in-depth content

[@ChocolatierRob]

Hey Casen, you may want to look into the construction of the channel tunnel for an idea of how you can tunnel under a large body of water. The 'chunnel' may have used modern construction and thinking but it is also at a suitably larger scale than the distance seen between Lea Monde and the mainland. It's basically a matter of finding the correct kind of strata. In listening to your thematic analysis of the architecture I'm also curious to hear your opinions on the oft poetic room names found in the map menu. One interesting tidbit is how the above street names are in french, taking inspiration from the real town Lea Monde is modelled after. Well I wouldn't say that Sidney has the power to transform himself so much as he can alter the perceptions of the people around him so they see him differently. Further mind control as opposed to shape shifting. With you talking so thoroughly about amnesia being more than just hitting your head and losing your memories I was sure you were going to bring up Galuf from FFV as your example... A shame you skipped over the Dullahan boss, it has such a cool intro.

[@Enharmony1625]

Few games exhibit the mastery of storytelling of this game! Loving this podcast of one of my favorite games of all time!

[@Real2KRosters]

31:00 i don't think Sydney is physically transforming - rather this is how they are depicting his mind control / magic. The Knights believed they were talking to Guildenstern.

[@AbyShure]

I really enjoyed your podcast. This is the second I see from your channel. I share most of the things you commented on the first video about the way the scenes were built. This is a brilliant story telling. About the rat memories. I think that's this is more related to conditioning and association. But definitely interesting to know about this protein thing. Best regards from Tlaxcallan, Mexico.

[@magnamic5614]

Yes! I’ve been waiting for this!

[@skiesofmu]

Ashley's descent into the unconscious reminded me about "The Silence of the Lambs". I love when Sydney appears on top of the staircase just after Ashley left, it's such a strong statement: who is the prey and who is the hunter? One final thought on the soundtrack: check "The Planets" by Gustav Holst, it was one of the main source of inspiration for Sakimoto's work. You can definitely hear some familiar tunes here and there.

[@YuukitheMighty1]

Had a long day from work, so it's nice to unwind and watch these videos. Thank you guys for all that you do!

[@mateusfolletto6142]

I like the long gameplay sections. This game is the closest we ever got to a competent and smooth adaptation of a Tabbletop RPG on videogames. The combat system is really good at what it sets itself to do. Plus, as mentioned: the game wouldn't have the same impact if the cutscenes were longer, or if the city was even smaller.

[@ChocolatierRob]

Translated from the Ultimania - The Sealed Memories of a Warrior Once, Lea Monde boasted the some of the best wineries and finest wines in all of Valendia. Likely, they were once stored, a rack for each type, in that hall. The cellar is man-made and exceptionally large, the light from the torches left behind by the Cult followers not enough to chase the shadows from all the corners. There, with darkness flickering in his peripheral vision, Ashley felt an involuntary shudder. It was one not caused by Lea Monde, nor its denizens. Indeed, the magical creatures that run rampant in the blacker spaces of the ancient city, the walking corpses and ghouls, the uncountable bodiless spirits and all the other monsters; none of them inspired any terror in Ashley. Even he himself was mystified at his lack of fear at things that would panic a normal man. No, what scared Ashley to the core was the truth about himself, of which he was just starting to learn. Was it truly simple darkness hovering about the edges of his vision? Or was it truly not "darkness" at all but something cloaked in "Darkness", following him just outside of his awareness? Since entering the cursed capitol, Ashley had begun facing off with the unfamiliar foes "doubt" and "paranoia". Then Sydney Losstarot began his "game," taking Callo Merlose hostage and luring Ashley ever further into the depths of Lea Monde. With every step closer to the city's heart he took, the inner unease about himself grew. It felt as if another Ashley Riot, one different and unknown, was coming forward from the ruins around him. That thought struck fear into Ashley like nothing else could. If that "other" wasn't illusionary, that would make him, the Ashley Riot he had always thought himself to be, the illusion. All he believed the world to be would turn false. ------So just who is Ashley Riot? Still plagued by doubts that were admittedly illogical, a sudden, high pitched squeal stopped him. A shriek fit to send shivers down a man's spine trembled through the air of the huge room in which Ashley found himself-- a steel blade being drawn across a stone floor. Soon the deep, hollow thud of metal armor joined it, creating a chilling cacophony that filled the air. Ashley had already seen the fallen Crimson Blades raised as zombies by the Dark. As this new monstrosity began to lurch out of hiding and he felt the extent of its hatred for all living things, he strangely felt his cool composure returning. There was going to be a fight. That, he could immerse himself into. His self as a Riskbreaker and Agent of the Valendian Parliament could come to the fore, would become more real. It didn't matter if his opponent be man or monster, Ashley could shove all unnecessary thoughts and worries to the back of his mind and bury himself in the fight. For at least a little while, he could be simply a weapon, nothing more. As the death-match with the whatever-it-was across the hall ticked closer, an odd sense of peace descended on him. It wasn't long before the "whatever-it-was" stood revealed. Another squelching, half-rotted zombie it was not. Flickering torch-light glimmered off a suit of armor. Once, it must have been custom-designed for a knight of huge stature, each metal plate painstakingly pounded out and embossed, then assembled into a stunning whole. Well, whole except for a helmet. But a helmet wasn't needed. The creature had no head on which to put it. Nor did the shoulder plates rest on living shoulders. In fact, there was no flesh at all within the thing. Peer through its joints and all you would find is an unmistakably empty cavity. The Dark that permeates every inch of Lea Monde had seeped into old armors long ago drenched in the blood of foes, possessing them, giving the dead metal a semblance of life. So was born the monster "Dullaham." The living muscle that once moved its limbs is long since rotted away. No bones support its frame. Instead, the Dark attached marionette's strings to the armor itself, manipulating its impromptu puppet like a master. The "living" armor slowly turned to face Ashley. Gathering power in the tip of the huge blade in its hand, Dullaham struck the floor, leaving behind a deep gash in the stone. Almost as if it'd been waiting for Ashley, a deep red light began shining from within the cursed metal, more power pouring into it from the Dark. What it did next, no one would have thought possible. Moving several times faster than any living creature of the same size, it closed to within two steps of Ashley. A bare fraction of a second later, its sword, easily longer than a man is tall, swung down like a lightening bolt. Ashley did manage to block the strike and his shield did not crack, but the arm holding it felt on the verge of doing so. Numbness shot down his arm, every muscle fiber quivering with the stress of the blow. Yet such a massive, sweeping attack left Dullaham wide open, an opportunity Ashley promptly pounced upon. While the greatsword still swung with the momentum of the slash, Ashley stepped into the space created, quickly closing the last two steps. Aiming for the joint in the armor's right arm, he struck. Steel met steel in a clash that sent sparks glittering into the dim light. Surprisingly, Ashley's attack didn't stop there. Throwing all his strength into it, he hit the same place again. Dullaham staggered, unable to bring its sword back into position to counterattack. Five, six, seven times Ashley's sword connected with cursed steel, the metal visibly deteriorating each time, becoming much weaker. Cushioned in the white haze of no thought brought on by the fight, a new worry suddenly bubbled into Ashley's peace. When did he learn how to chain attacks together like that, not allowing even the slightest chance of counterattack? He'd never done any such thing before setting foot in Lea Monde. But now it was like he'd practiced the technique for years upon years, until the pattern had soaked all the way into his bones. The armor having taken more damage than it could handle, the Dark abandoned Dullaham and the empty metal started to crumble. Another cold shiver of fear sliding down his spine, Ashley stepped back and asked himself; "What am I?"

[@cheshireimp493]

The issue with the amnesia troupe for me is that its commonly used as a means to create mystery and interest in the scenario's plot rather than attempt to change how both we see the character and how the character views themselves through learning of past events. When its used to give an element of surprise to events and plot points it feels as a murder mystery that refrains from introducing hints or clues as to who the murderer could be yet still wishes to deliver a satisfying reveal. It accentuates the contrivance of telling a story.

[@genericsavings]

The amnesia troupe can be handled well. Take Silent Hill 2, or Memento by Chris Nolan. VS is the same camp IMO. Truth be told, movies & games cover this a lot. I think what matters is that you relate to the characters.

[@sjorsvanhens]

Loving Mike's new Zell look

[@Wicked061]

My favorite thing on youtube. I love this kind of content and i look forward to anything thats done. Been following for a few years now. I just want to thank you for entertaining me. Edit: What the hell mike. You are getting swole AF. glad to see you healthy. Keep up the good work.

[@royaltyalign417]

I like how Kasin mentioned about the duality of wine. Never put those 2 together. To add on with the duality of snakes. Even in the bible, as opposed to Lucifer as the ancient serpent. Jesus was also mentioned as a snake from Moses, or when Jesus said "be innocent as a dove, yet wise as a serpent". Awesome concept of what this game is bringing out!

[@jarvideo]

Thanks for working on this new series with Vagrant Story, almost just after the tactics series! Is there a chance you could do one about Ivalice’s timeline? Would love to hear your thoughts on how all these games (including Ff12) are connected.

[@satyasyasatyasya5746]

Looking just amazing Mike ^.^ Hope you're well! (Sorry for shallow comment, but quality content goes without saying, right? haha :D)

[@goncaloferreira6429]

hope to see further discussion on the nature of the dark as that concept is important to what Lea monde is and what mullemkamp is and sydney´s actions.

[@Metro4466]

I've been waiting for this episode :) love you guys

[@LaNwamNi]

I wouldn't say tunnels going beneath a lake is an oddity. There are several tunnels beneath the Thames in SE England, both rail and road, and even a pedestrian tunnel connecting Greenwich and MIllwall (great acoustics!)

[@patrickholleman9323]

The Platonic idea which Casen mentioned is called "Anamnesis." Like many Platonic ideas, it has accumulated a few extra meanings over the past 2300 years.

[@tylercampbell6629]

Been listening to you for years, never knew you were in Utah until you mentioned the Magna earthquake! I was living in West Jordan at the time, freaked out my 2 year old pretty good

[@forestcampbell8962]

Sweet!

[@BearBoyJW]

That section about memories and how they were are insane. I think for someone who's trying to write stories I think there's a lot of wacky potential in just the idea of that.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

30:03 a great multi purpose scene that ends with those soldiers that we just got to know getting KIA. this is a world of mysteries but also brutal murderer.

[@MrKt549]

I think the best implementation of main character not knowing or not "remembering" from what I have seen is in baten kaitos. I cant really divulge too much because of potential spoilers. other than voice acting that game is great though

[@omensoffate]

The main character as in the player ?

[@genericsavings]

While I am a hardcore fan of Yasumi Matsuno, I will agree his games are aggressively unfriendly to first timers. To fully appreciate the games’ story, gameplay & mechanics, it requires multiple playthroughs. It’s like a double edged sword game design philosophy.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

like souls.

[@nobodyshome6792]

Within the game, one can learn that the city was built in an area without a lake originally. The lake formed about and around and in the city due to other events in the history of the area/region.

[@cheshireimp493]

Along the lines of instability, I wonder if the earthquakes also tie into the idea of how Ashley portrays himself and we understand him is starting too give way to the suppressed memories. In many jrpgs the undead and ghost aren't unheard of so seeing a ghost wouldn't strike me as note worthy normally. Within this game however the visions of these phantoms and the undead bring back to mind the line Ashley says in the early scenes of the game, where he confronts Sydney saying something about leaving things to fairy tales, helps signal to the player that such things as ghost and undead are probably not a common occurrence in this world. This creates more wonder of Lea Monde.

[@Xeakerr]

Mike is working out well. Good muscular build.

[@kharyrobertson3579]

You guys should check out anything from Jeff Hawkins on sparse distributed representations. It is super interesting conceptualization of how memory works.

[@heyimSkyee]

Love it!! Might have to buy this game

[@davidwhitney947]

I have enjoyed everything about this

[@Kerdukie]

I kinda lost track of Resonant Arc for a while and now Mike is there all buffed up!!! Wtf! You could Risk Break Ashley anytime!! Anyways, still great content and great analysis of an underrated (or undersold?) classic!

[@DavidNelson-u1g]

This is bar none my favorite game of all time, I revisit it prolly once every year or so. After Square is done with the FF7 remake I would love for them to revisit this game. But they would have to put Yasumi Matsuno back it the Directors chair, which is almost an impossibility at this point

[@oplawlz]

A hart is a deer, not a rabbit.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

16:20 makes me think of the vagrant story and dark souls thing. noth games come from the same root gameplay wise and that balance between game and story is also similar in both games. Matsuno storytelling style with Souls combat is the dream.

[@BlarGames]

Love the shirt symmetry guys! ;) Also for once I'm going to try to keep up with you for this podcast, beating Vagrant Story has always been a sort of "white whale" for me..when I was trying to play it at the age of 12 it was simply too much to handle for me, but I'm hoping now as an adult (and with your helpful guidance) I'll be able to finally get through it. Also, I definitely appreciate the political intrigue and subtlety of the story more at this point.

[@nobodyshome6792]

I strongly suggest you delve into learning the item crafting within the game before you play through it. It will benefit you overall.

[@1SpicyMeataball]

After watching this, I wonder if they'll take on the behemoth that is Xenosaga.

[@AceBadguy]

Awesome.

[@royaltyalign417]

For me, 1st time ppl mentioned value in utilizing the amnesia tropes that could be made adequately to the story. I thought taking about the earthquakes happened a bit too long, but my God! the Memory thing was super revealing. Besides my religious beliefs, I can imagine from the point of view of current science, it's like..."What are we"? We are then very different from computer programming in the case of memory.

[@suzakukururugi6440]

Do wild arms 1 or 2 next. One of the ps1 greats

[@0rangaStang]

Why did Mike's voice pitch change. It's so much deeper

[@0rangaStang]

@@jackbatay4692 I literally have no idea.

[@0rangaStang]

@@jackbatay4692 I still dont follow. Steroids? COVID Boosters? What?

[@0rangaStang]

@@jackbatay4692 Thats why I asked on the youtube channel.

[@0rangaStang]

@@jackbatay4692 Going through the old podcasts I noticed the change in voice happened sometime after he had to delay a podcast due to the flu. So I wondered if the flu had some how affected his vocal chords. Something similar happened to someone I knew. It was just a stark change because I only started listening at the start of the xenogears podcasts. So listening to an older podcast I didnt even realize it was Mike at first. Ever since, I've just been curious of the cause.

[@mattward1581]

This video is usually on my recommended, guess the algorithm is off

[@jansonhensen7804]

Great episode! Mike have you played Elden Ring yet? If you have, what are your thoughts?

[@GracelessTarnished]

Elden Ring is a masterpiece. The sort of game that comes maybe once or twice a decade. From Software is so far ahead of every other develop, they remind me of Squaresofts golden era.

[@jansonhensen7804]

@@GracelessTarnished agree. My only complaint is they didnt change the combat up enough.

[@goncaloferreira6429]

@@jansonhensen7804 why change what is good and loved? they still added small things- jump, counterattack, summons- and gave magic a nice lv up in variety and visual impact, somthing i have been asking for a long time. anyway, how would you change their combat?

[@GracelessTarnished]

@@jansonhensen7804 if it ain't broke don't fix it. They simply applied mrchanics from Sekiro and Bloodborne. The game was truly a culminating of all their previous work. Leave it to From Software to try their hand at an open world game, and create the best one of its kind. Only other open world I feel is on its level is Witcher 3.

[@michaelcoraybrown]

I've played about five minutes of Elden Ring so far, haha. It's really hard to find time to play new games since starting this podcast.

[@kevinstreetgaming]

Your hair Mike! :O

[@Krisenaa]

The downside of the game's poetic terseness is that it is COMPLETELY impossible to remember the details of the story. So little information is repeated, and there's nowhere in the game where you can look it up. Not good when there are so many factions and relationships and histories and motivations to understand.

[@Embyr_Gaming]

I’m curious where the information about the historical symbolism of the double helix came from. When I Google it, all I find is DNA related articles. :/

[@Anavictoria660]

They forgot to mention the battle with the golem and all the alchemy with it¡

[@walmartian422]

All your game series do is make me pine for that era where games were more mature and artistic. The late 90s and early 00s imo was when games peaked.

[@GracelessTarnished]

I definitely agree with Mike on how JRPGs use the amnesiac protagonist. Final Fantasy 7, Xenogears, and Vagrant Story execute this expertly and the payoff is fantastic. Meanwhile, games like Final Fantasy 8 or Lost Odyssey it is executed very poorly. The difference is, it's how the story is constructed and how the amnesia itself occurs. Not every JRPG uses this, but I believe in order to create the mystery and main character connection to the overall plot, it is needed. But my God, did FF8 botch this concept.

[@arcturionblade1077]

Agreed. In Vagrant Story, we're still left unsure as to whether or not Ashley Riot was a loving family man whose wife and child were tragically murdered by rogues, or if he really was a cold blooded assassin who killed an entire family just to keep his handler's secrets, in which case causing his psyche such trauma that he chose to forget his past and reconstruct a new one to deal with his PTSD. We're not given any solid answers but in the end, it doesn't matter, as the game's plot tells us. Sydney chose Ashley as his successor of the Blood Sin tattoo and inheritor of the Dark, because he never desired its power, only uncovering truth.

[@rodrigohartmann9951]

j'etais toujours jaloux des gens qui habitent a saint-emillion quand je jouais ce jeux dans les annees 2000 :)

[@liamschulzrules]

Im seeing double here, four Krustys

[@mitchelldorcas9687]

Looks like Casen was jealous of Mike's haircut.

[@Anavictoria660]

They touch on th fact of the supressed memories but they need to talk WHY they are supressed¡

[@michaelcoraybrown]

The reason for his surpressed memory hasn't been explored in the game yet. We only talk about things as they come up in the playthrough.

[@sinthasizah6649]

Did people complain about Mike speaking louder as he gets excited about what he's talking about and is he now overcompensating by speaking really softly at times or am I reading into things too much?

[@AkibaInk]

Shout out to the hot guy haircuts

[@blumiu2426]

The more you dig, the more upset I get that this story was not able to be finished.