Draco: So, I am finally in a Kingdom/Fantasy mood courtesy of Final Fantasy NT, and I need to start writing my KH literations (novelizations, whatever) again. How do I get back into practice with my literations?
I am going to write that huge epic badass clash from the opening (which is actually part of the story) straight down to the best of my abilities.
Now, because that is actually part of the story, I'm going to issue a warning.
BACK THE FRICK UP.
IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED DISSIDIA FINAL FANTASY NT
YOU ARE GOING TO CLOSE THIS TAB NOW.
YOU ARE NOT
UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES
PERMITTED TO SPOIL YOURSELF ABOUT THIS GAME.
I AM SERIOUS.
FRICK OFF RIGHT NOW IF YOU HAVEN'T PLAYED THE GAME THROUGH TO THE END.
I DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS SPOILERS.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHO FIGHTS WHO AND HOW, GO AWAY.
GO AWAY.
GO AWAY.
GO AWAY.
GO AWAY.
GO AWAY.
GO AWAY.
...You still there?
Okay, I've still got a couple things I want to bring up, but I'm gonna save that for the bottom-side author's note. For now, sit back and enjoy the #CrowningMomentOfAwesome.
NEW EDIT I was originally going to leave this one as incomplete because I was hoping any further story updates will similarly receive FMV fights, but on second thought I'm just being a pathetic idealist. END NEW EDIT.
Dissidia Final Fantasy and all related properties © Square Enix.
"Nary a more capable band of champions exists. Of that, I harbour little doubt."
A fallen knight, once loyal to a ruler of a small kingdom. A dark emperor who had drawn upon the powers of hell. A wraith born from the void between light and shadow. A sorcerer stripped from his family and instilled in darkness. An incarnation of spellbinding spirits from a warped tree. A mad jester artificially infused with arcane power. A champion inheritor of sheer destructive force. A sorceress come from a future where she had been prosecuted. An angel of death who commanded the greatest magic he could find. A sports king sacrificed to a destroyer.
These combatants stood in a dark field lit by flames, around a god brandishing a hefty blade - the successor to the throne of discord.
A young prince new to this world and its conflict. A blinded healer who saw with the arcane. A saviour born of a betrayed defender. A blithe spirit from a land whose history would be rife with war. A caster whose youthful body betrayed a mind most haughty. A sports ace come from a dream of his home. A brigand ever seeking to steal a heart. A scarred youth with the spirit of a lion. A soldier who carried a friend's legacy. A girl with the blood and powers of arcane beings. A wanderer separated from his friends. A paladin and a dark knight who had accepted both. A boy who had undergone hell's training and reaped heaven's reward. An idealist devoted to a rebel cause.
And a warrior of light.
These combatants stood on the steps of a shining temple, before a goddess carrying a gearwork staff - the heiress to the will of harmony.
"Go forth... and prevail!"
Spiritus raised his blade forward, and the champions around him leapt to action; and Materia swung her staff out, prompting her champions to return the assault.
The first to meet were nearly Garland and the Warrior he had clashed with time and again - but a sword with an engine upon its hilt soared ahead of the Warrior, and Noctis manifested with his hand on its grip. Garland swung his great blade to meet his blow before crossing swords with the Warrior; then movement behind him drew his attention not an instant too soon, and his weapon met the long crimson blade in Lightning's hand, scattering rose petals about the connection. She turned as her momentum faltered, skidding across the ground with a crimson shield before her - yet before she could resume the offensive, edges of darkness drew her to leap away, and a blur of black and silver charged forth to meet her blade with his shining nodachi.
Saviour and angel traded blow upon blow - and above them, Ultimecia maintained a rain of magic that chased Terra through the stone formations. She turned when parallel ridges seemed to give her cover, her enchanted blade alight with flames as she returned fire; yet the Cloud of Darkness loomed behind her, and she barely had time to notice before a Particle Beam blasted towards her. In the dark glow of the blast, a shining barrier went unseen until the blow had already enflamed the stone around them; Y'shtola let the defense fade and offered Terra a short nod before turning her attention back as sorceress and storm began to join their efforts. A sphere of magic manifested before them, growing... and an instant before the attack could fly, a pillar of flame burst through it and continued into the stone below, sending smoke and debris flying.
Esperkin and Miqo'te stayed their ground while the washout blinded them, but witch and wraith drew their attention to its source; Shantotto's mocking laugh echoed across the battlefield, heard even in the updraft of boulders where Lightning and Sephiroth crossed swords. Crimson Blitz and Masamune collided time and again, neither's wielder any stranger to combat amidst soaring stone; an instantaneous lock of weapons earned the saviour only a glimpse of the smirk on the angel's face before he threw her back. Finding her footing was no struggle, but by the time she had raised her gaze, Sephiroth had circled her, and she had only time to turn before her sword was thrown from her grip.
Lightning leapt aside, Masamune glancing off her Night Lotus as the boulder she had stood upon was rent; Crimson Blitz soared through the air, impaling itself in more grounded stone. That stone was currently acting as running ground to the Lucian prince; Noctis seized the fallen weapon without even slowing his pace and hurled it back the way it had come, and when a falling boulder threatened to crush him he vanished with a scattering of blue in order to pursue the blade. A cobalt flash around a crimson streak drew Lightning's attention, and once Noctis was certain she would catch it he tossed the blade back to her; she offered him a short smile, then braced her weapon in both hands as his Engine Blade appeared in his grip, and when Sephiroth made to swing his nodachi they both moved their own swords to meet it with a cross blow.
The sparks of the threefold meeting of weapons were nearly synchronous with the ignition of sparks in Kefka's hands, an instant before he sent lightning raining down on Vaan and Tidus - who were presently running from Kuja's swirling orbs of Flare and Holy. A flash from the side drew his attention as a dark knight's armour vanished, replaced with the shining plates of a paladin before Cecil became a blur of light. His blow narrowly missed Kuja, and an earthward swing drew the reaper to dash aside, giving Vaan the opening he needed for a sphere of Pyroclasm to gather in his grip. He hurled it with a round arc at Kefka, but the jester had dealt flames with more unorthodox trajectories, and he only arced away and waggled his fingers tauntingly.
That prevented him from seeing Tidus' flying spin; the ace arced into a flip and kicked the orb of flames as though it were a blitzball, giving the mad mage only time to turn and panic before it collided with a blast that could be seen clear across the stone field. The Onion Knight saw the explosion over Exdeath's shoulder a moment before the tree's gnarled blade flew forward to stop his charge; he met the attack on his Onion Sword and directed it over his shoulder, and when it made to strike him again from behind he leapt over it to allow it return to its wielder. His rolling landing had Exdeath's attention, leaving his back exposed for Zidane to leapt at it daggers raised, but the thief's flying yell drew the sorcerer's gaze in time for him to raise his blade to meet the thief's own.
He hurled Zidane aside as the Onion Knight neared, and his body shone and faded as he teleported away. Brigand and boy nearly struck one another, but managed to divert their attacks - and from the point where Exdeath had been rose the first of many dark spheres that surrounded the two youths, rising to the Emperor's command. Firion, swinging on a rope tied to a knife impaled in a boulder above, saw the trap about to strike and ceased his flight; his bow was drawn from his shoulder, and an arrow of flame manifested as he drew the string and let it fly near enough to divert the despot's magic. The trap petered out as the bow was returned; his crimson blade was drawn for a strike that found itself met on the tyrant's staff.
Clear across the battlefield, another pair of weapons met - Squall's gunblade clashed with Jecht's mighty sword, and pulling the trigger to send a gunshot's tremor through its edge went unnoticed as the blitz king forced the lion back. He dragged the weapon across the ground before slamming it into Jecht's weapon once, twice; a third meeting locked their weapons, and their foreheads nearly came to blows before Squall pulled away and swung once again. Four clashes, five, and then Squall made to thrust and halted an instant before Jecht could parry; the edge nearly impaled itself between the king's eyes, and a smirk rose on the lion's face as he pulled the trigger again. Magic drew the blade to glow with heat as fire burst from the tip, and the recoil of gunshot gave Squall extra propulsion as he leapt away.
As flame turned to smoke, it parted to let Jecht fly out, none the worse for wear; Squall had no time to react before the blitz king slammed a fist into his stomach, throwing him into a wall of stone that shattered under the impact. The fragments began to lift around him as he got to his feet, for Golbez stood there, commanding them with his magic; Bartz found a foothold above, and a lance appeared in his hand as he drew it back and hurled it forward. The flying weapon was an instant to connection before the warlock raised one hand; darkness rippled around the spear's tip as it halted, as though it had impaled itself just below the surface of water, and his other hand swung forward to direct the boulders around him to fly at Squall.
A blur rushed past the gunman's side, brandishing a great weapon formed from a union of six; Cloud raised his Fusion Swords above his head as he neared the greatest boulder threatening Squall, and it shattered under the crushing blade. The wolf soared between the pieces as the lion watched on; but Bartz's landing drew his attention to the matter at hand, and as Jecht neared them the wanderer manifested a pair of daggers in his hands. The blitz king's great weapon struck naught but stone as his targets evaded, though it quickly moved to meet Bartz's knives, and then Squall's gunblade as Jecht's arm crossed with a kick. Nor had Cloud fallen idle once the lion's safety was assured; the boulders Golbez manipulated offered him stepping stones in the air or else were split beneath his blade as he neared their manipulator.
A dark dragon coiled around the warlock, and blue light gathered upon the wolf's sword; and in the same instant as his crushing blade met the necrous scales, another was raised to meet a more knightly weapon. Garland twisted his blade to send the Warrior reeling back before raising it over his head and seizing it in both hands to bring it down - but light rose around the Warrior's shield in a giant echo of its form, halting the weapon long enough for the Warrior to drive his sword into the earth and call forth a wave of shining pillars, sending Garland flying back in return.
He landed from the turn of his strike and found his landing following quickly by Lightning's; a sword impaled itself in the ground, and Firion landed beside it as it was surrounded by a flash of blue. Noctis appeared with his hand on his weapon as Cecil landed upon a high rise at Firion's side, and Vann landed a short distance behind Lightning as Shantotto and Terra hovered above the gathering. Garland managed to right himself as he landed, joined shortly by Sephiroth; Golbez was already waiting behind him, and the Emperor behind Sephiroth, as Kuja, Ultimecia, Kefka, and the Cloud of Darkness floated around them.
Garland readied his blade in one hand, and his other curled into a fist as the crimson glow of discord gathered around him and his allies.
The Warrior nodded sternly, his grip on his weapon shifting as the cobalt shine of harmony alighted upon him and his trusted friends.
Then champions of Materia charged, and champions of Spiritus returned the action, army and army meeting in the center of the broad expanse between the gods that had called them. Crimson Blitz crossed with Masamune; the Fusion Swords collided with Jecht's mighty blade; the Cloud's magics met Terra's as the scales of Golbez's dark dragon halted the Revolver's edge. Cecil's paladin lance collided with Kuja's orbs of Flare and Holy; Exdeath's gnarled sword halted the Engine Blade, and Y'shtola's crystalline staff met the Emperor's twisted scepter. One final meeting of weapons was all it took; Garland halted the Warrior's blade on his own, and the sheer force of the conflict sent a pillar of energy rising into the clouds above.
Allegiances and oppositions no longer mattered as the clashes parted - Firion, Y'shtola, and Vaan landed around Sephiroth, and Kuja, Terra, and the Emperor hovered within arm's reach of one another. Lightning rippled across the blanket of clouds for a moment, and then they parted against a violent golden glow. From the skies emerged a massive, serpentine figure that seemed to extend into eternity, soaring hellward and circling through the air, yet leaving the space it had passed occupied for far longer than any other being's body would last. Noctis eyed the being in amazement - for his comrades had spoken of this creature, but no words could describe the sight of a spirit dragon writhing through the air.
Shinryu gathered himself above them, and raised his shining wings. His gaze fell upon the gods and their champions... and then he lashed his wings out, and roared as pure force burst out around him.
Everyone acted to guard, not caring- No, to say they did not care would do them injustice. It was precisely because the foes of their clash stood behind them that they raised their defenses, and Shinryu's force was halted upon it. The Warrior's shield and Garland's great blade served to protect Zidane, Kefka, and Shantotto; Y'shtola's barrier kept Firion, Sephiroth, Cloud and Vaan safe; Exdeath and Golbez used their magic to deflect the force from Noctis, Lightning, and the Onion Knight; Terra, Kuja, Ultimecia, and the Cloud of Darkness all pooled their own arcana to shield one another; and Jecht held his great blade in the way of his body, which did itself stand in the way of his son.
And Materia and Spiritus stood side by side, together enduring the chaotic deluge.
When the power faded, the Warrior lowered his shield, and his gaze swept shortly to his allies before turning back to the planesgorger. Tidus supported his father for the brief moment before his strength returned, and everyone's attention was on the dragon as Shinryu roared again. Spiritus and Materia exchanged glances; and then they, and all their champions, readied their weapons unflinchingly.
A fulgent rain began to scatter from Shinryu's wings, and the champions charged forward, letting the golden arrows ruin the earth they left behind. Stone updraft formed footholds for those who could not fly, and as that fell light rained down around them the gods directed their magic. A sigil appeared behind Shinryu's wings - a round gear - and another appeared before his eyes - a sharpened diamond.
Y'shtola, Golbez, Kefka, Shantotto, the Emperor, Ultimecia, and Kuja all gathered around Terra, and the Esperkin's blade served a focal point for their magic before she added her own to strike the planesgorger's heart.
Lightning, Garland, Cloud, Zidane, Noctis, Squall, Sephiroth, Jecht and Cecil all landed their blows, and then the Warrior's sword was draped in light that could have come from Cosmos herself as he drew it into a heavenward blow.
For an instant, the golden dragon hovered there above the world he had sought to abuse, severed in two from maw to tail.
Then, within that shining apparition, a much darker dragon opened its eyes.
Materia's sigil shattered, and Spiritus' shortly followed, as the golden aura of the planesgorger erupted, washing arrant calamity over the expanse. The champions found their flights scattered from the force of the blast; the Warrior's shield served him no good against such power, and he was only the last of twenty-five to be sent flying from the cusp of victory. Even the gods were not spared the wash of power, blinded by its shine and diverted from its shockwave.
When the Warrior could see again, he was kneeling on a battlefield of stone... floating in an expanse of nothingness. His shield was still closed in his grip, and his sword, impaled in the stone before him, served a support as he tried to muster the strength to rise. His eyes flickered to his left and revealed Noctis kneeling there, unarmed, and a glance to his right told him Lightning still held her own sword at the ready.
Then his gaze turned to his enemy, and he found that strength to rise.
Shinryu hovered before him, no longer clad in the golden aura of power taken from conflict. His scales, shining silver, seemed to pulse with darkness, and golden crystals emerged from his body up his length. His golden wings were furled before him, and his crystal-spiked arms crossed upon his chest, but in only a moment did his eyes open, and he roared as he lashed his arms and wings to his sides.
The Warrior seized his weapon, readying himself for this final clash.
"This is my home, not yours!"
Draco: Characters back in the world of conflict after Cosmos and Chaos had died? Somebody new sitting on the gods' thrones, specifically taking their places? Incarnations of the heroes born of memories? And a much more comprehensive recollection of each individual's past journeys? I acknowledge that I may be conceited in saying this, but I get the feeling somebody on the story team for NT has read Condemned. I know for a fact that I got my big reveal out no more than a week after the arcade version was ANNOUNCED, because I was initially tempted to power-finish the fic as soon as I heard it but decided against it as soon as I had the chapter up.
I'm not going to deny that there are certain things from 012 that I prefer to NT, including - and I know I'm gonna get lynched for this - Lightning's Medic role, but I refuse to be the asshole who says #TheyChangedItNowItSucks. It doesn't suck. It's awesome in a hundred different ways and excellent in the other fifty-one. Dissidia NT is worth spending your money on, and screw anyone who says otherwise with a knife. I kinda wish that that Ace and Ramza (and Kain to a lesser extent) had received storyline roles, but there have been stated plans for storyline updates/DLC (sources conflict on which) and I won't make any judgements until that's concluded. I am irked that they were in the credits anyways, but depending on the size of their extra story they might have just wanted to avoid changing the credits for something so small.
Now, as far as actual criticisms go, I have exactly three things I dislike about this game that I know are someone's fault, only two of them are reasonable, only one of those reasonable ones is something I actually mind, two of them are purely aesthetic, and all of them are the sort of things that get me accused of being 'annoyed by the most random shit' (direct quote).
-You cannot replay the exact fights in story mode. This is purely a side-effect of my bad habit of erasing my save data to play a game's storyline over from the beginning, seeing as I could do every fight down the way it was in story mode (minus manikin aesthetics) if I wrote down who I was fighting and what their rank was. Unless manikins are still getting EX rip-offs, and I'm pretty sure I saw something say 'Trance'.
-Lightning's Equilibrium outfit does not include her Night Lotus shield in gameplay, despite both the fact that her Knight of Etro outfit has her Goddess' Grace shield, and that the Night Lotus appears in the FMV. I will acknowledge that she does cross her arms in one cutscene, but the opening of Lightning Returns illustrates that Night Lotus retracts to buckler size and I'm 79% sure they use different models in cutscenes than in gameplay.
-Sephiroth gets his Kingdom Hearts appearance as an alternate outfit and Cloud does not. If it's a matter of not wanting to have to work his bandaged Buster Sword, okay, I get that. Having it as a separate weapon is going to piss off certain groups of people, and there's probably a nightmare for coding it in as a side effect of a specific matchup. But the One-Winged Demon does not get nearly enough spotlight. NEW EDIT: Cloud and Squall get their Kingdom Hearts appearances as of Version 1.31, this criticism is no longer applicable. END NEW EDIT
...There's also the fact that the Bravery attack and jump buttons were initially reversed and the first update undid that after I had already been gaming for a few hours, but that is entirely my own fault.