LOVELESS Avenue
-Quick note: I was wondering earlier what a Phoenix Down does in a single character party. I accidentally clicked on it, and now there’s a feather above my head and I have the “Raise” status. I assume that this means if Zack dies, he’ll get immediately brought back up. I saw this in FFVI and can’t remember the name of it – Life 2 maybe?
-Zack goes about saving the cityfolk from murderous mechs. Cissnei’s been doing the same.
Only one word describes the woman in this screenshot: BADASS.
-Cissnei’s kicking ass, but is fighting against a Genesis. Not in soldier gear this time – his long red coat. Could this be the original? (Probably not.) Tougher fight. He tries to fly away in one-winged Genesis mode at the end, but Zack cuts him down.
-Interesting conversation between Cissnei and Zack about the symbolism of wings. Cissnei believes they symbolize freedom, but given what I know of FFVII, Zack may have hit the mark.
-In thanks for helping her, she gives Zack “Research Dept. QMC.” No clue wtf that is.
-LOL – Sephiroth called from Mako Reactor 5 (AERIS ON THE HORIZON MAYBE??) (sorry, I’m just really excited to see her again in a new context) to say Angeal’s been sighted. Zack freaks out that Sephiroth is gonna have him and Zack kill him. Sephiroth says no – they’ll find him and “fail to eliminate him.”
Zack reactivates Happy Puppy Mode.
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Mako Reactor 5
-Zack immediately ports over there. No travel scene. None needed I suppose, just strange.
-Weird! First monster I meet is a Sahagin. The monster is familiar. I saw them even back in FFI. But they’re usually sea monsters. Here it is in the reactor, though it has a trident – perhaps a nod to its former sea monster days.
-WAIT WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK
-The Sahagin has Angeal’s face etched on its head. He’s being copied in some form. That’s so, so disturbing.
-Sephiroth used to sneak into the Shinra Training Room with Genesis and Angeal. “For fun.” And a billion slash fics were born.
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Flashback
-Sephiroth flashes back to training on top of what looks like a mako cannon with Angeal and Genesis. They start out hanging out together, and it’s warm and friendly.
The cinematic fight is just beautiful, the music is beautiful… this is great. Sephiroth is dominant in sword skills.
But Genesis clearly wants to be “the hero.” Challenges Sephiroth to one-on-one, and breaks out some hyper-destructive magic. Angeal tries to pull him back, but Genesis uses magic on Angeal and burns him unconscious.
GENESIS: “That’s no way to talk to a hero.”
He’s clearly out of control. His fight with Sephiroth is destroying the cannon they’re on.
-OH. Lol. Of course. That was a training simulation. I forgot it was virtual reality.
And Genesis walks away, ominously quoting “LOVELESS”: “And even if the morrow is barren of promises, nothing shall forestall my return.”
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Present – Mako Reactor 5
-Sephiroth eventually got a standard Angeal lecture about the situation, but not sure where this statement comes from. Sounds kind of random, but Sephiroth’s casual description of Angeal’s lectures amuses me.
-Heightened emotions for Zack affecting the DMW.
-LOL – got spam mail.
-The layout of this reactor feels a bit Zelda-ish. Have to turn valves and lower bridges and navigate a few levels.
-We enter a room with a cloning chamber containing a Creepasaurus Rex, a.k.a. a Sahagin with Angeal’s face.
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Flashback
-In the last flashback fight, Genesis got cut. Not a bad wound, but in this flashback we learn the wound wasn’t healing. Was Genesis even then starting to mess with cloning?
-Yes. Hollander was the doctor who treated him.
-OHOHOH! Genesis needed a transfusion to help him. Sephiroth stepped up to offer, but was turned away.
SEPHIROTH: “Why couldn’t I be the donor?” LOLOL I KNOW A THING
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Present
-Ok. My brain’s having a bit trouble processing this stuff, so going to slow down.
There’s a note here: “Project G – Summary. Objective: Implant the cells of an Ancient into a human fetus to imbue said fetus with the Ancient’s abilities.” So this is unrelated to Jenova, since Jenova wasn’t an Ancient. Something about Aeris and her family?
-Another note, about the Ancients this time. The thing they dug up was an Ancient. Actually… maybe it was Jenova, and they just erroneously believed she was an Ancient at this time! Hojo seemed to only find out she wasn’t later.
The note adds that they channeled power to tear apart the planet.
They tried spreading “the Ancient’s cells” by imbuing others with them, intending to create a super race.
A minor thing that’s somehow more chilling: “The primary objective of this research is to significantly reduce mako excavation costs.” Ultimately, all the evil and craven intentions come down to the bottom line.
-Sephiroth elaborates: Project G led to Genesis. Genesis started to degrade and make copies.
-Oh, hi! Hollander pops into the lab.
-And Genesis flies down too. Sword to Sephiroth’s throat. Credit where credit is due: Genesis seems like a pompous tool, but his sword is awesome. Zack gives chase to a fleeing Hollander.
-This is tres creepy. Genesis quoting a passage of LOVELESS to Sephiroth, calling him “Hero of the dawn, healer of worlds.”
-Genesis feels jealous of Sephiroth’s glory. This feels weird, given that Genesis DESERTED AND STARTED COPYING HIMSELF. But maybe I’m missing something.
But Genesis no longer wants to be the hero. He wants “the gift of the goddess.” Uh-oh.
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Back with Zack
-Zack gives chase to Hollander.
-YES! Just noticed I can skip summoning animations in this game. Bless. Bahamut, you were awesome to see summoned once, but you take too damn long. Sorry bud.
-This ratty scientist is leading me on a merry chase.
-We reach the plant interior, where he’s got some mech backup. Tough boss fight.
Mech trio.
-Then Angeal shows up. LOLOLOL
ZACK: “What are you after?”
ANGEAL [completely deadpan]”: “World domination.”
He then says “revenge.” Huh?
-OH SHIT ANGEAL IS AN ANGEL
Or something. He’s got a single white wing. What happened to you dude? Or is the Jenova juice just sprouting up now?
-I beat Zack to the punch, but just barely.
ANGEAL: “Angels dream of one thing. To be human.” THEN HE SPRINTS FORWARD AND GUT PUNCHES ZACK, FLINGING HIM ACROSS THE ROOM.
Zack refuses to defend himself, and Angeal blows out the grate below him. Free fall.
-Title screen. Sephiroth.
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Next time: the next act – andthe black feather floating by Sephiroth in the title screen doesn’t fill me with hope that the next act will be rainbows and kittens.
