FFVII Dirge of Cerberus – Part 13: Rose of Wutai

 Summary: Yuffie saves the day, acts like her awesome self, and we learn some more about Vincent’s past with Lucrecia. No gameplay here, just cutscenes. [Side note: is it just me, or does “Dirge of Cerberus” have a much higher percentage of cutscenes than pretty much every prior entry in the FF series?]



-SHE RIPPED A GLOWY ORB MATERIA THINGY OUT OF HIM

-IS THAT A CHAOS ORB? IS THAT CHAOS? [And why did I not until now notice that this is Chaos’s second appearance in the FF series, his first coming as the final boss of Final Fantasy I? *bonks self*]

-Or maybe that’s the “protomateria” that Azul was going on about. Whatever it’s called, we see the Chaos demon inside the orb as Rosso holds it.

-NOPE JESUS I MISREAD THAT.

WE WEREN’T SEEING A CLOSE-UP OF THE ORB, WE WERE SEEING VINCENT’S BODY LYING ON THE FLOOR AND DOING A DEMON MORPH

-Rosso deduces that the orb is what lets Vincent control the beast. Oh – right! It was a Chaos GENE, not Chaos MATERIA. The beast is part of him.

-Rosso moves in for the kill. Come on, Vincent! Come on, Chaos!

-NOPE LOL EVEN BETTER

-YUFFIE SAVES THE DAY

-HELP MY CAPSLOCK IS BROKEN FROM THE SHEER AWESOMENESS GOING ON

-YUFFIE CHARGES IN, THROWING HER BOOMERANG GLAIVE THING, BLINDS ROSSO WITH A BURST OF LIGHT, TAKES VINCENT’S BODY, AND RUNS OUT AS ROSSO CRIES OUT “WUTAI FLEA” AFTER HER HAHAHA

-Rosso heads outside the Manor looking for the two of them. She doesn’t see Yuffie or Vincent.

-AND IN HER RAGE SHE LITERALLY PUNCHES A CRATER IN THE EARTH

-I LOVE YOU ROSSO PLEASE DON’T RIP MY INSIDES OUT FOR SAYING THAT ALOUD

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Flashbacks

-Turk!Vincent is talking with Hojo and Lucrecia. He’s surprised at learning of Lucrecia’s participation in some project.

TURK!VINCENT: “But using your own child for an experiment?” Oh. THAT experiment. Yeah, Hojo’s pretty much the definition of awful.

-Something about Hojo’s voice acting reminds me vaguely of a more sinister Cait Sith.

-Vincent objects lightly, but that’s about it. He narrates this flashback, and clearly feels guilty about his role as a bystander. Lucrecia sounds pretty shaken too, but stands firm that she wants to participate of her own free will.

-We then see Lucrecia collapse, lost in memory as we see a montage flash by of all the consequences of Hojo’s experiment.

Or should I say, Hojo’s and Lucrecia’s experiment.

NARRATING!VINCENT: “That was my sin. And this… this… is my punishment.”

-The next shot is a creepy first person perspective from Vincent. He’s in the laboratory beneath Shinra Manor, no longer in the mako tank. He looks down at his hands. Sees claws. Screams to the sky.

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Crystal Cavern

-We’re back in some probably future time with Lucrecia ensconced in the crystal and Vincent talking to her.

-Wait a sec.

-Wait wait wait

-I just saw a glimpse outside of something blue. Is this the City of the Ancients?

Is THAT where all these crystalline cavern scenes are taking place? That’s my guess.

-Vincent goes on blabbing about his guilt and “oh Lucrecia it’s my fault for not stopping you that day.” The scenario and Lucrecia’s choices are interesting to me, but the hero brooding over the woman he couldn’t save is waaaaay less interesting.

-She’s not totally silent though. She keeps saying, “I found…” and “I gave you…” and “I’m sorry…”

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Present

-Vincent’s lying on a table. This is the present.

-Yuffie! Dressed in her sackcloth moogle costume. (That’s what it looks like to me, anyway.)

-Vincent’s out of it and asks who she is. She’s pretty well covered-up so I can’t blame him for not recognizing. I also can’t blame him because it allows her to launch into a gloriously ridiculous speech about who she is.

“I am the champion of earth and sky. The conqueror of evil. The single white rose of Wutai! Yuffie Kirasagi! Feast your eyes on…!” and as she stands astride a bench, she slips and falls. It’s a bit slapstick, and idec. She’s awesome.

-The music here is wonderful, and Yuffie’s banter with Vincent is wonderful. Everything is wonderful. Except the hole in Vincent’s chest, but it sounds like he’s doing better.

-Yuffie’s helping out Reeve’s WRO. He thanks her sincerely for the help, and I get a bit misty eyed because this is (again SORRY) wonderful.

-They contact Reeve, who updates Vincent about what Cait Sith saw in Midgar. Next up is a full offensive against Deepground in Midgar.

-I really, really, REALLY hope I get to play as Yuffie.

-Yuffie is excited to strike at Deepground. “Now it’s time to give them a taste of Pain a la Yuffie!”

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Next time: return to WRO headquarters.