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-Two new things opened up: “Extra Verse” and “Friendly Match.”
-The latter is sparring against Noctis. I still don’t have a great grasp on the defensive mechanics, so I’ll pass on this. It seems like it’ll be really hard.
AND GOOD LORD, NOCTIS’ PHASING IS SOOO ANNOYING! I fought him for like 10 seconds and I’m ready to join Team Ardyn if doing so gives me a chance of landing a hit.
Let’s check out Extra Verse.
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Extra Verse
“Resume play from the branch of fate in Chapter 3.” What branch are they talking about?
-This starts from when Ardyn charged in. I’m… not really sure why we’re doing this again.
-Wait lol wtf, this is an alternate path. A “What If” Ignis had taken Ardyn’s offer to leave Noctis and go with him.
-Ardyn transports them both to Zegnautus Keep. Maybe. This was quick, and I’m now always going to take anything Ardyn does with a grain of salt about whether it’s real or illusion.
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Fate of the Chosen
-So now I’m Ignis, exploring Zegnautus Keep. This is weird af.
-A “mysterious voice” that sounds vaguely female blasts into Ignis’ head, showing a vision. Of Ardyn.
[non-rhetorical question: Assuming Episode Ardyn doesn’t provide the answer, is there someone specific I’m meant to recognize it this voice as? I don’t think it’s Shiva, but I suck with voices.
If it’s someone that gets revealed later, my current prediction is that this is Ardyn’s mother.]
-Ardyn was born for the throne. So he WAS a king, or at least someone high in the line of succession. But the Stone denied him because he was impure of heart.
The king who wasn’t.
That answers another question I had earlier. I didn’t know whether Ardyn was just born cursed, but it sounds like he was a shitty person and the Stone just saw his character.
After being spurned, he went full-on baddy. Embraced a dark immortality.
-It hits me that I still don’t really know much about the “darkness.” This voice just reiterates that Noctis alone can purge the star of its scourge. It sounds like some naturally-occurring antagonist to all things good and pure.
I wouldn’t be upset if that’s all there is. There’s something charmingly retro about a decision to just say “here, it’s an ancient evil that’s evil just because, undeserving of any sympathy. Destroy it!” I have a feeling that if there’s any deeper answer, we may see in Episode Ardyn.
-Ardyn leads Ignis to the crystal room. The mysterious voice fills Ignis in on how Noctis will ascend.
-Ignis approaches the crystal, just as Noctis had. Ardyn appears behind him.
ARDYN: “In a sense [I’m after Noct for revenge,] but my aims extend beyond the boy. He’s more of a means to an end.”
This surprises me. I really thought revenge against the line of Lucis was the whole of it.
-Ardyn is very explicit here. He’s Ardyn Lucis Caelum, but not the person Ignis knows as the Founder King. That was his “dear brother, who snatched the throne and cast me into exile.”
I love Ardyn’s red armigers.
-Ardyn starts kicking Ignis’ ass hard. Lobs an armiger strike his way that seems to toss like 50 different weapons his way.
-It knocks Ignis out, and he wakes up in a destroyed crystal room to Ardyn standing atop him.
-So his goal IS revenge, but as much against the Crystal that chose Ardyn’s brother as against Noctis’ line.
-Ignis shows the Ring he brought with him and Ardyn’s eyes light up. It’s always a pleasant shock to see Ardyn express honest emotion, like this greedy hunger seeing what he believes to be his birthright.
-Ignis here dons the ring once more, aiming to save Noctis and protect him. His eyes burn purple, and he’s granted power once more.
-Just as in the first fight, the ring’s enchantment wears off.
-A choice appears. Does Ignis risk his life, sacrifice his life, or give up? Clearly, give up.
Lol jk, sacrifice his life. “The contract is forged. The ring is now thine to control.”
…I guess the “Chosen King” stuff was just a matter of convenience lol.
-It’s a tough fight, and I’m still bad at pressing square. I don’t kill him in time, and he wins by decision.
-I like that we don’t just get a “retry?” They give a full game over cutscene, where Ardyn taunts how Ignis’ death will help lure Noctis into his trap.
-My second attempt goes WAY better. On point with my counters and on top of him with my Flamebound attacks and techs, winning with 2 minutes to spare.
-Ardyn dissipates in a revenge-swearing cloud of purple. Noctis and the party arrive here. Ravus helped them get here quickly.
-Noctis takes the Ring of the Lucii from Ignis’ nearly broken body and wears it confidently. The crystal responds with a flood of healing energy that cures Ignis’ sight as Noctis enters it for his hibernation.
-This time, the credits show the party regrouping with Noctis gone. The sun is still there, since Ardyn didn’t rise to power. Aranea is here, the power plants is here… this is a peaceful aftermath.
-Ignis has conversations and a clear friendship with Noctis.
-Oh, I guess Ardyn DID rise to power? We see him hanging out by the throne. But these credits show daylight, so maybe he rose in a more gradual and less apocalyptic way. Or maybe he just abdicated altogether. Not sure.
[Non-rhetorical question: How did y’all interpret this ending?]
-It ends with the party welcoming Noctis back ten years later. We even see them taking on the Crown City.
“Today, we finish it. Today, we walk tall together.”
-They ascend the stairs of the citadel. Ravus is here, with a beard of his own. Ravus even gives Noctis his father’s sword personally.
Ravus giving off those Legend of Korra-era Zuko vibes.
-The party ascends the steps together. I don’t quite get it – I guess they’re going together to finish off Ardyn, but without Noct sacrificing himself since Ignis already did that and the Gods maybe gave him mercy on his contract.
-Later, we see Ignis enter, and greet King Noctis. Alive on the throne. The end.
I had to sit and think about my impression of this for a few minutes. I… kind of don’t like it? I loved the first ending, bleak as it was, and this “what if” just felt like it undercut it.
I mean, it didn’t really undercut anything since it’s not the canon ending, but even so. It felt unnecessary, not really adding much to my understanding of Ignis’ or Noctis’ characters.
-Heh, the DLC’s title screen now has a sighted Ignis. Nice touch.
[Non-rhetorical question: What other paths would’ve opened up with the “give up” and “risk my life” options? I’m interested, but don’t want to replay the last chapter’s extra verse to that point.]
-So… yeah, that’s Episode Ignis. Brilliant main section, neat but unnecessary Extra Verse. (Which I guess is why it’s just “extra.”)
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Next time: Episode Ardyn, and I’m SUPER pumped for this. He’s a fascinating villain, and I don’t remember if the FF series has ever really let us play as the villain. (I know we got to play as Golbez in FFIV: The After Years, but he wasn’t a villain at that point.)
