I mean I don't expect anyone to feel compelled to read this anyway, I'm not really awake enough for this, hahaha

BUT LET'S GO

Eizen.

The thing that really sets me off regarding Eizen is the dismissive way that Edna is treated by his storyline.

I do appreciate that he loves his sister. I wouldn't deny that for a second, even if I hate how they decided to show that.

But so much of Eizen's storyline in Berseria mopes around the idea of his Curse, how dangerous he is to be around, how he's forced to stay away from Edna because he doesn't want her to be endangered, andddd for me it just undermined everything they did with him.

Because it just leads to one of two things.

Either A, Eizen doesn't really care about ANYONE he comes into contact with in the game, because he's willing to endanger them, or B, Eizen coddles Edna against her will and to her detriment to the point that apparently everyone else in the world is more capable of dealing with his Curse than she is.

If Eizen loves the Van Eltia crew, the party members, Van Aifread, Zaveid—then how come he's so willing to be around them?

If Eizen loves his sister so much, then how come he disregards her own choices? I appreciate that he isn't forcing her to sit on a mountain alone, but he is leaving her behind ~for her own good~ and it's so hard to swallow coming off the back of Zestiria.

SO THIS IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO LEAD TO WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING ABOUT TODAY

Although Berseria is obviously a prequel, it was released after Zestiria. It was marketed that way, and it uses our fondness for the world and characters established in Zestiria to bring us into its story. Which Is Fine! Nothing wrong with that!

But it means we came into Berseria familiar with Edna, ready to learn more about her and her brother, and man does Berseria really not end up doing her any favours imo.

There was SUCH a fervour when Eizen was announced. I was part of it! So excited to see the character behind Edna's dragon, the brother within the tragedy. We were so here for that!

So when I started thinking about what could have been done to make me like Eizen more, I looked back at Zestiria and realised that a big part of the problem for me is that I don't feel like Berseria answered anything that game set up about Eizen.

What does Edna love about him so much? Well..... he's her big brother? He raised her from a baby (which is a whole OTHER issue I have that we won't get into right now). He sends her gifts? Well, we already knew that... he... I mean, seriously though, I'm struggling here.

Does he bake for her, or does she bake for him? Whatever, baking happens.

It's all really shallow, I guess? It's really surface deep, I don't feel like we really learn much of anything about how they actually ARE with each other.

How could we have improved this?

ACTUALLY INCLUDE EDNA IN THE GAME

That would definitely be the easy answer! But you know what, make it a flashback if you're really devoted to the idea that Eizen can't be around her. I don't even care.

There's a canon location that literally assaults characters with unwanted flashbacks, how hard would it have been to let us see some shared sibling history there?

SIBLINGS ARE EVEN A MAJOR GAME THEME, WORK WITH ME HERE

So what's the other major thing I feel like Berseria didn't really cover? How did Eizen succumb to malevolence and become a dragon.

We learn that this is. a consequence of his Curse I guess?? I feel like the game is simultaneously explicit and vague about this, but yeah. Curse = dragon. More susceptible to malevolence? Attracts more malevolence which means more exposure and ergo more danger of transformation? idk w/e

The other thing we learn is that he absorbed a shitton of malevolence at the end of the Zaveid subquest. This seems like it's supposed to be the Major Factor that brings Eizen toward that unavoidable end—by doing that, he's catapulting toward a terrible fate.

So this sucks for a few reasons.

One, literally fuck the fact that they felt the need to give Z A V E I D a fucking fridged girlfriend. fuck that. fuck it so much.

I can not stress enough how much shit that needs to eat.

Two, it's just.... washy? So little actually happens. Oh no, instead of turning into a dragon Eizen is going to... turn into a dragon Faster? And that's it. That's as close as we get to an answer of what happened to him.

Eizen and Zaveid make their Promise, which is great and all except I can't think of a worse way to make them finally bond than having them make pretty vows over ZAVEID'S FRIDGED GIRLFRIEND, I'M SO. MAD. FOREVER.

What might I have done differently, then?

You better believe Eizen becomes a dragon on screen.

In a lot of ways I think the only reason that didn't happen is because Namco weren't willing to have him permanently leave the party.

I guess it could have happened during the finale, which would have bypassed that issue.

That wouldn't be my preference, but it's definitely an option.

I think, though, that the real way to get Eizen's fate to have impact is to really make us have it. Make us experience it, make us play it.

That would have done so much more to play on the knowledge and emotional investment we already had from playing Zestiria previously.

And it could have been another burning motivating factor for the rest of the party. Something that brings characters like Phi and Eleanor a little closer to understanding that perspective of Revenge.

Would the game still work minus one party member?

Well, the obvious first choice is to bring Zaveid in again, but I don't know if playing that card twice would be the best call. Still, it's a solid option. I think it could be written to work.

Alternatively go for something FULL CRAZY I GUESS, like. Have Teresa actually join the party, that would be fucking bonkers and I would have loved it.

Make fucking Benwick join the party. MAKE DYLE JOIN. KAMOANA. BRING BACK L A I L A H

man i don't even care hahaha, I'm tired and should have written this is Wordpad or something instead of blathering it messily here, hahaha

BUT HEY. SO. Has Tales ever committed to permanently removing a party member before? Is benching Eizen early implausible by Namco standards?

I haven't played them all, so I can't say for certain! But let's see......

Destiny seems like the big contender actually. Leon is a fan fav, and I think his story has a lot to do with that! If he'd been there to the very end I don't think he'd have the punch that makes people remember him so well.

But even then he manages to be in the sequel, lmao.

Symphonia I'm saving for in a minute!

Abyss loses Ion. His loss is definitely felt, but he isn't playable so he doesn't really apply in that sense.

Graces is. interesting! Because it does lose a party member, although he ends up returning for the DLC-sequel. Still, no one else plays like Richard so I think he's actually the closest thing we have to this idea being played completely straight?

Ion does show up as an extension of one of Luke’s mystic artes on a second playthrough so he features in SOME gameplay and his loss is noticeable but...his addition was primarily a bonus to begin with.

Richard has his own abilities, his own titles, he doesn't cross over with any other PC, so there's no one else that can really fill his niche in battle.

(I will let you continue before adding my Eizen cents sorry I REPLAYED ABYSS TOO MUCH and got emotional the first time Ion wasn’t in my bonus mystic arte and felt the need to comment on that haha)

WHICH BRINGS ME BACK TO SYMPHONIA.

Symphonia can have a party member depart, but... not quite permanently. Those characters return for fragments of gameplay, or else are replaced by an exact gameplay doppelganger.

Sure as shit Kratos and Zelos have nothing in common as people (OR DO THEY???), but in terms of gameplay they are essentially interchangeable.

and that's why dezel doesn't count, isn't it

vandesdelca I'D FORGOTTEN THAT, ugh, yeah, I bet that MA absence does smack you in the face. Ion. Ionnnn T_T

ivywell Yeah, I was originally going to mention Sym and Zest together for this reason, but then Graces seemed an appropriate segue!

Because yeah, Zestiria also has a character permanently leave, but Zaveid and Dezel are even more interchangable gameplay-wise than Kratos and Zelos are.

Xillia doesn't have any of this. Milla isn't in the main party for a few hours, but that really isn't the same thing, hahaha. And Xillia 2 has even less of this! So yeah. hrm.

I'm so far off topic lmao

BLAH, so Destiny and Graces are closest to this, although they both found ways to create additional content featuring those two characters.

........ but seriously who cares kill eizen. I'LL STOP TALKING NOW.

I'm sorry I periodically show up on Plurk and then do THIS

NO PLEASE CONTINUE

Honestly I do feel like there was some weird unwillingness to have Edna on screen and also an unwillingness to kill Eizen (or dragonify him) cause of gameplay reasons and it just...ultimately weakens his story.

We already know how it ends and anyone choosing him as their main character was likely to know about it, just let us see it happen

I'm pretty sure Eternia actually does something like that? (I haven't played it that far, though. Nor have I played berseria, so I'm not sure why I read this, haha.)

UGH, THESE REPLIES DIDN'T EVEN SHOW UP, I was so embarrassed for talking so long and cluttering up the timeline but y'all were here for my ramblings, damn you plurk;;;

Mintww THANK YOU FOR READING ANYWAY, I should make it clear that my opinion is not the generally accepted one, hahaha. Eizen is pretty popular! But regardless, wahhh, I wish I had access to other older Tales games. I want it so muchhh.

And vandesdelca yeah, pretty much! Like you say, we already know how his story ends—I wish they'd been more willing to embrace that instead of shying away.

Oh, I know it's not! But I do have some friends who dislike berseria as a whole but have never explained it in addition to a bunch of friends who really love it, so? (It was an interesting read though)

I guess maybe they wanted to try and fill in some blanks regarding him? But ehh, it was all just a misfire for me personally. Justice For Edna.

I mean, we have Legendia sitting there, waiting for us

I KNOW, I WAS THINKING ABOUT IT A LOT TODAY, I WANNA START IT!!!!!!

maybe we can do that for christmas break

I mean I also wanna replay Vesperia.

BUT YES, LET'S DO IT

we haven't preordered vesperia rerelease yet

I sure don't need leonel in my party but I look forward to playing it again and actually saving before all the duke/raven

you know, those scenes that all really exist

y e s

Y E S

YYY EEE SSS

I can't believe you've actually gone in with me on one of these ships for once (except this one was a joke and it's clearly not a joke)

(NOT A JOKE)

i want the rita and estelle raise a baby scene too though;;;;;

HEY NO FUCK YOU WE FOUND THAT SHIP TOGETHER

i said it first

:T

look

I don't have much going for me

I'm pretty predictable in this way

it's exciting for an 'LOL LOOK SHIP IT' ship to actually turn out ok

that never happens to me

(FOR OBVIOUS REASONS IT'S USUALLY STUPID)

are we divorced now

i've ruined your actual thoughtful plurk

NO

well actually maybe a bit idk

you will have to make it up to me with a cuddle

LET'S GO

Did a cuddle happen?