Part 14: One By One

Update 14: One by One

Welcome back. Last time we discovered the corpse of the desk clerk and met the world’s nicest drug dealer. We also encountered the setup to the world’s most obvious ambush, but the gravity of a nearby plothole sucked away all of Rion’s reasoning so he can’t really be blamed for falling for it.





The porter told us to go to room 301. Since it’s clearly a trap I make sure to equip our shiny new D-Felon power before entering.



Two Enhanced Rabbits pounce as soon as we set foot inside. This is a very tough fight due to the cramped confines of the room, and you are guaranteed to take at least one hit before you’re in a position to fight back.



Thankfully, D-Felon is absolutely perfect for engaging multiple targets in close quarters. The mere act of charging it up causes all nearby enemies to stumble and clutch their heads in pain, effectively paralysing them.



Releasing R1 once the wheel is fully charged results in Rion lifting and psychically choke-slamming everyone nearby. The damage is about the same as a fully charged blast of Nalcon, but the paralysis effect makes it easily the most powerful ability in the game.





After taking out the Rabbits we’re free to examine the table for an important-looking note.









So, Lilia was in this room until quite recently, but was forced deeper into hiding after her constant messages allowed the Galerians to home in on her. It’s annoying that we just missed her, but at least we’re getting warmer.





The porter is gone, but right now that’s not important. Now that we know Lilia was staying in room 301 we have a new line of inquiry we can pursue. Let’s bug the guests some more!



Huh. Looks like she’s not here anymore.





Maybe she went downstairs. Might as well check the bathroom before we go, I don’t think I showed off what was in there earlier. Like most of the game’s bathrooms the ones in the hotel don’t have much in them, but the guests tend to shove their belongings in there so they’re at least interesting to look at.



...Oh. Damn it.



Maybe because you left her at the mercy of a man you knew to be a psychotic murderer?



Just in case there was any doubt, a reading reveals the porter did it.



Things are taking a turn for the worse, but we have to keep going. The game kind of stops telling you where to go at this point, but the next place we want to visit is room 303.





Room 303 is the gun nut’s room. A machinegun probably won’t help him if a Galerian comes calling, but it’s better protection than any of the other guests have.



: I’m supposed to contact room 205. Tell them room 303 sent you. They’ll understand…



It’s not exactly helping us find Lilia, but…we might as well, I guess?





We arrive to find the room empty, but as soon as we enter the phone starts to ring.







Well, that was unenlightening.





The room contains some supplies, so our trip wasn’t completely wasted.



Leaving triggers an ambush against two Enhanced Rabbits. As always, they are deadly in cramped conditions.



Thankfully, so is D-Felon.



I suppose we’d better go back and tell Mr. Machinegun his contact has bailed on him.





…I have a bad feeling about this.





Jesus.





The porter claims his third victim.





Again, the game isn’t clear on where to go next. The actual next step is to visit the creepy priest on the second floor. We get another in-game cutscene as we enter.



: Ah, you have returned with my donation!



: I shall pray for your soul…



: Do you keep the money in your…pockets?





: Please, the donation! I must have the donation! Where is the money?!



Rion and the priest grapple for a few seconds before Rion manages to make a break for the door.



As much as I’d love to never visit the creepy priest ever again, the game requires us to go back in and speak to him again in order to advance the plot.





: It spans our vast universe. It makes plants flower…and trees bear fruit. That energy can fulfil your dreams.



Fine, just so long as that energy doesn’t involve molesting young boys.





This guy just keeps getting creepier. Let’s just go to room 202. Even if it’s another ambush it’ll at least get us away from here.







Oh look, an Enhanced Rabbit lying in wait. What a surprise. At least there’s only one this time.







…You know what? This is probably for the best.



You get a pass for this one, Rainheart.



The number of guests left alive is rapidly dwindling, and we’re no closer to finding out where Lilia is. Who can we turn to in this darkest hour?





If you answered ‘the crazy guy with the nuclear device’, congratulations! You’re right!



: Too many people have already applied…



: That girl you’re looking for might be there too. Everyone seems to want in on my plan!

Somehow I doubt that, but whatever, let’s check it out.





Guess what? It’s another ambush! This time however it’s actually a really tough fight.



Three Enhanced Rabbits in such a tiny room make it impossible to avoid taking multiple hits. No matter how quickly you try to run or how you try to slip by, you will be stunlocked and lose about half your HP in the opening two seconds of the fight.





If you can survive that, and still have some D-Felon left, you can take them all out reasonably quickly, especially if you take some Skip beforehand. If you don’t have any D-Felon then you’ll be in for a rough time, especially since the door is locked until you kill all the Rabbits.



You guys know the drill by now. Time to check and see how the latest guest has been gruesomely murdered.



Uh…I’m not even sure what to make of this one. Looks like he was…strapped to a rocket and then strung up? Well, it’s probably the way he would have wanted it at least.



C’mon, Rion. You really have no excuse for not knowing this.



See? It’s right there in the damn reading!

It occurs to me that this stage would be much better if you couldn’t read the dead bodies. If this stage was structured a little more coherently, with a solid trail that took you from one guest to the next, with an invisible killer slowly offing them one by one it would make for a really suspenseful and nail-biting experience. Instead we have a disjointed series of events that just make the main character look stupid.





My random musings on how this stage could be improved aside, it’s time to finally confront the killer. Rainheart appears in front of the grandfather clock once you survive the previous ambush. Talking to him triggers the next line of plot.





The clock whirrs as its hands are forcibly realigned to 2:55.









Five to three. The same time that was prominently displayed on both Rion’s parents bodies.





: You killed Birdman, didn’t you?



: I am Rainheart. Now it’s your turn to die!



: So it was you who killed everyone!









Rainheart uses his pyrokinesis to summon a wall of flames that rushes towards Rion.



: Aaaarrrgghh!!

: NO!!



: So what if I killed them? It’s my mother who you should be scared of.



: We must obey… YOU must obey what she says…

(I’m pretty sure this next line is supposed to be in Rainheart’s head and not said out loud)

: STOP IT. IT’S TIME FOR YOUR MEDICINE…



: No…! I’m sorry…! I won’t do it again…! No, no medicine, it’s only 2:50!







Rainheart’s eyes glow red, and he warps up through the ceiling.





: Lilia! I heard you! I heard your voice! Where are you? Call out to me!

: I felt the sadness in Rainheart’s soul. Please come to me, Rion.



: Lilia!



The cutscene ends, but we’re done for this update. It’s unfortunate that the narrative kind of falls apart here, but it does give more credence to the theory that the latter half of the game was kind of a rush job. Whether that’s the case or not we’re fairly close to the end of the stage and probably only three or four updates away from the end of the game. Until next time.