Part 19: Loose Ends

The end of the last update didn't seem like an appropriate place for this (and it had a lot of images already), so here's a bonus update of sorts.



I showed you what happens if you beat Dolph and Childerich, but like I said back then, the game still continues if you lose...



...and the conversation after the fight changes accordingly.

Ngh...

Such a shame. Your talents used to exceed even mine.

Although I do like that they're beatable, I kind of wish they had been stronger.

Ha! Knights! Your fighting style is all stance and form. It's about as practical as dancing in a real fight. You all deny the one thing that really matters in combat -- the killing!

Nnnghhh...! *pant* *pant*

Even if they do pull the "just toying with you" excuse in the end, they don't feel quite powerful enough to be as much of a threat as the plot makes them. If you beat him here, you still haven't seen Childerich win a single battle through his own strength! I mean, sure, he beat up a couple of NPCs, but... they're NPCs. It doesn't count.

Such a waste of time.

(Still better than Troy, though.)

Ooh! This one still has the strength to stand?! And such fire in her eyes. Makes me want to tear them right out of their sockets! But maybe it'd be more entertaining to gut her precious Prince right in front of her.

Childerich is a douche either way.



This is where Kyle and Zegai come running, and it all proceeds the same from there.



Oh, and spot the problem in this image!



You are asked to escape the palace several times. Only by refusing all of them will you get the scene we saw last time, with Lyon knocking Frey out. Let's take the other one this time.

Prince...

Yeah, losing my parents was enough of a gut punch, thanks.

Okay. Let's go! You, too, Zegai.

I was already planning to.

There's an escape route up ahead. Let's hurry!

First, obviously the scene differs...



...and you get this line from Lyon if you talk to her during the couple of seconds it takes to get to the next event.



We're there already.

Yes. Hold on a second.



After that, Lyon's line changes...

Prince! Hurry!!

...to something a little less heartbreaking.



The passage Sialeeds opened isn't very long, and leads down to an underground dock.

This was all set up long ago, for emergency escapes. We're probably the first to have to use it, though.



Frey remains behind for a moment...

Please... Please don't look back, Your Highness!

...before he follows the others.



The next scene starts the same way.



However, we obviously skip the part with Lyon apologizing. There's no alternate scene; it just cuts straight to after that exchange, moments before the Sun Rune returns to the sealed room.



The rest plays out the same as before. I do think the one I went with in the update is a bit more... dare I say, "hard-hitting." Also, I like Determination/Tragic Battle which plays while Lyon is blocking your path.



Here's another Alenia concept. It looks better than she deserves, the absolute fucker



And here's Ferid.

I don't think anyone really expected Ferid or Arshtat to make it out of this alive. As much as they telegraph the queen's demise, though, they could have made it look more likely for Ferid to survive by making him join the party at some point and giving him stats - not even necessarily for an area where you can get into fights, so it wouldn't even require animations. (Same thing, really, goes for Zahak's betrayal, though in his case it might have been more effective to not make him a dick to begin with.)

As I've said already, the game is far from perfect. Still, I have to commend Suikoden V for the way it sets up these characters, giving them histories and personalities before killing them off. As far as NPC deaths go, Ferid and Arshtat left more of an impression than most, more even than some playable characters.

Next, we'll see how Frey deals with the aftermath.