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The Let's Play Archive

White Knight Chronicles I & II

by nine-gear crow

Part 37: I Swear, If She Gets Captured Again After This, Then So Help Me GOD... (Part 2)


CUTSCENE MUSIC: “The Devil on a Black Horse” (Disc 2, Track 19)

And because Level-5 doesn’t just want to stop at ripping off other JRPGs, now they also stoop to ripping off popular movie soundtracks. The core leitmotif of the Black Usurper’s theme is beat-for-beat the choral chant from the Naz’ghul theme from The Fellowship of the Ring. Don’t believe me, listen to the track above, and then listen to this the whole way through and see if you pick up anything familiar in the melody.














And now we’re ripping off Kingdom Hearts.








Oh shit, apparently we’re fighting Femto. I haven’t even seen Berserk and I know that’s a bad thing. Mostly on account of the .








And here it is, the final boss of White Knight Chronicles I, the Black Usurper, formed from an unholy amalgamation of Kara and Shapur.

I guess when you kill a Pactmaker to take their Ark, you need to wait for the Pactmaker to actually die before trying to transform otherwise you apparently create a giant beefed up and incredibly unstable version of that Knight like this thing.


Shapur: Power, ENDLESS!
Caesar: KARA!!!

So the Black Usurper has two forms, or rather two stages to it. It’s got three targetable components right now, it’s torso and each of its arms, which are designated at the Core, Strength Regulator, and Magic Regulator respectively.

Breaking either the Strength or Magic regulator will greatly reduce the Usurper’s physical attack power and magical attack power. Hitting the core, however, is the best way to deal damage to it.


Because, you see, the core has a rather unique feature to it… It’s the only enemy in either game to be weak to all three physical damage types.

I’m surprised that this is the only time that this ever happens. Maybe it’s a stealth reference to the fact that the critical hit system wasn’t in the vanilla version of game 1 that this guy served as the final boss for, so Level-5 just made everything you throw at him count for critical damage? Or maybe it’s a catharsis thing, as, alleged, you really want to kill Shapur for what he just did to Kara so now all your attacks will do critical damage against him? I dunno.


So because I’m feeling thematic, I change up to Caesar and unload on Patchy with the Dragon Knight.


Caesar: O Larvayne, vermilion drake, leveler of ancient lands, grant me your power…


Caesar: Verto!












Shapur: So this is the Knight's power?! How splendid!
Caesar: You psycho!
Leonard: Dammit! What has he done?!
Yulie: Stop it! Let Kara go!








So the Black Usurprer’s got its share of attacks. This one casts Slow on the entire party, making it harder to score any hits on it.








It also takes wild swings at you with its massive arms.








I don’t let it get its massive charge attack off here, because I’m actually legitimately worried this thing will kill me throughout this fight now. So better safe than sorry.










See how it just knocks Leonard and Yulie flying AND into critical with a single hit?

Shapur: Go in infinite pain!
Leonard: I refuse to give up!


Though luckily because they both have Heal First on and the only thing the AI knows how to do properly in battle (most of the time) is heal itself, they’re back on their feet in no time.


And Caesar lands the killing blow on phase 1 of the Black Usurper.












Now that glowing piece on its chest is gone and its vulnerable for reals this time.








Shapur: Aww, what's wrong?


Phase 2 is essentially a rerun of phase 1, only now the core and it’s upper body are targetable instead of its core and arms.








Shapur: Yes! Life has NEVER been finer!
Caesar: You'll pay for this!




The Black Usurper has one final trick up its sleeve, however…


It can actually kick you out of your Knight form. This is an ability several enemies in game 2 exhibit, though not until much later in that game, so we’re getting a preview of it here. This is actually kind of shocking to players who aren’t ready for it.




Though luckily, Goofus has accumulated at least 7 AC since his fight with the Black Knight and is ready to transform into the White Knight now that Gallant has been de-Knighted.


Leonard: O Wizel, white warrior, wielder of the ancient sword, grant me your power…


Leonard: Verto!










For one reason or another, I try to Turn Break the Black Usurper when it’s not charging up for a special attack, which when you do that to a boss or giant enemy, produces this shield effect around it signifying that your blow didn’t connect.




Luckily, this one does…


I try to Shield Bash it… but that misses too…


And instead I use Divine Blade on it. This is the strongest attack that you can use with Talion equipped. It’s also quite the MP drainer.








But it does 4 digit damage, so I can’t really complain.


Shapur: Haaaaa!! I never want this to stop!

Well, I got some bad news for you, asshole…


SLAM!


And that is it, we have beaten White Knight Chronicles part, now it’s all over but the crying… And game 2.




CUTSCENE: Kara Falls, the Shahgna Rises












So the Black Usurper starts to break up…














It dissipates into the ether, leaving Kara and Shapur behind…


And Kara collapses from the strain.






Shapur starts stumbling around like Cyrus on a sober day.


Shapur: Ahh…






And just like that, Dinivas has officially transferred owners. Meet your new Black Knight, kids.

See, I told you Shapur was going to become plot-relevant EVENTUALLY.


Shapur: Muha ha ha ha ha ha HAH HAH!

SHAPUR IS LOVING THIS SHIT!


Shapur: Wait…


Shapur: Oh shit!


Shapur: Bye!

[Exeunt pursued by an idiot]




Kara: Uuuuughh…


Caesar: Kara!


Caesar: Hang in there! Kara!




Kara: Caesar… I’m so glad I… m-met you.


Kara: Caesar… you… you were my friend… weren’t you?
Caesar: Kara! Don’t! We can… We can make this alright again.


CUTSCENE MUSIC: “Lost Love” (Unreleased Track)

Caesar: Kara!


Kara: No…


Kara: …I was wrong about too many things. …I messed up… But I hope you still… think of me as a friend.


Caesar: Ah! Kara, more than that! Don’t you know?


Caesar: To me… you’re so much more!

Credit where it’s due: Vince Corazza and Catherine Cavadini are acting the fuck out of this scene.

Although this scene is slightly undermined by the realization that I’m essentially watching Tuxedo Mask declare his undying love to the leader of the Powerpuff Girls as she dies in his arms.


Kara: Thank you.


Goodbye, Kara.


Caesar: Kara!

So Caesar decides life is not worth living without her and commits suicide by impaling himself with the shoulder spikes on the Dragias armour. …Not really, but that’s what it looks like is happening when he pulls her in close like that.

I mean seriously, look at those things. He’s got to have like four or five stab wounds in his lower abdomen/thigh from here the spikes on the right pauldron are jamming into his flesh, especially since, you know, he’s not even wearing a shirt or anything.


Leonard: This is my fault… Isn’t it?

I don’t know, but I’m going to blame you for it anyway, dipshit.


The camera pulls back on Caesar sobbing over Kara’s corpse.


And then the place starts to rumble and fall apart. Because although the Black Usurper didn’t even exist but five minutes ago, it was apparently the Dogma Rift Temple’s Load-Bearing Boss, and now that it’s dead, the place is coming apart at the seams.




Leonard: Caesar. It’s time.






He reluctantly lays Kara’s corpse down.




CUTSCENE MUSIC: “Collapse of the Temple” (Unreleased Track)

And they make a run for it.








Caesar: KARA!!!

God, do need to add in a “Kara!” counter to the drinking game?


Yulie: Uh!


Eldore: Leonard! Caesar! The palace is about to collapse!
Cisna: Yeah, thanks Captain Obvious. …Seriously, who the fuck are you again?


Cisna: Come on… quickly!




Caesar looks back.


He debates just stopping and let the temple swallow him up along with Kara.


Eldore: Caesar! Run faster!


He scoops up Cisna and the rest of them book it.






Orren: Well, looks like we’re getting that jump in after all.
Yulie: Urgh. I had so many things I wanted to do with my life.
Orren: Hey, between Grazel with Sun King and a now free Cisna… The world’s about to go to shit anyway.
Yulie: I never really thought about this before, but I think I might actually—
Orren: I know you do.
Yulie: —enjoy watching Cisna start a war.
Orren: …Fuck it. I’m still jumping.










So yeah, this is essentially the end of White Knight Chronicles. “Is the plot done?” / “Yeah. Now what do you want to do for a conclusion? How are we going to wrap everything up and comment on what’s happened in the story?” / “Pfft. Who needs that. Just have them run away from a fireball or something and roll the credits.” / “…Wha?” / “You know. Just like that. We don’t need any resolution or whatever.” / “…Fuck. Hey, that deal with Ghibli for our new RPG went through, right? …Are they hiring, by chance?”


Cisna: Okay, that’s far enough, Bengay Extra Strength.


Eldore: Princess Cisna! …What is she doing?


Cisna: It’s alright.


CUTSCENE MUSIC: “Shahgna, Ship of the Heavens” (Disc 2, Track 21)


Cisna: [Ancient Gibberish]


Cisna: [More Ancient Gibberish]


Cisna: [Even More Ancient Gibberish]


Cisna: Rise ye from the ancient past, might airship…


Cisna: Shahgna!
Orren: THE FUCK?!




So yeah… The game is over, there are no more playable segments… And now we get an airship.

Well done, Level-5, well done. Just when I thought you couldn’t fuck up basic JRPG gameplay design any more, you pull this off!

In all fairness, we will be seeing the Shahgna quite a bit throughout White Knight Chronicles II, but in terms of actual gameplay across the sequel, it is completely useless. The fact that we can fast-travel via the world map renders the Shahgna’s existence as a Thing in this game moot.

I don’t even know why the hell it was included in the game except as another example of Akihiro Hino’s ADHD, in the moment, zero-fore/after-thought writing.

Whatever, let’s not delay the merciful end of this game any further.










Yulie: Look!












Quickly, the ending’s coming. Everybody run for it!










With everyone safely aboard, Goofus turns to climb inside the Plot Contrivance-mobile too…




But then he has a heart attack and dies. No, not really but we do get one heck of a dramatic WHOOOOOOOM! sound.


Leonard: AAAaahhh!
????: Knock knock.


Who’s there?


????: Game 2.


FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFU—


Yulie: Eh, maybe he’s actually dead this time. Let’s see…
Yulie: Leonard?


Cisna: Oh for fuck’s sake! I leave you alone for two seconds.


Cisna: Leonard, are you okay?


Leonard: What happened? My body…


Cisna: Perhaps you used to much of your power… Here let me help you.




Cisna: Break my fucking Incorruptus. Just great.


Poor Yulie, getting the shaft again, standing around as Cisna cynically drags the most powerful weapon in her arsenal aboard her new airship.


Cisna: Hey, greybeard! Get this thing skyward already. I made a long list of people I need to kill while I was in the klink, and Sarvain is right up there at the top. Double time it to Balandor! NOW!



And now, the Epilogue…