Logical flaws (spoilers ahead)

[gbuglyo]

While Innocence is still one of my favorite games, the sequel was a bitter letdown for me. I can understand why people praise the emotional impact of the story, but I just don't get why so many think that the story is also well-constructed, while in reality, it drags the characters along and keeps forcing them to make out-of-character decisions only to make the set pieces work. Here are some of my gripes:

1. Arnaud may have a burning desire for revenge against the count as he seems to have killed his son - but using Hugo to call upon the rats, really? Arnaud is well aware that the rats destroy whole cities, killing everyone, children and adults alike. He seems so much wiser than that, and this felt painfully forced and out of character for him.

2. Amicia. She has every right to be angry at Arnaud, but she knows him quite well at this point in the story. Shouldn't it dawn on her that Arnaud's betrayal might stem from valid reasons and the count may not be the nice person he appears to be? It felt out of character for her to remain unaware and uninterested in the count's past, naively accepting a private invitation and even going so far as to turn her back to him, leaving herself exposed.

3. This is something I also mentioned in my review: how does Amicia recover so quickly after the attack? She should be crippled and hacked to pieces. The writers should have either cut back on the damage she received or worked on the narrative, perhaps hinting that being a Protector comes with self-healing powers. This part of the story seriously tested my suspension of disbelief.

Here's my full review if you are interested:
https://steamcommunity.com/id/gbuglyo/recommended/1182900/

[LT. Dan's Legs]

A relatable point. Innocence wrapped up everything in a tight bow, no plot holes left unanswered. Requiem... there are a lot of issues with the story, especially Amicia's ability to shake off large amounts of damage when it was already established in the story how certain wounds are fatal (this is the medieval period, after all. Good luck replacing that kidney, de Rune). And there is also the fact that she goes a bit too far (a sentiment echoed by reviewers like Zero Punctuation).

While the game is a achievement in its production quality, setting, and sound design, I agree with you on the point of its story. There are a lot of questions left unanswered, and while I assume the writers are doing this to hint at a sequel, it feels cheap and disappointing (especially when you might recall the satisfying conclusion to the first story).

One of the writers from the first game was not involved in this one, I think that is why the story was not as solid.

[Mr.Hope]

I know there were a few logical flaws in the story, but overall I thought it was a well-written story. For example, Amicia taking so many blows and still somehow continuing on her way is an obvious logical flaws, but I don't think it's something to worry about, after all, this is a game and such things happen in most story games. In my opinion, there was no disappointment in the story. Especially the ending of the game was very suitable for the story. In my opinion, the only flaws of the story are the unnecessary lengthening of some parts and a few logical flaws, other than that, it was a great story and I think it was more successful than the first game.

[Furry Chipmunk]

Originally posted by Mr.Hope:

Amicia taking so many blows

☺

For me the story was gripping until the very end.

[TsampaD]

and for me

[Angrypillow]

For me it was going solid right up until they got to the island, where the progression/cohesion went right off a cliff. It felt like the first half/second half of the game were written by two completely different groups of people, and pretty much every single moment of the story from them getting off the boat for the "brighter days" you could see coming from a mile away....like when they were on their way off the island and the mother/lucas just happened to show up at that exact moment, you already knew the mother would probably die. One moment after another of story beats that were just far too convenient.

The way Arnaud's character came about was weird. I remember thinking when he showed up to save Amicia from the rats it felt like it was supposed to be some kind of shock moment, but at the time I had no idea who the guy was. The context wasn't there because they did a terrible job of introducing who he was originally.

And the actual ending was grossly unnecessary. Making Amicia shoot her own brother in the head was complete overkill. Of the myriad of options for Hugo to die, that's what they went with?

Edit: I also thinking giving her the crossbow as a usable weapon for the rest of the game was a mistake. It's overpowered and trivializes the rest of the game's combat.

[kangirigungi]

I like Arnaud as a character in general, but I agree that he was poorly introduced. He just appears out of nowhere and starts chasing Amicia as if I should have any idea who he is. But after that chase scene, him saving Amicia is a genuine surprise. On the island, his actions might not be relatable, but they are understandable. He is motivated by one thing: to kill the Count, who happens to reside on the same island that Amicia and Hugo are after. This coincidence bothers me more than anything Arnaud does there. He also finds out that Hugo has superpowers, and is blinded by the opportunity to use it to defeat the Count. Amicia at this point doesn't know how bad the Count is, so naturally she stops him, again a logical step to take, especially how the Count seems so nice at first.

The worst part for me is when the Count tries to kill Amicia. I mean, he had the opportunity to just finish her, but he suddenly forgets how to use his sword, giving Amicia time to escape. This is something that happens too often in movies too that the villain finally has a chance to kill the hero, but instead of doing that, he gloats, letting the hero escape.

I liked the ending. I understand why it's upsetting to some, but it's a logical conclusion that makes sense story-wise. I also like how that final scene is prepared. Hugo realizes that there is no hope for him after the scene at the Sanctuary, but Amicia, naturally, doesn't give up so easily. Given her characterization thus far, she wouldn't let go until there is some hope left. Then, after exploring the island, it becomes clear that no, there is really no cure. As outside observers, we can realize at that point that Hugo has to die. But from Amicia's perspective, it's understandable that she won't accept it that easily. She tries to grasp the last straw that if Hugo is happy, the rats won't come, so all she needs to do is to keep Hugo happy. Obviously that won't work, but Amicia, being who she is, isn't allowed to see the outside perspective just yet. Her obsession with saving Hugo is her main character flaw that drives the entire plot. Even at the very beginning, Vaudin says that he cannot be saved, but she doesn't believe it. At that point, at least it's plausible enough that the island really has something to hide. Finally, at the end, we have the dream sequence. The really great thing about it is how the gameplay is used to enhance the story, something that cannot be done in a film or book. You play as you would do intuitively, and fail over and over again. You, as a player, has to realize that the approach that had worked previously doesn't work now. First, you shouldn't follow the phoenixes, but run away from them. Next, you shouldn't fight the rats, but put out the flames. Once you realize this, Amicia finally overcomes her flaw and realizes that her previous approach won't work now and she has to do the opposite of what she'd do intuitively, i.e. she has to kill Hugo. But, being a video game, you have control over what Amicia does, and you don't have to kill Hugo. If you don't do that, Lucas will do it for you. Which, again, is something completely in character for Amicia. She knows she has to do it, but depending on player action, she either manages to find the courage to do it or not, but whichever is the case, it's a moving emotional scene but also a satisfying conclusion to the plot and Amicia's characterization.