The plot of Ikaruga

[Hur]

I searched the forums and didn't see a topic on this, so I'll just ask: what the heck is going on in this game? The game is fun as hell and I used to own it for the GC but to this day I never understood why I was blowing things up with different colors.

[Mr. Domino]

It's basically the same as Radiant Silvergun in which Stone-like (god) has taken control of the world's forces to destroy life, and you're looking to stop it. I'm presuming the "destroy life" bit, but Stone-like's action did lead to reseting the world in a sense in Radiant Silvergun, and I'd assume the goal is the same in Ikaruga.

[Lemu]

Clooose, but not quite, Mr. Domino.

If I recall correctly, the Stone-Like was unearthed by the Hourai Nation's leader, Hourai Tenrou, a weilder of psychic powers. Said psychic powers led her to be able to cmmunicate with the object, which spoke of it's goal to end all wars on Earth by wiping out human kind, and starting anew- which drove her to outright insanity due to it's vast knowledge and power. Soon after, her and her troops began to conquer various nations with her newly obtained abilities and knowledge, thinking it would lead to peace between nations. (I'm assuming this meant that she was able to equip the various fightercrafts in her nation with Polarity Based energies, therefore making them impossible to defeat by normal means...) One of the Nations- in which the main character, Shinra-came from, attempted to fight back. His army lost, and he was the only survivor, crash landing on the island of Ikaruga, where he was rescued and taken care of for a decent amount of time by the people who were exiled there from the Hourai Nation.

During that time, he met Kagari (P2), who served as a mercinary of sorts to kill Shinra (and potentially any of the people living on the island). Shinra, in his new fighter craft, the Ikaruga itself, fought her in her Genkei. She was shot down, but spared by the likes of Shinra. This action caused her to change sides, and her Genkei was equipped with the same polairty-absorbing natures as the Ikaruga.

From there on out, Shinra and Kagari set off to stop Hourai Tenrou, who had used the Stone-Like as a power source for her troops and various machines.

Possible theory at work here; I'll go out on a limb here and say it's quite possible those cut-ring esque devices on the Stone-Like are restrainer devices to prevent it from doing a World Reset like it did in the beginning of Radiant Silvergun, hence why it didn't do so in the likes of Ikaruga, and why it was actually destroyable by the protagonist party. (That and along with the fact the ships are absorbing IT'S bullets, therefore giving their shots the same god-level power as the Stone-Like... But I'm most likely thinking too much.)

There's also the off chance that this Stone-Like and the one from Radiant Silvergun are alternate universe entities of sorts, as Ikaruga is only a spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun. And with Radiant Silvergun's plot essentially being surrounded by a closed time loop, there's be no way for Ikaruga's plot to happen in RSG's world.

The Stone-Like essentially is the Earth itself, in both storylines. Confirmed in the ending of Radiant Silvergun. The speech during the final battle against Tegari/The Stone-Like in Chapter 5 is almost the exact same speech from Stage 6 of Radiant Silvergun.

Ikaruga's Chapters are also named after the various stages of Reincarnation in Greek Myth/Bhuddism- and there is a good deal of Greek/Bhuddist Symbology in this game. Research Metempsychosis (the final chapter of the game is named that.) Some stuff'll make sense. It's also a decent tie in into the Eternal Reoccurance plot of Radiant Silvergun.

[Hur]

I never would have guessed, thanks for the write up.

[Alhazred]

Originally posted by Millions Axes:

Clooose, but not quite, Mr. Domino.

If I recall correctly, the Stone-Like was unearthed by the Hourai Nation's leader, Hourai Tenrou, a weilder of psychic powers. Said psychic powers led her to be able to cmmunicate with the object, which spoke of it's goal to end all wars on Earth by wiping out human kind, and starting anew- which drove her to outright insanity due to it's vast knowledge and power. Soon after, her and her troops began to conquer various nations with her newly obtained abilities and knowledge, thinking it would lead to peace between nations. (I'm assuming this meant that she was able to equip the various fightercrafts in her nation with Polarity Based energies, therefore making them impossible to defeat by normal means...) One of the Nations- in which the main character, Shinra-came from, attempted to fight back. His army lost, and he was the only survivor, crash landing on the island of Ikaruga, where he was rescued and taken care of for a decent amount of time by the people who were exiled there from the Hourai Nation.

During that time, he met Kagari (P2), who served as a mercinary of sorts to kill Shinra (and potentially any of the people living on the island). Shinra, in his new fighter craft, the Ikaruga itself, fought her in her Genkei. She was shot down, but spared by the likes of Shinra. This action caused her to change sides, and her Genkei was equipped with the same polairty-absorbing natures as the Ikaruga.

From there on out, Shinra and Kagari set off to stop Hourai Tenrou, who had used the Stone-Like as a power source for her troops and various machines.

Possible theory at work here; I'll go out on a limb here and say it's quite possible those cut-ring esque devices on the Stone-Like are restrainer devices to prevent it from doing a World Reset like it did in the beginning of Radiant Silvergun, hence why it didn't do so in the likes of Ikaruga, and why it was actually destroyable by the protagonist party. (That and along with the fact the ships are absorbing IT'S bullets, therefore giving their shots the same god-level power as the Stone-Like... But I'm most likely thinking too much.)

There's also the off chance that this Stone-Like and the one from Radiant Silvergun are alternate universe entities of sorts, as Ikaruga is only a spiritual successor to Radiant Silvergun. And with Radiant Silvergun's plot essentially being surrounded by a closed time loop, there's be no way for Ikaruga's plot to happen in RSG's world.

The Stone-Like essentially is the Earth itself, in both storylines. Confirmed in the ending of Radiant Silvergun. The speech during the final battle against Tegari/The Stone-Like in Chapter 5 is almost the exact same speech from Stage 6 of Radiant Silvergun.

Ikaruga's Chapters are also named after the various stages of Reincarnation in Greek Myth/Bhuddism- and there is a good deal of Greek/Bhuddist Symbology in this game. Research Metempsychosis (the final chapter of the game is named that.) Some stuff'll make sense. It's also a decent tie in into the Eternal Reoccurance plot of Radiant Silvergun.

Really, I don't think it's much of a stretch to say this is an actual sequel to Radiant Silvergun. The importance of destroying the Stone-Like is obvious; if it reset the world again, there would be no clones this time, and humanity would cease to exist. This is the iteration where things have finally gone differently and the loop is finally broken.

A little more theorizing: Creator's remains were used in building the Ikaruga. We know his head survives into the present day since it was found before the Stone-Like destroys the world in Radiant Silvergun, this time should be no different. This explains the Ikaruga's final message before firing on the Stone-Like ("Was I helpful for you? I am deeply grateful to you.") Creator, who understands the truth about the loop, knows it's gone differently this time, and he knows that it will be the last time, one way or another. It fits he would say this once it becomes clear Shinra is about to defeat the Stone-Like, at long last.

[Lemu]

Strangely, I've heard that theory, that the A.I. for the Ikaruga is that of Creator's from RSG, but I'm not entirely sure where. That said, any more proof to back it up? I'm honestly willing to believe it, regardless, but it'd be pretty cool to have more information on hand.

That said, it's a little hard to believe that the Stone-Like would go resetting the world without some sort of backup for the human race. If I recall, one of the lines from the speech was "you must do it over again", giving implications that humanity would once again rise again, clones or not...

[Alhazred]

If there's any proof, I don't know of it. It's just a guess, albeit one that, I think, makes a lot of sense.

As far as the Stone-Like goes, I think assuming it has an infallable plan is giving it way too much credit, especially if we go with the idea that Hourai have subjigated it, and frankly, the idea that they've subjigated it somehow is the only thing that makes sense to me. If they haven't, why is the Stone-Like helping them conquer the world instead of just wiping it out? Why the change of heart? How could Hourai have changed things so signifigantly that it no longer sees the need to end the world and start the loop over?

It's a nice bit of full-circle...ness, if the Stone-Like, despite being the all powerful guardian of the Earth, is no more perfect than the people it passes judgement on, and I think there is evidence for this quality. It's unwilling to consider that humanity is a part of the Earth it claims to protect; while it allows humanity to begin again, it only does this after wiping out everyone on the planet and insisting it will continue to do this until humanity lives up to its literally unknowable standards. It perpetuates the loop countless times with no active effort to change it, simply letting humanity rebuild only to die in the exact same way. Things only change when humanity forces it and takes the decision out of the Stone-Like's hands.

[danmaku]

RS is reincarnation
Ikaruga is transcendence/enlightnment.

[Mieihe]

Interesting stuff.