[Spoiler] That "plot-twist" (after Opera House) - I uninstalled

[Swimfan]

Edit:
I actually re-installed because spending 50 bucks on the game and then not finishing it felt like a waste.

Well ... after finishing the game it still leaves a very sour taste in my mouth. My impression hasn't changed a lot: The entire story collapses the moment after the Opera house. Louis basically transforms into a cartoon villain/story threats that feel really important (the Saint and the Church/M. Academy) just rush by (they did Rella REALLY dirty - what happened to that arc?! It felt rushed AF) and very final battle (last form) aside nothing hooked me (and I mean the fights themselves - the story behind it was something I have seen a million times). Louis became just "unreemably bad" for the sake of it while your party members basically climb over each other to sacrifice themselves without any consequences.

Some credit: They really tried to make the ending "complete" (lots of scenes of what happens after) but by that point I also wasn't invested anymore because what I initially said holds true: If they fake-kill one character (Louis) 2 times, they will do it again and again. The moment your crew "sacrifices themselves" I just laughed because of how meldramatic and senseless that was - and of course they come back fine and dandy with a (let's face it) more than flimsy explanation. I had to fight my way through everyone talking about friendship and love in the end before the final fight.

Overall I think the writing in this game STARTS very strong and stumbles so badly that I almost suspect that they switched writers halfway through.

___________________(ORIGINAL POST)______________________

Urgh ....

I loved the game's story so much. Louis dead and - of course - he wasn't the one with the curse ... Forden in a better position ... such compelling plot points and then it all just gets thrown out of the window - I'm shocked beyond words right now.

Louis's DeusExMacina bs comeback is the most boring villian revival I have encountered in a long while. Zorban replacing the lance on stage while falsly examinating Louis's body is also just not sound.

Omg I'm actually thinking about quitting - this plot twist killed any tension whatsoever D-: What is wrong with ATLUS? They used to be so good with plot twists! Did they think the story would somehow not work without Louis? ♥♥♥♥, I'm actually angry right now ...

Edit: I actually uninstalled right now, I can't take the plot serious anymore after such lazy writing and I'm not kidding: I'm not interested anymore where the story goes after this. I had that fantastic duel with Louis that was worthy of his build-up and now everything they build up to just evaporated and meant nothing.

[Swimfan]

Originally posted by kyotod:

Yeah Metaphors story clearly shows that it was an experiment, to test if games like that work for Atlus. It has some nice basic ideas, but the holes between them were filled in very uninspirational. Be it the strange Skyrunner-surfing on Loui`s Runner, be it the "old city" on the island, that had an underground sky for whatever reason, be it the whole "lets crown the prince, who basicly is a child in years long coma". And the church city was the biggest downer. Everything happened way to fast. The church was basically killed without us doing much. The asassination attempt was amateurish at best, Zorba fooled the church by himself, Louis became the "start to finish villain". It was painfull to play through that. I guess, Atlus either was overwhelmed with the number of different hinges they opend up with the game, or there realy will be some "polished, real version" in the future.

Exactly. Renna became a villian, then was cast aside 2 scenes later - it was all pretty anticlimactic (and it stayed that way until the end in my humble opinion).

It also didn't help that ATLUS tried to pull off every single JRPG clichee during the final stretch of the game (party members sacrificing themselves without consequences/boring monologue about friendship/final boss becoming super unrelateable and evil for the sake of being evil/big final dungeon in the sky - this is nitpicky but you know what I mean ;-)).
It all pretty much falls apart. This is why I'm kinda annoyed by how this game is hailed as a revolution for ATLUS when P3,4 and 5 had way more coherrent and emotional endings that did way better to avoid (most) clichees (aside from the friendship bs that never ever stops).

[Livy]

Doesn't help that the end also hammers you over the head that anxiety = magic, without really attributing anything to the story. You could easily just replace that part with the staff being used to make everyone insane. Beside it's also apparent that both Louis and the Church have been making people into monsters.

Also a comment in the 2nd last dungeon would be fitting to have Rella around as well, since she was another child victim to Fordens machinations.

[AkaRai]

Originally posted by Hanzo:

You are wrong. Not sure if there is difference between English and Japanese version but text is
"I knew at first glance that the wound was deep, but the heart was intact"

I was paraphrasing, not directly quoting. The spear went straight through where his heart would be, only way for "anatomy" being his specialty to make a difference is if he moved the heart. Just seemed silly and too convenient to me.

[Hanzo]

Originally posted by AkaRai:

Originally posted by Hanzo:

You are wrong. Not sure if there is difference between English and Japanese version but text is
"I knew at first glance that the wound was deep, but the heart was intact"

I was paraphrasing, not directly quoting. The spear went straight through where his heart would be, only way for "anatomy" being his specialty to make a difference is if he moved the heart. Just seemed silly and too convenient to me.

I think what he meant by anatomy being his specialty is that he can see that heart wasn't damaged without investigating the body just by looking at Louis.
But yeah. Would've made sense if he can do that. Taking in account level of writing wouldn't be surprized if Louis heart could've been somewhere in the box buried in Elda village

[Æthelred]

Wasn't it implied that Heismay also helped them survive the fall using his wings? I just don't know how feasible it was for him to carry and glide with those who were plummeting just in time for Neuras to get them.

[Tiasmoon]

Funny how people that complain about these things, would never complain about Persona having the characters shoot themselves in the head with a gun. Or people turning into coffins during a 25th hour of the day.

[Johnathon Fortnite]

Originally posted by Tiasmoon:

Funny how people that complain about these things, would never complain about Persona having the characters shoot themselves in the head with a gun. Or people turning into coffins during a 25th hour of the day.

One is symbolism and the other is a cool horror element. They're not really comparable

[Hanzo]

Originally posted by Tiasmoon:

Funny how people that complain about these things, would never complain about Persona having the characters shoot themselves in the head with a gun. Or people turning into coffins during a 25th hour of the day.

It's because of consistency. Story can put any settings but it should follow it. If one dude died from this wound I would expect another will do same. Number of plot holes and inconsistencies here is huge. Like several people were working on plot and settings, but never talked
Don't get me wrong P3R also have it's flaws and holes, but not as stupid as those.

[The REAL Batman]

I could tell Louis was a generic cartoon villain from the very first cutscene.

Good job having your own opinion.

[BigCoffee]

I just feel equally disappointed by the events of 9/11 and 9/12. It doesn't take much to make me enjoy some silly writing. But it felt so ridiculous to survive a multiple story fall with a lance (a very very thick lands btw, which wound have left a gaping hole) poking through you. Followed by said lance not being in you, leading literally anything to bleed out nearly instantly.

But then to have the body moved, the lance swapped and then Louis getting healed over 1 night. By a necromancer who threw himself off a 40+ floor roof at the start of the game. A necromancer who I guess can fly or....survive a fall? Somehow? Pretty sure that's not necromancy but sure.

It's all so ridiculous that it did a large amount of damage to my interest. But the real kicker was the terrible sequence with Reila 'acting evil' after and her followed up death. And no dungeon at the mage academy.

Already we had a small second dungeon, the third town had no real dungeon (a weak boss rush doesn't count) and then we had a good fourth dungeon. 50+ hours into the game we've only had 2.5 dungeon and a halnful of terribly boring baby dungeons not worth anyone's salt.

I stopped playing there. I'm willing to assume that there will be another big dungeon after, somewhere. And then a final dungeon to cap things off. But it feels so cheap.

Now I'm gonna go out on a limb and still say that this isn't a bad game. But after having the magic die, I just see way too much of Persona's DNA in it's writing, and the small touch of SMT and Etrian don't do enough to save it. Started off as my GOTY and now I don't want to touch it.

[Livy]

Yeah, had they kept Ralla around and evil to the end, then it would have felt more serviceable since we would still have the church as something. Rather than them just sidelining at the end after being one of the major antagonistic forces.

Least they should have been some actual confrontations between Lousis men and the church after the Opera.