Drifting Soul (Composed by ACE, English Lyrics by LYSSA and Castro Satoshi, Vocals by Jen Bird): Among the mist I see a stretching path, reaches out so far, beyond what I can see How far would I be walking 'til I reach the end, the end of the path that's to be seen? I would keep thinking and questioning to myself why do I have to walk this path, oh why? I can't seem to find the real meaning to this path that I take, fate to accept, and my goal seems so far away So tell me why I'm here and what's the reason I am here today If I recall it was you, you wished that I would stay No matter how much wind will blow against me I will keep on, oh oh I will keep moving on, to find the answer too I'm lost in search for you I'm tired from the constant carry on shouting that I can't I see away ahead The words would fill the mist so gently in the air, and it melts as time just passes by When I look back there is no trace of my path I cannot find my way to the past And it's just too late, time has elapsed there's only now that goes on here on out, my eyes see ahead So tell me why I'm here and what's the reason I am here today If I recall it was you, you wished that I would stay No matter how much wind will blow against me I will keep on, oh oh I will keep moving on, to find the answer too I'm lost in search for you When you stop and look ahead and face up to the blue above The Jacob's ladder will come down and check me up If I could climb up to the top, would you be waiting at the top? Will this mean, I search no more? I'll try and reach for the ladder that's there Far away the distance I hear the voices Was this what I've expected I don't even know, oh oh Is this the real me I've longed for, wish that was the case I know I'll let go of the ladder that's there I’ll start walking from this point on... I'm not here at all, I don't exist here at all I gotta search for me I wish that I will find myself soon I need to find myself, myself
Spoilers: After playing this game thru, I think that this song in this moment and the next instance its used, is for Nias internal struggle of accepting herself, the final time its used is for Pyra and Mythra. It really hits when you realize Nia is so terrified of rejection that it keeps her from saving a life of someone she cares about. To me, this will always be Nia's Ballad. It probably is just both Nia and Pnuemas theme or a theme of self acceptance. But I like Nia's struggle more so to Nia it goes
I do really love that whole scene. Which makes me wish even more that they handled their voice direction better. Nia in particular just sounded so off in that battle, like she was having a casual conversation in the heat of battle.
The end of Chapter 3 is one of my favourite Xenoblade 2 moments, actually, alongside the "I won't hide anymore" cutscene in Elpys, the scene where Rex affirms his loyalty to Pyra and Mythra at the Cliffs, and the final cutscene of Torna: The Golden Country.
Don't knock it 'till you try it! I always found I slept easier when I was colder, but my parents kept telling me sleeping above the covers was "wrong." So then I grew up and did it anyway. Still looks really funny, though!
@@TheRezro was xenogears any good? I'm a big fan of xenoblade and i've been meaning to get into the other xeno games but I don't want to waste my time if they're trash.
@@kingroachxvii3392 Well, Xenogears is commonly called worst-best jRPG ever made. It has many gameplay issues and second disk is straight unfinished, but otherwise it is most epic story I did see in any game until today. It is one of those cases where remake should be made one day. I still did find it enjoyable if you like old jRPG's. Xenosaga on the other and is weird. They still didn't have as big cash as they have now, so don't expect same level of gameplay quality. And because they have most freedom at the time plot become ludicrously weird. But actually some plot point are relevant to events, specially in this game. Of course as additional flavor, not necessity. So the answer is if you like older jRPG's? Otherwise just check them on TH-cam.
As someone who is new to this game, I was in tears during much of that cutscene. Calling it a cutscene is almost an insult to it, in fact. It has twists, it has action, and it has sadness. I started crying when Poppi talked about feeling strange, and felt concern for Nia and Dromarch, but the tears were flowing when Vandham started talking, and then did a clearly risky, last ditch move. I saw it coming, it wasn’t very well hidden, Akhos called it a cliche in fact, but that gave it so much more power. He was an incredible character, and he will certainly be missed. Mythra had unfortunately already been spoiled for me, but I didn’t truly know who or what she was. Looking back, I should have seen this coming, as people had brought up her current form multiple times. All in all, that was a masterpiece of a cinematic moment.
Yeah, with a bit of JRPG experience in my back I was also able to expect Vandham's situation but the show of a good story is that it makes it work even if fully predicted - and goddamn they did it.
@@ShallBePurified my reaction was pretty much identical to his but I’ll go further into mythra so for me mythra had also been spoiled because I get curious and like to look things up so I found out she was the aegis. BUT I thought mythra was a second part of the aegis and thus a different character so when pyra transformed into mythra I was so confused and hyped at the same time
@@NDex5 I wish I was as blind as that going into it. I already knew they were the same person because thanks Nintendo for spoiling it in their trailer.
I've been waiting for this episode since coming to this titan. And that's only because it's been so long since i've played the game that i forgot about the scene.
Seeing vandam go down like that hit me like a truck. He was like a father figure to Rex and and he watched malos just cut him down after stabbing himself to fight back and giving that speech. May he Rest In Peace
Yep... When I got to this scene, I was a little upset that he wasn't permanetly playable. But I could tell that Vandham was like that to Rex, so a mix of me investing in him and seeing the death happen before me got me right in the feels. May the honorable Vandham rest in peace.
For those who haven't played the game, this is THE moment. This is the moment where what I think the story ramps up. This is the Head of the Bionis of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Folks that've played XC1 should know what I mean by that. The story is no longer simply "Get to the tree." We've gone beyond that small scope by now. Hold on to your butts. It's about to get crazy.
Personally I think the "Head of the Bionis" moment comes a bit later. This was more like the "End of Colony 6" moment, at least in terms of pacing and amount of story significant lore revealed. (Though I'd also argue it combines elements of the "Attack on Colony 9" moment, as it's the first significant death of a playable character, which will then impact the rest of the adventure to come)
@@ninjapotatolorf6237 id argue that, plot twist wise, this moment 100% is on par with the reveal of Silver Face and Faces being, yknow. That was an EXTREMELY important twist in not only the motivations of the characters, but also called into question the motivations of the Mechonis attack, too. This moment, by revealing Mythra and culminating all the bits of foreshadowing - Malos recognizing Mythra, "her powers dont come from fire," the similarities that Malos' burst of power has to Mythra's - theres about to a lore dump to go along with Mythra's intro and all of it definitely has the same impact as the Head of the Bionis - for me at least. i mean, Rex has to realize now that a) he almost got himself and Pyra killed b) the Aegis is a LOT more powerful than Pyra led him to believe and c) there may be more to Pyra/Mythra's wish to get Elysium than theyre letting on - and can he trust that? idk, i see what you mean about the Attack on C9, obviously, but this is definitely a SHARP turning point in this game's story that I'd argue wasnt matched until the events at the Head in XC1.
say what you will about the voice acting, Rex espically, however at the end where he is just a sobbing mes its just amazing, you truly belive that he is a child who has witnessed death infront of his very eyes
It more of he witness the death of someone who he would almost consider a father. Like think about it. Vandham taught Rex how to be a better driver/ He taught him more about the world. He truly cared for him. Rex is an orphan and he really looked up to Vandham and when he died and Rex couldn't do anything it really got to him. Those two scenes are probably my 2 fav in the whole game
The stars of the show here are obviously Vandham and Mythra, but I just really gotta shout out Tora and Poppi in this scene. Poppi throwing herself behind Tora to shield him from the wall and the genuine concern in Tora's voice go so underappreciated.
When Tora said that, I was looking at Poppi. There was sparks of electrical energy around her, often used in animation to denote damaged electronics. She took a hell of a hit, and Tora's VA really sells it. He really does care for Poppi as if she was a real blade.
For real, shout-out to Ramsus Hardiker (Tora) and Arina Li (Poppi) for their stellar performances that emphasize the depth of this duo. And it just keeps getting better and better later on ❤️
I honestly thought that poppi was going to get around the ether block, by simply being not a real blade. ThenI recalled she had an 'ether' tank inside her, so I guess that flow from that tank would stop too, preventing her from being able to do anything.
You'd think so, but Obrona interrupts the flow between blade and driver, rather than directly influencing the blade itself, so even though Poppi's an artificial blade, she's still unable to send power to Tora because of it. It works differently from some other instances in the story where blades are prevented from using their full power, where Poppi is fine because she gets her ether from her internal furnace rather than from the atmosphere.
Hahaha, sorry! I considered my words when explaining him very carefully, even writing out ways I could explain him and repeating it back to see how it sounded. I wanted to work with the story through explaining things.
@@chugga I think the way you went for with that line worked fine for newcomers. I would have believed you on that because games sometimes do this kind of thing for whatever reason if I didnt know better
So… this was the moment where I absolutely fell in love with this game. And also cemented my love of “Counterattack” as a song. Spoilers below: I saw Vandham’s death coming a mile away, mostly due to the lack of variety in his menu screen voice clips (“GETTIN’ BETTAH!”) and the fact so much of Roc’s Affinity Chart was ???-d out. But still, he went out like a true badass Australian. But the next part. HOLY CRAP THE NEXT PART! By some miracle, I went into the game having no idea Mythra existed (apparently Nintendo Directs spoiled her, so I’m glad I didn’t watch those). All that foreshadowing earlier though, about Pyra’s powers not coming from fire. Didn’t expect they’d be leading to THIS. And Mythra is SO BROKENLY FUN! We’ll see more of that later. On a less serious note, this is also the point I found out Obrona was a girl. Up till now, I thought they were an extremely camp man. Also yay, she’s dead. I normally don’t mind this game’s voice acting but hers is an exception. I was pretty impressed the plot let the party kill her here, most JRPGs don’t allow the party any major wins over the villains this early. From one of Enel's videos (beating the game with only one Common Blade), I found out you can lure Malos off the cliff in this fight, which is hilarious. And remember everyone, don't forget TAH FOIGH..... YOUR..... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!!!!!!!!!
SPOILERS: There’s a lot of things hinting at his temporary availability (all of his favorite pouch items can be found at this point, he won’t bond with any other Blades so you don’t potentially lose access to them), but there’s also some things that could also lead players to think otherwise. Unlike Malos and Jin you can customize and improve him beyond leveling. Having a fully fleshed out affinity chart helps as does being able to use a Pouch Expansion on him, but I think what really convinces players that he wouldn’t be so temporary is that he has a lot of post-battle banter and field voice clips like the other Drivers (even when discovering Scenic Viewpoints). There’s even one special quest that Emile technically has access to right now where he can show up in some of the cutscenes, and you can include him when replaying said cutscenes in the Theater Mode.
Sever and Obrona's deaths were pretty ruthless. Blade lives are almost the same as human lives even if they are evil. But then again she probably didn't have much of a choice.
I purposely skipped over Xenoblade 2 parts in directs so that I could go into the game completely blind, so I also was suprised when Mythra appeared on my first playthrough. Didn't think Vandham would die though as I didn't play around in the menu too much. My first playthrough was pretty much just get through the story as fast as I could.
I’m in the same boat. I agreed after people have pointed out to me that Rex doesn’t scream too good, but genuinely curious, outside of that do you enjoy the VA? I personally thought Rex’s voice actor personified him well whenever he isn’t sounding like a car engine during the tense fight scenes. I love the levity he adds to him, I suppose I am curious if you feel the same.
For real, there's VAs who's crying ends up sounding more comedic than serious And then there's *this.* Absolutely nailed it and if you're not also crying, you at least *know* how distraught Rex is.
@@Tronk_ I totally agree. And the rest of the cast as well, I think this voicecast is just as good as Xenoblade 1's. And besides that I don't remember Adam Howden ever crying in his xenoblade roles.
Exactly my thoughts. It sounds like the kind of dry-heaving sobs that you can't hold back, even though it makes you hyperventilate and feel dizzy. He freaking nailed it.
And that ladies and gentlemen, is how you make a character who was around for only 1 chapter, the best character in the game. Vandham always stuck in my mind after his death while playing Xenoblade 2 and the Garfont theme makes me tear up afterwards, because to me THAT IS his theme. The theme of a mercenary who had a hard life, lost many people he loved including his own son, but turned his experiences into something positive for those around him and helped them grow into something far greater than his own self. He is the driver (Pun intended) of Rex's development as well as the people of the garfont mercenaries, who bring help and support to everyone else around Alrest. His spark will not die with him, for it ignited countless others , who will carry on that spark to even more people.
Guys the actual reason the episode ends where it does is bc otherwise we'll both hear Chugga cry and both not be able to pay attention anymore ourselves bc we're crying
Spoiler: The first time round I don’t think I even noticed that Sever dies here. I suppose it’s quite a character establishing moment, that Akhos cares about his blade and Malos doesn’t even seem to notice or care about his
me too lmao. im on my third playthrough, just finshed chapter 7 and was wondering where the hell sever has been. it all makes sense now, and its actually so fitting that malos doesnt even give a shit
Yep. Though it's kind of a baffling moment for Mythra when you think about it. It's kind of bizarre that she's perfectly willing to kill Blades, yet doesn't take the shot on their Drivers. Especially Malos.
@@wolfdude1623 I’m not entirely sure why she didn’t kill Akhos, but her relationship with Malos is... complicated (500 years of history, and a Father supposedly sending them to wipe out humanity will do that)
I am so glad the "Mythra Awakens" Cutscene on youtube skips Vandam's sacrifice, because god.... It hit me so hard. I knew he was gonna die because of the cutscene video's title.... But god, this scene really, really gets to me. (Major game spoilers ahead) . . . . . . . . . . . . Nia's pain hits so hard here. She knows she can save Vandam, but she can't bring herself to do it.
Spoiler Discussion below, read only if you like. You can see it on her face and it hurts so much because I think even by this point she is actually tempted to expose herself because Vandham treated her so well. But she clearly holds back because she is still terrified of being found out. Nia's a good girl and thankfully gets her full time to shine later.
Personally, this is one of my top 3 scenes in the game. There’s so much going on, the emotional weight behind everything, the voice acting is especially great, Vandham VA did this scene especially amazing, the subtle bits of foreshadowing, the music, all of it. It’s just so great. One of my favorite aspects is Malos’s and Akhos’s demeanor through the fight, acting vey suave and cocky at the start, getting a bit panicked at Vandham’s last stand, but ultimately reverting back to how they were before, then getting backed to panicked at Mythra, then just Malos’s reaction just before the fight stats, it’s all just so nice.
Dear god, I passed up jrpgs for the complex mechanics but this fucking story. I'm tempted to just drop the series right here and play the game, but I know that by the time I actually have free time to do this, the next Xenoblade will be out. The again, everything is so much better with chuggas commentary.
@@JalenZachhM Yeah, the voice acting, especially, is so unmatched in horribleness compared to other dubs.😅 I really hope the original japanese be better.
@@duser If you're just here for the story, watching Chugga ain't a bad way to do it. His commentary between scenes makes these moments hit harder because of his appreciation for the game.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 fun fact of the day number 28: Our new friend Mythra, the second form of the Aegis, had a very different look in concept arts. All of her green highlights used to have yellow instead, and she had a very Angelic vibe to her complete with a full set of wings that looked not unlike the wings of the High Entia people from Xenoblade Chronicles 1.
Incorrect Pyra is is a hindered version of Mythra with her powers under tight restrictions but when those shackles come loose Mythra comes on out with her full power.
Mythra is a literal representation of an angel sent by god from the heavens. But that representation is exactly what makes her juxtaposing personality so interesting lol.
There are a lot of things I want to say about this scene in particular. The first is Rex's performance. While he's still not the greatest in the more tense moments, I want to point out the very end of it all when Vandham's death sinks in to him. His crying was one of the most real things I've heard in the game, and I think he in general really excels at the sadder moments. And there's going to be a lot of those in the future. This is also where Pyra/Mythra and Malos really started to get interesting. Up until this point, part of me thought there kind of wasn't going to be a main villain and it would just be world against Rex and Pyra, or that Jin, or some part of the game we have yet to reach yet, would be the main antagonists. But the way Pyra and Malos had these very internal conversations really intrigued me, and they show that Malos definitely is more than meets the eye. Finally, Vandham's death didn't come as a surprise to me, but I think the moment is done super well, and not very cliché, honestly. It's not blown out of proportion, and Rex doesn't scream his name, or something like "what am I fighting for?!" like you would often times see. He just breaks down crying when the fight is over, which I think is a very natural reaction compared to the other. Also, the soundtrack is absolutely superb, but what else did you expect?
There was a point when Rex was running to attack after Vandham fell that I think you could hear his voice shake or something along those lines. I don't know if it was intentional, but it sounded to me like he was about to cry. I guess it fit since he finally did when it was all done.
This moment will never not get me. Vandham was more than a party member, he was essentially Rex's dad. In such a short amount of time, he taught Rex so much and even though he was under no obligation to protect him or the rest of the party (he was a mercenary after all), he still willingly and readily puts the lives of the party before his own. That is how close they had grown in just this brief amount of time. I love how even when facing his death, Vandham was still teaching Rex, showing him how a man of character and principle, "fights his own war," to the very end. Our Own War, the power of that statement and how it relates back to what Vandham taught Rex back in Garfont is just such an impactful message. Fighting your own war, is essentially the resolve to use whatever power you have protect, care for, and provide for the things/people that really matter to you. This idea is echoed by the song, Drifting Soul, a musical track that I would describe as XC2's "Resolve," track. It usually plays in some form or another in climactic story moments where a character(s) are forced to a decision making point and it tends to echo their resolve to do what must be done. In Vandham's case, the song is a reflection of his resolve to fight, "his own war," to protect Rex and everyone else, even at the cost of his life. The next scene is framed so well in light of Vandham's sacrifice. From Drifting Soul, the scene transitions into Mythra's awakening and the track, Counterattack. Counterattack coming in at this moment, is framed almost as Rex's response to Vandham's Sacrifice. His resolve, in this moment is to Counterattack, to strike back at those who took his friend, teacher, and father-figure away from him. Rex in a sense becomes the inheritor of Vandham's will in this moment and the way things are framed by the music almost serves as Vandham's passing of the torch.
@@poolturtle5772 nope, I'm referring to that character's appearance in Project X Zone 2 (where they are paired up with KOS-MOS), and the 20th anniversary artwork that Monolith released last October
This is the point where Skye Bennett goes from having just a good performance as the VA to a great performance. The work in her voice acting from this point on is so good. Of all the party members, Skye Bennett as Pyra is my personal second favorite of all of them, behind one we haven’t acquired yet, because of what happens from here on out. This is the point in the game is where it officially became one of my favorites, and one of the big influences on me ever doing let’s playing. I’ll never hope to be on Emile’s level, but this is the point in any video game that made me know I wanted to try to make a living. Just knowing what happens in this part, I already know it’s great. Show the people this massively underrated game, Chuggaa!
Once she had 2 voices to work with you can tell Skye put a lot of effort into making them sound different while still clearly being the same person. It's awesome.
onestly every time i see er mytra performance im so convinced of er American accent i end up believin its just an american VA not tryin at all. its unreal
@@ShallBePurified o. well den my opinion tat mytra sounds constantly disappointed (as in upset not as in dissappointin) even in tense scenes returns to me. ty for lettin me know
Her actress’s name throws me off every time I see it, solely because I used to watch Agents of Shield and Skye was played by Chloe Bennet. Briefly weirds me out.
I played this part of the game just an hour before the "Everyone is Here" and Ridley reveal trailers for Smash Ultimate were aired at E3. Needless to say my emotions were all over the place that day.
As someone who never played Xenoblade in his life, and is loving every moment of Emile's playthrough of this game this far, I just gotta say... that last scene with Rex mourning Vandham's death literally made me shed tears. That was so much emotional impact at once, and I wasn't anywhere near expecting it. ;~; Goddang, this game is an absolute gem. Even if I've never played it, and even if I don't understand the combat system to a tee, I'm adoring every moment of the journey through this game and I'm only getting more anticipated over it from here. Thank you Emile, cause your LP is making me fall in love with Xenoblade when I never thought I would've. :')
meanwhile malos just completely forgets about sever LMAO in fact on my first playthrough I didn't even realise that sever disappeared and was wondering where he went for the rest of the game before I rewatched the cutscene lmao
@@WHYvernmaster yeah i noticed that, but knowing that sever is gone 4realz is wild. Kinda wish you'd be able to snatch up his core crystal and have him as a playable blade
I actually teared up when this happened and he pumped up the volume to 11. That song playing at that moment is simply amazing. For a while, it was known as the Mythra Awakening song.
@@ShallBePurified That song is probably my favorite on the entire soundtrack because of how well it's used in this scene. There's an extremely similar moment in XC1 that I won't spoil, but I do prefer this one. Didn't even notice that Chuggaa messed with the volume for the fight! He's got great attention to detail, for sure.
Okay, I know this is a bit of a weird one to focus in on with everything that happens here, but Akhos's scream for Obrona really takes me totally aback, because it's such a massive whiplash from the way he presents himself, and not just in the "get wrecked" sort of way. He is an asshole, but in that one moment, you kinda feel for him. Praise to the VA, Hugo Harold-Harrison. Speaking of screams, though, Pyra's and her newly introduced counterpart Mythra's VA, Skye Bennet, has a heck of a scream herself. Whew, that's intense. Now, Mythra as a character... I've got a few thoughts about her, but that's for another time.
At first I didn’t want to sympathize with Akhos when him and Malos killed Vandham and just wanted to destroy them, but then that moment of Obrona dying and Akhos reacting super upset about it was one of those moments and made me stand back and say “wait a minute...”
One of those moments that, as always, hits you harder on a second playthrough when you realize where Akhos is coming from and why he feels the way he does (and why Malos does not react similarly to Sever).
God, the acting in this game is SO GOOD, both in animation and voice performance. I love how absolutely broken and horrified Rex becomes after Vandham dies, his eyes have this look of absolute horror as he awkwardly stumbles towards Malos, his voice cracking and almost whimpering as he barely manages to say “For Vandham!” This isn’t some heroic revenge, it’s a traumatized kid who can’ process what’s happening. It’s so weak and pathetic, but in the best possible way. And seriously, Al Weaver is the best cryer ever. I don’t think I’ve ever heard more realistic crying in my life. Rex isn’t some traditional super cool hero, he’s a confused kid in way over his head, and the animation and voice work perfectly conveys how overwhelmed and just broken this poor kid is. I also love the references to the first game in the series. Mythra creating a second personality and the very Xenogears-looking mech are great, but what really gets me is how one of Vandham’s final words is simply telling Rex to “live.” A perfectly timed callback to one of the most heartbreaking scenes in all of Xeno.
Yes it is but I thought I wouldn't get Pyra in the boss fight for some reason so I had Perun placed on the top Slot, only to get surprised by the game giving Pyra back right before the fight lol. Also I found out there's a way to cheese it so you only fight Akhos and no Malos.
Episode spoilers Wow, I completely forgot how heartbreaking it was when Rex broke down after it fully hits him that Vandham’s dead. I had tears welling up. This is one of those moments where I feel like Rex’s VA gets way too much hate. :(
I ask this every time I see it but why put a spoiler tag before content that happens in the episode, the whole point of the comments is to talk about the video
@@scotsoulgem The main reason people do it is for the sake of others who are using this series as their first time experiencing the game. People want to make sure that they don't spoil others since some people like to dip into the comments before finishing the video. Yeah you could make the argument that it's their fault for not finishing the video first, but no one wants to spoil a game or story for someone else when they're really enjoying it and want to get into it. Plus there are some cases where others might talk about future events that are more serious video if said spoiler relates to something in the video, making their warning more needed. Hopefully that helps answer your question and have a nice day.
@@jaredfayette2567 mean future events should obviously be marked as such. On the other hand I think there are no excuses for looking in the comments before one finishes the video when you might get spoiled, not expecting spoilers. That's just as stupid as looking up spoilers then getting mad about seeing spoilers. I feel like it only validates stupid decison making on the part of the people who look in the comments by making them think there isn't an issue with what their doing. Even moreso when 90% of the comments don't have spoiler tags, the gesture doesn't really do any good for anyone, I feel.
I love the subtle vocal differences that Pyra and Mythra have with Mythra having a rougher, more commanding tone to contrast Pyra's smoother, compassionate tone. Skye Bennett did a really great job making them both sound so similar yet also unique at the same time! Also, I forgot how much Mythra's awakening looks like Pyra going Super Saiyan! Also-also, Mythra having a similar ability to Shulk's visions is such an awesome callback!
I like how you can sort of hear when Pyra slips a little bit at points, too. And re: Foresight: This is more than intentional, the parallels are wholly deliberate. Among other things, Pyra's sword even comes in red and expands with energy coming out of it, it's like, *designed* to give monado vibes, of course Mythra's sword retains that design concept with a different color scheme, too.
@@Starfloofle Huge spoilers in general for the xenoblade franchise and this game It's super cool because technically speaking, the Aegis sword is a Monado. Alvis being confirmed as Ontos makes him an Aegis, and in extention, the Monado is an Aegis sword and vice versa. So it makes perfect sense that the Aegis sword would look like and have similar abilities to the Monado. That's not even mentioning Malos and his aegis sword.
@@controlcon Spoilers: Tbh, I don't think Alvis being Ontos was ever really 100% confirmed though. Of course it's plausible, but as long as it's not confirmed we can't do more but speculate. Pyra and Mythra being Monados would make sense, since we already know a Monado doesn't need a circular formation with the Monado Art symbols, e. g. Meyneth Monados. Some people have even made a theory that Alvis created Zanza and Meyneth to mirror Logos and Pneuma respectively. So, it would absolutely make sense. Zanza even has a Monado kinda similar in style to Malos'. (But I haven't finished Xenoblade 1 just yet, so please no spoilers for that beyond what I just talked about (I basically just finished Mechonis Core, but already know about a few things with Alvis thanks to stupid curiosity.)).
This is one of the best moments in the game. I love how Chugga goes silent at the end to encapsulate the anger and thrill of the moment - just like he did in his XC1 playthrough. And so, the blonde goddess, the best character in the game, has been acquired. Now it is time for the true power of the Driver of the Aegis.... DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE!
Too bad Chuggaa doesn't seem inclined to break out that particular art. I'm sure he has some statistical reasoning as to why it's technically less efficient to use it, but I still say it's just more fun.
@@wolfdude1623 Because it's animation is too long and Lightspeed Flurry is only 20% at this point so it's not really worth using until you get to 80% or even 100% but by the time you get to that point you should have reliable enough crit rate to bring Mythra up to 80% or higher and go back to not using it just for the faster animations since Mythra with max affinity and capped Lightspeed Flurry can build up her special meter to 3 in 3 arts allowing you to literally spam her level 3 on cooldown.
4:47 - "Maybe she realized what was going on with Iona?" "Well, knowing those two... It's not unthinkable." Dude... that's like the most GENIUS line in the whole game. The way you interpret that line COMPLETELY flips depending on whether this is your first time hearing it or if you're coming back after knowing everything. how does monolith always do it
OH YEAH-- and the best is rewatching the Mymoma Playhouse scene that literally JUST happened and seeing the way they 'depicted' the Aegis. She's still got the big green crystal, but all the other features' color schemes suddenly make a lot more sense...
@@davidneligan8186 On first viewing, 'those two' seems to mean Akhos and Malos, but after learning Malos' true nature, it changes to being him and pyra's connection, shown in the brief dream sequence; and Nia would know the truth about Malos, most likely.
Cugga spent every episode since we met the guy telling us how likeable he is and influencing us to become attached to this character. All the buildup of emotions towards this character that us, the audience had gained. has given us an engaging although sad moment, that I shall not forget. So to you chuggaaconroy I applaud you.
This moment... THIS MOMENT!! So I have a story about this moment that I have been waiting to share. When I first played Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I did not yet have a dedicated location for my Switch. So I mostly played handheld. Every now and then, I'd be allowed to play it on the TV, mostly when my grandmother was not home. And when I was exploring Uraya, I was able to play on the TV. While I was at the point where Vandham takes Rex to the dead titan near the blowhole, my sister came into the room and asked what I was doing. I told her about Vandham and how great he is. How he is being like a father figure to Rex and how much I love him. My sister goes "he is going to die" and then left. I refused to believe this. I was like "Nope, Vandham will not die!" Later that day, I went to my sister in tears and asked "hey, remember what you said about that one character?" and she just looks at me and laughs because I was sobbing so hard over it. So this moment is a bit special to me as a result.
That's kind of what this series excels at. I wasn't very keen on the foreshadowing when I first played it, and I felt a lot was forgotten. Turns out I was wrong, and watching this Let's Play has definitely taught me the games comes together very well in the end
@@wumbology72 I agree that these scenes have loads of extremely subtle foreshadowing densely packed into one boss fight but i also think you are severely underestimating XC1's capacity for foreshadowing, that game has some of the absolute subtlest and most well done foreshadowing I've ever seen, to the point where it comes up in Sidequests too, alongside the more obvious stuff like 'Can't say I feel too good about deceiving these kids'
@@fathm4623 Not saying XC1 didn't have subtle foreshadowing, I just don't like how obvious some of it is like the quote you mentioned, or (XC1 spoilers to anyone else reading) how the party is confused that faced mechon can't be hurt by the monado just a few cutscenes after it is revealed that it can't hurt humans.
@@BigKlingy even after playing the game multiple times. I still cry every time I watch this. Between the music and Vandhams amazing voice acting. It’s just beautiful
This scene made me love Rex. The smart move would be to cut your losses and retreat, but Rex is too young to realize that and he does something stupid. It shows that he's still got room to grow.
I like how in much later fights (chapter 6 to the end) he actually does smart things, just gets overpowered by the enemy, and overpowers them eventually.
@@heroinhero he's a smart kid for sure, heck in the first fight with Mòrag he played her into thinking that he's just spamming the same attack and positioned both of them in a way where the deflected shot hit the water tower to weaken Brighid. He's just in over his head against extremely powerful opponents, and is still just a kid. He's hands down one of my favorite protagonists.
@@emblemblade9245 And, to arguably an even greater extent, Even more spoilers The end of ch10, where he's faced with a similar decision - run away at the expense of a loved one or face certain death - and that time, he makes the right choice. It's occuring to me that you and I have probably had almost this exact conversation before.
Not gonna lie, I was going to comment today about how the story just wasn't clicking with me but that scene man... that scene had me teary eyed! I'm invested now!
This is the tip of the iceberg. Chapter 4 might be a little slow compared to this, but it’s got a lot of good character moments and world-building. Chapter 5 is where things kick into high gear, and it’s not going to stop after that. In other words, you’re in for a ride.
@@cartooncritic7045 for me chapter 4 is probably my favorite chapter by far. The plot both thickens and doesn't take itself too seriously (given what just happened, that's okay). All and all its just good fun that permenently hooked me in and made me wish i didn't temporarily drop the game for a month. But based on what chuggaa's been saying in his videos it seems not playing right at launch was a blessing in disguise that I waited so long (I got it for Christmas but it was almost a month later before I started on it; still quite a bit more interested in botw). But then I felt bad because my brother got it for me and I had barely played it. I decided to play through and finish the game, and so glad I did.
Something I find interesting is Severs (Malos's blade) ability called 'Deadly Drive.' In Freudian psychology, Sigmund Freud came up with the concept of two opposite instincts, or drives, that all people are born with. These drives are often called the 'Life drive', (Alternatively known as Eros,) and the 'Death drive.' (Also known as Thanatos.) Basically the Life Drive is the part of us that wants to keep alive. It wants to love and be loved in return. This drive compels us to pursue pleasure and form relationships with other people. These relationships are our way of leaving a mark on the world, they will serve as evidence that we existed even after we die. Someone else will always remember us and, hopefully, carry on our legacy. In a sense we will always be alive. The life drive is made evident by our pursuit of love, pleasure and procreation. The Death drive is the opposite. It is the idea that deep down, all beings wish they were dead. It is constantly trying to return us to an inanimate state, a 'state of zero tension,' a state of death. But that isn't it's only goal, as it also wants to remove any proof that the person ever existed. It endeavors to sever the bonds that the Life drive wishes to create, and destroy any works the person may have created. The death drive is made evident by harmful and aggressive tendencies, such as addiction and violent tendencies to oneself, other people and the world around them. I find the fact that Sever has an ability called 'Deadly Drive' interesting because he was likely influenced by Malos during resonance. Notice that unlike Akhos, Malos was not bothered by the loss of his own blade. To him, bonds with others are just a burden. He doesn't view death as an unfortunate part of life, but rather the end goal of all living creatures, which explains why he is helping Jin wipe out all humankind. This leads me to believe that Malos is meant to represent the 'Death drive.' Which brings us to the Life drive. The life drive is itself driven by what Freud calls libidinal energy. Libidinal energy is basically the will to live that manifest in us when we experience pleasure and receive love from others. The ultimate goal of the Life drive is to love and be loved in return. By loving another, a person is sharing their 'libidinal energy,' their reason to live, with them. They are living for them. But if the person isn't receiving any 'libidinal energy' from others, only giving up their own, then their Life drive will become weaker. They will view themselves as someone who doesn't deserve to be loved, someone who doesn't deserve to live. When the Life drive is weak, then the Death drive can take greater precedence. An overpowering Death drive will result in the person taking more unnecessary risks and possibly displaying suicidal tendencies. Anyway, I believe that if Malos represents the Death drive, then Pyra and Mythra are likely meant to represent the Life Drive. At the beginning of the game, Pyra gives a portion of her life essence, or her 'libidinal energy,' to Rex. Pyra tries hard to be viewed as useful and desirable. She is hesitant to talk about her past or her true power, fearing that it will lead to her being rejected by others. Unlike Malos, Pyra clearly cares about the lives of others and desires their acceptance. Interesting side note, the Life drive actually starts off in a selfish state called 'Primary Narcissim,' where the person expects to be loved by others unconditionally, without giving away any of their own 'libidinal energy.' Eventually though, with help from the Death drive, as well as the disapproval of others, the Life drive will be tempered into a more healthy desire to both gift love to others, and also to receive it in return. I think this process is what we see in Torna the Golden Country. However, the role of the Life drive won't be complete until it receives life energy from others. Prya has shared her life with Rex, but it isn't healthy as a one way exchange. Rex needs to give a portion of his own life to her. He needs to make sure that Pyra and Mythra feel they deserves to live, show them that they have a place in this world, otherwise the Life drive will never reach it's healthiest state.
*SPOILER WARNING* During chapter 5, we learn more about who Malos' driver is and then when the driver awakened Malos, part of the driver's memories and past experience affected how Malos would develop as a blade and thus explains why he believes that the Aegises was made to destroy everything in their path.
@@benjaws5263 Yeah, I think his Driver is the reason Malos' death drive is so strong in the first place. Actually, maybe that's part of the reason they are called drivers to begin with? I dunno. But regardless, Malos has some interesting quotes that make me think the death drive thing is intentional... "Watch humans closely and you'll learn one thing. Deep down they wish they were dead." "Yes that's the power our father gave us. It's what the world has cried for since it's birth. you, me, we're here to give them what they want." "They all desired oblivion, and now they've achieved it." Mythra: "This is what humans and blades can do together, Malos." Malos: "I don't need that crap. Better off without it." Anyway, not saying they were meant to be personifications of the two drives, only that they both seem to be on complete opposite sides of the spectrum.
"Drifting Soul" is easily my all-time favorite song. This entire sequence is just pure art. I love it and this game so much. Also, you made the correct choice by amping the volume of "You Will Recall Our Names" and just letting the pure hype of that song carry the fight.
This was the part of the game where I knew I wasn't turning back. I was addicted to the gameplay, captivated by the story and characters and now had emotinoa resolve to see it all through to the end. This was an amazing fight with an amazing twist with Mythra and a truly truly gut wrenching heart ripper of a death with Vandham. I am so glad I came back to this game after stopping at Umon shipyard. I've now finished the story and finishing ALL the post game, maxing levels etc. This is a truly incredible game.
Seeing Mythra for the first time again brought a massive smile to my face. Even despite... the other impactful moment of the cutscene. This part still hits hard in many ways. (spoilers below) I gotta appreciate how Vandham went out like a true boss. I'm almost certain he knew he had to sacrifice himself there and he was fully committed to it. It ended up working in the long run, too. So yeah, massive props to Vandham. Still one of the best characters in the game.
Remember when they stowed part of this in one of the trailers and a lot of people were complaining about spoilers, but when they actually reached the scene it had far more impact? It's a prime example of using a loaded scene without context, letting the consumer think they have critical knowledge only to hit them with everything else that actually happens in the scene. It's fantastic
"Hey Cole we did a couple of sidequests and traveled all over the world, several days have definitely passed, are you ready to talk-" "Not until you all sleep in the inn!!!"
This has to be, without question, the best episode yet for me. It had both low points (Vandham’s sacrifice), and high points (Pyra’s ascension into Mythra). Truly a beautiful experience.
"Upon proceeding to the top of the -Great Urayan Waterslide!- Great Staircase, several cutscenes will play in sequence. It is recommended you set time aside to view these scenes in their entirety." 19:12 Vandham has left the party. We hardly knew ye 20:48 Mythra joins the party! 22:27 I wonder if Pyra/Mythra is aware of how hot they are... In the figurative sense, of course. 23:49 Really cool track with a nice name! 27:06 We hardly knew ye x2 27:15 We hardly knew ye x3- Triple finish!
It's honestly such a tear-jerking moment for me. Witnessing this game blind through this LP is the best decision ever This brings me back to when I watched the XC1 LP blind as well. When Fiora got killed by Metal Face Thanks Chugga, my childhood, and now my teenager hero
And this is where the game starts to get real. I enjoyed the generally lighthearted theme up to this point. They hit you with gramps not dying in chapter 2, but it's all just in good fun. This where the game really started to cement itself as my favorite game ever. And it only gets better for me from here. But yeah, we have best girl now.
I feel like chapter 4 is that final little bit of slowness in the story (really just setting up for later events and getting characters together, not to say it's bad, just slower than the later chapters), after that it keeps it's pace throughout the rest of the game and you're just hit with reveal after reveal and a whirlwind of emotions every moment from I'd say later chapter 5 onwards. The early chapters work just fine (gameplay wise they're a bit slow until 4 if you ask me, but they're not bad), but holy hell, the later chapters with their story and gameplay are why this game is my favorite of all time. Also, best girl comes in at the end of chapter 7
@@BlazingBoltAeris I kinda wish we got an official portrait of them like the other blades, but they're one of the very few that don't (unless there's something in the game's internal files). I love their design a lot more too. It's kind of a shame they show up so much later.
@@ShadowSkyX Their I completely agree, their design is my favorite blade design in the game and the fact that it's only visible in battle and cutscenes honestly sucks. Plus the fact that you can access her affinity chart is something I dislike as well I can understand why you can't during the story, but I feel like you should be able to in NG+ (maybe after S Ranking Pyra and Mythra, or just all rare and legendary blades.
@@BlazingBoltAeris Well, there is a glitch to just having her out in the open to walk around with, which involves that very battle that the introduction happens. Only a NG+ exclusive glitch though. So there's that if you want to see her more, but it's only for that one time only event in the story. Also it is prone to softlocking and or freezing if you aren't careful, and kept your save before doing the glitch.
I cried the first time I saw this scene, I cried again when I played it a week or so back (one of the few scenes I haven't chosen to skip for the sake of this LP) and I am tearing up again listening to it.
This was the moment that really made me care about this game’s story even more. Nothing hurts than permanently losing an awesome party member. It’s only chapter 3 and it keeps getting better.
Vandam is my favorite character in this game. He wasn't around for long, but he just stuck with me in a way that nobody else did. He had so much more to give, but we just have to fight our own wars from now on.
This is one of those things you can see coming a mile away, but still hits like a truck. Even knowing exactly what's coming still has be misty eyed. They do a lot with Vandham in a little time, and it just makes this moment sting even more.
Gee, Vandham's such a cool and badass character! I just can't wait to go on all kinds of epic adventures with him! I sure hope nothing bad happens to him...
It's been a really long time since I've really watched the cutscenes in this game, and seeing them again I've gotta say... There's so many hidden details in every one of these scenes. It's astonishing really.
This game foreshadows Mythra in a lot of ways, but one of the more subtle ones that I quite enjoy is through gameplay. Let’s look at Pyra’s affinity chart. Her specials aren’t particularly special, and her battle skills go from decent to the worst in the game. She’s not a bad blade by any means, but she’s not very good compared to a lot of other blades. Let’s look at Mythra now. Her level three special does high damage, comes out quick and has a decent amount of hits. Her battle skills are all extremely good, with her worst skill being decent. Foresight let’s Rex turn into the best agility tank in the game, and Lightspeed Flurry is one of the top three battle skills in the game, allowing her to spam her level three special very quickly.
Pyra's purifying flames isn't the worst skill in the game, it's still better than most of Dromarch's skills (especially the blade combo one, that one is completely worthless)
“DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE! DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE! DOUBLE-DOUBLE-DOUBLE-DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE! HIT IT! NOW!” -Rex, when geared for a INTERESTING Mythra build.
@@15stargamer98 I think sword bash is better. Higher damage ratio means that it outdamages DSE in basically every scenario, including when DSE is getting the bonus damage from the side.
@@conorb.1901 most people outfit that build with double spinning edge because there are supposedly two chances for a crit, which is what this build wants. I agree that Sword Bash is better in nearly every scenario, though.
@@15stargamer98 if you don't crit you can just change arts though. Let it build up passively with your pouch items (although you can forgo art recharge in favor of other effects). Don't get me wrong, people can play however they want, I just personally focus more on foresight than lightspeed flurry.
The moment that Vandham, with his unique Blade and policy of not engaging any others, started bonding with Rex is the moment I knew that this was coming.
We already talked about how Rex's English voice acting isn't the best, and I agree. But if you ask me, his crying is really underrated. He really did a good job frustratingly sobbing over the loss.
Rex has a rough start, but as his own character grows, his VA also got a lot better. I love how Rex sounds during quiet talking moments, emotional sadness moments, and indignant declarations. He’s just...not great at battle cries lol. But that’s really about all that bugs me with his voice!
his little emotional speech inflections and sadness are so, so much better than his yells. you can hear his ugly sobbing here - there’s nothing fake about it. it’s so good it almost made me cry too.
Yeah I wasn't too sure about Al Weaver at first, especially since he was told by the leading director to "Not go all out", but from this point on he really made me turn around.
Hoo boy, Uraya was already the point where I felt myself really jiving with the game, but this moment, man, this freaking moment blew me away. We’re still a few areas away from when this officially became my favorite game ever, but even so, this moment was such a defining moment in my first experience with this game and it still touches me even now. Also, Counterattack slaps. That’s all.
@@hallaloth3112 without spoiling anything for anyone reading who hasn’t seen this game entirely before, reaching a certain area with a lot of clouds and long pathways was that moment for me
@@Treetop1120 Ah yes. I tote Gormott as my favorite Titan but I forgot about Cloud land until I got there a few days ago. Such a beautiful place and a brief moment of peace plotwise. We also get a few great heart to hearts there.
Not to break this heartfelt and emotional moment but right after Vandam said “Something else you can do with a blade!”, I heard the stabbing sound then the video paused. Literally just stab, pause, and I see his expression frozen.
Just like with the first Xenoblade, I've never played this game, but I'm super engaged in its story. And...holy shit, I'm so glad I'm experiencing this blind for the first time. That entire fight scene was absolutely incredible, and I look forward to where the story will be taking us from here on out.
I specifically fast forward over that line. I love this game to death and try to defend Rex as much as I can but gosh some of his line deliveries can't be saved. This is one of them.
This is where my love for the game truly began. I had already liked the game, but this part made me love it. The story gets so good here, seeing Vandham die was a really hard hitting moment for me since he was my favorite character, and Mythra's awakening is just super cool. I love this part so much.
This is easily of one of my standout moments in a game full of standouts Vandhams Sacrifice always hits like a goddamn truck and I can't help but cry each time I see it the soundtrack for this fight boasts some of the games hardest hitters Drifting Soul Counterattack and You Will Recall Our Names its horrifying to see the villains so effortlessly wipe the floor with our heroes and is a moment where character actions genuinely had consequences and most importantly It Finally makes sure we never have to listen to Obrona Speak ever again. A bit unhinged here but I love this part of the game so much and just need to gush about whenever I get the chance
Zeke and vandam really are my 2 favorite characters in this game. Vandam was such a good guy who was initially made out to be a bad guy. Tough stubborn and full of laughs. They did such a good job with him only to be killed off...makes me sad for this chapters ending every time
Damn. (spoilers) I figured that would happen, what with the "one blade only", already having all of his favorite pouch items, and the semi-awkward party dynamics in-battle. Also with the mentor/father figure usually dying. Doesn't make it suck any less. Give our Aussie pompadour-mullet dad the salute he deserves. o7 Music was phenomenal and pretty good voice lines for the moment, I feel. Also interesting to see what seems to be a familiar mechanic from Xenoblade 1 returning? Hmm...
o7 for the record, that "returning XC1 mechanic" is exclusive to cutscenes. it's gameplay takes a different form. Apparently, something something DLC is as close as it gets to fully returning.
@Mark DiSalvi Well SPOILER Mythra is actually a Monado, with Malos straight using Monado and its arts in his battle later, as he is also one. So neither of that is actually a coincidence.
@Mark DiSalvi Well, SPOILER: Rex isn't a clone of Dimitri Yuriev, so he of course can't use Monado as intended. Still because he control Zohar, he can tap same features other way around.
I still choke up now as much as I did back when I first played this game over Vandham's sacrifice. That moment was when I couldn't put this game down, because at that time I wanted nothing more than to find Malos again...and beat the living hell out of him.
Since everyone's spoilering, I will too. I cried HARD at this. That moment when it hit me what was going to happen to Vandham, the core crystal falling to the ground, and when Rex goes to attack out of just anger and desperation. Hit me all over again when he just fell to the ground and sobbed when everything was done. Vandham's own voice acting was spectacular as well. It gave me chills listening to him yelling to Rex to go, to find Elysium. Also, it struck me when I saw Akhos in shock after seeing Obrona go down. He was so cold to everyone else that I thought he was heartless, but the way he yelled "Obrona!" and his demeanor afterwards. Malos doesn't bat an eye at losing his blade, but Akhos is on the ground staring at her core crystal. It really puts depth into them.
I was so excited to hear that you were going to Let's Play this game, but at the same time I was sad because I knew this was coming up. The Soundtrack that plays during that sequence just makes it even more sad as it inevitably leads up to that moment. Words to live by, "Fight Your Own War"
It's gives me chills how Vandham, a mere mortal man, could go toe to toe with Malos like that, seeing as he's.. well, you newcomers will know next episode in case you couldn't already guess. Everything in this scene was amazing and I loved coming back to watch it again.. I also want to pay my respects to Vandham by saying that his lessons to Rex and his friends have helped me in one way or another in comprehending the real world problems with humanity and the world as a whole, and those lessons are now feel relevant more than ever in this current year. Humanity will rarely be in complete consensus, humans will always have their differences to fight over, it will never truely end as long as we keep living. But that doesn't mean you can't do your best to protect the people closest to you, the people you care about. We all need to set up our own Garfont for the people we love, to do our best for them, even when everything in the world is against us. You've just gotta make it, you have to fight your own war. Thank you for everything, Vandham...
Drifting Soul (Composed by ACE, English Lyrics by LYSSA and Castro Satoshi, Vocals by Jen Bird):
Among the mist I see a stretching path,
reaches out so far, beyond what I can see
How far would I be walking 'til I reach the end,
the end of the path that's to be seen?
I would keep thinking and questioning to myself
why do I have to walk this path, oh why?
I can't seem to find the real meaning to this path that I take, fate to accept, and my goal seems so far away
So tell me why I'm here and what's the reason I am here today
If I recall it was you, you wished that I would stay
No matter how much wind will blow against me I will keep on, oh oh
I will keep moving on, to find the answer too
I'm lost in search for you
I'm tired from the constant carry on shouting that I can't I see away ahead
The words would fill the mist so gently in the air,
and it melts as time just passes by
When I look back there is no trace of my path I cannot find my way to the past
And it's just too late, time has elapsed
there's only now that goes on here on out,
my eyes see ahead
So tell me why I'm here and what's the reason I am here today
If I recall it was you, you wished that I would stay
No matter how much wind will blow against me I will keep on, oh oh
I will keep moving on, to find the answer too
I'm lost in search for you
When you stop and look ahead and face up to the blue above
The Jacob's ladder will come down and check me up
If I could climb up to the top, would you be waiting at the top?
Will this mean, I search no more?
I'll try and reach for the ladder that's there
Far away the distance I hear the voices
Was this what I've expected I don't even know, oh oh
Is this the real me I've longed for, wish that was the case
I know I'll let go of the ladder that's there
I’ll start walking from this point on...
I'm not here at all, I don't exist here at all
I gotta search for me
I wish that I will find myself soon
I need to find myself, myself
@The Phantom and now my joy cons hate me. May they rest in peace. They served me well.
@The Phantom you stole that lol
@@exodiusow7649 Can't blame him though. Any true lover of Drifting Souls has seen that comment on the OST video.
Spoilers:
After playing this game thru, I think that this song in this moment and the next instance its used, is for Nias internal struggle of accepting herself, the final time its used is for Pyra and Mythra.
It really hits when you realize Nia is so terrified of rejection that it keeps her from saving a life of someone she cares about. To me, this will always be Nia's Ballad. It probably is just both Nia and Pnuemas theme or a theme of self acceptance. But I like Nia's struggle more so to Nia it goes
@@jazzscorner4176 Spoiler:
I always thought that it was Pyra talking to the Architect, seeing as how it connects to her arc.
I love this moment in game so much, and cry every time I see this whole sequence play out. This game is great.
same though....
I'll say it again. Xenoblade 2 gets way too much flag for what it is. It has so many amazing moments that I wish I could experience again anew.
I do really love that whole scene. Which makes me wish even more that they handled their voice direction better. Nia in particular just sounded so off in that battle, like she was having a casual conversation in the heat of battle.
@@wolfdude1623 Rex's scream gave off the feeling that the voice actor wasn't giving it his all
The end of Chapter 3 is one of my favourite Xenoblade 2 moments, actually, alongside the "I won't hide anymore" cutscene in Elpys, the scene where Rex affirms his loyalty to Pyra and Mythra at the Cliffs, and the final cutscene of Torna: The Golden Country.
Here we see the Alrestian custom of sleeping above the covers fully dressed.
Don't knock it 'till you try it! I always found I slept easier when I was colder, but my parents kept telling me sleeping above the covers was "wrong." So then I grew up and did it anyway. Still looks really funny, though!
Just wait till you see what Gappy from jojo part 8 does
Them blanket physics. Always a hassle
I lose all ability to try at anything past 10PM-ish so often times I'll just sleep in jeans.
@@slobertooth1358 what's weird about that? The pressure legit feels nice as long as you still have something like a blanket between you and the frame.
*sees thumbnail*
People watching this LP blind: *confused*
Xenoblade fans: Oh no, not this part...
Xeno fans: Xenogear Motherfuckers! ;D
@@TheRezro was xenogears any good? I'm a big fan of xenoblade and i've been meaning to get into the other xeno games but I don't want to waste my time if they're trash.
@@kingroachxvii3392 Well, Xenogears is commonly called worst-best jRPG ever made. It has many gameplay issues and second disk is straight unfinished, but otherwise it is most epic story I did see in any game until today. It is one of those cases where remake should be made one day. I still did find it enjoyable if you like old jRPG's.
Xenosaga on the other and is weird. They still didn't have as big cash as they have now, so don't expect same level of gameplay quality. And because they have most freedom at the time plot become ludicrously weird. But actually some plot point are relevant to events, specially in this game. Of course as additional flavor, not necessity.
So the answer is if you like older jRPG's? Otherwise just check them on TH-cam.
A fellow fan I see
Yep. That was me. I miss him.
THAT WAS CRAZY WHAT THE HECK!?
Oh hey!
B***h went Super Saiyan and Ultra Instinct...
Oh just wait
welcome to Xenoblade :p
You?!
As someone who is new to this game, I was in tears during much of that cutscene. Calling it a cutscene is almost an insult to it, in fact. It has twists, it has action, and it has sadness. I started crying when Poppi talked about feeling strange, and felt concern for Nia and Dromarch, but the tears were flowing when Vandham started talking, and then did a clearly risky, last ditch move. I saw it coming, it wasn’t very well hidden, Akhos called it a cliche in fact, but that gave it so much more power. He was an incredible character, and he will certainly be missed. Mythra had unfortunately already been spoiled for me, but I didn’t truly know who or what she was. Looking back, I should have seen this coming, as people had brought up her current form multiple times. All in all, that was a masterpiece of a cinematic moment.
I live for blind reactions like these.
Yeah, with a bit of JRPG experience in my back I was also able to expect Vandham's situation but the show of a good story is that it makes it work even if fully predicted - and goddamn they did it.
Poppi saying she felt strange had the same energy as “Mr. stark, I don’t feel so good...”
@@ShallBePurified my reaction was pretty much identical to his but I’ll go further into mythra so for me mythra had also been spoiled because I get curious and like to look things up so I found out she was the aegis. BUT I thought mythra was a second part of the aegis and thus a different character so when pyra transformed into mythra I was so confused and hyped at the same time
@@NDex5 I wish I was as blind as that going into it. I already knew they were the same person because thanks Nintendo for spoiling it in their trailer.
Show of hands: who’s ready for hype and heartbreak today?
🖐🏼
I've been waiting for this episode since coming to this titan. And that's only because it's been so long since i've played the game that i forgot about the scene.
Me
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Hey look how hard I can Cry!
Chugga: "Her flames hide something deeper."
Game: "Oktimetotakeyewcmonrexsteadydrillprotocolactionswordbash"
Jokes aside, I'm so glad Chugga brought that quote up from chapter 2. I made a comment about that specific quote myself about how good it was.
Pretty soon we'll be in double spinning double spinning double double spinning double spinning edge territory
That is every fight in the game
Yeah, it’s even worse than in XC1
Mythra, lategame: DOUBLESPINNINGEDEDOUBLESPINNINGEDEDOUBLESPINNINGEDEDOUBLESPINNINGEDE
Seeing vandam go down like that hit me like a truck. He was like a father figure to Rex and and he watched malos just cut him down after stabbing himself to fight back and giving that speech. May he Rest In Peace
Yep...
When I got to this scene, I was a little upset that he wasn't permanetly playable. But I could tell that Vandham was like that to Rex, so a mix of me investing in him and seeing the death happen before me got me right in the feels.
May the honorable Vandham rest in peace.
Yeah I was definitely not ready for that my first time playing. Or second time. Or third time. Or fourth time. It hits harder than any Super boss.
I was not expecting Vandam to sacrifice himself to try and help Rex and Pyra escape. That scene is a major combo between intense and emotional.
May he Alrest in peace...
Yup, he did not deserve to die in the same chapter he was introduced, but he went out protecting the people he cared about.
For those who haven't played the game, this is THE moment.
This is the moment where what I think the story ramps up. This is the Head of the Bionis of Xenoblade Chronicles 2. Folks that've played XC1 should know what I mean by that. The story is no longer simply "Get to the tree." We've gone beyond that small scope by now.
Hold on to your butts. It's about to get crazy.
Yep. This is where the game *truly* begins
Yup! I was like "XENOGEARS MOTHERFUCKERS BŁEHEHEHEHE!!!"
During Siren's introduction...
@@TheRezro I really need to replay that game. It's been so damn long since I played it. Much of the effect has worn off.
Personally I think the "Head of the Bionis" moment comes a bit later. This was more like the "End of Colony 6" moment, at least in terms of pacing and amount of story significant lore revealed. (Though I'd also argue it combines elements of the "Attack on Colony 9" moment, as it's the first significant death of a playable character, which will then impact the rest of the adventure to come)
@@ninjapotatolorf6237 id argue that, plot twist wise, this moment 100% is on par with the reveal of Silver Face and Faces being, yknow. That was an EXTREMELY important twist in not only the motivations of the characters, but also called into question the motivations of the Mechonis attack, too.
This moment, by revealing Mythra and culminating all the bits of foreshadowing - Malos recognizing Mythra, "her powers dont come from fire," the similarities that Malos' burst of power has to Mythra's - theres about to a lore dump to go along with Mythra's intro and all of it definitely has the same impact as the Head of the Bionis - for me at least.
i mean, Rex has to realize now that a) he almost got himself and Pyra killed b) the Aegis is a LOT more powerful than Pyra led him to believe and c) there may be more to Pyra/Mythra's wish to get Elysium than theyre letting on - and can he trust that?
idk, i see what you mean about the Attack on C9, obviously, but this is definitely a SHARP turning point in this game's story that I'd argue wasnt matched until the events at the Head in XC1.
say what you will about the voice acting, Rex espically, however at the end where he is just a sobbing mes its just amazing, you truly belive that he is a child who has witnessed death infront of his very eyes
It definitely says a lot about his acting skills that he can cry that convincingly. Yelling, not so much, but crying? Dude's a champ.
It more of he witness the death of someone who he would almost consider a father. Like think about it. Vandham taught Rex how to be a better driver/ He taught him more about the world. He truly cared for him. Rex is an orphan and he really looked up to Vandham and when he died and Rex couldn't do anything it really got to him. Those two scenes are probably my 2 fav in the whole game
Sadly this kind of subtle emotion scenes doesn’t happen often in the game, so I’m forced to listen to his strange yells......
The stars of the show here are obviously Vandham and Mythra, but I just really gotta shout out Tora and Poppi in this scene. Poppi throwing herself behind Tora to shield him from the wall and the genuine concern in Tora's voice go so underappreciated.
Not to mention how poppi is flying with Tora which I feel like needs to happen more, because robot girls are the best
When Tora said that, I was looking at Poppi. There was sparks of electrical energy around her, often used in animation to denote damaged electronics. She took a hell of a hit, and Tora's VA really sells it. He really does care for Poppi as if she was a real blade.
For real, shout-out to Ramsus Hardiker (Tora) and Arina Li (Poppi) for their stellar performances that emphasize the depth of this duo.
And it just keeps getting better and better later on ❤️
I honestly thought that poppi was going to get around the ether block, by simply being not a real blade. ThenI recalled she had an 'ether' tank inside her, so I guess that flow from that tank would stop too, preventing her from being able to do anything.
You'd think so, but Obrona interrupts the flow between blade and driver, rather than directly influencing the blade itself, so even though Poppi's an artificial blade, she's still unable to send power to Tora because of it.
It works differently from some other instances in the story where blades are prevented from using their full power, where Poppi is fine because she gets her ether from her internal furnace rather than from the atmosphere.
Nobody
Chugga a few episodes ago:
Vandham can’t summon anybody else as a blade... yet
Your an evil man Emile😂
I'm reminded of a certain comment from his Chrono Trigger playthrough last year. He has a morbid sense of humor. XD
I remember that specific line and crying internally because I knew exactly what he was going for.
Hahaha, sorry! I considered my words when explaining him very carefully, even writing out ways I could explain him and repeating it back to see how it sounded. I wanted to work with the story through explaining things.
Got my hopes up, now they have been thoroughly yeeted.
Unless the game pulls a XC1 on me-
don’t do this to me
@@chugga I think the way you went for with that line worked fine for newcomers. I would have believed you on that because games sometimes do this kind of thing for whatever reason if I didnt know better
So… this was the moment where I absolutely fell in love with this game. And also cemented my love of “Counterattack” as a song. Spoilers below:
I saw Vandham’s death coming a mile away, mostly due to the lack of variety in his menu screen voice clips (“GETTIN’ BETTAH!”) and the fact so much of Roc’s Affinity Chart was ???-d out. But still, he went out like a true badass Australian.
But the next part. HOLY CRAP THE NEXT PART! By some miracle, I went into the game having no idea Mythra existed (apparently Nintendo Directs spoiled her, so I’m glad I didn’t watch those). All that foreshadowing earlier though, about Pyra’s powers not coming from fire. Didn’t expect they’d be leading to THIS. And Mythra is SO BROKENLY FUN! We’ll see more of that later.
On a less serious note, this is also the point I found out Obrona was a girl. Up till now, I thought they were an extremely camp man. Also yay, she’s dead. I normally don’t mind this game’s voice acting but hers is an exception. I was pretty impressed the plot let the party kill her here, most JRPGs don’t allow the party any major wins over the villains this early.
From one of Enel's videos (beating the game with only one Common Blade), I found out you can lure Malos off the cliff in this fight, which is hilarious.
And remember everyone, don't forget TAH FOIGH..... YOUR..... WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGH!!!!!!!!!
Glad to know I'm not the only one who couldn't stand Obrona's voice.
SPOILERS:
There’s a lot of things hinting at his temporary availability (all of his favorite pouch items can be found at this point, he won’t bond with any other Blades so you don’t potentially lose access to them), but there’s also some things that could also lead players to think otherwise. Unlike Malos and Jin you can customize and improve him beyond leveling. Having a fully fleshed out affinity chart helps as does being able to use a Pouch Expansion on him, but I think what really convinces players that he wouldn’t be so temporary is that he has a lot of post-battle banter and field voice clips like the other Drivers (even when discovering Scenic Viewpoints). There’s even one special quest that Emile technically has access to right now where he can show up in some of the cutscenes, and you can include him when replaying said cutscenes in the Theater Mode.
Sever and Obrona's deaths were pretty ruthless. Blade lives are almost the same as human lives even if they are evil.
But then again she probably didn't have much of a choice.
I purposely skipped over Xenoblade 2 parts in directs so that I could go into the game completely blind, so I also was suprised when Mythra appeared on my first playthrough. Didn't think Vandham would die though as I didn't play around in the menu too much. My first playthrough was pretty much just get through the story as fast as I could.
SPOILERS AS WELL:
i only suspected him not being permanent cuz his portrait art style was different from the others ever so slightly
The voiceactor for Rex might not be a good screamer, but he's one hell of a crier! Al Weaver gets me every time...
I’m in the same boat. I agreed after people have pointed out to me that Rex doesn’t scream too good, but genuinely curious, outside of that do you enjoy the VA?
I personally thought Rex’s voice actor personified him well whenever he isn’t sounding like a car engine during the tense fight scenes. I love the levity he adds to him, I suppose I am curious if you feel the same.
For real, there's VAs who's crying ends up sounding more comedic than serious
And then there's *this.* Absolutely nailed it and if you're not also crying, you at least *know* how distraught Rex is.
@@Tronk_ I totally agree. And the rest of the cast as well, I think this voicecast is just as good as Xenoblade 1's. And besides that I don't remember Adam Howden ever crying in his xenoblade roles.
Exactly my thoughts. It sounds like the kind of dry-heaving sobs that you can't hold back, even though it makes you hyperventilate and feel dizzy. He freaking nailed it.
The scream is the only wrong thing with Rex. Otherwise, I think I prefer him to even Shulk's voice acting.
And that ladies and gentlemen, is how you make a character who was around for only 1 chapter, the best character in the game.
Vandham always stuck in my mind after his death while playing Xenoblade 2 and the Garfont theme makes me tear up afterwards, because to me THAT IS his theme. The theme of a mercenary who had a hard life, lost many people he loved including his own son, but turned his experiences into something positive for those around him and helped them grow into something far greater than his own self. He is the driver (Pun intended) of Rex's development as well as the people of the garfont mercenaries, who bring help and support to everyone else around Alrest. His spark will not die with him, for it ignited countless others , who will carry on that spark to even more people.
Guys the actual reason the episode ends where it does is bc otherwise we'll both hear Chugga cry and both not be able to pay attention anymore ourselves bc we're crying
This comment is speaking facts
All I see is truth through my crocodile tears😭
@@lichguard Wait, what?! "Crocodile's tears" = "fake/pretend/insincere crying done to fool/trick others"
Spoiler:
The first time round I don’t think I even noticed that Sever dies here. I suppose it’s quite a character establishing moment, that Akhos cares about his blade and Malos doesn’t even seem to notice or care about his
me too lmao. im on my third playthrough, just finshed chapter 7 and was wondering where the hell sever has been. it all makes sense now, and its actually so fitting that malos doesnt even give a shit
Makes sense why Malos doesn’t care. However you do have to say, poor Akhos. Losing a blade is probably pretty tough on a person.
Yep. Though it's kind of a baffling moment for Mythra when you think about it. It's kind of bizarre that she's perfectly willing to kill Blades, yet doesn't take the shot on their Drivers. Especially Malos.
@@wolfdude1623 I’m not entirely sure why she didn’t kill Akhos, but her relationship with Malos is... complicated (500 years of history, and a Father supposedly sending them to wipe out humanity will do that)
i mean i didn’t notice Sever died either but then again he has next to no lines outside of when he’s your blade in NG+
“Rex gains many things on his journey.
He loses a lot too.”
I am so glad the "Mythra Awakens" Cutscene on youtube skips Vandam's sacrifice, because god.... It hit me so hard. I knew he was gonna die because of the cutscene video's title.... But god, this scene really, really gets to me.
(Major game spoilers ahead)
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Nia's pain hits so hard here. She knows she can save Vandam, but she can't bring herself to do it.
Spoiler Discussion below, read only if you like.
You can see it on her face and it hurts so much because I think even by this point she is actually tempted to expose herself because Vandham treated her so well. But she clearly holds back because she is still terrified of being found out. Nia's a good girl and thankfully gets her full time to shine later.
Yeah, people who say she bad because she didn’t heal him clearly didn’t understand her character arc
@@ColdspaceDog I don't think I have seen anyone make that arguement against her,
I thought she didn't save him because the anti-ether field was still up- though the point about her arc stands as well, I suppose.
@@DaCrazyHand Um... Didn't she literally bring up this moment in the reveal?
Personally, this is one of my top 3 scenes in the game. There’s so much going on, the emotional weight behind everything, the voice acting is especially great, Vandham VA did this scene especially amazing, the subtle bits of foreshadowing, the music, all of it. It’s just so great. One of my favorite aspects is Malos’s and Akhos’s demeanor through the fight, acting vey suave and cocky at the start, getting a bit panicked at Vandham’s last stand, but ultimately reverting back to how they were before, then getting backed to panicked at Mythra, then just Malos’s reaction just before the fight stats, it’s all just so nice.
Dear god, I passed up jrpgs for the complex mechanics but this fucking story. I'm tempted to just drop the series right here and play the game, but I know that by the time I actually have free time to do this, the next Xenoblade will be out.
The again, everything is so much better with chuggas commentary.
The story and voice acting is really unmatched with any other game I have ever played or seen anybody play.
@@JalenZachhM Yeah,
the voice acting, especially, is so unmatched in horribleness compared to other dubs.😅
I really hope the original japanese be better.
@@duser If you're just here for the story, watching Chugga ain't a bad way to do it. His commentary between scenes makes these moments hit harder because of his appreciation for the game.
Having played ahead but not beaten it yet, the Nia hints here are particularly good IMO.
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 fun fact of the day number 28:
Our new friend Mythra, the second form of the Aegis, had a very different look in concept arts. All of her green highlights used to have yellow instead, and she had a very Angelic vibe to her complete with a full set of wings that looked not unlike the wings of the High Entia people from Xenoblade Chronicles 1.
Incorrect Pyra is is a hindered version of Mythra with her powers under tight restrictions but when those shackles come loose Mythra comes on out with her full power.
Mythra is a literal representation of an angel sent by god from the heavens. But that representation is exactly what makes her juxtaposing personality so interesting lol.
@@ShallBePurified It ain't a Xeno game without some sort of reference to religion.
There are a lot of things I want to say about this scene in particular.
The first is Rex's performance. While he's still not the greatest in the more tense moments, I want to point out the very end of it all when Vandham's death sinks in to him. His crying was one of the most real things I've heard in the game, and I think he in general really excels at the sadder moments. And there's going to be a lot of those in the future.
This is also where Pyra/Mythra and Malos really started to get interesting. Up until this point, part of me thought there kind of wasn't going to be a main villain and it would just be world against Rex and Pyra, or that Jin, or some part of the game we have yet to reach yet, would be the main antagonists. But the way Pyra and Malos had these very internal conversations really intrigued me, and they show that Malos definitely is more than meets the eye.
Finally, Vandham's death didn't come as a surprise to me, but I think the moment is done super well, and not very cliché, honestly. It's not blown out of proportion, and Rex doesn't scream his name, or something like "what am I fighting for?!" like you would often times see. He just breaks down crying when the fight is over, which I think is a very natural reaction compared to the other. Also, the soundtrack is absolutely superb, but what else did you expect?
There was a point when Rex was running to attack after Vandham fell that I think you could hear his voice shake or something along those lines. I don't know if it was intentional, but it sounded to me like he was about to cry. I guess it fit since he finally did when it was all done.
"and Rex doesn't scream his name"
Not to detract from your main point too much, but... he does. It's at 19:20.
@@na-sa-do he does this in the heat of battle, not after the fact. I should probably be more clear on that, sorry
If you know what comes later on and pay close attention to Nia you can see something very shocking that she genuinely was about to do
This moment will never not get me. Vandham was more than a party member, he was essentially Rex's dad. In such a short amount of time, he taught Rex so much and even though he was under no obligation to protect him or the rest of the party (he was a mercenary after all), he still willingly and readily puts the lives of the party before his own. That is how close they had grown in just this brief amount of time. I love how even when facing his death, Vandham was still teaching Rex, showing him how a man of character and principle, "fights his own war," to the very end.
Our Own War, the power of that statement and how it relates back to what Vandham taught Rex back in Garfont is just such an impactful message. Fighting your own war, is essentially the resolve to use whatever power you have protect, care for, and provide for the things/people that really matter to you. This idea is echoed by the song, Drifting Soul, a musical track that I would describe as XC2's "Resolve," track. It usually plays in some form or another in climactic story moments where a character(s) are forced to a decision making point and it tends to echo their resolve to do what must be done. In Vandham's case, the song is a reflection of his resolve to fight, "his own war," to protect Rex and everyone else, even at the cost of his life.
The next scene is framed so well in light of Vandham's sacrifice. From Drifting Soul, the scene transitions into Mythra's awakening and the track, Counterattack. Counterattack coming in at this moment, is framed almost as Rex's response to Vandham's Sacrifice. His resolve, in this moment is to Counterattack, to strike back at those who took his friend, teacher, and father-figure away from him. Rex in a sense becomes the inheritor of Vandham's will in this moment and the way things are framed by the music almost serves as Vandham's passing of the torch.
I love this analysis. Also, thanks for pointing me to the names of these songs!
For someone built like a truck, he certainly hits like one... even in death... T-T
SAME!!! 😭😭
Why did I dislike this comment this is amazing
"Engage the Enemy into You Will Know Our Names is a true combo" into "Counterattack into You Will Recall Our Names is a true combo" is a true combo.
23:33
Wait, does Engage the Enemy ever go into You Will Know Our Names in XC1? It usually goes into An Obstacle In Our Path
@@Bighomie39 Twice; both times at Prison Island.
I love how spoiler conscious everyone is. It’s like Avengers: End Game level of respect
That's my favourite part of the Xeno fandom. Doesn't matter how much of a latecomer you are, (most) people will still preserve your experience.
I thought it was end game they did that for. Well either way I get what you are saying.
What I find hilarious is that Monolithsoft themselves have spoiled one of the big plot twists of Xenoblade 1 not once, but twice.
@@conorb.1901 If you’re talking about the smash 4 trophy... F.
@@poolturtle5772 nope, I'm referring to that character's appearance in Project X Zone 2 (where they are paired up with KOS-MOS), and the 20th anniversary artwork that Monolith released last October
This is the point where Skye Bennett goes from having just a good performance as the VA to a great performance. The work in her voice acting from this point on is so good. Of all the party members, Skye Bennett as Pyra is my personal second favorite of all of them, behind one we haven’t acquired yet, because of what happens from here on out. This is the point in the game is where it officially became one of my favorites, and one of the big influences on me ever doing let’s playing. I’ll never hope to be on Emile’s level, but this is the point in any video game that made me know I wanted to try to make a living. Just knowing what happens in this part, I already know it’s great. Show the people this massively underrated game, Chuggaa!
Once she had 2 voices to work with you can tell Skye put a lot of effort into making them sound different while still clearly being the same person. It's awesome.
onestly every time i see er mytra performance im so convinced of er American accent i end up believin its just an american VA not tryin at all. its unreal
Skye Bennett does have an American accent. She just generally talks with her British accent. Her parents are both American.
@@ShallBePurified o. well den my opinion tat mytra sounds constantly disappointed (as in upset not as in dissappointin) even in tense scenes returns to me. ty for lettin me know
Her actress’s name throws me off every time I see it, solely because I used to watch Agents of Shield and Skye was played by Chloe Bennet. Briefly weirds me out.
I played this part of the game just an hour before the "Everyone is Here" and Ridley reveal trailers for Smash Ultimate were aired at E3. Needless to say my emotions were all over the place that day.
Vandham gave his life so that Ridley could soar.
Who’s here after Pyra and mythra are in smash
As someone who never played Xenoblade in his life, and is loving every moment of Emile's playthrough of this game this far, I just gotta say... that last scene with Rex mourning Vandham's death literally made me shed tears. That was so much emotional impact at once, and I wasn't anywhere near expecting it. ;~;
Goddang, this game is an absolute gem. Even if I've never played it, and even if I don't understand the combat system to a tee, I'm adoring every moment of the journey through this game and I'm only getting more anticipated over it from here.
Thank you Emile, cause your LP is making me fall in love with Xenoblade when I never thought I would've. :')
I fellt the same way
Expect i didn't cry...i almost did but i didn't. Mainly its because i saw it coming a mile away
But this game is amazing!
One little detail here I like is that as much of a sadistic bastard Ahkos seems to be, he seemed to genuinely care for Obrona.
Ya
meanwhile malos just completely forgets about sever LMAO
in fact on my first playthrough I didn't even realise that sever disappeared and was wondering where he went for the rest of the game before I rewatched the cutscene lmao
@@controlcon wait so the xenomorph blade was legit yeeted? like for real?
@@joao20able Yyyyyup, pay attention and you'll notice his weapon disappear from Malos's hand.
@@WHYvernmaster yeah i noticed that, but knowing that sever is gone 4realz is wild. Kinda wish you'd be able to snatch up his core crystal and have him as a playable blade
23:44 "Her flames hide something deeper."
*You will recall our names kicks in*
I actually teared up when this happened and he pumped up the volume to 11. That song playing at that moment is simply amazing. For a while, it was known as the Mythra Awakening song.
@@ShallBePurified That song is probably my favorite on the entire soundtrack because of how well it's used in this scene. There's an extremely similar moment in XC1 that I won't spoil, but I do prefer this one. Didn't even notice that Chuggaa messed with the volume for the fight! He's got great attention to detail, for sure.
@@scissordoerrs I know exactly what you're referring to, but I think this one works better because it's the first time we hear this song.
Okay, I know this is a bit of a weird one to focus in on with everything that happens here, but Akhos's scream for Obrona really takes me totally aback, because it's such a massive whiplash from the way he presents himself, and not just in the "get wrecked" sort of way. He is an asshole, but in that one moment, you kinda feel for him. Praise to the VA, Hugo Harold-Harrison.
Speaking of screams, though, Pyra's and her newly introduced counterpart Mythra's VA, Skye Bennet, has a heck of a scream herself. Whew, that's intense.
Now, Mythra as a character... I've got a few thoughts about her, but that's for another time.
At first I didn’t want to sympathize with Akhos when him and Malos killed Vandham and just wanted to destroy them, but then that moment of Obrona dying and Akhos reacting super upset about it was one of those moments and made me stand back and say “wait a minute...”
...I don't get it
And then you have Rex being a race car
Also Hugo? Reminds me of the emperor of mor ardain
One of those moments that, as always, hits you harder on a second playthrough when you realize where Akhos is coming from and why he feels the way he does (and why Malos does not react similarly to Sever).
God, the acting in this game is SO GOOD, both in animation and voice performance. I love how absolutely broken and horrified Rex becomes after Vandham dies, his eyes have this look of absolute horror as he awkwardly stumbles towards Malos, his voice cracking and almost whimpering as he barely manages to say “For Vandham!” This isn’t some heroic revenge, it’s a traumatized kid who can’ process what’s happening. It’s so weak and pathetic, but in the best possible way. And seriously, Al Weaver is the best cryer ever. I don’t think I’ve ever heard more realistic crying in my life. Rex isn’t some traditional super cool hero, he’s a confused kid in way over his head, and the animation and voice work perfectly conveys how overwhelmed and just broken this poor kid is.
I also love the references to the first game in the series. Mythra creating a second personality and the very Xenogears-looking mech are great, but what really gets me is how one of Vandham’s final words is simply telling Rex to “live.” A perfectly timed callback to one of the most heartbreaking scenes in all of Xeno.
Nia: "In the loo, I guess."
Nia a few seconds later: Wait blades don't piss where is she
This comment I think will forever make that scene way better for me. Thank you.
Strangely enough this actually would explain one throwaway line in a heart-to-heart much, much later LOL
Well she Would know
That would be even better once you learn (CENSORED). 15 (I think) TP, indeed!
This part is why you can't release that first blade you got, the common wind knuckles
Yes it is but I thought I wouldn't get Pyra in the boss fight for some reason so I had Perun placed on the top Slot, only to get surprised by the game giving Pyra back right before the fight lol. Also I found out there's a way to cheese it so you only fight Akhos and no Malos.
Ohhhh
Woah, I never thought of it like that. That's a pretty awesome connection you made.
I was wondering what would happen if you did.
ahh yes good ol Knuckles the ecWindna
Episode spoilers
Wow, I completely forgot how heartbreaking it was when Rex broke down after it fully hits him that Vandham’s dead. I had tears welling up.
This is one of those moments where I feel like Rex’s VA gets way too much hate. :(
I ask this every time I see it but why put a spoiler tag before content that happens in the episode, the whole point of the comments is to talk about the video
@@scotsoulgem Some folks are insane and like to comment on videos before they finish it. It’s to cover their asses, mostly.
@@scotsoulgem The main reason people do it is for the sake of others who are using this series as their first time experiencing the game. People want to make sure that they don't spoil others since some people like to dip into the comments before finishing the video. Yeah you could make the argument that it's their fault for not finishing the video first, but no one wants to spoil a game or story for someone else when they're really enjoying it and want to get into it. Plus there are some cases where others might talk about future events that are more serious video if said spoiler relates to something in the video, making their warning more needed. Hopefully that helps answer your question and have a nice day.
@@jaredfayette2567 mean future events should obviously be marked as such. On the other hand I think there are no excuses for looking in the comments before one finishes the video when you might get spoiled, not expecting spoilers. That's just as stupid as looking up spoilers then getting mad about seeing spoilers.
I feel like it only validates stupid decison making on the part of the people who look in the comments by making them think there isn't an issue with what their doing.
Even moreso when 90% of the comments don't have spoiler tags, the gesture doesn't really do any good for anyone, I feel.
Everyone: crying over (spoiler)
Me: "FINALLY, someone shuts Obrona up."
NG+ spoilers
"THERE'S NO ESCAPING OBRONA!"
I like Obrona.
oh my god.
@@102Mod I like her design. It’s unique.
I like her design and her weapons, but she's so grating.
I love the subtle vocal differences that Pyra and Mythra have with Mythra having a rougher, more commanding tone to contrast Pyra's smoother, compassionate tone. Skye Bennett did a really great job making them both sound so similar yet also unique at the same time! Also, I forgot how much Mythra's awakening looks like Pyra going Super Saiyan! Also-also, Mythra having a similar ability to Shulk's visions is such an awesome callback!
I like how you can sort of hear when Pyra slips a little bit at points, too.
And re: Foresight: This is more than intentional, the parallels are wholly deliberate. Among other things, Pyra's sword even comes in red and expands with energy coming out of it, it's like, *designed* to give monado vibes, of course Mythra's sword retains that design concept with a different color scheme, too.
@@Starfloofle Huge spoilers in general for the xenoblade franchise and this game
It's super cool because technically speaking, the Aegis sword is a Monado. Alvis being confirmed as Ontos makes him an Aegis, and in extention, the Monado is an Aegis sword and vice versa. So it makes perfect sense that the Aegis sword would look like and have similar abilities to the Monado. That's not even mentioning Malos and his aegis sword.
@@controlcon
Spoilers:
Tbh, I don't think Alvis being Ontos was ever really 100% confirmed though.
Of course it's plausible, but as long as it's not confirmed we can't do more but speculate.
Pyra and Mythra being Monados would make sense, since we already know a Monado doesn't need a circular formation with the Monado Art symbols, e. g. Meyneth Monados.
Some people have even made a theory that Alvis created Zanza and Meyneth to mirror Logos and Pneuma respectively.
So, it would absolutely make sense. Zanza even has a Monado kinda similar in style to Malos'.
(But I haven't finished Xenoblade 1 just yet, so please no spoilers for that beyond what I just talked about (I basically just finished Mechonis Core, but already know about a few things with Alvis thanks to stupid curiosity.)).
@@Sherolox it actually is and xbc3 confirmed it to the the max with its story.
Rex: I lost my mentor.
Shulk: I lost my girlfriend
X mc: I lost my planet
Whoa, X's guy has it super rough.
xenoblade protagonist: I lost my family
Everyone else: We all have!
X mc is STUCK ON A DIFFERENT PLANET
Plus X's mim-related reveals at the middle and end. Imagine, going through all that, then right at the end... So many rug-pulls
Elma: I killed that planet
This is one of the best moments in the game. I love how Chugga goes silent at the end to encapsulate the anger and thrill of the moment - just like he did in his XC1 playthrough.
And so, the blonde goddess, the best character in the game, has been acquired. Now it is time for the true power of the Driver of the Aegis....
DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE!
Or for the Japanese VA.... DOUBLERU-SPINNEH-EDGE-EH!!!!!
Flashbacks of beyblade Rex vs motorcycles
I believe you meant:
DOUBLE SPINNING ED-
ROLLING SMA-
DOUBLE SPINNING ED-
DOUBLE SPINNING ED-
ROLLING SMA-
ANCHOR SHO-
DOUBLE SPINNING ED-
etc.
Too bad Chuggaa doesn't seem inclined to break out that particular art. I'm sure he has some statistical reasoning as to why it's technically less efficient to use it, but I still say it's just more fun.
@@wolfdude1623 Because it's animation is too long and Lightspeed Flurry is only 20% at this point so it's not really worth using until you get to 80% or even 100% but by the time you get to that point you should have reliable enough crit rate to bring Mythra up to 80% or higher and go back to not using it just for the faster animations since Mythra with max affinity and capped Lightspeed Flurry can build up her special meter to 3 in 3 arts allowing you to literally spam her level 3 on cooldown.
Finally, the simpleton is here.
The Golden Country’s Golden Girl has arrived
Is she coffee or milk?
Yes
Pythia.
I need to finish torna...
Me playing through Xenoblade 2 seeing Malos again:
Oh, great, this hee hoo again.
4:47 -
"Maybe she realized what was going on with Iona?"
"Well, knowing those two... It's not unthinkable."
Dude... that's like the most GENIUS line in the whole game. The way you interpret that line COMPLETELY flips depending on whether this is your first time hearing it or if you're coming back after knowing everything.
how does monolith always do it
OH YEAH-- and the best is rewatching the Mymoma Playhouse scene that literally JUST happened and seeing the way they 'depicted' the Aegis. She's still got the big green crystal, but all the other features' color schemes suddenly make a lot more sense...
Sorry, I've finished the game (and Torna) and I still don't get what you mean. Could you elaborate?
@@davidneligan8186 On first viewing, 'those two' seems to mean Akhos and Malos, but after learning Malos' true nature, it changes to being him and pyra's connection, shown in the brief dream sequence; and Nia would know the truth about Malos, most likely.
@@Jane_Jackson Fair enough, though I wouldn't say it changes things that much
Cugga spent every episode since we met the guy telling us how likeable he is and influencing us to become attached to this character. All the buildup of emotions towards this character that us, the audience had gained. has given us an engaging although sad moment, that I shall not forget.
So to you chuggaaconroy I applaud you.
The advantages of having played the game before
This moment... THIS MOMENT!!
So I have a story about this moment that I have been waiting to share.
When I first played Xenoblade Chronicles 2, I did not yet have a dedicated location for my Switch. So I mostly played handheld. Every now and then, I'd be allowed to play it on the TV, mostly when my grandmother was not home. And when I was exploring Uraya, I was able to play on the TV. While I was at the point where Vandham takes Rex to the dead titan near the blowhole, my sister came into the room and asked what I was doing. I told her about Vandham and how great he is. How he is being like a father figure to Rex and how much I love him. My sister goes "he is going to die" and then left.
I refused to believe this. I was like "Nope, Vandham will not die!"
Later that day, I went to my sister in tears and asked "hey, remember what you said about that one character?" and she just looks at me and laughs because I was sobbing so hard over it.
So this moment is a bit special to me as a result.
I haven't seen this scene since I beat the game the first time, and Nia's actions in this battle have a whole different meaning now.
Nia is so well written.
Yeah how much do you want to bet her test at the world tree had to do with this moment?
There's actually a lot of foreshadowing here that I just never realized was there because I never rewatched these cutscenes after finishing the game.
for sure. Its a lot more subtle than the xenoblade 1 foreshadowing and I love it
@@wumbology72 that's how I like it! Subtle enough that you don't notice it until you know what it's foreshadowing
That's kind of what this series excels at. I wasn't very keen on the foreshadowing when I first played it, and I felt a lot was forgotten. Turns out I was wrong, and watching this Let's Play has definitely taught me the games comes together very well in the end
@@wumbology72 I agree that these scenes have loads of extremely subtle foreshadowing densely packed into one boss fight but i also think you are severely underestimating XC1's capacity for foreshadowing, that game has some of the absolute subtlest and most well done foreshadowing I've ever seen, to the point where it comes up in Sidequests too, alongside the more obvious stuff like 'Can't say I feel too good about deceiving these kids'
@@fathm4623 Not saying XC1 didn't have subtle foreshadowing, I just don't like how obvious some of it is like the quote you mentioned, or (XC1 spoilers to anyone else reading)
how the party is confused that faced mechon can't be hurt by the monado just a few cutscenes after it is revealed that it can't hurt humans.
“Aegis” Counter: 59
Oh no, Vandham!
... Do you think he took the equipment they gave him to the grave?
God damn Vandham went out like a hero in blaze of glory still makes me cry and the music that plays just makes it even better
I've been waiting for this one, to everyone who's been going into this LP blind, I hope you enjoy this games story as much as I did. ❤
This moment is SO GOOD if you're unspoiled, apparently some of the early trailers spoiled it which is annoying.
@@BigKlingy even after playing the game multiple times. I still cry every time I watch this. Between the music and Vandhams amazing voice acting. It’s just beautiful
I HAD NO CLUE WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!!!
BigKlingy Yep, I got spoiled on Mythra by the trailers. Still an awesome scene though.
W-Well... Well I'm not! So there!
Vandham...
Vandham why...?
This scene made me love Rex. The smart move would be to cut your losses and retreat, but Rex is too young to realize that and he does something stupid. It shows that he's still got room to grow.
I like how in much later fights (chapter 6 to the end) he actually does smart things, just gets overpowered by the enemy, and overpowers them eventually.
@@heroinhero he's a smart kid for sure, heck in the first fight with Mòrag he played her into thinking that he's just spamming the same attack and positioned both of them in a way where the deflected shot hit the water tower to weaken Brighid. He's just in over his head against extremely powerful opponents, and is still just a kid. He's hands down one of my favorite protagonists.
This scene contrasts so well with
Spoilers
the end of chapter 7. Shows his growth immensely.
@@emblemblade9245 And, to arguably an even greater extent,
Even more spoilers
The end of ch10, where he's faced with a similar decision - run away at the expense of a loved one or face certain death - and that time, he makes the right choice.
It's occuring to me that you and I have probably had almost this exact conversation before.
@@emblemblade9245 Of course his character growth didn't really match my own ability to play the game very badly on my first playthrough.
Not gonna lie, I was going to comment today about how the story just wasn't clicking with me but that scene man... that scene had me teary eyed! I'm invested now!
This is the tip of the iceberg. Chapter 4 might be a little slow compared to this, but it’s got a lot of good character moments and world-building. Chapter 5 is where things kick into high gear, and it’s not going to stop after that.
In other words, you’re in for a ride.
@@cartooncritic7045 for me chapter 4 is probably my favorite chapter by far. The plot both thickens and doesn't take itself too seriously (given what just happened, that's okay). All and all its just good fun that permenently hooked me in and made me wish i didn't temporarily drop the game for a month. But based on what chuggaa's been saying in his videos it seems not playing right at launch was a blessing in disguise that I waited so long (I got it for Christmas but it was almost a month later before I started on it; still quite a bit more interested in botw). But then I felt bad because my brother got it for me and I had barely played it. I decided to play through and finish the game, and so glad I did.
Something I find interesting is Severs (Malos's blade) ability called 'Deadly Drive.'
In Freudian psychology, Sigmund Freud came up with the concept of two opposite instincts, or drives, that all people are born with. These drives are often called the 'Life drive', (Alternatively known as Eros,) and the 'Death drive.' (Also known as Thanatos.)
Basically the Life Drive is the part of us that wants to keep alive. It wants to love and be loved in return. This drive compels us to pursue pleasure and form relationships with other people. These relationships are our way of leaving a mark on the world, they will serve as evidence that we existed even after we die. Someone else will always remember us and, hopefully, carry on our legacy. In a sense we will always be alive. The life drive is made evident by our pursuit of love, pleasure and procreation.
The Death drive is the opposite. It is the idea that deep down, all beings wish they were dead. It is constantly trying to return us to an inanimate state, a 'state of zero tension,' a state of death. But that isn't it's only goal, as it also wants to remove any proof that the person ever existed. It endeavors to sever the bonds that the Life drive wishes to create, and destroy any works the person may have created. The death drive is made evident by harmful and aggressive tendencies, such as addiction and violent tendencies to oneself, other people and the world around them.
I find the fact that Sever has an ability called 'Deadly Drive' interesting because he was likely influenced by Malos during resonance. Notice that unlike Akhos, Malos was not bothered by the loss of his own blade. To him, bonds with others are just a burden. He doesn't view death as an unfortunate part of life, but rather the end goal of all living creatures, which explains why he is helping Jin wipe out all humankind. This leads me to believe that Malos is meant to represent the 'Death drive.'
Which brings us to the Life drive. The life drive is itself driven by what Freud calls libidinal energy. Libidinal energy is basically the will to live that manifest in us when we experience pleasure and receive love from others. The ultimate goal of the Life drive is to love and be loved in return. By loving another, a person is sharing their 'libidinal energy,' their reason to live, with them. They are living for them. But if the person isn't receiving any 'libidinal energy' from others, only giving up their own, then their Life drive will become weaker. They will view themselves as someone who doesn't deserve to be loved, someone who doesn't deserve to live. When the Life drive is weak, then the Death drive can take greater precedence. An overpowering Death drive will result in the person taking more unnecessary risks and possibly displaying suicidal tendencies.
Anyway, I believe that if Malos represents the Death drive, then Pyra and Mythra are likely meant to represent the Life Drive. At the beginning of the game, Pyra gives a portion of her life essence, or her 'libidinal energy,' to Rex. Pyra tries hard to be viewed as useful and desirable. She is hesitant to talk about her past or her true power, fearing that it will lead to her being rejected by others. Unlike Malos, Pyra clearly cares about the lives of others and desires their acceptance.
Interesting side note, the Life drive actually starts off in a selfish state called 'Primary Narcissim,' where the person expects to be loved by others unconditionally, without giving away any of their own 'libidinal energy.' Eventually though, with help from the Death drive, as well as the disapproval of others, the Life drive will be tempered into a more healthy desire to both gift love to others, and also to receive it in return. I think this process is what we see in Torna the Golden Country.
However, the role of the Life drive won't be complete until it receives life energy from others. Prya has shared her life with Rex, but it isn't healthy as a one way exchange. Rex needs to give a portion of his own life to her. He needs to make sure that Pyra and Mythra feel they deserves to live, show them that they have a place in this world, otherwise the Life drive will never reach it's healthiest state.
*SPOILER WARNING*
During chapter 5, we learn more about who Malos' driver is and then when the driver awakened Malos, part of the driver's memories and past experience affected how Malos would develop as a blade and thus explains why he believes that the Aegises was made to destroy everything in their path.
@@benjaws5263 Yeah, I think his Driver is the reason Malos' death drive is so strong in the first place. Actually, maybe that's part of the reason they are called drivers to begin with? I dunno. But regardless, Malos has some interesting quotes that make me think the death drive thing is intentional...
"Watch humans closely and you'll learn one thing. Deep down they wish they were dead."
"Yes that's the power our father gave us. It's what the world has cried for since it's birth. you, me, we're here to give them what they want."
"They all desired oblivion, and now they've achieved it."
Mythra: "This is what humans and blades can do together, Malos."
Malos: "I don't need that crap. Better off without it."
Anyway, not saying they were meant to be personifications of the two drives, only that they both seem to be on complete opposite sides of the spectrum.
How is this not one of the most liked comments yet the same 5 fucking boring copypaste "jokes" are
Wow, I'm impressed how spot-on this was.
Amazing.
"Drifting Soul" is easily my all-time favorite song. This entire sequence is just pure art. I love it and this game so much. Also, you made the correct choice by amping the volume of "You Will Recall Our Names" and just letting the pure hype of that song carry the fight.
It was the right choice . Words cannot express the amalgamation of sadness , hatred and hype felt in this sequence .
Oh boy it’s time for THAT cutscene
THAT fight and THAT cutscene
That's scary to read before watching
I was always ready for *THIS* but I was never ready for *THAT*
Finished the video. I now know what you mean. God I'm sad
And there's only like a million more THAT cutscenes.
This was the part of the game where I knew I wasn't turning back. I was addicted to the gameplay, captivated by the story and characters and now had emotinoa resolve to see it all through to the end. This was an amazing fight with an amazing twist with Mythra and a truly truly gut wrenching heart ripper of a death with Vandham.
I am so glad I came back to this game after stopping at Umon shipyard. I've now finished the story and finishing ALL the post game, maxing levels etc. This is a truly incredible game.
Seeing Mythra for the first time again brought a massive smile to my face. Even despite... the other impactful moment of the cutscene. This part still hits hard in many ways.
(spoilers below)
I gotta appreciate how Vandham went out like a true boss. I'm almost certain he knew he had to sacrifice himself there and he was fully committed to it. It ended up working in the long run, too. So yeah, massive props to Vandham. Still one of the best characters in the game.
Remember when they stowed part of this in one of the trailers and a lot of people were complaining about spoilers, but when they actually reached the scene it had far more impact? It's a prime example of using a loaded scene without context, letting the consumer think they have critical knowledge only to hit them with everything else that actually happens in the scene.
It's fantastic
Looking forward to Monolith pulling off the same trick with Xenoblade 3.
"Hey Cole we did a couple of sidequests and traveled all over the world, several days have definitely passed, are you ready to talk-"
"Not until you all sleep in the inn!!!"
The Prison Island moment of this game.
Spoilers mate
Actually for me that's chapter 7
Nah definitely chapter 7
@@Zach90888 If people read the comments section not expecting comments on the things that happen in the video they're stupid.
YOU HAVE 10 SE- oh wait, wrong game
Since this is the "Prison Island" moment of the game, now it's time for Chugga to get sick. See you in a Few Months!
But........corona........
There should be a video tomorrow, he said he had up to episode 29 on Twitter.
@@aa_2420 Yes I know, but I can't help but point out the parallels
@@brendantjeerdsma492 ah ok, I didn’t understand because I didn’t follow xenoblade 1 until a few uploads later.
Do _not_ be jinxing it!
This has to be, without question, the best episode yet for me. It had both low points (Vandham’s sacrifice), and high points (Pyra’s ascension into Mythra). Truly a beautiful experience.
"Upon proceeding to the top of the -Great Urayan Waterslide!- Great Staircase, several cutscenes will play in sequence. It is recommended you set time aside to view these scenes in their entirety."
19:12
Vandham has left the party.
We hardly knew ye
20:48
Mythra joins the party!
22:27
I wonder if Pyra/Mythra is aware of how hot they are... In the figurative sense, of course.
23:49
Really cool track with a nice name!
27:06
We hardly knew ye x2
27:15
We hardly knew ye x3- Triple finish!
It's honestly such a tear-jerking moment for me. Witnessing this game blind through this LP is the best decision ever
This brings me back to when I watched the XC1 LP blind as well. When Fiora got killed by Metal Face
Thanks Chugga, my childhood, and now my teenager hero
And this is where the game starts to get real. I enjoyed the generally lighthearted theme up to this point. They hit you with gramps not dying in chapter 2, but it's all just in good fun. This where the game really started to cement itself as my favorite game ever. And it only gets better for me from here.
But yeah, we have best girl now.
I feel like chapter 4 is that final little bit of slowness in the story (really just setting up for later events and getting characters together, not to say it's bad, just slower than the later chapters), after that it keeps it's pace throughout the rest of the game and you're just hit with reveal after reveal and a whirlwind of emotions every moment from I'd say later chapter 5 onwards.
The early chapters work just fine (gameplay wise they're a bit slow until 4 if you ask me, but they're not bad), but holy hell, the later chapters with their story and gameplay are why this game is my favorite of all time.
Also, best girl comes in at the end of chapter 7
@@BlazingBoltAeris I kinda wish we got an official portrait of them like the other blades, but they're one of the very few that don't (unless there's something in the game's internal files). I love their design a lot more too. It's kind of a shame they show up so much later.
I didn't see any major upgrades to Poppi this episode. Weird.
@@ShadowSkyX Their I completely agree, their design is my favorite blade design in the game and the fact that it's only visible in battle and cutscenes honestly sucks. Plus the fact that you can access her affinity chart is something I dislike as well I can understand why you can't during the story, but I feel like you should be able to in NG+ (maybe after S Ranking Pyra and Mythra, or just all rare and legendary blades.
@@BlazingBoltAeris Well, there is a glitch to just having her out in the open to walk around with, which involves that very battle that the introduction happens. Only a NG+ exclusive glitch though. So there's that if you want to see her more, but it's only for that one time only event in the story. Also it is prone to softlocking and or freezing if you aren't careful, and kept your save before doing the glitch.
Ngl genuinely cried. Not ashamed at all. I love this game so much.
I cried at the ending and almost cried at this very scene, and I agree, no shame.
@@Tronk_ I nearly cried during this scene, and I also cried during the ending and the chapter 6 ending/chapter 7 opening.
This game is so good.
I cried the first time I saw this scene, I cried again when I played it a week or so back (one of the few scenes I haven't chosen to skip for the sake of this LP) and I am tearing up again listening to it.
If You Will Know Our Names is so good, why isn't there a You Will Know Our Names 2?
23:48
*A few episodes later when Rex defeats a strong enemy*
YOU SEE THAT VANDHAM?!
ow
Your defeat of Malos at 26:30ish syncs with the end of the music almost perfectly.
Exit Vandham, Enter Mythra is still a heart wrenching scene for me.
absolutely murders my heart each time i see it.
"Ah dammit I'm the protags second mentor..."
Welcome to the star wars trope
@@luciussteinberg6809 the good old "Mentor Occupational Hazard"
@@MegaWTFgamer yeps
This was the moment that really made me care about this game’s story even more.
Nothing hurts than permanently losing an awesome party member.
It’s only chapter 3 and it keeps getting better.
Vandam is my favorite character in this game. He wasn't around for long, but he just stuck with me in a way that nobody else did. He had so much more to give, but we just have to fight our own wars from now on.
This is one of those things you can see coming a mile away, but still hits like a truck. Even knowing exactly what's coming still has be misty eyed. They do a lot with Vandham in a little time, and it just makes this moment sting even more.
Gee, Vandham's such a cool and badass character! I just can't wait to go on all kinds of epic adventures with him! I sure hope nothing bad happens to him...
It's been a really long time since I've really watched the cutscenes in this game, and seeing them again I've gotta say... There's so many hidden details in every one of these scenes. It's astonishing really.
This game foreshadows Mythra in a lot of ways, but one of the more subtle ones that I quite enjoy is through gameplay. Let’s look at Pyra’s affinity chart. Her specials aren’t particularly special, and her battle skills go from decent to the worst in the game. She’s not a bad blade by any means, but she’s not very good compared to a lot of other blades. Let’s look at Mythra now. Her level three special does high damage, comes out quick and has a decent amount of hits. Her battle skills are all extremely good, with her worst skill being decent. Foresight let’s Rex turn into the best agility tank in the game, and Lightspeed Flurry is one of the top three battle skills in the game, allowing her to spam her level three special very quickly.
Pyra's purifying flames isn't the worst skill in the game, it's still better than most of Dromarch's skills (especially the blade combo one, that one is completely worthless)
“DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE!
DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE!
DOUBLE-DOUBLE-DOUBLE-DOUBLE SPINNING EDGE!
HIT IT! NOW!”
-Rex, when geared for a INTERESTING Mythra build.
@@15stargamer98 I think sword bash is better. Higher damage ratio means that it outdamages DSE in basically every scenario, including when DSE is getting the bonus damage from the side.
@@conorb.1901 most people outfit that build with double spinning edge because there are supposedly two chances for a crit, which is what this build wants. I agree that Sword Bash is better in nearly every scenario, though.
@@15stargamer98 if you don't crit you can just change arts though. Let it build up passively with your pouch items (although you can forgo art recharge in favor of other effects). Don't get me wrong, people can play however they want, I just personally focus more on foresight than lightspeed flurry.
Me: *sees thumbnail*
Also me: HOUSTON WE HAVE A SERIOUS PROBLEM-
The moment that Vandham, with his unique Blade and policy of not engaging any others, started bonding with Rex is the moment I knew that this was coming.
I want everyone to know that Mythra is best girl.
That is all.
I can’t disagree with you, as much as I do like some other girls better...
C'mon, we all know Gorg is best girl
Eh. I honestly consider her one of the weaker characters in the game. I don't even know why I don't like her much, I just don't
This is the truth
Nope.
We already talked about how Rex's English voice acting isn't the best, and I agree. But if you ask me, his crying is really underrated. He really did a good job frustratingly sobbing over the loss.
Rex has a rough start, but as his own character grows, his VA also got a lot better. I love how Rex sounds during quiet talking moments, emotional sadness moments, and indignant declarations. He’s just...not great at battle cries lol. But that’s really about all that bugs me with his voice!
I agree! I think he's actually all right in this scene, even if he was pretty bad at the start.
his little emotional speech inflections and sadness are so, so much better than his yells. you can hear his ugly sobbing here - there’s nothing fake about it. it’s so good it almost made me cry too.
You can tell that that crying really does feel genuine. Crying is one of the hardest emotions for voice actors to perform.
Yeah I wasn't too sure about Al Weaver at first, especially since he was told by the leading director to "Not go all out", but from this point on he really made me turn around.
Hoo boy, Uraya was already the point where I felt myself really jiving with the game, but this moment, man, this freaking moment blew me away. We’re still a few areas away from when this officially became my favorite game ever, but even so, this moment was such a defining moment in my first experience with this game and it still touches me even now.
Also, Counterattack slaps. That’s all.
Just curious, what was your moment?
@@hallaloth3112 without spoiling anything for anyone reading who hasn’t seen this game entirely before, reaching a certain area with a lot of clouds and long pathways was that moment for me
@@Treetop1120 Ah yes. I tote Gormott as my favorite Titan but I forgot about Cloud land until I got there a few days ago. Such a beautiful place and a brief moment of peace plotwise. We also get a few great heart to hearts there.
Not to break this heartfelt and emotional moment but right after Vandam said “Something else you can do with a blade!”, I heard the stabbing sound then the video paused. Literally just stab, pause, and I see his expression frozen.
Just like with the first Xenoblade, I've never played this game, but I'm super engaged in its story. And...holy shit, I'm so glad I'm experiencing this blind for the first time.
That entire fight scene was absolutely incredible, and I look forward to where the story will be taking us from here on out.
“For Vandhaaaaaaaaaaam!”
Im sorry but that gets me every time 😂
its so god damn funny
Big Leroy Jenkins energy.
I specifically fast forward over that line. I love this game to death and try to defend Rex as much as I can but gosh some of his line deliveries can't be saved. This is one of them.
Why does the good bro have to die... Heartbreak has activated.
This moment always hit me hard and I knew we'd be getting to it eventually. One of the most memorable moments in all of gaming history.
This is where my love for the game truly began. I had already liked the game, but this part made me love it. The story gets so good here, seeing Vandham die was a really hard hitting moment for me since he was my favorite character, and Mythra's awakening is just super cool.
I love this part so much.
This is easily of one of my standout moments in a game full of standouts Vandhams Sacrifice always hits like a goddamn truck and I can't help but cry each time I see it the soundtrack for this fight boasts some of the games hardest hitters Drifting Soul Counterattack and You Will Recall Our Names its horrifying to see the villains so effortlessly wipe the floor with our heroes and is a moment where character actions genuinely had consequences and most importantly It Finally makes sure we never have to listen to Obrona Speak ever again. A bit unhinged here but I love this part of the game so much and just need to gush about whenever I get the chance
Zeke and vandam really are my 2 favorite characters in this game.
Vandam was such a good guy who was initially made out to be a bad guy. Tough stubborn and full of laughs. They did such a good job with him only to be killed off...makes me sad for this chapters ending every time
Damn.
(spoilers)
I figured that would happen, what with the "one blade only", already having all of his favorite pouch items, and the semi-awkward party dynamics in-battle. Also with the mentor/father figure usually dying. Doesn't make it suck any less.
Give our Aussie pompadour-mullet dad the salute he deserves. o7
Music was phenomenal and pretty good voice lines for the moment, I feel. Also interesting to see what seems to be a familiar mechanic from Xenoblade 1 returning? Hmm...
o7
for the record, that "returning XC1 mechanic" is exclusive to cutscenes. it's gameplay takes a different form. Apparently, something something DLC is as close as it gets to fully returning.
Well, "damn" 2.0.
Thanks for the heads-up, though, fellas!
@Mark DiSalvi Well SPOILER
Mythra is actually a Monado, with Malos straight using Monado and its arts in his battle later, as he is also one. So neither of that is actually a coincidence.
you just reminded me emile said they subverted the stereotype of the dad figure dying with the titan coming back smol
but no, they just delayed it.
@Mark DiSalvi Well, SPOILER:
Rex isn't a clone of Dimitri Yuriev, so he of course can't use Monado as intended. Still because he control Zohar, he can tap same features other way around.
RIP to the goat Vandham. Couldn't MUSCLE UPPERCUT hard enough :(
Holy shit Emile. The choreography you pulled off in the latter half of the fight was so much hype. Round of applause my good sir.
may we have a moment of silence for Vandam and his friend Roc.
*me who's played xc2 to the fullest* *me also sweats profusely*
Uh oh.... time for the waterworks, guys.
I still choke up now as much as I did back when I first played this game over Vandham's sacrifice. That moment was when I couldn't put this game down, because at that time I wanted nothing more than to find Malos again...and beat the living hell out of him.
Since everyone's spoilering, I will too.
I cried HARD at this. That moment when it hit me what was going to happen to Vandham, the core crystal falling to the ground, and when Rex goes to attack out of just anger and desperation. Hit me all over again when he just fell to the ground and sobbed when everything was done. Vandham's own voice acting was spectacular as well. It gave me chills listening to him yelling to Rex to go, to find Elysium.
Also, it struck me when I saw Akhos in shock after seeing Obrona go down. He was so cold to everyone else that I thought he was heartless, but the way he yelled "Obrona!" and his demeanor afterwards. Malos doesn't bat an eye at losing his blade, but Akhos is on the ground staring at her core crystal. It really puts depth into them.
I was so excited to hear that you were going to Let's Play this game, but at the same time I was sad because I knew this was coming up. The Soundtrack that plays during that sequence just makes it even more sad as it inevitably leads up to that moment.
Words to live by,
"Fight Your Own War"
It's gives me chills how Vandham, a mere mortal man, could go toe to toe with Malos like that, seeing as he's.. well, you newcomers will know next episode in case you couldn't already guess. Everything in this scene was amazing and I loved coming back to watch it again..
I also want to pay my respects to Vandham by saying that his lessons to Rex and his friends have helped me in one way or another in comprehending the real world problems with humanity and the world as a whole, and those lessons are now feel relevant more than ever in this current year. Humanity will rarely be in complete consensus, humans will always have their differences to fight over, it will never truely end as long as we keep living. But that doesn't mean you can't do your best to protect the people closest to you, the people you care about. We all need to set up our own Garfont for the people we love, to do our best for them, even when everything in the world is against us. You've just gotta make it, you have to fight your own war.
Thank you for everything, Vandham...
Spoken like a poet