The Cons
- Annoyed that this is yet another filler episode in story steps. At least this felt longer than before, there wasn’t a “just talk” or “very short boss-fight only” instance like the first two of three in E6.
- I agree that the Pale Tree’s non-chalantness was bothersome.
- The Memory Seeds feel like a dues ex. If such things existed then why was Riannoc’s death such a mystery? Why did we have to use a dangerous ritual from the Crystal Desert to discern his fate?
- Annoyed that the PS claims that the centaurs turned hostile on Caithe and Faolain when it was clear that Faolain had instigated them just by her personality. I suppose the point, however, was that the instigation happened while Caithe wasn’t looking (if you go in with another person, you can avoid being the instance owner and thus watch Faolain instigate the centaurs – as I did – but the instance owner is stuck out of sight of it – annoying but also cool). Felt like unnecessary defense of an obvious in-the-fault character.
- The biggest issue to me, however, is Malomedies’ dialogue at the Gathering.
We went so long without losing one of our own, but three of our newly awakened have been killed already. This is unacceptable.
→ This is life, Malomedies. At least now we know that we can die.
I worry about Riannoc. He’s going so far from home. What if he never returns?
→ Many will leave the Grove before all is said and done. We cannot stop them.
Where’s the issue in this?
- Riannoc was the firs sylvari to die.
- “We all felt it when he died. It was like a part of the Dream was torn away—but we never knew why. Or how.” – Caithe’s words at the end of Bramble Walls and Sharpened Thorns (second step of chapter 3 for sylvarI)
- “When he died—the sun dimmed, and the Dream wept.” – Avatar of the Tree’s mention of Riannoc’s death, again the Dream was affected greatly by Riannoc’s death. Said in same two story instances as above
- THE MOST GLARING ISSUE IN THIS:
[quote]They gathered by the Pale Tree, and rain swelled upon her upturned leaves, dripping in slow sparks to the earth below. Her roots cradled the firstborn that lay among them, his body covered in a dark blanket like moss over a grave. Malomedies was only sleeping, struggling against exhausting nightmares. From time to time, he called out, and Kahedins soothed him, placing a damp compress to his forehead in the hope that he would find rest. The healer looked up to the others, face filled with worry.
“Will he survive? Or will he…die? As Riannoc did?” The question whispered in every heart, but it was Niamh that gave it voice.
“The Mother says he will live,” Kahedins murmured, but it was little comfort.
Malomedies had been beautiful, as graceful as a willow kneeling by a stream. Now his face bore the carved scars of ill-treatment, and the branches of his once- iridescent hair had been broken and pruned into splintered, colorless pieces. One leg was withered as if kept too long from the sun, and where his fleshlike bark still clung to the vines of his torso, there were a thousand small holes.
“We must kill them all.” Cadeyrn’s eyes flashed dark gold, and his hand clenched around the hilt of his sword. [/quote]
THEY KNEW RIANNOC DIED BEFORE MALOMEDIES WAS EXPERIMENTED ON. THE STORY INSTANCE OUTRIGHT TALKS ABOUT MALOMEDIES BEING EXPERIMENTED ON. Riannoc died – and was known to be dead well before this story instance.
Come on, this is not hard to keep together.
I loved the first instance, and the second was interesting mechanically (not to mention made me feel like I had an obligation to shoot Vorpp…), but overall? This feels like another cliffhanger just to manufacture some suspense. I don’t feel hooked. I don’t feel entranced or excited about what might happen next. I feel angry that we’re advancing through the narrative in stutterstep.
Also this.
The Pros
- I LOVED finally seeing the dark past of asura and sylvari interaction. Even Malomedies being experimented upon was only barely touched upon in the game, and only for Night sylvari in the PS as far as I know.
- Fiana! We see “a dead secondborn!”:
- Trahearne talks about sylvari having free will. Proof they’re not dragon minions for dragon minions hold no free will! hah!
- Interesting lore hint on the ‘energy’ within sylvari.
- The jumping puzzle is just omg <3 – I can forgive the filler-ness because of this jumping puzzle. But really, enough fillers…
Stop treating GW2 as a single story. Each Season and expansion should be their own story.
