soup is interesting

and yet fraud turns that all on its head. I think a large part of that is how it works in tandem with violence—honestly fraud made me think about violence in a completely different way. this layer showcases the best of V1’s abilities—violence is what it was made for. think about how it feels to be fighting the last wave of enemies inside the earthmover while the wwr guitar riff plays. think about how it feels to kill the earthmover, watch humanity’s magnum opus, its antennas to heaven, collapse into burning rubble. honestly the entirety of 7-4 flows together so seamlessly, even though you’ve only seen the earthmovers once before and you’re momentarily shocked by how big they are you fall into rhythm very quickly because this is what v1 was (likely) meant to do

go further back. violence comes after heresy, where v1 takes down an archangel for the second time and inspires it to go on its own tirade of violence. of course you can never really talk about v1 without talking about Gabriel. gabriel’s defeat is what v1 should not have been able to do, and it makes you feel powerful. you’re dropped into violence, and you carry out the task you were made for, and it makes you feel powerful. and then you fall into fraud and it’s immediately clear that things are no longer what they seem, and you start to feel a little less confident

now the player is already used to illusions because of limbo. it’s so obvious, the speakers are right there, the walls have black bars when you walk up to them. how could a sinner ever think this was paradise? but fraud just pushes it so much further and turns up the symbolism to a point that makes you uncomfortable. the levels are genuinely disorienting. there’s twist upon twist, from the level end fakeout in 8-1 to the one at the beginning in 8-3 to later on in the level where you’re straight up just thrown into space (or at least, what hell wants you to think is space). the statues at the beginning of 8-1 are cool, and then the game just drops its interpretation of God. you see the archangel mural, and any excitement at seeing their designs is quickly replaced by dread when you see one of them clawed out. seeing v1 in the mirror is neat initially, and then you see its reflection strung up and splayed out on the ground. the deathcatchers give v1 more to kill, but without granting kills or style it feels more overwhelming than exhilarating. their only purpose is to heal, to keep v1 fighting for just a moment longer. you push up against the skybox in 8-2, and like limbo, you see through it—except, instead of revealing that you’re in an illusion, you realize you’re on the other side of the screen. seeing that huge empty theater makes you uneasy—you’re being watched, but you’re not even granted the chance to see who’s watching.

(it’s hell, of course. its biggest regret is that it does not have a body to manifest into a seat, no big grin to flash at you as you try to peer through the fourth wall.)

you progress through 8-3 and you see the flesh of king minos, and you’re immediately reminded of gabriel. you think maybe hell will replay some memory, make some crude amalgamation of him, but no, it’s one of his disciples. they ask where is Gabriel and what have you done to him and you think. shit. where is Gabriel? violence does such a good job at making you forget. immediately after heresy you’re flashbanged and brought into this beautiful maze of pure white, jumpscared by mannequins and pursued by the Minotaur. you get caught up in the horror of the mannequins’ creation, then the gutterman’s poem, the suffering of its mother, the earthmovers in the distance. you lose yourself in painting the world red. it feels good. it feels natural. even though 7-3 is somber and uncomfortable you’re given a simple task—FEED IT—and you execute it flawlessly. you forget about Gabriel.

you forget about Gabriel and the powers make you remember. honestly the last power encounter makes me so scared. WHY are you perched on top of the suicide tree. I have a vague feeling that where is Gabriel and what have you done to him may be echoed by us when treachery comes out

who’s to say hell isn’t messing with Gabriel as well? does hell want v1 to fight Gabriel? it would be too satisfying for both of them. it would make this all end too soon. what else will v1 fuel itself off of? how many sinners and machines does hell have left to throw at it? the deathcatchers can’t generate blood for v1 forever. I think v1 and Gabriel dying is the best possible outcome

what are the chances Gabriel is just dead by the time we get to him in treachery? what if hell kills him in the middle of the fight? puts them both into an infinite timeloop? keeps gabriel on a sliver of health and makes you chase him throughout the encores? think about the act’s name being godfist suicide and the theory that Gabe has the gold arm—will he kill himself with it, or rip it off of his body and give it to you to kill him? is that the only way to kill an archangel?

and then where is the missing archangel and who is it? who sculpted the deathcatchers (I mean I think it was geryon but who knows), or the Minotaur? fraud leaves you with a LOT more questions than answers considering it’s so close to the end of the game

you’re no longer in violence. you are no longer where you are meant to be, you are no longer doing what you excel best at. you are entirely wrapped around hell’s finger and there is nothing you can do about it

the world looks red/glory motif plays in 8-3 almost to lull you into a sense of familiarity, though, especially combined with the tree and power. see, look, you’re in violence again, you can do what you were made for and it will be enough. see, look, if you squint hard enough the power looks like Gabriel and he’s here to fight you one last time

8-4 ends.. scarily calmly. the channel switch at the end of the geryon fight makes it crystal clear what hell is doing to v1 if it wasn’t obvious enough already (it also reminded me a lot of the tenna fight lmao). it is leaving absolutely NO room for interpretation, it tells you exactly what is going on because it knows you have no power to change it

you’re expecting another fakeout, a second phase or boss, but there is nothing. with geryon’s terminal entry it almost makes me feel.. sad? its body is constantly failing it, it has multiple consciousnesses that can’t communicate, and it goes for mercy kills in one of the worst layers of hell to end up in

I almost wonder if hell purposely made v1 fight it for that reason? it definitely played a part as without the channel switch v1 would have kept falling forever, and it allows geryon to finally die by being impaled by a state. and when it dies it looks a LOT like a deathcatcher

and you end up in that theater. it almost feels intimate in a superficial way. Hell is allowing you backstage, giving you a false sense of control. you can come to the other side. you can see how I see you. Isn’t it lovely? you leave the theater and there is nobody to greet you, to applaud your performance, just one poster that depicts v1 in such a cutesy casual way it’s almost insulting

These imposters need to commit more

Fun fact I didn't know group cannibalism was an actual mechanic when I sketched this comic

- Oblivion Wing -

johto pokemon vs pokemon from new york

bonus: that phenomenon where japanese tourists visit paris and have a breakdown bc of how shit it is

BUT I THINK EFFORTLESS IS OVERRATED

TRACE THE ARTERIES TO FIND MY HEART

AND PROMISE ME THAT YOU WILL DO NO HARM

(End section of kh3(I think))

If the book DID say that light won then xehanorts a illiterate fuck who based his entire convoluted plan on wrong information

Chain: ends with him making a promise he won't remember and going to sleep for a year just to fix the damage done to his unraveling memories.

Bbs and days are full blown fucking tragedies don't get me started on that

3d: ends with the unvailing of a new grander evil, and sora being severely weakend and losing access to a power critical to defeating xehanort.

Melody of memory sees kairi not only fail to protect herself in her own mind, but gets left behind and told she's not good enough by one of her best friends while searching for the other

Khux:

3 features sora fucking killing himself to save kairi(again)

At first I thought 2 was the only one with no strings attached, no sacrifices, until I remembered Roxas and naminè.

Literally all Roxas wants throughout the entire series, is to hang out with his friends.

But he's not allowed, his friends aren't real, the town he lives in isn't real, even his memories aren't real and in the end he's forced to give up his autonomy and his very existence for the sake of someone he's never met.

For starters he's better than ansem. He didn't just manipulate some Disney villains for some short term plan, he made an entire organization of capable people (mostly) loyal to him.

In his fight he starts by using everything left of the organization, the weapons of his fallen alies and even the very castle they used as their home. (Least I think that's what the dragon thing was)

But when he's backed into a corner and forced to go all out. It's his own raw power that poses a bigger threat than anything else sora and riku have fought before. And yes he's 1v2ing sora, whos beaten every other organization member in single combat, AND riku who we can assume to be at least comparable to sora.

And he almost fucking had them, it takes both of them powering the attack that finishes him of and even then rikus barely standing by that point, and the bit where he grabs sora and you play as riku proves that neither of them would've been able to him on their own.

Additionally his fighting style fits his character incredibly well, fitting with his empty nothingness shtick he uses pure energy as a posed to any sort of actual element.

(i.e the energy ball, walls, morbilion lazers)

But one distint thing only he uses are the "black thorns" associated with nobodies, alway found on some of their attacks or deaths. He able to directly control them, not only as attacks but to empower other nobodies as he does in 3

Also the Lazer dome is objectively cool as fuck

Getting to his design. The hair? 10/10 glorious fucking mane. The fit? Some might say he just another guy in a cloak. And they're techinicaly right however, he is THE guy In a cloak. Everyone else just uses it for the practicality or because its the uniform, but xemnas was the one to make it so widespread in the first place.

most other characters have outfits other than the trench coats, but for him it's THE fit, it's all he's ever seen in, and it's all he needs. Besides, it works well with his tall frame and contrasting silver hair to give him a mysterious, ominous presence that leaves no question about who's in charge.

Finally we get to the best part, his actual character.

He spends a lot of screen time Philosophizing about the nature of hearts and nobodies. That nobodies are incapable of truly feeling emotion and operates solely using memories. That they are being without hearts that shouldn't exist.

he claims that having a heart brings only pain,

But his goal is to use kingdomhearts to give hearts to the nobodies.

it's important to know the he's wrong.

Nobodies have proven to be capable of having hearts, of feeling genuine emotion and growing as people.

And if he truly wanted a heart he could go back to being his completed self with his own heart.

When I was playing kh2 I got genuinely annoyed at him spouting what is obviously bullshit. But that's the point

Yes he seemingly has a virtuous goal but he's going about it In a immoral way for incorrect reasons. All This makes finaly defeating him that much better.

And even after 2 he's still important for laying the framework that would be used for the real organization XIII. But despite that he is still just a piece of a grander scheme. Never meant to truly achieve his goals.

And in his final moments, he finally feels. Pain, he misses his fallen comrades. but, he acknowledges the strength of a heart to be able to endure it all and keep going.

Most users have trained with a keyblade for an extended period of time, studying both magic and physical combat.

Starting with the olimpis ones. sora doesn't even know that he has a phone on him let alone what it even is.

The one after saving aqua, while fine lore wise,

Makes sora seem like a insensitive ass, Posting about someone's trauma like that.

Also who is he posting these for? If it's only visible to people with Gummi phones then there's like two other people confirmed to have one.

If it's viewable by anyone who knows about other worlds that ups it to ~15 people, but you could still just have a group chat at that point

(End section of kh3(I think))

If the book DID say that light won then xehanorts a illiterate fuck who based his entire convoluted plan on wrong information

Chain: ends with him making a promise he won't remember and going to sleep for a year just to fix the damage done to his unraveling memories.

Bbs and days are full blown fucking tragedies don't get me started on that

3d: ends with the unvailing of a new grander evil, and sora being severely weakend and losing access to a power critical to defeating xehanort.

Melody of memory sees kairi not only fail to protect herself in her own mind, but gets left behind and told she's not good enough by one of her best friends while searching for the other

Khux:

3 features sora fucking killing himself to save kairi(again)

At first I thought 2 was the only one with no strings attached, no sacrifices, until I remembered Roxas and naminè.

Literally all Roxas wants throughout the entire series, is to hang out with his friends.

But he's not allowed, his friends aren't real, the town he lives in isn't real, even his memories aren't real and in the end he's forced to give up his autonomy and his very existence for the sake of someone he's never met.

For starters he's better than ansem. He didn't just manipulate some Disney villains for some short term plan, he made an entire organization of capable people (mostly) loyal to him.

In his fight he starts by using everything left of the organization, the weapons of his fallen alies and even the very castle they used as their home. (Least I think that's what the dragon thing was)

But when he's backed into a corner and forced to go all out. It's his own raw power that poses a bigger threat than anything else sora and riku have fought before. And yes he's 1v2ing sora, whos beaten every other organization member in single combat, AND riku who we can assume to be at least comparable to sora.

And he almost fucking had them, it takes both of them powering the attack that finishes him of and even then rikus barely standing by that point, and the bit where he grabs sora and you play as riku proves that neither of them would've been able to him on their own.

Additionally his fighting style fits his character incredibly well, fitting with his empty nothingness shtick he uses pure energy as a posed to any sort of actual element.

(i.e the energy ball, walls, morbilion lazers)

But one distint thing only he uses are the "black thorns" associated with nobodies, alway found on some of their attacks or deaths. He able to directly control them, not only as attacks but to empower other nobodies as he does in 3

Also the Lazer dome is objectively cool as fuck

Getting to his design. The hair? 10/10 glorious fucking mane. The fit? Some might say he just another guy in a cloak. And they're techinicaly right however, he is THE guy In a cloak. Everyone else just uses it for the practicality or because its the uniform, but xemnas was the one to make it so widespread in the first place.

most other characters have outfits other than the trench coats, but for him it's THE fit, it's all he's ever seen in, and it's all he needs. Besides, it works well with his tall frame and contrasting silver hair to give him a mysterious, ominous presence that leaves no question about who's in charge.

Finally we get to the best part, his actual character.

He spends a lot of screen time Philosophizing about the nature of hearts and nobodies. That nobodies are incapable of truly feeling emotion and operates solely using memories. That they are being without hearts that shouldn't exist.

he claims that having a heart brings only pain,

But his goal is to use kingdomhearts to give hearts to the nobodies.

it's important to know the he's wrong.

Nobodies have proven to be capable of having hearts, of feeling genuine emotion and growing as people.

And if he truly wanted a heart he could go back to being his completed self with his own heart.

When I was playing kh2 I got genuinely annoyed at him spouting what is obviously bullshit. But that's the point

Yes he seemingly has a virtuous goal but he's going about it In a immoral way for incorrect reasons. All This makes finaly defeating him that much better.

And even after 2 he's still important for laying the framework that would be used for the real organization XIII. But despite that he is still just a piece of a grander scheme. Never meant to truly achieve his goals.

And in his final moments, he finally feels. Pain, he misses his fallen comrades. but, he acknowledges the strength of a heart to be able to endure it all and keep going.

Most users have trained with a keyblade for an extended period of time, studying both magic and physical combat.

Starting with the olimpis ones. sora doesn't even know that he has a phone on him let alone what it even is.

The one after saving aqua, while fine lore wise,

Makes sora seem like a insensitive ass, Posting about someone's trauma like that.

Also who is he posting these for? If it's only visible to people with Gummi phones then there's like two other people confirmed to have one.

If it's viewable by anyone who knows about other worlds that ups it to ~15 people, but you could still just have a group chat at that point