I've been thinking about Chapter 13 a bit, and I've come to the conclusion that there are a number of relatively simple story additions that could improve the narrative flow tremendously.
1. The Omen trailer
Part of the Omen trailer was already added in the day one patch, so there's no reason a bit more couldn't be added. And, as it turns out, the end of it is perfect for Chapter 13 -- Regis' conversation with a voice inside the Crystal about the amount of deaths the voice needs to be satisfied perfectly foreshadows Noct's encounter with Bahamut at the end of the chapter.
All they'd really need to do is show a quick cut of Noct tossing and turning on a cot in one of the save rooms the first time you rest in one. For most players, that would be shortly after Noct put on the Ring, so the timing would be close to perfect.
2. Ravus
Ravus' arc is surprisingly comprehensible once you figure out which scenes and letters go where. Here's a rough timeline of events:
While this would probably end up being a several minute long compilation cutscene, it'd probably help the pacing of Chapter 13, since it'd be a nice big narrative carrot after one of the chapter's most frustrating setbacks. Plus, even if Ravus' characterization remains mostly posthumous, it'd still make the fight with his daemonized corpse hit harder.
3. Prompto's DLC
Obviously, the game is never going to spoil everything in Prompto's DLC, regardless of how important it turns out to be. Even including a conversation in which Prompto references the elements that are the most critical to the game proper could help a lot, though -- all it would take to provide some closure to Verstael would be for Prompto to say that he met his birth father, who led the MT research, but that he won't be a problem anymore. Like the Omen trailer scene, it can play at the first save room after the reveal it supplements (i.e. Prompto being from Niflheim).
4. Iedolas
Unlike Ravus, Iedolas doesn't really have all that much to work with in terms of character development. As things stand, though, a number of people don't even realize that he serves as Chapter 13's mini-boss.
The best way to fix that would be a flashback after his death showing Ardyn turning him into a daemon. That would kill a few birds with one stone -- first, you get to see a bit of interaction between Iedolas and Ardyn before the former dies; second, you get to see what it looks like when someone becomes a daemon; and third, you're hit over the head with the fact that the daemon you fought was the Emperor. If Noct is actually aware of the flashback, all the better, since that would provide an opportunity for the party to react more to what had happened.
Overall...
The inclusion of these four scenes could provide the more consistent narrative drive that Chapter 13 needs to justify the mechanical frustration mandated by the story. The scene from Omen would set up the mystery answered by the end of the chapter early on, the Ravus montage would provide answers to an ongoing mystery to distract from a massive mechanical setback, the Prompto scene would turn a narrative black hole into a quick explanation of something explored in greater detail elsewhere, and the Iedolas flashback would at least provide a more satisfying ending for a character who was never really as important as he seemed.
There'd still be a long stretch of nothing but trolling between the first save room and the Ravus scene, but that kind of seems like what they were going for. Providing more meat after that would probably make it more obvious that the first part was meant to be unpleasant.
What do you think?
1. The Omen trailer
Part of the Omen trailer was already added in the day one patch, so there's no reason a bit more couldn't be added. And, as it turns out, the end of it is perfect for Chapter 13 -- Regis' conversation with a voice inside the Crystal about the amount of deaths the voice needs to be satisfied perfectly foreshadows Noct's encounter with Bahamut at the end of the chapter.
All they'd really need to do is show a quick cut of Noct tossing and turning on a cot in one of the save rooms the first time you rest in one. For most players, that would be shortly after Noct put on the Ring, so the timing would be close to perfect.
2. Ravus
Ravus' arc is surprisingly comprehensible once you figure out which scenes and letters go where. Here's a rough timeline of events:
- Ravus tries to use the Ring during the invasion of Insomnia, but the Lucii declare him unworthy and burn his arm.
- Ravus is treated for his injuries and has his arm replaced by a Magitek prosthetic.
- Ravus sends his first letter to Luna: "I shall send an escort. You and Gentiana will return to the manor. It is dangerous to remain in Lucis -- the empire fears the covenant with the Archaean, and ere long they will come for you."
- Luna returns to Tenebrae and speaks with Ravus. He tries to convince her to give up on her duty, telling her she's throwing her life away, but she insists that it's her choice to do so.
- Ravus almost fights Noct at the Niflheim base in Duscae.
- Ravus sends his second letter to Luna: "Noctis may have the Storm's blessing, but his powers remain as feeble as a breeze. Open your eyes, Lunafreya, and see the futility of your toils. He is unworthy of your sacrifice, and of King Regis's sword."
- Luna ignores Ravus' pleas and travels to Altissia. Ravus leads the Niflheim air fleet to Altissia to deal with the consequences of the covenant with Leviathan.
- Ravus sends his final letter to Luna: "Rely upon the Altissians if you must, and cease all contact with the empire. If you seek a covenant, you know full well the cost. Should Noctis succeed in claiming the power, I shall gladly restore his father's sword to him."
- Ravus and Luna meet in Altissia. Luna's health has failed enough that she's not sure she can complete her duty, but Ravus assures her that she has the strength.
- Ardyn confronts Ravus about Luna, and Ravus lies about not having seen her.
- The Niflheim air fleet meets with catastrophic failure in the confrontation with Leviathan.
- Ravus is scheduled to execution and dies in Zegnautus.
While this would probably end up being a several minute long compilation cutscene, it'd probably help the pacing of Chapter 13, since it'd be a nice big narrative carrot after one of the chapter's most frustrating setbacks. Plus, even if Ravus' characterization remains mostly posthumous, it'd still make the fight with his daemonized corpse hit harder.
3. Prompto's DLC
Obviously, the game is never going to spoil everything in Prompto's DLC, regardless of how important it turns out to be. Even including a conversation in which Prompto references the elements that are the most critical to the game proper could help a lot, though -- all it would take to provide some closure to Verstael would be for Prompto to say that he met his birth father, who led the MT research, but that he won't be a problem anymore. Like the Omen trailer scene, it can play at the first save room after the reveal it supplements (i.e. Prompto being from Niflheim).
4. Iedolas
Unlike Ravus, Iedolas doesn't really have all that much to work with in terms of character development. As things stand, though, a number of people don't even realize that he serves as Chapter 13's mini-boss.
The best way to fix that would be a flashback after his death showing Ardyn turning him into a daemon. That would kill a few birds with one stone -- first, you get to see a bit of interaction between Iedolas and Ardyn before the former dies; second, you get to see what it looks like when someone becomes a daemon; and third, you're hit over the head with the fact that the daemon you fought was the Emperor. If Noct is actually aware of the flashback, all the better, since that would provide an opportunity for the party to react more to what had happened.
Overall...
The inclusion of these four scenes could provide the more consistent narrative drive that Chapter 13 needs to justify the mechanical frustration mandated by the story. The scene from Omen would set up the mystery answered by the end of the chapter early on, the Ravus montage would provide answers to an ongoing mystery to distract from a massive mechanical setback, the Prompto scene would turn a narrative black hole into a quick explanation of something explored in greater detail elsewhere, and the Iedolas flashback would at least provide a more satisfying ending for a character who was never really as important as he seemed.
There'd still be a long stretch of nothing but trolling between the first save room and the Ravus scene, but that kind of seems like what they were going for. Providing more meat after that would probably make it more obvious that the first part was meant to be unpleasant.
What do you think?