Final Fantasy XIII-2 (Spoiler Thread)

[Zealkin]

Why did the ending of this game make me so unbelievably angry?

 

[Catherine]

Why did the ending of this game make me so unbelievably angry?

Because everything is a hot ass mess, that's why.

 

[Marle]

Guh. I got to the end. I'm not really super crazy leveled up. Well, Noel is like, my saving grace. He's so powerful it's ridiculous. But I kind of wanted to keep Serah open to a lot of the other roles and so, she's my weak link atm whereas Noel has mastered almost every role.

I kind of wanted to just get through the game entirely before doing all the extras and stuff, especially after finding out you can't even get all the fragments until after you beat the game once. BUT. I DIED.

Spoiler: in case no one wants to know what final boss is like

I went off to fight Caius and beat him in the first three stages. Just when Noel delivers a kick ass speech and hands his ass to him, the bitch comes back with HELP. No, not one Bahamut. Not two Bahamuts. THREE. THREE FUCKING BAHAMUTS. The main Caius Bahamut stands back and watches mostly but even when you kill the other two, he summons them again. And again. And again. And by the time you get to actually land in a few hits on the main asshole, you're so busy trying to heal all the status ailments he's dealt you + the damage. UGH.

And then, to top it ALL off. He throws explosive shit at you and you have to destroy them before they blow up. There's also a stupid count down and depending on how many Bahamuts are around you, the attack the main Bahamut casts varies. If you have all three, consider yourself fucked. If you have two, prepare for some phoenix downs. If it's just one, you probably just have to heal.

ANYWAYS. So I figured I'll go grab some extra fragments and max out Serah before I try THAT again.

LESSON LEARNED. Thankfully, my monster pack is pretty juiced. I spent so much gil on crystals to level the crap out of them. C:

Side note but: I really, really like Serah now. Considering I didn't give two shits about her in FF13 and thought little of her, I'm really amazed. They've done her character justice and I'm happy I gave her a chance. I still feel like Snow brings her down but that's just because I'm biased and hate him.

 

[Splintered]

Got all 160 fragments, don't know if I should be proud or ashamed.

Apparently they said you get extra dialogue options so I tried out New Bohdum. Live trigger option says that Noel is a dog person. So I'm surprised they didn't kill him off instead of Serah since the game is really about cats anyway.

 

[Strangelove]

oh hey some random ultimania stuff (some of this might be in the game and I just forgot/didn't get the dialogue, like Hope's)

Caius

- The magic Caius uses in the opening ("Husk of the wandering comet...") is Meteor, an ancient spell.

- Bahamut Chaos is the summon Caius obtained while he was a l'Cie, the crystal of which is in his sword. The chaos of the Unseeable has made it much stronger.

- The 'Absolute Summon', where the summoner merges with the summoned beast, was a forbidden skill handed down in the past. Originally it could only be used once, after which the summoner would die, but because Caius has the heart of Etro he is able to keep using it.

Yeul

- Yeul is 14 to 17, depending on the era. She was 15 when she died in front of Noel

- Yeul is the reincarnation of the "world's first human" who was given life when Lindzei created her and Etro gave her chaos (a heart).

Hope

- Hope's dad retired in AF10 and died shortly after.

Alyssa

- Alyssa is a mathematician.

Sazh

- One of the early ideas for Sazh had the chocobo chick growing up and flying around by grabbing hold of Sazh's head.

Chances of hearing each character when you load the game:
Serah - 25%
Noel - 25%
Mog - 15%
Lightning - 8%
Yeul - 8%
Hope - 5%
Caius - 2%
Snow - 2%
Alyssa - 2%
Vanille - 2%
Fang - 2%
Sazh - 2%
Historia Crux narrator - 2%
Adomar - If you get the DLC (no persentage given)

 

[Splintered]

- Yeul is the reincarnation of the "world's first human" who was given life when Lindzei created her and Etro gave her chaos (a heart).

Woah, seriously. I thought Etros created humans, did I read the mythology wrong? That's interesting, so Etros is pretty much only responsible for giving humans souls/chaos.

 

[Strangelove]

The analects in FFXIII, according to the FFXIII Ultimania Omega, maintains that Lindzei was the creator of humans. Can't watch the video now, but maybe it was Etro who really made them 'human' (giving the a heart)?

 

[Marle]

Apparently they said you get extra dialogue options so I tried out New Bohdum. Live trigger option says that Noel is a dog person. So I'm surprised they killed off him instead of Serah since the game is really about cats anyway.

I got that trigger . I'm really not surprised. Noel struck me as a dog person anyways. I think that's really interesting. It shows how much SE goes out on a limb to contrast his character from Snow's. Then again, these kinds of things fascinate me even if they're simple and stupid. I love analyzing the characters and their relationships. >.>

 

[Arianna]

Does the Ultimania Omega go into why Lindzei created humanity?

That part in 200 AF really depressed me. I believe all lives have souls. Every single little life form, or big life form. I've been around so many nicer animals than humans in my life. I'm tired of humanity thinking it's special, but then using those thoughts to kill and maim all other lives.

 

[Zee]

Does the Ultimania Omega go into why Lindzei created humanity?

because this is a myth story?

i don't think that's a thing that requires much explanation tbh

 

[Arianna]

because this is a myth story?

i don't think that's a thing that requires much explanation tbh

We don't really need to know if Lightning was truly happy after XIII, but we've got XIII-2 even though that and another question (was she smiling) were already definitively answered. Anyhow, it's still something that I find interesting, and may be interesting to the entire storyline.

 

[Zee]

idk dude i get wanting explanations for some things but in a creation myth sometimes "because i'm a god" is a good enough reason

i'm more interested in other aspects of the mythology though (like etro, what are you even....) i'm eating up all the lovely fragments as quick as possible i have like 90???

 

[Catherine]

Chances of hearing each character when you load the game:
Serah - 25%
Noel - 25%
Mog - 15%
Lightning - 8%
Yeul - 8%
Hope - 5%
Caius - 2%
Snow - 2%
Alyssa - 2%
Vanille - 2%
Fang - 2%
Sazh - 2%
Historia Crux narrator - 2%
Adomar - If you get the DLC (no persentage given)

I want to hear Hope so badly
I've already heard everyone but him and Sazh.

 

[Alex Strife]

i just got to 111 fragments
now i'm at a loss which wild artefact i'm missing to open up oerba 400 AF
cries

Did you get the one at Serendipity? I had to spend money to get it because I got all them and used them, and needed it if I wanted to go on to Oerba 400 A.F.

Also, I'm moving around with Serah in her FFXIII dress! Way too cool

 

[Alex Strife]

Yeah, THAT part of the game, hehe. Loved it. The dream part is so powerful, and I'm only up to Lightning's question!!

As for the wild artifacts, the ones I got were at:

- Bresha Ruins (5 A.F.), the one you get after they teach you how to use Mog.
- Bresha Ruins (300 A.F.), finishing a quest for a NPC that's not visible (you have to use Mog again).
- Oerba (200 A.F.), Throw Mog on the side of the house by the big tree.
- Sunleth Waterscape (300 A.F.), throw Mog while you ride the beast.
- Archlyte Steppe, I remember getting one here, can't remember where, as the place is so big!
- Augusta Tower (200 A.F.), somewhere. Can't remember exactly.
- Academia (4xx A.F.), Again, it's somewhere but can't remember where exactly, sorry!
- Yaschas Massif (100 A.F.), Completing the Rubies of Grief quests and solving the temporal rift.
- Serendipity - 10,000 coins.


EDIT: Wow, I loved how you can see Lightning's facial expression changing the moment when Serah says "Lightning, forgive me". Amazing! The more I play the game, the more I like it. I definitely never expected this. I have a well-thought theory that basically comes down to the fact that FFXIII-2 is successful because FFXIII existed before, but hey, who cares. The game's good, that's all I need.

 

[Strangelove]

The analects in FFXIII, according to the FFXIII Ultimania Omega, maintains that Lindzei was the creator of humans. Can't watch the video now, but maybe it was Etro who really made them 'human' (giving the a heart)?

Back on this, it goes:
- Etro disappears to the Unseeable World
- Lindzei creates humans out of the blood she shed then
- Etro feels close to humans and gives them 'chaos'

was that in the video? idk

 

[Arianna]

For those who have a lot of fragments (around 100), is this your first play through?

I am around (plus or minus) 70 fragments, in 4XX AF and this is my first play through.

idk dude i get wanting explanations for some things but in a creation myth sometimes "because i'm a god" is a good enough reason

I'm not like that.

i'm more interested in other aspects of the mythology though (like etro, what are you even....) i'm eating up all the lovely fragments as quick as possible i have like 90???

Same here, with the fragments.

 

[Alex Strife]

I love the fragments precisely because of that. I have the feeling the background is still bigger than the game, though. But I'm happy XIII-2 addressed the mythology a lot more than XIII did. Also, this game's setting is more fantastic than sci-fi, when compated to XIII. I wonder if the current crew finds it hard to do sci-fi? After all, all the other games Square does nowadays are mostly fantasy-setting, right?

This is my first playthrough, yeah, but I like to be thorough. 135, right now, but I think I may reach 140 before I go to sleep!

 

[Arianna]

I'm just out of New Bodhum 700 AF, and I feel let down. I knew it was the case, but the whole issue with Caius is nothing more than what Barthandelus was doing. Still fun to play, but... I just feel let down with that.

 

[Lumina]

I've got about 117 fragments now

I think I'm around this amount of fragments. ATM I'm in Oerba 400 A.F (Its so pretty) and I've been collecting Mog's fragments. Only one to go. Still I am stucked in that stupid Clock paradigm..which means I'll need like an hour to get the last Oerba fragment. I want to fight Caius but... TBH I'm not even rushed. I'm just enjoying the game before getting the Paradoxes.

Got a new behemoth <3.... But I want to level up moar Twilight Odin. Can't wait to use him <3

 

[Celesta]

I'm just out of New Bodhum 700 AF, and I feel let down. I knew it was the case, but the whole issue with Caius is nothing more than what Barthandelus was doing. Still fun to play, but... I just feel let down with that.

Hmm I didn't see it this way at all. Their motives are different.
Barthandelous wanted to facilitate mass murder to gain access to the lost deities. I think by opening the door to the unseen world the consequence of the world being consumed by chaos would occur by default. But this was not the central goal. Bart was interesting but in my opinion a very much a predictable, one dimensional villain.
Whereas I fully empathized with and almost wanted to root for Caius. Personally I think he's a great villain because he stirs this conflict in me.
Caius is motivated to kill Etro, therby unleash to power of chaos, for the sake of someone he loves and cares for; he wants to release both himself and Yuel from the viscious cycle of premature death and rebirth. He became Yuel's eternal guardian because he made the decision to sacrifice his life to save her some hundreds of years before the events of the game. Etro rewards him by sentencing him to a life of eternal servitude to Yuel. In a sense it's both a blessing and a curse; he could remain with Yuel forever but unfortunately this means he also has to witness her die over and over again. Yes he's something of a monster but essentially just a very sad, tired man.

 

[Arianna]

Definitely 9 out of 10 for gameplay, my view.

Barthandelous wanted to facilitate mass murder to gain access to the lost deities. I think by opening the door to the unseen world the consequence of the world being consumed by chaos would occur by default. But this was not the central goal. Bart was interesting but in my opinion a very much a predictable, one dimensional villain.

Whereas I fully empathized with and almost wanted to root for Caius.

Personally I think he's a great villain because he stirs this conflict in me.
Caius is motivated to kill Etro, therby unleash to power of chaos, for the sake of someone he loves and cares for; he wants to release both himself and Yuel from the viscious cycle of premature death and rebirth. He became Yuel's eternal guardian because he made the decision to sacrifice his life to save her some hundreds of years before the events of the game. Etro rewards him by sentencing him to a life of eternal servitude to Yuel. In a sense it's both a blessing and a curse; he could remain with Yuel forever but unfortunately this means he also has to witness her die over and over again. Yes he's something of a monster but essentially just a very sad, tired man.

I accept your view, though I disagree.

Taking a life is taking a life. Love or not as the reason, it doesn't matter. Caius, I'm sure, would know that if the goddess died, everything would follow suit. She is the balance of the cosmos, given her focus via Muin (though they don't call it that) who was before her, but was dying and unable to continue in such a role. When the one who represents and indeed holds together the delicate balance of the cosmos is gone, that balance dies with her. And sadly, Etro's balance was fair at best, most likely due to the fact that Muin couldn't explain everything.

Honestly, if we're going to go the route of who committed a worse sin, I would say it was Caius.

Both Caius and Barthandelus were sad, tired men. The only thing that separates them in that regard is that Barthandelus is fal'Cie - a sentient, intelligent being removed from true human understanding. The best way that humans could view fal'Cie are as living machines. And, if I'm correct, I believe their true selves were the spirits of the crystal that was encased within the robotic body (I always think of the Transformers when it comes to the fal'Cie and the Eidolins.)

Yes, I am pro-fal'Cie! I think they are an interesting life form and I have no problem with them.

Caius wished to stop the cycle of death and rebirth for Yuel, but felt the only way that could be done is via the death of Etro. He could be seen as equally a mass murderer.

Barthandelus/Orphan wanted to - when all was said and done - complete the mission that Bhuniberzei (Bhunivelze) himself ordered of Lindzei. Protect, yet kill. Protect the world, protect what was Bhuniberzei, but destroy any that would seek to harm Bhuniberzei. I would see man as both a part of and yet enemy of Bhuniberzei; via his divine will, humanity were also descendants of the god, yet by their nature, they could be seen as enemies to be destroyed. This is what Barthandelus/Menrva/Orphan mix spoke about when rising. At the same time, I think he/they were suicidal, tired of the same ric-a-ma-roll that seemed to govern life.

Anyhow... My essay for the day.

 

[Splintered]

I thought Caius as this weird combination of Fang and Barthandelus.

He has that ageless, plotting for centuries, not sure if he's just a maintainer of time/world or an evil bastard thing like Barthandelus had. In the end both of them don't really give a shit about the world, both gave up on 'living' as a way for fulfillment and thus were death seekers. And their plans were to destroy the world for whatever lingering attachment they had (Barthandelus wanted his god, Caius wanted to free Yuel).

But he's also more like Fang in the "I'll tear down the skies"/"I don't want to please her, I want to save her" way. They don't really hate this world as much as they don't care. They've got this one central figure in their life and if it means saving them from suffering they'll pretty much do anything.

 

[Arianna]

For those who've beaten the game - got everything fragments, creatures, etc., is there a 'New Game Plus' option?

Also, when playing A Dying World (700 AF), did anyone else go around using Mog Hunt to see what happens to the people?

Spoiler

I feel bad. They all die when you do that.

What's the theme song to this chapter (; is it Yuel's Theme)?

http://nyusuke.com/game/ff13/ff13-2puzzle.html
Use this for the clock! It makes it so easy you wont want to do any of the others. XD

I still have not caught a behemoth but it doesn't matter now anyway XD

Oh and I've got 151 fragments now.

Got one more left for the Captain Cryptic I think, then the monster data.
Need three more maps completed for those fragments. And then need to get the rest of the paradox endings and I think I'm done!

Thank you for the clock assistance thing. I'll give it a try and let you know what happens.

Have you already beaten the game once Serah?

 

[Fangu]

http://nyusuke.com/game/ff13/ff13-2puzzle.html
Use this for the clock!

THAT'S CHEATING!
I actually loved those puzzles. At time they frustrated me like hell, but I loved being able to complete them.

Also, Hi Thread. I can now somewhat safely be in here. I'll hold back a little until I've completed all the endings though. I don't know what happens in the ones I haven't completed and I don't want to know. So I'll be back