Ok so this is another spoiler post. I'm level 42 so if you aren't at that level, be wary.
You have been warned.
Ok so my favourite spirit/god got back in touch with me today. Drusera called me into what can only be described as her own personal paradise.
Now I'm not going to lie, this section started off amazing. I got given awesome god like powers and could run around and make flowers and trees grow and it was EPIC. I totally loved it. The scenery was gorgeous and the music was beautiful.
But then it got quite sad and touching. See Drusera admitted to Lyghtning that as a god, she's lonely and that where her real body is, it's dark and cold, so she made this place. It's sort of like her playground I guess where she can come and use her powers freely and create beautful things. And it is beautiful, not even in an obvious sort of way. There's no blue skies or lush forests. Not waterfalls or things you might thin of when you think of a beautiful scenery. It was like something from a dream where everything just is beautiful and you can't put a finger on why.
The whole area, from the scenery to the music to the way Drusera talked made me think of A Bridge to Terabithia, and aside from that movie having an ending that made me sob, I loved the whimsy that it had. It was so childlike in the way the characters approached things and created their fantasy world and I felt like that here. I felt like I was being shown something very personal like someone's childhood memories. There is literally no way to describe how I loved this section.
Even the things I had to do, like making a village and watching Drusera create the creatures to live there while I created guards, it was like a childhood fantasy game and it was lovely to be a part of. To make them houses and gardens, while not only fun game play wise, was also quite enchanting. I'll admit I had a little lump in my throat just from making these characters happy.
But the bloody Strain came.
God damn Strain.
And just like that the dream was shattered and the music, which I don't think actually changed, went from being calming, to heart wrenchingly tragic. All the little villagers became infected and it was up to Lyghtning to defeat them.
Is it bad I wanted to apologise to them?
Even getting some bad ass looking armour didn't make it better because it was just so tragic. I can't even describe how close to tears I was over this. I hated doing it but at the same time saw it as putting the poor little things out of their misery. How silly is that? I bet some players, most probably, raced through here, but I also bet there are some that will have found it just as upsetting and beautiful as I did.
And it wasn't just because of the villagers. But also Drusera. This was her hideaway, her safe place almost, to go to when she was sad or lonely and the Strain destroyed it.
Well done Carbine because it has been a LONG time since a game got to me like this. I was so caught up in it I didn't even notice someone in my guild say they liked this very blog in my chat. Sorry Niliana, and I'm glad you like it ^_^
I'll tell you what...I'm going to f***ing murder the Strain now. That disease is about to get a huge can of whoop-ass opened on it.
God even writing this is making me emotional...seriously well done to the game writers. Story is always my favourite factor in a game, partially why I want to be a game story/lore writer, and this was done brilliantly.
Well done.
