Holy shit this game is amazing, but why the hell Royal had to be left behind at the end?. It was heartbreaking

All agents are bastards.

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even though royal was delusional he was the most admirable person in the game. I wish you could save him.
this game was really good tho. it just needed some more depth to the wrench combat and some harder puzzle challenges at the end or post game.

Grey tried to be nice to the guy.

I doubt Grey was nice with the people of Isi or nice to the people who die in their houses.

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Elro was my favorite character. He's a huge asshole but all of his behavior is perfectly justified. Dude had it rough. I love how well his animations in his gameplay segment convey his lack of fucks to give.

Elro aka the janny who mops the floor with trannies.

>sprite robin is cute
>artwork robin is a disgusting goblina

dude can't draw faces so good

>tfw

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>befriending Royal
nice

>tfw

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There should have been an option to save him. The game had options leading up to the ending. There should have been a "right path." And in games/movies/whatever like this, when someone has a momentary lapse in motivation you're supposed to slap sense into them. Just leaving them to die is not satisfying at all. It doesn't feel warranted. It's just emotional blackmail.

I'm not even against killing main characters, but there's a right way and a wrong way to do it.

I think it's a great use of the genre. You get so much time to try and save him, but ultimately can't. It's terrible.

I liked the game a lot, it technically has very few flaws, but it's also not as spectacular as a side-scroller can get, either.

I did not enjoy the boss encounters in this video game.

Imo games like Ico, SotC, Another World, etc show a stronger template for how to accomplish a dramatic moment.

do you also hate gunstar heroes? whack

I can't speak for Ico and Another World, but I'll take your word for it. I just appreciate it when games work with the medium. Shit like the end of Halo Reach where you try to survive as long as you can in a fight you can't win, or Nier Automata where you can turn off parts of the UI to get more space for other things. SotC is a great example, too.

Hard to say if it was a genuine attempt to be nice that rubbed Elro the wrong way, or if he was being condescending and facetious and pushing Elro's buttons on purpose. Given how all of the agents act and treat those around them, I'm going to lean towards the latter.

what dramatic moments were in Ico?
I remember there's the part where the bridge starts moving and you're like oh shit better jump across. but it's pretty easy and not really dramatic at all.

On the one hand, there's technically no evidence that Grey was an asshole. On the other hand, he works for One Concern. Personally, I would guess that he's some sort of "grey"; affable and reasonable, but devout and ruthless. Guess we'll never know, but I don't blame Elro for killing him, One Concern needed to die.

I don't understand people who complain about the prose in Iconoclasts. The way the characters speak feels like a direct result of their culture and ideology.

I'm sure from Grey's perspective, he was being nice, and meant no ill will. It's just that he was complicit in the deaths of tons of innocents, maybe over the course of hundreds of years. Indoctrinated or not, I would be livid if someone like that tried to comfort me.
>So sorry to hear your dad was justly killed for the sake of our infallible leader's whims, Elro! It's all part of His plan though!
That's basically all Elro heard.

They were mostly shit although there were a couple good ones at the end.

Is this the butt gif game

He was an agent, that's really all the evidence you need that he was an asshole.
Presumably part of his deal was that unlike the other agents he didn't have CHR be his dump stat, not that it helped him at all.

Eh, the entire endgame was it repeatedly hammering home the point of how utterly pointless all of this was, with the final boss being the punchline.
Being able to actually save him would kinda take away from that.

I guess I'm not nihilistic enough for this game.

The developer probably thought you would hate him. That was my interpretation at least.

I don't think so. He was clearly presented as well-meaning, if a bit arrogant and misguided.

I think they wanted you to feel torn on him, seeing him be a callous, pompous dick that comes to realize he's an asshole but doesn't know how to change himself.

He was taking baby steps, but even right up to the end he's convinced HE is the only one that can make amends with the Star Worm and save the world. attacking it in a fit of rage when the scenario isn't playing out like he imagined it would, and succumbs to despair having concluded that since HE couldn't talk the worm down there is no hope left. He never grew past his prideful, conceded mindset and was unable to learn from his experiences and mistakes. You can't save him from the ship because you can't save him from himself. Interestingly, his attack on the worm is the only means you have to damage the hull, saving the planet for real

I know absolutely nothing about this game but goddamn the girls have some mighty fine birthing hips.

I've never seen a single thread about this game since release. Konjak's work must have flopped hard.
Why is this thread doing fine? Did it get a new port on some console?

Probably because it doesn't get talked about often, so people are taking the opportunity to discuss it while they can.

It's one of the few times a game has actually upset me, which I greatly admire the game for. Had he not been mind raped he might have still gone on to change. I had grown very attached to the guy as he slowly learned to be a better person only for it to come crumbling down with him dying thinking he had doomed everyone. His actions DID end up helping to save everyone though, as he really did have no other option than to attack, he just didn't know it. The best part about the whole tragedy is that is doesn't feel unearned. You certainly don't expect to have the rug pulled out from under you like that, but when you reflect on it you know it make logical sense despite how much it stings.

Despite trace elements of wokeness, I do think the game is generally well written.

Unfortunately it's been long enough and most of my memories and questions faded away. I guess I'm just glad this isn't being spammed with SJW complaints about the artwork and whatnot.

Oh yeah, I never got to replay the game and not deliver the letter from the side quest where the dude tells the girl to fuck off. I wonder if doing that gave them a happy ending.

>yet another South American ESL on Yea Forums
It's so easy to tell. Fix your fucking sentences.

I liked him from the first time you meet him and he praises you and wants to reward your efforts even tho he thinks you're just a low rank mechanic.

>I wonder if doing that gave them a happy ending.
She's heartbroken, and asks you to give her some space. The next time you are in the area, she's not there, and you can no longer access the guy's hidden home, either.

Ah fuck, nevermind. My reading comprehension could apparently use some work.

That's when you do deliver his final letter, isn't it?
I remember that before fighting the final boss you can find him somewhere and he regrets focusing so much on what he did.

I've always been a sucker for characters who are at least trying to redeem themselves. Even though it was a mistake to attack the Starworm, I didn't really disagree with him. Whoever the birdman was, he was bad news.

Also, was the planet out of ivory, or the starworm itself?

The crux of the game for me was the speech at the rocket prior to the boss fight.
>This is my rocket!

>There has never been anything smaller than me.
Black's entire arc hit all the right notes. She was a very compelling antagonist because even if she's crazy and violent, there are good reasons for her to be doing everything she does.

I want to put my seed in Mother

>Good reasons
I mean she's had a shitty life, that's about it. She's easily the biggest hypocrite in the whole game, and probably the worst person behind Mother.

The planet was running out (both factions were using it up at a much faster rate than expected, and extraction was getting more difficult). Popular theory seems to be that the Star Worm was a ship meant to fuel up on ivory for whatever race the bird pilot/mechanic is from, and take it back for alien uses. In the starting area you can see bird like figures/tech in the background where the wall breaks away, and the blue masses were used to monitor things on the planet. So when the mechanic hops out of the ship for the final fight, he pulls up a "fuel gauge for the planet and shouta about the low ivory reserves. Also, when the ivory runs out, the planet will fall apart, similar to the moon.

Yes, but isn't it weird, then, that the bird would go to a planet that's running out of ivory? Also why would he only go there when the Omega Controller got launched? It seems to me like he was trying to help them.

With the wonky way % completion registers, I was kind of expecting a moment where she comes around to help you for the later half. Then everything fell apart and she died, a miserable, hateful antagonist to the bitter end. It was nice to see I was wrong, and that she didn't have some weird "see the light" moment.

I personally still like to believe that the bird was just a mechanic tasked with refueling the artificial planet humans had bought ages ago.

What confuses me to this day are the paintings of actual Earth locations in that tower.

Yeah, bad "person" but great "character". She and Elro are pretty much exactly the same, and their grief is their main motivator because they don't allow themselves to deal with it.

He killed more people onscreen than Black did.

Attacking the starworm was in fact the only correct option, he just did it at the wrong time and for the wrong reasons.
Remember the only weak spot in it is the hole Royal made.
Pretty sure the controller was being used by one concern to send it fake signals as to the amount of ivory left. It suddenly gets a message that one of it's fuel depots is in fact missing a fuckton of magic oil and immediately heads to salvage what's left and fuck the filthy fucking squatters who used it all.

>he didn't use the swap gun to save him

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>attacking the starworm was in fact the only correct option
It's true that he attacked the worm out of pride, but it felt justified IMO. I mean as far as Royal knew, this "God" of theirs had totally ignored the people he supposedly ruled, and did so yet again to the one who was supposed to be a prime enforcer. Idk, I just felt for him more than normal I guess.

>Pretty sure the controller was being used by one concern to send it fake signals as to the amount of ivory left. It suddenly gets a message that one of it's fuel depots is in fact missing a fuckton of magic oil and immediately heads to salvage what's left and fuck the filthy fucking squatters who used it all.
I mean I guess that could be the case, he was kind of quick to violence, but it seemed like he wouldn't attack if he wasn't provoked.

>Yes, but isn't it weird, then, that the bird would go to a planet that's running out of ivory
Probably didn't know it was running out. OC higher ups say that the Worm was going to come in the next 50 years to collect, and they have to finish their rocket/moon base before then, or die when the planet cracks apart from being drained. Bird sees the beacon, goes to check it out and fuel up, and finds out humans wasted all the ivory on building underwater cities and a fuckoff moon base.

>Also why would he only go there when the Omega Controller got launched
The pilot is a mechanic, and the omega controller released a beacon that drew his attention. It was the equivalent of a planetary red, flashing Check Engine light going off. OC was pissed that Royal caused this to happen, because the Worm was now going to be there in a matter of days, rather than 50 years, and they didn't have time to properly bug out as intended.

>It seems to me like he was trying to help them
and >I personally still like to believe that the bird was just a mechanic tasked with refueling the artificial planet humans had bought ages ago
During the Star Worm fight you can see the flow of ivory is going into the Worm, not out from it. He's there to collect, and is mad as hell that some dipshits broke the planet and used up all the fuel.

>What confuses me to this day are the paintings of actual Earth locations in that tower.
Humans landed on the planet long ago, via the two arc ships. OC lore was a means of control, and to keep people calm about impending doom of the ivory being drained from the planet.

Another fun theory: OC had such a tight grip on who could be a mechanic because it would give access to the inner workings of the planet. This would both risk someone finding out the truth behind One Concern, their past actions & future plot, and risk damaging the planet/controllers, which would be disastrous when the aliens show up to see what's wrong.

Starworm was gonna drain all the ivory that was left in the planet, which would kill everyone on it.
Sure he wasn't going to go around attacking people, there's a much more efficient way to solve the problem of these assholes who stole your oil.

Idk, I guess I just thought it was fucked that we killed the guy that was gonna fuel up our planet. If that's all he was there for, why did he fight us?

The reason I thought it was weird that he only came by when the Omega Controller got launched wasn't because I was confused about what it did, but because I thought it was weird he tried to explain to us the problem without specifying if it was him who needed the ivory or the planet. Your explanation does make sense, though, he didn't have to know.

Finally a good Iconoclasts thread, this game was so fucking kino and I've wanted to talk about it since I beat it

I love how by the start everything is basically already fucked, and it just gets worse from there, everyone is selfish and out for themselves and it leads to the end of the world. Even Robin saving it doesn't really guarantee people won't fuck it up again, it all strikes me as very human.
Also Black is the best
>This chunk of metal is me.
>This is MY rocket!

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this uronically

kys goblino

>If that's all he was there for, why did he fight us?
You do kind of run up to him and start attacking, so at that point he's going to retaliate even if he had been there to help out.
>he tried to explain to us the problem without specifying if it was him who needed the ivory or the planet
I think that was supposed to be him literally pointing out the lack of ivory and going "Explain this bullshit!"

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I'm looking again and he's definitely siphoning Ivory once you meet him in the final fight, so I think you're right about the second point. Well damn I guess everyone is awful. Only Robin and Mina are really that good for most of the story. Elro maybe turns a little bit face by the end, but most of the game is him turning heel. Otherwise it's pretty much just minor characters.

>"Do not touch the divine blocks, and do not put free electricity or exposed Ivory near them."
>Cannot interact with them, even with electricity
>Impact Zone is full of them
? ? ?

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>Well damn I guess everyone is awful
Iconoclasts in a nutshell
Love that the whole time they build up all this mysticism to the starworm, some higher power we don't understand, only to tear it down at the last minute and wordlessly explain that yea, its just some other asshole with their own agenda, go figure. Any interpretation of the birdman's intention still goes back to the fact that non of it was magic or divine, the worm is used as a spaceship and the blue eyes are just means of controlling ivory stuff, just alien tools.

I was wondering the entire time how they'd excuse Robin taking down a god, if we'd even get a proper explanation on what it is, and figured it more or less would just act as a force of nature. When birdman popped out I seriously bust out laughing, its fucking perfect

is the game worth getting? it's been on my list for a while now, and the art looks gorgeous. is it a metroidvania?

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it is worth getting. much higher quality than 99.9% of indie shit. it's not a metroidvania. it's a puzzle platformer with some metroid like mechanics.

I have gripes, but it's not a bad game overall. Some of the boss battles are inspired.

Its got a map and secrets but its hardly metroidvania, much like Cave Story its more of a linear story game with a map you can freely run around in. Progression is story based, tons of dialogue and cutscenes, outside of bosses the grunt of the game is clever puzzles around the few but versatile weapons/skills.

I got it since I felt obliged having followed its development for year, basically only knew the art and metroid influence, but once I played I stayed for the story. The story gets dark as it progresses and shit gets fucked, but its fundamentally an exploration of its characters, tons of kino moments.

Also a fantastic soundtrack, and the whole game was made by one person, all of it, it makes for a very personal experience. Definitely recommend it
youtube.com/watch?v=R-ELqsrAEW4

In a very limited sense, yes. You get some power ups that let you access new areas, change how you can interact with the environment, and expand your puzzle solving toolbox. Most of the game focuses on solving simple puzzles, with some light combat and platforming. A short, but enjoyable game with a bleak story.

youtu.be/Xs4qGzpkrI4
>the guitar kicks in
RIP Black

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He fucked up the first boss fight so bad. it's much better in the demo. you had to control mina when she aims and shoots the arm while you hold it with your wrench. now it's just mindless shit. barely feels like you do anything.

>Let us grieve existence, together.
youtube.com/watch?v=0Pr2ajBzLgw

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youtube.com/watch?v=mbHm-cSe4G8
best boss fight, no question
also whoever made this game was very clearly an ass man and it isn't subtle

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It really needed either a cut in length or gameplay variety.

I really need to replay this. Once everything came together it went so far above almost all other indie games that it somehow flew under most peoples radars. That or the open to interpretation story that didn't spoonfeed the player was too much for most people to comprehend. Either way, it was a truly soulful experience.

>religion BAD!

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Honestly the religion was the only thing keeping society together despite the obvious incoming apocalypse. Royal showing up and being a retard in addition to Robin killing the religious matriarch caused a civil war which obliterated their city in one swoop and killed countless people almost immediately.

I'm conflicted.
I hate this game for needlessly killing of Royal just to prove a point.
But I also love the game for the whole starworm god being a spacecraft for aliens thing.

>protag's a daddy's girl
>takes to his profession like a cat to milk, which concerns him
>due to religious shenanigans, dad's only recourse to protect what's left of his family is to kill himself (allegedly)
>during the final battle, the final boss traps the protag in a fucked up mindscape, ending with her dead father basically begging her not to become a mechanic like him
>you're given a choice: hug your father or leave out the front door in a huff
>both choices will break the protag out of the trap, but if you choose to leave without the hug you get pic-related

If you feel compelled to have Robin hug it out w/ Daddy does that mean you are, through her, forgiving him for dying and leaving her alone? For attempting to persuade her to give up the dangerous life of a freelance mechanic and "settle down"? For trying to decide her life choices, as Elro has been? All of the above?

Alternately, walking out on him could be seen as the choice to spurn him and continue her fight and way of life, which invariably angers Robin for being forced to make that choice?

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it's actually a mechanically trash boss fight. the worst in the game. it's cool the first time around in an immersive metal gear gimmick type way.