So, I’ve been diving deep into Final Fantasy XVI lately, you know, really getting lost in that world. The other day, I stumbled upon this side quest called “Bad Blood.” It sounded intriguing, so I went for it. I started by chatting with this random guy near the Tabor, just minding my own business, and he drops this quest on me.
I followed the road, and there he was, this wounded soldier. Poor guy was in a bad shape. He told me about some aetherflood that messed up his unit’s camp. Sounded rough. So, naturally, I decided to investigate.
I made my way to their encampment, and let me tell you, it was a mess. There were signs of a struggle everywhere, and the whole aetherflood thing had really done a number on the place. This part of the game really showed off the Ifrit Risen powers. I mean, Ifrit and Phoenix teamed up to fight Bahamut, merging into this single, more powerful being. Seeing Ifrit with Phoenix’s wings was pretty cool and it made sense because he needed that extra boost to go against the Aether-enhanced Bahamut. I thought that was a nice touch to the story. It’s like, the developers really thought about how to make these battles epic and meaningful, you know?
- Found the wounded soldier.
- Investigated the encampment.
- Witnessed the aftermath of the aetherflood.
- Reflected on the Ifrit Risen powers and the battle with Bahamut.
The Ending Conjectures:
There’s a lot of talk about whether Clive and Joshua actually make it out alive in the end. I mean, the game leaves it pretty open. You see Clive alternating between wanting revenge and feeling guilty about what happened to Joshua. But then, surprise, Joshua shows up later in the game, which totally threw me off. It made me wonder, what’s the real deal here? I get why they went for a linear story, focusing on one main arc, but it still leaves you hanging, right?
As for the ending, I like that it’s not all tied up neatly. It lets you think and come up with your own theories. Whether Clive is alive or dead, it’s really up to how you see the whole story. And Joshua, well, who knows? It’s these kinds of things that keep you hooked, long after you’ve finished playing. I guess that’s the beauty of a game like Final Fantasy XVI – it sticks with you.
