Time Crash sighting in Children of Mana [FF8 Spoilers]

[Chrono'99]

I've stumbled upon some Children of Mana stuff while trying to search for information about Kato, and I was intrigued by the plot of the game so I checked a walkthrough on GameFAQs. There are some particularly intriguing parts:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/portable/ds/file/925586/45392

The Mana Lord then explains that this is the Sanctuary of Mana on Illusia in
several thousand years to come. Your character doesn't understand, neither does
Tess. He explains that in the current chaotic state, Mana distorts time and
space, drawing Illusia's future to the present. He then rants on about how
destruction is what is to become of everything... although some things return.

"Space-Time Distortion"
The surging mana has torn time from space bringing forth the future. A thousand
years from now the tree will wither and the sanctuary will fall. But the future
is not yet set. You may yet escape by changing your path.

Additionally, there is a place called "The Cosmic Rift".

Thus, my question is: has someone played Children of Mana here and can tell us more about this plot device that Kato apparently rehashed from Chrono Cross?

[nightmare975]

It seems kind of more like the Time Crash from FFVIII.

[ZealKnight]

It seems kind of more like the Time Crash from FFVIII.

I think you mean the time freeze but yeah thats right either way.

[Kyronea]

Actually, that's time compression. Or, if you're Ultimecia(Who was so obviously Rinoa of the future it makes my eyes bleed) "Time Kompression."

[ZealKnight]

hmmmmm.......i don't think so or all they would have to do is kill rinoa.

[ZeaLitY]

hmmmmm.......i don't think so or all they would have to do is kill rinoa.

FF8 made me mad at the end because of a causal loop. If they admit that, then anything's possible and my actions felt totally worthless. The game should have been more about Zell's springtime of youth.

[Kyronea]

FF8 made me mad at the end because of a causal loop. If they admit that, then anything's possible and my actions felt totally worthless.

Aye. I first played it on the computer--mainly because I was so much of a PC gamer I didn't get a console for the first time until 2002--and when I finally managed to get the ending to work--my computer was piss-poor and slow and barely able to run it--I was so disappointed. I hate casual loops. They make no bloody sense.

But, being a casual loop, it makes perfect sense that Rinoa is Ultimecia, especially when you take Greaver into account.

The game should have been more about Zell's springtime of youth.

He was more interesting than most of them, certainly.

[ZealKnight]

i don't even remember the story.......but i do remember rinoa wasn't a sorceress on her own. adel or someone gave her powers.

[Kyronea]

i don't even remember the story.......but i do remember rinoa wasn't a sorceress on her own. adel or someone gave her powers.

True. (It was Edea, by the way.)

But that's also true of every other sorceress in this game. Either Ultimecia was hiding out from the world until she screwed everyone in the future, compressed time, and made her huge floating castle--unlikely--or someone either gave her the powers or was her already.

The most likely option is that she is Rinoa, that Greiver is Squall--he associates very much so with the lion imagry, and who else would she make her personal GF? (Where do they come from, anyway?)--and that the whole thing is a really fucked up casual loop.

[Vehek]

Well in the case of Griever, it was formed from Squall's thoughts and feelings. It's not said in her speech in the NA version, but that's how it really is.

Further, Ultimecia's Witch Embodiment powers granted her the ability to reach
into other's minds and pull things out (as she often displays when completely
removing a character's stock of a certain type of Spell). In the case of
Griever, she simply manifested the thoughts she pulled from Squall's mind
regarding what he believed to be the most powerful being in existance. This
would be a great strategical move on Ultimecia's part. This is made even
more plausible when examining what the japanese version has Ultimecia say:

Ultimecia: Your feelings, I shall summon the most powerful of things
[from them]! The more strongly you feel, that will be what shall torment
you. Fufu."

Read this for more on why R/=/U.

[Kyronea]

...

Then who the hell is she?! All of the plot logic just fell apart!

[nightmare975]

...

Then who the hell is she?! All of the plot logic just fell apart!

Game was a huge mess, needed more Laguna anyway. God I loved that battle theme.

[ZeaLitY]

Yeah, Laguna would be my choice of attention if FF8 ever got some sequel or Compilation type loving. The Man with the Machine Gun needs the One-Winged Angel treatment (not necessarily rock orchestra, but just that level of attention and reworking).

Ultimecia sort of let me down as a villain, considering my last RPG was FF7. She was revealed towards the end, and she seemed rather faceless and cold. This was a change from Sephiroth, who, despite his sort of one-track behavior and stupid lack of lines at the end, was characterized as this charismatic, dark force you don't ever want to mess with. Think back to Cloud's recollection in which Sephiroth does 3,000 damage on that dragon before you even knew the game's damage points went that high, or recall the scene in which the monster is spiked on the rock as "Chasing the Black-Caped Man" plays. Ultimecia didn't get that kind of attention, leaving Edea more sinister and interesting in my mind. I also wish Seifer's "dream" would have been a little better, or perhaps that less emphasis were placed on it (and more given to a general rivalry with Squall).

Eh, am I becoming an FF8 critic? Well, to balance it out...my, FF7 was clunky in places. You could tell where Square declined to put some finishing touches on the game, especially with the overall explanation of Hojo's JENOVA experiment. And leaving Sephiroth silent at the final confrontation was probably THE biggest wasted opportunity for character development in a role-playing game.

In summary,



HELLLLLLLLLL YEAHHH

[ZeaLitY]

Agh, double-post. I just have to talk about Zell.

What impressed me the most about Zell was that he wasn't given a blank check to go be badass. He exploded with the springtime of youth but was sometimes put down for it, making him very human and real. What really sealed it for me was the scene in which he rides out of the Garden on his hoverboard all ready for some serious mission action with Squall and the gang, only to have the board confiscated. It was like, "hey, I could know this guy in real life!" He seemed that friendly and believable, right down to his sad frustration at not being able to snag some hot-dogs.

OHHHH YEAHHHHH!!

Why don't you try to show a little more passion...? You know, like me!

That stuff is the same reason I'm always thrilled to recruit Karsh in Chrono Cross.

Karsh:
   The time has finally
   come...
   OHHH YEAHHH!
   Let's get it on!!!

[Kyronea]

Aye. He was really the only human character in that game...which is why it confuses me so much that he hasn't been seen anywhere in Kingdom Hearts yet. I mean, come on, they use Squall and Seifer, but not Zell?