CLOSED - Rate Cross Characters 34: Serge

[ZeaLitY]

Evaluate Serge based on his character design, combat usefulness, and Tilt factor -- which can mean anything, from how much he strikes you as cool to how important he is to the plot.

http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Serge.html

[Kebrel]

character design: He is an islander from a small village, trusted into a confusing topsy-turvy world. And He does look the part.

combat usefulness:A rather good melee, with deceit magic power. Plus you have to use him ALL the time. And nothing Is as fearsome as a life and death fight between The fearsome Time Devourer and A stay home mother, Mushroom man and some kid with a pair of oars.

Tilt factor:I must say I like CC version better then the RD version. Just that bandanna.

A

Evaluate Riddel based on his character design, combat usefulness, and Tilt factor -- which can mean anything, from how much he strikes you as cool to how important he is to the plot.

You mean Serge.

[Romana]

Design: Looks pretty cool for an island boy. And who doesn't love the bandana? Of course, how he travels through volcanoes, quicksand, and mountains in those shorts perplexes me.

Combat: Well, you have him for the entire game, so you'll have to get used to him at some point. He's very powerful, and his Techs are nothing to laugh at. Plus, he's White innate, so he's perfect for combating the major villains of the game. Oh, and let's not forget he gets the Mastermune (which is the strongest weapon in the game, right?), so that's a huge advantage. Serge kicks ass in battle, despite being balanced in some ways and not 'insanely strong' in any particular area (except maybe Strength?).

Oh, and he uses oars.

Tilt: Gets plenty of development for a silent protagonist. It's nice to see what happened in his past, involving his father and such. Lynx switches bodies with Serge later in the game, which I felt was a pretty interesting twist. It was funny to see Arni villagers hiding from Serge himself, and the eventual Dark Serge battles were neat. I'm counting those because it allows us to see Serge in a different way. He's certainly a unique protagonist, and we can see determination from him very often, despite being silent.

Final Grade: A

[nightmare975]

Design: I used to have shorts like that, would wear them when my friends and I would roleplay as Video Game characters. Anyways, the rest of him helps give off that islander vibe. Cool design through and through.

Combat: Well, since he never leaves your party (New Game + doesn't count) he's your strongest character. His techs are great and he is the only character to use the swallow.

Tilt: Since he is the main character, he gets the most character development. You learn how his life is now a part of a huge plot to destroy something that threatens to devour all of time. Plus, he gets to become Lynx, who is 100 times cooler and has 100 times cooler techs.That helps for an A.

Final Grade: A

[Kyronea]

Character Design: He's a teen with typical teen clothes for being an islander. Nothing special.

Combat Usefulness: Single-most powerful character in the game.

Tilt: Why do people like Serge so much? He has absolutely no character development whatsoever.

Final Grade: D.

[cupn00dles]

Character design: Cool outfit with nice blue/red contrast. The leather/chain-mail tunic, bandana, leather belt, boots and gloves gives him a certain young pirate air.

Combat usefulness: Strongest character in the game.

Tilt factor: Great character development through background story. While Crono had most of his character development happen via present actions, such as when he sacrifices himself to save his friends against Lavos, Serge's development happens through exposition of his incredibly rich background story. Also, obviously, as the protagonist he is the utter pivot of the whole plot. Besides that he uses cool swallow weapons, and most of all the Mastermune.

A, he gets.

[Kletian]

Are we evaluating Riddle or Serge?

[maggiekarp]

Character design: Better than RD

Combat usefulness: Better than RD

Tilt Factor: Nowhere near as awesome as his RD counterpart. Bland even without prior RD experiences.

C

[Radical_Dreamer]

Serge.

Design: Cool looking design. He looks like an archipelego type of teenager.

Combat: Great to have in the party, particularly once you get your hands on the Mastermune. Gotta love the in battle cameo it provides.

Tilt: He is the Arbiter.

[ZeaLitY]

Aww, looks like some iconoclasts are trying to hate the Beatles here.

[maggiekarp]

The Beatles

Design: Boring, worst design yet

Combat: Never used them in battle

Tilt: Overrated


D

[V_Translanka]

Character Design - He looks...like an islander kid in the Chronoverse might. I don't like shorts no matter how long and the socks also lame. Otherwise, he's a fairly cool looking character...though the bandana will always point someone out to me as a Locke-wannabe.

Combat Usefulness - He uses sharpened oars as weapons and calls them Swallows. Yeah, besides maybe the Mastermune, all of 'em look mostly lame. I don't understand the usefulness of a double-sided weapon in a game where you don't have pincer attacks. His Techs though are cool looking. He's got the classic Dash&Slash which is basic anime/manga quick attack + pose for the camera (which is extra heightened using the Time Shifter to speed up the attack and then slow down the pose...HAHAHA!). Then he's got Luminaire which is a tribute to Crono which falls kind of flat since it isn't his ultimate Tech and also doesn't look near as cool as Crono's. Finally, there's Flying Arrow, which even using the Mastermune and having Masa&Mune's spiritual power behind him still is kinda meh. Overall, teh Techs are nice and throwback to Trigger.

Tilt Factor - Very little character development. It's to be expected from a silent protagonist, I'm sure...I wish they could have done more with their in-game models (or heck, even just their dialog portraits)...give 'em a surprised look once in a while, maybe...Well, either way, we learn that Serge is a douchey puppet to everyone he meets. Why in god's name he's friends with Leena is beyond me (except maybe their ages)...It's apparent she's a cock-tease and makes Serge do horrible things for her enjoyment...and Serge just gives us that cold stare and does whatever she asks. Kill those baby lizards! Now kill their mother! BWAH HA HA! Yeah...I don't understand his motivation for much of what happens in Another World besides maybe wanting to know why he's in a weird alternate reality where he's been dead...I especially don't see his motivation for bringing a lot of useless husks as party members...At least he didn't have a stupid accent...RD Serge>CC Serge

Final Grade - C

[dankun]

Character Design: Cool looking kid in his late teens, that wears a rather fitting red bandana that contrasts with his awesome cool looking dark blue hair. Perfect length of hair; not too long but at the same time, not short at all. He has the same hair style that I always go with, which is why I've always thought that he's got the best cool looking hair of them all (and by that I mean everyone in the series)!

Combat Usefulness: Best damn character in the whole f**** game! He's got it all covered: Strength, Magic, Defense....
His only real hindrance is his low stamina points, when compared to other characters who can regain their 'composure' a bit faster (like Kid, Leena & Razzly). He uses Swallows for a weapon, which I personally find to be the coolest and most original weapon to appear in a RPG to this date! All of his techs are incredible and awe-inspiring, both in power and in style. He's got a double tech with Glenn, that couldn't possibly be more of a throwback to Trigger, and he is also one of only three characters in the game that actually have a Triple Tech! (Because New Game+ truly doesn't count when you get technical).

Tilt Factor: What can you say about him, that hasn't been already? Nothing. And that is exactly right, as nothing else would be as befitting than that to this character. Without him... there is nothing. There would simply be no game, as the whole story of this game revolves around him as everything that he chooses to do, ultimately will make all the difference in the whole universe of the Chrono Series!

Final Grade: A