The Grace of Gold - R.A. Young - July 2, 2024
The Grace of Gold
For over a week now I’ve been absolutely smothering myself with the new DLC for my favorite video game of 2022, Elden Ring. I have lost time, only to have awoken with the DLC complete and my head full of theories the likes of which would drive Lovecraft mad. Shadow of the Erdtree expands the world and lore of Elden Ring substantially, adding regions of staggering beauty to explore, characters of violent depth, and hundreds of small clues like raindrops that collect in a puddle representing Elden Ring’s story and lore. But o, my friends, there are depths to this puddle. Dark depths.
Before anyone still playing Shadow of the Erdtree shuts down their computer in a panic to avoid spoilers, stress not. I would never. But I did want to discuss From Software’s unique approach to storytelling somewhat because it’s so exceptional and artful yet still unbelievably rare here 15 years after the release of Demon’s Souls — the progenitor of the subgenre. Elden Ring is about a goddess named Marika, The Lands Between over which she reigns, her demigod children, and both how she attained her power and how she used it. Elden Ring doesn’t even take place until an eternity after the main events of the game’s lore. And even after a massive full game and its equally massive DLC, we still don’t know shit about much of Marika’s actions and intentions.
“How is that any way to tell a story?” would be a more than fair question to ask. And the answer, it seems is, “The best way.” Not knowing is insidious. It creates a hole in your brain and lets you fill the space with questions. Questions like, “Is there something I missed?” , “Is this what it’s trying to say?” and, “Why doesn’t this make sense?” I find myself crafting theories and exchanging them with friends. We take turns telling each other why each other’s ideas don’t make sense, and then come back later with revised theories. The only ones who know the truth are at From Software. The writers must be so pleased to have created some of the best stories ever told, only to never share its entirety with fans.
— Side note: I’m note a fan of Steven Erikson’s Malazan Books of the Fallen series overall, but I did very much enjoy the first book, Gardens of the Moon. It, more than any other book I’ve read, feels closest to what Elden Ring does so well. Readers are thrust into an incredibly complicated world with an incredibly important history that they just have to figure out as they go along, as experienced by POV characters that may or may not care beyond their immediate interests. I’m not sure if I’m capable of matching that. It was based on a Dungeons & Dragons setting and had a decade of storytelling behind it. But it’s something to aspire to.
Forbidden Door
This past weekend All Elite Wrestling held its annual Forbidden Door PPV, a show built around a partnership with top Japanese promotion NJPW. This year the show also featured talent from both the top Mexican promotion, CMLL, as well as the top Japanese women’s promotion, Stardom. It should have been an event worth remembering. Instead, I am left shrugging. It was decent. Swerve Strickland vs. Will Ospreay was special, but only one or two other matches really had me invested. And so I’m once again questioning whether my wrestling fandom is waning. Whether it’s time to leave my shoes in the center of the ring.
After taking some more time to think it through, the answer is a resounding, “I’M NOT GOING ANYWHERE.” This has to be the third or fourth time I’ve not felt particularly into wrestling anymore, just over the past 4+ years. And while it’s absolutely true that watching wrestling you’re not into isn’t a great time, watching wrestling with friends even when it’s bad is typically a very good time. I think, for couple hours a week, I can manage finding fun in spending time with friends without letting bad wrestling sour my mood.
Also, Kenny Omega has to come back sometime. Damn it all.
Touring Tural
About a week after the launch of Shadow of the Erdtree, Final Fantasy 14’s latest expansion Dawntrailer arrived. I’d hoped to have Erdtree wrapped up in time, but I’m a little late to delve back into the MMO. As such, I’m barely into the expansion’s story all while Final Fantasy 14’s community has already caught itself up in a controversy.
Dawntrail is the beginning of a new era for Final Fantasy 14, with the MMO’s past releases compromising a story arc that’s now complete. The controversy revolves around this new beginning failing to meet the quality and expectations of the expansions that came prior. Common criticisms include the story, and particularly the main character (Wuk Lamat), of Dawntrail’s campaign being poorly written, the player character not being prominent enough in the story, and of the stakes being very low after being high tension for so long. Most of these criticisms, based on what I’ve experienced so far in Dawntrail, come across as improperly targeted. The Wuk Lamat criticism, for example, has roots in transphobia due to the character’s voice actor. But mostly, I think the criticisms are based on unfair expectations.
For example, if I was writing and designing Dawntrail, I would have blank-slated the entire damn thing. The player character gets teleported to an entirely different planet, stranded and forced to start all over. Treat what came before as its own thing. Let it tie in later, if at all. In that regard, I’m frustrated with Dawntrail, too! It’s very much just all of what’s happened prior continued. We’ll never be free of those blasted Scions (I love them all). But I can set aside those expectations and admit that this new thing is still pretty great. Square Enix has proved time after time that Final Fantasy 14 deserves players’ trust. I don’t think this will be the last we hear of all this criticism and controversy, though.
Lightning Round
Here are a few quick bullet point topics to close out the week!
Murderbot — I’ve finished book four, Exit Strategy, and while I think it may have been overly long (funny, for a novella) I adored the back half of it. I think this entire series was written so that a certain character could ask Murderbot why he loved his favorite TV series. I’ve already got the fifth book here waiting, as I’m currently reading…
Eyes of the Void — This is the second book in the Architect trilogy from Adrian Tchaikovsky. Like the first book, I’m taking it very slow. It’s not a style of writing that’s easy for me to binge, as it’s not very meaty. It’s light and adventurous and I can’t help but imagine the Pirates of the Carribean theme while reading it — it doens’t make sense but that’s what my brain’s decided to mock it, because it feels very unserious. But I want answers to certain questions. Unspace. The Architects. I will get them.
Brain Drugs — I’m on an upped dosage of Adderall and it’s both good and bad. The first weekend, as I don’t take it on weekends, was dreaful. If it happens again I just can’t do it and will go back to a lower dosage. Either way, it’s not fixing the problems I need fixed, so maybe it’s best that I drop it entirely anyway. I still have three weeks to think it through.
Soccer? — Yeah, I’m watching soccer. The international Euro and Copa America tournaments are ongoing and excellent. It’s great not knowing enough to hate the teams playing, like with the recent NBA Finals.
Politics — Fuck all this bullshit.
As ever, thank you so much for checking out my newsletter. It means the world to me. Tell your friends you love them. Talk to you soon — Rory.