The Story of Starcrap 2 Part 5: Kerrigan

Doesn't the ending bring a tear to your eye? Doesn't it move you when Raynor saves the woman he loves? You know what else brings a tear to the eye? The way Kerrigan manipulated Zeratul into killing Raszagal the Matriach of the Dark Templar.

Oh yeah, how could you forget that? Kerrigan inexplicably mind-controlled Raszagal and basically made Zeratul kill her out of mercy. When Zeratul was done, Kerrigan spares him just so he can live out the rest of his existence in guilt. Here's the quote:

Kerrigan: "I said you are free to go. I've already taken your honor. I'll let you live because I know that from now on your every waking moment will be torture. You'll never be able to forgive yourself for what I've forced you to do. And that, Zeratul, is a better revenge than I could have ever dreamed of."

Huh. What a bitch. Does anybody also remember how she double crossed Fenix and killed him along with Edmund Duke? I'm surprised nobody ever mentions Fenix in Starcraft 2. It's no big deal. Fenix was only Raynor's comrade and best friend. In fact, Raynor seems to have totally forgotten him yet hasn't stopped angsting over Kerrigan. Duke was just a well liked minor character who didn't even really need to be killed off but was anyway.

Do you remember how Kerrigan killed Aldaris personally and reveled in the uprising between the High Templar and the Dark Templar? Do you also remember how she caused so much death and chaos that the the large part of Terran political entities actually pitched in to give Mengsk, of all people, an entire goddamn fleet to try and kill her? How about the wholesale slaughter of all the UED survivors who were so badly whooped that they weren't even a threat anymore and were actually fleeing to Earth?

Do you see where I'm going with this?

Kerrigan is a monster, a mass murder who committed atrocities in the Brood War. You might be thinking, "She must have been under the control of the Zerg or something." Well here's the thing. Absolutely nothing could have been controlling her. The Overmind was as dead as Uncle Ben. She killed off the new Overmind and the minor rebellious cerebrates. We have also established now in Starcraft 2 that Kerrigan's purpose is to put "free will" into the Zerg to resist the "Voice in the Darkness" or some shit. She had free will and with that free will, well, look at what she did.

This is why the ending sucks. Kerrigan is too important to die now. She was a killer but now she's gonna save us all... Redemption sucks when the redeemed don't do anything to deserve it. What happens now? Doesn't Raynor now realize that a lot of people are gonna be wanting the head of that naked woman he's carrying. I'm surprised Mengsk didn't just launch a nuke at Raynor as he was stepping out of the cave killing two birds with one stone. What's gonna happen to Raynor's Raiders? Are they gonna give up the rebellion and become some kind of security service? Ah, they're all a bunch of easily swayed morons anyway. God, I hope all of this isn't explained away in some goddamn novel because that must be one hell of a stupid novel.

*Barf!*

Uh Oh

I can't seem to play Starcraft 2 on my PC right now. It says the files are corrupted and needs patching and repair.

Coincidence!?

The Story of Starcrap 2 Part 4: Stupid Goddamned Ending

Where were we? Oh yeah...

So all the pieces of the artifact have finally come together and it's time to execute Arthas' master plan which is to invade Char, the freaking home world of the Zerg, head-on. All this despite not knowing apparently how to work the device (until the last minute) or what it actually does except the vague assurance that it will "cure" Kerrigan. So Arthas takes half of Papa Mengsk's fleet, without Mengsk's knowledge it seems, to invade the deadliest, most inhospitable planet in the sector full of deadly beasts with no hope of escape but they got a cool black General guy so it's OK. Also the General doesn't seem to mind working with branded terrorists. Whatever.

Why Arthas is doing this is revealed in the next scene. Arthas just wants to do what his father couldn't and prove he'd make a better emperor. Wait, that's it? It's just an ego thing?



So the Dominion fleet takes heavy losses as you might expect but Raynor is so goddamned perfect, him and his crew do pretty well for themselves. General Warfield (the black guy) gets shot down in a callback to the mission where you have to save General Edmund Duke in the first game. General WARFIELD? Oh come on, give me a break! Why don't you just name him Captain Killmore, Lieutenant Hargrave or General Grievous for crying out loud. The General gets pinned down by a hydralisk and gets needled in the arm but Warfield is just so baddass, he punches the hydralisk in the face in defiance. Raynor comes in and saves the General's ass thus earning instant respect. Geez, Raynor is just too perfect. I mean he's so cool and calm. He could be drunk though, I'm not sure.

Anyway, you do a couple of missions until Warfield returns after arm surgery (he replaced it with a CANNON) and gives Raynor the relic without an instruction manual. They prepare to assault Kerrigan who just mocks them in an almost cartoony villainy way. I'm surprised actually that Kerrigan seemed too cocky like some sort of amateur. She's supposed to be a magnificent bitch chessmaster who always had a plan in the first game. Instead she just periodically attacks you from time to time during the final mission and maybe take out a tank. No biggie. Also, Raynor gives a fucking speech.

Good lord, just look at that scene. There's epic music and chanting and everything. Raynor gives a rousing speech to Dominion soldiers (and maybe to his men too) who might not really give two shits about the mission or who Raynor is. Raynor picks up Koiter's dog tag. For those of you who don't know, Koiter was a Blizzard artist who died tragically at the age of nineteen. I don't like the idea of using Koiter's name for added dramatic effect but I don't think Blizzard is evil. It's just a tribute, that's all. Jesus Christ what a hammy speech. It even fucking rains on a volcanic planet. It could be acid rain but hey, anything for more dramatic effect huh?

So the relic finally works and it emits a periodic pulse of energy that incinerate the Zerg instantly. Gee, if they had this device working like this AS THEY WERE INVADING, the situation would have been a lot less dire but then again, Raynor would not have had to give that speech. So Kerrigan is beaten back and guess what happens next.



Raynor enters a cave and sees Kerrigan cured and alive. Tychus tries to kill her. It turns out Tychus was working for Mengsk. Raynor chose Kerrigan over him and so he shoots Tychus in the face. Why was Tychus face plate open? Who cares. Kerrigan whispers, "Jim?" being all vulnerable and moe and shit. "I gotcha." says Raynor as he carries the naked Kerrigan outside where the atmosphere can burn a man alive. Oops.

This ending is so wrong. This is the point where the story is irreparably damaged. I'll talk more about Kerrigan next time. I really can't stomach typing anymore when I saw the ending again. Watching the ending makes me physically sick.

Barf.

Grand Finale

It's finals week so I haven't been updating. It's Wednesday so not much more till the week is over. I just had a test on Statutory Construction today. I feel good about my answers though, that usually means you're probably wrong.

I think I'm having a mini-freak out here.

The End of the World

I like Pringles. Once you pop, you can't stop! Damn straight. But, the other day, I stepped into a convenience store to what seemed like a casual purchase of gum. However, something horrible caught my eye and made me doubt my existence.

Fruit and Nut flavored Pringles. That's it, we're doomed. We are done for. This is the end times. Fruit and Nut Pringles? Are you shitting me? When did this happen? Why was I not informed of this? When I eat potato chips, yeah, what I really want is blueberry and what-the-hazelnut.

Where is your God now?

Squarepusher - Zounds Perspex

Check out my taste in music. Look how unique I am.

A Second Chance

Last Thursday, our class went to Operation Second Chance in Kalunasan. It's where children in conflict with the law are sent to. Offenders who are minors are called "children in conflict with the law". It's a mouthful but political correctness dictates. The place was a bit far from the city. It didn't have much road and you have to hitch rides on a motorcycle service but I live relatively close so I got there no problem.

We went for a tour of the place. The facilities were good and well-maintained. There was a library, a clinic, a classroom and a yard for sports activities. The place was clean and the children in conflict with the law had adequate living space. They were even practicing a dance for a local event.

Make no mistake though, this isn't some daycare facility. It's still a detention center. The children in conflict with the law looked like a pretty mean bunch to be honest. Some of them are there for rape and even murder. I swear one of them had like gang tattoos all over his arms. I didn't feel to good in that environment. It wasn't so much sympathy but rather intimidation. It's unsettling thinking about how society could produce such dangerous wayward youths. We can put them away but is that really the solution? One of the officers there lamented that if only their families weren't so broken and dysfunctional they wouldn't be there. It's true.

As cynical as I am about government, I couldn't help but feel grateful that the issue of detaining youth offenders has been adressed. I am proud that at least the government is doing something. The city officials in charge are involved and the facility is well supported. I watched a movie called Bunso. The movie was about a little boy called Bunso who was in jail. Years ago, children in conflict with the law were kept in the same detention facilities as the hardened adult criminals. Children like Bunso were pushed around and eventually taken advantage of by the older men and probably introduced to harder crime. Tragically, Bunso died but perhaps the film in his honor did some good. I'd like to think the facility I went to was built with children like Bunso in mind.

It's not fair also to credit everything to the government. The facility was constructed free of charge by businesses and philanthropic organizations. In fact, there are foreign interests who help the facility as well. There were Dutch and even Korean people who go there to help as well as doctors and other professionals. It's amazing what can be done with rich sponsors.

It was a very enlightening and thought-provoking trip.