Character Analysis - Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology
Well here we go again. All that I have written is gone and I have to write it again. I was in such a good mood, nearly done with everything but that couldn't be, right?
Now, in this post I want to look what makes the cast of Radiant Historia such a splendid cast. I will try to spoil as less as possible, so don't worry as we dive in!
By th way, I can only recommend reading the story analysis first ;)
http://journeygamedesigner.blogspot.com/2018/07/story-analysis-radiant-historia-perfect.html
Stocke
Writing a good protagonist is not easy. Commonly in JRPGs there are two ways to handle a protagonist: Either you make him a somewhat bland character so every player can easily identify with him or you make him a strong character, risking that not everyone identifies with him.
Stocke is somewhat inbetween. While he is calm, he definitly has his own character. Every choice the player makes for him are choices that fit the picture the player constructed when seeing him. Him being stoic makes perfectly sense in context of the story, since he is a special agent. He is not supposed to let himself be guided by emotions. But as the story moves on you can see how he becomes more emotional, one could even say more alive. As he has to see the deaths of his friends again and again he becomes more desperate and you can tell how he struggles. This struggle corresponds with your own as the characters start to grow on you too. When one of his rare smiles is seen, you can't help but smile and hope with him.
His progression is one of the most beautiful and natural I have ever seen. It is so very subtle and the change happens slowly, one might not notice it immediatly. But this progression makes Stocke feel real and because of that, he is one of my favorite protagonists of all time.
Raynie
Now, Raynie is an interesting case. When I first saw a picture oh her, I immediatly liked her. She looked strong and independent. But like all other characters she got a redesign in the remake. Redesigns are not a bad thing, in fact many of them were really well done.
But how could that
Become that:
How could that happen? She looks too soft now!
Ahem. Please excuse the outburst. Raynie grew on me anyhow since she was fierce but gentle, loyal and somewhat of an airhead. She had a clear motivation: following Heiss orders. But as those orders begin to conflict with what she really wants, namely following and supporting Stocke, she is torn between those two. All this makes her growth exciting to watch.
Marco
To be honest, I never found Marco that interesting. He shares many traits with Raynie but is more intelligent than her and has less of a temper. He even shares her motivation, though to a lesser degree. But he doesn't have to be the most interesting character. A cast of characters is all about balance and Marco helps the other characters shine.
Rosch
Rosch and Stocke are best buddies. They trust each other and always have each others back. Rosch is a general of Alistel, also known as the "Young Lion" because of his bravery, his prowess in battle and his strength. While he may seem very confident on the outside he isn't as confident as it seems. He lost his right arm in battle and it was replaced by a mechanical arm by Alistel. Since then he sees himself as somewhat of a tool to be used for Alistel and is deeply loyal to the country. This loyalty somewhat contrats the one of Stocke, as Stocke questions Alistel more than Rosch would ever dare.
Those are just some of Rosch facets, as he has many more. Rosch is shaped by his relationships to thos around him, each helping showing his strengths and weaknesses. There are not many well-rounded character like Rosch and he truly knows how to make the player feel with him.
Eruca
Eruca is the princess of Granorg which, in theory, makes her the enemy of Stocke and his comerades. But as the player soon realizes, she is not exactly on good terms with the current ruler of Granorg and his warmongering. Eruca is a fusion of the typical naive princess who hasn't seen much of the world and a strong women who wants to protect her people at all costs. While she not always standing out betwen the other excellent characters, it is a joy to see her mature and watch as she tries to claim what is rightfully hers. And there is a deeper conflict surrounding her which I don't want to spoil, which helps developing her even further.
Aht
Aht is my favorite character next to Stocke. While at first she may seem like just some naive child, it soon beomes clear, that she knows much more than she lets on and isn't as happy-go-lucky as it seems. For her age, she sees many things and is pretty mature. She looks up to Stocke as a big brother and would do anything for him. It is heartwarming to see how both of them care for each other and how Aht manages to lure out a smile from him. Aht has many more facets but many of them would be spoilers, which is why I won't metion them further. All in all, she is a fleshed out character.
Gafka
There is not much known about Gafka, as he joins the party pretty late. You only get to know the following: He is a brave, strong warrior, he doens't hate humans as the rest of his tribe does and he was banished by same tribe. But even though Gafka hasn't that many interactions, none of the are as uninteresting as some might think. Both him and Stocke are always eye to eye in their reactions, as they are both proven warriors who know what must be done, which makes their talks pretty interesting. It is heartwarming how he cares for Aht and alwasy strives to protect her.
So while Gafka remains calm and quiet for most of the game, that doesn't make him a boring character in the least.
What can we learn from the cast of Radiant Historia
What Radiant Hisoria has tought me, is that nothing is more important than a diverse cast of characters.
To have an interesting cast you don't need every character fighting for your attention with their crazy backstory. A good cast is made by the interactions they have with each other and their surroundings. How they develop and act through the course of their journey fleshes them out and makes them truly feel alive and likeable. I would be proud if someday I could create such a stellar cast.
Disclaimer: I hereby declare, that I do not own the rights to any of this images or the game. All rights belong to the owner. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
Now, in this post I want to look what makes the cast of Radiant Historia such a splendid cast. I will try to spoil as less as possible, so don't worry as we dive in!
By th way, I can only recommend reading the story analysis first ;)
http://journeygamedesigner.blogspot.com/2018/07/story-analysis-radiant-historia-perfect.html
Stocke
Writing a good protagonist is not easy. Commonly in JRPGs there are two ways to handle a protagonist: Either you make him a somewhat bland character so every player can easily identify with him or you make him a strong character, risking that not everyone identifies with him.
Stocke is somewhat inbetween. While he is calm, he definitly has his own character. Every choice the player makes for him are choices that fit the picture the player constructed when seeing him. Him being stoic makes perfectly sense in context of the story, since he is a special agent. He is not supposed to let himself be guided by emotions. But as the story moves on you can see how he becomes more emotional, one could even say more alive. As he has to see the deaths of his friends again and again he becomes more desperate and you can tell how he struggles. This struggle corresponds with your own as the characters start to grow on you too. When one of his rare smiles is seen, you can't help but smile and hope with him.
His progression is one of the most beautiful and natural I have ever seen. It is so very subtle and the change happens slowly, one might not notice it immediatly. But this progression makes Stocke feel real and because of that, he is one of my favorite protagonists of all time.
Raynie
Now, Raynie is an interesting case. When I first saw a picture oh her, I immediatly liked her. She looked strong and independent. But like all other characters she got a redesign in the remake. Redesigns are not a bad thing, in fact many of them were really well done.
But how could that
Ahem. Please excuse the outburst. Raynie grew on me anyhow since she was fierce but gentle, loyal and somewhat of an airhead. She had a clear motivation: following Heiss orders. But as those orders begin to conflict with what she really wants, namely following and supporting Stocke, she is torn between those two. All this makes her growth exciting to watch.
To be honest, I never found Marco that interesting. He shares many traits with Raynie but is more intelligent than her and has less of a temper. He even shares her motivation, though to a lesser degree. But he doesn't have to be the most interesting character. A cast of characters is all about balance and Marco helps the other characters shine.
Rosch
Rosch and Stocke are best buddies. They trust each other and always have each others back. Rosch is a general of Alistel, also known as the "Young Lion" because of his bravery, his prowess in battle and his strength. While he may seem very confident on the outside he isn't as confident as it seems. He lost his right arm in battle and it was replaced by a mechanical arm by Alistel. Since then he sees himself as somewhat of a tool to be used for Alistel and is deeply loyal to the country. This loyalty somewhat contrats the one of Stocke, as Stocke questions Alistel more than Rosch would ever dare.Those are just some of Rosch facets, as he has many more. Rosch is shaped by his relationships to thos around him, each helping showing his strengths and weaknesses. There are not many well-rounded character like Rosch and he truly knows how to make the player feel with him.
Eruca
Aht
Aht is my favorite character next to Stocke. While at first she may seem like just some naive child, it soon beomes clear, that she knows much more than she lets on and isn't as happy-go-lucky as it seems. For her age, she sees many things and is pretty mature. She looks up to Stocke as a big brother and would do anything for him. It is heartwarming to see how both of them care for each other and how Aht manages to lure out a smile from him. Aht has many more facets but many of them would be spoilers, which is why I won't metion them further. All in all, she is a fleshed out character.
Gafka
There is not much known about Gafka, as he joins the party pretty late. You only get to know the following: He is a brave, strong warrior, he doens't hate humans as the rest of his tribe does and he was banished by same tribe. But even though Gafka hasn't that many interactions, none of the are as uninteresting as some might think. Both him and Stocke are always eye to eye in their reactions, as they are both proven warriors who know what must be done, which makes their talks pretty interesting. It is heartwarming how he cares for Aht and alwasy strives to protect her.So while Gafka remains calm and quiet for most of the game, that doesn't make him a boring character in the least.
What can we learn from the cast of Radiant Historia
What Radiant Hisoria has tought me, is that nothing is more important than a diverse cast of characters.
To have an interesting cast you don't need every character fighting for your attention with their crazy backstory. A good cast is made by the interactions they have with each other and their surroundings. How they develop and act through the course of their journey fleshes them out and makes them truly feel alive and likeable. I would be proud if someday I could create such a stellar cast.
Disclaimer: I hereby declare, that I do not own the rights to any of this images or the game. All rights belong to the owner. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
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