I couldn't have made this video alone - please support all of the collaborators listed in the description! Everyone brought their unique strengths to this episode, and I'm lucky to work with so many talented people!
Thanks for watching everyone. This video was a true passion project, and the amazing support we receive from you keeps us inspired to create better videos with each installment in the PTC series. All I will say is that Ranni's video will be absolutely legendary. Any guesses as to how long it will be?
the part where Rogier describes his friendship with D really gets me, especially when he says "But our paths since diverged. Never again to cross. Though that's hardly an uncommon fate for two friends".
D's a cool guy who hunts down the undead and Rogier started simping for a necrophiliac that glorified literally zombies and skeletons. It's a tale as old as time.
@@varsoonhks3211 Rogier didn't really simp as much as he wanted to find out the truth and it turns out that following Fia was the best course of action.
@@Manganization He's been entirely won over by her philosophy that the undead have done nothing wrong and don't deserve persecution and that having Fia gestate the mending rune will be a means of salvation for the undead. This is not a logical conclusion for anyone to come to. Rogier goes from being someone trying to discover the truth of deathroot, fighting the undead alongside D, to someone who has been indoctrinated to Fia's cause--so much so that he even dies a second death defending her at Godwin's corpse. In more relatable terms, let's say you have a friend who you play basketball with and he's really into the history of the sport. One day he meets a woman who thinks basketball is racist and should be cancelled, so he stops hanging out with you, stops playing basketball, and commits his life to ending the sport. This woman is notoriously promiscuous and offers 'comfort' to those who side with her. Your friend dies in an anti-basketball rally. The woman who has convinced him of all of this then later finds and kills you. Was your friend 1. Just a noble scholar of basketball history trying to find the truth or 2. A good dude that was led astray by a hussie? Sorry, man, Rogier simped for Fia and died chasing her nonsense cause.
@@varsoonhks3211 But Rogier and D wasn’t that kind of friends. They worked together, yes, but their motivation were ultimately different. One is a devout follower of the Golden Order and all that it stood for, while the other is a scholar who wishes to learn about Those Who Live In Death and the Night of the Black Knifes. Their path crossed due to the nature of their objectives, but it only made sense that they eventually went separate path. And regarding your stance on Fia’s goal, have you watched the video? Fia’s goal was not to worship Those Who Live in Death, but to create an Age where Those Who Live in Death have the right to exist, and will have a purpose to live, unlike how they are in the current age, without purpose, goals, or really thought. Fia’s ending is simply give such thing to Those Who Live in Death by giving them a Lord to follow, because as a Deathbed Companion, it is in her belief that such beings has a right to such things. Now whether you agree or disagree with her belief and goal is up to you. Personally speaking, the ending doesn’t really solve any of the inherent problems in the land Between making it an okay ending at best.
The detail of the player character using different weapons and spells related to death throughout their journey in the video is incredible. It's as if they're examining, studying, exploring the different forms of death, as a Death Philosopher.
I wish this game let you have real effects on game play from which side you pick like what was shown around 35:00 by siding with those of living death you had them come out of sources of it to aid you and maybe you spread it as you went on etc.
@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus I understand why you'd want an in-game effect, but as a matter-of-fact, this is an RPG. It lets you have fun making a build and stylizing it with a story. Yes, having the dead enemies not attack you much later in the game as you align yourself with them is interesting, but it would make the gameplay restricting. You're supposed to help create the story too, don't let the game do all the heavy lifting in the department of imagination.
@@hansolobutimdead the r in rpg stands for roll your roll effects the world, I felt this way back in dark souls as well. How much replay value would it add if your choices had real consequences? Both relatively instant ones like that faction aiding you and long term ones like the world being effected by your last play through helping one side? I know Iam not crazy when I talk about this since I swear a dynamic world reacting to your choices used to be fairly common. I mean even bioshock had a little of this, I never felt like a better person than when I spared a woman who looked after my daughter and got her to second guess the Karen cult leader who tried to take full custody. She couldn’t call off “the family” and their bushwhack but she sent me some drones for back up and warned me. Little things like that really take things to another level. “You had me under a gun... and yet you just walk away? No monster alive turns the other cheek. No monster does that. A thinking man does that. “
@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus Beyond how mind breakingly complicated it would be to do a world with this level of detail be everchanging in regards of the player completing certain quests... There is an issue with map management, quest overlap and such. If you change the world due to this quest, then you have to do the same for that of the age of frenzied flame, age of stars and such. You can do many of these at a time, and all of that going on would be a bit of a mess. That and Deathroot is an essentially slow burning effect. It need not be automatic.
I love how each Tarnished protagonist in this series is tailor made to be their own character with their own arcs leading them to each respective ending.
@@nickygianhe means vaatis prepare to cry videos each have a in game player character in the videos acting out vaatis narrative that looks like they would be the type of tarnished to experience the ending in question
@@ramrodbldm9876 so even though he is playing Elden ring and watching Elden ring videos he is still not a part in the Elden ring community? Nice logic pal
Honestly I got respect for Darius. Bro was afflicted with basically Stage 6 cancer, AIDS, Arthritis, and Parkinson’s and after hearing what happened to his brother he hit us the the Vince Carter “ I GOT ONE MORE ME”
I agree with you but that ending really stabbed my gut. At least I recovered from the damage I had back then since most say that Fia was victorious anyway.
@@ekosandvic7598 it reminds me of how dominula village and godskin apostle were celebrating and mocking Marika, even though they lost the war, they cope with what they can
I actually teared up at Rogier’s death scene here, he’s such a wise character and a big help with Margit. Leaning against his his hat in his final moments awake, heartbreaking.
I don't have much time to play, and I've always been far more interested in the lore and world of From games so combat has been a huge struggle (and not one I really enjoy). But I took down Margit on the first try thanks to Rogier. Then he appears at the round table basically bedridden, rambling, infected and dying and it was such a sad thing to see, even if he seemed happy to see me
that honestly make me think on how good of a being godwin must have been dude has a homie so loyal he was fighting DEATH on a dream/alter dimension just to protect his friend
@@drankydrank1in what way was he a tyrant, because all we know about him is that he befriended the dragons, and that fortissax was so loyal to him that he fought the death blight in his friend untill he got corrupted himself (and if fortissaxs name LICHEdragon means anything, he could have potentially attempted to give his own soul to godwyn in a weird form of fantasy organ transplant). You dont inspire that kind of loyalty from someone you fought a war with unless you are personally a good person. If you are reffering to him being apart of the golden order as the reason for him being a tyrant, we have no idea the extent of his role or influence in the golden order, so it is unreasonable to pin the sins of the golden order on him
@@Why79-dx4rf In what way wasn't he? Marika created infinite purgatory; there's nothing to say he was anything but supportive of his mother's Order... Sparing the dragon's life to 'inspire' loyalty means nothing. A bond created between 2 individuals doesn't somehow make either 'good people'...
@@drankydrank1 are your reffering to marikas removal of the rune of death as "infinite purgatory" because if so, I would have to disagree. As it is described in the game, the removal of the death just allows for a persons soul to be absorbed back into the erd tree, and perhap reborn at a later date, not force eternal life, as people still died in the absence of the rune of death. Also, I forgot to mention this in my original comment, but we do know that miquella also liked godwyn, and as we learn in castle sol, even attempted to use the eclipse to restore godwyns soul. Since miquella wasnt that fond of the golden order itself, either godwyn didnt play that big of a role in the golden order, or he was such a great guy that even someone who hated the golden order still loved him. Finally, if you would deem godwyn evil for being apart of the golden order, is ranni evil for passively condoning the crimes of seluvis and rykard?
@@SuppositionalBox they absolutely did him dirty Him and Gransax A characters very important got RESKINNED MODEL FROM EVERY DAMN REGULAR ANCIENT DRAGON? WTF ? Where did "the six years length and the biggest budget ever" go to ?
@@RedFurios13 you are in the game community No matter what do you say they are going to say that you are right despite being WRONG he is a reskin Him and his sister Both are and they do all the same things A mili different in color or move doesn't make him unique or different nor "nOt A rEsKiN" And also Gransax is a reskin
@@menouba9416 You said it yourself, they are brother and sister, it's normal they look alike, and again, it's not a reskin, or at least, not a bad one. Do you want an example of a reskin? The Blue Smelter Demon, of DS II
Godwyn's spear being an homage to the Dragonslayer Spear was a really nice touch. Good to see my favorite character living on, a decade after his first appearance.
@ItsDobbie Its not a real item in game it's just fanart and the artist felt like paying homage to the spear since Godwyn was abled to best dragons in lore, I wish it was real, the closest thing we have to how the spear functioned and it's stats would be Bolt of Gransax. Since it scales high off dex and doesn't need faith for use or scaling despite having lightning damage.
Dat intro, right? The questline of Maliketh aka Gurank, D' and his brother, I feel they were meant to be connected much more. But as with all FromSoft games, the dev's had to cut a fair share when the release-date _death'line_ approached. 😏 Nice to see that Vaati does not forget to show how closely these questline's relate in theme.
At this point, I have no idea how the Tibia Mariner isn't more of a joke than Pinwheel. All you have to do is stand next to it and spam attacks. You'll get hit once or twice at the most and he'll be dead before your finish him off. The only frustrating part about this fight is the face he teleports, and it's always when they have like, 0.00001HP left🗿🗿
@@maximusstorm1215 Simple; because there are other bosses as easy as the Tibia Mariner; Soldier of Godrick, Cemetary Shade, Trolls etc, but in DS1 Pinwheel is in a class of his own in terms of difficulty, making him stand out even more.
The Duskborn storyline is kind of fascinating to me, because the story makes pains to suggest that Those Who Live In Death have an existence worth preserving and protecting... but then never actually provides any evidence of that, which rather undermines the reading of the text that posits them as a persecuted minority. Think about it, Fia is a tarnished, like the protagonist, and while her role as a deathbed companion does give her a unique perspective on life and death... it doesn't exactly make her one of those she advocates for, nor do we see any indication that she is any more capable of communication with them than we are. None of Those Who Live In Death interact with the world in any manner other than hostility, there is not a single friendly undead of that sort, and frankly, nothing that even suggests they posses sapience, that they are anything more than the mindless puppets of a Soul-Dead god. Bloodborne presents us with a strong alternative in Old Yharnum, presenting a Tableau that none-too-subtly suggests that beasts have inner lives, and are capable of ritualistic, spiritualist and communal thinking with their chanting in the church. Existing as One Who Lives In Death genuinely seems to be nothing but A: suffering, or B: Nothingness as far as their depiction in practice reads. Fortissax's own death-curse affliction is explicitly from him trying and failing to prevent it overcoming his friend. Even Fia's own champions are less beings with agency in their own right, then memories of the fallen, no more boon companions than bondservants. And yet... preserving and protecting this force, little more than a Zombie Apocalypse in its structure, is presented as at least a point about which the morality can be debated, rather than dismissed out of hand... it feels like there's something missing, a third beat where we actually see what life is like for Those That Live In Death, something that justifies them as sapient beings worth protection.
I agree with you, and thus I have formulated my own idea about the subject, that being: Fia is probably just full of shit (and a necrophile). Actually the necrophilia is pretty much canon as she claims that sleeping with corpses (being a Deathbed Companion) is the most beautiful thing there is. And since it's a sacred act in her lands, I wonder what society is like there, especially since the laws of life and death seem to work differently from the Lands Between. Maybe her ideals make sense with how things work in her lands, but just don't translate well in the Lands Between. Who knows how Order is there. Maybe the Duskborn ending is about modifying the Lands Between's Order in a way that works like her lands' Order!
I think you're correct that there's something missing, but I think part of the narrative is that Those That Live In Death do not communicate and they have no champion because there was no intention to create them, they were a consequence of Godwyn's death. The idea that the undead are suffering seems unfounded, it's only the living that suffer from the encroachment of Deathroot, because Marika's crazy and removed death in the first place, making the Golden Order anathema to it. Those That Live In Death are hostile and can't communicate with the living and the Golden Order can, but I think the actions of many characters, including D, show that "approachable" and "good" are not the same thing. Its up to the player to decide whether they trust the familiar, or side with the genuinely wretched and maligned.
@@jcdenton810 There's a difference between standing up for an oppressed minority... and standing up for literal mindless zombies. Animals can Suffer, if Those Who Live In Death do not even meet that threshold of cognition, then again I must ask, what about their existence is worth protecting or preserving? Granted, we can't know for sure what their inner lives (if any) look like, but if you want to build empathy from a storytelling perspective, you kind of need to depict critical details like that.
In my eyes at least Elden ring presents this as more of an emotional dilemma; betray someone who has shown you some degree of kindness and warmth (albeit entirely for their own gain) or side with logic that's championed by cold hypocrites. In terms of an actual ethical dilemma, I'd agree; there isn't much of one.
Completely agree, I dont see the Dead as poor souls at all, especially after what Rogier went trought. I understand D having a bias againts the Dead, but when Rogier was afflicted, D said that he would lose his mind and essentially die a horrible death, and thats exactly what happens, bias or not. I dont think I need any more evidence than that to conclude that Death, and Those Who Live in It are not exactly worth protecting, and are more of a disease brought about by the bizarre, incomplete death of a God than anything else. But who knows, maybe giving these beings a Lord will hgrant them consciousness and cognition, after all, thats what happened with the Beasts...
@@DeathDestroyer90 I think a lot of the meaningful bosses in Fromsoftware's games are not hard. They place the story forward, in that point in time, and I think it's a good choice.
@Arcessitor Cancer can be thought of as "unintended" organic structures caused by unrepaired damaged DNA (temporary precursor), leading to genetic mutations (permanent alteration of DNA). It can be benign or malignant, one is cancer that doesn't spread, the other does. Exposure to radiation is one potential source of such damage. Radiation cancer is often used to describe when someone is exposed to large amounts of radiation, causing so much damage to your DNA the body has trouble preventing that damaged DNA from being used to create new cells. This can lead to death as the body increasingly consists of cells with no useful function growing and spreading at a much faster rate than healthy ones, while not enough useful cells exist to repair organs necessary for life.
@Nobody Nothing George RR Martin wrote the lore for Elden Ring, which takes place years before the events of the game, this game i feel is the most lenient in telling you as Rogier straight up tells you “Ranni orchestrated the night of the black knives”, and it’s not just “a single sentence” in the item descriptions, most of the time they have at least a paragraph explaining the weapon and it’s history
If I had a nickle for every time a Fromsoft Game features a character that religiously follows a holy order, finds a defensless woman allied with the enemies of said holy order, kills her brutally, revels and gloats in their victory, only for their efforts to ultimatley not change anything… I’d have two nickles, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that’s happened twice.
Every single time I watch another prepare to cry, I’m blown away by the increase in quality. I MEAN THE FIGHT SCENES were AMAZING, The intro art was incredible, and the flow and narrative of the video can not be replaced. Thank you so much Vaati, mispap, smough, quelag, and everyone else who has contributed to this video. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for the premiere of a UA-cam video before until today 👏 👏
I don’t think it gets talked about much, but the voice acting in the Souls games is really great. That “Die! Die! Die!” That Devin says could’ve been generic screaming but the VA turned into a much more menacing threat, like an executioner raising the axe. Really drives the fanaticism home
Elden Ring's English language voice cast is an enormous step up from mediocrity of FromSoft's earlier localizations. I still wonder if the VAs for Darksouls 1 even had access to proper microphones.
@@mavericktitan7874 i kind of like the slightly muffled voices from DS1 characters because it really sounds like they’re speaking behind a metal helmet
I love the different things the pc does like the laying his head on rogier, the blue flame at ranni’s true body, the hand on fia’s head it just make everything more cinematic
To tell the truth, though I know Ranni's ending will be the last ending explained, I would still love to see Goldmask's storyline and the Golden Order Fundamentalists rendered in Prepare to Cry. Brother Corhyn's blind faith and Goldmask's struggle against a Golden Order that won't change until his death both come together to tell a tragic story.
@@quinnholloway5400I don't see what's so great about his ending. It seems to imply that the gods are removed from the equation, but "gods" would be referring to individuals like Marika and her children, not the Greater Will itself. So it's still an order of a parasitic entity using the people of the Lands Between.
Also something to note is that Goldmask constantly speaks of the importance of trying to understand both the good and bad of something so you can only leave the good part instead of blindly believing dogma, but since we have know idea WHAT Goldmask is actually doing we can only put in blind faith into his order, ironically the only way for his Goldmask’s order to become the one true one is for someone who will blindly follow pretty words, the things he himself criticize.
@@impartialthrone2097 Honestly the GW itself does very little. It sent the Elden Beast/Ring, then after that did basically nothing directly except *maybe* banishing the Eternal Cities underground (this could've just been the Two Fingers also). It's the Golden Order and especially the Two Fingers that are responsible for most of the atrocities we see committed in its name. I still think Ranni's Age of Stars is a better outcome for the Lands Between, but Goldmask's ending is second best imo.
You have to be one of the most talented content creators on this platform. Your dedication to detail in your videos, your cinematic ability, and the wonderful choreography of the fight scenes was impeccable. Great stuff as always VaatiVidya, you and your team did great!
I love the lore and the stories in Elden ring. They are so good and are so intertwined with each other. I just wish I didn’t have to watch UA-cam videos to understand it.
UA-cam videos are just faster. If you decide to spend time going through item descriptions and NPC dialogue, you'd be able to piece it together yourself. it just takes time, but if you don't have that time or just have things you'd rather spend your time on, that's why UA-cam videos exist.
It's actually genius marketing by From Software. It gets people talking about, making content for, etc. their game which further exposes their game across many platforms, then potentially brings new players to play their game after seeing said content. It allows lots of theory crafting and stuff which a lot of people enjoy doing which further keeps their game fresh and people wanting to play it. They know what they're doing and their obscure stories in their games are brilliant on many levels.
I'm so glad to be a tiny part of such an incredible project. It's been like a dream come true to animate those amazing illustrations from devlin art and I hope everyone enjoys this phenomenal video ❤❤❤
There are no tiny parts. Every piece of a mechanism is just as valuable as the others, whether it is the shell that keeps the rest safe or a cog itself, the sum could not be without all of the parts.
45:16 I think the Age of Order Ending also deserves some kind of recognition in form of a lore video even if it is shorter. It would feel much better having a video about every ending and their corresponding questline and not just skipping over one. But of course the decision lies at your hands. I can also understand that you want to move on from this kind of story.
I think tarnished archeologist already has a good video about the golden order. Very solid! Please check it out. Unless Vaati has other ideas, might be redundant to redo that.
The perfect order isn't really the most gripping plot line. Mostly just a dude smoking some weed and binging some philosophy videos; Then coming around and saying that Fascism is really the best way to have a perfect world.
Both D’s are my favourite characters in Elden Ring, not from a moral perspective, but their voice acting absolutely oozes with raw charisma, much more so than any other imo.
I feel the same way about Shabriri. That voice acting gives me goosebumps every time he says "Burn the Erdtree to the ground, and incinerate all that divides and distinguishes!". He's a pretty shitty dude all around though, but that voice acting is OP. MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD!
@@Veritas_Vincit I cannot speak for this person but for me this the reasoning: They are not killing undead in order to protect people or end their suffering. They are doing it because it "taints the truth of the Golden Order". They are doing it with the motive to harm anything that does not fit what their cultish, warmongering order deems fit.
I hope you are able to take this even further and use your talents and abilities along side your peers to create a multitude of masterpieces such as this. Keep it up Vaati!!
38:56 The music is swelling, the story is captivating, Maliketh is gracefully dancing through the air like he has wings carrying him through the fight... ... " _Ha_ , you bonked him with the flippy sword~" Yep, that's Elden Ring!
This one is easily my 2nd favorite after Blessing of Despair. I love the intertwined stories of Fia, D, and Rogier, but the Dung Eater dialogue is just too good when paired with your teams visual stylings and music choices. It's just so well performed as well. I also very much appreciated how you guys only used the cheesy metal track to set up a butt-slam punchline.
Destined Death plotline was the only one I was confidently following all on my own without a guide for my first play through on release. I was invested!
I almost managed to not cry. Almost. Your character gently lying near Rogier and, at the end, grabbing Fia's hand, made me tear up. I cannot wait for Ranni's PtC, this series of your ER videos is your best work yet and I can't express enough admiration for everyone involved.
@@jaredreynold6336 this seems like more of a misinterpretation, what youre referring to sounds more the frenzied flame's ending burning away everything indiscriminately good, bad, and ugly. Ranni's ending is more akin to the age of dark from dark souls, a world without the touch and will of higher powers. Imagine it like this, the greater will has guided you, given you its wisdom through the two fingers. However at the cost of this grace, is your inherent freedom as an individual being. Your fate is decided by the whim of a god that you have no real connection to. If this god decided on its own to withdraw all contact one-sidedly, you have no choice but to wait hundreds if not thousands of years for a reply. However what Ranni intends to do is give back that freedom. Give you a world were your fate and destiny isnt dependent on some God's whim. That level of freedom is frightening and maybe a bit lonely but its also hopeful for something different.
@@LieutenantMar naah, ur tooo do-goody with that interpretation. That may be what she wants: Freedom! But she solely listens to sources of the outer gods. Only heeds their methods out of spite for the greater will. As such, we happen to arrive at multiple instances, where she might not only be used, but is aware of that. She tries to fool the tarnished with eavesdropping as a puppet, seemingly turning us into a puppet for her endeavors and uses us in the same way, as she claims that anyones getting used. She literally identifies as a crook with a terminal/final noble ambition. She also uses honeyed bs-terminology, calling us her one and only and what not. She is fully aware, what harm she casts upon the lands! Not only wanting some missing directions, but an omnipresent fear for not knowing anything at all. She explicitly asks for a numbness, and wants all beings kinda drugged/ unable to rule or maybe even keep their shits to begin with. Of course, anyone ruling would be according to the great will as they'd possibly be their representative. But i believe only empyreans to be cursed like that, so she'd only really turn it around for her family, like the way changes happen in hollywood for us mortal mobs. Hollywood would be gone, but the remnants of prominency could still thrive in our realm. Meanwhile in the lands between any form of prominency would be forgotten in the face of anguish. The rest, the non-empyreans get used in life and death but are without further destiny, compared to the ones of the empyreans. Imo: Her ending intersects with the craziness of the frenzy and the slumber of Miquella! Regarding quotes: "[...] And have the certanties of sight, emotion, faith, and touch... All become impossibilities! Which is why i would abandon this soil with my order!" - which literally turns science into an impossibility and raya lucaria into a phenomenon of the past "Mine will be an order not of gold, but the stars and moon and the chill night." - i will not govern, no one will hopefully (cuz maybe the outer gods naturally will, as no one dares to protect anything, or arrives at power to do so) Saying the gods of the stars would be better, is like calling these powers unequal, moreover the erdtree as purely evil to begin with. Crusades and history of itself made me reluctant to listen to radical motifs like that, as they tend to only be a cover for "the act". A single ideology can only go this far. Tbh: i think she actually extinguishes life as a whole, as the moon is quite lifeless. Maybe, that ending could be interpreted as the coming of an age of ice!
BRO CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IN THIS MASTERPIECE I legitimately lost it when godskin apostle kicked in with the duel. Continue making art please.
37:22 You kind of forgot that Maliketh recognizes the tarnished, after Gurranq has been fed all deathroots. He has a voiceline that only plays when you fulfil that task before you meet Maliketh.
The part where it showed Fortissax right before he used Death Lightning gave me chills. Like paying homage to him after defeating him. You're too good of a story teller and these Prepare To Cry are just too amazing
Kinda surprised you didn't talk about Lionel the Lionhearted and his ties to Fia declaring himself as her adopted father and that's the reason why he's apart of the Fia champions that you face. The exact wording about it is this: " When this chivalrous dauntless knight met Fia, who had been driven from her home, he declared himself to be her father" Edit: Ty for all the likes :)
A old knight saw a poor girl in need and helped as best he could. Always noticed how he chose her as a daughter and not a wife which is in consideration to her forced reproductive position.
GOD the production values on thease videos have improved so much. as somone who applied for that editor position im honestly glad i didnt get it. I could never do videos like this justice. Big congrats to the whole teams this is incredable, be sure yall are getting plenty of rest and are taking care of yourselves.
I hope to see your name in the credits of a god like production like this one. You're on the path to the perfect solution for a project you haven't met yet.
I love how the videos just keep getting longer! It speaks volumes for just how incredible Elden Ring is. Also, can we pleeeeease have a displayed or two of that art at the beginning?
That battle between you and D's brother at the end is just...👌 Especially with that rendition of the Godskin Apostle theme, just WOW. You've come a long way Vaati.
14:14 I just noticed this and it’s awesome, the Black Knives use the ninjutsu walking technique shinobi aruki to dampen the sounds of their footfalls. Great attention to detail
My word, if this is why the Elden Ring lore videos have been taking so long, I forgive all the delays. This is beautiful, and I hope an example of what is to come.
Wow... this is the first one that have actually brought me to tears. Death is the companion that never truly leaves in my profession and I can't help but to empathize with Fia's ambition.
Beside's Ranni's questline, Fia's questline also felt the most fulfilling to me, provided you don't miss the most of it. It's a very important questline that bleeds into Ranni's, and is probably the saddest one of them all.
@@lindseyormsbee It's okay to cry if the feelings allow it. I admire your toughness but you should understand by the way he wrote what he has been through watching a story about death.
Holy hell, I'm actually speechless. The Prepare To Cry videos for Dark Souls 1 are a huge reason why I became such a big fan of these games. And now that you have a budget, the quality has just gone through the roof. Amazing work. I just got shivers down my spine, watching this on my laptop at the library. Thank you for all that you do and made possible.
I love these videos, 1 is for its the best stuff to fall asleep too, second is it makes me realize how, even in 600 hours, ive missed a A LOT of dialogue that ive tried my best to find.
You've always been a bonfire for this community. Maybe even *the* Bonfire, and it's so fitting that your works now include so many more others that have a love for these twisted little worlds and their tragic and heroic characters. Thanks for all the years Vaati and for stoking the flames of lore for both new and old members of the audience. Your recent uploads feel like a revitalization and it'll be great to see what you all do with the DLC. Good shit.
damn Vaati really upgraded his shitt!!! i cant appreciate this enough being a 2d animator myself i really appreciate his supporting artists and their work!!
I've been a fan of in-game cinematography my whole life, practically. To see this level of care, planning, expertise, game knowledge, and passion used to create these impressive scenes fills me with some unearned pride. 10/10 will watch again
Vaati this is your best video yet. From the animation, to the story telling, and Godwyn being one of the most interesting things about Elden Ring. Your team is amazing.
I swear, every video just gets better. They’re already like short movies with incredible art direction, cinematography, and narration. Feels like it’s only a matter of time before we see Elden Ring movies on this channel.
The community coming together to create this masterpiece with Vaati is ethereal and thought-provoking. I'm glad I arrived early because it feels we're all watching it at the same time!
This work of art gives me so much more motivation to keep playing Elden ring. Outsanding job from you and your team for doing this and keep doing these videos. I have never witnessed more beautiful story telling, than this.
It seems no matter how high you and your partners raise the bar, you still find a way to raise it again. An absolutely captivating story, composed and told perfectly. The Fortissax battle in particular was jaw-dropping, I cannot believe that fight could be so choreographed.
I like that you're playing a Confessor in this. They were hunters and assassins of blasphemers and traitors of the Two Fingers and the Golden Order, so assisting the Hunters of Those Who Live in Death would make sense. After all the undead are a blasphemy of the Golden Order.
God… that was a very moving video. Wonderful shots (particularly when D. casts a self-buff against the tarnished), beautiful music, and incredible writing. I’ll be coming back to this video many, many times in the future.
I couldn't have made this video alone - please support all of the collaborators listed in the description! Everyone brought their unique strengths to this episode, and I'm lucky to work with so many talented people!
Been waiting all week for this 🧡
I know it'll be fantastic as usual!
Oh bby!!
HYPE
Thanks for everything guys :)
Thanks for watching everyone. This video was a true passion project, and the amazing support we receive from you keeps us inspired to create better videos with each installment in the PTC series. All I will say is that Ranni's video will be absolutely legendary. Any guesses as to how long it will be?
Please let it be 2 hrs+ I could listen to Vaati talk forever even if it was randomly generated AI gibberish!
Thanks for watching tho the video isn't up yet lol. Timing issue.
You really killed it. Vaati has always been high quality but you've been consistently raising the bar. Thank you so much for all your hard work.
@@pinkf4747 agreed. He could read the back of milk cartons and I'd be there.
We do not deserve this type of quality, incredible work ❤
the part where Rogier describes his friendship with D really gets me, especially when he says "But our paths since diverged. Never again to cross. Though that's hardly an uncommon fate for two friends".
D's a cool guy who hunts down the undead and Rogier started simping for a necrophiliac that glorified literally zombies and skeletons. It's a tale as old as time.
ironic that both died from death root
@@varsoonhks3211 Rogier didn't really simp as much as he wanted to find out the truth and it turns out that following Fia was the best course of action.
@@Manganization He's been entirely won over by her philosophy that the undead have done nothing wrong and don't deserve persecution and that having Fia gestate the mending rune will be a means of salvation for the undead. This is not a logical conclusion for anyone to come to. Rogier goes from being someone trying to discover the truth of deathroot, fighting the undead alongside D, to someone who has been indoctrinated to Fia's cause--so much so that he even dies a second death defending her at Godwin's corpse.
In more relatable terms, let's say you have a friend who you play basketball with and he's really into the history of the sport. One day he meets a woman who thinks basketball is racist and should be cancelled, so he stops hanging out with you, stops playing basketball, and commits his life to ending the sport. This woman is notoriously promiscuous and offers 'comfort' to those who side with her. Your friend dies in an anti-basketball rally. The woman who has convinced him of all of this then later finds and kills you. Was your friend
1. Just a noble scholar of basketball history trying to find the truth
or
2. A good dude that was led astray by a hussie?
Sorry, man, Rogier simped for Fia and died chasing her nonsense cause.
@@varsoonhks3211 But Rogier and D wasn’t that kind of friends. They worked together, yes, but their motivation were ultimately different. One is a devout follower of the Golden Order and all that it stood for, while the other is a scholar who wishes to learn about Those Who Live In Death and the Night of the Black Knifes. Their path crossed due to the nature of their objectives, but it only made sense that they eventually went separate path.
And regarding your stance on Fia’s goal, have you watched the video? Fia’s goal was not to worship Those Who Live in Death, but to create an Age where Those Who Live in Death have the right to exist, and will have a purpose to live, unlike how they are in the current age, without purpose, goals, or really thought. Fia’s ending is simply give such thing to Those Who Live in Death by giving them a Lord to follow, because as a Deathbed Companion, it is in her belief that such beings has a right to such things. Now whether you agree or disagree with her belief and goal is up to you.
Personally speaking, the ending doesn’t really solve any of the inherent problems in the land Between making it an okay ending at best.
The detail of the player character using different weapons and spells related to death throughout their journey in the video is incredible. It's as if they're examining, studying, exploring the different forms of death, as a Death Philosopher.
I wish this game let you have real effects on game play from which side you pick like what was shown around 35:00 by siding with those of living death you had them come out of sources of it to aid you and maybe you spread it as you went on etc.
@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus I understand why you'd want an in-game effect, but as a matter-of-fact, this is an RPG. It lets you have fun making a build and stylizing it with a story. Yes, having the dead enemies not attack you much later in the game as you align yourself with them is interesting, but it would make the gameplay restricting. You're supposed to help create the story too, don't let the game do all the heavy lifting in the department of imagination.
@@hansolobutimdead the r in rpg stands for roll your roll effects the world, I felt this way back in dark souls as well. How much replay value would it add if your choices had real consequences? Both relatively instant ones like that faction aiding you and long term ones like the world being effected by your last play through helping one side? I know Iam not crazy when I talk about this since I swear a dynamic world reacting to your choices used to be fairly common.
I mean even bioshock had a little of this, I never felt like a better person than when I spared a woman who looked after my daughter and got her to second guess the Karen cult leader who tried to take full custody. She couldn’t call off “the family” and their bushwhack but she sent me some drones for back up and warned me. Little things like that really take things to another level.
“You had me under a gun... and yet you just walk away? No monster alive turns the other cheek. No monster does that. A thinking man does that. “
@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus Beyond how mind breakingly complicated it would be to do a world with this level of detail be everchanging in regards of the player completing certain quests...
There is an issue with map management, quest overlap and such.
If you change the world due to this quest, then you have to do the same for that of the age of frenzied flame, age of stars and such. You can do many of these at a time, and all of that going on would be a bit of a mess.
That and Deathroot is an essentially slow burning effect. It need not be automatic.
@@pedromiret9195 eh an untold amount of time passes between new game and new game plus
I love how each Tarnished protagonist in this series is tailor made to be their own character with their own arcs leading them to each respective ending.
So, basic game design?
@Arcessitor what is bro yapping about
@@nickygianhe means vaatis prepare to cry videos each have a in game player character in the videos acting out vaatis narrative that looks like they would be the type of tarnished to experience the ending in question
@@Arcessitorya tried to be a smartass and failed miserably
@@AKKTHEV i was talking to arcessor
You and your collaborators have raised the bar by a significant margin. Feeling privileged to be a part of this community right now.
Yeah within the first minute I could tell that this was going to be special.
@@ramrodbldm9876get outta here gatekeeper. your elitist ways don't set the rules
@@ramrodbldm9876 oh lord 🙄
@@ramrodbldm9876 least gatekeeping souls “veteran”
@@ramrodbldm9876 so even though he is playing Elden ring and watching Elden ring videos he is still not a part in the Elden ring community? Nice logic pal
If we maintain this current trend of video lengths, Ranni's story is looking to be nearly an hour long! Strap in boys, it's gonna be a wild one.
oh god totally lol
Can't wait...
I hope so. Or longer even.
Make it 3 and Release it in theaters i would go
My wife deserves it
Honestly I got respect for Darius. Bro was afflicted with basically Stage 6 cancer, AIDS, Arthritis, and Parkinson’s and after hearing what happened to his brother he hit us the the Vince Carter “ I GOT ONE MORE ME”
I agree with you but that ending really stabbed my gut. At least I recovered from the damage I had back then since most say that Fia was victorious anyway.
Man ate violence for breakfast, lunch, and dinner
@@ekosandvic7598
it reminds me of how dominula village and godskin apostle were celebrating and mocking Marika, even though they lost the war, they cope with what they can
bro who is Darius
@@pr1mo16
the second D, the one you find in Nokron, right before the valiant gargoyles boss arena
I actually teared up at Rogier’s death scene here, he’s such a wise character and a big help with Margit. Leaning against his his hat in his final moments awake, heartbreaking.
Hat Bro be rockin in the Dusk now.
Rock on Hat Bro.
😢
Me too
His friendliness reminds you of a certain courier doesn't he? Bitter Springs vet.
I don't have much time to play, and I've always been far more interested in the lore and world of From games so combat has been a huge struggle (and not one I really enjoy). But I took down Margit on the first try thanks to Rogier. Then he appears at the round table basically bedridden, rambling, infected and dying and it was such a sad thing to see, even if he seemed happy to see me
@@helplmchoking if you have bleed weapon you can farm the giants on storm hill for a little bit until you can get the bird farm
My GOD that last fight’s cinematography was absolutely immaculate. This team is absolutely legendary.
that honestly make me think on how good of a being godwin must have been
dude has a homie so loyal he was fighting DEATH on a dream/alter dimension just to protect his friend
Yeah, dude was a true gigachad, hope we'll see more his story in DLC
He was a tyrant that forced people to live the way he saw fit
@@drankydrank1in what way was he a tyrant, because all we know about him is that he befriended the dragons, and that fortissax was so loyal to him that he fought the death blight in his friend untill he got corrupted himself (and if fortissaxs name LICHEdragon means anything, he could have potentially attempted to give his own soul to godwyn in a weird form of fantasy organ transplant). You dont inspire that kind of loyalty from someone you fought a war with unless you are personally a good person.
If you are reffering to him being apart of the golden order as the reason for him being a tyrant, we have no idea the extent of his role or influence in the golden order, so it is unreasonable to pin the sins of the golden order on him
@@Why79-dx4rf In what way wasn't he? Marika created infinite purgatory; there's nothing to say he was anything but supportive of his mother's Order...
Sparing the dragon's life to 'inspire' loyalty means nothing. A bond created between 2 individuals doesn't somehow make either 'good people'...
@@drankydrank1 are your reffering to marikas removal of the rune of death as "infinite purgatory" because if so, I would have to disagree. As it is described in the game, the removal of the death just allows for a persons soul to be absorbed back into the erd tree, and perhap reborn at a later date, not force eternal life, as people still died in the absence of the rune of death.
Also, I forgot to mention this in my original comment, but we do know that miquella also liked godwyn, and as we learn in castle sol, even attempted to use the eclipse to restore godwyns soul. Since miquella wasnt that fond of the golden order itself, either godwyn didnt play that big of a role in the golden order, or he was such a great guy that even someone who hated the golden order still loved him.
Finally, if you would deem godwyn evil for being apart of the golden order, is ranni evil for passively condoning the crimes of seluvis and rykard?
I hope the DLC explores the death stuff more in depth due to Miquella’s connection to Godwin
@@tombane5950 Proof?
@@tombane5950 pls send vid....ofc for research purposes
Nah I want Melina to chase the lord of frenzy
I wish it would allow us to help miqula get godwyns soul back
@Tom Bane thats some nasty SHIT....send me the link
That Fortissax battle was incredibly well done. This entire video rules.
I agree, even kept it accurate by denying him his second phase LOL
@@SuppositionalBox they absolutely did him dirty
Him and Gransax
A characters very important got RESKINNED MODEL FROM EVERY DAMN REGULAR ANCIENT DRAGON?
WTF ?
Where did "the six years length and the biggest budget ever" go to ?
@@menouba9416 sorry, but fortisax isn't a reskin, while similar, it has many differences from other ancient dragons, like lanseax.
@@RedFurios13 you are in the game community
No matter what do you say they are going to say that you are right despite being WRONG
he is a reskin
Him and his sister
Both are and they do all the same things
A mili different in color or move doesn't make him unique or different nor "nOt A rEsKiN"
And also Gransax is a reskin
@@menouba9416 You said it yourself, they are brother and sister, it's normal they look alike, and again, it's not a reskin, or at least, not a bad one. Do you want an example of a reskin? The Blue Smelter Demon, of DS II
It’s insane how high quality these videos are becoming. Kudos to EVERYONE involved in this process. This stuff is better than most tv shows.
Godwyn's spear being an homage to the Dragonslayer Spear was a really nice touch. Good to see my favorite character living on, a decade after his first appearance.
Facts
Godwyn’s spear? When do you get his spear?
@ItsDobbie Its not a real item in game it's just fanart and the artist felt like paying homage to the spear since Godwyn was abled to best dragons in lore, I wish it was real, the closest thing we have to how the spear functioned and it's stats would be Bolt of Gransax. Since it scales high off dex and doesn't need faith for use or scaling despite having lightning damage.
One of the most beautifully written and performed stories of Elden Ring, and you just elevated it to the next level.
Hahaha now u can pay to have your comment highlighted xD
Dat intro, right?
The questline of Maliketh aka Gurank, D' and his brother, I feel they were meant to be connected much more.
But as with all FromSoft games, the dev's had to cut a fair share when the release-date _death'line_ approached. 😏
Nice to see that Vaati does not forget to show how closely these questline's relate in theme.
@@jeetkunjo4587 Yeah, right? I didn’t even realize that until I saw Vaati liked my comment 😂
@@jeetkunjo4587 bro whats wrong with supporting the high quality content and getting a highlighted comment. its his money, whats it to u?
@@eniskaraman3833 some would say it's bad to be a paypig, save that money for your family, don't spend $ simping for e-celebs, that sort of thing.
That cannonball onto the Tibia Mariner was glorious.
Seriously though splendidly done, simply incredible.
I thought he was going to Lions Claw into that thing but no; buttslam/groundpound. Gave me a good chuckle.
At this point, I have no idea how the Tibia Mariner isn't more of a joke than Pinwheel. All you have to do is stand next to it and spam attacks. You'll get hit once or twice at the most and he'll be dead before your finish him off. The only frustrating part about this fight is the face he teleports, and it's always when they have like, 0.00001HP left🗿🗿
@@maximusstorm1215 Simple; because there are other bosses as easy as the Tibia Mariner; Soldier of Godrick, Cemetary Shade, Trolls etc, but in DS1 Pinwheel is in a class of his own in terms of difficulty, making him stand out even more.
The animation in this video is absolutely incredible!! Thank you Vaati for supporting 2D animation and the artist behind it!!
beautiful animations.
Were they the ones who did the animation right at the start because it looks so official? 😮
The Duskborn storyline is kind of fascinating to me, because the story makes pains to suggest that Those Who Live In Death have an existence worth preserving and protecting... but then never actually provides any evidence of that, which rather undermines the reading of the text that posits them as a persecuted minority.
Think about it, Fia is a tarnished, like the protagonist, and while her role as a deathbed companion does give her a unique perspective on life and death... it doesn't exactly make her one of those she advocates for, nor do we see any indication that she is any more capable of communication with them than we are.
None of Those Who Live In Death interact with the world in any manner other than hostility, there is not a single friendly undead of that sort, and frankly, nothing that even suggests they posses sapience, that they are anything more than the mindless puppets of a Soul-Dead god. Bloodborne presents us with a strong alternative in Old Yharnum, presenting a Tableau that none-too-subtly suggests that beasts have inner lives, and are capable of ritualistic, spiritualist and communal thinking with their chanting in the church.
Existing as One Who Lives In Death genuinely seems to be nothing but A: suffering, or B: Nothingness as far as their depiction in practice reads. Fortissax's own death-curse affliction is explicitly from him trying and failing to prevent it overcoming his friend. Even Fia's own champions are less beings with agency in their own right, then memories of the fallen, no more boon companions than bondservants.
And yet... preserving and protecting this force, little more than a Zombie Apocalypse in its structure, is presented as at least a point about which the morality can be debated, rather than dismissed out of hand... it feels like there's something missing, a third beat where we actually see what life is like for Those That Live In Death, something that justifies them as sapient beings worth protection.
I agree with you, and thus I have formulated my own idea about the subject, that being:
Fia is probably just full of shit (and a necrophile).
Actually the necrophilia is pretty much canon as she claims that sleeping with corpses (being a Deathbed Companion) is the most beautiful thing there is. And since it's a sacred act in her lands, I wonder what society is like there, especially since the laws of life and death seem to work differently from the Lands Between.
Maybe her ideals make sense with how things work in her lands, but just don't translate well in the Lands Between. Who knows how Order is there. Maybe the Duskborn ending is about modifying the Lands Between's Order in a way that works like her lands' Order!
I think you're correct that there's something missing, but I think part of the narrative is that Those That Live In Death do not communicate and they have no champion because there was no intention to create them, they were a consequence of Godwyn's death. The idea that the undead are suffering seems unfounded, it's only the living that suffer from the encroachment of Deathroot, because Marika's crazy and removed death in the first place, making the Golden Order anathema to it. Those That Live In Death are hostile and can't communicate with the living and the Golden Order can, but I think the actions of many characters, including D, show that "approachable" and "good" are not the same thing. Its up to the player to decide whether they trust the familiar, or side with the genuinely wretched and maligned.
@@jcdenton810 There's a difference between standing up for an oppressed minority... and standing up for literal mindless zombies. Animals can Suffer, if Those Who Live In Death do not even meet that threshold of cognition, then again I must ask, what about their existence is worth protecting or preserving?
Granted, we can't know for sure what their inner lives (if any) look like, but if you want to build empathy from a storytelling perspective, you kind of need to depict critical details like that.
In my eyes at least Elden ring presents this as more of an emotional dilemma; betray someone who has shown you some degree of kindness and warmth (albeit entirely for their own gain) or side with logic that's championed by cold hypocrites.
In terms of an actual ethical dilemma, I'd agree; there isn't much of one.
Completely agree, I dont see the Dead as poor souls at all, especially after what Rogier went trought. I understand D having a bias againts the Dead, but when Rogier was afflicted, D said that he would lose his mind and essentially die a horrible death, and thats exactly what happens, bias or not. I dont think I need any more evidence than that to conclude that Death, and Those Who Live in It are not exactly worth protecting, and are more of a disease brought about by the bizarre, incomplete death of a God than anything else. But who knows, maybe giving these beings a Lord will hgrant them consciousness and cognition, after all, thats what happened with the Beasts...
Still get chills with the Malekith transformation and the music; it’s an incredible sequence. His move set is damn awesome as well.
My favorite Boss and cutscene.
shame his hp is like 10k lol
OH MY GOD HE'S SO GOD DAMNED COOL
Personally my favorite souls boss of all time
Maliketh, not Malekith
But
Yes, agreed
The cinematography in this video was truly stunning, huge props to Mispap1
Fortissax, corrupted by the blight yet still hanging in there and fighting for his friend...ugh makes me cry so good.
Sucks he’s very underwhelming as a boss fight
@@DeathDestroyer90 I think a lot of the meaningful bosses in Fromsoftware's games are not hard. They place the story forward, in that point in time, and I think it's a good choice.
Rogier is honestly my favorite NPC, his slow but inevitable death is devastating.
It's like radiation cancer, you KNOW you're not long, and you're powerless to stop it
@@lemonzest8650The hell is radiation cancer
@@Arcessitorsuper cancer
@Arcessitor Cancer can be thought of as "unintended" organic structures caused by unrepaired damaged DNA (temporary precursor), leading to genetic mutations (permanent alteration of DNA). It can be benign or malignant, one is cancer that doesn't spread, the other does. Exposure to radiation is one potential source of such damage. Radiation cancer is often used to describe when someone is exposed to large amounts of radiation, causing so much damage to your DNA the body has trouble preventing that damaged DNA from being used to create new cells. This can lead to death as the body increasingly consists of cells with no useful function growing and spreading at a much faster rate than healthy ones, while not enough useful cells exist to repair organs necessary for life.
@@ArcessitorCancer 2.0
I think this may be your best mate. Tremendous work
vaatividya takes the rich, grand lore of the game, and somehow manages to amplify it with his cinematography and narration. This video is sublime.
Mispap1 is the cinematographer and editor and who captures a lot of this
@Nobody Nothing doesn’t have much lore? most of what Vaati talks about is explained by characters and through item descriptions
Wow if only the game could do that.
@Nobody Nothing it is lore, fromsoft just likes to be secretive with it.
@Nobody Nothing George RR Martin wrote the lore for Elden Ring, which takes place years before the events of the game, this game i feel is the most lenient in telling you as Rogier straight up tells you “Ranni orchestrated the night of the black knives”, and it’s not just “a single sentence” in the item descriptions, most of the time they have at least a paragraph explaining the weapon and it’s history
That buttslam onto the Tibia Mariner had me on the floor!
Truly amazing how you can weave in laugh out lout moments in such a moving storyline.
“The mariners are a joke.” -VaatiVidya 2023.
If I had a nickle for every time a Fromsoft Game features a character that religiously follows a holy order, finds a defensless woman allied with the enemies of said holy order, kills her brutally, revels and gloats in their victory, only for their efforts to ultimatley not change anything… I’d have two nickles, which isn’t a lot, but it’s weird that’s happened twice.
Yeah fromsofware games are crazy, good thing something like that wouldn't happend in real ife.
are u talking abt alfred from bloodborne
@@kiwamihollie yes
Ngl I thought you were talking about Lautrec in DS1 at first since I haven't played Bloodborne
Heavily slept on Phineas and Ferb reference you got yourself there… kudos
The editing for the Fortisax fight is absolutely beautiful
Every single time I watch another prepare to cry, I’m blown away by the increase in quality. I MEAN THE FIGHT SCENES were AMAZING, The intro art was incredible, and the flow and narrative of the video can not be replaced. Thank you so much Vaati, mispap, smough, quelag, and everyone else who has contributed to this video. I don’t think I’ve ever been so excited for the premiere of a UA-cam video before until today 👏 👏
I don’t think it gets talked about much, but the voice acting in the Souls games is really great. That “Die! Die! Die!” That Devin says could’ve been generic screaming but the VA turned into a much more menacing threat, like an executioner raising the axe. Really drives the fanaticism home
You're right man! This game has an amazing cast.
Elden Ring's English language voice cast is an enormous step up from mediocrity of FromSoft's earlier localizations. I still wonder if the VAs for Darksouls 1 even had access to proper microphones.
@@mavericktitan7874 i kind of like the slightly muffled voices from DS1 characters because it really sounds like they’re speaking behind a metal helmet
@@mavericktitan7874 if you think there was an English localization then you clearly are new to from software games
@@mavericktitan7874 I really like all the games voice acting imo
I love the different things the pc does like the laying his head on rogier, the blue flame at ranni’s true body, the hand on fia’s head it just make everything more cinematic
Damn that Fia's Mist kill on D was absolutely brutal.
Thats what I said
It made me realise this was the evil ending
@@Taveren no the hell it isnt
@@the1truejoe178 it’s an evil ending. Those who live in death literally wipe out villages💀
@@the1truejoe178 Bros blinded by the debuff hugs Fia gives.
To tell the truth, though I know Ranni's ending will be the last ending explained, I would still love to see Goldmask's storyline and the Golden Order Fundamentalists rendered in Prepare to Cry.
Brother Corhyn's blind faith and Goldmask's struggle against a Golden Order that won't change until his death both come together to tell a tragic story.
Goldmask deserves a Vaatividya Video so that everyone can see how his ending is one of the best possible ones in game
@@quinnholloway5400I don't see what's so great about his ending. It seems to imply that the gods are removed from the equation, but "gods" would be referring to individuals like Marika and her children, not the Greater Will itself. So it's still an order of a parasitic entity using the people of the Lands Between.
Have you seen the Yellow Sign?
Also something to note is that Goldmask constantly speaks of the importance of trying to understand both the good and bad of something so you can only leave the good part instead of blindly believing dogma, but since we have know idea WHAT Goldmask is actually doing we can only put in blind faith into his order, ironically the only way for his Goldmask’s order to become the one true one is for someone who will blindly follow pretty words, the things he himself criticize.
@@impartialthrone2097
Honestly the GW itself does very little. It sent the Elden Beast/Ring, then after that did basically nothing directly except *maybe* banishing the Eternal Cities underground (this could've just been the Two Fingers also). It's the Golden Order and especially the Two Fingers that are responsible for most of the atrocities we see committed in its name.
I still think Ranni's Age of Stars is a better outcome for the Lands Between, but Goldmask's ending is second best imo.
You have to be one of the most talented content creators on this platform. Your dedication to detail in your videos, your cinematic ability, and the wonderful choreography of the fight scenes was impeccable. Great stuff as always VaatiVidya, you and your team did great!
keep the money for your family and food. u.s dollar is dead
@@jasonchow602 If it's dead then who cares about $9.99 its nothing right?
@@jasonchow602 how is it dead?
@@jasonchow602 Seeing as it is still in use, it is obviously not dead.
@@jasonchow602 weirdo
I love the lore and the stories in Elden ring. They are so good and are so intertwined with each other. I just wish I didn’t have to watch UA-cam videos to understand it.
UA-cam videos are just faster. If you decide to spend time going through item descriptions and NPC dialogue, you'd be able to piece it together yourself. it just takes time, but if you don't have that time or just have things you'd rather spend your time on, that's why UA-cam videos exist.
EXACTLY
It's actually genius marketing by From Software. It gets people talking about, making content for, etc. their game which further exposes their game across many platforms, then potentially brings new players to play their game after seeing said content. It allows lots of theory crafting and stuff which a lot of people enjoy doing which further keeps their game fresh and people wanting to play it. They know what they're doing and their obscure stories in their games are brilliant on many levels.
@@sethescopeno you literally woudnt bro
@@taha7538 How do you think the youtubers do it bro?
Oh my goodness, that fight with D was so poetic.
Everyone involved in making this video went crazy. Great job.
"Don't you dare...unless you want to die like a dog."
*powers up weapon*
"...very well."
**Throws a rock**
That was epic
I'm so glad to be a tiny part of such an incredible project. It's been like a dream come true to animate those amazing illustrations from devlin art and I hope everyone enjoys this phenomenal video ❤❤❤
Well done! This was incredible!
You did an incredible job, you had my jaw on the floor. Thank you so much for your hard work!
such a beautiful transition at 2:04 😮
There are no tiny parts. Every piece of a mechanism is just as valuable as the others, whether it is the shell that keeps the rest safe or a cog itself, the sum could not be without all of the parts.
If that was you who animated D, then damn.
I was so sad when Rogier stuttered his last words. I knew his story was sad but I guess I hadn’t heard his voice lines in a while :(
D and rogier’s friendship is amazing
45:16 I think the Age of Order Ending also deserves some kind of recognition in form of a lore video even if it is shorter. It would feel much better having a video about every ending and their corresponding questline and not just skipping over one. But of course the decision lies at your hands. I can also understand that you want to move on from this kind of story.
I think tarnished archeologist already has a good video about the golden order.
Very solid!
Please check it out.
Unless Vaati has other ideas, might be redundant to redo that.
Vaati hates Goldmask confirmed :sad_crying_blue_emoji:.
The perfect order isn't really the most gripping plot line.
Mostly just a dude smoking some weed and binging some philosophy videos;
Then coming around and saying that Fascism is really the best way to have a perfect world.
@@mikeshogunlee Fascism? Is that what you've gotten from the whole "flame of ambition" thing?
@@DanielFerreira-ez8qd The analogy may have gotten away from me....
Both D’s are my favourite characters in Elden Ring, not from a moral perspective, but their voice acting absolutely oozes with raw charisma, much more so than any other imo.
What's wrong with killing soulless Undead?
I feel the same way about Shabriri. That voice acting gives me goosebumps every time he says "Burn the Erdtree to the ground, and incinerate all that divides and distinguishes!". He's a pretty shitty dude all around though, but that voice acting is OP.
MAY CHAOS TAKE THE WORLD!
@@Veritas_Vincit I cannot speak for this person but for me this the reasoning:
They are not killing undead in order to protect people or end their suffering. They are doing it because it "taints the truth of the Golden Order". They are doing it with the motive to harm anything that does not fit what their cultish, warmongering order deems fit.
I also love double D's
You don't say: "You never can have enough D" for nothing.
I hope you are able to take this even further and use your talents and abilities along side your peers to create a multitude of masterpieces such as this. Keep it up Vaati!!
38:56 The music is swelling, the story is captivating, Maliketh is gracefully dancing through the air like he has wings carrying him through the fight...
...
" _Ha_ , you bonked him with the flippy sword~"
Yep, that's Elden Ring!
This one is easily my 2nd favorite after Blessing of Despair. I love the intertwined stories of Fia, D, and Rogier, but the Dung Eater dialogue is just too good when paired with your teams visual stylings and music choices. It's just so well performed as well. I also very much appreciated how you guys only used the cheesy metal track to set up a butt-slam punchline.
Fingersimp Vyke hater?
Destined Death plotline was the only one I was confidently following all on my own without a guide for my first play through on release. I was invested!
same here! And when I learned that Maliketh has different dialogue if collected all the deathroot, I went upright zeal.
Stop hugging on Fia, son. You're gonna catch somethin'.
That fight scene between the player and D might just be the coolest thing you guys have made in these movies so far. Jaw-dropping stuff
That was so good
0:57 Which to this day raises the question "who the fuck would be stupid enough to think that was a GOOD idea".
I love how the main character's equipment evolves in these videos
The production value on this is actually insane, what an achievement.
Well done to everyone who worked on this.
Absolutely Fantastic.
I almost managed to not cry. Almost. Your character gently lying near Rogier and, at the end, grabbing Fia's hand, made me tear up. I cannot wait for Ranni's PtC, this series of your ER videos is your best work yet and I can't express enough admiration for everyone involved.
You are strong brother!
@@jaredreynold6336 this seems like more of a misinterpretation, what youre referring to sounds more the frenzied flame's ending burning away everything indiscriminately good, bad, and ugly. Ranni's ending is more akin to the age of dark from dark souls, a world without the touch and will of higher powers. Imagine it like this, the greater will has guided you, given you its wisdom through the two fingers. However at the cost of this grace, is your inherent freedom as an individual being. Your fate is decided by the whim of a god that you have no real connection to. If this god decided on its own to withdraw all contact one-sidedly, you have no choice but to wait hundreds if not thousands of years for a reply. However what Ranni intends to do is give back that freedom. Give you a world were your fate and destiny isnt dependent on some God's whim. That level of freedom is frightening and maybe a bit lonely but its also hopeful for something different.
@@LieutenantMar naah, ur tooo do-goody with that interpretation.
That may be what she wants: Freedom!
But she solely listens to sources of the outer gods. Only heeds their methods out of spite for the greater will.
As such, we happen to arrive at multiple instances, where she might not only be used, but is aware of that. She tries to fool the tarnished with eavesdropping as a puppet, seemingly turning us into a puppet for her endeavors and uses us in the same way, as she claims that anyones getting used. She literally identifies as a crook with a terminal/final noble ambition. She also uses honeyed bs-terminology, calling us her one and only and what not.
She is fully aware, what harm she casts upon the lands! Not only wanting some missing directions, but an omnipresent fear for not knowing anything at all.
She explicitly asks for a numbness, and wants all beings kinda drugged/ unable to rule or maybe even keep their shits to begin with. Of course, anyone ruling would be according to the great will as they'd possibly be their representative. But i believe only empyreans to be cursed like that, so she'd only really turn it around for her family, like the way changes happen in hollywood for us mortal mobs. Hollywood would be gone, but the remnants of prominency could still thrive in our realm. Meanwhile in the lands between any form of prominency would be forgotten in the face of anguish. The rest, the non-empyreans get used in life and death but are without further destiny, compared to the ones of the empyreans.
Imo:
Her ending intersects with the craziness of the frenzy and the slumber of Miquella!
Regarding quotes:
"[...] And have the certanties of sight, emotion, faith, and touch... All become impossibilities! Which is why i would abandon this soil with my order!" - which literally turns science into an impossibility and raya lucaria into a phenomenon of the past
"Mine will be an order not of gold, but the stars and moon and the chill night." - i will not govern, no one will hopefully (cuz maybe the outer gods naturally will, as no one dares to protect anything, or arrives at power to do so)
Saying the gods of the stars would be better, is like calling these powers unequal, moreover the erdtree as purely evil to begin with.
Crusades and history of itself made me reluctant to listen to radical motifs like that, as they tend to only be a cover for "the act".
A single ideology can only go this far.
Tbh: i think she actually extinguishes life as a whole, as the moon is quite lifeless. Maybe, that ending could be interpreted as the coming of an age of ice!
41:34 the most honestly shocking part of this video is that you somehow got this spell to land. Huge props, and respect.
BRO CAN WE PLEASE TALK ABOUT THE CINEMATOGRAPHY IN THIS MASTERPIECE I legitimately lost it when godskin apostle kicked in with the duel. Continue making art please.
It's very sad that both Lanseax and Fortissax lost the person they loved.
Godwyn lost a friend but gained a Bad Dragon 😜
@@monsieurdorgat6864 the fact that there are a brand of consummation aids called bad dragon just adds a extra layer to your comment
Amongst many other characters
@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus 😇
@@monsieurdorgat6864 Godwyn and Vyke getting that dragon bussy
Goodness malaketh’s voice actor. Need some more credit. Wow he’s really good.
Jonathan keeble. He does a lot of the warhammer 40k audiobooks too
The quality of this series is phenomenal. Great work guys!!
Not even a heart
@@Saggese488das crazy
@@nevergonnagiveyouupnevergo2795 ikr
Haven't watched it yet...
10/10 Masterpiece
Fr
Watching credits and stuff, it's basically over
Still 10/10 masterpiece can confirm
Facts
37:22 You kind of forgot that Maliketh recognizes the tarnished, after Gurranq has been fed all deathroots. He has a voiceline that only plays when you fulfil that task before you meet Maliketh.
He did include the other part of dialogue
Which is weird since the best quote we got from him is the first one
The art was absolutely amazing and so was the story. Amazing job!
The part where it showed Fortissax right before he used Death Lightning gave me chills.
Like paying homage to him after defeating him.
You're too good of a story teller and these Prepare To Cry are just too amazing
Dude the godskin theme remix during the D fight gave me straight chills. Absolutely amazing work
For being such divisive enemies in gamez their theme is absolutely incredible.
@@helplmchoking definitely among the best in the game.
Kinda surprised you didn't talk about Lionel the Lionhearted and his ties to Fia declaring himself as her adopted father and that's the reason why he's apart of the Fia champions that you face.
The exact wording about it is this:
" When this chivalrous dauntless knight met Fia, who had been driven from her home, he declared himself to be her father"
Edit: Ty for all the likes :)
A old knight saw a poor girl in need and helped as best he could. Always noticed how he chose her as a daughter and not a wife which is in consideration to her forced reproductive position.
@@RomanvonUngernSternbergnrmfvus Lionel is a pretty good dude, I just never noticed until you pointed that part out
The artwork at the start was absolutely phenomenal
I would absolutely adore an entire Artbook describing the lore/events of Elden Ring with it
What an amazing retelling of the duskborne ending. This really makes me want to make a necromancer.
GOD the production values on thease videos have improved so much. as somone who applied for that editor position im honestly glad i didnt get it. I could never do videos like this justice.
Big congrats to the whole teams this is incredable, be sure yall are getting plenty of rest and are taking care of yourselves.
I hope to see your name in the credits of a god like production like this one. You're on the path to the perfect solution for a project you haven't met yet.
The intro cutscene/animated portion was PHENOMENAL! I can’t wait to see more of what you are all capable of.
This is one of the most mysterious endings out of them all in my opinion, the Lord guy himself is gonna answer my questions
I absolutely love the effort you put into the fights too. How you keep the actions thematic and varied from episode to episode really is amazing
I love how the videos just keep getting longer! It speaks volumes for just how incredible Elden Ring is. Also, can we pleeeeease have a displayed or two of that art at the beginning?
I adore this story. Those Who Live In Death are very tragic, kinda the most empathetic I’ve felt towards undead in a story.
That battle between you and D's brother at the end is just...👌 Especially with that rendition of the Godskin Apostle theme, just WOW.
You've come a long way Vaati.
14:14 I just noticed this and it’s awesome, the Black Knives use the ninjutsu walking technique shinobi aruki to dampen the sounds of their footfalls. Great attention to detail
My word, if this is why the Elden Ring lore videos have been taking so long, I forgive all the delays. This is beautiful, and I hope an example of what is to come.
Wow... this is the first one that have actually brought me to tears. Death is the companion that never truly leaves in my profession and I can't help but to empathize with Fia's ambition.
You sound like an amazing fellow! Thanks for the nice Fia comment
Beside's Ranni's questline, Fia's questline also felt the most fulfilling to me, provided you don't miss the most of it. It's a very important questline that bleeds into Ranni's, and is probably the saddest one of them all.
Hi man!
What do you do for a living? Hehe
Really? This video made you sit there and cry? 😂 I get that it's an incredible game and a great video, but literal tears? C'mon man.
@@lindseyormsbee It's okay to cry if the feelings allow it. I admire your toughness but you should understand by the way he wrote what he has been through watching a story about death.
Even from the first few seconds it's hard to believe this isn't official material. The animations are amazing.
bro how is this level of cinematography even possible, the end literally gave me chills
Holy hell, I'm actually speechless. The Prepare To Cry videos for Dark Souls 1 are a huge reason why I became such a big fan of these games. And now that you have a budget, the quality has just gone through the roof. Amazing work. I just got shivers down my spine, watching this on my laptop at the library.
Thank you for all that you do and made possible.
It is so beautiful to see so many different creators of the community coming together to create this masterpiece! 💜 \\[T]/
Rogier is an absolute baller for helping us as he dies.
I love these videos, 1 is for its the best stuff to fall asleep too, second is it makes me realize how, even in 600 hours, ive missed a A LOT of dialogue that ive tried my best to find.
You've always been a bonfire for this community. Maybe even *the* Bonfire, and it's so fitting that your works now include so many more others that have a love for these twisted little worlds
and their tragic and heroic characters. Thanks for all the years Vaati and for stoking the flames of lore for both new and old members of the audience. Your recent uploads feel like a revitalization and it'll be great to see what you all do with the DLC.
Good shit.
damn Vaati really upgraded his shitt!!! i cant appreciate this enough being a 2d animator myself i really appreciate his supporting artists and their work!!
I've been a fan of in-game cinematography my whole life, practically. To see this level of care, planning, expertise, game knowledge, and passion used to create these impressive scenes fills me with some unearned pride. 10/10 will watch again
End part NEEDS a kickass electric guitar solo after "the age of duskborn"
Words cannot describe how insanely good this new level of entertainment and storytelling has become. You surpassed yourself once more, Vaati. ❤
Vaati this is your best video yet. From the animation, to the story telling, and Godwyn being one of the most interesting things about Elden Ring. Your team is amazing.
The amount of work and artistry put into this is breathtaking
Thank you so much for not having any ADs to disrupt the ambience in mood. I’m so grateful for this.
I swear, every video just gets better. They’re already like short movies with incredible art direction, cinematography, and narration. Feels like it’s only a matter of time before we see Elden Ring movies on this channel.
No Perfect Golden Order ending? I think that ending is the most underrated. A lot more to that than meets the eye. Love these videos.
the cinematography is so freakin good, the story telling is so wonderful and enriching, you can feel the passion
That transition to the royal remains armor is so sick. So creative. So much respect/props to the creator(s) of this video.
10/10 one of the best Ranni feet documentaries I’ve ever watched
31:14
Fia: *Summons noble hero with all her might"
Vaati: "ya like rocks?"
The community coming together to create this masterpiece with Vaati is ethereal and thought-provoking. I'm glad I arrived early because it feels we're all watching it at the same time!
That fight scene with D....had me in tears, he cared for his brother.
This work of art gives me so much more motivation to keep playing Elden ring. Outsanding job from you and your team for doing this and keep doing these videos. I have never witnessed more beautiful story telling, than this.
It seems no matter how high you and your partners raise the bar, you still find a way to raise it again. An absolutely captivating story, composed and told perfectly. The Fortissax battle in particular was jaw-dropping, I cannot believe that fight could be so choreographed.
I love how we can get a straight up feature length project just from a collective love of lore. Excellent work everyone!
I like that you're playing a Confessor in this. They were hunters and assassins of blasphemers and traitors of the Two Fingers and the Golden Order, so assisting the Hunters of Those Who Live in Death would make sense. After all the undead are a blasphemy of the Golden Order.
God… that was a very moving video. Wonderful shots (particularly when D. casts a self-buff against the tarnished), beautiful music, and incredible writing. I’ll be coming back to this video many, many times in the future.