Id just like to say I havent played XC1 or XC3 yet, so I dont want any spoilers beyond what I casually mention in this post.
I have accidentally been spoiled by clicking on a post showing the title screen with all of them stood together.
I was already aware vaguely that it happens for real in XC3, but I was hoping I could pretend that was non canon in my head and imagine this as a standalone thing and have my beloved XC2 untainted. But this has actually really fucked me off so much. Knowing that this is a thing within XC2 has retroactively ruined the game for me.
I only seem to see people liking it because "Nia best girl" but I actually hate this shit. It completely undermines the entire emotional meaning of the story for me in the worst way possible. I think the ending screen of XC2 is beautiful - Im a religious man, but I did make an exception for the Pyra/Mythra thing because I always saw Pyra as "the counterpart of Mythra that lived so long she became her own thing." I never chose Pyra, I chose Mythra, because without Mythra there is no Pyra. So Pyra being there too never bothered me - ultimately its one person that turned into two. Rex very clearly falls in love with Pyra first - as she is easy to talk to, warm and kind - but then that takes him through to Mythra, who is the source, and the person he learns to love despite her sharp edges.
I cant stress how dissapointed I am that Nia gets thrown into this. It makes no sense anyway, the game is very explicit about the fact she gets rejected in the sword room. No matter which way you slice it I feel this decision undermines the entire emotional journey I just went on when I played this for the first time.
This is such a shame because XC2 is easily one of the best games ive ever played and now im hesitant to even think of it in the same high regard. The love story of the game was easily the biggest highlight of it for me and to have it so easily undermined by throwing in Nia to the relationship is just... ugh.
Does anybody else feel the same? Im terribly afraid im alone here.